Mystic Path has products for Sale...and more!

This past weekend I was able to play around with my miniatures. 

A forum friend (Thanks Barb!!) told me how to use empty capsules and resin to make bottles/potions.  This was the first time I had worked with either so it was a definite trial and error process, but I'm happy with the results.  Not shown are a bunch of rejects (overfills and other oops).  I created the labels in Paint Shop Pro and shrunk them down when I printed them.  This is a series of bath oil blends.  I think I'm going to be busy with bottle making for a while. HAHA! 

I also took a few hours and quickly whipped together a distressed workbench that I'm now pondering on what to do with it.  Originally I had thought about putting together a Jack-O-Lantern in progress scene, but then I started playing around and made some sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.  Now I'm thinking a Autumn harvest scene.  Gosh, I don't know.  I really don't need another project, but is there ever a time when we mini lovers have just one project going at a time? I'm thinking not.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the workbench.  I haven't really done much furniture building before so I'm really pleased with the outcome!

Well that is all for now.  Remember if you want to see the pictures bigger, just click on them. 

Oh, and before I forget, the forum that I belong to is fairly new and everyone is so wonderful on there.  You'll find some AMAZING talent on there.  Hopefully the owner won't mind me posting this.  :-)  Hey Pam!! I'm asking forgiveness just in case.  LOL  Here is a link to it. http://meca1.com/forum/index.php

Till later!

The Mystic Path...an update on the fortune tellers room

Well I had a day at home to play with minis.  Did some pictures, worked on some curtains, did some finalizing on some lights and this what I have to show you.

In the upper floor of The Mystic Path, Madam Aspen works telling fortunes, but she has the night off for Samhain.  Something isn't right though and with it being Halloween, the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.  Looks like the cat is the only one around to see the goings on. 

The basic construction of this floor is complete.  Now all I have to do is work on accessories and finalizing it. 

I am really pondering something and I think I need y'all input on this.  I just can't decide on my own.  I'm considering putting a very faint face in the crystal ball.  I'm thinking it would be cool and not something that you would notice right away.  You would have to be looking right into the crystal ball to see it.  If you have ever ridden The Haunted Mansion at a Disney park, you have an idea of what I'm talking about.  It would be easy enough to accomplish.  Thoughts??  I'm also considering putting the cat on the chair looking up onto the table instead of on the floor.

OK...enough chatter.  Here are some pics for you.

Till later!

Here Comes The Bride

As soon as there is a bit of a chill in the air I start thinking skeletons, Halloween and spooky! 

Who am I kidding...I think about stuff like that all year long.  HAHA

This lovely lady would be about 6" tall if she was standing.  She is made from a plastic skeleton, antique lace and fine silk.  All aged to perfection.  Truly a sad tale.

She walked down the aisle, but alone there she stood.

Her man was a cheater and he left her for good.

The poison she took was quick to claim life.

Forever a bride, but never a wife.

Till later!

So there is a use for cat hair

For years I have honestly wondered if there was a use for all the cat hair I seem to accumulate and pick up in my house.  With 4 cats (3 with hair), I was constantly brushing it off my clothes, gathering fur balls and sneezing.

For the Mystic Path room box I have been working on, the plan has always been for there to be a cat in the fortune tellers room watching the mysterious happenings going on.  You know how cats are, always wanting to put their noses in where they don't belong.

When I was in Chicago for the Bishop International Show, I picked up a small plastic cat that has the perfect pose.  He looked curious, but hesitant. One paw in the air as he pondered what to do next.  The problem was, he was a black and white cat and the colors just didn't seem to suit the room I was working on.  I bought some flocking and went to work.

Here is what he looked like before I got started.  Bad picture, but you get the idea.  As cute as this little fella was, he just wasn't right and needed a makeover.

First thing I did was paint him the way I wanted him.  I wanted an almost entirely black cat with just a small white diamond on his forehead.  So after a few minutes, I had a beautiful black painted plastic cat.  Now he needed some fur.  Even in dim light, you can tell if something is molded plastic or fuzzy.  My kitty had to have hair.

Out came the flocking.  Knowing that he was going to be black and white that is all I bought.  Lady Bug at the show told me that instead of using glue to attach the flock, it was better to use paint. WOW! I never would have thought of that and she was totally correct. Working in stages, starting at the tail, I slowly painted sections of the cat and applied the flocking using a small paint brush.  After a couple hours I had a new kitty and he sure seems happy with his new look.  On top of everything I have a small dusting of black flocking around my kitchen now.

Now sure what is worse to pick up....cat hair or flocking.

Oh, and the use for the cat hair?  Well take a close look and you'll see that our little friend has a new set of whiskers!  Yep, gathered a few hairs, cut them into pieces and applied them one at a time onto his little face with some glue.

 

Till later!

Well Finally....the molding is complete!

When I started this project nine years ago, I never thought it would take me that long to finish the molding and get to the fun stuff.  My, how time sure passes us by!

This morning I finally pulled out the Mystic Path and started work. The first decision was what molding to use. On the first floor I had used a standard crown molding. For upstairs I wanted something a bit more subdued and chose to use a baseboard molding turned upside down. The actual baseboards are the same wooden feature I used on the first floor. I painted the baseboards the same color as the first floor and made the upper molding a shade darker to draw even less attention to them. The focus on the upstairs room isn't going to be the decor. I really want to make that a background tone supporting the true star of the show, the mysterious happenings going on in the fortune teller's room.

I wanted a way to separate the left area from the right up there so decided I would install hanging silk drapes. To support the curtain rod I constructed a basic bracket design from some purchased moldings and drilled a hole to hold the actual rod. The rod is not permanently in place so I can remove it to install the drapes and rehang it. On the rod I have strung a series of "antique" brass jump rings that will eventually hold the curtains.

You can get a better look at the bracket constructions and the entire rod contraption in this picture.

You can also see the two candles and the lamp I made taking up residence on the floor. Because they have been hard-wired, they can't be removed now and I was glad I remembered to leave the cords a bit long so they didn't hang when I removed the furniture to install the molding. Sometimes it can be hard to think backwards when putting these rooms together.

Now that the basic construction is done, I get to focus on the stuff that turns this from a basic room box to something extra special. I need to work on store items, make and install drapes, get some art on the walls, put down some area rugs...ARGH....better get off here and get to work!

Till later!

I'm still around....really I am

Summer is winding down and there is a definite smell of Autumn in the air.  You can feel it in the evenings when the sun goes down.  Soon the leaves will start changing and falling. 

Now that the heat is fading I can finally start working and focusing on my minis again.  It has been a long summer and I needed a break I think. 

Soon I hope to have some new mini things to show you as well as some updates on The Mystic Path!

I'm ready....are you?

Till later!