Peppercorn Minis

A change of focus

2012-02-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

I've not been doing a lot of minis lately, I've needed a change of focus - literally! The old eyesight isn't what it used to be . . .

So I've been having fun knitting lately. The day will come when I'll want to try miniknitting :D - but in the meantime I've started a new blog which may be of interest to any of my miniland friends who are also knitters

Peppercorn Knits

http://peppercornknits.blogspot.co.nz/

Best wishes to you all!

Glenda

Rough Guide to Ruffs - part 1

2011-11-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

Hello there! Me again :D
I've got several tutorials ready, part-ready, or existing still mainly in the unsorted scary attic known as My Mind. In the past I've had a couple of projects printed in a miniatures magazine, but that's probably not going to happen anymore - the amount of preparation and thinking-time involved is immense! So I'm thinking of offering some of these ideas to my blogfriends. This all might be seen as a way of avoiding carrying on with my current little medieval weaver's house, and that would be true - it's languishing out of sight, but not unloved. So here's how I made an Elizabethan ruff. I had this written-up almost completely, so you 're going to get it all, including the introductory waffle :D

An Elizabethan ruff in 12th scale

The iconic accessory to Elizabethan dress, ruffs were worn by both men and women in England as well as all through Europe.
Ruffs were in vogue from the second half of the 16th century to the early 17th century, and their size, shape and settings (the way the edges were arranged) varied greatly during this time. Ruffs from Holland were known for their exceptionally fine fabric and delicacy of set. English ruffs tended to be larger with wide loose sets, the better for adding lace to the edge. English ones are much easier to make in 1:12!
The expense involved in these ruffs, including the labour of handspinning and handweaving the ultra-fine cloth and the lace, as well as the constant employment of those involved in washing and re-setting them, was frowned upon by the puritanically-minded. They called ruffs 'the cartwheels of the devil's chariot of pride', and starch 'the devil's liquor'. The rich, however, didn't care - if you had money, you flaunted it!
They can't have been comfortable to wear, and a shower of rain would ruin them until the next starching. Spoons sometimes had to have very long handles!
A clever laundress could set a ruff with starch and hot irons in many different ways - figure-of eight, inverted Vs, rounded sets, flat sets, multi-layered, etc. Coloured starch was popular in England - it could be coloured yellow, red, blue or purple, and more. A blue starch was often used to give the illusion of bright white, a practice which existed until recently with 'blue bags' in the rinse.
I have designed this ruff to include tiny beads in the underlayer. This helps to keep the sets, or pleats, consistent.

Materials needed for a plain white ruff
fabric - a 45cm square of finely woven white pure cotton
PVA glue
sharp pencil
long fine-edged ruler
graph paper with 2mm squares
white sewing cotton #40
beads - approx. 55 x 1.5mm colourless transparent
(- Mill Hill Beads #00161 recommended)
beading needle
fine sewing needle
needle threader (optional)
sharp scissors
fine sharp awl or large sharp needle
paper towel

Notes:

'1.5mm bead' means that the bead measures 1.5mm along the centre hole. An easy way to measure them is to thread 10 of them together and this will measure 15mm.

Because fabrics may vary slightly in thickness, and beads may also vary slightly, this will affect the length of fabric and number of beads needed. It is best to cut the fabric longer than needed, rather than run short. It can be trimmed later to suit.

Working a sample first is recommended to get used to the method. Making the ruff requires very gentle handling throughout, so as not to stretch the bias fabric or risk fraying.

End of part 1.

Rough Guide to Ruffs - part 2

2011-11-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

Continuing my enthralling little adventure in making uncomfortable neckwear for dolls.
Now read on . . .

Method

Refer to the photos as you work.

Step 1
Prepare the fabric. It needs to be stiffened to hold its sets properly, and also to help avoid fraying.

Make up a solution of 1 part PVA glue to 20 parts water.
Soak the fabric in this, then squeeze to remove excess glue.
Place on a flat clean non-porous surface (glass, kitchen bench, etc), and stretch it out so the weave lies straight in both directions. Smooth and stretch the fabric as flat and straight as possible. Let it dry.

Step 2
The ruff is cut on the bias to prevent fraying.
Be sure that at all times you take care not to stretch the bias fabric or your ruff will be mis-shapen.

Your ruff will take a length of fabric about 55cm long, but cut as long a piece as possible to make sure you will have enough to play with.
Place a ruler across the fabric at an angle of 45 degrees.
Make a fold in the fabric along the ruler, then replace the ruler on top this fold and press down hard to fix the fold in place. Don't rub your fingers along the fabric fold as this will stretch it.
This fold line will be the neck edge of the ruff.

Mark a pencil line 5mm from the fold. Open the fabric out and cut just inside this line so the pencil mark is cut away.

Cutting the first line

Mark another pencil line 14mm away from the other side of the fold. Do not cut it yet.

Step 3
Marking the sewing holes.
Prepare the graph paper by cutting it along one of the longest lines.

Pattern for punched holes, on a 2mm grid

The first row of holes (for the neck gathering thread) is punched at 4mm intervals, 2mm away from the folded edge. The second row of holes (for the beading thread) is punched at 4mm intervals to match the gathering thread, and at 8mm from the folded edge (6mm from the first row of holes). See photo.
Note: you could use pencil to mark the dots straight onto the fabric, but I found that it showed through the fabric, and there is a risk of it smudging with handling.

Punching the holes

Fold the paper towel several times to form a pad for making holes with the awl or needle. Place this on top of a bread board or cutting mat, as the holes will mark the working surface.
Place the folded fabric on top of this, then the graph paper, matching the edge to the fold.
Punch marker holes through all thicknesses all the way along the fabric, using the fine awl or large sharp needle.

Step 4
Sewing.

Remember to handle gently, being careful not stretch the fabric.

Threading the ruff - sample shown with coloured thread and beads for clarity

Thread the beading needle with a length of sewing thread 15cm longer than the length of the fabric. Make the knot about 10cm from the end (this end will be used to tie the ruff). Working from right to left, the knot should start at the back of the strip.
Starting about 15mm from the end of the strip, thread the beads as shown in the photo. Work until you have threaded 62 beads, ending with the thread exiting underneath.

Do not pull the thread tight yet - leave it flat in the fabric.
Sew a line of gathering stitches along the holes on the folded edge, taking in both layers, according to the diagram, until it is the same length as the beading thread.

Now cut the fabric 1mm inside the second pencil line, making the threaded strip 13mm wide.

Gently pull up and tighten both threads, taking care that the ruff folds are neat. The neck edge will pull up shorter than the beaded line.

End of part 2!

Rough Guide to Ruffs - part 3

2011-11-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here's the final part in making an Elizabethan ruff

Step 5
Check the size.

Gathering the ruff and checking the size

Draw a circle with a 4cm diameter, and add a centre circle for the neck of 12mm diameter.
I recommend using a photocopy of the circle pattern - I drew my original pattern in pencil and it smudged the fabric.
Check to see if your ruff matches these circles.
The neck edge (the circumference of the 12mm circle) should measure 38mm.

Note: the beads and folded edge will sit underneath so that they don't show.

Troubleshooting Step 5:
If the size of your beads or the thickness of the fabric varies from the sample, your ruff will need to be adjusted to fit the circle -
If the outside edge is too long, remove some beads until it fits the circle.
If the outside edge is too short, add beads (adding gathering stitches at neck edge to match).

If the neck edge is too short, loosen the gathering thread until it fits, adjusting the folds evenly.
If the neck edge is just a little too long (maybe because you had to add beads or your fabric is thick), remove a few gathering threads (you will have to remove a corresponding length of beads to match) - the bead edge can then be slightly loosened evenly all round.
If the neck edge is far too long then the fabric is probably too thick. Re-make the ruff omitting the extra folded layer on the neck edge.

Whatever adjustments you may make, be sure that the thread ends from the gathering thread and the beading thread exit at the same point.

Step 6
Finishing.

The topside of the ruff

The underside of the ruff

When you are happy with your ruff, fasten the threads by tying. If you want your doll to wear it, make the knots so they can be undone. You can secure the knots with a tiny dab of glue if you wish. Trim any excess fabric from the ends on the underside. The gathering thread can be left long as a decorative tie with tiny beads or tassels on the ends.

Step 7 (optional)
Neck lining.
A piece of fabric can be glued neatly to the neck edge if desired. This may be necessary if you decided to have a raw unfolded edge as described in Step 5. Trim flush with neck edge to neaten. The neck edge is best done after the gathers are pulled tight and shaped in a circle, to avoid puckering on the neck band.

Notes
You can cut the bias strip on an angle shallower than 45 degrees, but there is more risk of having a frayed edge on your ruff.

If you want to rescue any waste fabric, it can be soaked in water then rinsed well to remove most of the glue.

Recommended reading:
Janet Arnold 'Patterns of Fashion 4'

That's all!

Glenda

Still here

2011-09-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone - sorry about the long silence. I've had a rough winter of ill health and an old problem of fatigue has re-appeared :(

I haven't done anything on my little weaver's house for ages, but the spring weather's working its magic, and I'm looking forward to starting on it again.

Thanks to those who have contacted me about being absent - it's good to have friends around the world!

Best wishes to you all!

xxx Glenda

A medieval perspective

2011-07-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

In contemporary medieval paintings and woodcuts there wasn't a great emphasis on what we see as 'proper' perspective. However, in the picture above, and looking at many other illustrations, it seems consistent that fireplaces were not deep, and mantelpieces were often very high. Controlling the smoke must have been difficult!

I've attempted this look in the fireplace of my weaver's house - and to be honest, it just looks odd!! It's probably to do with the relative height and size of the room, or something like that. I've thought about changing it, but I'm getting used to it, and anyway it's already glued in! We'll just have to see what difference some furniture makes to the room. . .

I admit to having a liking for books for 'young adults' (teenagers) both for non-fiction and for fiction. They're usually simply honest, straightforward and uncluttered.

Here are the two which I use a lot for when I make medieval stuff.
The first is in the Eyewitness Guides section of Dorling Kindersley - 'Medieval Life'. The photos and text are clear and simple - including everyday objects from all types of activities.
The second book is a Dover reproduction of a 1931 book on how to create medieval costume and accessories. It seems to have been aimed at people who wanted to dress up for costume parties, which were a popular home entertainment in simpler times. The details are probably not quite historically accurate, but it's enough for me when I'm making miniatures :) The book includes contemporary medieval illustrations, suggestions for costumes and accessories (not actual patterns but easy enough to make up), and quite good text to fill out the details.

And a general rant about reading

As for my liking for young adult fiction? Faves from my childhood are too many to list, but Rosemary Sutcliff has always been the absolute best for me. I tend towards British authors, probably because when I was young in New Zealand, Britain was still regarded as 'home' for us colonials, even though my family had been here since the 1840s! The strange thing is that when I visited Britain, it did feel as if it I was home. Family history? Tribal memories? Reincarnation? Who knows?

Authors I've found later in life and loved are Eva Ibbotson (reading her is like drinking champagne!), Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising), Philip Pullman, Philip Reeve, Terry Pratchett (brilliant!!!), Ursula le Guin, JRR Tolkien . . . to name a few.
I do love reading! Science fiction, history, non-fiction . . . bring it on!!

Glenda

Making haste slowly

2011-07-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

I've spent two days trying to make a quarter scale cauldron. Do not try this at home. Aaaaagh!! Having come to the point of whimpering 'life's too short for this . . .' I got out some 1:48 kits and relaxed by putting this furniture together.
They're next to a 1:12 scale chair :) It's surprising how quickly you get used to working with smaller scale - it was a real shock to hold the huge 1:12 chair, lol.

The gothic chair is from Karen Cary's Miniatures. I stained it with a mix of two parts raw umber and one part raw sienna acrylic paint. This was diluted with two parts water, painted on and then wiped off with a rag. The dilution means that you can repeat the application if you want to change the depth of colour. I used a piece of leather for the cushion.

The bench kit is from The Quarter Source. It's stained with a mix of one part raw umber to two parts raw sienna, applied in the same way, to look like newer oak wood.

Both kits are great - good instructions and fun to make :)
And here is the kitchen so far. I've aged the floor a bit, and added soot stains to the wall. The ash pile on the stove top is made of a mix of coarse texture gel, PVA glue, pale grey paint, and a few bits of larger texture (I used dried chopped rosehips - smells nice too!). After making the little pile, I grated chalk onto the wet mix and let it dry. It helps to mask the rest of the room when you do this to stop the chalk accidentally being rubbed in anywhere. When it's dry, rub the chalk into the pile and shake the rest off

More things I'm learning about quarter scale -
* don't cut your fingernails too short, you'll need all the help you can get, to pick things up!
* don't drink too much coffee!!! Even a little jitter is horribly magnified
* get the very best tweezers you can find, and keep them thoroughly clean
* keep all bits in a container - they get lost very easily
* anything wrong with a mini will definitely show up in a photo - I just enlarged the pic of the chairs, and the leather cushion looks like a slice of cheesecake, lol :D

Still enjoying it!

Glenda

1:48 Learning to simplify

2011-06-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

I should take my own advice and stop trying to stuff too much detail into quarter scale :)
This is the fifth, the most simple, and (please!!) let it be the final version of the medieval stove.
It's all made of card - painted, with a gesso texture on the white bits.

There'll be a chimney hood above it to catch the smoke, but a lot of soot will go on the cooktop and back wall. Cooking in medieval houses must have been messy and smelly! They just made a fire on the stone cooktop cooked things around or above it.
As for a bread oven - my weaver is out of luck. He's going to have to go out and buy his loaves - he'll be too busy weaving to make bread anyway :)

The stove will be sitting in the corner of the kitchen near the Stairway to Nowhere (cheating! - just a hint of a stairwell to the top floor).

Glenda

Tiles, colour, and the heart of darkness

2011-06-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Ok. I'm finding quarter scale fascinating in its little way. Let me tell you about the kitchen floor so far.

This floor is going to have typical medieval tiles - square ones in a red oxide colour. Finding card and scoring it at 1/8th" intervals is easy (once you learn not to use card that's too shiny because it won't take the paint, or too rough because the scoring gets torn . . . or a tool that's not too sharp or too blunt . . .).
After a couple of tests painting it, I learned to start with a 1:1 wash of red oxide (acrylic paint) to water, so that this first colour seeps right down into the score-lines. Full strength paint just won't get in there without rubbing too hard with the brush, which messes the lines.

Then the full strength paint, and the tiles are the perfect colour . . . you think . . . *evil laughter from the crypt*
Here's the thing about quarter scale - it's dark in there. Those tiny rooms have a lot less light entering and reflecting than in larger scales, so the colours are shaded and detail is lost, never to be seen again.
It makes me think that this would be a truly accurate representation of ancient houses, but I want my minis visible!

LED lighting in the house would maybe overcome this in some ways (or complicate it further!), but I'd rather get it looking right without electricity at present.
Here's a photo of some of the tests. I tried pencil and pen lines to accentuate the scored lines - pencil looks too shiny, and the .3mm pen was too thick.
Sealing with a mix of 1:1 PVA glue to water will darken the tiles slightly.
The final result - the end of my rambling story is that the tiles have only two light washes of 1:1 paint/water. (This photo makes the tiles look darker than they are.)
And I have to say that the Darkness Within also made me decide to re-paint my lovely off-white walls with a titanium white paint wash (usually I really don't like bright white) - and it now looks just as I wanted it to . . . :)

The interplay of colour, light and texture are intriguing and 'never the same twice'. This is fun.

Thanks for your patience with my ramblings, and if you're not a miniaturist and stumbled here by mistake, please be assured that miniatures is not a Dark Art, and we aren't really all this obsessed about odd stuff. Well, not much, anyway.

Some conclusions - light and bright shabby chic, large-windowed modern, or pale Shaker, etc would suit quarter scale nicely. Single roomboxes, not too deep, would maybe be a wiser choice if you want a dark setting.

Next - the kitchen cooktop and chimney. I'm currently working on Version Number Five . . . :)

Glenda

1:48 breads

2011-06-26T23:50:00.000-07:00

It's such a pleasure when you order miniatures, and something arrives that is absolutely perfect.
These quarter scale loaves and buns are delightful! So tiny, and beautifully presented!! The largest buns are only 2mm (1/16") across.
They come from the friendly Ruth at Stewart Dollhouse Creations, where there's a fabulous range of handmade minis offered. It's well worth a visit if you like mini cakes, cross stitch, artwork, wallpaper, laser-cut doilies, and lots more. Lots of 1:24 and 1:48 scale minis, too.
Check out the butterflies, and the Mona Lisa cross stitch kit :)

This bread is happily going into my medieval kitchen. It's not that easy finding medieval food in this scale, as most quarter scale seems to be aimed at modern settings. I'm very grateful to find such a good website - I'm amazed by this tiny food. There'd be some some very bad language if I tried to make it! :)

Glenda

Walls and pears

2011-06-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Behold, I've been purchasing fruit :) Vicky Guile's quarter scale pears - they are absolutely amazing!! I can't believe how Vicky has made these tinies so exquisitely perfect!!
They are in a beautiful little bowl by The Helmers - the bowl measures 3/16" across the top, to give you an idea of the size.

I have to ask myself why I'm now trying to work in an even smaller scale - 1:48 - as my eyesight gets worse. No, no, it's not old age; I've found out that I have a rare condition - I'm analog, and the world is digital! :)

My little medieval weaver's cottage is progressing , but mainly in my imagination - there's so much to sort out before the kit is put together; the interior walls and floors have to be finished before gluing, and before that I have to decide where the fireplaces, staircase, internal doors, kitchen stove, etc are all going to be.
I can shut my eyes and happily wander around the house, re-arranging things and trying to avoid those 'oh damn' (or worse) moments later in the build. Otherwise known as daydreaming :D
One moment in the midle of the night was 'Aaagh! Did they have spinning wheels in the middle ages??' My house has now moved to Late Medieval . . . :)

Now, dear Reader, the story of the walls so far.

I love paperclay, it takes dilute colour washes so well, and the texture is great for old fashioned 'whitewashed' walls. In quarter scale though it's much too thick. I tried watering it down to make a paintable slurry, but that didn't work well enough.
So now - gesso, which has a little more texture than plain flat paint. To combat the over-bright white colour, and to get a better surface to apply colourwash, I added some finely grated chalk. At first I mixed the chalk into the paint - this was too textured and difficult to manage (but I'm saving that for 1:12 projects later).
So the final method is here - steps 1-8 are from left to right in the pic:
1. Paint gesso on to the board. (These boards were sealed first with diluted PVA - this might not be necessary as gesso is in itself a sealer. If you are going to make the gesso really thin, add some acrylic paint to the PVA/water sealer as a coloured undercoat)
2. Stipple/dab the surface of the wet gesso very lightly with a screwed-up paper napkin. The lighter you dab, the tinier the stippling. This removes brush marks, which, believe me, you do not want in this scale!
3. Grate a very fine light layer of chalk evenly over the whole surface while the gesso is wet. I used a tool I found in the manicure section of the supermarket - it looks like a nutmeg grater.
4. Hold the board vertically by the sides and tap the edge gently to release any loose chalk.
5. With a clean screwed-up paper napkin, lightly dab the chalk into the gesso, flattening the stipples, until it looks even.
6. Repeat step 4 when the gesso is half dry, if you want it flatter. (You can also do this with your finger, but dip it in chalk first to avoid fingerprints.)
7. Let it dry.
8. Brush very gently or rub with fine sandpaper to get the texture/finish you want.
9. Apply colour washes.
10. Seal with a mix of 1 part water to 1 part PVA glue. Dab this on rather than brushing or wiping, as the colour may migrate. Clean the brush often.

I'm enjoying quarter scale :D Some of the thoughts I've jotted down are:
It seems quite different from twelfth scale - there is more imagery than detail in the initial impression - illusion rather than perfect miniaturisation.
Shapes have to be unmistakable to avoid cluttering the scene.
Colour seems to have more importance; heavy saturation of colours or brightness can highlight some items and unbalance the whole setting. Shiny things need caution, too. Choose what you want to show up, and where.

If anyone can add to my meanderings about 1:48, I'd appreciate it! The fewer the mistakes I make, the happier I'll be :)

Glenda

Quarter scale

2011-06-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

I'd like to welcome all my new followers! I don't deserve you all, as I haven't made any miniatures for many months now!! But thankyou so much for taking an interest in my blog :D
I'll have a little giveaway soon to brighten things up :)

Now that I've successfully moved house, my mini mojo has returned!! Yay!! It was hiding in a teensy corner, and pointing to quarter scale. Yikes, I said, what's going on?? That's not what I expected!
'Start tiny' it said, 'and after that it can only get easier!' Hmmm, I don't know whether to believe this.

Soooo . . . having sorted some more of my family history lately, I've become interested in the ancestors who had a woollen weaving mill in Yorkshire in the 19th century. I have no illusions that it was at all romantic or nice (a certain member of the family was shot by an employee for his harsh treatment of the workers . . .!!), but it started me thinking on the story of my new project. You need a story, don't you, to have a mini come alive? And I love weaving - I'm not very competent, but it's oh so satisfying.
And to continue with one of my favourite time periods - medieval. I just can't stay away :)
I've now got this fabulous little 1:48 kit from Bea Broadwood at Petite Properties which is to become the home and workshop of my medieval weaver (a good man, not an owner of a dark satanic mill). I've chosen this kit because it's an intermediate skill level - if I enjoy 1:48 scale, I'll try something more challenging next time :)
For the same reason, I'm going to use laser-cut kits for the furniture. I did buy one of Bea's excellent books on how to make 1:48 furniture from card and paper, and I'm looking forward to trying this, but some of the kits out there are too tempting!

Glenda
And a personal update -
Our kitten Toby who went missing - he was killed on the road :( We still have our two older cats who we love dearly.
I'd also like to apologise for my extended absence from blogging - my life got a bit serious for a while. Blogland is a happy place, and I didn't want to inflict my problems on the world :)
G

Mica Tiles

2011-02-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to find a way of simulating old items made of horn (medieval windows, lanterns - 'lant-horns' - , viking drinking horns for quaffing ale, hunting horns, spoons, bowls, etc). In medieval times the outside sheath of cow horn was used just like we use plastic today - it could be cut, heated and shaped, and was waterproof and semi-transparent.

My attempts to make this with polymer clay failed absolutely. No surprise there :)

In my search I've found an interesting product. This is mica, which can now be bought in nicely packaged pieces. Mica is a natural product which can be split into thinner and thinner layers, depending on what you want to do with it. The colour is darker when it is left thick. The thickest piece in this pack is almost 1mm thick, and it splits/delaminates into at least 10-12 tissue-thin layers.
It has interesting natural patterns in it, which make me think it is a reasonably good old fashioned window glass. On an angle it is quite wibbly like old glass. It can look a little like brittle plastic, but it's still nicer than perfect acrylic or perspex.

This Mica Sheet pictured can be bought online in some scrapbooking websites, also on eBay.
Evidently it can be cut with scissors, diecut, punched, stamped, inked, embossed, heated, gilded, painted, etched and stained to resemble coloured glass - I'll have to try this last bit . . .

Anyway, to the point - the company which makes this, USArtQuest, also makes a product called Micacraft Sheet which is reconstituted mica - and this is an orangey 'horn' colour, and it is also able to be heated and bent (you can't bend the ordinary mica sheet). So when I get around to buying some I'll let you know if it works :)

Glenda

Make your own leadlights

2011-02-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

There's a mini hobbit dwelling somewhere on my 5-year plan. Well, the second five year plan, since it's five years since I first thought of it . . .
This means round windows. And interesting leadlights to fit them.
Most of the commercial round windows available don't look right, or don't open, or are the wrong size.
I've been reminded how satisfying DIY is when I saw the quirky fab doors that the clever ladies Janice, Wendie and Michelle make.
So I thought I'd share with you my hobbit windows so far. This is a quick tutorial on making simple leadlights to suit whatever style or size window you want.
You'll need some smooth black cotton thread. Polyester thread won't work. (Very dark grey thread would look a lot better, but that involves dyeing which I haven't done yet.)
Anyway, black thread - some suitable threads are: DMC coton a broder #16 or #25, - DMC fils a dentelles #70, - DMC perle cotton #5, #8 or #12, - knitting cotton, - fine crochet cotton, - DMC Cordonnet Special #20, #30 or #40, - old fashioned thick sewing cotton.
(DMC 6-strand embroidery cotton might work, but tends to flatten when stiffened.)

Prepare the thread by stiffening it. Soak it in a mix of 1 part PVA glue to 1 part water, then squeeze dry by pulling it through an old lint-free cloth (an old hanky is good), and lay it flat and straight to dry.
In this project I used DMC coton a broder #25, with the heavier DMC perle #5 for the frame.
Draw your leadlight design (in red in the photo) to fit your window. This one has a frame, which is optional.
BTW, elongated diamonds (rather than square diamonds) seem to add height to a room.
Draw a line about 1cm out beyond the frame or edge of the design. Now extend all of the red leadlight lines to meet this (the blue lines in this photo).
Lay the pattern on a pinboard (mine is polystyrene), then lay a piece of stiff plastic on top of that.
Now stretch the stiffened cotton thread along all the parallel lines in one direction, as in the photo. Put pins wherever they are needed to hold the thread in place.
Change direction, and work the parallel lines going the other way. This time, use a crochet hook to weave them under and over alternately - this strengthens the structure.
The weaving completed.
Gluing the threads at all the intersections. I used Aleene's Tacky glue for this. Insert a strip of waste paper under the threads as in the photo, and using a toothpick dab glue into each intersection. Blot the excess glue with a lint-free cloth (a paper towel will leave white fluff) then pull the strip of paper out. Using the paper makes sure that you don't get glassy residue. Use a fresh strip of paper each time.
After each row, readjust the threads to sit accurately on the pattern and let them dry. Then glue the next row. Work until all the intersections are glued and dry.
Stretch the frame threads into place in the same way. I found that just simply turning the corner made the threads bow out, so I extended them outwards. It's starting to look like a rat's nest :)
In the photo all the frame is there and all the strips of waste paper are in place ready to glue the frame.
(If you do the paper one bit at a time you run the risk of shifting the previous threads out of place while you do the next, and the glue drying wrongly.)
Glue quickly, blot it, pull out the waste paper and re-arrange the threads into their correct place.
Make sure that all threads are accurate on the pattern before the glue dries.
When it's dry, pull the pins out carefully (one at a time, holding the threads down with your finger). Gently ease the structure off the plastic so it doesn't pull out of shape.
With very sharp scissors, trim the edge close to the frame, and here's your leadlight!!
Now it has to be attached to your window. I cheerfully admit that I haven't done this yet, but it would need a glue which works on both plastic (window acrylic) and cotton.
Glues that don't work are - PVA, Crafter's Pick, UHU.
I've tried a sample, and found that Judikins Diamond Glaze works well, and Grrrip glue works, but not quite so well. No doubt the amazing glue-anything, viciously stinky, carcinogenic stuff like E6000 would work a treat but I refuse to try them as they make me very ill!
I think that just gluing it at the very edge would be enough, or even only in the corners if your window is small.
If you have made your own window frame, maybe a very thin edge strip of wood or stiffened thread would hold the leadlight in place. If anyone works it out I'd love to hear from you :)
Different shapes and sizes. This technique only works with simple grids - if you want circles and tricky Tudor designs, I think the best way to get them is to bribe a lacemaker to make it for you.
This is a page from an old book I found.

Making the actual windows, which should have come first, now I think of it - frame, hinges, glass, etc, is on the two year plan . . . :D

Glenda

In print again, twice!

2011-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

Instructions for how to make my mini floor runners are in Doll's House and Miniatures Scene magazine #199, January 2011 :)))
This post is late as my copy of the magazine arrived very late - I think Planet Earth postal systems are routed via the moon sometimes :D
And my Finnish Lakehouse appeared in the Finnish Miniatures magazine Nukkekoti - I feel a bit odd (but flattered) about showing this in Finland - what's that saying "taking coals to Newcastle"?

I still haven't got my mini-mojo back, it's probably in the post, haha!! :D

Glenda

The enchanter's tower

2011-01-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

Greetings, and welcome to the tower! The resident enchanter (he's shy about his name) is here to show you - his respected visitors - through his modest dwelling.
He hasn't yet noticed the book which he was searching for earlier - it was left out in the rain after his twilight walk last night searching for herbs!! He's not going to be happy about that . . .
He asks your patience while he completes a small task at his desk.
Here is the lower level - this is his workroom. He has his pet owl inside today, as mice have been seen inside.
Another view, with the ladder to the top floor.
Upstairs is where he sleeps and reads, and sometimes plays the lute when he is in the mood.
Details of the workroom.
And another view.

He hopes that you have enjoyed your little tour - and he would like to thank the following people for their beautiful works which have made his home so very comfortable to live in -

Ericka Van Horn - books, scrolls, printies, potions
Lorraine - dribbly candles, skull, curly wand, witch accessories
Kiva and Carol Cook - food
Norma - printies, open books, wall hanging, wooden chest downstairs
Nikki - dribbly candles, unicorn horn
Honey and Bee - specimen jars, glass inkwell
Annie - horn on mantelpiece
Teresa/Northern Lites Miniatures - owl
Kiva Ford - tall clear bottle
Patricia Paul - bird skulls
Merry Gourmet Miniatures - leather wineskin

Glenda

Gifts, eggs and indecision

2011-01-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

Gifts!

My lovely daughter gave me these minis for Christmas - she picked them off my Etsy wishlist, and I love them!
The two tiny bowls are from The Helmers - you can see their Etsy shop here. The bowls are made of mammoth ivory. Mammoth ivory is beautiful! It is from mammoth tusks dug out of the permafrost in Siberia and Alaska - since the creatures are extinct, it is an acceptable way of owning and enjoying ivory. The bowls are exquisitely turned.

The specimen jars, inkwell and tiny real bones are from Grace at Honey and Bee on Etsy. Grace's work is fabulous - she has a lovely elegant touch to her minis which I admire greatly :D

And a glorious surprise in the post!! Dear delightful Sans sent me a beautiful set of braids along with a lovely quilled card!! :) What a gorgeous inspiration these braids are!! If you know Sans' work you'll have seen what delightful and inspiring minis she creates from everyday items. Her tribal house is a masterpiece (mistress-piece?)
She describes me as 'elegant, neat and disciplined'. Hmmm, if only you could have heard the guffaw when I told Alan this. He almost choked on his coffee :D Only in my minis, Sans!

Thankyou soooo much, Sans! You are so generous :)

Eggs, Indecision and a Rant

I'm having trouble getting back into doing much - after the flood excitement, the Christmas overeating and the thoroughly enjoyable weeks with my family staying - inspiration is hiding from me.

The muse has left, she's gone away
And where she's hiding, none can say

So I'm searching for her in my stuff!
I've decided to do the Mother of all Spring Cleans :)))
You know, the sort of archeological rummaging where you find UFOs (UnFinished Objects), dead projects, things, pictures, and ideas written on bits of forgotten strangely-filed-away paper, some from decades ago when I could still knit (patterns from the 80s are truly scary!!), or still had a working relationship with my sewing machine (now it's more like delicate untrusting negotiation . . .). I decided at the same time to change around the guest bedroom and my workroom, seriously disturbing generations of dust bunnies!!
Now I'm on a strict rule of looking through every single item and piece of paper in my stash/mess/bookshelves/boxes, and deciding if it is, in the wise words of William Morris, 'known to be useful or believed to be beautiful'. If it's neither, out it goes. It may take weeks :D
This is proving scary and liberating at the same time. Also, moving house last time was exhausting - the more that goes to the rubbish dump now, the better.

It clears my mind, too.
My daughter returned to Brisbane during the terrible floods there last week. Thankfully her house was safe, but some of her friends lost everything. Their house was flooded up to above the ceiling with silty water which had sewage in it :(
It makes me think, what exactly is valuable to me? If I lost it all, what would I miss? This is helping me in my clearance. Attachment is alright, so long as it's for valid reasons.
Enough rant.

I'm fairly sure that I still want to make a mini dragon room next, but it needs stone walls (all that fire), and I like egg carton stones, but eating all those eggs is slow work, haha :) I've found a type of carton that is a perfect base colour and texture, and has a big flat lid with nothing printed on it - yay!!
Anyone know any recipes for really big omelettes??

P.S. - all of the above is subject to change, depending on how much coffee I drink :D

Glenda

Solstice

2010-12-20T21:13:00.000-08:00

I'd like to wish all of my family, friends and followers a happy solstice!

This lovely time of year is a time of renewal, joy, promise of blessings to come, family gatherings, forgiveness and fun! Whatever your beliefs, I wish you well, and hope that the coming year is everything you desire!

As a small gift to you I'm going to tell the story of this beautiful church window, as best as I can remember it.

In about the year 1915 a church in Australia ordered a set of stained glass windows from a maker in Germany. The windows were duly made and put on board ship for the trip to their new church. In the meantime War was happening in Europe. There was a high feeling of anti-German sentiment throughout the British Commonwealth, and the dock workers in Sydney refused to handle the order from Germany.

The windows therefore had to remain on the ship, and it continued on its journey. The next port of call was Dunedin in New Zealand. The windows were eventually installed in a tiny but beautiful church in a village north of Dunedin.

This little church is not on any tourist routes, and is tucked away quietly in its green and lovely churchyard. It is a joy to visit, and it must be a source of great solace for those who worship there.

The windows, the rich dark wood of the interior and above all the sense of peace are beyond beautiful. I didn't want to leave.

The windows themselves are of the highest quality with regard to design, colour and skill of making. They are very much of the Arts and Crafts Era.
The colours are superb!

Here are some more photos - my pics aren't the best quality...
And now I am waiting to see if the full moon eclipse here in New Zealand tonight is going to be visible. It's cloudy, so I'm hoping it clears . . .

Love to you all from Glenda

Gifts from Ewa!

2010-12-12T21:33:00.001-08:00

A lovely surprise arrived in the mail today!! My friend Ewa at The Sunny Hours sent me a delightful parcel with Christmas decorations and minis!!
The Christmas decorations will be hung on our tree - we have tree ornaments to remind us of past times, family and friends, and these from Ewa will very welcome!!
The minis will find good mini homes too - I have great ideas about the filigrees and frame, and the test tubes are perfect for my next project :)
The little books and French charm are talking to me of an early 1900s scene . . .

Thankyou so much, Ewa - you are very kind, and a good friend!! :)))

xxx Glenda

The top of the Tower

2010-12-11T13:16:00.001-08:00

After working a few unsuccessful samples of thatch :( I decided to make life a lot easier and use wooden shingles on the roof.
The roof isn't glued down yet, as I'm not happy with the way it sits on the top of the walls. I'd like to make another roof which reaches the very outside of the eaves, but that will be on the five year plan :)
Another reason is that I messed up when I was gluing it together, and the front and back sections don't fit neatly into each other :( Using ten-minute setting glue on such a complicated and mischievous roof proved too much for this girl!
And here is the inside. Since I was small I've always wanted a ceiling with stars, and finally I've got one :D
The ceiling sections are lined with paperclay and stippled with diluted blue acrylic paint - beautiful rich dark mysterious twilight blue! Then I glued on varying sizes of Swarovski flatback crystals. I wish I could photograph the way it sparkles as your eyes move over it! I'm very pleased with this :D

Glenda

No internet for 5 days - what to do . . .?

2010-12-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

Waaah!! No internet! It's incredible how often I use it, and being without it was a real test :)
I did find something to occupy me, though, as you see.
I can now show you the (almost finished) tower.

The beams are stained veneer, glued on to the paperclay walls. This dealt with the difficulty of 1. not having enough suitable wood for solid beams, and b. the corners on this tower are on a tricky 60-degree angle, and my woodworking skills are abysmal.
Do come in - welcome!
The lower floor.
The floor is made of paperclay. The fireplace is made of egg carton stones - general instructions for doing this can be found here and here.

The painted strip around the walls is based on a design from an Anglo-Saxon enamelled brooch.
The scrolling to the left of the window is a copy of a medieval illumination, and the scrolling to the right is my own, including the leaves of my favourite trees.
Now to go upstairs, or rather up the ladder :)
The whole floor is covered in rush matting (hatstraw), an idea I got from the 'Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry - Janvier' (here).

Thankyou for visiting! I hope soon to be able to show you the roof :)

Glenda

iMagery in the tower

2010-11-29T14:13:00.001-08:00

For a while I wasn't happy with the tower. I'm doing it as a learning experience, getting used to using different materials and stuff like that. A bit boring . . .
Then I had an idea of decorating the walls, and it has taken over my life (in the best way) for the past few days! I'm loving it - I can have images of things I love, and of course my enchanter loves them too :)
These are for the upstairs room - I want this to be a light and airy room, so I've kept it pale and simple.
First is a dragon. It's medieval enough as an image, but for me it has become the Green Dragon which the pub in Hobbiton was named after in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Because it's a hobbity, friendly dragon, I found one which isn't too scary and copied it as best I could.
Next is a tree. The Tree of Life, the Spirit of Nature, the seasons, woodland beauty, and finally a representation of the mallorn trees of Lothlorien. Tolkien again, but I do love his Middle Earth!!
And now a rendition of a medieval border. This was copied from a book on DIY calligraphy and illuminations.
A window border. I made this one up.

BTW it's nerve-wracking drawing straight onto the paperclay walls, mistakes can't be fixed easily, smudging happens, too much coffee makes the hands shake, there are interruptions like sleeping and eating, and the cats love to sit on whatever I'm doing.

I used colouring pencils for these, and watercolour pencils for the dragon. I realised I have to remember not to use a wet sealer on it or it will be dragon-smear time and a very unhappy me, haha.

I'm working on the walls of the lower room, now. Having fun!

Glenda

Floor test update

2010-11-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

The floor test I did in a previous post had interesting results.

Because the tile sheet was dried unattached to anything, it bent slightly, but held together. The gaps between the tiles widened as it dried - hopefully this would eliminate any cracking. You can now see a little daylight through some of the gaps, and the whole thing is slightly flexible and forgiving.
The problem is that the underside is not flat, as you can see in the second photo, with ridges where the gaps are - difficult to glue down :(
The extra separated tiles, however, each warped as they dried - again, difficult to glue down! :( My advice is, don't go there!!

So I did another test, using Jovi (as in the first test) and Paperclay. This time I glued them onto a board while wet, and tried three methods of marking the lines.
The top third is marked with a piece of veneer (less than 1mm thick).

The centre third is marked with veneer, but with a (loose but flat) layer of cling film on top of the clay. This smooths and rounds off the edges of the clay, and gives a type of bevelled effect. This also enlarges the gap a little more.

The lower third is marked with a piece of extremely fine brass sheet. I was hoping to give the effect of flagstones, where no mortar is needed (oh please, yes!!). The gaps still widened a bit, but are very crisp.

I have also tried painting the Jovi - it has a smooth surface, more like polymer clay, and shows every brush mark, and would not take a wash very well at all. If anyone can tell me what DAS is like, I'd be grateful :)
For painting I prefer Paperclay because of its absorbency - takes a light wash beautifully :)

For this technique I'd advise that you tidy all the intersections with a pin or fine toothpick at the leather-hard stage of drying. The more careful you are in the marking process, the less you'll have to tidy later. And make very sure that the marker is exactly the right length between the pinholes.

I'd also advise placing a flat layer of clingfilm between the wet clay and the paper pattern, and pricking the holes through both. The paper pattern buckles on the damp clay.

The gaps made with the veneer would need to be grouted - not my favourite activity!!
The gaps made with the brass sheet could pass for flagstones, not needing grout. I say this hopefully! :)

The Paperclay shrank more than the Jovi - the gaps were wider after drying.

So there it is so far. I hope it may help - sorry I get too pedantic in my explanations, it's a bad habit that I can't throw off . . .

Glenda

A lacemaker's light

2010-11-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

I found this amongst my stash today. I've always wanted to make a miniature lace pillow with real worked lace on it - this is still on the ten year plan, lol :)

These lights were used by lacemakers in the days before electricity, or even gas lighting. They needed good light for doing detailed work at night, and the glass globes reflected and focused the light of the candle directly onto the work, much like a magnifying glass can do. The candle height was adjustable as the candle burned down.

A lacemaker's lot was not a happy one - usually a woman made only one pattern of lace ad infinitum (boring . . .), and was paid by the yard. The payment was low, and part of the payment was sometimes in goods at a local merchant, who was also the lace dealer. Quite often the dealer could pay less, claiming low quality, if he was a scoundrel. This was a typical type of arrangement in the 18th and 19th centuries for craftspeople doing outwork.

This all ended with the arrival of machines which could produce lace cheaply.

I thought that this type of lighting arrangement would be an interesting one for alchemy and wizard scenes - or just add a candle beside your crystal ball . . .

I can't remember who made this - I bought it at the Sydney Minis Fair about ten years ago when I lived in Australia. It's very nicely made.

You can see a 1:1 pic of these lights here - and a good article about them.

Glenda

Floor test for the tower

2010-11-19T12:29:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of ways to do the bottom floor in the tower.

I like the idea of hexagonal flagstones here. They're an organic shape, my enchanter likes to study the natural world, and they echo the shape of the tower.

I printed off a hex grid in the right size (from this site - they do a brickwork graph too).

Then I rolled out some air-dry clay (I love Paperclay but I found a less expensive one in an art supply shop - it has a different feel but works well) on a plastic sheet.
I put the paper grid lightly on the clay, and pricked holes with a pin at all the corners of the hexes.
With a piece of fine veneer (strong card would work but you'd have to replace it every so often to keep it dry and clean) cut to the length of the grid lines I pressed it into the clay halfway through, using the pinholes as a guide. Otherwise known as 'join the dots' :D

Then I tried a second test, pressing all the way through to the bottom, so that when it dries the tiles will be separate. I'm not keen on having to deal with the clay cracking in a large sheet.

Now to wait for it to dry . . .

Glenda

The tower proceeds

2010-11-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

Finally! I got more paperclay to clad the exterior walls of the tower.

I couldn't decide whether to set the windows and door in first, or last, or somewhere in the middle of the process. I ended up by gluing them in while the applied paperclay was damp. After it dried I had to fill the gaps left around them with more clay. Untidy. There will have to be vines or ivy to cover some of the worst bits :)
An interesting learning process!
This was all difficult to decide, as the MDF bends and bows when the damp clay is put on, making it tricky to put in the windows and door at any stage, but I kept pressure on the frames as the glue dried, and it seemed to help force the walls to behave and be more straight.

If I did it again, I think I'd wait until all the paperclay was totally dry, then press the walls under weights until they lay flat, then glue in the windows and door. You'd have to be sure to cut away enough clay while damp so they'd fit properly.

This project is taking on a life of its own - it is drifting away from my first ideas. One of the things that has changed is the colour - of the roof support, the roof ridges and the windows and door surround. I wanted a rich golden semi-aged oak look, but with MDF you can't use washes or age it, so solid colour is necessary. I'm not a fan of black tudor, and paler oak colours looked milky. The final choice was a rich chocolate brown as you see (72% cocoa, not pale Cadbury's milk choc!!) made up of 1 part burnt umber to 3 parts yellow oxide.
A lot more contrast than I wanted, but I'm getting used to it :)

The sleepy Green Man ornament is from Mainly Minis - they have several others, fun and quirky (search for 'garden ornament').

Next I have to decide on the floor.
I'm making haste slowly, especially as other new projects keep trying to take over my thinking time :)

Glenda

And the winners are Whittakers Miniatures, and Heleni!

2010-11-15T17:33:00.001-08:00

Many thanks to all who took part in my giveaway!! :)
Congratulations to Kate at Whittaker's Miniatures who won Set #1 - the four hanging potion bottles and the beaded pentagram!
And congratulations to Heleni who won Set #2 - the rush mat, baskets, leather pouch and journal!

Will you both please contact me with your adresses and I'll send your parcels :)
Happy mini-making!!

Glenda

Tree, star and candle

2010-11-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Just some little Christmas Tree decorations made of paper and beads :)

Decent at last

2010-11-08T14:21:00.001-08:00

I can say with relief that The Dread Machine is now back sulking in its lair. I have a love-hate relationship with my sewing machine, but I usually manage to win :)

My enchanter can now show his face without blushing for lack of clothing.

The tunic and pants that he has now is a style that I wanted - of no one particular culture or time period. They remind me of early medieval men's clothing (pict, viking, saxon, rus, etc), the salwar kameez of eastern lands, and native american clothing, to name a few.

The fabrics I had set my mind on were, of course (call me perverse), ones that fray very easily - linen and silk. The silk looks a bit odd in the photo, it's better in real life :).
I won't go into gory detail, but the vision I had in my mind before I started was just a bit ambitious!! Ain't that the way . . . In the end Simplicity became my goal, apart from just finishing the damned things! :D It took three attempts for the trousers, and two for the tunic.
I tried a few samples of embroidery but decided that I'd save that sort of silliness for his next outfit.
Glenda

Giveaway time - almost 250 followers :)

2010-11-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

I know that I have been remiss in welcoming new followers to my blog, and in thanking those friends who have been with me for a longer time - I do appreciate your interest, support and comments!! :)

As a thankyou I'd like to offer a giveaway in two parts.

The first part is Set #1, four large hanging potion bottles and a beaded pentagram. The pentagram measures 13mm (1/2") across. It was made as a witchy Yule decoration.
The second part is Set #2, a rush mat, a leather pouch, a journal with an oak leaf motif, and two baskets.
To enter, all you have to do is be a follower of my blog, and leave a comment saying which set you prefer.

The drawing will be on November 15th. Good luck!

Glenda

Parcel from Lorraine - yippee!!

2010-11-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

Recently I asked Lorraine over at Dollhouse Miniatures by Dfly Creations to make me some minis. Lorraine's polymer clay work is outstanding - quirky and fun, extremely finely detailed, and so beautifully crafted :)
I had sent Lorraine a parcel recently, and we also included some swaps, both minis and 1:1 items.

When I got this parcel, I was gobsmacked by the contents!!
My first request was for dribbly candles - perfect in all settings!!- and here they are in a lovely beeswax colour, lots of splendid shapes and sizes :)
Next I asked for some barn owl eggs, and these are just unbelievable - they're exquisite, with incredibly subtle colour variations, and are sooo tactile! Lovely!!
And some mistletoe - I realised after I requested this that it was a big ask, being very intricate to make, but again Lorraine worked her magic, and sent these sprigs - they're just so lifelike I can't believe it. I hope she didn't tear her hair out doing this!! :))))
Dragon scrolls - just especially for my future dragon-keeper's room - great detail and wonderfully well made!
I purchased two wands from Lorraine's Etsy shop to include in the order - a curly one and a rustic one - she is the Wand Queen!! I can guarantee that if you buy one you will want more!!! They are very fine!!
But the surprise - Lorraine included her new skull wand in its box!! When I picked myself up from the floor it was still there, I hadn't imagined it! It is just so amazing - my photo doesn't do it justice - the colour is blended from 'bone' to charcoal, and the tiny skull has a character all of its own. The box is a work of art, too - a black velvet lined box with a top to perfectly match the wand. I absolutely love it to bits, and it now has pride of place in my mini collection of very special pieces! :)))))
Not only but also!! As part of the swap, Lorraine (knowing that I like ceramics) generously included a large collection of pots - ceramic, wood and cloisonne - and a watering can and a sweet birdhouse! :))
You can find Lorraine's fabulous work for sale at Etsy here. her work is of the highest quality, and the prices are very friendly!

I am so very pleased with everything you sent me, Lorraine - I can't thank you enough!!! From an extremely happy Glenda :)))

An Elizabethan ruff

2010-10-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

It's strange what insomnia can do. That odd state of being half-aware a couple of nights ago produced this method for making an Elizabethan ruff.
I had been trying to work out how to make a ruff for over two years without success, but ta-da! here is the first one. It needs a bit more tweaking, but I'm happy with it so far.

Paperclay

2010-10-21T12:48:00.001-07:00

Now that the paperclay is mostly dry, I've taken a pic of it with low-angle early morning sun.
The texture is about what I wanted - the look of medieval walls which have been whitewashed and mended over time.

I don't know if this will show up well when the tower is finished. Maybe there won't be enough texture to show properly, but I'll know it's there, LOL!

All messed up and nowhere to go

2010-10-20T20:49:00.001-07:00

All messed up? - happy mess!! This is the first time I've used paperclay. Having read good advice online (thankyou Nikki and Michelle), I did what I usually do and went my own sweet way (born in the Year of the Goat = stubborn and never do what I'm told). I won't go into detail, but I had fun with plastic bags and rolling pins, water and a lot of luck.

Well I was lucky until I made the decision to lay the finished boards flat in the sun to dry.
The cat woke up and with his unerring sense of helpfulness, quietly walked over the wet clay, then lay down on it - it was in the best sunny spot . . .
Here's Mr Innocent - "who, me??" Note the dark fur - it shows up well on white clay . . .
I had a sharp incline on the learning curve, with tweezers (for the fur) and clay mending (before it dried). Hmmmmm.

Now I've used up all the clay I had stashed away, and I'll have to save up to get more for the exterior walls. I didn't have a clue how much area it would cover. Answer: 32 ounces (900gm) did all the tower interior walls.

And the 'nowhere to go' bit? - My husband's away for a few days and the car's parked at the airport, so Oh No! I have to stay at home and work on the tower!! Yes!!

Tower progress

2010-10-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

Here is the fledgling fireplace for the tower. I've had a good time researching medieval interiors, and fireplaces in particular. They must have been smokey affairs!!

I'm realising how much space fireplaces and stairs take up in a mini house. It seems to be possible to do without stairs (beam me up, Scottie!), but fireplaces are a basic comfort and the eye rests there. The heart and hearth of a dwelling. I do think that modern houses are somewhat lacking when the heat is delivered invisibly. Call me old fashioned . . .
And here is some of the furniture I'm considering. I'm going to have to make a medieval bed from scratch - that'll test me! The tudor rocking cradle is an eBay find, and I love it - I'll fit it in somehow :)

With this tower I'm having to make do with what I have on hand - hence the MDF fireplace base - I have ideas about camouflaging it - watch this space!

Glenda

Hatpins

2010-10-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of pre-thinking about my mini tower - I don't want to have to retro-fit anything awkward . . .
So for a change I thought I'd make some hatpins. This was fun to do, a little bit of pretty to distract me! :)

I left the pins long for trimming later.

If anyone would like some/any of these as a gift or small swap, please contact me :)

Glenda

Bird skulls

2010-10-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

Mini bird skulls are one of my favourite things - they're not easy to find, so when I recently saw a post on Debbie's blog, Tiny Treasures, about Julie Lawton (aka Cottage Kitty)'s work, I decided to treat myself. I bought these, and wasn't disappointed - they are beautifully made and presented!!
Julie's work is well worth a look :)

Ladies of Wales, can you help?

2010-10-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is a non-mini topic :)
I have inherited these two paintings which were painted by my great-great-great grandfather in (I think) 1886.
Written on the back is 'Varney Valley, North Wales'. I have tried to search a map of Wales to see if a valley matched anything like this name, but no luck so far. Besides, if I try to pronounce Welsh, the laughter would deafen you, and my brains fall out my ears!! :D

Just by chance, does anyone recognise the place or the name? It's not too important, but it would be be nice to know :)

Sorry the photos aren't very good.

I'm adding two more photos here - Sam King's signature, and what's written on the back - it's the same on both paintings, but this one also has very faint writing up at the right saying 'June (Jan?) -86'
Glenda

Lakehouse details

2010-10-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

I've been compiling a list of most of the miniatures which are in the Lakehouse (see my previous post here), and I'd like to share this with you. I love these minis - they are the result of several years of collecting, and it's a pleasure to finally see them in place. I had many more which would also have been suitable - maybe I'll re-furnish one day . . .

Bonnie Lavish - Queen Anne's Lace kit (the white flowers in the summer wreath)
Carol Cook - bread, cheese board,
David Edwards - wooden recorder (on living room shelves)
Dolls House Emporium - The Retreat house kit, square window, green kitchen cabinet, kitchen shelves, white shelves, mirror, spiral stairs, boat, outdoor furniture set
Hanky Panky - lilacs kit
Kim's Miniatures - swedish style bed, table and chair in bedroom, swedish bread rings, thrush on deck
Kiva Atkinson - basket of mushrooms, onions, lemons, garlic, beetroot (Kiva on eBay here)
Marg's Minis - blueberry basket, raspberries
Sandie Coe - painting on bedroom wall - and Sandie's Etsy shop
SDK Miniatures - sofa and chair kits, daisy kit, lily of the valley kit
SP Miniatures - ceramics (see my previous post here), glassware (large green demijohn bottle and wine glasses by Ferenc Albert), apples, shallots, Sir Thomas Thumb wooden bucket
Taigakoru - silver fertility goddess and sun symbol (earrings)
Terence Stringer - poker work box in bedroom
Treefeathers - Tolkien books

Wood turnings - Bertie's, The Helmers, Turnings in Miniature,

eBay - various - mostly from Kerbey Lane, MainlyMinis, Susi's,

Swaps and gifts from friends :))))
Ira at Merry Jingle (where are you, Ira??) - glass birds, Finnish kitchen tins and glass jars, step-chair, wooden scoop, barbeque, poppies, swirled glass bottle in bedroom, fabric for sofa and chair, Finnish magazine, brown perfume bottle
Larissa at Lil'La - pocket watch
Lorraine at Dfly Creations - hardback books
Mirja at Happy Little Muffin - yummy sausages
Nikki at Witch and Wizard Miniatures - pale bowls, and cream plate and bowl on shelf
Norma at Make Mine Mini - divan at foot of bed

Made by me -
rugs, rya wallhanging, mat, coffee table, tray, basket, leather journals

The Sami (Lappish) wooden cup in curly birch was a souvenir of my trip to Finland. The woven bast shoes were bought a long time ago from a Russian miniatures website.

So, thankyou everyone!!

There is still an outdoor boardwalk to be made (think skis, skates, fishing gear . . .) as well as a sauna. :)

Glenda

I've got the building bug

2010-09-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

My new mini dwelling - the medieval enchanter's tower. Here it is in the dry build.

I'm realising that it takes a lot of thought to do things in the right order - beams, plaster, painting, and so on. Don't want any of those 'oh ****!!!' moments. :)
Hmmm, thatch or tiles? Aged or new? Lighting? Flooring? Decisions, decisions.

Fun!!

The kit is the Toll House from The Doll's House Emporium (here).

Thankyou for your kind comments

2010-09-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for your lovely comments about my lakehouse in my previous post :)

I realise that the lady who lives in the lakehouse is my alter ego! She is neat and serene, but I'm not! Dear Alan laughed out loud - he's threatening to post photos of my messy house!!

And as my little guardian poppets keep telling me, no, it's not finished :) There is still the outdoor boardwalk to make, as well as a sauna - essential! I told them I need something different to do now, and they won't let me rest! No relaxation where they are . . .

So I have told them that I'm going to start my next mini house. It's a tower for a medieval enchanter. I'm including a fantasy aspect so that I'm not totally restricted to purely medieval elements - in other words, I want to cheat outrageously and include all sorts of fun stuff :)

I hope that satisfies the poppets - they won't stop *looking* at me!!

Welcome to the lakehouse!

2010-09-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! I never thought that I'd reach this stage - a project that I can (almost) say is finished to my satisfaction. Yet here it is, my first miniature dwelling - The Finnish Lakehouse :)

So, welcome!! There is a barbeque sizzling on the deck, the gentle twilight is working its magic, and the lake and forest surround us with their captivating beauty.
The facilities are basic, but it's nice to cook and eat outdoors!
If you stay late and can't manage to row the boat back, you're welcome to sleep on the sofa, or on the deck under the midsummer twilight.
The lady who lives here inherited her bedroom furniture from her beloved grandmother who taught her to love the peace of the natural world. She likes to read quietly when it rains.
She has found places for the handcrafted ceramics and glassware which she loves. She made all the rugs herself.
Today her friends helped her to gather mushrooms and blueberries in the forest. You can see them on the deck, as well as in the kitchen.

My first house - yay!! Happiness here :))

Thanks to all those craftspeople and mini artists whose work is inspiring!
And I wouldn't have done this without your kind comments, help and encouragement, my blogland friends!!

Glenda

Feathers

2010-09-22T20:31:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd share with you how I trim feathers for my potion bottles :)
You can trim them to all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Choose a feather with nice detail up near the top of the spine. Here is the method using guinea fowl feathers - they have little 'eyes' which show up well.

1. Choose a feather

2. On one side, split it to where you want the base of your mini feather to be. With one hand, grasp the top of the feather between thumb and fore-finger, and with the other hand grasp the unwanted portion and pull it away from the rachis (the centre shaft). It should peel away cleanly.

3. Repeat on the other side, to make it symmetrical.

4. With small sharp scissors, trim one side to approximate shape. Fine trimming can be done after step 5.

5. Trim the other side to match, or you can make it asymmetrical if you wish - see the shapes in the group photo.
Now do any fine trimming to neaten it to shape. It is easier to do any fine trimming 'against the grain' from top to bottom - if you do it the other way it will slide away from the scissors.

Here below is the same process with a different type of feather.

I buy my feathers here in New Zealand from Feathergirl. She offers a good mix of at 200 tiny mixed feathers which are great for us minimakers.
http://www.whatsonsale.co.nz/searchresults.aspx?retailer=Feathergirl
She posts overseas, but it is the buyer's responsibility to deal with any customs or import restrictions their country may have.
BTW the NewZealand dollar is cheap! Hmmm, I'm on the wrong side of this exchange rate :(

Happy mini making!

Glenda

Pins

2010-09-22T17:44:00.001-07:00

When I started making minis, I mindlessly thought that 'pins were quite fine' - wrong!
(The same applies to sewing threads . . . )
The thickness of an ordinary sewing pin is usually about 0.55mm (or 0,55mm as it is written in Europe). This is not at all fine when you are talking about minis, as I soon found.

So the hunt began, and here are the results. In the photo above, from left to right:

1. Sequin pins. These are not particularly fine (they're about the same as sewing pins), but they are short and make excellent 'nails'.

2. Fine lace making pins - 0.45mm. These ones are short (17mm long) with flat heads. I bought these from Martin Burkhard in Switzerland - http://www.ateliermb.ch/

3. Patchwork pins 0.45mm. Clover brand, art #2507. These have glass heads so they won't melt if the iron touches them. Available from patchwork suppliers.

4. Insect pins size #000, approximately 0.275mm. These come in steel, or black enamel. I love these!! They are strong and flexible, and hold well in a bent position. Perfect for adding to fantasy orreries. I found mine on eBay.

5. Beading needles size #16 - approximately 0.25mm. These are very flexible, and almost impossible to thread without a magnifying glass! Would be good to cut short to resemble pins or needles in a mini sewing box. Available from some online beading suppliers.

Glenda

Gleanings from nature

2010-09-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

I think miniaturists may be just a bit obsessed sometimes . . .
We had a picnic lunch at the beach a few days ago when the sun was shining. I was idly beachcombing when I saw that there were a lot of little dead crabs. Alan got a fright at my shriek of delight - 'dragon's teeth!!' He helped me gather a whole lot.
I can use the whole claw as a dragon jaw, or cut the tips for teeth - perfect for my little dragon scene :)
And how about this - big grape pips make instant bird skulls - if you hollowed out the eye sockets while they are still soft, let them dry out, then paint them black you'd have raven skulls.
Glenda

A rough guide to wigging for dummies :)

2010-09-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

After a disastrous attempt to attach a stretchy wig to my Heidi Ott lady doll (don't ask!) I searched online for ways to do it myself from scratch, as I can't afford to ruin any more wigs. The Heidi Ott range produces lovely dolls and wigs, BTW, but I think you'd need to practice to get it right, or just be more competent than I was :))

Here below is my second attempt at DIY, for your entertainment, ladies!
I found a tutorial online (sorry I can't give the link as it's lost in my confused filing system!) so here goes -
To save making mistakes I decided to practice first by wrapping the doll's head in cling film/food wrap and tying it down tightly. This way means you can practice until you know you can do it right with the method, and the materials you have chosen.
Doll hair seems to be usually made from viscose or mohair or lambswool, depending on the look you want. Mohair is said to be a bit stiff and good for male beards etc. Viscose can be rolled and heated to make ringlets or curls, and lambswool is already a bit curly.

I had a hank of tussah silk sliver on hand so I thought I'd try using that.
I cut a length about 20cm long and dyed it with coffee.

To dye it - tie both ends of the little hank to prevent it becoming tangled while dyeing. Move the silk as little as possible while dyeing. Put a cup of strong cold coffee in a wide heat-proof glass dish and add 2 tablespoons (50ml) of white vinegar. Add the silk and make sure it is thoroughly wet. Microwave on high for 90 seconds, stir it very gently then heat for another 90 seconds on high. Remove from the oven (carefully, it's hot) and leave to cool a bit. Add tepid water slowly to cool it more if you're impatient. Then rinse well in tepid water, roll it in paper towels or a clean cloth to remove excess moisture and lay straight to dry. Cut one end and gently comb it out ready to use.
The coffee dye produced a red-blonde colour - it wouldn't go darker because of the natural sericin in the tussah silk. Bleached silk sliver would dye darker.
Apply tacky glue to the plastic wrap over the head, stopping at the natural hair line.
Select a small bundle of the silk and lay it from forehead to nape onto the glue as shown below, and press it all down.
Run a fine line of glue across the top of the head from ear to ear.
Apply a fine hank of hair to this and press down firmly. This is the hair which naturally sits at the ears, and this addition also helps to secure the main hank of hair down onto the head. Let this all dry thoroughly.
The front hair can now be gently pulled back into the desired style. Here is a quick Edwardian look :)
And now for the magic bit - grasp the hair in a bundle at the back and gently pull it up and away from the plastic wrap - it will come away as a loose wig, fully shaped to your doll's head.
Here below is one I made in viscose.
Now I can practice making wigs until I'm happy with one, which can then be permanently attached.

Notes - test a blob of your chosen glue on the plastic wrap first (it seems that no glue likes to stick to it) and make sure it peels away after drying. This worked for me with Aleene's Tacky Glue, Instant Grrrip and Crafter's Pick.

So there it is - a bit rough as tutorials go, but I hope it helps.

Glenda :)

Mushroom rugs swap

2010-09-06T20:45:00.001-07:00

I've been amusing myself by designing a new rya rug pattern of an amanita mushroom. Here (above) is my version of a faded amanita muscaria - fly agaric - I had to make a 'faded' one in red-orange for the simple fact that I don't have any bright red thread. :) (NB: this red one has now gone to a new home)
Here above is the delightfully named amarita pantherina - panther cap - in browns, my favourite :)
And lastly a gold version, not a named amanita - or maybe it is 'amanita peppercorn' :))

If anyone would like any of these as a swap, or something negotiable, I'm open to offers. Please leave a comment or e-mail me :)

Glenda

How I made the roof, part 3 of 3

2010-08-16T20:10:00.001-07:00

Finishing, and the top ridge

At the top end of each ridge, make a cut across the fold at 1cm (3/8") down from the end as shown.
Now cut off the folded bit as far as the first cut, so you have removed the ridge part. Make sure that it lies flat when opened out. Repeat for each ridge.

And now the part where I don't have photos of the process - I didn't think to take them while I did the original roof! I was too busy trying to get it right to be bothered with the camera as well :)

Make sure your pieces are cut straight and square. Leave extra at the back as the sheet is hard to measure accurately with the folds making themselves known :)

Spread tacky glue onto the roof surface and spread evenly. Start laying the painted sheet from the front to the back (it may help to have a friend hold it up from the glue as you work your way across). Smooth it down along the 'valleys' (I used a soft cloth), and also push into the ridges with a ruler (not a metal one, it may chip the paint) to make sure they sit down neat and crisp.
It also helps to squeeze the ridges down at each end with a pair of tweezers as the glue dries. The ridges will try to rise up a little, and as the glue gets more tacky may need help to be pushed down.
When it's dry, trim the back edge. I left 1cm extra and folded it down onto the back of the house.

The top roof ridge.

Take your extra piece of painted card, and cut it 3cm wide along the length, and mark the centre line. Pre-fold this, then run a line of glue along the centre line. Lay a length of fine dowel along this. The dowel I used was the same diameter as toothpicks (you could use these instead, after cutting off the points).
Let the glue dry.
Glue this piece and lay on the roof with the edges meeting the folded ridge ends.
The dowel lies along the top edge. Press gently with your fingers along and around the dowel to delineate it a little. Trim the ends.
And here's your roof!

How I made the roof - part 2 of 3

2010-08-16T19:51:00.001-07:00

Folding and gluing the ridge lines

On the side with the ruled lines, run a line of tacky glue down the foldline.
Fold it on the line, to spread the glue.
Now bring one of the outside foldlines (the ones marked at 4mm) to meet the other. When it is in place - this may take a little patience - weight it down along the line until the glue has 'taken'. This could take anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes depending on temperature and dampness of the climate.
You will have a little pleat under the weights - it doesn't matter which way it sits.
This is what the sheet looks like on the painted side when dry.
Now you can fold the ridge pleats the other way, then backwards and forwards, running your finger along them, until they sit nicely upright with a flat background.

How I made the roof - part 1 of 3

2010-08-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

Preparing and painting the card

Here is a quick tutorial on how I made the roof of the lakehouse. It was made to resemble flat metal roofing joined by ridges.
You need thin non-shiny card for this project, it can't be too thick/stiff or you won't be able to get the ridges fine enough.
You'll need to work out which way the grain runs in the card, and make the folds along the grain, not against it. This will help a lot to get the ridge lines fine.
I have done this in the photo using two square sheets of paper and joining the edges of each - one is joined with the paper in one direction, and the other in the opposite direction. You will see that one piece sits lower than the other (the piece on the left) - this has the grain along the foldline and shows less resistance. If your ridge lines follow this foldline they will behave better.
This can usually be done simply just by holding the card or paper and trying to bring the edges together; you'll be able to feel the resistance in your hands.
For those of you who want to make mini books, use the same technique to place the folds of your pages - they will sit together more happily and won't want to fly open so much.
Measure your roof and work out the size of the card - add more to the width to allow for the folds. I find it's useful to add some extra at the back of the roof as the final measurements can vary a little due to the nature of the ridges - it can be trimmed off later.
Rule lines where the folds will go - I spaced mine at 4.5cm (1.75"), then rule more lines 4mm (5/32") from each side of the foldlines.
Score the lines with an embossing tool, then fold each line backwards and forwards to set it in place.
Mix your acrylic paint to the colour you want. I used 1 part burnt umber, 2 parts black and about 7 parts white. Remember that it will darken when dry. I also found that it looked very much darker than I thought it would - this is because of the shadows cast by the ridges.
It's a very good idea to make a small test 'roof' first to trial colour and technique and final look.
Paint the non-ruled side of the card with the paint. The acrylic paint will show paint strokes, so try to paint as straight as possible parallel to the ridges.
Roof ridge - paint another strip about 4-5 cm (1.5" - 2") wide, and longer than your roof ridge, in a similar manner.
Let it all dry thoroughly, overnight if possible, as the paint needs to harden well so it doesn't crack when folded.

The roof is on

2010-08-15T22:11:00.001-07:00

. . . and the house is raised up on its big posts.

I painted card with grey acrylic paint and made fine raised 'joins' to resemble metal roofing, put on some ridge flashing, then added white barge boards at the front.

BTW this makes a very inexpensive roof!!

Leather pouches on Etsy

2010-08-10T17:06:00.001-07:00

Hi there - I've just been amusing myself making some soft leather pouches to put in my Etsy shop (here). They could be money pouches for Tudor or medieval scenes, or I thought that your witches or wizards may like to keep herbs or amulets or treasures in them. They're designed to sit on a table, and have little 'copper' or 'bone' beads to pull them closed (these are actually glass beads).
They're non-opening, sorry, so you can't peek inside! :)

Oh my!

2010-08-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

I've been shopping and found treasure! This beautiful little lidded box painted in pokerwork style, with a touch of gold, is from Terence Stringer Miniatures (here - click on the miniatures index box). Terence makes woodwares and silverware, and Heather does the exquisite painting.

You have to see to believe - it is so finely made! It is well worth a visit to their site to see the extremely high quality minis! In woodware they have Russian nesting dolls, boxes, dummy boards, dolls, eggs, acorns (I love the one with the sleeping fairy), little buildings with tiny people, and more. As for the silver - wow! Lots!! And all amazing. I love the pens!!
They also have Deco figurines and paintings.

Lakehouse stairs

2010-08-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

I've installed the little dividing wall and the spiral stairs in the downstairs part of the lakehouse.
Here it is so far, with a few items of furniture to show the general setting.
I've decided not to use the white incised boards for the attic ceiling - they made it look even smaller and somewhat cramped.

Downstairs is the modern part, and upstairs has some older style furniture.
There is no kitchen as such, or indoor bathroom.
The people who stay here will have to cook outdoors, and they have an outdoor loo!
There is no electricity, either. They look forward to staying here to get away from the city life, and enjoy weekends and vacations in the woods by the lake. Blueberry picking is fun!!
They definitely need a sauna, though . . .

And here, below, is the old-fashioned pull-out sofa which I have re-covered with Ira's fabric. I'm very pleased with it, but so far I don't quite know where to put it - I can feel another roombox appearing in my imagination . . .
I got it from Kim's Miniatures (here) here in New Zealand. I also got the sleigh bed, the table and the chair, which are in the lakehouse attic, from her.

Sofa and chair

2010-08-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

This set is to go in the lakehouse. The kits are from Susan Karatjas at SDK Miniatures (here).
I cut down her two seater loveseat into a single chair. I left the wood unstained, just waxed, to look like pale birchwood.
The fabric (perfect - so Finnish!) is linen which Ira kindly sent me a while ago. I have enough of the blue left over to cover an old-fashioned Swedish pullout sofa - watch this space.

And talking of space - I don't have enough for all the things I have collected to put in there! :0 That's why I reduced the size of the smaller sofa.
They also say that 'less is more', so I guess I'm going to have to just change the interior every so often! Re-decorating is not a thing that I enjoy at all, but at dollhouse scale it must be easier . . .

Lakehouse deck and floor

2010-08-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

At last I've finished the deck for the lakehouse. I'm quite pleased with the weathered look to the boards - the grey and yellow seem to go well together.
The floor installed - it was a fight but I won :))
I ended up using Aleene's Tacky Glue (thanks for the suggestion, ladies) and weighting it down with heavy stuff (bags of cutlery is very effective!) on a thick oven tray, as well as clamping the front edge under a metal ruler. I kept pushing the back edge down with my fingers through the drying process, every ten minutes for an hour.
It has very slight ripples, but nothing that well-placed furniture and rugs can't cover ;)

Next time I use this veneer I'll do the flooring first, before building the kit. Then I'll be able to get at all the edges to flatten them properly. The attic in this house was particularly difficult to get the floor into the corners.

Now my little supervisors are asking 'where are the stairs?'.

A gift from my daughter

2010-07-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

When my lovely daughter asked me 'What do you want for your birthday?', I sent her a list of some of my favourite 'wants' on Etsy.
And yesterday in the mail - treasure!!! She had chosen to send me a witch's potions cabinet and contents made by the lovely and talented Lorraine at DFly Creations (here)!! (and I can never have enough mushrooms!!)
These minis are exquisite!! My witch is going to be so well equipped!
And here is the cabinet opened.
Not only, but also . . . there was a fab and fun rusty watering can filled with yellow daisies too - very finely made, and so cheerful!! Daisies just make me want to smile! :)

Thankyou sooooo much!!! Here is a very happy Glenda!!

Lakehouse battens

2010-07-23T16:51:00.001-07:00

The lakehouse now has its exterior 'board and batten' look.

Now for some detail - :)

These battens were a rough-cut wood (I wanted this look), and were originally painted, along with the house, in the pale cool yellow which really, really wasn't right!! Everything was then overpainted in this warm gold colour. The MDF walls were quite smooth after the two coats of paint, but the battens were a pain to paint because of the rough texture and my impatience. :)

When I came to it the next day, I taped the battens in place and had a good look at the effect, which was surprisingly good! On the battens the original colour was just peeping through the new one in places, and it added depth and interest.

I've found this before in working embroidery backgounds - when you carefully mix a cool and a warm of the same shade of colour, it makes the result easier on the eye than a single pure shade.

The poppets say that I'm boring you, and would I please put the flooring in place!!

The lakehouse progress

2010-07-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

At last I've finished (almost) painting the lakehouse, just some paint dribbles to remove, lol, and one more coat of paint on the windows :)

The floorboards are marked out, and need plank ends and nailmarks added.

The next step is to fix the battens in place on the exterior walls.

Above are the white incised boards which are going to be the ceiling in the bedroom on the top floor.

The house piles which will raise the lakehouse up, and the incised decking have been aged/weathered with a couple of washes of very dilute black acrylic paint. This is the first time I have done any of this sort of thing, and I did lots of colour tests until my brain melted.
One of my problems is that I am usually so afraid of making mistakes that I end up not doing anything at all!! In the end I remembered a line from a Star Trek movie - 'just take your best guess, Mr Spock', lol!! Life's too short to worry so much!

BTW this house is a kit from The Dolls House Emporium 'The Retreat' (here) - if you take a look here you can see more of their fun kits for smaller projects. Their Tollhouse is going to be my medieval enchanter's tower, my next main project.

A little boat

2010-07-15T16:50:00.001-07:00

Here's a little rowboat which I have painted for the Finnish lakehouse. It was originally varnished wood with a green trim, but I saw a pic in my book of a boat in the colours of the Finnish flag, so this is the result!

I got the boat a long time ago from The Dolls House Emporium, but I don't know if it's still available. I have found that some things there are available only from the paper catalogue, which is not an option for overseas buyers who must use the online catalogue. (The catalogue number for this boat was #4255.)

Ab fab printies from Norma, and a floor test

2010-07-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

Oh, I love mail!! Norma has sent a wonderful gift of printies - and they are perfect for my projects!! Norma has a knack for knowing the exact thing to send, and she has outdone herself here!!! :)))))

She has sent me two medieval tapestries, some parchments, and some open books - every one of these will have pride of place in either my witch or medieval settings!
And the open books have beautifully 'faded' printed covers! They're beautiful!! Thankyou so much, Norma!

Lakehouse flooring test

I did a quick preview of the lakehouse floors last night, and I'm considering the result in today's light. I wanted the floor to be a pale birch colour, and found some in my box of veneer samples. It is actually a Tasmanian eucalypt, with fine figuring. Unfortunately it splits easily, and the grain runs slightly skewed to where I want the board markings.

I was greatly encouraged by reading Nina's flooring experiences - thankyou, Nina!!
The first thing I tried was to score the lines with a fine embossing tool - this didn't work, as the lines were invisible except where they crossed the grainy bits where they widened and threatened to split the veneer. Any scoring of plank ends across the veneer went all splintery.
I tried pencilling lines in the score marks, and they had the same effect of thickening every so often.
Then I tried simple pencil lines without scoring it first, but when it was in place in the house, they looked far too dark.

Out with my colouring pencils - I tried four shades of gold and brown, and I think I've found the one that will work, and when the plank ends and nail holes are marked, it looked even better.
A quick wash with 1:1 PVA to water, to seal it, and it's good!

A strange noise on the lawn this morning

2010-07-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

My poppets have arrived! They didn't like the frost at all!!

The lakehouse so far

2010-07-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's slow doing this as there's only three hours a day when it's warm enough to paint. It still needs a final coat of paint on everything - and a last minute change of colour on the outside, so I have to wait for our weekly trip to town to get another paint test pot.

Glenda + paint = mess!! lots of mess!! :)

I have changed my mind three times now about how I'll do the roof. :)

I am having fun doing this!!

Heavenly creatures

2010-07-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

These lovely beasts are handcrafted by Teresa at Northern Lites Miniatures on eBay.

I have had the barn owl for a while, and just bought the little dragon and bat recently for the vampire and dragon themes. They are made with real feathers, fur and leather, and the bat is posable.

Giveaway winners!

2010-07-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank you all for your kind comments in this giveaway - and thankyou for joining in!!

You're all brilliant - keep on blogging!!

I'm sorry I can't make something for you all - I would love to, but it's just not possible!!
Welcome to new my followers, I hope I can keep you all amused in some small way, and I'll try to keep up with all your fab blogs!

My husband Alan was the lucky one to make the draw - I asked the cats, but they 'did a Kilmouski' and sauntered off uninterested!

The two winners are:

Brae at otterine

and Ascension at Mis Miniaturas

Congratulations!!

If you will both contact me and we can work out which five items you each want, and discuss styles and colours.
Thankyou all!!

Some ceramics and pottery for your viewing pleasure

2010-06-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

No current minis to put up a post about - at the moment I'm finishing orders and working on a swap with the lovely Sans, so instead I thought you might enjoy some eye candy -

Miniature ceramics are one of my very favourite things. I can't make them myself, but I admire the skill of those miniaturists who can. So I collect them, and simply enjoy them. Most are destined for my various houses and settings not yet made.
Clockwise from top left:
Pottery bowls by JDWolfe at Etsy
Group of four fine art pots by Jon Almeda , bought on some of his rare eBay auctions.
Nesting bowls, also pitcher and beakers by Marie-Luce Pelletier at SP Miniatures
Large bowl from Merry Gourmet Miniatures
Green teapot by Sam Dunlap at SP Miniatures
Three mugs, decorative plate, candle holder by Jane Graber at SP Miniatures
Jugs from the French pottery collection at SP Miniatures
Cider mug and pottery inkwell by Butt Hinge at SP Miniatures
Three Tudor slipware items from Duncan White at Small Wonders Miniatures
Five pottery bowls by Alex Meiklejohn at SP Miniatures
Small bowl and very large garden bowl by Carol Mann , Carol's work is also at Ann High, a fabulous site for medieval items!!
Green pottery by Jason Feltrope - sorry I can't find any links for Jason.
Crocks and stoneware bought at the Sydney Miniatures Show - sorry I can't remember the makers.

And lastly, here's a colonial walk-in fireplace and fire tools by Braxton Payne - this is going to be in my hobbit hole.
Hope you enjoyed these!

Life before minis - weaving

2010-06-17T16:43:00.001-07:00

Warning - no minis here - just me wittering on about my past craft lives!!
Weaving is a craft which I was pursuing before the miniatures bug claimed me - I haven't done any for some time now! I have two small portable rigid heddle looms, and have made a lot of scarves, most of which I gave as gifts. My favourite yarn is Noro silk and wool mix, which is so beautifully dyed, and the texture is yummy!! The three scarves at top left are of this yarn. The shawl is a moebius shawl, made as a rectangle and twisted once before joining the seam. This works so well as a shawl or scarf, as it sits so comfortably! This was made from rectangles made on a hand-held 6" x 4" Weavette loom, and crocheted together.

The white shawl at the bottom left is a true piece of retro!! I made it in the 1970s 'back to the land' era - I kept the sheep, I did the shearing myself, spun the wool and crocheted the shawl. Totally hand-made!! The sheep was part merino, so the wool was extremely fine and soft. And because the fleece was so dense, it took me ages to shear the poor sheep - it fell asleep while I was doing it!!!

I love thread and textiles - and I wasn't surprised when I did family history to find that one branch of my family were in the textile industry in Bradford in Yorkshire in the mid 19th century. It just feels right to me when I work with thread or yarn.

Life before minis - bobbin lace

2010-06-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Another craft dealt a fatal blow by the nerve damage I sustained 14 years ago - I was heart-broken, as this was my absolute favourite thing in the world!! I had just started in earnest to design my own lace, and was flying high when I was halted abrubtly.
I gave away a lot of lace, so I haven't got much left.
I started as most lacemakers do, with the more traditional lace techniques - point ground (that's the one with the typical fine hexagonal background stitch), torchon (the easiest, on a square grid) and tape lace.
Detail - the horseshoe shaped collar took over 100 pairs of lace bobbins at the widest part. It took over 100 hours to make.

Modern lace - my favourite, especially the lace designed by Jana Novak at Moravia Lace, and Eeva Liisa Kortelahti in Finland.

Above is a lace picture of leaves, adapted from a design by Jana Novak.

Are there any other lacemakers who also make minis out there?

Life before minis - embroidery

2010-06-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

While they're accessible, I'm cataloguing some of my past craft works - I'm putting up some photos here if anyone may be interested. (If you want details of the designers, e-mail me.)
These are some of my better efforts at cross stitch, needlepoint and embroidery, very few of them designed by me - the raven and occult symbols is one.

These have remained out of sight for over 14 years now since I damaged the nerves in my arms, one event and your whole life changes!!
I can't afford to get them framed, and I've considered making a patchwork out of them, but I think that would look too 'patchy', lol. Has anyone done this with similar work? Did it work well?

A deer design by Jan Messent in fine wool in Bayeux stitch. I love this !!

The blue/green needlepoint at top centre is my own design.
The free embroidery in the middle is from a kit by Stef Francis, whose website is well worth a visit if you like beautiful threads - check out the kits!! The dyed silk cocoons below are from her, they were such fun to embroider!! Or you can search for 'Stef Francis images' for a quick colourful pick-me-up!

A gem in my chaos!!

2010-05-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

I took a little time out from packing up our house - we're at the super-messy-we'll-never-get-this-done stage - and checked the mail. Look what the postman brought today - these exquisite turned pieces are from Tom Saunders' Etsy shop Turnings in Miniature. I love them!!

So finely turned and finished in birdseye maple, so nice to the touch.

It's made my day!

So many ideas, so little time!

2010-05-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

Dreaming big in miniature!!

I thought I'd share my list of want-to-do-projects with you. On re-reading it, I realise that a lot of my inspiration comes from the books that I read and love.
I'll never, ever get them all done (especially if I keep on being a perfectionist procrastinator), but I keep the list for ideas when I can't think forward, or need something new to make.
I've started to collect things for the ones marked *

Houses -

*Finnish lakehouse - have the kit and lots of items
*medieval enchanter's tower - ditto
*Hobbit hole - Sam Gamgee's childhood home
*modern - preferably a Paris Renfroe M112 pod
Russian dacha - wooden summerhouse in the woods
bronze/iron age roundhouse
New England lighthouse
Arts and Crafts house
shepherd's hut - Terry Pratchett's Granny Aching
*witch's cottage - Terry Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax
haunted house
airship gondola - Phil Reeve's Jenny Haniver
gyptian canalboat - Phil Pullman's Golden Compass
anything from Rosemary Sutcliff - my absolute fave author!
Doctor Who Tardis interior - my style!
space station
70s geodesic dome house
saxon barn

Settings/rooms -

*medieval stillroom
early medieval viking camp
anything elven from JRR Tolkien
*Tom Bombadil's room - JRR Tolkien
castle room - Judith Tarr's Kingdom of the Grail
Death's House - Terry Pratchett
*vampire hunter or vampire crypt
eastern theme - casbah, souk, mirrored temple
craft studio
art studio
Venetian masked ball
Egyptian archaeology site
Roman room

Settings/tables -

alchemist
wizard
*witch - gathering baskets
medieval lady
medieval man - hunting table
*medieval scribe
apothecary

People/dolls -

pedlar
ratcatcher
ghosts
shaman
woodland sprites
Moorish astrologer
St Francis of Assisi
the nac mac Feegles - Terry Pratchett

And I have very full documents/favourites/scrapbook of resources!! I used to work in a library and my alter-ego is an archivist. Happy to share.
Thanks, Ira!!

Two new rya rugs on Etsy

2010-05-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

At last!!

Well, I've finally finished these two modern rya rugs. They measure 5"x7" (13cm x 18cm) each, and that doesn't sound very much bigger than my other ones, but it was! Three times bigger.

A sharp incline on the learning curve!
Working the extra width was enough to make my RSI return, so it was slower than a snail's pace. The bright white for some reason on the test showed every single stitch, not a good look, so I had to re-design in alternating rows, as well as use more strands of thread in the pile.

And as for working with black!!! Not again. I could only work it in full sun, and even then my brain tried to fall out my ears.

However, I'm very pleased with them, and more pleased that they're finished!

They're listed in my Etsy shop (here).

Witch baskets

2010-05-12T14:53:00.001-07:00

Janice - this one's for you :-)

A day spent making baskets was fun - especially when I'm ignoring the fact that I have to pack up the house for our move in three weeks!! It'll be a good way to spring clean my minis workroom I suppose. Chaos here I come!! The cats are already wild-eyed and crazy. Wait till they have to spend eight hours travelling in the car!

Sorry the photo's not good - bad light today.

Tudor money pouch

2010-05-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

He likes his new leather money pouch - a pity it's not full of coins, because then he might be able to buy some clothes!

Witchy trays

2010-05-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

Some days it just doesn't go right - an uphill fight. Yesterday I decided to make these trays as I had the bases and rope already made, but everything seemed against me. I was down in the dumps, it was too cold to glue, it was too gloomy to see, my eyes were blurry, my hands were shaky, everything looked crooked. So when I finished I almost threw them away. My husband Alan said no, wait until tomorrow. He was right - they don't look so bad today, so I filled one with some of my precious and loved mini bits from Nikki Rowe: unicorn horns, mandrake, eggs, toadstools, a bone.

So here it is - my crooked little witchy gathering basket.

In print again!

2010-04-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

Check out Dolls House and Miniatures Scene magazine (#192, June 2010)- there's my article on how to make leather buckets, pattens, tankards and costrels.

I enjoy making minis out of leather - it's pliable and forgiving (usually!) and very tactile.

Journals for sale on Etsy

2010-04-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

I seem to be in a brown and green mood!! - I've made eight little journals which I've listed on Etsy (here)

Potion bottles and baskets on Etsy

2010-04-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

I've made some potion bottles and baskets which are now for sale in my Etsy shop (here).

The baskets I developed from a pattern by Kat the Hat Lady (here) who has very kindly given permission for me to go ahead and sell some.

Kat makes witch hats and brooms, as well as table settings and brilliant Mad Hatter hats.

You can see her eBay site here and her Etsy shop here .
A pic of one of her tables -

Potion bottles for a not-so-wise-woman

2010-04-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

For some time now I've been trying to encase these slippery little things in a net - I've tried macrame, bobbin lace, glue, praying, cursing, pleading, threatening - but to no avail. Suddenly yesterday it all came right for no particular reason, ain't that the way?
Mebbe the mini angels were on my side this time.
And yes, the pointy one is now called 'time in a bottle' or perhaps 'lost moments' or maybe 'air from a distant world', or, you guessed it, 'Glenda forgot to fill it before adding the lid'.

And the winners are . .

2010-04-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Thankyou all for participating in my giveaway, and for your kind comments! I've really enjoyed this, it's been fun!
Congratulations to the winners - will you please send me your addresses?
The winner of the bucket and costrel is Sylvia at lotjesdollshouse

The winner of the black rug and wands is Cia at Briarwood Miniatures

The winner of the feathers and shells is Cheryl at A Miniature Place

The winner of the rugs is Anthoula at A Life in Miniature

The winner of the first baskets set is Julia at Bear Cabin Miniatures

The winner of the second set of baskets is Lisa M Griffin

The winner of the third set of baskets is Anneke at pieplyts

Happy miniaturing, everybody!!

Baskets!! and giveaway update

2010-03-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to new followers!!

Baskets seem to be popular!
I spent a happy day yesterday making more baskets and trays. I'm not really happy with the trays, as I made the bases from some .6mm veneer - two pieces glued in different directions. They were fine until I saw them this morning - they'd been in the sun and had curled a bit. Not too noticeable, but I'll have to work on improving the method.
The four black ones are Hogwarts themed colours.

Giveaway update - I have added two more basket sets, so now there will be seven winners.
See previous post for pics.

It's on March 31st - good luck!

Thankyou giveaways to followers!

2010-03-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I have 66 followers! When I started my blog I didn't really think that anyone would want to know about my ramblings and inventions. But here you are!! Thankyou!
I know that I have neglected to name you all, but I do welcome you whenever you visit, and I'm trying to keep up with reading your own blogs. There's such a lot of amazing work there!

As a thanks I'm offering five different giveaways - to enter, all you have to do is be a follower, and make a comment here - if you give an indication of your preference(s), it will help to decide the choice when I draw the names, which will be on the 31st of March.

1. Leather bucket and costrel (drinking bottle) - for a medieval, Tudor or colonial setting.
2. Wizard's set - hexagonal shag-pile rug in black and purple, and 4 Harry Potter wands 1.5" (3.75cm) long.
3. Feathers and shells - the feathers at the back are finely detailed and can be cut down like the 3 near the peacock feather. The feathers on the left are real miniature peacock feathers, and some have a green shine. The shells I gathered from local beaches - the longest is half an inch (1.25cm) long.
4. Rugs set - the thick-pile blue and purple rug is 4.75" (12cm) long.
5. Baskets set. The two baskets on the left are based on a pattern by Kat the Hat (Dollshouse World Dec 2007). See her Witchy Blog (here)
6. Baskets set
7. Baskets set

I'm happy to post anywhere worldwide.

Mini-free zone

2010-03-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

I started by searching for something, and ended up finding things I hadn't looked at for a very long time.
This clothing is based on archaeological finds - the yellow and brown is Finnish Viking (traders not raiders!), and the white and blue is Anglo-Saxon. The fabric is linen and wool, and all visible seams are handsewn in stitches known in those time periods. The accessories are modern-made reproductions of authentic pieces. The belts are card-woven.
The flared undergowns are each cut from a single large rectangle of fabric, with nothing wasted - if you spin and weave it yourself you want to use it all!
My efforts aren't totally accurate (and the shoes are modern), but it's fun to dress up!
There are also my little hoards - the one with beads is all Viking, and the other is neolithic, Roman and Anglo-Saxon.
I never found what I was looking for.

Flowers and vases

2010-03-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

Since I've had no joy at all this week making things - Murphy's Law - I'd like to share some flowers and vases from my collection.

The ivy and Queen Anne's lace are from kits by Bonnie Lavish (here)- I added some Flower Soft to the top of the Queen Anne's lace. It's in a vase by Jon Almeda. His handmade ceramics are amazing! (here)
The lilacs are from a kit by Ruth Hanke at Hanky Panky Crafts (here). They are in a green glass vase from Kerbey Lane Miniatures at eBay (here).
The daisies and lily-of-the-valley pots are from kits by SDK Miniatures (here). I 'mossed up' the pots with a little acrylic paint. The daisies are in a turned wood vase by Berties Miniatures at eBay (here) and his Etsy shop (here).

If you're of a witchy or medieval mind, check out the gothic furniture kits in three scales at SDK minis while you're there.

My project in print!

2010-03-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

Check out Dolls house and Miniatures Scene magazine (#190, April 2010)- my article on how to make rush matting is in there!
Woo hoo!! I'm in print!
Also in this issue is an article on the tiniest mini butterflies by Julie Cissell aka Gods Flying Flowers at Etsy - sweet!

Journals, or What I Do When I Should Be Doing Something More Important

2010-03-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Very therapeutic, these little journals. Easy to make, and a great time waster!
The one with the pencil is made of possum skin. (Possums are a noxious pest in New Zealand - they kill native birds by eating the eggs and chicks, damage native plants and spread tuberculosis to cattle and deer. Here, the only good possum is a dead one!) The leather has the look of woodgrain, it's thin and feels like honey or olivewood.
Then I wasted more time by wondering why English pencils are red and American pencils are yellow. It involves Elizabethan monopolies, and a nineteenth century French gold panner in Siberia. If you're interested, read more in 'Colour' by Victoria Finlay - a fascinating book on the history of pigments.
But I digress, and I'm still avoiding That Work.

Hunting gear for my medieval man

2010-03-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

Woke up at 6am with this in mind. I'd tried last year to make leather hawk hoods, but they were thrown in the bin in a fit of frustration. This time it's gone a bit better, and the glove has too. Hawking gloves are great - you only have to make one!!
The hood is 7mm across (.25"). Not something to be attempted with the coffee jitters! No perch or jesses yet, and does anyone know where I can find 3mm or 4mm bells?
And what would any workplace be without a cat sprawled on it? This is Sam.
And my man can't decently go hunting yet as I haven't made him any clothes.

Autumn doldrums

2010-02-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

I couldn't settle to doing anything, and remembered Kim (here) mentioning oak leaves, so I've made some autumn leaves - birch and oak. The birches outside my window are just starting to turn yellow, which is rather unfair as we haven't really had any summer to speak of!
I used coffee filter papers (different brands have different textures - these are Melitta leaves), painted them with acrylic paints, (different colours back and front), then punched and punched and punched . . . To finish I put them on a soft mousepad and dragged an awl up the centre vein of each.
Loreena McKennitt helped me - lovely singer! I find that when I see my minis I can usually remember the music playing when I made them. I have to be careful not to watch anything exciting while doing needlework - one of my rugs was worked too tightly whle I was watching Alien 3.

Broom GPS

2010-02-24T19:19:00.000-08:00

Here's an addition to one of Kat the Hat's brilliant witch brooms - a GPS add-on. I like to think that it has time travel functionality, it meows if another witch comes too close, and it guides her past the most interesting gossip points.

Shooting star

2010-02-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

Woke at 5am with Sammie the cat sprawled on my pillow. Yesterday was 31 degrees, hot and dry, summer has arrived very late this year! This has dried up the sky - I just went outside and was gobsmacked by the clarity of the Milky Way. Hard to believe there are galaxies in that wave of soft white. Saw two satellites and a shooting star. Life is good.

Best thing to do to a watch!

2010-02-22T00:40:00.000-08:00

This is a fantasy orrery I made for my daughter Sarah for Christmas. She comes over from Brisbane each summer for a couple of weeks to escape the muggy heat there. My family get minis as gifts whether they want them or not! She gave me two Shaun Tan books which I love - if I could make scenes like that in miniature I'd be very happy.
http://www.shauntan.net/
Inspiration for this orrery came from Ericka Van Horn's work - her minis are amazing!
http://evminiatures.tripod.com/evminiatures_index.htm

Rya wallhanging

2010-02-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

I saw an artwork in Finland in the Joensuu public library which I loved on sight. It was a woven linen piece in greys and blues, and this is my mini version in different colours. Sadly, I don't know who the artist was, but her work was inspiring!

Sampling

2010-02-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

Whenever I can't decide what to do, I sample/tidy/catalogue/sort my stuff. Having been away from my computer and workroom for a week, I've produced some colour samples for the rya rugs. Not really necessary, but fun. Colour therapy!

2010-02-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

There's more to life than thread

2010-02-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Just so's you don't think I spend all my time with a needle in my hand, here's a pic of a leather jerkin and hat I made a wee while ago. The patterns are from a book by Janet Arnold 'Patterns of Fashion . . .c1560-1620' - it's fascinating. There's history, photos of actual garments, and (best of all) patterns taken from the clothes. I've just got her new book 'Patterns of Fashion 4' with ruffs, shirts and more. Ruffs in 1:12? There's a challenge!

Cross eyed

2010-02-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

Here's my new baby - a swedish runner in 1:48 scale between her two 1:12 scale big sisters. She measures just 2 x 6.5cm (.75" x 2.5").
I have contact lenses to correct my severe short-sightedness, and I also have to wear reading glasses more and more often, and with this rug I also needed a 5x lens sometimes. It took me three times longer than one of the 1:12 ones!
I like being very short-sighted - without my lenses I can see close up in incredible detail, it's a pity though that I can't work with the needle and thread an inch or two from my eyes.

I'm off soon to visit my parents for a week - no internet, no emails :-0 I will get more handwork done though.

2010-02-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

I'm not alone out here - yay!

2010-02-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so pleased to welcome Nikki as my very first follower! I've enjoyed reading her blog so much, it's been a continuing inspiration.

2010-02-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hmm, so this is blogland

2010-02-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, I swore I'd never do this - Mrs Oldfashioned is oldfashioned! She'd better improve her camera skills and actually finish some projects now. Like the two dollhouse kits still languishing in their boxes - Mrs O is too enthusiastic about making the stuff to fill them.

The kits are intended as a Finnish lakehouse and a medieval tower.

Mini rya rugs have taken centre stage recently, I enjoyed a (southern hemisphere) winter making them, as well as my take on woven floor runners. Here's a pic of the two which will probably go in the lakehouse. The rya is a silk/linen mix.