National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 31 - Happy Halloween

I love Halloween.   Slightly less than Christmas, but not much.  

A Halloween scene from Jill Castoral and Pat Holstrom's class.

 

A bag that got sidetracked from Hurricane Wilma in 2005, but finally finished and still doing well.

 

 

Table with lots of little things I love. 

My littlest scene - quarter scale Halloween.

I hope you have enjoyed the month.   I know I certainly have.   Let me know what you liked and what you didn't like.  

 

Happy Halloween and may you get all your favorite treats.  



 

National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 30 - Tease is Finished - Street Fair

At the start of this month, I teased about a project I was working on and a couple of times through the month and thought you might find it interesting.   I just finished it.   I really thought about a week ago that I had bitten off much more than I could chew.   Never one to let a challenge go, I worked a lot harder this week than I thought I could.  

 

I have always wanted a coffee table devoted to miniatures.   A lot of projects ran through my head and finally I decided that I wanted to do a street fair.  Here it is.  

 

 

Sometime ago, I found some little mangers that looked like booths at a street fair.   They needed a lot of work.   I also found a cute little box that looked like a food booth.   I had the wagon with antiques and thought that would make a good addition.   After staging and staging how I wanted it; I proceeded.   Needed several booths and wanted to use things I liked: art, needle work, cakes etc. 

 

I rearranged things a lot.   I wanted things visible from all angles.   I am a little detail oriented and kept rearranging things and finally thought I had THE arrangement.   I changed the picnic table today because it worked better.   Now I am happy with the arrangement.  

 

As you know, I like to recycle things and the aquarium worked great.   I just needed a base with wheels and a piece of glass cut.  That was taken care of during the last month.

 

 The above clown is one of Sharon Johnson's dolls.  I featured some of her creations recently.   This was a special order.     Cute little girl, with money in her hand, waiting for a balloon. 

 One little girl already has her balloon.   A gentleman with his dog and a good book is just chilling.   He is wondering if he has room to take home a painting. 

 Above is one of the twins.  He's getting the food all doctored up for him and his twin.   The other twin is sitting at the table reserving a spot and enjoying the balloons.   Maybe he will have enough money to buy himself and his brother one. 

 I have way more people in this scene than most that I do.   A street fair needs lots of people.  

 

 

I am so very happy with this project.  



National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day29 - RIP Janet Stockwell

I debated posting about Janet's Dolls, but she was clearly one of my favorite doll makers in quarter scale.   Janet and I were in a couple different online miniature groups and and when she started making them, I thought - what the hell, I'll buy one or two.   I've do believe I ended up with 20 some odd of  them.   I loved them and still do.   I also want to point out that sometimes you don't want to put off buying those things you like.   Janet passed away in 2013 and I treasure her creations all the more.   Here's to you Janet, you and your talent are missed.

I used Janet's dolls in my French New Orleans' shop.  You can see the original post Here

I did a diner with her dolls.  My husband saw it and said where is the waitress.   You can see that post Here   My husband was right, it looked better with a bar customer and a waitress. 

I also used her dolls in my Italian Restaurant.   She was always very helpful.   I wanted a siting doll for the inside table.   She fixed him us immediately.   Looks like a great time at the restaurant.  

You can see the total blog Here

I also used her dolls in a QS Halloween Scene.   I needed kids in costumes and she was very helpful.

You can see the original post Here

Sorry about the blurry picture of the inside.   Those are the adults who will be passing out the candy to those little costumed kids on the front walk.

Well, I accounted for 15 of her dolls.    I'm not out.   Here are some of the remainders. 

You can see some of the others Here  I will let you click and see them in the blog.    I miss her and her work; but I cherish her dolls all the more.  

National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 28 - Blogging

I've been posting on this blog since 2008.   I've posted every day during October for all those years.   The first year I posted for National Dollhouse Miniature Month, I started on Day 2 because I didn't learn about it until Day 1.   I must say some years it is really easy.  Other years I am plagued with this overriding feeling of "OH MY GOD, WHAT EVER AM I GOING TO POST ABOUT".   It comes over me like a wave but I have found a way to work around that.   I love doing it.

 

I also love getting feedback.   I occasionally hear from a long lost friend; followers from year's past and new friends.   

 

If you like my blog, sign up to be a follower.   Also when it's not October, I post intermittently and you can get that delivered to you by email.   It really is a simple process.   Just sign up with your email address.   You get an email for verification, click on the link and you are good to go.   I don't need anything from you other than an email.

 

I like to hear what you want to know.   I get great pleasures in hearing that a particular project really had an effect on you.   I also like to help with a process if I am able to do that.

 

In a nod to miniatures, I wanted to post a dollhouse I saw in Texas.   My husband and I went to Texas to visit our son, granddaughter and daughter in law.   Our plans changed a bit after we got there and we ended up in Waco Texas at the Discover Museum on the collage campus.    This has  all sorts of exhibits for kids of all ages and quite intersting.   When we got upstairs - this is what I found:

 

 

 

Kinda a surprise to see this dollhouse and I would have liked to have seen a lot more - it just goes to show you; kids (of all ages) can enjoy this museum. 

 

See you tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 27 - Sharon Johnson

The first time I met Sharon Johnson was kinda an accident.   She had a both at the Lakeland Florida show and after I was nearly brain dead and extremely tired from working all day on a Fun Day project and going to the preview show, I wasn't really alert to what I was looking at.   I wandered over to her booth and saw one of the cutest dolls I have seen in one inch scale.   Since that time a few years ago, I looked for her booth and have found out that I go early when I am fully alert. 

 

Isn't she wonderful.  She is bird watching; her dog at her side.  The more I looked at her, the better I liked her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since that time I've purchased several more from her.   One man doll I purchased was used in my reading room.    Isn't he wonderful.   He is totally absorbed in reading. 

 His wife wished he would put his book down and get ready to go out.  

Last year when I was looking at the dolls, I asked her if she ever made clowns.   She hadn't.   I told her if she was interested in doing a clown for me to contact me.   A few months later I got a card from her about the clown.   See the clown.   He is PERFECT and you will see it in place before the end of the month.   

 

 Before I asked about the clown, I purchased this lovely woman who was deciding what jewelry she need to pull out.   Such a Dilemma.  

 

 

I don't know if she made a choice or now, but I bet she did. 

 

Sharon does not have a web site.  She sells at Florida Shows so keep on the lookout.  

 

 

We're nearing the end of the month and I still need to finish my coffee table.   I need to get to work.    Stay tuned.   



National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 26 - Janet Smith - Desert Minis

I have been doing quarter scale projects now for several years.   Never did I think I would do that, but with the fact that I am running out of room for too many more projects and I finally decided I love the scale.    However, some things I really don't do well.   FOOD is one of them.    I have a mat that is gridded in quarter inch squares and the first time I make cheeseburgers, they would have been about 12 inches across.   Well, I've had some big cheeseburgers, but that is just too big.  

I can do cakes really well, but that is about it.  I had the great opportunity of taking one of Janet's classes in Sarasota a few years ago and came out with several nicely done, appropriately scaled items.   Must have been because Janet was just an arm length away.

She sells under the name of Desert Minis and her web site is http://desert-minis.com/index.php?main_page=index&zenid=a690b5171a1b79a9c988ce4f4eeb2f1c

Here are some of the things I have purchased from her that are awaiting their final location.

Top row is a spaghetti prep set.   The bottom row is a turkey and a whole pepperoni pizza.   Note the penny in the picture.   These items are REALLY SMALL.

The first time I used much of her food was for a NAME day project.   You can see it HERE

If you read this post and know Janet, let her know I'm talking about her.  

National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 25 - Update on Ronny Bailey

 On October 10th I posted about the artist that I met at Home Depot who was having a show at the Custom House.  Unfortunately I didn't make it to his opening, but that didn't stop me from going to the exhibit.   Here are some of my favorites.   His show runs through February 4th.   It was an absolutely fantastic show.  

 

His work is absolutely fantastic.   I loved every piece and wouldn't be able to pick my favorite.   Like picking a favorite child.

 

 

I took a lot of pictures but don't want to publish more than just a few.   It is a really good show, really fantastic quality of buildings, and shows his love for these creations.  

Again, the show runs until February 4.   I might have to go again.  

National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 24 - Jill Castoral and Pat Holstrom

These ladies do workshops at several of the Florida Shows.   I first met them in Sarasota when they taught an old fashioned toy store.   It was a two day class and I met a couple other miniaturists that I consider some of my best friends.   It was such a wonderful class that I have taken several more of them from this team.   

 

Here are some of the outcome from their workshops:

 

Fall Grape Harvest Scene.   Their project was the wine display in the wine box.   I have a hard time leaving well enough alone, so I added a whole harvest scene to it. 

 

Halloween Market Stall.  

QS Christmas Stall (I also have one in 1/12 scale but can't find my pictures) 

 Acorn Cottage.   I didn't furnish this QS project, hence the for sale sign out front. 

 QS Antique Shop. 

 This is their toy shop - my first experience with their classes.  

 Here's this team - Pat in the front and Jill in the back.

 

They teach at quite a few of the Molly Cromwell shows; and the Lakeland Miniature guild shows in June in Lakeland Fl.    There is also a web page http://jillcastoral.com/miniatures/index.php?main_page=index 

 

If you get a chance to take their classes, you should.