Miniatures Monday: Updated Preview, In Miniature Style II

The preview for In Miniature Style II has been updated at Amazon if you want to take a peek! Click cover for preview!

Miniatures Monday: Woman Uses Miniatures to Teach Black History

While miniatures and dollhouses can be a fun way to recreate a piece of your personal past or capture a moment in time, they also can be used to document history.

Karen Collins began by making roomboxes with ice cream shops and other fun scenes, but after her son went to prison she found new purpose by recreating scenes showing the various aspects of African American history.

Fifteen years and 50 roomboxes later, she has created a collection that is as enlightening as it can be thought-provoking and disturbing: scenes showing a lively gospel choir and churchgoers, men sitting at a diner and Hattie McDaniel from Gone with the Wind as the first black Academy award winner, to the Klan in Black history, and more.

The exhibit, which often mixes scales and uses actual newspapers or photos for the backgrounds, includes many dolls she made herself. The rooms were used as educational tools in Los Angeles schools and will now become part of a permanent museum exhibit.

* Read the full story here. * See the roombox Photo Gallery

Happy Birthday Lucy!

Happy Birthday Lucy! Lucille Ball would've been 100 today. She's still one of the funniest actresses around and was one of the prettiest women of her era. Here's that iconic chocolate scene in her memory....

Flood, Fire... Blame it on the dollhouse....

Floods and fire ravaged an apartment building, but sources say it all started with the dollhouse... See story.

Darn those little people for not putting in smoke detectors...

New AIM Magazine for August

The new AIM Magazine (Aug. #36) is out.

I have an article on fast food and a how to for a fast food fish sandwich in it. See download page. (You may have to sign in to Scribd.)

Book Blogger Hop 7/29-31: A New Book You're Reading?

Decided to join in on the BOOK BLOGGER HOP at Crazy for Books.

** This week's question: Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into.

My answer:

I have several books I got a a garage sale, a rare YA stack! The one I keep looking at, curious about it, is WITCH & WIZARD by James Patterson. I may be the last person on the planet who has not yet read one of his books, and hearing about his writing methods with numerous co-authors makes me curious. As he also jumped into the YA field, I found this book intriguing.

Of course, as usual, I have several books I'm reading at once. I'm also reading, THE FULL MOON BRIDE, Shobhan Bantwal and THE HUNGER GAMES.

About Witch & Wizard:

Grade 5–9—Wisty and Whit Allgood have magical powers, but they don't know it. At least they don't know until they are arrested by the guards of the New Order, which has just come to power. Their parents have always been into herbs and plants and predictions; they don't send their kids to typical schools, and when the teens are allowed to take only one item each to jail with them, they send a drumstick and a book with no words that are visible to the naked eye. The kids start to get an inkling of what they can do when Wisty bursts into flames when she gets angry, and before long she is turning people into creatures and conjuring tornadoes, and lightning bolts shoot from her hands. The bulk of the book takes place when Whit and Wisty are locked up in a reformatory where they are bullied by the guards. ( - From School Library Journal).

Miniatures Idea: A Seashell House

Martha Stewart has a selection of interesting ideas for what to do with seashells - including an easy-to-make cardboard house covered with shells.

* Get the Instructions

Two Sentence Tuesday: Mystery to Romance....

Thought I'd join in on Two Sentence Tuesday at Women of Mystery.

Just finished reading a fascinating romance-crime story, The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal. (Great author of India-based tales. Come back on Aug. 24th for my interview with her regarding her latest book, The Full Moon Bride.)

In The Dowry Bride, a young bride overhears an extraordinary conversation, voices speaking of a plot to murder a wife who hasn't produced a child and whose family failed to produce the promised dowry... her.

Two sentences from The Dowry Bride (page 99): With a shudder Megha came awake from the sinister darkness of the foggy backyard to the brightness of the room, blinking-the scream still inside her throat. Her heart was beating so frantically it seemed ready to jump out of her breast.

My two sentences from the diner mystery I am reworking (pg. 99):
The giant picture window had a big hole in the center like someone had shot it out, except a gun didn’t do this. She eyed the palm-sized piece of red brick on the floor, thankful it hadn't hit any of them.

** Share your two sentences you read and you wrote. What are you working on?

Miniatures Monday: In Miniature Style II really mini!

Working on making up some items and making kits for the tote bags in In Miniature Style II.

A few of the items for the bags: pencils, and small books of course! (Non-opening.) Here's a completed tote I made before.

In Miniature Style II Print Sale!

The print version of In Miniature Style II has been updated (fixing pattern order and a couple things)

Good news is it's now on sale for $12. (Eligible for free shipping on Amazon if you're buying $25 anyway...)

EBook and other formats still available. (See link above.)

Writing: Too Much Nodding and other People Problems

Thinking I was "done," (really?) I let my wip (work in progress) sit a couple days, though deep down, I knew there was a problem I needed to look at. Nodding. As in She nodded, I nodded, Nodding, he, etc.

My characters nod. A lot. Nodding seems to be my oft-used, abused, and overused word. Going through the manuscript, I'm changing, fixing, deleting all those nods. After a while, though, the brain gets numb in thinking up new things to say.

So, share: what's your over-used or "fave" word or phrase? What do you put in exchange? And I'd love any suggestions for fixing mine (other than cutting off the characters' heads. Problem solved. haa!)

Books for Sale - Mini and Doll Related

**US shipping tbd; International, may cost more; not responsible for loss w/o insurance. click profile to email me. All books in very good and good condition. (Yes these are "real" full-size books!)


Doll dressing inspiration, wonderful details! Stunning costumes in The Tyler
Wentworth Fifth Anniversary Album. 176 pgs, hardcvr. Reverie Publishing (2004) VG condition.Collectible! Selling on Amazon and eBay, $55 and up. For Sale: $40 (or best offer) plus shipping.(RARE!)

In the five years since her introduction by the Tonner Doll Company, Tyler Wentworth has risen to the top of the world of fashion dolls. This book is a comprehensive collector's reference to all things Tyler, and a commemoration in words and photos of this groundbreaking doll. Entertaining and informative, this book offers a unique collection of facts, fiction and photographs. In this book, Tyler's storyline continues and is illustrated by new photographs featuring her and her friends in settings from their lives, such as Tyler's apartment and the fashion runway. Well-known contributors such as A Glenn Mandeville, who traces Tyler's place in the history of the American fashion doll, and Louise Fecher, as well as fashion designer Timothy Gunn, discuss Tyler's importance in various arenas. Masterful photographers Ernest Padro-Compos and Barry Sturgill pay homage to the doll in beautifully styled pictures, exclusive to this book. The collector's reference section shows every production doll and outfit ever made, with identification information as well as collector's notes, including nearly every exclusive and one-of-a-kind.

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British Teenage Dolls, 1956-1984, Frances Baird, 2004 New Cavendish, hc, 195 page. Great pix,history, clothes, dolls - Blythe, Charlie's Angels, more. Fun history. Sells for $30 (different cover). Selling for $20 plus shipping.
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A Beginner's Guide to the Dolls' House Hobby, Jean Nisbett, reprint GMC 1997. 120 pgs, sofcover. Oldie but goodie, good information, how to's and nice pix. Still a popular seller and good guide. VG condition, $10 plus shipping.

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The Doll's House Sourcebook, Caroline Clifton-Mogg, Abbeville Press, 1993. 208 pages, softcover, oversized. Wonderful, inspiring book, beautiful large color photos. Lots of gorgeous rooms, scenes and inspiration. $15 + shipping.
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Inside the World of Miniatures & Dollhouses, A Comprehensive Guide to collecting and creating, McKay, 1976; softcover, large size, 240 pgs, good condition, slight wear on cover side ends. Good overall information and photos, all b/w. Includes section on making basic furniture, bench, fireplace, etc. Good guide. Selling for $8 and shipping.

New Summer Mysterical-e - Mystery Interview and New Books

The summer issue of Mysterical-e is out!

My new Author Snapshot column features an interview with mystery author Deborah Ledford and shares new books by Bernadette Pajer, Victor J. Banis, John Lindenmuth, Ed Lynskey, Jeffrey Siger, Melodie Campbell and Jan Christensen.

Happy Reading!

Miniatures Thursday: Flowers for the Half Scale Tudor House

A few photos of a couple other things I made for the Half Scale Tudor House.
I made some of the flowers and others (plus the great birds!) I got in anniversary swaps from the Yahoo Half Scale Group and other swaps.



I made the cabinet a while back as I wanted something with a mirrored back. The fence is two pieces of the wood fencing you can buy at the hobby store. I glued it together, added shelves and cut out small brackets as I thought it would be a great display for a garden shop.

* See the door and links to other half scale house pix

Welcome to Guest Mystery Author Ada Madison aka Camille Minichino

Today I again welcome prolific, charming and talented mystery author Camille Minichino, who's come out with a new book, THE SQUARE ROOT OF MURDER, the first in her new Prof. Sophie Knowles mystery series written under the name Ada Madison.

In the book, Dr. Sophie Knowles teaches math at Henley College in Massachusetts, but when a colleague turns up dead, it's up to her to find the killer before someone else gets subtracted.

While Camille is a scientist and quite familiar with the academic world, she's also a miniaturist and author of the fun Miniature Mystery Series. And collectors, you'll be glad to know she hasn't left her hobby behind yet. Far from it as you'll see. (Keep reading, and be sure to check out the contest at the end!)




Tools for Life
By Camille Minichino/Ada Madison

The best thing about writing novels is also the best thing about doing miniatures: you get to manipulate the world any way you please. In fact, dollhouses are a kind of fiction, and fiction writing is definitely a craft.

Here are a couple of handy dollhouse realities: it's a fictitious roof, so if there's a little flaw in your gluing job when you laid down the tiles, the roof still won't leak; no one will know whether the sheet corners on the bed are perfect (or even there at all!) under the comforter in the master bedroom.

As you craft the novel, you have the same power to put things in order, or not. You can construct a satisfying Whodunit with justice for all at the end, or weave twisty plots toward a cliffhanger ending. As a miniaturist, you can construct a lovely half-inch-scale cottage with no bad plumbing or any other defect, but if you'd rather, you can mess things up by turning a miniature bedroom into a crime scene.

Pictured: One of Camille's mini crime scenes.

You can defy age: with only a little maintenance, your dollhouse will never get old or lose its resale value; and as long as you keep writing, your heroine can stay young, even through a dozen books, released a year apart. In my Miniature Mysteries (written as Margaret Grace), my protagonist's granddaughter, 11 years old, will never become a testy teen. How handy is that?

One of my favorite miniature projects was creating a museum. I love real-life museums and have been known to spend entire days in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. But my miniature museum has one feature that's impossible in real life: it has only paintings I like.

I've hung several paintings by Edward Hopper and Van Gogh (of course, Chris!) but none by contemporary artists whose work looks a little like a day care project to my untrained eye. There are sculptures by Rodin, but no ancient stone figures (apologies to the Egyptologists out there).

[Full disclosure: Unlike my blog hostess and her talented friends, I don't do miniature paintings; I take the low road and download them!] (Host Note: No judging here, I do that a lot, too! ha!)

My miniature museum has a bistro and a gift shop, of course, as well as benches everywhere for resting and contemplation. I used the power of crafting to make a museum that's perfect for me, just as I use the power of a novel to make characters and stories that satisfy me.

When I donate a dollhouse to a charity—a great move, since it also means I get to buy another one!—I supply some furniture, but not all. I include instead supplies for making pieces, sometimes with instructions, sometimes not. I want the new owner to have that same powerful feeling of being in charge of her environment.

Similarly, when I teach writing, I give my students guidelines, prompts, questions to help them shape their own stories.

In my new series, my protagonist, Professor Sophie Knowles, has a beading hobby. In fact, she manages to use beads as a defensive weapon! Writing and crafting—both powerful tools for life.

** Camille Minichino is the author of three mystery series. Her akas are Margaret Grace (The Miniature Mysteries) and Ada Madison (The Professor Sophie Knowles Mysteries). Read the first chapter of THE SQUARE ROOT OF MURDER, launched on July 5, at her website.

** Camille, thanks again for stopping by and I wish you great success with your new series!

** CONTEST: Comment and share a favorite scene from one of Camille's books, or a general observation for a chance to win a copy of THE SQUARE ROOT OF MURDER. Include an email so we can contact you.

Writing, writing,...What about you?

Nope haven't disappeared. Busy writing. 2,500 words to go to reach my 60,000 word goal on my YA girl zombie. Fixing some things, adding, re-editing the synopsis again. All that fun stuff. Nose to the grindstone. :>)

So if you stop by, please share what you are working on so I don't feel so lonely. ha!

Happy Fourth!

Have fun with BBQ's and relaxing today. Remember those who make sacrifices for freedom.

Here's my favorite scene I made fashioned after a vintage cookbook cover.

Fast Food and Fast Writing?

Fast or slow? Writing can be like fast food, right? That's the topic I'm talking about today at Acme Authors Link. Come on over and give your two cents worth...

Updating....

Note: the print version of In Miniature Style II at Amazon.com is being updated and should be ready in a day or two. The ebook and other format versions are still available. See links, details and photos at website

Hanging a Miniature Door - Tudor Half Scale House

An update on the Half Scale Tudor House I've been constructing (forever? ha!) (See other pix of the house here.)

The door is done in the top pic; I still need to add the bottom bay window.

The hardest part was figuring what to use as hinges for the door. In my full-size Tudor Tea Shoppe (see link on my miniatures page on my website), I used hard plastic strapping tape cut to size. Well, I have to reglue the tape now so I didn't want to do something like that again.



This time I tried something different and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. As you see in the above pic, the hinges are metal. I cut sword-shaped strips from the top of a mixed nut can (the metal is fairly thin and has an opening tab you pull up.) It cuts easily with scissors.



I glued strips of balsa wood across the door for boards. I then dabbed the back of the metal strips with Quick Grip to hold them in place. Next, I cut regular straight pins very short, again with scissors. Predrill or gouge a small hole into the wood. Hold the pin with small pliers and push it into the hole as far as it will go. Once all the pins were in place, I hammered them in so they were flat and then glued the trim around the door.

I plan to age the metal slightly and add a door knob. I may have to make a door knob to fit the house style.

Talking about Characters...

I'm talking about characters and how to make them real today at the MuseItUp Publishing blog. Stop by and comment with your tips.

Miniatures Update: New Cake Displays

Sharing some of the latest cabinets I made for my Half Scale Tudor House which has a garden shop on the bottom floor and a bakery/cafe/bookshop on the top floor. The cabinets are about 1 1/2" high.



I got the bookshelf at a show and the size fit better for a cake display cabinet. I made the right cabinet for a counter. My friend Kitty made most of the cakes except for a few from a swap in the half scale group. I made the cakes on the top wire wicker shelves from wooden plugs.

New Story in Hot & Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance, back copy

Yay! Got my copy today of the anthology Hot and Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance from DAW Books.

It contains my new story, "Kinetic Dreams" by C.A. Verstraete. In the story, the saga of Alva Edison and her famous brother, Thomas, continues with newly married Alva realizing her life isn't as she thought it was. Can she help Thomas get back to the past and escape a threat from the future?

Here's what the back of the book says (my story is described first):

What would the past look like if the future had come along earlier? This is the question that steampunk stories seek to answer in tales that place those possible futures in Victorian settings.

Now join sixteen visionary writers as they explore the many romantic possibilities of the steampunk, pseudo-Victorian age in such striking alternate adventures as when:

- Time travel and a chance look at an untimely newspaper headline complicate Alva Edison's blissful home life...
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In the first story, "Edison Kinetic Light and Steam Power" from Steampunk'd, also from DAW Books, an unexpected accident has Alva Edison assisting her brother Thomas in developing some of their time's most amazing discoveries, and improving on some of H.G. Wells' work.

* Read an excerpt from the book's inside first page at my website.

New Project from In Miniature Style II: Plants Pants

Fern's "Plant Pants"

This has to be one of my favorite projects from IN MINIATURE STYLE II. (See Fern's version in the slideshow at link.)

When I first saw this project by Fern Rouleau, I laughed and thought it was the "cutest" thing I'd seen in miniature!

I knew I'd have to make my own, and I finally had the right materials to make my own "Pants Planter." But I had to also take it a step further and make a smaller version to fit in the garden shop I'm making in a half-scale Tudor house!

In the 1" scale version in pink and blue (left), I used a regular pair of pants instead of overalls. The plant is made from a kit by my favorite flower maker Susan at SDK Miniatures.

Since I didn't have any tinier pants and definitely didn't want to try making them that small, I decided to do something different for the half-scale version. I made a skirt. The daffodil plant also uses petals from Susan. Here's my secret: the tiny pink shoes are from a Polly Pocket set and were the perfect size. I used small lace for "socks."

Yes, doing the project in half-scale takes some fiddling since it's harder to get the pieces assembled, but overall, I'm happy with how it turned out. I just had to make both versions.

One guy I had talked with mentioned he was thinking of scaling down the patterns even further to make quarter-scale versions. I'd love to see this project in that size!

* The how-to and a profile of Fern and her work are in IN MINIATURE STYLE II. See information, photos and details at link. (Available in ebook/pdf, iPad, Nook, Kindle & other formats, and print.)

BUY: Print

Today at Acme Authors Link...

Today I'm at Acme Authors Link talking about not taking your writing too seriously. Stop on by!

Hot & Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance Featuring New Alva Edison Story by C. Verstraete - Now Available!

Today is the release day for Hot and Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance from DAW Books featuring my new story, "Kinetic Dreams" with my characters Alva and her famous brother Thomas Edison.

The saga of Alva Edison and her famous brother, Thomas, continues with newly married Alva realizing her life isn't as she thought it was. Can she help Thomas get back to the past and escape a threat from the future?

The first story, "Edison Kinetic Light and Steam Power" is in the book, Steampunk'd, also from DAW Books.

An unexpected accident has Alva Edison assisting her brother Thomas in developing some of their time's most amazing discoveries, and improving on some of H.G. Wells' work in my latest story, "Edison Kinetic Light and Steam Power" in the STEAMPUNK'D anthology from DAW Books.

* Read an excerpt of the first story (which was printed on the book's preview page).

Miniatures Monday: Cupcakes and More Cupcakes

A stash made by my friend Kitty. About 50 cupcakes, plus I still have a bunch of cookies not shown. This will be for a cupcake shop room.

Miniatures Monday: Pink Room Items

Found a fantastic tabletop curio cabinet at the flea market, only $3! So I decided it was a perfect place to put the pink items I've been collecting for my future Ladies Shoppe.





I made the screen, chaise, ottoman and boxes in a class a couple years ago at the Bishop show. I still have to add some trim and a couple items to finish it off. The fireplace and plant stand were actually ornaments I found at Hobby Lobby. My friend Kitty made the cupcake; more pix to come! Wait until you see all the cupcakes!

Happy Memorial Day: Picnic anyone?

Sharing another of my all-time favorite miniature scenes. Though it is cold and rainy here today, it will get warmer, a better day for a picnic. I made this scene based on a cookbook cover. The food is made from FIMO polymer clay.

In Miniature Style II Giveaways & Contest - Patriotic and cupcake mini rooms

* Today's Special miniature scene from IN MINIATURE STYLE II by Christine Verstraete. *

Here's another view from my friend Kitty's cupcake shop. She made all the mini cakes and cupcakes from FIMO oven-bake clay.



This is my Uncle Sam room, which is featured in the book. It was inspired by the patriotic furniture I found some years ago of all places in the gift shop at Old World Wisconsin. There's a matching country-style table on the step that is out of view.

Continuing the blog tour for my new book, IN MINIATURE STYLE II.

** Winners are Chell, Dale and Marisa... if I didn't get your entry contact me via the email at my profile here on the blog.**

** Stops are over, and I thank all for coming over. Now you can answer ALL the questions and send me the answers to see who's won...

Big HINT: All the answers are on my website. Very easy to find if you concentrate on two pages relating to the book and the hobby. Email answers via website (remove 1) or to chrisATcverstraeteDOTcom.

See previous post for the full contest details or click here.

Recap: here are the questions:

Contest Questions:
Question 1: Who is the lovely lady of the sea?

Question 2: What is my "sweetest" miniature scene?

Question 3: What is the dog holding?

Question 4: He sees you when you're sleeping... but he solves the crime. (Dual answer, two sections on website. Either one is right. Bonus for both.)

Question 5: What's to eat? Name one food how-to from "In Miniature Style II."

Question 6: Name one of the flowers in the book (other than the hydrangea on the cover! Too easy!)

Question 7: Name one project from IN MINIATURE STYLE II you'd like to make - and share how you'd change it (colors, style, etc.) and what project you'll use it in.

I want to thank all the gracious hosts for letting me take up space on their blogs! Also, thanks to everyone for participating and playing the game! Entries will be accepted all weekend through 5/23 then I'll try to get the winner's names up. If I don't get a response then I'll pick another winner.

** IN MINIATURE STYLE II is available in eBook/pdf, Kindle and other formats at Smashwords, iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, Nook, and print.

"Easy to read, the book is a bit like having a miniature club to yourself," says Lesley Shepherd, About.com Miniatures Guide.

** Read the rest of her full-page review at Miniatures.About.com **

In Miniature Style II Giveaways & Contest continues; New miniature Victorian scene

* Today's Special miniature scene from IN MINIATURE STYLE II. *

This is my Victorian room, part of a double roombox, which is featured in the book. It has hand-made curtains, which have a hand-beaded trim on top (never again!). The unique part is the room contains miniaturized photos of my family.



Continuing the blog tour for my new book, IN MINIATURE STYLE II.

** Today, I'm at Victoria's Dark Squirrel Miniatures blog. (Check out her cool house and the amazing potion cabinets. I love the detail!)

You can get the latest contest question and see the new post at Victoria's blog above. Scroll down to previous post for the full contest details -- and where to find the answers! -- or click here.


Recap: here are the questions so far:

Contest Questions:
Question 1: Who is the lovely lady of the sea?

Question 2: What is my "sweetest" miniature scene?

Question 3: What is the dog holding?

Question 4: He sees you when you're sleeping... but he solves the crime. (Dual answer, two sections on website. Either one is right. Bonus for both.)

Question 5: What's to eat? Name one food how-to from "In Miniature Style II."

** Today's Question:**

Question 6: Name one of the flowers in the book (other than the hydrangea on the cover! Too easy!)

** IN MINIATURE STYLE II is available in eBook/pdf, Kindle and other formats at Smashwords, iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, Nook, and print.

"Easy to read, the book is a bit like having a miniature club to yourself," says Lesley Shepherd, About.com Miniatures Guide.

** Read the rest of her full-page review at Miniatures.About.com **

In Miniature Style II Giveaways & Contest continues; new miniature scene

* Special miniature scene from IN MINIATURE STYLE II. *

My "Raggedy Ann Room" featured in book, In Miniature Style II, by Christine Verstraete.

Continuing the blog tour for my new book, IN MINIATURE STYLE II.

** Today, get the latest contest question below. Scroll down to previous post for the full contest details -- and where to find the answers! -- or click here.

Recap: here are the questions so far:

Contest Questions:
Question 1: Who is the lovely lady of the sea?

Question 2: What is my "sweetest" miniature scene?

Question 3: What is the dog holding?

Question 4: He sees you when you're sleeping... but he solves the crime. (Dual answer, two sections on website. Either one is right. Bonus for both.)

** Today's Question:**
Question 5: What's to eat? Name one food how-to from "In Miniature Style II."

** IN MINIATURE STYLE II is available in eBook/pdf, Kindle and other formats at Smashwords, iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, Nook, and print.


"Easy to read, the book is a bit like having a miniature club to yourself," says Lesley Shepherd, About.com Miniatures Guide.

** Read the rest of her full-page review at Miniatures.About.com **