Last MiniJoyMonth: Why I Love Minis!

 

Another favorite: A Raggedy Ann Vignette

Today's Last Theme: Why I Love Minis!

I do! I think the fun of working in miniature is you can try different crafts, let your imagination go, and have fun collecting things you like, but smaller! (Click photos for full size.)

 I can't have a dozen dogs, but I can do that in miniature!

I can't afford to live in a mansion, but I can do that in miniature!

I can't open a restaurant or any shop, but I can do it in miniature!

I can't buy a dozen houses, but I can in miniature!

You get the idea! haa!

I have many favorites that I've loved working on, but I'll share a few again:

The Abandoned Room:

My Half-Scale Tiki Bar in an old Photo Box:

My Men's Shoppe in a Vintage Cigar Box/Humidor:

A cute little half-scale red porch:  (plus a bakery in a Tudor house and a Halloween stall)

This was fun sharing my miniatures this month. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Please come back again. You can also subscribe to the headline alerts in the box in the left column.

What's next? I'm finally-finally working on the Witch's Bakery I've put off for a looooong time! Starting and progress photos to come!

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* Trying to keep up and post here as well for MiniJoyMonth, a minis event for September via @ vintagedollhouseshop on Instagram. Friend me there @ cwrite12.

Mini A Day: MiniJoyMonth: Shine On!

 

Window in Fairfield attic.

Today's Theme: Sparkle or Shine

I'm a sparkle girl meaning I'm drawn to shiny, sparkly, "blingy" things! I just love something that sparkles.

Guess that's why in most projects I will put a coat of satin varnish on painted trim, etc. for a slight sheen. Besides it preserving the paint and making it easier to wipe if I have to.  (*Click photos for full size.)

Shiny stuff, I like gold, too, so for this theme I'd have to pick the stained glass windows I've made. I first used some gold stickers I had to make stained glass for the attic windows in my Fairfield dollhouse. Then I used them again for the front doors on the Lavender Cottage. (See other posts for all on the top dollhouses tab -  or here.)

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* Trying to keep up and post here as well for MiniJoyMonth, a minis event for September via @ vintagedollhouseshop on Instagram. Friend me there @ cwrite12.

Mini A Day: MiniJoyMonth: Out of the Box

 

Mini books in and out of the box.

Today's Theme: Out of the Box

Perfect for today's theme. I always like adding my own books to my dollhouses, so once I got copies with my new cover for Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, I had to make a mini version, too! And I also did one for my half-scale dollhouses.  In any house you can never have too many books!

Below: Mini or Life-size? 

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* Trying to keep up and post here as well for MiniJoyMonth, a minis event for September via @ vintagedollhouseshop on Instagram. Friend me there @ cwrite12.

Mini A Day: MiniJoyMonth: Modern or Vintage

The Lavender Cottage kitchen in progress.

Today's Theme: Modern or Vintage

I sometimes like the all white furnishings look and the gray walls, but I have to admit that I can't seem to get myself to do an all-white dollhouse. I like colors too much! ha! (Click photos for full size. Click links to see more!)

The kitchen/sitting room in my Lavender Cottage (above) is the closest I've come to a modern look. The kitchen has the one-wall appliances, an under-sink fridge, and the center counter.

For vintage, I had fun adding vintage items like the old phone, vintage art, and Fifties-style chairs to the Fairfield attic space. It also has a vintage standing radio and an old camera for the antiques-loving house owner. There are also older style appliances in the kitchen. I love attics and try do one in most houses. Here are some others.

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* Trying to keep up and post here as well for MiniJoyMonth, a minis event for September via @ vintagedollhouseshop on Instagram. Friend me there @ cwrite12.

Mini A Day: MiniJoyMonth: Morning Rituals

 

Tea at the Tudor Tea Shoppe

Today's Theme: Morning Rituals

I drink tea. Too much. ha! But have to have my tea in the morning; that's my ritual.

That makes me think of the two projects I made centering on tea - the Teapot Shoppe and the Tudor Tea Shoppe. I'm an Anglophile so had to do a room centering on the Queen and the Royal Family. I haven't updated it in a bit. I need to add a new portrait of Prince William, Kate and the grown kids! Plus I still have a UK-made tea tray to put in of King Charles. (*Click photos for full size.)

I was so happy when I came across this British-flag themed set a while back at Hobby Lobby.

And of course, I love miniature teapots so I made a Teapot Shoppe (counter below). I have a bunch of teapots I scouted out some time back and also some cute character teapots made by my Dutch friend Kitty. (Ignore the other website links on the pages as I have to re-add more photos of the project on the blog here.)

And you wonder, do I have that many projects? Yes, I do. And there are others I haven't shown yet!

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* Trying to keep up and post here as well for MiniJoyMonth, a minis event for September via @ vintagedollhouseshop on Instagram. Friend me there @ cwrite12.

One Hit Wonders, New Crime Fiction!

 Interrupting the miniatures posts... Did you know? (I didn't!) Today is National One Hit Wonders Day. 

  A new fiction anthology releases today with short stories inspired by one-hit wonders: Lunatic Fringe: More Crime Fiction Inspired by One-Hit Wonders 

* Get it at MistiMedia - cheaper prices & free shipping on paperbacks, too.

** This is a follow-up to last year's, (I Just) Died in Your Arms: Crime Fiction Inspired by One-Hit Wonders, which includes my story, "Wildfire," based on the song of the same name. Get it here.

 And for something different... are you a Manilow fan? There's A Killing at the Copa: Crime Fiction Inspired by the music of Barry Manilow, which includes my story, "Some Kind of Friend," based on the song of the same name.

I just love these music-inspired anthologies. So much fun to read and write!

Mini A Day: MiniJoyMonth: I Keep Collecting

 

Stay off the porch!

Today's Theme:  A Mini You (I) Keep Collecting

Perfect for Halloween Time.

What do I keep collecting? 

Halloween miniatures - skulls, pumpkins - and especially skeletons and skeleton dogs. Can't seem to resist them! ha! (Click photos for full size. See other pix/themes in left column archive list.)

There's a cute little painted skellie dog in front of the porch, too.

* Don't forget to check out the Halloween & Book-Related Book Nook List! * 

 And... I started another project. It's slow going as I really don't feel like painting, but I went to Michael's, found some cool Halloween minis half-off, and it gave me some ideas and inspiration. More details to come soon!

Skellie dog in a roombox.

 New skellie dog.

A favorite: Skellie dog by the Witch's Cottage.

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* Trying to keep up and post here as well for MiniJoyMonth, a minis event for September via @ vintagedollhouseshop on Instagram. Friend me there @ cwrite12.

Mini A Day: MiniJoyMonth: Black & White

Dining room in my half-scale Fairfield house

Today's Theme: Black & White

I did that color scheme quite a bit in the Fairfield house as I was designing around those two patterned scrapbook papers. I also happen to like that checkerboard paper a lot and have used it in several houses.

Here's the adjacent living room/parlor before it was furnished and other pix (at link). I really liked these papers and the color scheme. I also had only one sheet of that black textured paper and knew it would be perfect for flooring. I'd saved those interesting shaped beads for the fireplace.

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* Trying to keep up and post here as well for MiniJoyMonth, a minis event for September via @ vintagedollhouseshop on Instagram. Friend me there @ cwrite12.

Mini A Day: MiniJoyMonth: Fantasy or Realism

 

Today's Theme: Fantasy or Realism

I like both. I like to make rooms realistic but I also like the fantasy aspect when I do something magical or Halloween or fantasy themed. I did that in my half-scale Witch's Cottage when I had the skeleton spying out the window, or when I dressed this wizard and his dog a while back. And they're still waiting for their own place! (above.) 

Kind of creepy, right? 

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* Trying to keep up and post here as well for MiniJoyMonth, a minis event for September via @ vintagedollhouseshop on Instagram. Friend me there @ cwrite12.

Halloween, Book-themed Miniature Book Nooks & Kits

 

Ahoy, matey! Even an eerie pirate ship nook! See below.

I realized it's time for a new Halloween-themed Book Nook & Kit list!

This time I've searched out some fun new miniature books, kits, and Halloween-related book nooks. Wow, there are so many new ones! Now, c'mon, I know you don't have enough stuff to work on, so take a peek! Don't worry, I'll be doing a Christmas list later so be sure to check back. (Click the links to find out more! Click photos for full size.) 

NOTE: I keep finding others, so any new additions are marked *. (I added a cool book-shaped nook under the library section below.)

* Note: Affiliate links may offer some compensation to blog owner.

Halloween - Spooky Kits - Book Nooks

My fave theme and these are soooooo tempting! 

First, I admit that many of these are more like putting puzzles together and some of the flat things in these nooks drive me crazy. I prefer "real" 3D miniatures, but I will add actual pieces in when needed. 

I've been doing that while working on the Wondyland Old Time Saloon Book Nook. I still love the style and I think it's improved. I'll share more on that later. I was actually going to put old-time photo figures in mine, too.

Speaking of different... 

This is kind of cool! First one I've seen that has figures in it. Flat people and food but still unique and would be easily adaptable. It would be fun to put actual food and drinks on that table. ETKVR Dark's Tavern - The Ancient Bar. (There are other styles on this page, too.)

Kind of cute! Small Dinosaur Museum (Antreatu)

Spooky:

Bwaaahhh! Love the webbed window on this one and it has lots of spooky books inside! ETKVR Dark Family Book Nook.

Interesting Haunted House Book Nook/Dibetoy  - 3 colors LED lights.

Different IBOHEYE Haunted house in a book nook.

Eerie fifjoy Haunted Mansion

Fimeetoy Store Magic Witch's Book Nook.  

House of Magic Book Nook, H Potter style. 

Magic Energy Station, Shylamb Store

Master's House Bookend Alley TOYQI Book Nook.

This isn't spooky, but a pirate ship scene is rather eerie! Arggh Matey! Vorathis Book Nook Pirate Kit.

Book Miniatures & Book-Related Book Nooks

Astrologer's room: fifijoy Starmap Secrets. 

* Just found this: Cool! Actual book-shaped Classic Library/Nookmaster. 

Interesting kit: Vorathis Global Library. All kinds of books and busts!  

What's not to like? Books and a cat in the ETKVR Magic Cat Library Book Nook.

Twilight Bookstore, Shylamb Store

Fimeetoy Store Wizard room. More books! 

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I like to make miniature books, but sometimes it's nice to have a good, already-made set of books to fill a shelf, too.

* Nice set: Skylety 24-piece book set, 1/12 scale

* Well, if you can't or don't want to make dollhouse books - plastic books but 300 piece Book Set. Good covers and only $9.99. They also have the bookshelf with the books, $13.99.

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* Want more? Check out the Book Nook and Miniatures-themed Books List.  *

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Make It in Mini:

These are addicting. ha! I'm hoping to get some of these for my Witch's Bakery (painting in progress), even if some are slightly larger than 1/12th scale. Love the Halloween themes!  

MGA MiniVerse Make it Spooky Mini Food, 4 styles: cake, bug drinks, and dessert plus the rare Beetlejuice sandworm. (The bottom of the label should give an idea of what the item is. Look at the photo at the site.)

MGA MiniVerse Halloween (3 pack, these have really gone up in price, but will be looking for the cute pumpkins! The Halloween house and the monster drinks are cute, too.)

Very cute! MGA MiniVerse Harry Potter Honeydukes. All kinds of sweets to make,15 in the collection! (Those little cauldrons, the sugar skulls, and the skeletons are cute! And the frogs!)

 * Have fun looking and creating! *