National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 14 - Tutorial for QS Spaghetti

Things have changed a bit this year.   I am barely into finishing up my 3rd project this year and I have one incredibly sick Jack Russell.   He went within 10 days from trouble walking to not walking at all.   He has had 2 blood tests, an MRI and a spinal tap.   Still don't know what is causing it but 3 doctors are assuming an infection.   Hopefully we can clear that up.   So I can still post every day, I thought I would reprint some tutorials.   Hope you enjoy them.   When Benny is better, I will get back to finishing projects.  


Making quarter scale food has always been difficult for me ( it comes out too large) but I have come up with some things that work for me.   One is a table set with a serving bowl full of spaghetti, a loaf of Italian Bread and a container of Parmesan cheese.   All done in quarter scale.   I will give you instructions for making the spaghetti.

You will need glue (Tacky works well), thread in either white, ecru, off white or beige, wire, wire clippers, bead caps and a tomato red paint.   Remember, spaghetti really isn't pure white. 

 Find your spaghetti holder - bead caps work well.   Remember you are working in quarter scale and even a rather large serving bowl won't be too big.   I find a family style serving bowl to work the best. 

 Double stick the bead caps to your work surface.  

 Cut a length of thread about 9 inches long.   Gather it up like you were gathering a piece of lint off your clothing.  

 Glue the thread in the bowl and keep pushing it in the container with a toothpick.  You don't want the spaghetti falling out of the bowl.  

 Cut a length  of wire less than a quarter inch long.   Glue it in the midst of the thread to look like a serving spoon. 

 Fill all your containers.   Make several, you will have lots of usages for them. 

 The spaghetti on the right is with just the paint tapped on with a toothpick.   The spaghetti on the  left has had a bit (tiny bit) of burnt umber in the red to tone it down.  Make the sauce to resemble your favorite sauce.   I add just a tiny bit of burnt umber to mine.  You can add little flakes of grated Fimo clay if you want it to look like meat has been added.  However, remember it is quarter scale and it looks great without the flakes. 

 Now I have 8 bowls ready for various scenes. 

The above piece of plastic has the 8 bowls double stick taped to it so they won't get lost and they will stay better. 

Happy Eating!. . 

National Dollhouse Miniature Month - Day 13- Tutorial for luggage in Quarter Scale

Things have changed a bit this year.   I am barely into finishing up my 3rd project this year and I have one incredibly sick Jack Russell.   He went within 10 days from trouble walking to not walking at all.   He has had 2 blood tests, an MRI and a spinal tap.   Still don't know what is causing it but 3 doctors are assuming an infection.   Hopefully we can clear that up.   So I can still post every day, I thought I would reprint some tutorials.   Hope you enjoy them.   When Benny is better, I will get back to finishing projects.  


Recently Quarter Connection Yahoo Group had a virtual convention and I showed pictures of the table mate gifts.   I made luggage.   I also made luggage for the tote gifts.   They are easy and make a great look in any number of places.   In the guest room, next to the car ready to be tucked in a trunk of a car.  

Here are the ones made for the totes:  You can't just make a suitcase, you need to make at least two.

 You will need wood in two sizes, stain pens (or paint), wire, wire cutters, glue and a way to cut the boards.  

 The grid below is quarter inch squares.   The little bag is about 18 inches long by 12 inches high.   The bigger bag is about 2 foot square. 

 Stain the boards and I use a micro marker in brown to make the straps on the bag.  

 Form the wire over something about the size you want to place the holes and add two holes in the top of each bag.   You don't need much of a hole and if you push too hard, you will crack the board.   You just want to have a place for the loop to rest in the wood.   Once you realize it will fit, glue it in.

 Well, you could use colored wire or you could use silver and then....

 Paint it brown or black with a marker.   I used black. 

 Well, where are you going with the packed luggage????    You can also add travel stickers (once you shrink them little itty bitty) if you want.  

Happy traveling.  

Raggedy Ann Turns 100 - Hearts & Lace Cottage improved

Way back in January 2011, I posted my Completion of an Unfinished Project Here   Now to look at it, you'd think it was totally done and in some aspects it is.   Just when a room is done, doesn't generally stop us from adding to it.   My miniatures are the same way.  

This was the picture included in my original post.   It looks finished.   A nicely furnished room, a nice back yard.   Well, I have looked at this little scene for over 2 years and always thought it was missing something.  

 A gift bag added to the upstairs scene.  
The picnic table with cloth added and a large bowl of spaghetti, Parmesan cheese, plates, cutting board with loaf of bread and ice bucket, wine and 2 glasses.    Also look at the little Jack Russell.   Now it seems more like a home.  

 A better view of the table. 

 A better view of the dog. 

I expect Ann and Andy will have a lovely evening. 

Let me know if you like the addition. 

JUNE OMB - QS Christmas Scene

Well, finally all 4 seasons are done.   If you remember right I posted a convention project and it was a summer porch.   After acquiring 3 more containers  I decided I  would do fall, spring, and finally winter.   I feel really good about the projects being done.   The online group that I belong to, Quarter Connection, has been a real motivator for me to finish projects.   One project a month is not too difficult if you apply your time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So you can see the others without looking for them.

 

Fall:

 

 Spring:

Summer:

 

 

I have really enjoyed doing these projects.   I like they way they turned out and it is a pleasure to display them.    Next month, stay tuned for another finished project.   Don't know what yet, but it will come to me soon.  

May - Spring Porch scene quarter scale

I love 4 season themes.   A couple years ago I did a porch scene and did it for Summer.   You can see it HErE.    April I did a Halloween scene on the porch and you can see it HERE.   This month you can experience Spring.   There is always so much work in the spring.   Clean things up, plant flowers, bring out porch furniture. 

 

My gardener has the flower bed all ready with fresh top soil to plant the flats of plants.   The big planters have tulips already coming up.   Furniture in place.   Water in the birdbath.   Soon, we can just enjoy the fruits of the labor.  

April One a Month Bunch - Halloween Front Porch Quarter Scale

In 2011 a miniature online group that I belong to, Quarter Connection, had a virtual convention.   All convention activities but no travel involved.    Our souvenir of that convention was a lovely front porch done in a summer motif.   You can see that post HERE   It was a great project.   Some time after that date, there was an online yard sale and I found 3 more of those cases.   I love 'seasons' as a theme for projects and I wanted to do the other 3 seasons.    I have finished Halloween and over the next two months, I will finish Christmas and Spring.

This was such a fun project.  I hope the open casket doesn't scare the little kids away.   I know they will all want candy.   

FInally a container for my little house

You've seen this house on several posts in the past.   It was a cheap little house.   I thought I had it finished but it wasn't accessorized.  One pictures, light fixtures, lamps etc added; it finally look like a home.   It never really fit anywhere.   Well, I like bargains and found this great little lantern container.   I didn't need a lantern container but thought it would be a perfect home for this little house. 

 

 

I was really pleased with how it turned out, but didn't have a good place to show it off. 

 

  

  

 

 

I cut some foam core and landscaped it with cacti and shrubs.  Stone path and smaller stone growing area for the cacti.

 

Here is the little house in the container.   

Good way to display house without worrying about dust collection.   

 

When you see containers, take a look at it for possible use with your minis.