Halloween in Miniature 23-2: Witchy!

Welcome to this year's annual Halloween in Miniature! You can see past years' posts on the top tab. (Click photos for full size; see other posts in left column archives.) * Schedule/Start at Day 1 

This year, I'm doing something different by posting on Instagram and here, according to the day's themes. Be sure to friend me there (cwrite12), play along and share the list!!

Here's the theme schedule: Post your minis based on the day's themes and tag me @cwrite12 and the post theme - @halloweenmini23

Since today's theme is "Witch Way," which I'm interpreting as something witchy!

Above is the witch that is in my 1" scale haunted house I built awhile ago. See other photos of the house at my website. I know not everyone likes dolls, but I enjoy them in all sizes and all scales. I got this witch some time back from ebay. 

Another view of the witch and her, um, "friend." I put these in a small greenhouse temporarily.

Another witch, the Lady in Red, I also dressed some time back from a doll kit. 

I hadn't worked on a doll in bit, so it was fun recently dressing a much tinier Half Scale - 1/24th doll I got from Bonnie Glazier for my recently finished Witch Cottage. If you've been following the blog, I've been sharing the house's progress. (See last post, roof and accessories; see other posts in left column archives.)

And... we have guests! 

Oh, look, some friends have come to visit, or maybe share their favorite potions! How does that rhyme go? Double double, toil and trouble... Uh-oh, hope nothing goes wrong! These fun hand-sculpted 1/24th scale witches are by Lisa Tabbanor. (Check her Etsy shop.)  

How nice! Edwina (Julie Campbell's hand-sculpted witch 1/12th scale) brought dessert for everyone! Shh! Don't ask what the ingredients are! It can't be bad, though. It looks yummy and she has such a kind face - even if she has that glint in her eyes! 

(See more of Julie's dolls on her website or on Facebook.)

* Go back: Day 1  - Next: Day 3:  (Links active day of post.)

* Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to come back for more Halloween fun! * 

Halloween in Miniature 23-1 Party!

  

Appetizers by me. Head cheese anyone? (Groan)

Welcome to this year's annual Halloween in Miniature! You can see past years' posts on the top tab. (Click photos for full size; see other posts in left column archives.)

This year, I'm doing something different by posting on Instagram and here, according to the day's themes. The difference is there'll be at least a couple more photos included on this blog. Be sure to friend me there (cwrite12), play along and share the list!!

Here's the theme schedule: Post your minis based on the day's themes and tag me and the post theme - @halloweenmini (See this blog's post schedule at end.)

Now some of the pictures may be familiar to regular blog visitors, but I'll try to mix them up and add new photos also!

Today's Theme: Something Spooky!

Well...

 My eternal hostess, Matilda, scoffs at such a label. "Spooky? What do you mean, spooky? Why, that is just how things are!"

She tends to be slightly cranky, so ignore her....

Spooky? You decide what that means!

Here's one of my past "Haunted Houses," which I keep up all year. It's papered inside but I don't decorate it. I only put some flashing strings of LED lights in it for atmosphere...

Don't forget to get some of the house wine. 

Watch out, I hear it's got quite a kick! haa!

Oops, wait a minute! Matilda!  Did you show our guests where the food is? And where are the snacks? We can't have everyone getting too tipsy! Don't worry about the skellies. They'll be fine. It all just goes right through them anyway. haaa!

Yum!

Ah, yes, some Eyeball pizza or the toe-chiladas (or is that fingers?) should do it. Don't forget the chips and dip! (From my collection.)

Come back tomorrow for more Halloween minis!

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💀 Blog Post Schedule: 💀

* Next Day 2 - Oct 16: Witch Way (Posts are live the day of.) 

*  3 - Oct 17: Eerie  * 4 - Oct 18: Halloween Munchies

 * 5 -  Oct 19: Pumpkins  * 6 - Oct 20: Ghosts & Goblins

* 7 - Oct 21: Trick or Treat

Week 2:

Next: Day 8a - Oct. 22

* Day 8 - Oct 23:  Boo!      

  * 9 - Oct 24: Orange

* 10 -  Oct 25: Skellies!   *11 - Oct 26:  Bloody Red!

* 12 - Oct 27:  Eye C U!     * 13 - Oct 28-29: Monster Mash - the party!

* 14 - Oct 30: Tour the Witch Cottage!

* 15 - Oct 31: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Halloween in Miniature Starts Soon!

 

Sunday!! It's Halloween in Miniature Time!!

Oct. 15-31 -- This year I'm trying something different. 

I'm also posting on Instagram and here, according to the day's themes. The difference is there'll be at least a couple more photos included on this blog. Be sure to friend me on Instagram (cwrite12), play along and share the list!!

Here's the theme schedule: Post your minis based on the day's themes and tag me and the post theme - @halloweenmini (See this blog's post schedule at end.)

National Dollhouse & Miniatures Month!

 Yay, it's October!! 

Lots to celebrate - National Dollhouse & Miniatures Month, and Halloween! And.... Halloween in Miniature is coming!! 

So... what are you working on this month?

I'm working on more decorative things for the Witch Cottage. Yes, it's still ongoing! (See last post; see other posts in left column archives. Click photos for full size.)

This is something cool....  When is a horse not just a horse? Well...when it's Halloween....

I saw photos online and just had to do this! I started painting a larger horse awhile ago (and may do that one too at some point) but then found this smaller one which works better for 1/24, half-scale. My nearly-13-year-old Shepherd Gracie contributed some of her hair for the tail! (She's always losing clumps of hair. Finally found a use for it. haa!)

Also finished this cute half-scale wagon prototype from SDK Miniatures. (Ask and maybe she'll make more!) I knew it had to have pumpkins in it!

And the last of the real-life flowers:

My Mexican sunflowers didn't come up in a batch this year, though the others in the big planter are fine. But this was weird:

It's hard to tell with all the green but that is one-giant-Mexican Sunflower. (See the arrows in pic.) It has a super thick stalk and has to be around 8-feet tall, the tallest I've ever had! The other flowers lower down are a shoot off the side. I never knew they'd get this big. In contrast, what were supposed to be Mammoth Russian sunflowers planted on the other side (not shown) turned out to be small, skinny stalks. So who knows what happened this year. ha!

Thanks for visiting. Stay tuned for more Halloween minis fun! 

Witch Cottage: The Roof!

Hard to believe I first started looking at what to do with this project (the half-scale 1/24 Jasmine Victorian Gothic Cottage from Laser Dollhouse Designs) back in April. 

So that's not too bad; just into the 7th month now.

Right now, most everything is done. I just finished up the small window roof and added the edge trims. Have to just add a pot on top the chimney, I think.  * Last post: see some of the exterior. (Click photos for full size; see other posts in left column archives.)

So for today, wanted to show the roof. I'm pretty happy with how it came out. For a change I used cardstock strips instead of individual wood shingles. Here's info on the shingles file  I used and had someone cut for me. It came out pretty well! I only wish the lighter color didn't show through in spots as I thought I'd painted well enough. Just one of those small nitpicky things that bug me though it doesn't show as much in real life as in the photo. 

I decided to add some moss and vines. I like how it looks on the front roof and the front towers (top photo.) Yes, still am finishing the top tower! 

The side and other roof vines actually look better than in the picture. Glad I got most of the exterior, yard, and flowers done in-between. Just have to figure out my final decorating inside and hang more art. But perfect timing! Hoping I'll be ready for a grand tour during the week of Halloween!

For fun, the tiny skellie decided to sit for a portrait in the yard. Say Cheese!

Oh, but what is he/she reading?? Let's peek over their shoulder...

Of course!  haa!

Here's the table I set up in the corner of the front porch.

The orange poppy-like flowers are set in a fake pumpkin from a floral pick I bought awhile ago with foam "pumpkins" that looked like planters. I just painted them a darker orange.

Remember the small somewhat ugly witch (by Bonnie Glazier) I showed before?? I almost, almost didn't use her, but after dressing her up, she's developed a charm all her own! For now, she took a seat in the front yard, too, but she'll be working on potions inside later.

I made the witch hat from cardstock covered with a taffeta-like fabric. The skirt was made from an older pattern booklet, "Fashionable Ladies in Half Scale" by Loretta Kasza. The top was too hard to make because of how her arms are positioned so I glued on black lace instead. It works.

Then what's next? I'll show more of the house later. For now, well....I came across a cool project on Etsy for the printies and labels for a "macabre market," that had been shared on Alpha Stamps a while back. I got a kick out of it and thought it would be fun to make some items for a Halloween box I have that I wasn't sure what to do with. Stay tuned for details on that! I needed a 'smallish' project to do in-between and before I decide to start on the half-scale Park Ave. Mansion.  First I have to get my Halloween fix!

Thanks again for visiting. Stay tuned for more Halloween posts soon!

Playing with the Witch Cottage Exterior

 

Updated stairs and walkway.

Playing around with some changes to the Half Scale Witch Cottage. Didn't want to post too many photos as Halloween is coming and want to save some reveals for then. A tiny peek at a portion of the flowers I finished. (See last post: gardens; Click photos for full size. See other posts in left column archives.)

But in the meantime...

Finished up the stairs. Also added some moss between the walkway stones, which did make it look better.

For fun, the tiny Skellie and his/her dog are waiting for Halloween!

I also made a chimney. For a change, I decided to use the same painted egg carton stones instead of brick like on the other houses I did. I made a thinner version (stuck on temporarily) for the side instead of over the top ridge as, of course, I couldn't find the larger chimney that came with the kit. ha!

This new spooky fence from Lemax is cool. I thought it fit this project since it has a witch hat gate and tiny hats on the pillars, plus black cats on the side pillars. But they cheapened it by not putting slots in the sides to slide in the fence pieces. But it's still cute.

Still working on the gardens and adding things so it's not-quite-done. And have to finish the shingling/painting! But having fun with this one.

Stay tuned for more!

Thanks again for visiting. Come back soon!

Witch Cottage Garden Plans

 

Setting up the Fairfield Dollhouse for Halloween and putting the gardens in place.

It's been a couple weeks with no post, but I've been busy! (Click photos for full size; they look better that way!; see other posts in left column archives.)

Actually, I got inspired in the last few days to work on some things for the exterior garden areas of the Witch Cottage between shingling. Yes, still working on the roof; painting and finishing up two small sections but I have to take a break from that. So tedious.

I was setting up some Halloween decorations around the Fairfield dollhouse (more pix to come later) and thought how nice the garden flowers looked, if I do say so myself (see top photo). Well, I didn't really plan on making more, but they're easy enough to do so never-say-never. So I decided to make a few more flower beds to set around the Witch Cottage, too. (See sunflowers now used with the Fairfield dollhouse.) I also moved the bases around. The base for the Witch Cottage was one I made a while ago using foam core board. I made a new wood base covered with green felt for the Fairfield.

So that is in the planning. First was making the flower beds themselves. I tried something different this time. I'd found these odd plastic plants at Walmart a while back and always thought they'd be fun for Halloween.

I'm still figuring out the placement of where the beds will be, but the bed with this orange plant and some spiky yellow plants looks good on this side of the house. I also found a tombstone candy mold at Michael's, so I made a few tombstones from plaster. The flower bed is a double layer of thin foam core board glued together with loose grass mixture and brown railway ballast (stones) glued on top. I'm making another bed with the round yellow ball flowers and some flowers I'll make.

Here are two more flower beds that I'll fill, set temporarily in the front of the house.

Stairs:

The house actually comes with a set of four steps that are rather tiny in size. I didn't like them and thought it really only needs two stairs so I made some new ones cut from 1/2" wide square wood rods. I covered the sides and front with the matching brick paper from the inside, which I also added on the exterior bottom of the house. (Textured brick from Starboc2 on Etsy.)

I used some 1" scale door molding wood to make the top of the steps. I really like how this came out. The steps aren't glued yet; I see that I also have to add another small strip of brick on the wall above the stairs. I added a paved walk made from cardboard, grass, and cut out egg carton stones in front of the steps. I might add some moss between the stones; have to see how that'll look. This isn't glued yet. I'll add more flower pots on the steps. And I want to add pumpkins, of course!

Here's another tiny flower bed I made with one of those Lemax zombie gnomes, I have to add more impatiens petals to it yet. I used purple lichen/moss and green grass mixture. The other smaller beds are made from Crayola Model Magic air-dry clay covered with grass and railroad dirt. I might use these elsewhere and use the larger flower beds on the side instead.

So, that's the plan. Still working on what flowers to make but I'm leaning towards the sunflowers and yellow daisies (see top photo.) I really liked the hollyhock, but that one is more work. ha! We'll see if I feel like it.

One more thing:

Didn't dawn on me at first... but the cut-out design on the bottom of the house makes it perfect to hide some Halloween lights underneath! So I added a dollar store string of purple LED battery lights for fun that I'll glue to the bottom floor. Ignore the blurry pic, but no other way to show it lit up. I thought it made a great accent!

That's it for the moment. Come back soon for more flowers and updates. 

And Halloween is coming so planning some posts for that and some fun on Instagram. (add me there: cwrite12). 

Thanks again for visiting. I appreciate your interest and sharing our fun hobby!

Mini Numbers 1: The Fairfield dollhouse

 

While I'm working on some ideas, thought I'd share some posts in-between.

This time, I'll share some older photos in keeping with the weekly themes we're following in the Half Scale Minis group on FB. (Click photo for full size; see last post: Witch cottage furnishings & other posts in left column archives.)

Theme: posting by numbers. First up - one post for one favorite scene.

Hard to choose but... here's my favorite dining room in my half scale Fairfield dollhouse. (See other photos and posts in the list on the top tab.) Here are some other photos, including a close-up of the table in the dining room.

* Thanks for visiting again. Working on something for Halloween! Come back for some other posts soon!

Witch Cottage 2: Furnishings!

 

Decided to share a few recent furnishings I got done for the half-scale Witch Cottage.  Not a lot, but I'm getting there "little by little!" 💀  (*See new garden plants; latest exterior update. See more posts in left column archives. Click photos for full size.)

Second floor furnishings: 

The bed above assembled, from my favorite Gothic furnishings set (SDK Miniatures.) Most pieces also come in 1" scale. 

The bed dressed, below. I'm still thinking it might need something more like maybe a spooky throw on the end. I'll share again if I add something.

I also finished the Gothic Mule Chest (also from the Gothic set. I glued tiny hinges on top of the chest (without the teensy nails I can never get in!) I may use it at the foot of the bed and was considering filling it with a bunch of medieval manuscripts. I put some crumpled "old" manuscripts inside for padding. 

The pile of "ancient" manuscripts were one of those easy and fun little projects to do. Aged a bunch of papers I found with diluted burnt umber paint, and added burnt spots and burned the edges.

I did decide to use these chairs on the second floor to match the color scheme. I made them awhile back and had been saving them since they didn't seem to match anything though I liked the fabric! I added some small pillows and footstools. The larger footstool is actually two Scrabble tiles glued together. The smaller one is a square foam "bead" from the dollar store. The pillows and footstools are edged with black Bunka. The bottom of the footstools are covered with a black fabric with tiny white polka dots.

I did add a few more lights: at the peak, on the right wall, and on the first floor divider (not shown). Luckily, was able to run extra electric tape over the roof by connecting a piece on an outside edge. (You can see the roof tape and the extra light in the last exterior post.)  Bad planning as I thought it was too dark and then I didn't leave any other way to connect light wires but did get it to work.

There's not a lot left to do except some decorative items and unfinished trim, and the shingles, of course. It's a small house. But I'd like to move the base that's now under the Fairfield and add some Halloween stuff outside. I hope to have a new plywood base cut for the Fairfield big enough for the acrylic case to rest on so I can also use the turntable under it. Then I'll have a larger yard to decorate for that, too. I would like to make some pretty flower gardens and some spooky gardens. Have an idea for some topiaries, too, like in The Shining movie.

Don't forget! 

** Planning early! I'll be looking for Halloween projects to share here on the blog! I'm also thinking of trying something different for this year's Halloween in Miniature like a  themed list for Instagram so friend me on there, too, so you can play along - (cwrite12). I'll be working on the art next. The more the merrier, or rather, spookier!! Stay tuned for details! Just click my photo in the top right column for my website and go to the contact page there to message me and to send pix.

Thanks again for visiting! Come back soon for more minis!