A to Z Blog Challenge - Day 1 Apples

 * Today is the first day - Letter A - of the daily A to Z Blog Challenge * 

(See calendar at end of post for the days and letters.)

I'm going to share some of my minis, hopefully new things you haven't seen. I've been working on my Half Scale Country House. (See previous photos.)  It's nearly done though I'm still adding new things. (I will share the latest pix for Day 4, letter D).

I haven't done a full house in a while, so it's fun to get as much detail in as you can. 

A is for... 

Apples! An apple a day doesn't keep the miniaturist away. ha!

These are in half scale (1/2" = 1 foot) and made by a member of the Half Scale Yahoo Group. I got them in one of the annual swaps.  (Of course they could be green tomatoes too, I suppose.)

   * More minis, profiles, photos and how to projects -
 In Miniature Style II - print, ebook, PDF


 ** Go to:  Letter B

A to Z Blog Challenge Coming

I've decided to join this blog also in the daily A to Z Blog Challenge beginning April 1 and going all next month.

Over 1,000 blogs join in sharing something new and linked to the alphabet each day. Of course I'm sharing minis and miniatures-related topics so be sure to stop by!

I'm also sharing some new short fiction and other things at my GirlZombieAuthors blog so check it out!

Got the New Miniatures Mystery!

Oh fun! I got my (signed!) copy today of Margaret Grace's (Camille Minichino's) latest miniatures mystery, Manhattan in Miniature: A Miniature Mystery! Not only is this a fun book in her dollhouse series, but I blurbed it and got a quote on the back. How cool is that! Thanks, Camille!

(I'm not biased but I think this is one of the prettiest of her covers, too!) (The Kindle and ebook aren't out yet - official release is April 6. Stay tuned for an upcoming interview!)

New Scary Doll Book

Something slightly different for the doll lover.  I love dolls and love reading scary stories. The bonus is that this also includes doll photos!

 The Doll Collection, (releasing March 10) edited by World Fantasy and Hugo Award winner Ellen Datlow, features all kinds of dolls... the ones that you likely won't want to meet... 

Featuring everything from life-sized clockwork dolls to all-too-human Betsy Wetsy-type baby dolls, these stories play into  true creepiness of the doll trope, but avoid the clichés that often show up in stories of this type. 

 The collection is illustrated with photos of dolls taken by Datlow and other devoted doll collectors from the science fiction and fantasy field.  

Stories by: Stephen Gallagher, Joyce Carol Oates, Gemma Files, Pat Cadigan, Lucy Sussex, Tim Lebbon, Seanan McGuire, Carrie Vaughn, Stephen Graham Jones, Miranda Siemienowicz, Mary Robinette Kowal, Richard Bowes, Genevieve Valentine, Richard Kadrey, Veronica Schanoes, John Langan, Jeffrey Ford. - From Amazon.

Miniatures Monday!

A few new things I made. The candles are fun to do. I used buttonhole thread for wicks. The tops are the wood plugs. The center one has a rhinestone on top.

Happy Valentine's Day - Mini Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love miniature Valentines. Nothing is more fun than having a set of beautiful vintage cards on a table or in a bowl, or string them and hang them on a wall in your dollhouse or miniature setting.

For some reason, I thought I had saved my Valentines I had collected before, unless they were lost in a past computer crash.  I collected and shrunk down some others.  You can find a ton of examples by putting "vintage valentines" in Google.

  The heart papers and valentines can be used as backgrounds for the Valentine’s style room screen pattern and how to from my book, In Miniature Style II. Combine and reduce different paper patterns for the background to get different effects or to match your decor. They don't have to be all red!

Get more from:

(Red hearts and cupids –  https://wingsofwhimsy.wordpress.com/)

 (Vintage hearts – http://thegraphicsfairy.com/)

(Right click to save images.)

* For Personal Use Only.

    

Miniatures Art Challenge Day 5

I hope you enjoyed a little tour of some of my miniatures. Believe me there is more, lots, lots more. ha! I'd be taking photos nearly forever.  

See Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4

I will share pix soon of the Half Scale Country House updates. It's turning out really nice!

 CORRECTION: (oops how did I do that? I see I shared the witch's garden shop photo twice! Here's what I wanted to share:)

 Ladies' shop table made by my friend Gigi I got as a Christmas gift.

Below: Chair in new fabric and totebags from patterns in my book, In Miniature Style II. 

The totebag pattern was widened for use as a dog carrier, too, as seen on the lady doll below. (Clothes pattern from Dana Burton - Minidolllist.com.)

Miniatures Art Challenge Day 4

I almost forgot! Today's post deals with minis I made from patterns in my book, IN MINIATURE STYLE II. (print, pdf and ebook. See details and links, click title.)

See Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4

Hydrangeas.

Valentine's screen - pattern (1" and 1/2" scale) in book, In Miniature Style II.  There is red fabric between the panels. Trim is wood.

Spring screen adaptation from pattern in In Miniature Style II. This one has lace between.

Miniatures Art Challenge Day 3

Today I'm showing some pieces in my collection that I got from others. 

See Day 1 - Day 2 - (Day 3) -  Day 4

Aren't these neat? Handmade half scale shoes I got in the annual swap from the Half Scale Yahoo Group. (The size is 1/2 inch = 1 foot.)

Snowman and Christmas teapots from my collection by my friend, Kitty. You can see my teapot shoppe at my website, click miniatures.

Miniatures Art Challenge Day 2

More assorted minis I've made. Love to see yours! 

See Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4

Barbeque food - patterned after a cookbook cover. Of polymer clay.

(See the cookbook cover I copied and a half scale version of the same food here.)

Half scale plant rack from a kit by Debbie Cook.

Spooky garden shop. My friend Gigi gave me the bench, which is perfect in front of the shop. Love the faces on it!

Art Challenge - Miniatures Day 1

There's a five-day Art Challenge going on at Facebook - share 3 photos of your art for 5 days and challenge someone.

Figured I'd share the photos here also of some of my past work. I challenge any of my readers to share their work as well. Be sure to link this post and I will link yours.

Some items I may have shown photos of before, but a while ago. 

* See Day 2
Totebag and dress

Victorian room - the curtains are hand-beaded; the ceiling is also beaded and had rhinestones. The photos are all family photos shrunk down.

Miniature purses 

Upcoming Margaret Grace Miniatures Book Cover!

The cover is out for the upcoming new miniatures mystery, Manhattan in Miniature: A Miniature Mystery  - Amazon.com link, by Margaret Grace (Camille Minichino) coming out April 7. (Pre-orders are open for print copies now.)  (Here's the Barnes & Noble link.)

 (You can also read an interview I did with Camille for my Author Snapshot at Mysterical-e.)

Love this series - and this one is special since I also did a blurb for it!  Really cool cover, too!
 
About the Book:

Perhaps Manhattan, like Christmas, is best seen through the eyes of a child. Gerry Porter provides both magical experiences for granddaughter Maddie when a SuperKrafts manager takes them to New York City for a huge crafts fair. They get to work on both making miniatures and solving crimes, the detecting duo’s favorite pastimes. All this, plus Rockefeller Center and Radio City, too! But a crafty murderer wants to make sure they don’t make it safely home again to California….

Make Something Bright and Cheery!

Spring is coming. Really. 

A perfect time to get started on something bright, cheery and fun. How about that incredible yellow sundress (by Kathi Mendenhall - La Petite Belle Patterns) from In Miniature Style II? 

Also read about various miniaturists and see some of their collections!  (Print and ebook - click book title link for formats to buy.)

Miniature Christmas Gifts

Some of the recent miniature gifts I got for Christmas from my friend Kitty in the Netherlands.,

Mini Treasures Advent Calendar

Today's my day up on the Mini Treasures Advent Calendar, always a fun venture!

Check out some of the new Christmas miniatures I set up in the Half Scale Country House... (You can also see some previous posts on this blog here and here  if you want to see more of the house.)

Merry Christmas!  

(Be sure to go back and see what other mini treasures come up the rest of the month at the Advent Calendar.)

AIM & Other Advent Calendars

Fun way to celebrate the holidays. Open some Advent Calendars (with miniatures) online!

The AIM (Artisans in Miniature) Advent Calendar offers some great mini projects to Christmas beginning today (Dec. 1). Go back each day to "open" a door... 

Here's another Advent Calendar:

Village Advent Calendar


Adding more Advent Calendars:

Tutorial Advent Calendar  - Spanish

French Tutorial Advent Calendar