#AtoZ 2016 - Q-R is for Quite Cool Miniatures Road Trips

Today is the Letters  Q and R  for the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April! 

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list!  If you like books, etc., I'm also doing the same on my GirlZombieAuthors blog. I may even share a spooky mini or two there!

If you're new to the hobby, or have never seen the following places and exhibits, be sure to put them on your next travel schedules! There are some Quite cool places to see on the Road!

Miniatures Museum of  St. Louis - they have a virtual museum tour, too on their website!

The Great American Dollhouse Museum - Danville, KY 

Museum of Miniature Houses - Carmel, IN

111 East Main Street,
Carmel, Indiana 46032
317-575-9466
info@museumofminiatures.org

Open since 1993, the museum contains a collection of over 600 houses, roomboxes and more.

Cool! Take a virtual tour on Google Maps. 

#A to Z 2016 - P for Personal Favorite Miniatures

Welcome to the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April!  

Come back daily for more exciting posts and even some giveaways!

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list! 

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Today is P for Personal Favorite Miniatures


Got these kits coming from Michelle's Minatures (she didn't have them on hand at the 3 Blind Mice Show so she's shipping them.) I fell in love! 

She has such unique kits! 

This half scale  fortune teller booth is so cool!

This forest bed is really unusual.  (Getting the half scale)

Also got the cute cigar box purse kit.

#AtoZ 2016 - Other Miniatures

Welcome to the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April!  

Come back daily for more exciting posts and even some giveaways!

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list! 

 (I think I missed N - so...) 

Today is N-O for New and Other Miniatures

Here are some of the interesting items I saw (and couldn't or didn't buy) at the Spring Chicago-area dollhouse shows this past weekend.

This year there were again 3 shows to go to:

The Bishop International Show

3 Blind Mice

New - The Miniature Show

Some of the fantastic things seen at the shows! (click for larger images)

Thought these were gorgeous!

Cute and made of leather but pricey...

Love the pinball machines! (Wish I'd looked at the price!)

Trivia: Bet you can't guess the price of that painted doghouse...

Nice Harry Potter scene...

Beautiful entryway

#AtoZ 2016 - M is for Mini Mysteries

Welcome to the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April!  

Come back daily for more exciting posts and even some giveaways!

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list! 

Today is M for Mini Mysteries

I'm cheating a bit today as I'm featuring  Camille Minichino, (writing as Margaret Grace), author of my favorite mysteries about dollhouses and miniatures, on my other blog. 


Be sure to go read her post and comment there to enter her giveaway!

  

 Hard to believe she's written eight  books in the series, the latest being Manhattan in Miniature. 

Number 9  - Matrimony in Miniature - will be published in September.  (Can't wait to read it! Yes, I'm biased as I did blurb #8!)

* See all the books at her website or her Amazon page. 

#AtoZ 2016 - I Just Love Minis & #Mysteries + Know You will too!

Today is the Letter I and J for the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April! 

And K-L  - I love minis - and Know you'll love this, too!

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list!  If you like books, etc., I'm also doing the same on my GirlZombieAuthors blog. I may even share a spooky mini or two there!

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Cheating just a bit today. I'll have a mini mystery coming out soon involving my two favorite things - miniatures and writing short stories!  What's more fun, right????

I had a blast writing this story featuring my part-zombie girl character, Becca from GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie. This times she's solving a little mystery involving miniatures based on friend and fellow writer Joanna Campbell Slan's Big Wave Dave's Surf Shop.

Joanna's cool project took honorable mention in the annual Miniatures. Com contest this year! See all  the contest pix here.

See more of Joanna's project on her Facebook page.

#AtoZ 2016 - H is for Half Scale Miniatures

Today is the Letter H - for the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April! 

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list!  If you like books, etc., I'm also doing the same on my GirlZombieAuthors blog. I may even share a spooky mini or two there!

I love working in half scale (1/24 scale - 1/2 inch = 1 foot). The best part is the annual anniversary swap by members of the Half Scale Yahoo Group. I've been in it at least 7-8 years, I think. This year there were over 30 members. There have been over 60 members in the past.  It always amazes what people make. I have a box full of items to use in my dollhouse projects and get ideas for things to try making myself, too.

Here are the items I got in this year's swap:

Yes those are eyeglasses above!

Was thrilled to get a computer model! I'm going to try making a white wood with a wood case. The tiny dotted bead is a crock pot!

The white straw sewing basket even has teensy sewing items!

I made the glitter picture, cookbook and newspaper (which has my real story and photo on top, even if you can't read it. ha!)

#AtoZ 2016 - G is for Great #Miniatures Reading + Projects

Today is the Letter G for the A to Z Blog Challenge.

Welcome to the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April!  

Come back daily for more exciting posts and even some giveaways!

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list! 

Shared this on my other blog at a later date, so figured I'd share it here, too. 

It's not new but some may not be familiar with my miniatures book, IN MINIATURE STYLE II. See some of the projects and details here.  (print-PDF-ebook)

A secret. Shhh!  I am working on some other projects. Details to come soon!

** CONTEST:  Sign up for my mailing list on the main website page - get entered to win the yellow and black check material to make the cover dress! (US shipping only.)  Comment below that you signed up.

See the contents:

#AtoZ 2016 - F for Half Scale Dollhouse Flowers

Today is the Letter F - for the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April! 

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list!  If you like books, etc., I'm also doing the same on my GirlZombieAuthors blog. I may even share a spooky mini or two there!

I enjoy making half scale miniatures (1/24 scale - 1/2 inch = 1 foot.)

Here's a sample of some flowers I just made... They'll be planted around the half scale garage. I'm planning the yard and driveway now. (Hoping I can get that done, the roof on, and the flowers and gardens finished to share with these posts.)

Sunflowers and Hibiscus... More to come.

#AtoZ 2016 - E for Everything #Miniature!

Today is the Letter E for the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April! 

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list!  If you like books, etc., I'm also doing the same on my GirlZombieAuthors blog. I may even share a spooky mini or two there!


Today I'm talking Everything Mini...

I used to draw and do other crafts like cross-stitch, but I've since concentrated all my crafting efforts on miniatures and dollhouses. This still allows me to make a variety of things or try different crafts.

I've cross-stitched and made Bunka rugs... I've made fabric curtains... I've made different accessories.  I'm a DIYer - I like making things or trying to. And yes, I buy stuff I like or realize I don't have to make! See some of my projects at my website or look through this blog, too. 

The trick is making it look real enough, or making it so I'm happy with how it looks. Sometimes we can be too picky with ourselves. Yes, there are a few mistakes sometimes, that I hope aren't glaring (only to me, you know how that works.)

For fun and as my profession, I also like to write. I do nonfiction -- newspaper and magazine articles -- as my main job. I write fiction as another creative outlet.

A little hint: I will have another mini mystery story coming out soon featuring my Girl Zombie book character, Becca. This time she's helping solve a murder --- and it has miniatures in it! Some may also recognize a friend's project in the story. Stay tuned for more details soon!! Sooner than you think!

** CONTEST: Please sign up for my sporadic newsletter on my website. 

* Sign up and get your name entered to win a Kindle copy of my first miniatures book, IN MINIATURE STYLE or a PDF of my second expanded version, IN MINIATURE STYLE II.   See minis page for all links.  Comment here that you signed up - be sure to leave an email to contact you.

#AtoZ 2016 - D is for Dollhouse Books

Today is Day 4- the Letter D - for the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April! 

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list!  If you like books, etc., I'm also doing the same on my GirlZombieAuthors blog. I may even share a spooky mini or two there!


If you're a new visitor, I wanted to share a little about me. I'm a writer, journalist and collector. You can see more of my miniatures on the blog here or go to my website.

I'm also the author of a In Miniature Style II, (print-ebook-pdf) with expanded how to's, photos and profiles on other collectors.  Book 1 is also on Kindle. (Similar content except for a few different projects.)

I also wrote a kid's mystery, Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery, with two kids and their nosy Dachshund, searching for a lost miniature painting (Van Gogh's Starry Night.)

Oh, and check out this previous post to see the actual mini oil painting of Starry Night by Lucie Winsky!