Gosh...been a year already?

I can't believe that my last post to my blog was almost exactly a year ago on October 6th, 2011.  So much has happened since then and I felt I should come on here and tell y'all about it before you all assumed that I disappeared or was sucked into the Bermuda Triangle or something.

As most of you know, my mother passed away in April 2011.  I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase my dream home with what mom provided me and I have spent the last 9 months working on a lifesize home instead of my miniatures.

 

 

The home had been vacant for over a year and was neglected. What was advertised as an inground pool in the fenced backyard should have read "large swamp-like hole in the ground surrounded by a rickety and falling fence".   This poor beautiful house needed a new roof, new yard, new and redone flooring, all new paint, plumbing work and some electrical, and a ton of other stuff.

 

However, one of the things that we really liked was the fact that not much had been done to the home since 1964 when it was originally built.  I had always wanted a vintage home and this was the one. From the day I saw it (Christmas Eve morning, 2011) I knew I wanted it.  It would take everything I had and then some to buy it and fix it up, but there was something about the home that was calling to me.  It wasn't until after we had purchased and started fixing it up that I found out some interesting news.  I met the sister of the man who used to own the house and raised three children in it.  He was diagnosed with Leukemia and fought his cancer battle for over eight years before it finally took him.  He made sure his family was all taken care of and then in his will he asked that the house he loved for so many years was to be forclosed on. He said that he wanted to make sure that someone would be able to purchase the home and hoped it would be someone that would love it as much as he did.  Mr. Satterwhite, I can assure you that I absolutely love your home and it is truly a dream come true for me.

 

I'm still working on fixing it up so we can move into it, but that day is getting closer and closer.  I promise that one day I'll be working on miniatures again.  I'm excited about some ideas that I have been playing around with and making notes.  My brain is always going and I don't think smelling all those construction fumes and inhaling sawdust does anything to help with that. HAHA

 

In closing, here are some pics of our new home.  Sure don't look like nine months of work. Thanks for letting me share them with you and I hope you will be hearing from me again soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Till later!

More Harvest Goodies

Not a lot to show tonight, but I was able to finish another basket and some Granny Smith Apples.  Hope you like them.  Funny, I have been craving some sliced apple and cheddar cheese all day.  Now I'm REALLY craving it.

I promise I'm going to work on a basket tutorial for you folks someday soon.  I really need to make some pumpkins for this table too! What is a Fall Harvest table without pumpkins?

Till later!

The baskets

Hello everyone.  I have had a lot of response about the blog I did last night containing the potatoes and pears. 

First, thank you everyone for the very kind words on the harvest and a big welcome to all my new friends.

The two round baskets were made following the directions given by Joann Swanson on her blog last year.  I took her designs and did some additional washes and changed up the straps a bit, but if you are looking for some baskets to hold your own harvest, these are super easy and her pattern is wonderful.  If you have not seen her blog, please hop over and start following it.  She is amazing and has some of the most creative ideas I have ever seen.  Below is the link to the blog post where she explains the baskets.

http://joannswansondiyminiatures.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

For the basket holding the pears, I took the same general idea and cut out my own pattern.  Perhaps I'll have time soon to throw together a little tutorial on the small rectangular basket.  I'm a firm believer in sharing knowledge so the hobby continues to grow.  Besides, this might give me a chance to use my new video camera and make a video tutorial.  WOOHOO!!

Till later!

Harvest has begun

People suggested that I work on a harvest theme for my workbench so I have taken that suggestion and tried making some baskets and food.  Some of you may remember that I have made some bread and cheese in the past, but that has been the extent of my food making ventures.  I'm pretty happy with the way the first crop has turned out.

Remember to click the pictures and make them bigger.

 

Looks like the farmer has just returned with a couple bushels of potatoes.  He had a good crop of sweet potatoes and some great baking potatoes.  

 

The pear trees were also full of ripe fruit and the birds were good this year and left them alone.

 

One thing that I have observed when making fruit.  I have absolutely NO idea on how much clay to mix.  I wanted to do a small batch of pears.  Well, after mixing up the clay and getting the base color just right, I realized I had mixed up much more than I will need right now.  So far I have made 25 pears and I have enough to do 25 more at least. HA HA!  Perhaps I can take the remainder pear mix I have and throw together some nice apples.  Maybe some green Granny Smiths and some nice Gala.  I also need to get some pumpkins and gords made. 

I think I'm also going to try and play with the resin again and make some jars of Apple Butter.  I have already designed the labels, now just need to figure out the right mix for the contents.

Till later!

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!