Baby Products, Board Games and More! Oh My!

Baby Products and Board Games made by 

Cindy Gonzales of Cindi's Minis

are now available at Whimsy Cottage Minis!

1/12th Scale Box of Diapers, Baby Wipes, Baby Oil,

Baby Lotion, Baby Shampoo, Baby Powder, and Baby Formula
with very thin, professionally printed labels.   These well

made accessories will add a finishing touch to

your dollhouse nursery or roombox.

Choose from a wide variety of popular games

in 1/12th Scale. 

The printing is so sharp and clear!  I really

don't know how Cindy does it!

More to come, so stay tuned...

In the meantime, happy mini-making!  :)

Invasion of the Monsters...cute, lovable lil monsters!

Monsters -- Mischievous Monsters, to be exact -- have invaded the Whimsy workshop!

Easily amused and in love with all things ironic, I couldn't stop giggling while designing this set.

Turning the feared 'monsters under the bed' fable on its head, I put the monsters 

on top of the bed! 

And then I created accessories for a completely coordinated,

professional look.

A closer look at the 'artwork'

Matching decorator pillows

And, of course, no room would be complete without

coordinating wallpaper.  :)

Also available in halfscale.

1/24th Scale Mischievous Monsters Dressed Bed

Limited edition accessories will be added as I have time.  You can

sign up for my newsletter on my blog if you would

like to receive updates as new items become available. 

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

Has it really been a whole year since I last blogged?!?  

Where does the time go?!?

The Mini Les Bois Dollhouse Miniature Show & Sale 2014 was awesome!  I met some new collectors, new artisans, and had a great time.  

My favorite purchase this year:

Too cute for words!

For size comparison, here he is with a penny:

He's been added to my Jungle Babies Nursery Roombox and he looks right at home in there.  :)

Mini Les Bois 2013 Treasures

Vintage Trunk by C.L. Kaset

August 1988

Magic Hands Miniatures

I found some great treasures at the Mini Les Bois miniature show April 20th and 21st.
The craftsmanship on this trunk is phenomenal.  I think it might become a toy chest
 in a vignette with my Under the Sea nursery collection.
Or, it might find a place of honor in the attic once I finish my dollhouse.  

I love that the lid stays open without propping it up.  

If anyone has any more information about this artisan, please message me.

My second great find was this old time file cabinet by T-E.

I love that the drawers really open; can't wait to stuff it with worn and

tattered folders stuffed with dog-earred papers and receipts.

Such fine craftsmanship!  I'm sure I'll find a great spot to put this --- maybe

Grandma's room doubling as a night stand.  Both of my grandmothers

practiced upcycling long before there was a term for it and "Grandma's Room" 

in my dollhouse will reflect that part of them which they passed on to me.  :)

 

The craftsmanship on this table and chairs is remarkable!  I love it so much.

Pictured with a beautiful vase made by Bertie Pittman of  Bertie's Miniatures.

Flowers by Joyce of Mostly Art.

The makers' mark on the bottom of the table and a chair.  Perhaps someone

will recognize it and I can give credit to the artisan.

The table with the leaves dropped (it really works!) displaying some of the

groceries and cleaning supplies made by Cindy Gonzales of CindisMinis that

I picked up for the mini peeps.  This photo does not do them justice.  The

labels are so crisp and clear that, with the aid of a magnifying glass, one

can read the nutritional information! 

I love everything I added to my collection at the show.  I also bought some supplies

 and a few other odds and ends that will make their way into my dollhouse

 as-is or perhaps with a few adjustments here or there.  ;)

Until next time, happy mini-making!

*******

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...  :)

Upgrading a Mass Produced Refrigerator

Years ago when I started stockpiling miniatures for my then "future" dollhouse, I purchased what was, at the time, the most current refrigerator on the market.   But over time, the fridge looked dated and less than impressive.

Several times, while cleaning and organizing my studio and mini stash, I considered throwing it away.  But I always kept it, thinking that 'someday' I would recycle it into a more modern version of itself.  'Someday' kept getting put off -- I think I was concerned I wouldn't like the end result.  Finally, I decided to roll up my shirt sleeves and take the plunge.  I'm glad I did!

Refrigerator with handles removed and hole cut in left side door

 
I first removed the handles to the side-by-side doors and then cut a square hole in the left side door.

Then I fashioned the water and ice dispenser using wood, black paper coated with sealer, a straw, and polymer clay.

I reattached the handles and painted the entire outside black.  It took several coats.  Then I sealed it with Krylon Matte Sealer.

Refrigerator, front view

Side view

Close up of water/ice dispenser.

In it's new home in my mini kitchen.  :)

I still need to make and add some decals to represent the command buttons.  It's on my list of things to do.  :)

The next project, of course, is stocking the fridge. :D