It Wasn't Meant to be Half Scale!

So I saw this rather neat bird-house tower in an old issue of DHMS magazine, and decided to try it. No scale was mentioned, so I assumed it was 1/12th. The post it sits on may have been that scale, but the bird houses were definitely way too small, they would have measured about 4 inches (10 cm) to a side. As I had started it, I decided it might as well be finished.

So here it is, two days of work which I will add to my shop stock, as I do NOT intend to switch scales at this point!

Successful Experiment

I love the Twinings Tea can printies made available years ago through Wilmini Designs in The Netherlands. The web site is now unreachable (for me, anyways) but I was able to track down a sheet of them a year or so ago, and still have some left over for future projects.

This little windowsill herb garden is made mostly out of cardboard, with lycopodium and altered plastic plants. A rosemary plant, some parsley and chives grow in the re-purposed cans, which are confined in an old zinc tray. I used a mix of 3 colours of green flocking to make the parsley on a plastic framework cut from aquarium greenery. The chives are cut from some plastic Christmas greens. The tray is card, and the handles painted floral wire.

The herb garden fit nicely onto the small windowsill in my crowded kitchen vignette. My family room work space smells rather right now, as I stained some tiny wooden tops for glass jars with an oil-based stain. I can't open the patio door, as we are dealing with rain from Hurricane Dorian, as well as occasional gusts of wind. The lights have had to be on indoors since we got up this morning....

...And I think there is a cat hair caught in the chives tin!

Going Potty, As In Nuts

I am making modern flower pots. Well, Camp is coming up and I have to restock the shop in a box and make assorted gifts and tidbits to share with my fellow campers. This time, I really hope to have these done before September even starts.

The pots are made of scraps of dollhouse wallpaper samples, double layers for strength, with coloured trim because I want them to be cheerful.

Two days' work.... although a lot of that is actually waiting for glue to dry. Then the glue has to come off my fingers, the scissors, the knife, the work surface, my clothing, the cotton place mat I was working on; well, you get it.

This Crazy Summer

My intention had been to finish up a couple of mini setting to show off at camp in September, but there does not seem to be time to do much in the way of miniatures. Life goes on, and we are on the go constantly; hopefully, things will calm down a bit soon.

I have not disappeared, and I am fitting in a little bit of miniature work every once in a while. Here's hoping I get better organized soon.

The Cloud-Pruned Pine Has Been Re-Shaped

While we were in southern Alberta in May, I spent Mother's Day afternoon in Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. The garden was designed and is still maintained by Japanese garden specialists, and I got to see some wonderful pine trees there. This one is just off the side of the azumaya (gazebo) at the site.

My Japanese pine will be a single trunk, as my garden is quite a bit smaller; the idea, according to my Japanese gardening book, is that you should be able to see through the tree, so that the areas of foliage look like green clouds, and the trunk and branches should have a pleasing shape. My vignette has the tree in a tight corner, which means I had to shape it carefully to fit; also, it has to leave enough room for the hydrangea bushes underneath to get their sunshine. As well, the branches can't be too close to the (faux) house wall.



The top of the tree will hang over the fence a bit, while the foliage will fit within the corner without getting in the way of the gate or the plants. This is the same tree I put together earlier, with one of the branches cut off and the trunk lengthened. It stands on its own and fits neatly into the corner; the far branch will stand just proud of the slatted side window on the side wall. Next up, I have to prepare the bases for the foliage. Once that is done, I can paint the trunk - right now, it is just floral tape and fine wire over the heavier base wire.

Our heat wave has ended, which means I feel more like working. I hope to get back to this in the coming week, but as it is soon time for my visiting daughter to head home, I hope to also spend some more quality time with her, as it will likely be a year before we will be able to get together again....

Some New Acquired Minis, and One I'm Working On

While I was out west, visiting my children, I happened upon an antiques mall's annual outdoors flea market/antiques sale. The very first table we came across had minis!



This lot was being sold for $1 each, but the man selling wanted to get rid of things, so he said if I bought five, I could have one free. Free is good, right? The sewing machine doesn't have a purpose yet, but I thought I could probably use it somewhere. The other four pieces, all of them pencil sharpeners in another life, will work very well indeed in one of my steam punk settings, with a little bit of paint here and there.



This second batch was being sold out of a carton, at 25 cents each or five for a dollar. The watering cans can go into the flower shop, my younger daughter covets the canisters (I thought I had three of them), and the log carrier could go into any number of projects. Right after I purchased these and the ones above, a Chinese lady and her adult daughter bought all of the other pieces in the carton!



My daughter-in-law had saved some small items from crafting, so my Christmas market stall (being planned for when I am caught up) gave me a box of tree ornaments and some wreath forms; with a bit of help, these should find a good home in that (eventual) setting.



On Wednesday, I actually mini'd with my mini friends; I began the wire form for the cloud-pruned pine I want to finish off my Japanese vignette, but it is too small. So back to the drawing board.



I will incorporate the roots into the trunk, perhaps add a couple of branches, although I have to keep the hydrangea plants in mind, and wrap floral tape, then foil, then more tape, etc. around it when I like the height of the tree. The unwrapped loops are where I plan to place the foliage. Luckily, I have lots more wire in case things go horribly wrong....

And no, I haven't quite finished my sweater; I have to sew up one shoulder, do the collar, and then see if the sleeves are long enough for me - hopefully that will be done next week.

I Haven't Disappeared....

...but I did join a knitting group, with the result that I pulled apart a heavy Aran sweater I made years ago, that never did fit. I am almost done with it, half the sleeves and the collar are left to go. As it became summer here very suddenly, in less than a week, I am trying to finish it before it gets too hot to knit.

I may need it when I head for the Bay of Fundy on July 1st.