Happy Valentine

So, what's the best gift for a miniaturist for Valentine's or any other festive gift giving occasion?

Me, I love tools..... So, Scooter was romantic. I got a miniature red rose growing in a pot. Pretty for the yard in a couple months... and a new coping saw with extra blades.... Now, there's a man who understands :)

In Other Mini News: 

Swap:

I'm almost done with the swap thingy for Carrie. Of course, no pictures til she got it in her hot little hands.

The Crooked House Contest:
I'm getting so many more ideas... wow.. and I want it to be really different. I've added parts to it. Quite a bit actually. Can't wait for Janna to send me the dolls I ordered for it. Still haven't found some of the essential accessories. But Misunderheard Art Miniatures  has agreed to tackle half scale and make some of them. Looking forward to that as well.

Sorry no pix of that til April 15 :) it's a contest, ya know

The Fairy Dwelling: 
With the weather improving recently, there are lots of walks in the park and at the beach. I'm increasing my stash of driftwood and twigs and branches. And nut shells and acorn caps, too.

Fairy Doors:
I've completed another batch of Fairy Doors, that'll go out in the world in the next few days. I'll take photos of those just as soon as I can locate the tripod. Getting old and shaky is for the dawgs

Thanks for bearing with me.

Interference of the Real Life, and this and that

It's a MINI Blog, so I'm not really going to talk much about real life trials and tribulations. Suffice it to say, this one came from left field, unnoticed til it was too late (or almost?) and I had to deal with it, putting mini-making on the back burner.

But I am working on Carrie's swap, and it kills me, I can't post pix until she receives it.<3

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As some of you know, I've been on a quest to get myself a type of saw, every 6 year old boy in Germany has. It's a "Laubsäge". People have translated it as Jigsaw, Coping Saw, Jewelry Saw and finally Fret Saw. Problem is, people in hardware stores get glazed-over eyes and have no idea what I am talking about... And Scooter keeps wanting to buy yet another 1-purpose electrically operated behemoth...

THIS is the thing I want... does nobody in the US of A use those???? So, finally I emailed customer service at Micro-Mark, asking if they have one. 20 minutes later I had an answer from them. They don't carry them, sorry, but they included 2 links to companies who do... so, CUDOS, Micro-Mark! You just got a new customer.... though not for a fret saw ;)

In other mini-news....

I was at the grocery store the other day and saw a display of jarred fruit by Polar. Those glass jars had mock handles on the side. I know I've seen that on some marmalade jars, too. For some reason SAUERKRAUT popped into my head. A quarter scale scene in a jar. It really got me excited. *giggles* I remembered how we made sauerkraut at my grandma's when I was a kid, stomping around in the barrel like you see on old pictures of wineries. I've got the whole scene pictured in my head. I've collected inspirational pictures online of old and new barrels, and .... I'll have to put it on the very back burner.

But I love getting ideas again, from rather mundane sources.

PS: our mini mini is doing better. yay for that

Projects and other things

Well, somehow I got into a swap of a kind, and I've had a hard time deciding WHAT to make. She gave me her favorite colors and lo and behold, I'm working on something. I'll post a picture later, so it's still a surprise when/if she peeks in here.

There are some other things I am working on:

Fairy Dwelling:
Totally from found and natural material. I envision a small village, under a common roof of some kind. I'll be able to add more little houses and huts. It will be living in a corner of my little yard, where I can't grow anything edible. Pictures of the work in progress to come.

Haida Longhouse:

A longhouse at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia

In the beginning stages of planning. Thanks to the CanadaMinis Group at Yahoo for their input. I am getting some really interesting ideas. More to come on that. Here's a link from the Canadian Museum of Civilization's page of Haida Art

If you have ideas on either of these two subjects, feel free to let me know.