Miniature Projects & Dollhouse Printies

I can't really ever say that I have nothing to do. Not with dozens of project ideas and several in progress. But... I get bored and tend to hop between projects. I like to do something for a while and then move on to something else.

Well, I found several things online that'll keep me busy. Check out these links for some great miniature ideas and printies sure to keep you busy, too!

Watering Jug/Pitcher:
* Marlies of Marlies Minis has a pattern for pitchers you make from paper. You can coordinate in all kinds of colors and sizes! Very cool!

Apothecary Printies:
* Jean Day makes incredibly darling little outfits and other miniatures. She also shares some neat printies on her blog, like miniature books or these interesting pages from an 1800-era apothecary book. Can't get more authentic than that!

Make a Chest:
* Debbie at Debbie's Tiny Treasures has some neat ideas. Her Harry Potter apothecary project is so cool! Here's a free tutorial for a small trunk she made from mount board (picture framing matboard). Continue here: Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6.

Potion Labels:
* Kat the Hat Lady shares some interesting witch-wizard potion labels to shrink. While you're there, be sure to check out her amazing miniature witch hats!

Printies and Posters:
* Grace at TreeFeathers (check out her incredible miniature books!) also has a great printies page. My favorite? The vintage monster movie posters. Check out her blog too.

Potion Labels:
* Whittaker's Miniatures recently started blogging and has the neatest, er, spookiest ideas! Check out these great labels they're selling at Etsy. Next on my shopping list for sure!!

Have fun!

1000 Must Read Books - or Not

I see there's been a lot of talk going around about the 1000 Books You Must Read Before You Die published in January at the Guardian.

The books are divided into categories, Love, Comedy, Family, etc. And the lists are long. Yes, with more books I admit to having never looked at.

Book lists, of course, are subjective, with a "to each their own" feeling. None of us will agree on what books are "musts."

As my interests lie mostly with mystery, I found the crime section interesting. A lot of Raymond Chandler and other "classic" authors, though they're not my cup of tea, er, whisky. A few authors weren't familiar to me. Others I haven't gotten to yet. I did see books I've read in the other categories, but I'll stick to the Crime list for now. A few I read:

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (and read many others)
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (didn't finish it, loved the movie I saw on Mystery!)
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (I probably read every Sherlock book)
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (Never really thought of this as "crime" though what they did was)
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser (this is one I have read several times)
Dolores Claiborne - Stephen King
Misery - Stephen King (interesting King choices)

What's missing:
No new, cozy mysteries. A genre of its own? But still enjoyable, at least to me.

** What are some of your favorite mystery or crime books? Are they listed - or not?

Five Simple Steps to Finish Writing Your Stories

Okay I admit it - I'm a procrastinator. I get tons of ideas and don't finish many of them.

How to avoid this? How to finish a project?

I realize that besides procrastination, sometimes it's boredom that keeps me from finishing a story. Wow. If I'm bored, what will readers think?

No, it's not that the story is boring. I just lose interest in writing it.

So, a few simple tips I learned while writing to keep myself moving forward:

1. If a story isn't working, move on to another. That boredom means I need to let it sit for a while and go back to it later. Usually works.

2. Write a short description. Get to know the characters. A character sheet helps you fill in those little blank spaces. It helps if you know who is in your story and not just the what, where and why.

3. Do an outline. I need an outline so I know where I'm going. Doesn't mean it's set in stone. I do change things along the way or add things as new ideas emerge or I think of something that fits better. At least I have a road map to work from.

4. Make a list. I'm a list maker. There's something satisfying about checking things off. When you feel you aren't getting anywhere, you can check something off or look at what you've done. Makes you realize you have accomplished something.

5. Stew on it. Let the story idea simmer. I usually need to "stew" on an idea a while. If the story isn't fully formed in my head, then I lose interest in it or am not sure where to go with it.

Simple, right?

** What are your simple suggestions to keep your story (or book) going? How do you stay motivated?

St. Patrick's Day Miniature by Nancy Cronin

Happy St. Patrick's Day!



Doll artist Nancy Cronin has the "Luck O' the Irish" I think with her original sculpted Leprechaun. He looks kind of tired, doesn't he? Maybe he's worn out from hiding all that gold. Think we can find it somewhere? (Wouldn't that be nice!)

New Miniature Plant Terrarium

I made a unique new planter terrarium with a red "spider" plant, black and orange tulips, a black barbed plant and several "magic" or poisonous mushrooms under a removable plastic dome.

It is 2 1/4" in diameter and just under 1 3/4" high. The plants are set in "dirt" and planted on a handmade Paperclay base.

It's perfect for witches, Harry Potter, a wizard scene or a unique greenhouse! I'm making some others with white spider plants and different flowers, too. And I'm trying a half-scale size.




This planter is now for sale on eBay. Or type in item number in search: 250390451330

Read an E-Book Week, Some E-book Ideas

Can't just have you wonder what to read for READ AN E-BOOK WEEK, right?

Most of these books from QUAKE are in traditional print, but they're also available in e-book, at Fictionwise and on the Kindle.

Here're a few suggestions for some good (make that GREAT!) e-books to read.


Fantasy:

I love the cover of SURVIVING SERENDIPITY by Jacquelyn Sylvan

Kidnapped, taken to another galaxy, June's duty as princess and sole surviving royal is to use her newly discovered magical abilities to save the planet from impending doom.







Horror:

Coming this summer, FANG FACE from humor author Norm Cowie is definitely on my to-read list.

Erin's life is changing, like her. She's turning into an Undead. It could be worse... her complexion clears…finally…she can fly - cool! - and a liquid diet can't hurt. She can even freak out her little sister.

Everyone says she's beautiful, but they start calling her names, like Fang Face. Life is great... or isn't it?




Mystery:

In SEARCHING FOR A STARRY NIGHT, Sam and Lita, along with a mischievous Dachshund named Petey, face a dog-hating gardener, a crabby housekeeper and an ancient curse as they search for a missing miniature replica of Van Gogh's "Starry Night."









Romance:

In MR. MYSTERIOUS by Alyssa Montgomery, a night of hanging with friends might just turn out to be an amazing night that Cara and Allyson will never forget!

You Call That, Uh, Art?

Since my book Searching for A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery involves art, it seems fitting to mention a new exhibit just opened in Paris.

Now, Searching For A Starry Night centers on real art, namely a miniature replica of Vincent Van Gogh's famous painting, "Starry Night."

This new exhibit called "Voids, A Retrospective," supposedly focuses on - nothing. Lots of nothing.

Imagine paying your admission fee, walking into an exhibit, and you find an empty room. Literally. In this case, the exhibit has not one, but nine empty rooms.

Stemming from what's called the "void" movement, these exhibits, music, etc. focus on emptiness. Art critics, of course, wax poetic, one calling it "radical."

In real life, we'd call it stupid.

Okay, I'm no art critic. Nor am I going to pretend to be an intellectual. But I'm not dumb, either. Call it common sense.

It's kind of like that red or black dot, or a splash on a blank canvas being given great psychological meaning. You can read anything into that kind of "art." Look at a van Dyck, a Van Gogh, or a Monet, however, and no double-talk is needed. The beautiful images and brushstrokes of the masters speak volumes.

Now compare that kind of art to this new exhibit. Sure, creativity is good. Contemporary thinking is different, etc. But I think the only thing being emptied are people's wallets.

Or maybe the emperor really doesn't need any clothes. Maybe there is something to it... Tell you what. Give me $10 (or whatever admission the show charges) and I'll show you an empty room, er, a "Void" exhibit that will top any of the others.

** What do you think?

Surprise Miniature Gifts

Katie at Katie's Clay Corner sent a great miniature surprise! Besides this fantastic painting she did (one of several artworks she showed on her blog previously), she also sent some other neat things she made.

I love this yummy looking tart!

Katie got the idea to make tarts from another blog, and it looks so great, I think I'll try making some too!




She also made this pretty set of Christmas bags. (Much nicer and fancier than the ones I made before.) She sent the pretty colored bottles, too. Thanks, Katie!

Doxie Day w/ Searching For A Starry Night

I went to the dogs Sunday - and was glad I did! (Pictured left: shy Willie preferred the bag to the ground!)

I joined members of the Suburban Chicagoland Dachshund Lovers group for a St. Patrick's "Pawty" in Grayslake, Ill.

I read a portion of Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery and enjoyed meeting all the Dachshunds. (Petey would be jealous!)

Talk about characters! Dogs beat people any time! Here are a few of them:




Sam (whom I dubbed the Ham) is a charming 12-year-old whom his owner adopted at 10. Every time you turned around, this sweet dog was either loafing in his owner's giant tote, or begging.

Dayden (left) was pretty in pink!



Baron (below) looked pretty sporting (and quite the Leprechaun!) in his green bowtie.

Miniaturist of the Month: Louise Goldsborough

What could be more Spring-like than flowers - and fairies?

British miniaturist Louise Goldsborough of Angelique Miniatures. makes miniature dolls that make you take a second look. She is also still a collector who's been collecting miniatures since childhood.

"I had my first dollshouse for my third birthday," she says. "My dad made it and I still have it and all the original furniture and occupants."

Her dollhouses are still among her favorite collectibles, and - not surprisingly - so are Fairies.

"I have four dollshouses (including my childhood one), plus quite a large collection of fairy ornaments," she says. "I also have a smaller collection of the larger 16 to 22 inch fashion dolls."

(Pictured: New Fairy Life)



A professional dancer when she was young, Louise began to dress dolls as a hobby, but soon she was hooked! "I swapped my hobby with my profession in March 1988 and never looked back," she says.

(Pictured: Magic Shoes)


She's been making dolls for more than 20 years and has been designing them professionally for seven years.



What keeps her interested? "It's definitely the dressing...the prettier the better," she says. "That's why I love doing the fairy stuff!"

Her work is really a labor of love - and it shows, which is what keeps customers coming back time and again.

(Pictured: Sweet Music)

"It is love," she says. "I feel it is important to reflect this valuable quality in my work as the item that I am making for each individual customer needs to bring them the maximum amount of pleasure. After all, they have chosen me to make their special miniature so I want to get things just so for every customer."

Louise now is getting ready to open a shop at Etsy.

After that, well, she probably has the fairies' blessing!