Chasing the Winter Blues Away

I'm dreaming of.... an early Spring!  

I really love the color combo of white, yellow, and blue.

And I especially love daisies and ladybugs.  Who

can think of a daisy or ladybug and not smile?

:)

I haven't performed a scientific study, but I think it

might be impossible. But if a Happy Hour

cocktail is more to your liking, I have something

for you, too!

Ladybug and Daisy Patio Benches have landed in my

Etsy Shop.  You can check them out here.  

Happy Hour themed Patio Benches available too.

Cheers!

Drawing for Free CIMTA 2017 Miniature Show Tickets!

The Cottage Industry Miniaturists' Trade Association

(CIMTA) Dollhouse Miniature Show is

quickly approaching!  

January 23rd & 24th, 2017

Orleans Hotel & Casino

Las Vegas, NV

For more information, check out the

 CIMTA website

 Exhibitor List

For a chance to win two 2-day passes, share this post on your blog

and then post a comment on this post.  

Winner will be announced 

Friday, January 6, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. MST

UPDATE:  No winner to announce as there no one entered this
Blog Drawing/Giveaway.   Winners of the
Facebook drawing/giveaway are announced on my facebook page.

Mini Treasures

A few treasures I picked up at the Mini Les Bois Miniature Show last month.  Shown in my unfinished roombox/dollhouse.  ;)

Paper towel holder, wood salt and pepper set 

and fabric message board all made by

Minis by Jeannine and Don

My grandson pronounces "doggy" as "goggy".

So the name has stuck.  Goggy it is. 

I couldn't decide the best place for Goggy so

I kept moving him around the dollhouse.  

Grandson had so much fun finding Goggy each

time he came to visit, that a new tradition was born --

I now move Goggy around just to delight Grandson

who, at three years old, is about half-convinced

that Goggy comes to life and moves about on his

own when no one is looking.  :D

A few moments after snapping the above photograph,

Goggy took a spill and his tail broke off.  :(  

I glued it back on and hope that Grandson doesn't 

notice before I get a replacement.  

 

This room is definitely a work-in-progress.  Notice

there's no wallcovering, and the table in the back

is missing its top.  It's a placeholder until

I get (or make) a fireplace.  Chair and sectional by

Minis by Jeannine and Don

Coffee table and lamp by MiniByDesign

and the Red Poppy Painting is by Hazel Rayfield

 

Even though my dollhouse is nowhere near finished (are they ever??),

it brings me a tremendous amount of joy anyway.  I love sitting in 

the chair nearby and peeking into this tiny world.  :)

 

 

 

 

 

Save the Date!

Have you heard the news?  CIMTA 

(Cottage Industry Miniature Trade Association) has added a

 RETAIL show to its 2017 miniature show lineup! 

This is exciting news for collectors and mini-makers alike!!!

Shop for quality miniatures from artisans like:

Paris Renfroe 

Wild Wolf Miniatures

ULUS miniatures de Jose Maria Bolio (Mexico)

 

 ...and more (including yours truly)...

CIMTA has over 35 years experience bringing scale model artisans

 and collectors together.  Originally a wholesale show only, the expansion into the

 retail arena offers west coast collectors a chance to shop high-end miniatures without travelling to the east coast!  And there's so much to do in Las Vegas, 

why not plan a vacation around the mini show?!?

Are you excited??  Me too! 

Save the date!  January 23, and 24, 2017

The Orleans Hotel & Casino 

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

***Watch this space for a chance to win TWO free tickets to the show!***  

If you make miniatures and are interested in signing up, check out

 this link for more information.

See ya there!  :)

Playing Around with White Backgrounds

I struggle to achieve good, quality photographs.  I have a lightbox.  I have the special lights.  I use two photo editing programs (to sraighten an image that is skeepwampus in the photo and to remove dark backgrounds).  And sometimes with all that and when the stars properly align on the first Wednesday of the month following a full moon and I can balance just right standing on my head, I can -- after multiple attempts -- get a photograph I'm happy with.  Or at least can live with.  Until the next said Wednesday rolls around and I can try again.... ;)  It's a very frustrating process.

And so I've been experimenting with Clipping Magic.  It's a program that erases the background from an image, creating the illusion that it's floating in white space.

Before                                         After

The program is relatively easy to use and although it's no longer free, it's still a good value in my book.  Rates start at $3.99 per month for 15 downloads (called "credits") and increase in increments on up to $14.99 per month for 500 downloads.

Here are more dramatic transformations

Before                                            After

Clipping Magic has a step-by-step written tutorial with pictures and there are video tutorials on youtube.  Like this one.

Of course, I didn't watch the video tutorial before jumping right in -- that would've been too easy  ;).  So I just dove in and clicked around.  :)  One of the tools I found useful (which is not mentioned in the above tutorial) is the scalpel tool.  The scalpel tool became my new best friend for getting the background out of the small crevices in the above luggage photo.  

 Let's try another keychain:

As you can see, the results of your edits are shown in real time.  Once you're happy with the "after", you click the blue download button at the top of the screen.  Or, if want more edits, there are more options on the menu along the bottom.

When you click the download button you get this screen:

Follow the instructions to download to finished photo to your computer and voila!  You're done!  I created my new blog header using some of these images.  Whatdyathink?  :)

Until next time, happy mini-making, fellow miniacs.  :)

I See the Light!

Ever since I designed the dollhouse nursery collection fabrics, I've dreamed of adding lamps to each collection.  Most of them designed themselves in my head long before my hands went to work, making them a reality. 

Each lamp is handmade by me, the product of my 

over-active imagination.   :)

Under the Sea Lamp

Jungle Babies Lamp

Mischievous Monsters Lamp

Owl, Jr. Lamp

Pretty in Pink Lamp

More to come....

***********

Breakfast Is Served...

1/12th Scale Breakfast Foods 

by Cindi's Minis

Or, if it's too late for breakfast, perhaps a soft

drink or cocktail might be just what

the dollhouse peeps are thirsting for.

1/12th Scale Soft Drinks, Beer, and Liquor

by Cindi's Minis

If your dollhouse inhabitants are looking for

snacks/junk food, too, watch this space for

updates.  :)

Until next time, petit bon appetit!

Hotel Roombox by Paris Renfroe

Hotel Roombox by Paris Renfroe

Oftentimes as artisans, we create our little labors of love and then ship them off to their new homes, never seeing them again.  Sometimes a collector will tell us that a piece is going into this house or that roombox, but it is left up to our own imaginations to fill in the details.  That is why I especially appreciate when an artisan or collector takes the time to send me a photo of the finished dollhouse, roombox, vignette or scene.  

Hotel Roombox by Paris Renfroe, room view

Imagine my surprise -- and pure delight -- when I recently received a message from Paris (prdminiatures.com) with the above photos attached.  (Photos posted with permission.)  This stunningly amazing hotel roombox is the new home for a set of my rolling luggage.  Wow!  I am well pleased that the luggage will be staying in such posh accommodations.  (In this case, I wish I'd travelled with the luggage.   Maybe next time.  ;-) )

Paris  has a background in full scale design and architecture, talents he now uses to create one of a kind highly realistic miniature scenes that he photographs in such a way it is impossible to distinguish his full scale designs from his miniature ones.  In any scale, I love the clean lines and beautiful details of his work.  Paris has ordered several more sets of luggage and I very much look forward to seeing where their travels take them to.  Hopefully we'll be treated with some more photos to drool over.  In the meantime, take a peek at Paris' website.  You're going to love what you find there.

*******

Dollhouse Small Print Fabric by Whimsy Cottage Minis

Happy Hour Patio Collection

 

Awhile back I wrote that I was working on a new product line which would make its debut at CIMTA 2013 in Las Vegas this past month. 

Well, I was, and it did.  And now it's arrived in my Etsy Shop.  A contemporary, decidedly whimsical line of detailed, coordinated, small print fabrics perfect for decorating a 1/12th scale dollhouse.  I'm adding listings daily and have many more designs and coordinates coming soon!

Happy Hour Pillow Fabric

Making pillows is a snap with my new pillow kits, which, as far as I know, have never

been done in this way in miniature before.  No more hunting small print fabric for an image that is perfectly centered without partial images hovering around the edges.  I've designed fabric panels with material -- including seam allowances -- for three coordinated

pillows printed right onto the fabric.  Matching/coordinating fabric for drapes, bedspreads,

upholstery and even floor coverings make decorating fun and easy. 

Cars and Trucks Coordinates

 

I made this display for the show to showcase the fabric and was very pleased with how it turned out.  What little girl wouldn't love a bedroom set like this?!?

Daisy on Pink Pillow Fabric

Daisy on Pink Fabric

Celeste of TheLittleQuiltShoppe made up the bed pillows for both of the above displays for me.  She did a fantastic job and does such beautiful work.  She welcomes custom orders, so if you love the fabric but hate to sew, send her a convo and see how easy it is to create  one-of-a-kind coordinated soft furnishings for your dollhouse! 

Coming soon ~ Nursery Crib Comforter Kits and Coordinates like this one:

So much to do, so little time, so I better get back at it.  Until next time, I hope my mini friends are all happily creating their dreams in miniature...  :)

S'more Luggage Sets and a Treasury!

I've been keeping the lil elves busy making luggage sets.  I'm trying to build stock for my next show but it's slow going.  I also have an idea of how to display them at the show but I haven't figured out how to make it happen yet.  Stay tuned for more details on that!  ;)

1/12th Scale Faux Black Leather Modern Luggage Set

1/12th Scale 3 pc Modern Luggage Set

1/12th Scale Brown Faux Leather Luggage Set

And one of my dollhouse outdoor decor garden sculptures has been featured in this

really cute Treasury curated by Lisa of TopsTreasures.  Thank you, Lisa!

'It's A Small Small World...' by Lisa

Pink Cake 04 ivanigrande $18.00	DollHouse Miniature... Sweetystuff $13.50	Miniature Red Velve... LittleThingsBy... $23.50	Chocolate Pastries ... MerciaMiniatur... $30.00
Dollhouse Miniature... MostlyMinis $6.55	miniature sewing bo... ivanigrande $15.00	Limited Edition Spo... PixieDustMinia... $44.95	Dollhouse Miniature... WhimsyCottageM... $12.00
LIMITED EDITION ABC... mousemarket $28.50	OOAK Designer DOLLH... MINIWONDERS $175.00	shabby chic wall sh... Mundorosa $22.00	Dollhouse Furniture... TheToyBox $45.00
Fully Finished Farm... Terrysdhouse $650.00	Pink outifit at 1.1... COSYTINYS $17.00	miniature office in... bagusitaly $241.00	Miniature rose bouq... fizzyclaret $16.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house