Taking myself, my miniatures and my blog and moving.

When your past calls, don't answer, it has nothing new to say. Unknown.

YOU CAN  READ IT HERE.

I have been changing. They way I do business anyway. And market myself. I have been learning a lot about internet marketing and trying to put those lessons into practice. One of them calls for leaving this blog behind. 

Not that this wasn't a great place to connect.

 And I think Blogger is fun to use too. It has just run its course for me. So from now on, I'll be blogging on my website. I hope you'll join me there. If you are on my newsletter list, you will be notified of a new blog. So you might want to subscribe. I am not pushy, salesy and I will never bombard your inbox. If anything, I am a negligent blogger. I have so much more fun creating things. 

Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End.

One of the latest will be a new tutorial for making realistic potion bottles. Or any kind of bottles and jars to fill up your pantry whether for a witch or wizard or just a housewife from one of the square states.

  If you think you might want it - sign on to the Newsletter !! and get a head's up once its available.

Other than that, I am gearing up for Halloween with some new treats for sale,  some new projects and orders, of course. Here's a few of the newest.

 And I am going to learn to sculpt a cat. Kerri Pajutee will teach me how. Fingers crossed.

Finally, Fall is beginning to show its face. I am seeing my spider friends again!!
I am finished with the heat and looking forward to what I consider to be the beginning of MY new year. How about you?

I am leaving this one here because there's some good stuff, fun stuff, growth stuff and important stuff. I did move a few of my most popular blogs over but the rest of that - a new beginning. 

I hope you will come with Me To the New BLOG
Got any new beginnings to share? You can still tell me below.

A Day in The Life - A Miniature Life.

"The reinvention of daily life means marching off the edge of our maps." Bob Black

I have a feeling if you are like me, you march off the edge of your map daily.  By that I mean, we start off with one project and by the end of the day are way off the trail.  A long way from where we started.

I wake up thinking about miniatures and pretty much go to bed the same way. This usually entails what I plan for the day and then what I never got to that day.

I was working on some chairs recently that I wanted to reupholster and had all of that spread out on one work table.

 

Choosing fabrics for several pieces had me stumped so I looked for a distraction.Then some tea sets I had ordered caught my eye. These were meant to be made up into magically pouring tea sets like this:

Oh, and there's some finished chairs. Here's another one:

*The customer who won this on eBay said she was disappointed with the "quality of the chair" (Bespaq) because "it's light weight and cheap and small (again, Bespaq) and not worth what I paid for it. "I thought it would be oversized and not so cheap looking" (once again perfectly scaled Bespaq).  I told her to return it for a full refund. Never heard from her again. When this happens I have to think they were trying to either get  a partial refund or a full refund and then get to keep the piece. Not. But I digress and am off the path again, as you can see.

So there are the tea sets:

They are commercial pieces that I bought online or on eBay and the quality varies widely with one set being much too big for 1:12 scale. I have an order for a magical set but couldn't decide which to start with and ended up not starting.

BUT. Someone had inquired about a dormouse in a tea pot and I had just gotten this new modeling compound called Bees Putty from Germany. I sculpted this mouse in the too big tea pot because sometimes too big is just right. And the Bees Putty is pretty neat stuff.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to", said the Cat. Alice  

I looked back at the tea sets, thought the silver tray was too big and thought maybe it should be painted to go with some Italian pottery I had done recently:

 Actually these were another wandering when I came across some turned wooden pots and some larger terracotta pots I got in a lot on eBay. Because I wanted the strawberry planter in the lot.  (Which I broke as soon as it arrived.) I came across them many a time and finally came up with something to do with them while trolling Pinterest.

So the tray got a coat of gesso. Black gesso. I do love the black stuff. 

I never went further with the tray because I got distracted again. I put away the fabric and tea sets - getting pretty crowded on all 3 of my work desks - and decided to clean up the whole lot. I probably don't have to tell you that once you start that 25 other projects present themselves. 
 Please tell my I'm not alone. Post your wanderings below.  

Let's Just Say, Before The Year Is Out.

"The creative process is a process of surrender, not control."  Julie Cameron

I give up.  I am never going to be a consistent blogger.  Look how long it has taken me to showcase just one, single doll house.  Nevertheless, here is the continuation of the  process of doing just that.  It has only taken me MONTHS. So, I surrender.

I apologize to anyone who was waiting to see the rest of the house, which by the way, looks like this:

Copied from a real house in Connecticut, built by T. J. Arnick Sr. Built in  1980.

 The house was originally painted white with black roof and shutters.  When I got it (in trade for one of my Noah's Arks) it had been painted shades of green with tinges of nicotine.  And I painted it as above.  Seems like it needs a change again.

I supposed I need a photo of the whole house opened.  The whole front pulls off and the peak that covers the attic pulls down.  The tower roof lifts off and I have not done anything with that room.  There is a train weather vane by Mary Carson in honor of my son who at the time the house came to live with us was mad about trains.  And he wanted it to be a haunted house.  

Anyway, the living room is here. Part of it goes out into the tower as does the bedroom above it.

Grandparents visiting for tea.

Little girl with bear at the tea table.

The grandmother is by Marsha Backstrom as is the little girl with teddy.  The gent is by Susan Wade (whom I have not heard anything of in years.)  The silver tray is by Guglielmo Cini and the decanter set by Frank Whitmore. Lamp by Niglo.  The lustre-ware tea set is by Karen Zorich, one of my very favorite miniature porcelain makers. The dining table and chairs are by Frank Hardcastle.  Grandma holds a cat by Amanda Skinner.

The display cabinet is by Gilbert Mena and it awaits something fabulous to display.  The caladium plant is by Hiroyuki and Kyoko.  Roses by Sandra Wall Rubin. Ruby velvet chair by Barbara Logan.  Bichon Frise by Kerri Pajutee. Tuxedo cat by Liz McInnis.  Floral still life signed by C. Sparrow. Several Bespaq pieces. Rug by Classic Carpets. Tantalus set by Frank Whitmore.  I can't remember who made the green velvet sofa but I know the lady is from the UK. The maker of the white cat is unknown and was a gift from Eileen Godfrey.  I do have a thing for animals and they are everywhere in my miniature settings.

Still have the attic, hallways, kitchen and that tower room. Looks like I can make a career out of blogging this doll house.  if you enjoy it let me know below.

My $50,000 Miniature Mistake

       ]" A mistake is always forgivable, rarely excusable and always unacceptable."  Robert Fripp


$50,000.  Because that's how far I got.  It took years and years. A collection of glorious, wonderful miniatures and I SOLD THEM.  That would be the mistake.  Great. Big. Huge.

No, I did not have money to burn.  It's just that I was not buying expensive handbags and shoes.  I was collecting 1:12 scale miniature collectibles.  Little by little, year after year.    Something wonderful here, something magical there...

Still life by Paul Salterelli - I had several of his early, and in my opinion, superior works. One is better than none.

 

It started at a flea market where I was  thrilled to discover a table selling miniature bliss.  It brought me right back to a happy childhood playing with tiny tea sets, rearranging diminutive furniture in a doll house and then later dressing Barbie in her shoes and handbags. 
(If you are not familiar with miniatures, sadly for you, there is a whole tiny world of things reduced to miniature that might make you believe you could just put them in your house and use them yourself, they are so perfect as to deceive. Thus my reason for photographing them with 'big' things.)

Hand Painted Charger by Le Chateau Interiors - this was originally mine and I bought it again.

I bought a bunch.  Put them in a typesetter's tray.  Found a miniature catalog advertized in a woman's magazine and bought more. Found out about a miniature show locally.  Went there and found people making very serious hand crafted artisan pieces in miniature. Anything you could think of that existed in real life was right there. A paragon of miniature wonder.  I was hooked.

Brass Bird Cage and Hexagonal Rosewood Stand by David Krucker - found again on eBay

I SOLD THE COLLECTION !!!  They say you don't regret the things you did but rather the things you did not do.  Not true.

"Stupidity is a talent for misconception." ~  Edgar Allan Poe

I had new babies, needed money and figured, hey, I am never going to be able to collect miniatures again.  Who has the time when there are diapers to be changed and college funds to think about?  Duh. Babies grow up.

Ruby Glass Decanter Set by Francis Whitmore, Sterling Tray by Gugliemo Cini

Anyway, I am now on the lookout for things I gave up.  In truth some of them really did not matter so who cares now?  BUT...there are those perfect, thrilling, masterful creations that just haunt my soul.  From time to time I come across one and do my best to make it mine AGAIN.  Pictured here are some of my lost then founds.

"Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you have right now, and then got it back again." Frances Rodman

Lute by Ken Manning. Ebay.

In the end we just can't take this stuff with us.  But letting it go is just not an option.  Not for me.  Not again.  A word to the wise...

Chair by Barbara Logan - found again in a miniature shop

Samurai Sword by Cliff Fleltrope - my original was black with a dragon head.  This will have to do.

I sincerely hope you have spared yourself my agony.   And learned from my mistake. I hope you'll share your thoughts below.  (Oh, and if $50,000 is shocking to you, get out your receipts and just add them up.)

"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning."  Catherine Aird

FUN IN A BOX

"Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW!  It is fun to have fun but you have to know how."

Just like the Cat in the Hat has his own FUN-IN-A-BOX which in case you may have forgot houses Thing 1 and Thing 2.  They, of course,  represent pure, unadulterated, carefree mayhem, my idea of that would be something miniature.  (Because this is a blog about miniatures and if you love them then you KNOW.)

I have had for years a small plain wooden box that measures 8 x 10 and 4 inches deep purchased from a miniature shop.  I moved it around a thousand times from pile to pile until finally I found a drawing by Anton Pieck and transcribed that into the box using Creative Paperclay, some wood and a print of a garden.  It has a recessed window and ceiling beams and  'leaded' glass windows with one open showing a garden scene.

"And this mess is so big and so deep and so tall..."

Empty room box...Waiting for FUN.

So it sat around for quite some time longer because I was unclear what to do with it.  I moved it around again from pile to pile. Finally I took it out to play and realized what a great piece it turned out to be because it can be anything. I went to my stash of collected things and arranged several settings you can see here, FUN number 1:

Doll by Carole McBride, bunny by Kerri Pajutee, blocks by Terre Fernandez, flowers by Barb Plevan, plate by Rosey Duck, painting by Linda McBreen

More rooting around in the stash and I got this, FUN number 2:

Chair by Bernhard Originals, Pug by Gudrun Kolenda, Rug by Classic Carpets, Birdcage by Ursula Dyrbye-Skovsted, Plants by Kyoko Mikai, Plates by Dominique Levy,  Stag head and horse pull toy by Linda Master.  

So pull all that apart, dig through boxes and bins and yet another lovely little vignette, FUN number 3:

Chair by Betty Valentine, Book case by Erny Levy, Mandolin by Ken Manning, Vintage bird cage, Bowl by Debby McKnight, Cat by Liz McInnis, Painting by Linda McBreen, Saki set by Ligia, Celadon bowl by Joan Westphal

I am truly impressed with the versatility of a small wooden box. Who knew?  Really, I need to do more.  Maybe a class one day??   I have a frame for it too and just need to slap that on and there's an enchanting little piece to show off a collection.  Let me know what you think.

THE POETRY OF MINIATURES

"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart".  Winnie the Pooh

How wonderful is it to stumble upon a item of tiny perfection?  Any miniature collector knows just what I mean.  It's that moment when you discover the quintessential representation of maybe even a common everyday item replicated in diminutive form.  And somehow it takes your breath away.  Here is a recent one of mine snagged on ebay for a song.  How the whole world missed it I have no idea. The stars were shining on me that day.

The Perfect Miniature Tea Set on Tray ~ Artist Unknown

 Not everyone gets this. 

 Maybe because they are too busy to stop and notice something that small and that perfect.  It takes a special sort I guess and I am one.  This tiny tea set is wheel thrown clay with a lovely, earthy green glaze.  The pots have perfect fitting lids and the tiny cups and saucers are the true and perfect 1:12 scale.  If you did not see the lemon in the photo, you would not know it is miniature.  It came from the UK and I wish I knew the artist.

 This is Realism in Miniature.

At it's best.  And to happen upon just the most perfect tiny thing is a huge part of being a miniature collector.  It's the thrill of the hunt.  The discovery of, until that very moment, exactly what you wanted.  It might not even be something you were actually looking for but you know when you see it it has to be yours.

 It's poetry you can touch.

The perfect miniature piece or setting or diorama can evoke a feeling or emotion just like a poem.  They are lovely little bits of art to me and many and I think the world needs to stop and have a better look.

I subscribe to a poem a day newsletter by Samantha Reynolds  and a recent one reminded me of miniatures.  With all due respect to Samantha, if I plug in 'miniatures' for 'poetry', you'll see what I mean.  And I thank Samantha for that.  I think she just might agree that in this case, they interchange.


The Dharma of Poetry 

Poetry isn’t meant to educate you
or make you laugh

it isn’t meant to motivate you
improve you
or mend
your heart

it might do it all anyways
poetry is like that
ambitious
for a little guy

but it isn’t the rumble
in the centre
of it all

every time letters are stitched together
into a poem
it is simply
a polite request
to obliterate the fog
that tricks you
into numbness

look
look

there are a thousand ways
to see each simple thing
an eternity
of newness
with each blink.

Tell me your miniature 'poem'.  What's the perfect tiny thing for you?