Miniatures 2024 Year-End Round-Up

Happy Miniatures New Year!

(Image: pixabay.com Free license)

 Can't believe it! Where did 2024 go???

At the end of the year, I like to share and link the projects I've finished. It's a good way to see what I've actually done for the year! haa!

January:

I was finishing up the trim and other things on the half-scale Park Avenue Mansion. * Here's the tour part 1, with link to part 2. (Yes, that's a gargoyle on the roof!)

February:

Diner counter

The real fun of working on the mansion was doing something different - making a diner in the bottom floor of the house. I'd always wanted to do a diner so this was fun making one in half-scale. * Here's the finished diner tour.

March - April - May:

Besides working on flowers for the mansion in March, I shared a bunch of my miniatures projects for the A to Z Blog Challenge in April. (See archives list in left column for posts.)

May - June:

I began working on a Tiki Bar in a former photo box. See the finished project in June. I loved doing this one. The drinks and food were a lot of fun to make!

July:

It was back to making Halloween items for the Van Buren dollhouse I finally got back to finishing. * Tour the finished Halloween Van Buren Dollhouse. Part 1 - Part 2.

August:

Between finishing the Halloween house, I got it in my mind to do an abandoned room in another former photo box I had on hand. This was fun to do as I'd seen similar rooms and thought it would be fun to "wreck" a room. I might, just might, do a small house kit I have this way eventually. It can be a lot of fun being intentionally messy!

September:

Did some early Halloween posts this month using the tag "Spooky Season." See other posts in the left column archives.

October:

Different accessories I've done - even a "haunted" garbage can. (Look for the eye!) 

November:

For variety, I finished this half-scale Clematis trellis. I'd been putting it off, but the results were worth doing it! I'll be making more purple colored flowers for the latest project listed below.

I also started painting parts for the next much-smaller half-scale project, which I'm calling the Lavender Cottage.  * Update: the base and first floor are assembled and glued. All windows painted. The door has to be painted next. Then there's lots of tiny trim to paint on the arches, plus the exterior walls.

Set up for Halloween.

Also worked on the camper kit, that I turned into the Coffee Camper for a Christmas Campground display at my friend's house.

December:

I did the Halloween-themed house on the right. (Of course!)

Did several Christmas projects. First, making a tiny Gingerbread House turned into a cute Gingerbread House Decorating Contest as part of the Christmas Campground.

Outside flowers (before finishing)

I started repainting a toy plastic house as a Christmas house. * Finished house post to come and will be linked here.

It was fun this year opening our own Advent Calendars for a Miniature Christmas. Fun gifts like the new addition to my Halloween house lawn. (See right side.) Made different assorted items for that and for some gifts.

It was a really fun miniatures year! Here's to more creativity in 2025!

* Thanks for visiting and sharing minis all year! The best to you and more fun next year! *

A Miniature Christmas

Christmas in front of the Halloween House. But... what is that on the side???

It's Mini Christmastime! 

My friend Gigi and I celebrate our own miniatures Christmas ahead of the 24th so it's always a great time for new projects and new miniature gifts!  Yes, I'm behind on this post! I didn't pay attention to the date so the year-end round-up will have to be up tomorrow on the first. (*Click photos for full size.)

This year we got together and sat around our mini Christmas campground to share some snacks, Egg Nog, do a mini Christmas project, and open gifts. * Click link to see the amazing campground. It really came out great!

A fun fact is that she's also a Santa collector - a real collector. They're everywhere! Big, small, tall... if my count is accurate, I counted around 60 Santas! Definitely feels festive and Christmasy seeing them all set out!

We do a mini Christmas project each year, so this time the surprise was those MiniVerse Holiday balls: a tree, a charcuterie board, and a yule log. They're close to 12th scale (the tree is the closest) so I'll probably set up a Christmas snack table for next year, too. Cute results. Love the tree. Will have to put some lights on it.

Gift-wise, this was fun as we did a miniatures Advent Calendar for each other for the first time. Made and bought all kinds of little minis! I made this little garden basket for her greenhouse project. Found these funny little garden signs so had to include them!

I got several cute little Raggedy Ann items like tiny pillows and books, and she made this adorable trunk from a Dragonfly Intl. kit. Always admired it but never got it! The bench was a kit for a later Tudor project I plan to do. Yes, many projects! haa!

One of the gifts was some of the MiniBrands Home items I know I'll never get, ha! Hooked on these! I'm looking to buy a few others outright as you can buy these balls forever and never get the pieces you want!

  Love the lips sofa and the hand chair. The lips will probably go in the eventual Raggedy Ann house (the half-scale Colonial house I mentioned waaay back in 2020 and need to get back to). The hand chair (my favorite I think) and the pillow chair will likely be painted purple to go in what I'm calling the Lavender Cottage. I'm stuck on that house for the moment as I got tired of painting. (22 windows!) But! The windows are now painted. Yay! And progress: the base and first floor are built. Photos soon.

I have an idea for a semi-modern look for the cottage. Just made this chair and plant for it, which gives me a better feel for how it should look. The chair is from the Gothic furniture set, ( SDK Miniatures) which I did before in the usual walnut with velvet upholstery in the Halloween House. I decided to try something different so I painted it. The antique white color and lighter print gives it a whole new look. It's a nice kit. This is my favorite set and it really has a different style when you paint it.

And that Christmas photo at the top of this post? Well, the figure on the right is one of those lit "Ghost" Dogs. (MforMiniatures) It's lit with one of those tiny "fairy light" balls. (See example on the Gingerbread house post.)  I almost, almost bought the dog so this was really a surprise. SOOOO cute! I also got the ghost figures  (Miniatures.com) to add to the outside scene. 

Another fun (It's always) Halloween item, is this shadow zombie. (Not sure if this is the same site but there are lot of wood cut-out figures here on Etsy to paint yourself.)

Friend and fellow writer Jean Rabe also sent me some cute miniatures as a Christmas surprise. Cute little dressers and other items for the half-scale house/s. Lots of books. Fun! (Send your prayers and well-wishes her way as she's been ill and was just taken to the hospital again for more tests.)

 (And I have to add: if you like to read, check out her Piper Maxwell mystery series. Book six, The Dead of Sled Run, is a good mystery set around the holidays. There's a continuing storyline in the series, but they can be read alone also.)

So, lots to add to collections and projects! Now off to do some more painting!!

Thanks again for visiting! Stay tuned for more Christmas projects. 

Update: The miniature Christmas house is done! Finished gluing in all the wallpaper, ceilings, and put curtains in. I'll share that soon.  

With that done, I started working on part of the annual half-scale swap items as they'll need to be mailed by early February! So far this part will work, I think, then have to try this other small project. The theme this time is holidays so I have a couple easy ideas. Glad I post these as I forgot how cute the items were last time (see link above)! Always look forward to this. I love doing the swap every year and glad people are still participating in it. Nice to get some little presents after Christmas, too!

A Miniatures Christmas Story 2

 

Thief of Christmas Present, A Miniatures Christmas Story - Part 2

  

* Start the story here: Part 1

Today we feature the second part and conclusion to an original Christmas tale by Robert W. Walker, author of  over 100 - and counting -  novels including the fabulous gaslight thriller, CITY OF THE ABSENT, featuring his detective, Ransom.  Check his website for his latest thrillers and novellas. 

(If the photos don't show properly, you can read part 2 of the story at last year's post.)

While Robert is known for his spooky and often creepy-gory horror books, he has a soft side, too! Never fear, this two-part story is rated PG. 

Part 2 Continued --

 "The Thief of Christmas Present"

By Robert W. Walker

(Photos: Christmas Santa House by C. Verstraete, see more pix here - click miniatures; Festive gold and white holiday scenes featuring the miniatures of Lissu, used w/ permission. See more pix and visit her blog, Lissu's Dollhouse) 

To recap: the family are watching the film to see who is stealing the Cluewellens' Christmas from Julia's dollhouse. (See part 1 in the previous post.)

Shortly after, Stevie entered the room, asking, "What kinda movie is this?"

"The movie that's gonna prove you stole the Cluewellens' Christmas!"


"I didn't touch that stuff! I didn't do it, Mom!"

Joannie came down from her room and asked, "Are you still blaming that on Stevie? He wouldn't do that!"

"We got you on tape this time, Joannie...or Stevie...whichever one of you guys did it, so there!" Julia set her jaw, determined to watch every hour of the unmoving movie frame by frame. "Mom and me...we gotcha good now. Liar."

Joannie came at her sister. "Who're you calling a liar? Me?"

"If the shoe fits!"

"Enough, both of you! Stop it. Either sit down and watch the tape or leave the room, but please, no more accusations, Julia, and no more shouting, Joannie-and you, Stevie, stop crying."

"I didn't do it," he complained through tears. "I always get blamed for everything!"


"All I know is somebody stole the Cluewellens' Christmas tree now!" Julia shot back.

"Hey, what's that?" asked Joannie, pointing at the screen. "I saw movement-a shadow-back of the miniature."

Julia, Stevie, and Mother Waldron stared at the slight squeaking noise, too, and in a moment, they all watched a pair of whiskers and a brown button nose rise over the back of the miniature at the chimney.

"It's Newton, my ferret!" shouted Stevie. "He's escaped again."

Newton lived up to his name, always finding ways to escape his cage, and often, Stevie allowed him 'free run time' but Newton always returned to his cage. Newton had even found a way out of the house one night.

"What's he doing?" asked Julia. "OMG-he's going down the chimney."

"Like Santa," said Stevie.


"No...more like The Grinch," replied Joannie. "There's your Christmas thief, Julia!"

"But...I mean how...why?" she asked. "Why's he terrifying the Cluewellens and destroying their Christmas?"

"You really think Newton is thinking along those lines, Julia?" Joannie couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Shhh...watch him. Look, look," said Mom. "The little thief! He's dragging the entire tree out the front door."

With the tree clear of the door, it snapped closed, and Newton scurried away with the five-inch high tree, ornaments trailing. He truly did look like a miniature version of The Grinch except that he was brown and not green.

"Stevie's pet's the thief...the whole time," Julia muttered in disbelief.

"What's he doing with all the stolen goods?" asked mom. "Shall we find out?"

"I think you're gonna need a ferret whisperer or a pet shrink to figure that out, Mom," replied Joannie, still laughing.


"Nothing funny about that little rat destroying the Cluewellens' Christmas!" countered Julia.

"Why don't we all just go on a scavenger hunt?" began Mom. "To see where Newton is stashing all the decorations and presents."

"And stockings!" added Julia.

The four of them started for Stevie's room where Newton lived in a cage. Everyone in the family had gotten so used to Newton's escapes and escapades about the house that no one took great notice of him of late.

"What's going on?" asked Jack Waldron, their father, who'd caught them gathered at the foot of the stairs as he came through the door, home from the office.

Everyone spoke at once until Anna calmed them and pointed to the still action shot on the TV. "We caught Newton red-handed. "He's Julia's Christmas thief."

"Must be the shiny stuff attracts Newton, eh?" asked Jack.


"But he's never done this before!" Anna replied. "Any rate, we're heading up to Steve's room to see where he's stashing the goods."

"Say, did anyone read that book that came with the ferret when you bought Newton at the pet store?" asked Joannie, who was browsing the book for any clues.

"Who's got time to read?" asked Julia.

They all went for Stevie's room, and looked into Newton's cage, a made-over fish tank. There, amid the usual sawdust and toy shelters and fake greenery, was a stash of Christmas miniatures, from the tree, to the presents and the stockings. All of it lay in a neat, orderly circular design. The look on Newton's face said, "I confess."

Joannie handed the paperback book on ferrets and ferret behavior to her mother. "Take a look at the last section on page sixteen."

She glanced at the page. "Oh, dear...then this means..."

"What is it?" asked Julia. "Nothing in that book could possibly excuse this rodent's behavior, and as for you, Stevie-this is all your-"

"No, Julia!" countered her father, who'd now read page sixteen. "No way is this Stevie's fault!"

"You owe Stevie and me an apology," Joannie said to Julia, having closed in on her, nose-to-nose. "And all our friends, too!"

"You do owe everyone an apology, Julia," her mother agreed. "In the meantime, Newton is going to need a new name."

"Whataya mean?" asked Julia.

"New name?" asked Stevie.


"Newton is a girl, and she's stealing shiny objects to make a nest, because she's going to have baby ferrets."

"OMG!" replied Julia. "That's it! That explains the mystery."

"But if Newton's not a boy...what're we going to call Newton?" asked Stevie.

"Newtonia?" suggested Joannie, a snicker escaping.

"Why don't we make it Madame Curie," suggested Mom. "I think she outsmarted us all. In any event, case closed."

Stevie lifted the flimsy lid and started to reach in to retrieve the Cluewellens' Christmas stuff-his sister's stuff, but Julia stayed his hand. "No, Stevie. She-Madame Curie-she needs it now more than the Cluewellens."

"Aren't you ahhh worried about the Cluewellens?" asked Anna of her daughter.

"They'll understand when I explain it to them," Julia replied and shrugged, "and besides, there's always next year."

Anna hugged Julia and Jack put a hand on his daughter's shoulder, and with the entire family looking on at Newton-now Madame Curie-every one smiled, and if ferrets can smile, Madame Curie smiled back, a knowing glint in her eye.

"I have an idea for the Cluwellens' Christmas," said Stevie.

"What's that? asked Julia.

"Why not give them a front row seat for Christmas?"

"Meaning?"

"Put their house under our tree!"


Everyone agreed it was a wonderful solution, and that Julia had a lot of apologies to make, and that she'd tell and retell Newton's story between now and Christmas quite often indeed.

The End.

(c) 2008, 2024 RW Walker published by https://candidcanine.blogspot.com

** I hope you enjoyed this "little" Christmas tale as much as I enjoy presenting it every year. 

Merry Christmas and the best in the New Year to everyone! 

As Tiny Tim said, "God Bless us, every one!"

A Miniatures Christmas Story 1

 It's become something of an annual tradition that I've been sharing this little Christmas story friend and fellow author Robert W. Walker penned for me. It first ran here in 2008. Enjoy!

Today I have the pleasure of presenting an original Christmas tale by Robert W. Walker, author of - gasp! over 100  - and counting -  novels including the fabulous gaslight thriller, CITY OF THE ABSENT, featuring his detective, Ransom. Check his website for his latest thrillers and novellas.  

While Robert is known for his spooky and often creepy-gory horror books, he has a soft side, too! Never fear, this story, which will run in two parts, is rated PG. 

(If the photos don't show properly, you can read the story at last year's post.) 

(Come back tomorrow, Christmas Day, for Part 2.) 

The Thief of Christmas Present
By Robert W. Walker

(Photos: Christmas Santa House by C. Verstraete, more photos see website, Santa's House page.)




Julia rushed into her mother's room, her eleven-year-old arms flapping as she said, "Joannie stole my Christmas presents! I just know it was her!"

"Your big sister wouldn't do that, Julia."

"Then its one of her girlfriends."

"I've talked to Joannie, and she's given the third degree to every friend who has been visiting the house since Thanksgiving."

Julia's eyes filled with tears. "Musta been that boyfriend of hers then!"

"He seems like a nice, respectful boy, and whatever would possess him to steal your miniature Christmas presents from beneath your miniature tree?"

Anna Waldron hugged her daughter to her. "We'll find the stolen goods. They're likely somewhere on a shelf. Thoughtlessly moved by one of your little friends."

"No, no mom! I don't let anyone reach into my dollhouse and take out anything, not the figurines, not the furniture, and certainly not the presents under the tree."

Anna wondered how this could keep happening to her daughter. Julia had put heart and soul into her miniature house this year. In fact, she'd begun creating the tree, the ornaments, lights, stockings hanging over the fireplace, and the presents beneath the tree since last Christmas.

She'd got it in her head that her dollhouse ought to have all the ornaments and decorations of any home, that Mr. and Mrs. Cluewellen and their three children who lived in the miniature house ought to have a wonderful Christmas too.



Julia had worked so hard to make it happen, and now, day-by-day, all her work was coming unraveled. The day before she noticed an ornament missing from the tiny tree. The day before that one of the stockings she'd labored so hard to make was gone from the mantel. Poof. Now two of the tiny presents from beneath the tree-gone. Stolen.

"At this rate," moaned Julia, "by the time Christmas gets here, the Cluewellens won't have anything left."

Anna patted Julia's hand. "And The Christmas Crook of the Present will have won!"

"We can't let that happen, mom!"

"We must act, set a trap."

"A trap?"

"Yeah, we'll wire up a trap that will snap on those sticky fingers."

"Then you think it's Stevie?"

"I hope not, but your little brother is at that age. I sure hope he hasn't lied about this."

"Well...it's not a ghost. I asked the Cluewellens if they'd had any problems with anything like a poltergeist, and they said no."

"You believe them?" Mother Waldron laughed, but Julia stared at her, eyes saying, 'not funny'.

"They don't lie, cheat, or steal, mom."

"Neither does your brother or your sister for that matter, young lady."

"Well I'm not lying about it! Someone's stealing the Cluewellens' Christmas right under our noses."



"You set the trap," suggested Anna. "I'm going to set up a concealed camera, so we can get to the bottom of this before..."

Julia looked up at her mother, wondering why she'd stopped talking. "Before all of the presents and decorations are gone?"

"Before you make your sister and your brother angrier with you than they already are."

"Angry with me? I'm the victim here. Me and the Cluewellens."

"Honey, you have accused both of them of stealing and lying about it. Then you accused their friends."

Julia nodded, and for a moment Anna thought her child understood and agreed, but then Julia said, "It could've been one of Stevie's dumb friends."

"Well now, we're going to find out, aren't we?"

"You think it'll work, Mom?"

"At the rate things are disappearing, my hunch is that whoever's behind the theft will be back."

They put the trap into play.

They wisely left the miniature house untouched and unmoved, the same enticement as ever.

An entire day and most of the evening went by with young Julia wanting to check the Cluewellens' living room and tree every hour, while her mother insisted they wait and see. When Anna decided the camera's battery would be in need of help, mother and daughter went into her room to determine if anything had been taken. They found the front door closed. Julia gasped when she looked in through the windows. The entire tiny Christmas tree had been taken! All about the front door and steps, glitter appeared like colored snow. Whoever was behind the theft, cleaning up after him-or herself-wasn't a concern.

"It's got to be Stevie or one of his goofy friends," Julia said, tears forming. "Maybe Stevie's too chicken to tell on Tad."

"Let's reserve judgment and see what the camera says."

They made popcorn and popped the film into the USB port of the TV and sat down to watch the unfolding events. Unfortunately, during the first hour, nothing unfolded.

"This is a real snore and a bore," Julia complained, tiring of the popcorn as well.

After a while, Julia began making up a storyline to go with the miniature people inside the house on the screen, and it was so vivid that her mom could almost imagine that the little Cluewellen family was as real as Julia believed them to be. She began to see Mrs. Cluewellen move that feather duster in her hand. But clearing her head and eyes, Mother Waldron thought better of saying she'd begun to see the miniature people roaming around inside their miniature house. Maybe the miniature was haunted at that....

(c) 2008, 2024 RW Walker published by https://candidcanine.blogspot.com

* The story continues tomorrow, Christmas Day - see Part 2.) 

Miniature Christmas Campground

Welcome and come on in!

 I shared about the miniature camper previously (see inside and details) that I was finishing and turned into a coffee camper. (*Click on photos for full size.)

What started out as just finishing up an unfinished project turned into a BIG project as my friend Gigi did one of hers and then the whole thing became a Christmas campground. ha! But it turned out great! Here's a tour:

There are several campers of different sizes around the grounds, plus a gingerbread house contest, a food table, a gazebo where you can meet Santa, and more! Thanks to Gigi for all her efforts in setting up this amazing display!

Have a seat around the campfire (which was then changed to a lit campfire since I found my Lemax fire pit!)

Wait... what is that in the background? Watch out! We have a visitor who also likes the sweets! haa!

I can see why! Quite a delicious display of Christmas goodies! That tiny pink camper is the one my friend made.

Yum!!

Between feasting, guests can also vote on their favorite Gingerbread House.

Don't forget to stop in the gazebo and visit Santa!

Be sure to say hello to residents of the nearby village, too.

Here's the overall view. Impressive, isn't it?

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Thanks for visiting.  Come back for more Christmas minis soon!