A to Z Blog Challenge - W to Z - White Hutch & Yellow Dollhouse

 * The posts are part of the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013. **

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I fell behind so I'm doubling up a few posts to catch up.

I wanted to share some of my favorite dollhouse projects. Hope you enjoyed seeing some different minis this month.

W- for my White Hutch and White Cabinet 

  

 I am planning a large ladies shoppe and a smaller display room so am painting some furniture. The first is the Michael's wood hutch. I used scrapbook paper and a Paris graphic from the Graphics Fairy. Love how it turned out! I put regular gold knobs that I painted, too.

X -  Extremely - dare I say it? Cute.  Joy Cox makes the cutest faces on her mini dolls like this half scale witch on ebay uk. 

Y - See Yellow House below.  Z: Zombies, of course. I want to leave this post up a few  days so Z will be for Zombies and a Walking Dead mini scene made by miniaturist Dorothy, which will be featured shortly at my other blog, GirlZombieAuthors. And check back here for a Story a Day for May. Well, I'll try.

The cabinet was the standard mahogany color. It simply looks better painted and papered! I plan to fill it with miniature shoes and purses. (Ignore the fingers and dirty mirror. ha!)

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Y - My Yellow House 

This is one of my favorite miniature projects. Had some pix up a loooong time ago, so this is probably new to most.

The house was a kit I bought years ago which though half scale was sold as a children's playhouse. (Wish I'd bought the other kit as they're long gone; forgot who made it.)

(One of the sides.  Lilies were handmade. Other flowers were a kit; resin birdhouses on wall.)

  I didn't stick to scale as at the time I had these kits which were a smaller 1" scale and filled in with other things, which to me still fit. I did use a half scale chair and items on the porch. 

The stones in the chimney and outside of front porch  are those polished rocks you find at museums attached in stucco (lightweight Spackle - wall compound.) 

I tried to do other different things like use a small wood birdhouse topped with a woodsie for a table.

(Other side has iris, trailing vines and a bench where someone stopped for a break. And  had to have a flamingo!)

(Just about every house I build has to have a dog, of course. The flowers were made in a film canister (remember those?) that is scored, painted and has gold metal tape attached.) 

Hope you enjoyed seeing the project! 

A to Z Blog Challenge - V is for Miniature Violin -the real thing

  * The posts are part of the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013. ** 

I fell behind so I'll have to double up posts next week.

(Photo: David Edwards)

Today I wanted to share an amazing miniature violin, handmade by UK artisan David Edwards. It is an incredible 2-inches long.

Edwards made the 1/12th scale violin last year in pearwood with fingerboard, tailpiece and pegs in ebony. The bridge is recycled ivory. The strings and tailgut are real gut. There is a sound post inside just like the real instrument and it is resting on a full-size violin peg. 

See more of Edwards' work at his blog or Facebook page.

A to Z Blog Challenge - U is for Unusual Minis

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is U for Something Unusual in Miniature ....

Sharing a little Halloween bed I made - Love the bat pillow!  This is half scale (6 inches = 1 foot)

A to Z Blog Challenge - T is for Miniature Christmas Tree

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is T for Miniature  Christmas Tree


'Tis not the season, but you can't have Santa (see yesterday's S post) without a Christmas tree...

A to Z Blog Challenge - S is for Seeing my zombie book Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie in person!

A second post I have to add! for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013!

  Got the advanced reader copy today for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie!

A teensy slight change - and it looks really cool!

A to Z Blog Challenge - S is for Miniature Santa

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is S for Miniature Santa

Couldn't think of a better fit than Santa for S, right?

See my Santa's Christmas Cottage on the website, click miniatures. 

A to Z Blog Challenge - R is for Red Miniatures

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is  R for  Red Miniatures

Thought I'd share a couple miniatures in a fun color -  RED!

Cake in a red tin for the Queen's 60th anniversary
Victorian purses with a red lining.

A to Z Blog Challenge - Q is for Quick Miniature Jars and Canisters

**Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 

(click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)**

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is Q for Quick 
Mini Canning Jars and Canisters

Tough one! I wondered, what to do for Q? Then I thought of the quick, easy project I wanted to share. So here goes:

Mini Jars and Canisters - C. Verstraete 

Materials:

 * Round beads (the beads are in a package with several colors from the Dollar Tree.) What's neat  is that unlike pony beads, these beads are cut "straight" on the sides and across the top, almost like a straw, which makes them perfect for jars. (They are 1/4" high.)

* Standard 1/8" round hole office punch
* Thin clear plastic, like from a package covering
* Colored clay - I use air-dry, Crayola Model Magic clay, which I paint with acrylics.
* Bits of herbal and black tea from tea bags
* Small flat-backed black bead.
* Canning label printies, shrunk down with names written on
* Printed cotton, tacky glue
* Thin cardboard or box card (tea or cereal boxes work well)
* Smallest size gold brad
* Smallest pony beads
* Silver alphabet bead
* Printie tea label

 NOTE: These are all smaller beads so I made the jars for my half scale house. Use larger size beads for 1-inch scale.

Directions:

* Canister:

1 Punch out round piece of plastic and glue to bottom of bead. When dry, fill with tea from a tea bag.

2  Punch out second round plastic piece for top and glue to bead. Glue small flat-backed black bead to top for "handle."

3. Glue label to front of jar. (which was on but I have to re-glue them. ha!)


* Canning Jar:

(Photos: back row, from left: Pony bead, dollar store bead.)

1. Form pieces of clay into shapes like vegetables, and paint desired color with acrylic paints. Note: these are so small that you don't have to be exact; it's just to give an illusion of something being in the jars.

2. Punch out plastic circle and glue to bottom of the dollar store bead (as in first jar in front.) Fill with clay "food" shapes. Punch out three circles from card. Stack and glue together, then glue stack to underside of desired fabric.

3. Cut fabric around stack in a circle shape, leaving a slight edge. Glue stack to top of jar. Put dots of glue on fabric edge and fold around jar to make a fabric covered lid.

(You can try gluing a piece of string on fabric edge and glue on a separate small bow to give the illusion of a closing tie, but the jar is pretty small.) Add a canning label to front with desired name penned in.

* Small pony bead jar - Square tea tin:

(Photo: left regular, larger size pony bead, smaller pony beads for half scale topped with smallest brad; silver alphabet bead)

1. Pony bead jar - stack and glue together two of smallest size pony beads. Use different colors to match  contents if possible. Glue smallest size gold brad to top. Print out reduced canning or fruit label. Wrap around beads and glue.

2.  Square alphabet bead tea tin: I had a bunch of these beads and realized the size is perfect for a half scale tin. Print out reduced tea package art or scenery for a label. Glue label to all sides of bead. Glue smallest size gold brad to the top.  (I use a small square piece of wood for a 1" scale tin.) 

(--From Candid Canine)

A to Z Blog Challenge - P is for Miniature Pumpkins

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is P for Miniature Pumpkins

I love these. Pumpkins are fun in real life and in miniature, of course!

A to Z Blog Challenge - O for Other things in miniature but real

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is O for Other Things in Miniature - but real

Since I already scheduled S I thought I'd share  something else you might like to see.
We also raise dwarf seahorses.  You can friend me on facebook to see more pix and videos -  (christine.verstraete) Here are a couple pix: