Teddy Bears' Picnic

Do you remember the wonderful room box that Connie Stitt gave me at our Show and Sale?

I knew at the time it would make a wonderful setting for a "Teddy Bears' Picnic" but had put it on the lower end of the 'to-do' list.

For a few years now, I've had a table at "Arts Day" at Leo Nickerson Elementary School. (My friend, Joanne, is joining me this year.) The Art teacher at the school invites a large number of artists in various mediums to demonstrate their work. Some offer workshops and many have tables throughout the halls. In the past, I've tried to have a small kit to pass on to the students but this year that just didn't happen.

So yesterday morning, I got the bright (?) idea to complete the "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and donate it to the school to be used either as a door prize or perhaps a raffle fundraiser for the school.

So I raided my stash for picnic things.

The frozen mini quiches sold by Superstore come in a plastic tray that I saved and cut into individual pieces

I cut around the edge to create a rimmed tub, then painted the tub silver with my wedge point silver Pilot Pen.

I had this crate of Coca Cola bottles in my stash along with this bag of "ice cubes" - the small clear crystals that are used in floral arrangements.

I made watermelons years ago to go in my sister Carol's camping scene. Instructions were in the July 2004 issue of American Miniaturist.

Filled the tub with the floral crystals then added some watermelon and bottles of Coke.

Cake made from a slice of cork iced with spackle and decorated with sequin hearts. Bean bag game from my stash.

The hamburger and hot dog plates and the bowl of potato stash were from my stash. The ketchup bottle was made by Susan and received at CMHH. (It's from a single dose eye drop bottle.) And an acorn top bowl filled with potato chips made by drying the seeds from bell peppers.

The drinking glasses are the lids from some old glass stain paint and the salt and peppers are made from pony beads.

I got this great piece of mini gingham at the Three Blind Mice Show in Chicago.

I cut a 4" square of the gingham and fringed it by pulling several rows of threads from each edge.

(Scream!!!!!!)

Normally, Blogspot is really easy to use but it's acting up tonight and I just lost 3/4 hours work!

So we'll try again....the final items from my stash:

(Double Scream!!!!)
Lost update again even though I hit SAVE and it appeared to take.

One more try and if it doesn't work, I'll finish in the morning.

The greenery came from Dollarama and I took two pieces to create little bushes in the scene. I had a long branch about 1" in diameter in my 'log cabin' stash so I cut a length off it for seating. The cooler is a printie from Jim Collins who site has been taken over by Small Stuff at his request. (I actually filled the cooler with some stones I had on hand to give it some weight and keep it in place.)

Now it's time to deal with the setting itself. The only change to be made is in the inner walls. The wallpaper has to be replaced with a forest scene. I was incredibly fortunate that the wallpaper had been mounted on cardstock then glued to the foam core...and it came off quite easily.

With the wallpaper removed.

I had found this scene through Google image and printed it as large as I could on two sheets of paper with the smallest margins allowed. Then I sprayed the two pages with a fixative. (Lost a few pictures here and after the next step.)

I cut a piece of mat board to fit inside the roombox then cut partially through the back of it so it would fold easily. Then pasted the two pictures to it using Yes glue.

Here the matboard was put in place against the back walls of the roombox.

Now I've placed all the picnic pieces in place. I had hoped to have room for a barbeque or a fire pit but there wasn't room so you just have to visualize it out of the picture (LOL).

THEN the Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton Club came through with the teddy bears! Maureen M. delivered a bag of 20 miniature bears to my house this morning and I added a few if them to the scene.

With the plexiglass in place....

With the plexiglass and cover in place.

There's still some tweaking to do to the scene and things need to be glued in place (moveable glue, of course) but it's still 36 hours until we have to have it at the school and I'm pleased with it.

Don't know if you spotted it but I made a marshmallow/hot dog roaster that I didn't mention. I'll post a tutorial on that tomorrow.