Mini chocolates box for Cris' sister

I finished yesterday Cris' sister gift.  I know she collects, but I have no idea of her personal tastes.  So I made her something that always has a place in any dollhouse: a chocolates box, and a gift bag:

I know she has a store, so maybe she wants to display the bag with some goodies inside, or in the arm of one of the customers.  I hope she likes them.

It surprised me how fast I was able to do everything.  It has been a while that I have been working only with papers and cardboard, and I had forgotten how fun was to assemble a tiny multi-medium project like this one.

I got today a package of stuff that I bought to refine my technique with papers: distress ink and some stamps to work with them.  I can't wait to try them out on the mini books!  More on that very soon :)

A miniature Historia Naturalis collection

My boss' husband is an avid collector of rocks, shells and other natural specimens. He is a biologist, and teaches in a high school.  One day hubby and I were invited onto their house, and he showed us some specimens of his collection.  I told my boss that I wanted to make for him a miniature shell collection, but that thought was forgotten for a long time.

Now that we are about to relocate again (it is a long story, and for another post), I am making all the miniatures that I promised people I woud do.  And I made his yesterday evening:

The label says "Found at Virginia Beach. West Atlantic Ocean"

Actually, I bought the shells at a Michael's craft store when I was living in Virginia. In a way they come from Virginia, right?

I brought it today to work to give to my boss so she could give it to him.  She says he is going to be awed, but not as much as their little girl, who is only 6 but already loves dollhouses.  I can't wait for her to tell me about his reaction!

This afternoon I am making a chocolates box for Cris' sister (the same Cris that gifted me the fabulous miniature hat, hat stand and hat box).  Pictures of that tomorrow!

Textured rolls for crafting

I have been obssesed with Egyptian miniatures since I found out Lilliput's Treasure Egyptian collection.  

I wanted to craft an Egyptian tablet myself, just for the fun of it.  But I wanted it to have a 3D effect, instead of just doing a base with polymer clay and adding an picture on top.  Well, lo and behold, I found by chance a wonderful shop where they sell textured rolling pins with all kinds of engravings.  And to my surprise, they had an Egyptian roll too!

I could not believe my lucky stars, and I was quick in acquiring one.  I also got some Fimo in a soft beige color (the packet is called Sahara).  And today I got the time to use the roll for the first time, and the results are marvelous:

I am very excited about the possibilites.  I have not yet made the miniature tablet.  I am so happy how these two samples came out that I am turning them into magnets to gift to my classmates at the belly dancing academy.  I only need seven more, lol!  My mom says she wants one too.  I'll post pictures when they are finished.

1/144 scale furniture

My mom is very excited about her new micro mini dollhouse!  She has already ordered furniture to decorate it; and I have ordered too some kits for her - and one for me as well ;)

Pic taken by SDK Miniatures

I just love SDK Miniatures so much! Their kits are delightful and so easy to do.  I just saw their English Country Cottage Series.  I definitely need the Dove Cottage in my life!

It will be so much fun to do these kits!  I am only keeping the drawer chest to add to my dollhouse. The rest are for my mom.  Well, maybe I will keep a couple of mirrors too...

Micro mini dollhouse for my mother

My mom has an ordinary cabinet that she used to showcase jewelry in our of her scenes.  The scene, a fancy ladies shop, has changed recently with new furniture and decorations, and she did not like the cabinet there anymore.  Since the cabinet has a couple of glass doors, she had the idea of transforming it into a 1/144 scale dollhouse.

She wanted to buy the furniture and start decorating right away, but I told her maybe it would be nice to put some wallpapers and some walls on it, and I offered to do it for her, as she has zero hability for this kind of thing.  She happily accepted.

It did not take me long to design some pretty wallpapers with the help of Vectoria Designs papers.  I submitted everything for approval, and today I finally put it together:

Upstairs there will be a bedroom and a sitting room - kind of like a suit, that is why there is no extra wall added there.  Downstairs a kitchen and a living room.  I made the extra wall with balsa wood, whose edge I painted with a red marker to imitate the mahogany of the cabinet.

I am very happy how it turned out.  I know she will have fun adding furniture!

More books and free printable

The book fever is consuming me.  Please send help!

Just kidding, I am having a blast making mini books for my libraries.  Today I even managed to make some inside pages sets of my own.  One of them features the antiphonary pages that I used to sell in my shop; the other features sheet music from my favorite operas.

I am so happy how they turned out I want to share them.  So, here you are, some medieval and sheet music pages.

I left the sheet music in white in case you want to use them in a more modern setting; but if you print them in cream or yellow colored paper, or even parchment paper, you will have a lovely antique look.

As always, feel free to print as many as you like and pass them along to any one - links would be nice too.  But please do not sell them.

Enjoy making books!

A weekend of books

It is such a joy and satisfaction when one can look at the accomplishments over the weekend and be happy about them!

I have spent the free hours making more books for my libraries, and here they are:

All of them come from the Magic Collection Set #7 from Ever After Miniatures, and they all have the inside pages as well.  Except for the Vampyr and Darkest Magick, which are my own creation:

I made them using images found on Google

I still have seven books to make to complete the set.  But it has been a productive weekend!