My Workspace

This cupboard started off as a slightly clunky but well made commercial piece. I tore off the thick upper doors, added trim to the shelves, and painted the cupboard. The decorative  painting is mostly done with dots and dashes. It's a good piece to put in a shadowy corner: from a distance, the cupboard looks much nicer than it actually is. I'm still working on filling up the shelves, and then I'll give the whole thing a last bit of aging.

I also reorganized my workspace. I haven't really posted about this space, because it's usually a complete mess, but it's been staying slightly neater lately. My workspace is a little alcove in the dining room. It has a lot of windows, but gets the most light in late afternoon.  The small drawers on this table hold tools and miscellaneous supplies. The two gold room boxes protect finished projects until I find a spot for them (the large box is actually the Gallery I posted about a while ago.)All my miniature magazines are sorted into wooden holders underneath the table. The white shelf on the left holds spray paint and various solvents.

Behind my chair are larger drawers holding larger supplies like paint, leather, fabric, and landscaping foam.

Back from the Guild School

Actually, I've been home for nearly two weeks, but I've had a lot of bad news lately and I haven't felt much like blogging. Things have been looking up in the last few days, so I'm going to try to start updating fairly regularly again.
I loved making this tiny 1/144th scale garden cottage in Nell Corkin's class. Nell brought the cottage walls already cut (we had to cut the windows!) and the weather vane already assembled. Everything else was made in the class.

 Constructing the trellis was fun, but I didn't like adding the climbing roses nearly as much!

 I may add some taller laser-cut flowers along this side now that I'm home.

 There was even time to make furnishings! The chairs were difficult- the first time I tried to put them together, I glued them all wrong, and then I painted them with a half-dozen coats of the wrong color by accident. But in the end, it all worked out.

 

 It was so fun to see all the finished projects at the end!

Watercolors

 Last night I dug out my watercolors for the first time in months. I love to paint in the summer- there's such great light! I realized when Mom and I were setting up for the show last weekend that the paintings were looking a little picked over. I didn't have many cottage paintings left, so I'm going to try to work on more over the next few weeks.

 I've only worked on this one so far. It still needs a lot of work. The frame is only laid on top as encouragement, and to check that the darkest colors are dark enough to show up.

While I had the camera out, I snapped a shot of this painting as well. I painted it for Mom a few months ago, but don't think I ever posted photos of it here. We both love Jane Austen, and while Persuasion is my favorite of her novels, we watch the 1995 addaptation of Pride and Prejudice quite often.



You can see that the paint bled horribly around the edges, which is why the painting is still unframed. I usually tape the edges of my watercolors to keep them neat. My favorite tape is extra-narrow masking tape from the model train shop which gives a nice clean line, but it's a bit difficult to find. I used a different brand of masking tape on this painting, thinking it would be the same, but as you can see it was terrible!

Some Projects, News, and Advice Needed Please!

Mom and I had a great time at the show on Sunday, but we came back home exhausted. Yesterday was a bit crazy as well, since we had a new stove and dishwasher installed in our (real) kitchen! I only have a few quick photos of my recent projects.

I got a really good deal on this chair from Eileen Godfrey. It was an old Bespaq piece in overall good condition, but the white upholstery was no longer pristine. I pulled the chair apart and reupholstered it in silk from an outrageous zebra tie I found at the thrift store a few weeks ago.

 I've never tried an upholstery project more complex than a simple seat cushion, but this chair was surprisingly quick. While I had the chair apart, I also painted the frame black with gold accents. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet, but if I don't find a spot for it, Mom may use it for a doll.

 I've also wanted to try Paperclay for years, but never got around to it. So when I saw it for sale at Michael's, I snagged a package. I had a witch's workroom in a book shaped box which had been hanging around for a long time half finished. The witch room had been done in a hurry with horrible quality, so I stripped everything out and started over with paperclay. After the basic walls were dry, I wanted to add some details that would look like crumbling cast plaster. I glued in some crocheted lace around the top of the room, then mixed paperclay and water to a pudding consistency, and covered the lace until it blended with the wall. I'll include more about this box as I get further along in the project.

 Lastly, I have a really exciting time ahead. I'm going to the Guild School in a few weeks to make this. I've admired Nell Corkin's work for years, and am over the moon that I got in to the class. I've never been to the Guild School before, so I'm a bit nervous along with all the excitement. If any of you have advice about things to pack, things to do, or the best ways to bring supplies along (I'm flying there), I'd really appreciate it!

Another Miniature Show!

It was a last-minute decision, but Mom and I are going to split another table at the show in Norwalk, Ct this weekend! The show is Sunday, May 22 at the Doubletree Hotel.

 Mom's bringing some of her dolls. . .

and I've been framing watercolors and digging out the various miniatures we stashed away over the winter. The weather's been gloomy and gray all week. I'm hoping it clears up soon, so I can take better photographs of everything before the show.

A Magical Cabinet, and a New Tool

I didn't manage to get as many miniatures done as I'd hoped. However, Mom and I took a trip to a local dollhouse store together, and I found this little cabinet. I painted it black and lined the back and floor with bright red. Then I gathered up some "magical" items I've made. There's an aged book, a crystal ball with a mysterious dark figure inside, a few bottles (the one in front is actually red, but photographed orange for some reason) and various spooky papers. 

I'm planning to add a lot more to the cabinet interior and top. These are some other things I'm considering for the top of the cabinet. The wand was my first attempt at barley twist. I'll have to make a better one for the cabinet, but I have a soft spot for this one. The illuminated book has touches of gold.
I also played with a fairly new tool. This is a draw plate from Micro Mark. It has a series of successively smaller holes. You pull a dowel through the holes, and they are shaved down until they extremely thin.

Below, you can see the square piece I began with (about 1/16th" square) and the thin dowel I ended with. I discovered that this process does take a while, and I ended up losing a few inches of dowel as I broke the end trying to force it through the next hole. Still, I now have enough wood to make many miniature pencils. Someone with more skill than I have could probably use this tool to make a beautiful birdcage like one I have in Phoebe's room.

A Diversion

 I haven't posted in a while because I've been working on a non-miniature project, but figured I'd share it anyways today. I fell in love with the lace masks from the Valentino Fall/Winter 09 show, and have been scheming to make something similar ever since. You can see how far I've gotten below. The entire thing is made with stiffened black lace, reinforced with hand-sewn wire, and embellished with tons of beading and more stiffened lace. It ties with black velvet ribbon. I'm still working on the beading, but it's starting to really look the way I intended.

 Believe it or not, I'm making this for next Halloween. I know, I'm a bit early, but I wasn't sure how long it would take! This was a much quicker project than I expected, so I should have more miniatures to share by next weekend.
P.S. If anyone is interested in making your own mask, let me know and I can add more specifics about the construction.