Another 1920s Mystery is Coming!

 

 

 How'd I miss this? Just saw in author Julie Mulhern's newsletter (sign up and get the link to the prequel, too!) --- there's a sequel coming in December to her delightful 1920s mystery Murder in Manhattan, featuring fashion writer Freddie Archer!! Based on real-life 1920s Atlantic fashion writer Lois Long.

*** Read my review on book 1 & some interesting background on the inspiration and historial tid-bits here. 

This was such a fun read! I love this time period and think I'll be doing more reading in this era. I've read a couple others and she had some great suggestions in her recent newsletter. Guess I'll be doing a post on that soon.

The upcoming book, A Crime of Fashion, is on pre-order and releases Dec. 8! (There's a day after birthday present!! My birthday is on Dec. 7!!) * See the publisher site with all sales links.

Ooh, this one sounds good! This time Freddie is investigating the whereabouts of a missing family friend and gets into the sights of mobsters like Dutch Schultz and Lucky Luciano. Bootleggers, Louis Armstrong, and more, this one's set in 1925 and sounds like a rollicking good time as well!!

* Note: Amazon affiliate links may offer some compensation to the blog owner.

What I'm Reading: Julie Mulhern's 1920s NY Mystery

 

 I look a break from the dark thrillers I've been devouring by Preston and Child, and went to the lighter, brighter side with a fun new read by USA Today Bestseller Julie Mulhern.

What a treat! Murder in Manhattan is a fun 1920s romp that gives you the feel of the period - fashions, nightclubs, bootleggers, and murders, too, all experienced by a witty young fashion writer, Freddie Archer. * Find it on Goodreads.

 

** BONUS! It pays to look! Sign up for Mulhern's Freddie newsletter on her website  (link to Bookfunnel) and get a prequel novella, Murder by Moonlight, Free!!!!

For Murder in Manhattan, Mulhern shares that the story was inspired by a young flapper/fashion writer named Lois Long (read her bio at the link), a notable, longtime columnist who started writing in the '20s under the name "Lipstick," for the New Yorker magazine.

** ADDED: ** Here's a fun page on 1920s fashion, which includes an image of Long. (Some fantastic art, photos and fashion here!)

** ADDED: Just found this: 1925 New Yorker Lipstick columns online (look at the ads: Ziegfield Follies!) 

 If you want a true window into the Roaring Twenties, read some of Long's columns here. Read more about Long here and here. She later wrote fashion columns for the New Yorker. Mulhern definitely got her character's bright voice and style from Long's columns. The actual columns are a great find to get the time period just right.

Another fun aspect of the book is you can see Long in the cover image.(Looks just like her, a la actress Colleen Moore, also famous for the Fairy Castle at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.) 

I love old magazines and have collected many, so getting to read these columns will be a lot of fun! I'll be looking out for some '20s magazines in second-hand stores, etc. and maybe I'll be lucky enough to find a few of her columns (hopefully reasonable!) 

I don't often look for book sequels, but this one was so enjoyable, I can't wait to read another! (Happy to have found the prequel above!)

Project Two: A New Miniature Fairy Tale Kit

Fairy Tale Dollhouse Kit - sample photo

 I've been admiring this one for a while. And once I saw it in person, the results are amazing! My friend got it earlier and it is a really detailed kit. It is just so pretty!!! And it has lots of fun (and some real fiddly!) stuff in it. The good part is I'll have my friend's model to look at and she can share any tips from her experience.

* Update: July 20: Some "small" progress has been made! I got a few things together and quite a few all sorted out. Will get back to it this week. 😀😀

I got the Fairy Tale - Once Upon A Time Dollhouse Shop on Temu, for less than what other places want. I'm impressed - first time ordering there, super fast shipping - only 3 days from order to arrival! It took Paypal with no problems. So will order from there again at some point. (Some places are crazy - saw it for $70+ on ebay and Etsy. 'Zon was $50+. Getting to be too much $$! What??!! Talk about greedy! Some want $90 and over $100 on etsy!! You have to look around to get the best price.)

I'll tell ya. This is a beautiful but super aggravating kit! The book is packed full of directions, and everything is all over the place in assorted bags. Really frustrating for people like me who have no patience! But despite that, I think what I really like is I'm a 'more is more' person. No minimalism for me, ha! I think the busyness of the whole finished kit catches my eye!

So far - filling the main cabinet with tiny dollhouses.

But my friend gave me the great idea (and offered to kindly help - Thanks, Gigi!) sorting the pieces into sets. Much easier as then everything for that specific project is all together. No hunting, except to first find everything! So I'm getting out a tackle box and some zip-locs, and started doing that before we meet again. Then I check off in the book with two color markers what's done and what's been assembled so I can tell at a glance. That's my TV project; watched the rest of Dark Winds on Netflix. Pretty good! Also watching The Last Ship.

Tiny tiny dollhouse kit - with furnishings!

I only got a few things done so far, part of a cabinet and and this tiny Red Riding Hood house. Each section really takes a while to complete. It's the kind of project you can only work on in small spurts, do one thing, and set it aside or it'll drive you crazy! So you have to take your time, do a bit, and then do something else. Still, it's one of the best kits I've seen. Will update you when I get more done. And yes, will work on finishing the attic project, too.

* Thanks again for visiting! Come back soon for updates! * 

Working On... It's Almost Halloween!

1/24 Tea Shop Kit - Sample

  I see Summerween posts all over, which got me in the mood for a Halloween project. I can't stay away from it for too long! 

 I got out this half-scale (1/24) tea shop kit I bought from Teri Hanson Miniatures at the last spring dollhouse show.

 Her prototype has a nice color combination, but I'm changing the colors. I decided to make it into Halloween shops to hold some of my Halloween pieces and I don't have a shop in half-scale. 

Here are the colors I decided on:

Here's the color scheme I figured out. It's easier to make a drawing to see how the whole thing may look.

Got the trim painted gray and all the windows and doors painted. I decided to make the bottom windows purple to add some contrast. The door frame will be purple or brown; haven't decided. Have to put "glass" in and then I'm going to make some stained glass on the smaller areas of the larger lower windows. That square on the door will have some Halloween art.

Some of the painted pieces. The others are also done. I think it'll look pretty good. That is the brick paper I'll be using. I want it to have a slightly aged look.

I'll have greenery and maybe some skulls or lit pumpkins in the window box. (That's the long box on the drawing with the green above it.) I think the lit window box outside and the tombstones/gargoyles will tie it all together.

 

Inside sample (package pic): probably brick and some Halloween paper on first floor. Not sure if I'll use a wood floor or black/white tile paper on both floors. Have to decide whether to hinge it or have the front slide in. I'm going to use the two square mini LED lights I have since one is enough for each floor.

I have quite a few Halloween pieces stashed away, but I see some new ones at Michael's this year. Waiting for the sale! I can always use new gargoyles and tombstones! I like getting different styles of tombstones each year which are always fun.

* What are you working on? Doing any Halloween projects? Let me know. I'm happy to share project photos and your website/blog link.

* Thanks again for visiting! Come back soon for updates! * Hall

Happy 4th in Miniature!

 

   It's July already so the perfect time to share an old favorite.

Happy 4th! 

Thought I'd share a room I did a while ago. I got the furniture set ages ago at Old World Wisconsin and built a room around it. There's a matching table that you can't see at the right also.

Fireworks: https://www.fg-a.com/july4.htm  (Free animated gifs)

Some Other Miniature Makes

It's Curtains! Actually, valances.

 While I'm finishing up items for the Half Scale Garage interior (click < link to see exterior), I decided to do a few other "small" things. (*Click photos for full size.)

I'd made some custom valances for my friend's garden shed last Christmas, and somehow missed a couple windows, so I finally got around to making those.

It's a cute shed I'll share once she's filled it. It's wood and has a square front window section that juts out and two doors.

I'd made this large valance with some neat fabric I had with a kind of European geography print. I really like it, but sigh, I don't have any more. I also made two square window "shades" for the doors that have the purple fabric on the back. Part of it peeks out of the folds above also.

So to improvise, I made the two additional valances to contrast, using the purple and gluing on pieces of the yellow fabric designs. Fun results. I has a kind of vintage feel. I'll have to do something similar when I eventually work on that library I want to do.

These are actually very simple to make using my own pattern, gluing a support stick on the top, then gluing fabric on the back and folding/gluing over the scallops, overlapping to the front. Then I glued fabric on the top to meet just above the scallops.  A busy print hides any mistakes as does the string of glued on Bunka thread. 

It was a fabric day, I guess, as I also took apart a small bed I had for the garage living space. I cut off the end posts on the front of the headboard, sanded it, and repainted it to have a lower front. Then I covered the bed with new fabric. I like this print. It fits well since this whole house is shades of green (and I'm not a big green fan. haa!) 

** Here's an oldie TIP if you've never tried it: To make a bed messy - glue a piece of aluminum foil under the fabric. Let it dry, then you can squish it how you want and then glue partly to the bed and it'll stay in place. It works great! The fun fuzzy chair is from a past swap. Was saving it for just the right project! The TV is a magnet and I hope to fit both in the garage apartment.

** FYI: Click on the left column archives to see past posts.

** Also in the left column: if you haven't done it, follow the blog by signing up for e-mail headline alerts. You never know what you'll miss otherwise! 😏

* That's it for now! Stay cool! (93 here and feels like 100+ but house is cool.) 

Thanks again for visiting. Come back soon for more projects! * 

Half-scale Garage Exterior

 

Stop by the garage!

Finally got most of the half-scale garage done on the outside. Oh, there'll be some changes or additions, I'm sure, but it's about done! Yeah, I know - it's a far "prettier" garage than usual. haa! (*click photos for full size.)

* See last post of lighting. Dollhouse kit is from Laser Dollhouse Designs.

I decided to do egg carton stones with moss for the driveway and the walkways, something different for a change. Now I keep looking at that big blank space above the big garage door. It seems so empty. What do you say? Add some signs or not?

Yes, it's not the "typical" garage, but I can't help myself. Unless I do it really dirty and abandoned, it's gonna look "livable." 😉 I do have a lightpost I might add, but I'd have to move that square planter with flowers. But it does need some kind of light outside.

Walking around that chair to the right side door:

He won't bite!

Since it takes up a bit of room, I decided to put the tire rack outside. I liked adding the vintage gas station signs for some character, and gotta have an old gas pump. This may seem "busy," but I've actually seen some garages in real life with this kind of yard decor. (But I like busy!)

I like the green with the yellow ochre color. I seem to use that green a lot. (Wedgewood for the walls; Hauser green for the window frames.)

Continuing on around to the back - I added some old "license plates" on the back outside wall. It seemed to need "something" (and it covers a seam!) The inside is still messy and being sorted out. I'll hang some plates in there, too, of course, like real life. Yes, there is a washer in the garage so he doesn't have to take his dirty work clothes upstairs.

The other side of the garage:

Here's the other side of the garage with the shuttered windows. I added a meter, which was fun to make, and hung a water hose, too. Thought this was the perfect spot for the dumpster since he can go out the back and around. 

The before: 

Before: Almost...

Had to share as I came across this neat 3D printed electric box and meter kit (see link below) which I almost bought and then I started thinking, hey, I can make something like that. So I did!

 It's just a wood rectangle, a thin slice on top, then I cut the refill from an ink pen (make sure it's empty!) for the pipe. Painted it all with a nice Chalk Gray paint I found marked down at H. Lobby. The dial is simply a shrunk down meter printie topped with a round slice cut from the crystal pen tube and a punched out plastic circle. Worked great! Fun to figure stuff like that out.

 I also added some signs, weeds, and flower boxes. The hose is bits and pieces - some painted cloth wire, a bead, a cut spring, and the end cut off a plastic lug nut wrench for the hose nozzle. 

I'll show the inside later when I add more stuff in. Got lots of cans, boxes, tools, etc. to get in there.

 The rest: I dirtied up the walls slightly, added vintage signs, and yeah, I couldn't resist putting in window boxes.

 Hmm, I think this side might need a few more clumps of moss on the roof. I might have to dirty it up more, too. Just a bit. I didn't want a really decrepit garage. ha! (I did pass by a really dirty real-life work garage recently. Boy, so much old junk and rusty stuff. A real mess. (And the worker looked like he needed to hose off outside before he went home.) I just didn't want to go that far.

Some cool stuff on Etsy:

Made some parts and car manuals/guides.

* MstrCrftMinis has lots of car and garage stuff. Still eyeing the gas cans.

Website photo: repair manuals

*  1/24 scale Chilton repair guides and car parts catalogs. I did get these so I don't have to hunt and then shrink them all to size. 

* That's it for now. What do you think? Thanks again for visiting. Come back soon for more updates! * 

Miniature Garage Book Nook Done

Original website photo

  I originally bought this garage nook kit (PlayfulMario/Amazon-ou, 164 pieces, out of stock) a while back as I thought I'd use some of the items in the half-scale miniature garage I've been working on. (*Click photos for full size.)

Well... as is sometimes the case, it didn't turn out that way. I started working on it and it was a quick, easy project. Changed a few things, added a few things, and got it done in three days. I decided I had enough for the other garage so I kept this mostly as is. (I'm working on landscaping for the actual garage.)

I did change the name as I didn't like the original one (with no apostrophe, which would bug me forever!)

There are some weird spellings on things as I really look at it. I will  change that roof sign slightly as it bugs me, too. (Made that F an E.)

My version:

Went together pretty well though it was a bit hard getting the sides in place. I did have some trouble with that wall portion for the hanging hook but got it to work. I still can't get all parts of the roof down but I'll leave it. I just hope I don't have to change the batteries in a long, long time. ha! (The AA battery box is hidden in that gray wall on the top corner; kind of a bad idea since the roof is in two sections and then you'd have to take it off.)

I had to add some dirt and oil spots as it was too clean! Put in a few tools, too. I actually enjoyed working on this one.

Before wall added

Fastest project I've done in a while (except the small attic box; still filling that one.)

Next: I have a particular project I've been wanting to do and got it ordered! Stay tuned!

And... what are you working on???

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* Thanks again for visiting! Come back soon for more projects! * 

Miniature Attic Update

 

I know, shockingly I've mostly stuck to one project for awhile, except for finishing details on the half-scale garage, and since this is smaller, I got the structure done pretty quick!  (* Click photos for full size.)

Found some great paper in a scrapbook wallpaper pad for the small half-scale attic kit that fit perfectly. The whole thing came out better than I expected!

The foor was cut from a wood placemat and painted. The design doesn't really show once painted and will be covered with "stuff" anyway. I use these a lot as they're great wood. I glue it to a cardboard base and then pull out all the connecting strings between the boards.

The fake wall on the side with the door was all glued on a piece of card cut from a box. 

I glued textured paper on the sides and back. The roof turned out pretty well using strips cut from a piece of layered cardboard and painted. 

Did get a few of the vintage game boxes made (thanks to miniaturist J Star for the boxes that I shrunk down. ** See his attic video for inspiration.

Still digging around to see what to put in there... I'll add things as I find them. Maybe this can fit on the top of a house or something as an extra secret attic storage space. We'll see.

** A reminder to myself: possible additions while I'm setting some things aside:

* Manniquin

* Trunk with art, frames, games 

* Picture frames, awards, statues

* Large framed art, wood crate

* Toys?

* Statues, Bust, vases

* Rolled up rug

 Other?

That's it for the moment. 

* Thanks again for visiting. Come back soon for more projects. * 

Lighting the Half-Scale Garage

 

Let there be lights!!

Making progress! I've been poking around, losing things, searching, all that fun stuff, but finally - finally - got the lights in! (The bottom floor really isn't as blue as this; photo didn't use flash.) (*Click photos for full size.)

Second floor apartment

The top floor uses two large chip LEDs, with a battery holder that will be hidden under the (not shown) sink. Pretty bright! The wall will be added on the left side. I'm leaving it so it can be removed if needed.

Fluorescent lights

Ta-dah! I'm really happy with how my faux "fluorescent" lights came out! Look pretty real, huh? I don't think anyone has done something like this before, unless they're the working expensive variety.

Lights, close-up

The garage workspace has faux "fluorescent" lights using the crystal plastic tubes from Bic pens (the pen end is cut off). I used a string of 10 lights from the Dollar Tree. The string is spread out with half of the lights tucked inside each tube, with the wire left between the two tubes. It's attached to a cardboard folder with a chain glued on to look like the light casing.

Cabinet before final painting; lights stuck in crystal tubes

The rest of the wire going to the battery box is covered with a painted thin straw (thanks for the idea Gigi!) and glued to the wall to look like conduit. The battery box (see full view photo above, right side) is hidden behind the cabinet, made by glueing vintage plastic cabinet doors on the front (actually the back side of the battery box) and a wood counter on top. I covered the side with cardstock, leaving the switch open. The box is held in with Velcro, so I can remove it if I have to change the batteries. And figured out a cool solution for an electric box.

A motorcycle and "motor" I found. I was going to chop the motorcycle up for the parts ("chop shop" garage? ha!) But it's kind of too nice to wreck... for now. But have to see how it looks in there size-wise.

Getting some of the signs up and deciding where things go. I'll show the garage again when everything is in and set up. Have to put all the boxes, etc. inside and finish furnishing the top floor, though I found more printie boxes I might have to do! Then I am adding a bit more "dirt"  but I'm holding back... I don't want it "too" dirty... or it'll be turned into an abandoned garage! I have a base to cover and put stuff around on, too. An!d I just made a fun addition for it. It's only a garage, but I keep thinking of things that should be in it!

After this, besides the tiny attic project I mentioned earlier (I just found the perfect paper for it!), I think I'm ready for a more "girly" project again. Maybe I should work on the Raggedy Ann house. I really should. It's ready to have lights put in and be papered. I haven't dressed any dolls in a while, either. Could be fun transforming some tinier dolls. Am thinking on that... We'll see...

* Thanks again for visiting! Come back soon for the rest of the project & what's next! *