Mini-filled Weekend...

This weekend has been a miniaturist's dream - a workshop, a fair and three new followers! You are all very welcome and thanks for joining me! So...on Saturday morning I attended a workshop using polymer clay to make French-style patisserie cakes. Although I've played about with this medium before I have never really got into it so it was most enjoyable to actually be shown how to use it and to pick up tips from the experts. Here are my creations...

and some more...

Then today it was another early start as I like to get to a dolls house fair for the doors opening! All the usual exhibitors were there with a few new ones. I never attend a fair with a fixed idea of what I will buy as you will inevitably be disappointed so I try to keep an open mind and have acquired this little lot from the fair-

- nothing too exciting, some plants and crates, a kit to make a handbag (made it as soon as I came home and two more from the leftover fabric!), another kit to make beaded handbags and some coving for Mulberry Cottage...talking of which - we're nearly there and I hope to be able to reveal it to you very soon so until then...

A New Follower! Welcome!

Hello Norma and a warm welcome to my world of miniature allsorts. I hope that you'll find something to keep you interested along the way. Your part of the world looks beautiful and I look forward to following your progress with your properties, miniature and in real life!

Quick Update

As it's been over a week since I last posted (sorry!) I thought I'd drop by with a quick update. All week I've been making the 24th scale furniture to go into Mulberry Cottage - just have to paint it all now! Then it's the soft furnishings. The lights have been connected - do you say "Awwwhhh!" too when you light up your house for the first time? - and then it's ready to be revealed. Also got a phone call from my local miniatures shop to say that the gardener I ordered for the market stall has arrived - yay!! - so will be picking him up tomorrow and no doubt having a good old rummage in the shop for any other little pickings. Other than that I've several miniatures to make for our swap group, namely some old-fashioned toys, something Easter related and my surprise swap to the group. I have a rough idea of what I'll be making so will be back with the details soon. Take care until then x

Time ticking on..

I'm still waiting (patience isn't my strong point) on the items I ordered for Mulberry Cottage and the Market Stall is pending until I can buy some miniatures at the fair later this month, so I thought you might like to see a little 24th scale project I completed some time ago. I bought a wall clock at a school fair. The clock didn't work and my sons thought I was losing my mind...but I handed over the princely sum of £2 and went home happy. The inside of the clock was discarded and I had the little case you see here. I decided that I would like to make a little kitchen scene and set about making a range, fireplace, table and some chairs from mountboard (I love that stuff!) The hardest part was getting the pulley to stay together and once that was done I cut little bits of ribbon to hang from it to look like household linens. This now hangs on the wall in my craftroom; I just call it The Kitchen in the Clock. Hope you've enjoyed this and, with a bit of luck and a visit from the postman, I'll be back soon with the grand tour of Mulberry Cottage. Until then....

Fast Forward >>

While waiting on some bits and pieces I ordered for Mulberry Cottage I thought I would move onto my Plants & Flowers Market Stall. The building and decorating were completed about a year ago (as in the first photo) so this weekend I've been making plants and other gardening paraphenalia to stock the stall. Here's what I've managed so far...

I don't really like dolls in my scenes but in this instance I have relented and am waiting on the arrival of our gardener. I want to make more plants, trays of seedlings, etc. but after a disastrous attempt at making wooden crates I think I'll wait until the dolls house fair later this month and just buy what I need. Hope you enjoy this so far!

A new month already?

Woah...where did January go? Can you believe that we are now into February? Anyhow thanks to blogging I'm two projects down and a third well under way, my swaps are all prepared ready for posting and my mini-ing mojo is well and truly back! I'm still working away on Mulberry Cottage, and when I'm not doing that I'm cross stitching furiously. "What's on the Frame?" has changed and here is a cross stitch kit that I started about two years ago.

It's by Pako, I think it's simply called Dolls House and, after all the fractional stitches of the last one, is delightfully easy to stitch. Take care, until next time x

Golden Anniversary

Just thought I'd share with you what's happening today in our home. It's my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. They had asked for a quiet family dinner and will be arriving soon. Here's the dining room ready for their arrival...

I thought that rather than baking a cake I would make a whole load of cupcakes in gold foil cases with gold sugar balls scattered over them...

and the finale to dinner is this beautiful gleaming, golden maple syrup cheesecake...truly scrumptious!!!

Happy Anniversary to a wonderful couple, with lots of love!

Finally...a finished cross stitch!

Although I love my dolls houses and miniatures, I also have a passion for cross stitching and can find myself still up in the wee sma' hours stitching away. I finished 'Evening Service' and have placed it with the others lying to be framed, one I'm ashamed to say has been waiting to be framed for around 15 years {hangs head in shame} I think I should add these to my To-Do List and finally let them see the light of day. Here's what's waiting to be framed....

Once they've been washed, pressed and stretched I'll replace these with more flattering photos!

Until next time...

Mulberry Cottage...getting there!

After completing the outside of this little cottage and putting a few lights in I'm now turning my attention to the interior. The rooms are almost complete - just skirting and the like to do. I plan to make as much of the furniture as possible from mountboard. I have already made some items including a cooking range which was installed as the house was being built. The same goes for a wood-burning stove in the brick fireplace in the sitting room. I'll try to get in for some photos. I think I'll tackle this one room at a time, so it's out with the cutting mat, knife, glue and mountboard and on we go! Hopefully next time it'll be ready for the grand tour...

Happy Birthday!

To me!!! Today is my birthday and, even better, I've a day off work....woohoo! I plan to do nothing today that does not fill me with joy - so that means no housework, no cooking. Just hobbies, hobbies, hobbies!

Oh yes, we're to start something new today, haven't we? OK next on the hit list is my Mulberry Cottage. This is in 24th scale and as I have recently been working on items for a 24th scale swap it seems fitting to continue in this scale.

I bought this wee cottage at a fair - very much an impulse buy as it was reduced in price and I love a bargain! There's a fair bit of it been done already - can you see a pattern emerging? I start something full of enthusiasm and then drift off to something else. I think some exterior finishing, the roof and lighting is enough to be going on with today so if you'll excuse me I've work to do......see you again soon x

The Garfield unveiled

Well, here it is in all it's glory. The Garfield in 144th scale is finally finished and I am so pleased with it.


I had thought about buying or making some 144th scale furniture to go inside both these tiny houses but remembering my vow not to start any new projects until this lot are finished have decided to leave them unfurnished for now....how restrained am I? Mind you the new year is still only a few weeks old - I hope my resolve holds fast.

I've some swaps to finish for our group but I'll be back in a day or so with our next project to be tackled. Look after yourselves,

OK...Fancy some 144th scale?

I have ventured twice into the world of 144th scale. The first was this georgian house which I bought at a fair as a kit. I liked it because it was very symmetrical and I like symmetry in a house! It was simple to put together, sturdy and looks great in the nursery at 48 The Laurels. (I'll share The Laurels with you another day).

Spurred on by the success of that kit I immediately bought another. For those of you who know the american doll house manufacturer Greenleaf Dollhouses, it is a replica of one of their popular 12th scale houses, 'The Garfield.' I simply do not have the room for a 12th scale Garfield so this seemed the next best thing. It got off to a great start and then I seemed to run out of steam... so it has been sitting forlornly on my worktable with no roof for the past six months. There's really not much to do, I think it's more fiddly than anything but I'll crack on and will hopefully be able to show you the completed house very soon. Until then....

One project down, loads to go!

What a busy week! The weather kept me at home last weekend and I haven't wanted to go out again once home from work so I've been getting swaps up-to-date and finishing off Boxroom Books. Yes, after languishing for two years Boxroom Books is finally open for business! Here are some photos of the finished article.

I think this blog business might be just what I need to keep me on the straight and narrow! Now what's next?

Result for charity dolls house

Last year our craft group was given a rather dilapidated dolls house which we renovated and donated to a local charity, The Strathcarron Hospice, for them to raffle at Christmas 2009. We were absolutely delighted when they told us that the house had raised a staggering £732! This is the kitchen that I made. There are another three rooms and detailed photos of the project can be found here.