#Miniature Finds: Or I needed another project, right?

Haaa! Oh, the projects I have to do yet... but, when you find something...

Finally got out and did a little shopping, and found these great items. I almost didn't buy it but the cabinet was so unique and so was the resin/plaster fireplace.  (Aren't they wonderful??) Also got a beautiful paper tile floor in a rose color... 

So a library scene will be in the works soon. I knew I was making a lot of miniature books for a reason!! Also found a cool plastic drop chandelier that's in layers, different than the usual ones, so we'll see if that works...  Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for updates!

(And yes... the Ladies Shoppe cabinet is about done now. Got the front plastic in the doors and the shelf inside... Trying to find some battery lights that will light it enough. The kitchen is about done, too. Made a garbage container for under the sink and some newspapers for on top of the fridge. It's the little details! Pix coming!)

#Miniatures Project Update: Cabinet and Kitchen

Figured I'd give a "little" update as to the projects progress...

Getting there. It's close to the end!!

Yes, I'm very-slowly doing some things for the planned Raggedy Ann house, but also trying to get the lady's shoppe cabinet and the shadow box kitchen finished. Getting there! (Click photos for full size.)

The Kitchen:

I have only a few things left to add. That open space under the kitchen cabinet will have a filled garbage container. 

I put in the faucet, added some food and finished the side counter.  The side support was cut from one of those wood fans. I glued two pieces together for strength. Plus, I added a shelf underneath to the wall with some extra dishes and a broom on the edge. 

I put some sliding "doors" (painted corrugated paper with metal findings) on the front of the sink cabinet instead of having it all open. Yes, the drain pipe is glued under there, too. I added a small bowl on the shelf as well, in case the sink leaks. (Don't trust that plumber! ha!)

I'll be adding a pizza to the oven...  looking for my ingredients! And I'm putting a stack of newspapers on the top of the fridge. 

I know, it's a really busy kitchen! It would be less busy with wall cabinets instead, but I liked the idea of using a shelf for a change. And it's like real life! I like how it's come out.

The Lady's Shoppe Cabinet

Not real big progress, but it's something I've been putting off and I'm close to finishing now. I did finish filling the shelves before. Finally, the inside is papered and the floor added. The floor paper was glued to a piece of mat board and glued on top of the cabinet drawer.  I ended up taking out the small ledges as this makes the cabinet fit inside better.  Next, have to put acrylic in doors, then add some lights on the ceiling. Updated photo of part of inside.  Cabinet photos. (Have to add more.)

Here's a dress form I had and repainted it white. I need to finish painting the bottom, a bamboo skewer set into a wood heart shape for a stand.  The dress is actually all glued in layers, except I did do a gathering stitch to pull the waist of the dress in. 

Stay tuned! More to come!

Planning my next #dollhouse project, Raggedy Ann

Or should I say likely...

Yes I bought a dollhouse kit when Hobby Builder's Supply's had the  40% off sale....

I got the 1/2" scale farmhouse by Real Good Toys. Here's a pic from the site. 
I mentioned some of this on the last post in the #AtoZ Blog Challenge - Z end and recap...

But... I decided I do want to make this into a Raggedy Ann house. My fascination with the doll began years ago. I had a couple dolls. Used to have a huge one I won in a costume contest as a teenager at church. I don't have them anymore, but it's nice to do miniature scenes since they take up less room. Well, kind of. When you have a lot of houses, you run out of room. Half scale at least takes up less space. ha!

* Here's some history and all kinds of Raggedy stuff at RaggedyLand. (Waaah, they had some cute miniatures but they're discontinued so I'll make some.) Cute ideas, I'll have to make a lunch box and love that thermos! It has to be tinier, though, as it's half scale!

Art:

This is the cutest book cover for wall art. I'll be making small books for a shelf, plus game and doll boxes.

These are adorable, Barbie Kelly doll set. How cute!

So thinking how to do this.The planning is the best part, I think: 

Some ideas:

* Raggedy lover Sheila on Raggedy Kingdom has an adorable Raggedy bedroom and a red kitchen in a 1/4" scale Victorian dome! (Scroll down on that page for pix.) I was thinking of a red kitchen, too. I like that idea.

* Here's another smaller scale house  she did with the patriotic color scheme.

I was thinking of doing the outside yellow with red and blue trim.... not sure yet.

Here's a Colorforms kit that shows a yellow house: I love yellow but for this, I'd change the green...

I might have some small scraps of Raggedy print fabric left from the other projects, but holy cow, checking Ebay, minimal choices and $$$. If we can ever leave the house soon!!! I'll have to go on a fabric hunt. 

Yeah I have a ton of fabric but not any other RA print. Figures right? haaa! Luckily this is half scale. I don't need much!

Fabric I have on hand.. just some of the reds... Will ask my friend Gigi (who's also a quilter) what she has!

Looking into the scrapbook paper inventory:

Yes, the roses are bit big... but sometimes a bigger pattern works... I kind of like that blue and rose paper, though...  Bigger patterns can be broken up with wainscoting, too. 

Kitchen: I like that retro style with the black leaves for the walls. The dots are cute as a back splash? It doesn't all have to be the dark blue with the red... but the colors can be mixed in.

I like mixing prints. It's all subject to change, until I can go out, of course. 

Stay tuned. We'll see what I figure out! I'll have to dig out the kitchen kits and see what I have. 

#AtoZ Blogging: Z End and recap

* Go to Day 1

(art-pixabay.com)

Z end - but not!!

I'll contact the contest winners and post names soon as I have to get their addresses. (See day 1 link above if you didn't enter. You still have time. Ends today!)

ha! The title of this post: I had to add a pun. Technically, yesterday's post was the last combined one, but I figured I'd add a couple other pix, and show some hints at my progress and getting near Z End of some projects. Yay!

What's this? 

Ha! Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not real organized. I try, but I usually end up with a lot of boxes with lots of mini things in them. I try to put items for projects together, I've gotten better at doing that, but.... 

So I looked in quite a few boxes before I found this faucet, which btw was in a small container I thought I'd  looked in already! BUT.... necessary as it goes in the Mini Kitchen Room... which now has everything glued on the top shelf (slightly different than that photo), and next I have to add the other counter, maybe a small curtain I'm thinking under the sink and.... you'll see yet! I'll take more pix soon. Sooooo close! (Click photos for full size.)

A favorite I wanted to share again:

Mini Groceries from a past swap. I get such a kick out of these!

A little trivia about the month's A to Z Blog Challenge posts: 

* The post with the highest amount of visits (over 200 and counting) : C for the Cabinet Dollhouse  by JP Sligh. (For a good reason! If you missed this, be sure to look!) 

* The second most popular post was N for Nothing but One Inch Dollhouse Kits (I liked this one, too, as it was interesting finding out of the ordinary kits.)

* The third most popular post was G for Miniature Gardening, Making the half-scale potting shed was one of my favorite projects. 

* Another popular post was the S for Miniature Country Farmhouse Style rooms by Tanya Thayer McKibben. I just love these rooms!!!

* Interesting for me, was one of my most popular posts on my Facebook page was the post showing my Raggedy Ann room on P for Dollhouse Show Plans. I really loved doing this small room, too. Everyone seems to love Raggedy Ann and Andy!  

I didn't show it in these posts, though I did share it before on the blog. Here's a pic (below) of the first and larger room I did with the same theme. Also a favorite. This one was fun as I even dressed the baby as a Raggedy. My friend Kitty did the two smaller dolls.  Who knows? Maybe I'll do another in the future... a whole house could be a lot of fun. Hmmm.... That has an idea percolating as I hadn't considered that yet.

Uh-oh. An IDEA!! Recently I started a new farmhouse kit in half scale.

 (Photo is from Real Good Toys. Mine is unpainted, unfinished yet.)

I was going to do it as Halloween, but...  I do have another kit set aside (don't laugh!) that'll fit that better. I wasn't real crazy about doing this house like that. THIS idea has me getting more intrigued.... 

Luckily all I did so far was pick out papers and added some paint to darken the living room floor a little. Still plenty of time to pick new pattern papers, etc. Stay tuned, this could work!! I love the idea of doing a whole kitchen in Raggedy Ann colors! I love finding things and making things to go in theme projects! Making tiny Raggedies in half scale could be a blast!! Believe me, I have plenty of accessories and kits that I can paint, etc. to fit this. It also gives me an excuse to look for more theme stuff, too. haa! (Still hoping the dollhouse shows will be held in August!)
 ** Stay tuned for some updates and progress pix!

****I hope you enjoyed visiting each day and seeing mine and a few other people's projects! I so appreciate all you old and new visitors. Please sign up for the updates (box in left column) to see what's new as I post. Maybe I'll get more inspired to finish updating that book, too! Yes, I'm a tortoise. ha! 

#A to Z Blogging: You Use Zoo Animals in Miniature?

* Go to Day 1 

* Today is Y and Z. But not Z End... that's tomorrow.

This gets harder as you get near the end. Y is you, of course, meaning the fun you and I have when sharing a hobby, right? And Z?

Well, like many, I have a stash of small zoo animals tucked away for... something. I did think of using a couple for those trophy wall plaques in the den/library of one of the half-scale dollhouses. All they'd need is to be flocked and glued to a wood plaque. Even in miniature, though, it's kind of hard to think of sawing off the head of that poor animal. ha! But... I still might make a couple as I know they'll look right in the library I had planned. In real life that whole idea is horrid. 

I did put a small wooden giraffe in my half scale dollhouse attic as a kind of large decoration or toy. I like the giraffe so I used it. It was probably part of some jewelry or something. See him at left. (See more photos of the house here.)

I also have a necklace with carved wood animals that I'm saving. Eventually those animals will be pulled off and used. The beads are good too as small jars for half scale. The tinier beads can be used on top of them. The whole thing is useful! 

One of my more unusual finds? A group of African carved wood napkin rings from Kenya I found at the thrift store. See top of photo. (The antelope (?) without the stand is 2 1/2" high and wide.)  I thought if I ever get back to that idea of making my World Museum in Miniature they would fit in as decorative statues. Some might still be used in other houses or scenes, of course. I have a couple more not shown here.

* What's the most unusual thing you've found or used in your miniatures?

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I hope you've enjoyed this miniatures tour. Please do sign up for blog updates in the left column of this blog as I will be working on updating the new version of my miniatures book, In Miniature Style II to The Best of In Miniature Style. I am compiling things!

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** For fun, to see if you've been following along and got this far on the blog, sign up at the link below for a chance to win a copy of my other book, Dollhouse Decor and More (with Joanna Campbell Slan.) Sorry, but it's US shipping only. 

Email me via my website contact page with the subject Dollhouse book. Tell me about one of your more unusual finds and what you'll use it in. I'd love share these answers in a coming blog so send me a photo too! 

#A to Z Blogging: What an EXciting Hobby!

* Go to Day 1 

* Today is W and X for... xylophone

Hey, I don't have anything.... oh wait, I do have something for X., haa! Mini - half -scale xylophone toys I got in one of the previous annual swaps! This was in the half scale group's toys theme swap last year.

W? Well....

I have to say -- What an exciting hobby this is! Wonderful! Wild! I've been making dollhouses for mumble-mumble - let's say many years!

To the hubby's regret, I still haven't tired of it, meaning I have lots of stuff on hand and saved for that next special project. 

I still enjoy the challenge of making something, figuring out a setting, what to put in it, choosing the colors, what wallpapers to use, etc. 

If you're new to the hobby, that's the key to enjoying something for a long time. Do what you like. Decorate a house or room as you want. Think outside the box. As you mature in the hobby, your skills improve and you start thinking of different ways to do things and different things to use in your scenes. 

You always start looking at everything different, like how to use that box or container for a scene.  I've used those table-size wood gardening containers. I have a couple wood photo containers set aside for half scale as they have glass windows. I used an antique medicine cabinet for a different small holiday scene on the three shelves. 

Beware! It's a packrat hobby. haa! 

#A to Z Blogging: V for Miniature Valentines

* Go to Day 1 

I just LOVE vintage valentines! So... here's some for you! Simply right click and save.

Printies and Freebies:

* Cute mini hanging heart card holder at Joann Swanson's DIY Blog - how to and downloads - Also make a cute Valentine mini room  - Valentine Party Project

*  Some valentine cutout pages at CDHM

* Valentine printies cards at Treefeathers

* Freebies at Jean Day Minis

* Valentine links at minitreasures wiki

#A to Z Blogging: T and U for Totally Unexpected Dollhouses and Miniatures

* Go to Day 1 

* Today is T and U for Totally Unexpected.

The fun of doing miniatures is that sometimes you come across an idea that you didn't expect.

Like most miniaturists, I have lots of projects and lots of ideas, meaning a big cache of UFO's - unfinished objects!

But, you know how it is... You'll come across something that you know will make a good project - eventually or someday.

I found this little box at the flea market last year and while I had no idea what to do with it then, I knew it was perfect for a little scene. Sometimes it's fun just to make something that uses a few items you had in your stash. You get to make something new and feel like you actually got something done!

So luckily, I had the smaller hutch and a tiny chest and desk that all fit in here.

My Rooftop Garden is set in a small bookcase shelf that hangs on the wall. The small houses on top are the porcelain house-shaped bottles from the Dutch airlines. A couple I got from my friend and others came from the thrift store.

The candy box was also something I didn't plan for, but my friend Gigi gave it to me one year for Christmas (filled with the must-have Belgian Chocolate, of course!) She knew I'd figure out some kind of project to use it for, so I made a small Art Deco-vintage flavored sitting room. The furniture was made from the d. Anne Ruff patterns. See link for inside photos.

I have a small mirrored chest I'll be picking up at some point from Peg, so I was thinking of making a half scale craft scene and kids' room with toys in the two shelves inside. I figured it can be a kind of "holding place" until I get another house done, though sometimes those scenes do become rather permanenet!

I also have ideas to put in other small rooms and boxes, and I'll likely come across others. The ideas never end! 

#A to Z Blogging: S for Miniature Country Farmhouse Style Rooms

* Go to Day 1 

Today it's a treat to feature someone's work I've been admiring for some time on Facebook.

Tanya Thayer McKibben is one of those creative miniaturists who seems to be able to figure out how to make all kinds of things, many of them simply from things she has on hand.

Her latest project is a series of rooms inspired by the real-life country farmhouse style that are just about as real-looking as it gets. She has a real eye for decorating, too, as seen in this bedroom photo. Remember that commercial? Is it real or??? 

Peeking in the door, you would swear you're looking at a photo in a catalog. That's when miniatures are at their best. 

Here are some other views: 

 ** Isn't this great?? See more of her fantastic work and views of these rooms on her Pinterest page.

#A to Z Blogging: Q- R for Miniature Record Store

* Go to Day 1 

* Today is Quite the Record for Q and R!

I've been working on this miniature record store made in one of the Houseworks Street of Shops stores for quite a while.

I'm enjoying how it's turning out as I wanted it to be ultra-colorful like the 60's and 70's. I figured if I ever got tired of it being a record store, then I can easily turn it into a hippie pad.  ha! I have some furnishings I'd originally wanted to use in here, but don't have the room right now. 

The showcase was fun to make. I filled it with various items like, er, those essential hookah and smoking devices that were so common back then.

I love the idea of all the record albums, though I admit it got rather tedious making and making more of them! And there's more than this shown here! I had to cheat a bit in the bookcase I'm filling and made some foldable record "stacks" for the shelves. And I still have another table to build and fill with more records yet!


 The figure was one of those resin dolls. I covered her pants with a tie-dye skirt, added some decorative elements and lace cut out from a ribbon and added some jewelry made from findings and decorative cloth trim. I still want to add a few more things on her. She needs some longer hair and a tie-dye kerchief on her head, I think.

For record players, I'm using keychains that will make a riffing sound if you press the center button. There's more done, but I'll save more pix until it's assembled more.

And something, er, different....

Yes, it's what you think. ha! The kit leaves are from Mary Kinloch.