April 13, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge: L for Miniature Lingerie


Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is L 

Here's a small corset in a box I made a while ago. Love this stuff!

More minis and stuff are my website.


April 12, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge: K is for Miniature House Kit


Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge  2013(click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is K  for Miniature House Kit

Thought I'd share the before pictures of a miniature house before it's all pretty.

This is a half-scale house I bought partly built. I usually like to build it myself from the beginning - and now I know why as I made several changes! I blocked in some windows and had to remeasure the front windows as I wanted more wall space. I didn't want the house to be colonial but am giving it more of an old stone-stucco house look. I'm adding a base to build a shed with a pantry on the one outside wall and a small greenhouse for plants on the other side. 

The living room was stained dark so I lightened it up by painting the walls and part of the fireplace ivory. The ceiling will be stuccoed after I paint the staircase opening. I also am adding a staircase but had to make a small landing that has to be turned since the stairs enter from the back instead of the front. A lot of planning. You have to keep steps in mind when you're doing a house like this. But in the end it's worth it!  In case you're wondering, the strip on the outside of the wall is electric tape for lighting the house. 




April 11, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge: J is for Miniature Jar


Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is J

I have a couple easy tutorials I want to add yet, and hope I'll find a day to fit them in.

For now, here's a fun tea display stand I made... 

The easy display includes a jar made by gluing two pony beads on top of one another. Top with a gold brad, fitting the prongs inside. Then glue an appropriate label to the front. You can use this method to make food and perfume jars. Use clear, colored or the frosted color beads for perfume jars.    

The square tea jar uses a small square wood block covered with aluminum tape. Add a jump ring on top to simulate the opening. Add a small food or other label to the front. The tea box was purchased.





April 10, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge - I is for In Miniature Style II


Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is I 

The most fascinating part of creating in miniature is, done right,
 it can be enough to fool the eye into thinking it is real.

It's a unique experience to enjoy the trappings of real life shrunk down to Lilliputian size.
It's even more fun to do it yourself.

I love decorating in miniature, figuring out the interior design, picking the colors and the items that make a miniature house a home. The top view of my logo includes two room interiors - the left is part of a small scene set in a birthday card. The right is one of the rooms in a half scale shadow box house. Below is my favorite room from my miniature "Dogcatcher's House."





The room is one of the projects featured in my book, IN MINIATURE STYLE II. The book includes profiles of other miniaturists' work, photos and over 40 how-to projets. Available in print, eBook and PDF. 

April 09, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge - H is for Miniature Handbags and Purses


Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Today's letter is H for Miniature Handbags & Purses



Many prefer modern styles in miniature, but Victorian and past decades are always popular in miniature. There's something appealing about making super frilly and feminine items  that you see only in a museum or in old photos. (See more of my miniatures.)

While the thought of corsets doesn't sound too appealing, (though the steampunk crowd has made them look really good,) you have to wonder what it would be like to dress in the silkiest, prettiest, most feminine of Victorian gowns with all the accessories, even if just for a day, right?




April 08, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge: G has to be for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

-------------------------------------------------------------
Today's letter is  G for  Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie!

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my upcoming zombie book, being published in August.

Check the GirlZombieAuthors blog for the cover reveal contest.  
(Last pieces  being shown today; contest ends 4/10 with full cover)

But here is one of the title cover pieces:





For fun, here're the puzzle pieces  of the cover (part of them): 



Here's the synopsis:


Life can suck when you're sixteen. It can suck even worse when you're not-quite-dead.

Sixteen-year-old Rebecca Herrera Hayes faces every teenager's biggest nightmares: bad skin, bad hair, and worse . . . turning into one of the living dead.
   Becca's life changes forever when her cousin Spence comes back to their small Wisconsin town carrying a deadly secret—he's becoming a zombie, a fate he shares with her through an accidental scratch.
   The Z infection, however, has mutated, affecting younger persons like her, or those treated early enough, differently. Now she must cope with weird physical changes and habits no girl wants to be noticed for. Then she meets Gabe, a good-looking part-Z like her, and fears falling for him. After all, how can he, who shows hardly any Z symptoms, be interested in someone like her?
   But time is running out... Becca needs his help as she and her cousin Carm search for their missing mothers and fight off hungry Zs.
   Most of all, she needs to find something, anything, to stop this deadly transformation before it is forever too late...




April 06, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge - F is for fancy miniatures

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)



My friend Kitty has a knack for making all kinds of things, as well as working in clay. Here are a few things she sent me in one of our recent swaps. We're both working on lady's shops which let you indulge in all kinds of fancy and feminine things no longer in style (or you would't be able to afford or maybe wouldn't want to wear!) She, of course, is much further along on it than I am!








April 05, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge - Everything gets made in miniature


Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)


Today's letter is  E for Everything Miniature!

Yes, eventually everything gets made in miniature. Honest.
I had to share this: I was watching The Hobbit movie (pretty good, tho too-much-fighting! and again was struck at how amazing that hobbit house is.

Well..... someone actually made it in miniature.

You have to see this!!! 

Miniature Hobbit House 

The cool thing is it will be touring libraries in Australia.
Wow, would be incredible to be able to see this in person!



April 04, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 - D is for Miniature Dresses


Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)


Today's letter is D for Miniature Dresses

The fun of miniatures is making things that look real, but are much smaller. There's is something amazing about seeing a fancy ballgown or dress in miniature. Here are some simple sundresses I've made and I hope to try my hand at some fancier dresses yet. 

My dresses below are very simple compared to some work by some other artists,but I had fun making them (and they are for sale - link at website). For fun,  - check out these amazing Miniature Dresses by Felma  (scroll down for more photos in the right column on her blog.)

(See my other miniature dress with links to a few more.)



April 03, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 - C is for Miniature Candy Room


Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

(I feel like the Romper Room lady.  (Holy cow, that's a You Tube clip.... haven't seen her in years!) Remember her?)

Today's letter is C - for candy box. A Miniature Candy Box Room, to be precise. 

My friend Gigi gave me this box one year for Christmas which was great for two reasons, 1. Belgian chocolate! and 2. the box. It made a great room once hubby cut a hole in front. The furniture is half scale (a half inch equals 1 foot so a "person" is about 3 inches tall.)  I made the furniture from a d. Anne Ruff kit for those who know the hobby. The furniture is made of cardboard and fabric. Those are real family pix I shrunk and put on the mantle, too.

See more pix at my website miniatures page (see Candy Box Room link).



April 02, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 - British flavored Miniatures

Thanks for coming back for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)


So today is for.... British.

Here are some of the miniature albums I made for my Tudor Tea Shoppe. And yes, they also have miniature photos inside. See the tea shop and the other British items I made here.



April 01, 2013

A to Z Blog Challenge 2013 A is for ....


The only fool today may be me (ha!) since I decided to sign up again for the A to Z Blog Challenge (click link to see the 1,000+ blogs enrolled. yes that many!)

But it is a great endeavor, encouraging you to blog daily from A to Z during the month of April.

(And if you like horror and all things zombie, I and my co-bloggers will also be blogging daily over at GirlZombieAuthors so be sure to check it out.)

Here at this blog I'm going to concentrate on my miniatures and other crafty type subjects, probably with some dogs thrown in.

So to start it off... nothing too fancy - A is for .... all my miniatures.

I've been creating in miniature for 10+ plus years and I still love making things.  
See a few of things I've made at my website - click on miniatures.

This is one of my favorite projects, The Dogcatcher's House. (click link to see all the photos.) Feel free to guess - how many dogs are in the house?)





March 30, 2013

Cover Coming for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie

The game's on! 

Today is the day!!! Cover reveal game for Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie

Check out the details at the GirlZombieAuthors blog. Be sure to comment so your entry in the contest is counted!


March 29, 2013

Free zombie books Friday - Afterbirth and Cure by Belinda Frisch


Author Belinda Frisch has a Friday Freebie!
See her blog.

Calling all bloggers, social media mavericks, and mavens! 

If you're into z-fiction, I'm giving away FREE e-copies of Cure and/or Afterbirth to those willing to feature these books on their Facebook page, G+ page, or your blog. 

Simply copy what I have here (description and links), making sure to snag the covers, for one or both books, and link to your post in comments. Leave me a way to get in touch with you (E-mail, twitter handle, FB, or G+) and I'll get you a code for a free copy of the book of your choice. Cure is the first in the series, but if you've read it, Afterbirth is available, too.

Help me spread the good word. Tell your friends. Whatever it takes. Over-achievers may be in for some additional swag. 




Amazon US: http://amzn.to/YUcrsK
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/106EZDc
NOOK: http://bit.ly/VWMVaR
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/YnAhxk
Print: http://bit.ly/Zud653


The survivors of the Nixon Center escape struggle in a post-apocalyptic world where the walking dead aren't the biggest threats. 
Working from a remote, mountain cabin, Dr. Howard Nixon is determined to salvage what is left of his experiment.

Allison escapes him, clinging to life and with no idea what's happened in the world.

Zach is looking for her, but time is running out.

Reid lives holed up in the Nixon Center and waits for his revenge.

Tension is high as both Miranda and Carlene's pregnancies come to term. Miranda, faced with the possibility that her delivery might cause her to become infected, is forced to seek help from the only other person who knows what has happened: Dr. Michael Waters, the physician who sent her to Dr. Nixon in the first place.

All roads lead back to Strandville where grudges resurface and old decisions must be answered for. Scott, Miranda, and Michael return to the center to face-off against their pasts and each other as Michael's secret agenda comes to light.

For those who haven’t started the series, BOOK 1 is available on all platforms.



Amazon US: http://amzn.to/12CyWuI
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/14z6NEZ
NOOK: http://bit.ly/KvSgRM
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/QnRp6L
KOBO: http://bit.ly/Z818RV
Paperback: http://bit.ly/15HU3ty

**Runner-up in the General Fiction category of the 2012 Halloween Book Festival
**BOOK ONE of the Strandville Zombie Series

Medicine meets horror in this thrilling escape tale about the evil men do in the name of progress.


Welcome to the Nixon Healing and Research Center, playground for the maniacal Dr. Howard Nixon whose medical research has him dabbling in the undead and has the women of Strandville disappearing.

Desperate to find a cure for the lethal virus which turns its victims into zombies, Nixon kidnaps Miranda Penton, a security recruit with a past that won't let her go. He doesn't count on anyone coming looking for her, least of all her ex-husband, Scott.

A warning call brings Scott to Strandville where he bands together with a team of locals determined to bring their own loved ones home. Together, they infiltrate Nixon's staff, hatching a plan that releases not only the surviving women, but the virus on those left in the hospital.

Nixon locks down the center to contain the spread, turning patients, visitors, and staff into a dangerous horde that is almost impossible to escape. Miranda and the others fight for their lives. The town of Strandville is ground zero for the zombie apocalypse and Miranda must get free because the fate of humanity lies with her unborn child.


About the Author:

Belinda Frisch's fiction has appeared in Shroud Magazine, Dabblestone Horror, and Tales of Zombie War. She is an honorable mention winner in the Writer's Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition and her novel, CURE, is the runner-up in the General Fiction category of the 2012 Halloween Book Festival. She is the author of DEAD SPELL, PAYBACK, CURE, and AFTERBIRTH.

March 28, 2013

New Mysterical-e Author Snapshot is up!

 
The new Mysterical-e Author Snapshot features a Q&A with the author of the new Haight Ashbury urban fantasy series,  plus spotlights on Hannah Reed, Beverle Graves Myers and Amanda Lee's latest...

March 27, 2013

Cover Reveal coming for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie

* I'll be having a picture game as part of my cover reveal for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie. It'll start Saturday 3/30 and go through 4/8 at the GirlZombieAuthors blog.

 Be sure to come by; you could win a book or ebook!


March 25, 2013

March 23, 2013

A Room Sweet Enough to Eat

Have you seen the Chocolate Lounge made entirely of mmm Belgian Chocolate in a shopping mall in Belarus?

Read more about it here.


February 20, 2013

Story on Dog Rescuers Wins Dog Writers Assn. Maxwell Medallion

Just got the medallion in the mail!



A story I wrote on Wisconsin dog rescuers and fostering, "Foster Families for Pets" by freelance writer Christine A. Verstraete was chosen as the winner of a Maxwell Medallion for Best Feature in a Mainstream Magazine by the Dog Writers Association

The story was published in the Jan/Feb 2012 PRIME Magazine, Kenosha News. 

   The story was chosen as the category winner at  the association's banquet on Feb. 10, 2013 in New York City.  See awards announcement at DWAA.org.

* See link to story at website.

February 18, 2013

Creatin' Contest Dollhouse Winners....

Cool! Lots of eye candy here at the Hobby Builders' Supplies Creatin' Contest winners galleries. Several galleries of dollhouse pix to sift through. Have fun!

February 12, 2013

January 14, 2013

Books or film?

I admit I'm a book person. Love to read and then see a movie. This time I did the opposite and... wow! See post over at GirlZombieAuthors: Books to Film....

January 08, 2013

January 01, 2013

Happy New Year! New banner for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie

Made a new temporary banner until I get a cover... can't wait to see it! Keep checking back for details....

See synopsis on website.