Hello dear friends!
I hope all your holiday plans are going well.  I really surprised myself this year. I am all set with very little to do except make banana bread.  I actually have some spare time!

I only have one picture to show you...my Christmas minis that I have completed.  It's not very much because the rest are in various stages of completion and not "photo-ready".  Plus the fact that I'm also working on my gourmet fudge and confections shop.

Popcorn tins-( I have a total of 12), Needlepoint wall hangings, small area rugs, placemats, front door panels, ornament boxes, wall hangings, tree skirts and tree skirt packages.  I still have to complete boxed Christmas cards, wrapping paper, ornaments, stockings, and Santa hats (just to name a few)
I'm going to finish up what I can in the next few days and then take a break.  I really have to start making display tables, shelves, pegboard, etc.  That way I can feel somewhat organized.


Pinterest-  That's a very addictive place for me to be.  I have spent so much time there just pinning away.  I originally went there to get a variety of wrapping paper and Christmas cards.  And then a lot of other things caught my eye.  The end result is I have 17 boards.  If you decide to take a look, you may wonder why I pinned what I did.  Most of it is mini related, even the 3 boards not labeled miniatures ( I'm going to rename those).  A lot of those will be used in a Fine Art and Prints Galley that I want to start this next summer.  At least that's the plan.

About Windows 8.1-  I'm slowly making my way around but it sure is different than Windows 7.  I made sure the first thing I learned was how to resize photos and printies.  I open a blank Word processing document and copy and then paste.  Works very well.

Well, I off to make that banana bread and watch a little tv.

My Christmas wish for all of you is to have a safe and wonderful holiday.

Merry Christmas!

 

 



Katelyn's Crossing

Up and running again with a new laptop and Windows 8.1. It took longer than I thought but at least I can blog again

I finally finished painting Katelyn's Crossing!
 For those of you who want to see what I'm really working on, here's the link. A pre-assembled, playable dollhouse, sold as " Ryan's Room"
http://www.creativebrainsonline.com/Ryans-Room-Home-is-Where-the-Heart-Is-Dollhouse_p_423.html. I bought it because it was open on all sides and I planned to put it on a turntable so you can see minis from all 4 sides. No ladder or furniture which is ok and I did plug the hole.  Biggest drawback....only 9' ceilings  Darn.  But I'll make it work.

 I knew when I bought it at a flea market that it would be difficult to paint but this turned out to be a real challenge. After I started applying a primer, I said "nuts to this" and attempted to take it apart, hoping that Fate would allow me to put it back together again. But neither my husband nor I could un-loosen the bolts.  So it was back to turning it on its sides, front and back as well as upside down to paint the interior. I eventually put it on a turntable.  At least I didn't have to rotate it front to back.

I gave up the idea of painting each floor a different color and ended up with the inside and outside the same.  Blue.  And blue it is. I plan to tone down all that blue with wallpaper, carpeting, etc.

So, here's the plan.  Katelyn's Crossing will be a series of 5 shops.

The top floor will be a year round Christmas shop.  I have so many Christmas minis that I won't have any problem filling up the entire floor. But it won't be anywhere near complete in time for Christmas this year.

The second floor will be a home furnishings shop and a lady's shop.

The ground floor will be a gourmet Fudge shop while the other side will be a postal substation and gift wrapping area.

The first thing I did was to make templates for all 4 walls.  It is so much easier to apply wallpaper this way and to arrange wall hangings. Otherwise I would have to set it on it's side to be sure everything was straight.

I started with the gift wrapping area because I already had some things made from a while ago.
Here is what I wanted to display.

And here is the wall section nearly complete  I just have to make a few more multi-looped bows.  And, yes, that is perforated paper. Still haven't given up on that stuff yet.

First, I had to wrap the presents, make more wrapping paper and bows, and cover the template with wallpaper. Then, it as on to the pegboard.

Here is how I made the pegboard if anyone wants to try.



You will need:

perforated paper- found it on Ebay. Cut to workable size
white cardboard for backing- cut to same size as pegboard
glue
scotch tape
pencil
wire cutters
4 beads per section- to be used as spacers
jewelry findings-These will be your pegs- use the ones with flat heads



Cut pegs to size. Mine are 3/4". 

Plan were your first 2 pegs will go and then, from the back, insert pegs and secure with narrow piece of tape. ( It helps a lot if you fold over one edge of the tape to make a tab-easier to remove tape before applying glue.)

Do the same for the second row. At this point you may want to turn it over and see if it's correct.

 Now it's just a matter of counting and marking the holes with a pencil.  Insert pegs and secure with tape.  This is how mine looked.

 

 

Now comes the tricky part.  Gently remove the tape without pulling the peg out.  Add a small dot of glue to the underside of the pinhead and push the peg back down.

 

 

 

When they are all done, prop the pegboard upside down off the table so they can start to dry.  Now you may want to take a peak at the underside to make sure pegs are straight

 

While they're setting up, quickly apply a thin coating of glue to the cardboard backing and press to the back of the pegboard at the corners and hold for a few seconds.  Then put the pegboard upside right on the table and with your fingers, press down as close as you can to the pegs without disturbing them.

 

Now it's just a matter of gluing the beads/spacers to the card board and your done.  On mine, I did glue everything in place.  As soon as I put down the flooring and finish the bows, I'll be ready to attach the whole thing to the wall,





 

I know this is a long tutorial for something few people will use, but it's here if you want it.

 

Hopefully, my next post will be in a few days so I can show you what else I've been working on.  Lots of little projects not quite done.

 

So, till next time, take care and have a Great Thanksgiving!

 

 

Diane

Just a quick note

I am sending this through my Android so I hope it works. Computer died a few days ago and we will be buying a new one in a few days.. Hopefully I will be able to post again a few days. Til then have a safe Halloween

Found it!

I really never intended to be gone from my blog for so long but it seems the day I left for Alaska, my "mini-mojo" left on its own road trip, destination unknown. It got so bad that I spent only 2 days looking for miniatures, the first and the last.  The in between days we were caught up in tours, hiking, good food and lots of fun. It was on the last day and I came across this refrigerator magnet.  I love the various wood tones and the good thing about this is that the magnet itself is set into the wood so it will lie flat against a wall.
It's about 7/8" tall and 2 1/4" wide.  I intend to use it in my Home Decor Shop, which is what I am currently working on.

I finally got my mini-mojo back last week.  It was hiding in my summer issue of the HBS catalog, patiently waiting for me to get going!  So the first thing I did was get another shelving unit.  Now I have just about everything at my fingertips. Then I actually threw away some trash that I have had for years.  Out went the tic-tac containers, most of the bottle caps, and bits of fabric and ribbon I probably won't use again.  Next, I began applying a second coat of paint to "Katelyn's Crossing", formally known as Ryan's Room.  I'll have more about that later. Now I am in the middle of making flowers, mainly roses.  Sorely need some flower arrangements.

I know this has been a lame post, but hopefully I'll have more to write about in my next one

Enjoy the fall season!

Til next time,
Diane

Runes...and Minniatures

I first came across Runes back in the late 70's when I read "The Hobbit" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
At first, I thought it was just the fantastic imagination of JRR Tolkien who simply wanted his own alphabet. Many years later when I got my computer and learned how to do a Google search, I looked up the word Runes and clicked on images. There are dozen of different Runes  Then I went to Wikipedia. Here is what I found.

f	u	þ	a	r	k	g	w
h	n	i	j	ï	p	z	s
t	b	e	m	l	ŋ	d	o

According to Wikipedia, this is the Elder Futhark Runic alphabet.  Here is the website I went to
                                 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elder_Futhark

So, what does this have to do with miniatures?  Well, you might have to be in a Wizard/Witch/Warlock mode like I am, but I wanted to show you how I'm using Runes in my Wizard's Tower
This ia a Coat of Arms that I received a few months ago in a swap.

And this is what I've done with it.  Using this alphabet, I added the letter "D"  This stands for "Daniel", the name of the Wizard's apprentice.  It is the perfect size to hang on the door of the hut I am making as a companion piece to the Tower

This is yet another item from the same swap.  A Wizard's table. Words cannot describe how fabulous this is. True artisan quality.

What makes this so special is that Peggy Fowler, the creator, used the Futhark alphabet to inscribe words along the inside circumference on the top.  With Peggy's help, I was able to translate them and the words are Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Spirit

Truly a beautiful piece of artistry.

Thank you Peggy!

Hey! You want to have a little fun with Runes?  You don't have to be in W/W/W mode either. This is just for fun.
Go to this Nova/PBS website, spell out your name and see what it looks like in Futhark Runes
                             http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/write-your-name-in-runes.html

Very interesting

I wish I had more to show you but we've also been packing for vacation.  A few weeks with the kids and then it's....
                NORTH TO ALASKA!
We're talking Whale watching, glacier climbing, zip lining and Denali National Park!  This is a trip of a life time and I am so excited!  I'm not sure what day I will be back but I'll be sure to give you a report!

Til next time

Diane

Just a few things

Hello everyone!  And a big welcome to all my new followers!  I hope you enjoy my blog!  I  love comments but am very slow to answer.  I do thank all of your who left condolences on the passing of my father in law. He will be missed but I take great comfort knowing he is at peace and out of pain

I received an email from my giveaway winner, Maria in Portugal. She got her package last week and all is well. I was afraid it would take months or get lost so I am greatly relieved.

I spent the last few days taking pictures of all the minis I received from a swap through a wonderful Yahoo group, DreamSwapMiniatures.  Everything was fabulous am I am so very happy! I think the photos turned out well so take a "look see"  The only thing not shown is a block of air dried clay that I'm playing with now.

The greatest thing about this swap is that I can use everything now!  I am working on a companion piece to my Wizard's Tower,  The Apprentice's Shop.  My small offerings were 2 torches and 2 sconces. I should be done with it in a few weeks.  Enjoy this eye candy but some of it some of it may be copyrighted.

A non-miniature request:

 I want to tell you about the March of Dimes March for Babies that is coming up in a few weeks.  My daughter, son in law and grandson ( Sandi, Ryan, and Matthew ) will be participating again as they have for many years.

Matthew came into this world at a terrifying weight of 1 lb, 14 oz.., 25 weeks "old".  There then followed weeks and months of intensive care.  And at  every step of the way, the incredible March of Dimes  was there... with support, help and resources.  Now they are asking for your help.  Please read Matthew's story and make a donation. Here is a link you can use:

March of Dimes

Matthew is now a happy, healthy ( and smart! ) soon to be 8 yr. old and is "living" proof that miracles can and do happen.

Thank you..from the bottom of my heart

Diane

Spring's Here!

At least it is in my part of Florida.  Like many of you, it couldn't come soon enough.  Now I have warmth and lots of sunshine.

This last month has been a wonderfully crazy and hectic time. We've had lots of company and visitors over the last 6 weeks and had a great time.  First, my daughter's in-laws came for a visit, looking for a place to retire. Then a few weeks later, my kids came down ( no spouses or grandkids).  Unfortunately, that was for my FIL funeral and despite the occasion,  we did manage to chuckle at some fond remembrances.  Finally my son, DIL and two grandsons came for Spring break  They left last week and I honestly had a hard time getting used to things being so quiet.

In between visits,  I made some flower boxes for my Fishing cabin.  It's painted a dull gray and needed some color.

Some of the flowers are left over from the flower shop I made (the Ashley ) and others I made from quilling paper.  I was in a panic at one point because I had no greenery.  Then, my swap box arrived!  This was a swap from one of my Yahoo groups and was very large with 15 of us participating.  One of the swappers sent a bunch of landscaping materials along with some other neat stuff!  So now I have leaves, grasses, ferns etc to make a lot of plants and flowers.

Remember this?

When I purchased this at a flea market last fall, I really didn't think it was a dollhouse but rather some type of display shaped like a dollhouse.  I just couldn't imagine one with practically no walls and a carrying handle.

Well, I started sanding it the other day and when I turned it around to get the other side, I saw the words "Ryan's Room" in big, black, bold letters.  I'm not sure how I missed it but I did a Google search and found it. Here's the website.

 http://www.creativebrainsonline.com/COMBO-Ryans-Room-Home-is-Where-the-Heart-Is-Six-Rooms-of-Furniture_p_1100.html

A dollhouse for kids to play with . Now I understand why no walls.  I don't have any of the furniture but that's OK since I plan to make most of it myself.

I can see a bunch of problems with this.  First, the ceilings are only 9" tall...darn! Second, it is so open I'll have to decorated all the way around.  There is really no front or back.  And lastly, is the painting.  OMG, what a pain to paint! This is going to take some time.  I took my hubby's advice and did one coat with Kilz which is supposed to block any stains from showing thru any paint I might use for the final color. Painting a pre-assembled dollhouse is a lot of work but in no way am I going to take it apart.

Now, not only does it have trims and moulding, it's got ledges, the underside of ledges and of course, ceilings, nooks and crannies .If it's not on it's side or upside down, then I probably am!

Despite all my complaints, I really like this dollhouse.  I'll make it work somehow!

In case you haven't heard:

The second issue of Creative Miniaturist is now available!  Be sure to check it out.  I can only imagine all the hard work that goes into an on-line magazine, and it is great!  Here is a direct link.

http://issuu.com/dianecostanzastudio/docs/creativeminiaturist_vol.1_no.2

Well, that's it for now.  My next big decision is to choose the colors.  As soon as I decide, I'll be back

Til next time,

Diane