Sorry, people...

My mini get-up-and-go seems to have got up and went - at least temporarily! Ideas aren't even coming at the moment so I think I'm going to have to step back and wait to see what comes in the next few days.

Our group order from Grandpa's Dollhouse is scheduled to arrive next Wednesday so I'm hoping that will give me a good kick in the rear. Even if it doesn't get me mini-ing, I'll have some beautiful new things to show you then!

19th Annual Show and Sale September 20, 2015

MINIATURE ENTHUSIASTS OF EDMONTON CLUB invites you to take part in their

19^th ANNUAL FALL SHOW & SALE

Sunday, September 20, 2015

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Executive Royal Inn

10010 – 178 Street

Edmonton, Alberta

T5S 1T3

 Just a heads up for anyone who might want to make travel plans to come and join us.

We don't have a dealer list yet although Alex of Victoria Miniland has already confirmed that he will be back again this year.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in being a dealer at our show, please have them e-mail me for further information.

BOOKS!!! Very special order!

It's no secret that I LOVE books, both in RL and in mini. And my love of books is reflected in my rooms....

There are so many ways to make books for your rooms/houses

But sometimes, you want something better...........

Barbara Brear in South Africa does the most incredible books! Although she does beautiful open books and printed books, her latest offering is a selection of faux books.

Joanne and I ordered 100 of Barbara's faux books to be split between us. 

I can hardly wait until they arrive and I can spread them about....on tables, nightstands and in bookshelves.

They are SO beautiful!

Highlighting a Special Mini - Joanne's Vignette

Sometimes you have a special mini that needs its own setting.

My BFF Joanne bought a pair of skates from a friend of mine, JoAnn Shaw, on e-bay. They are absolutely, incredibly beautiful!

So great that Joanne knew they needed a display of their own. If they were in a roombox, perhaps, they would get lost in the picture.

Joanne had a small display globe she had bought from Liz last year. I had a hall rack that Cheryl had given me when I was in Nova Scotia the last time. I had a muff and hat that I thought might work.

So those things were the start! But they didn't work! The rack was perfect but the muff and hat didn't work. Joanne found the bag on the base in her stash - it was one of the first minis she ever purchased! The purse was also from  her stash. The sweater was made from a sock and she knit the scarf using embroidery floss. (She has a wonderful story about starting the scarf on nails! I took pity and lent her a pair of knitting needles for the final scarf.) After several hours and tries that didn't quite make it, she made the earmuffs.

What a lovely little vignette that shows off the figure skates! And with the globe added, dust free!

JoAnn Shaw currently has some of her work (backpacks, inlaid tables, men's skates and sandals) on e-bay.

....
DS Marie called me on Thursday and asked if my apartment was still clean. I could honestly say that it was (after over four weeks). She asked how I did it and I replied that when all I do is lay on the couch and read all the time, it doesn't get messy! LOL

An idea for child leaving home...

Susanne in Denmark said she would like a roombox for her boys when they leave home. While a roombox is nice, I think that something smaller and wall-hanging is better. 

I made this for DD Leanne when she moved to Texas for two years. Don't recall where I got the box. (It's just under 12" tall and about  under 8" wide.)

Each section has little mementos of her life: 

1. YWCA pin (she was working for the YWCA) and sorority greek letters and symbol (angel)

2. map of Texas, cowboy boots, U.S.A. teapot

3. cornet (her instrument) and Beatles album (big fan!)

4. Mickey Mouse quilt (RL one was from her grandparents), Mickey Mouse hat

5. Mickey Mouse plate, scrapbook album with pictures

6. Million Bright Mornings poster, telephone (to keep in touch)

7. her Boston Celtics shirt

8. Picture of her and Rob, one of my mini books

9. Robert Munsch's "Love You Forever", her Goodnight Care Bear, an aquarium

10. family pictures

11. Christmas tree and wreath

12. Calla lily (her favourite flower)

This one is a bit more elaborate....but it had to cover a LOT more years! LOL! This was done for my mother for her 79th birthday. (The box was from Michael's but I haven't seen one like it there since.)

Didn't take as long as I thought it would!

Got the drawers sanded and in place:

The flowers are some that I picked up at the Edmonton Doll Show two years ago. Unsigned.

When Joanne and I were looking for something in the unsorted shoeboxes, I came across some pieces of china from my last trip to Nova Scotia that I want to use in the sitting room.

The coffee table was made by Shelley Acker of Nova Scotia.

This china cabinet is from my stash. The china is from Nova Scotia. (The cup is actually a moustache cup!)

The vase is by Janice Crawley but unsigned.

Looks pretty bare, doesn't it! First of all, I need to do more work on the wallpaper - it is not properly attached. I am really frustrated. Normally when I put up wallpaper, I carry the side wallpaper around the back a 1/2" so when the back sheet is added, the corners are fully covered. Darn it! Can't believe I didn't do that this time.

The focal point of the sitting room will be a fireplace on the back wall. Am thinking of a fireplace with built-in bookshelves on either side  and I'm pretty sure I'll do that.

I've ordered two wing chairs and two footstools from Liz during her January sale. They'll go on an area carpet on either side of the table. I need a different carpet but this one is the right size.

After I ordered the two wing chairs from Liz, I remembered that I had two House of Miniatures Chippendale Wing Chair kits.I could make those up with the emerald green silk I used for the bed cover in the bedroom to keep the green theme going across all three rooms.

Still have to think about that.

I have two corner chairs (which could be recovered in the green also) and a selection of desks (from which I'll choose one) to go in here. 

If I go with this desk, I won't need bookshelves on either side of the fireplace (or at least not as large).

 This desk is pretty small!

 As is this one....this one is a favourite as it has a certain resemblance to a desk that used to belong to Leanne.

I love this davenport desk by Penny Spence but it is very small.

I like this one too but, again, it is small.

On the other hand, this is a sitting room so maybe the room shouldn't be overpowered by the desk. Lots to think about!

Not quite as planned, the nursery

I got the lingerie chest painted, varnished, and the hardware on the drawers. BUT the drawers were too tight when I put them in the carcass. (One drawer was so tight I had to drill a hole in the back of the carcass to insert a pin to get the drawer back out.) So tonight or tomorrow, I see more sanding in my future.

Had a lovely email from David and Laura with the following picture of their nursery with the roombox on the dresser.

Some progress on the lingerie chest

I took all the drawers, one at a time,  and sanded them down (held them top down and rubbed against the sandpaper) until each one fit in the appropriate slot in the carcass. (With a pencil, I numbered each drawer on the bottom from 1 to 9.)

I taped the drawer fronts together then put them in my gluing jig with a scrap piece of wood so the edge off the fronts was fractionally over the edge of the jig. Then I sanded the edges until the fronts fit in the carcass.

With the tape still in place I marked the spots for drilling the holes for the drawer hardware.

Forgot to take a picture but I confirmed that the holes were in the right places for the hardware.

Then, one at a time, I sanded the drawer fronts to fit and glued them to the drawers.

Here is the carcass with the first coat of paint.

The carcass still  needs another coat of paint and two coats of matte varnish (being sanded with brown paper between coats).

The drawer fronts also need to be painted and varnished then the hardware can be added.

So tomorrow I should have the finished piece ready to show you.

Frustrated with the kit....

I LOVE House of Miniatures and Houseworks Signature Series kits. And I have had incredible success putting them together!

BUT this one is giving me problems. The carcass of the lingerie case went together well...everything fit together beautifully. However, the drawers are a different story.

So far, so good.

Each of the drawer sections.

The drawers put together.

The drawer fronts:

So I dry-fitted (or attempted to) the drawers. They are too tall and need to be sanded down about 1 mm.

Then checked out the drawer fronts. They are about 1 mm too wide! And I cannot drill the holes to attach the hardware until they are the right size.

So I need to make the drawer fronts the correct size, attach the hardware so it is centred, and attach the fronts to the drawers. (The bottom drawer is quite a bit less deep than the others so have to keep that in mind.)

I love a well made kit and am SO disappointed in this one.

But it will come together at some point. I will paint and varnish the carcass tonight then worry about the drawers tomorrow.

I am trying to figure out how to trim the drawer fronts properly then centre the hardware.

Some answers...

Still have not started working on the lingerie case but I have made one before. It is in the bedroom of my Bombay house:

That is it in the corner. All the drawers work! (Which I love!)

These kits have been discontinued but there are quite a few of them available on e-bay. There are four pieces in the Bombay bedroom made from these kits (bought on e-bay) and I have two more in my stash that I found in a miniature shop in Phoenix a couple years ago. Just Google Houseworks Signature Series Federal Collection to find the e-bay listings.

Susanne also asked about the dollhouses that can be seen in some pictures of the dining room. The taller one is from Costco and came fully furnished. My children gave it to me for Christmas 6 or 7 years ago. I have made quite a few changes in the furnishings and some changes in wall coverings.

The Bombay House is by far my favourite house! It still needs quite a bit of work (door and window frames, curtains, window seat in the wide front wall and the addition of a deck outside the kitchen).
I blogged about my work on it between November 7, 2011, and February 7, 2012. This one is completely electrified.

These doors would painted by my friend Adrian Cooper. Eventually, I hope to add a patio with hot tub on this side of the house. Love the doors but they sure take a big chunk of useable floor space out of the kitchen.

Elizabeth, glad you liked the fishing reel idea. I found a picture of one for you. Another thought is for the curved part on the top of the lighter:

Thought this might be the basis for a napkin holder in a diner...but have never tried it myself.

Well, it has been 24 days with a spotless (well, clean, anyway) place. Do not think it will last much longer. Want to put my work table back up in the living room and get some serious work done.

But I will try to clean up between projects.....

Hope this answers all your questions. My problem is that I read comments on my tablet but hate answering anything on that teensy-tiny keyboard so I promise myself that I will answer later when I am at the computer....but I get sidetracked and forget to do it. Sorry!

Another probable change of direction

The bedroom is getting pretty crowded so I am thinking of replacing the chest of drawers with this lingerie chest. It has a much smaller footprint than the piece that is in there now.

Still trying to figure out how to work in a closet and the connecting door to the bathroom.

Leanne and I are going to see Beauty and the Beast (a Christmas present) at the Jubilee Auditorium tonight then I am spending the night at their place so hope to get something done and reported tomorrow.

Camp Mini Ha Ha 2015

Registration is now open for Camp Mini Ha Ha in the lovely Annapolis Basin Conference Centre in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. There are only 32 spots available this year. The opening day for registrations is February 23rd - which means your mailed in registration cannot be postmarked before February 23rd.  You can get it ready, all filled out, and payments ready - so you can just pop it in the mail first thing on February 23rd.

The project for this year is a room built in books. You can see it on Facebook.

Tidying things up a bit....

To be quite honest, I haven't done much around here lately.

The one thing I did was to move the detective's office and bar from my workroom into the living room. That was sort of great as it's some of my best work and it has been 'hidden' in my workroom.

Tonight (Sunday), I spent some time going through the three boxes that still need to be sorted and put on the bulletin boards. Found some things for the three room roombox and got a few things put where they should be (mostly beads and fabric).

I did find four old lighters which I took apart for easier storage. The round parts (below) make great reels for fishing rods. The springs (which are much finer than the springs from ballpoint pens) would be great for doors.

DS Marie and BIL Rob arrived home from Cuba yesterday and hopefully they will be here for breakfast in the morning. That depends on the weather forecast for their trip home to Peace River.

Southwestern

I don't do Southwestern but this is an interesting take on it:

I was at a Board meeting last night and this was the napkin:

 That was the outside of the napkin: these are the two other views:

Love this one:

 And this is the other:

Any one of these could be used as a wallpaper.

I love how you can take a napkin and get all these different pictures/effects!

Check it out!