A hug from DS Marie, something for Vern's attic

Wednesday, I received this wonderful card from my DS Marie who is the Queen of Cards and always perks us up with cards of one sort or another.Really appreciated this one (as do I all of them)/

A length of green velvet plastic-backed ribbon in folds with hands held.

She just keeps us going.

Note: My friend and fellow miniaturist, Barb R., from upstairs and I met at the mail box and we admired the ribbon...it's perfect for making miniature hats and a few other things I have in mind. The colour will certainly work in my three-room roombox.
......
This is one of the things I will be putting in "the Attic". This is not the miniature but I will be miniaturizing it.

In the fall of 1972 (the year Vern and I were married), we lived on an acreage just outside  Fort Saskatchewan. My Mom and Dad stayed in their trailer with us for a few days before they headed down to Arizona for the winter.

This was before we played canasta and our card game at the time was cribbage!

We went out to their trailer, had a beautiful meal that Mom had cooked, then started playing crib.
Oh, my goodness, Dad and I could do nothing wrong. We won 23 straight games!  At that point, it was about 3 a.m. and Vern had to fly up to the Northwest Territories at 7 that morning. But he insisted on one more game...which he and Mom won! FINALLY!

The next morning, I went into the basement, cut a piece of plywood and made this crib board "for those crib players who need all the help they can get".

When you look at it closely, you will see that there is only one hole for each two on the one track.

Lot of great memories on that crib board.

So I will make in it miniature for the Attic for Jonah and Holly.

Tina's kits/M.E.E.Associate membership

Tina's Kits:

Some people have asked about Tina's kits. They are absolutely wonderful and very reasonable. You can find them on Etsy at https://www..etsy.com/ca/shop/MiniMinutia or contact her through https://www.facebook.com/MiniMinutia/

M.E.E. Associate Membership

A MEE Associate member will:

1.    be over the age of 18.

2.    be unable to join MEE as a regular member because of distance, health, employment or other commitments.

3.    pay membership dues of $20.00 per year.

A MEE Associate member will not:

4.    be a voting member of MEE.

5.    be counted as part of a quorum for voting purposes.

6.    be eligible to stand for any MEE positions.

7.    be a member of any MEE committees (e.g. Show and Sale committee, Nomination Committee, Audit Committee)

8.    have borrowing privileges from the MEE library

A MEE Associate membership includes:

9.    access to the MEE Yahoo group.

10.  attendance at all MEE-sponsored all-day workshops. This does not include the cost of any kits or materials.

11.  receipt of the monthly MEE newsletter.

12.  attendance at the MEE Christmas Party.

13.  One additional evening workshop at no additional charge other than the cost of the kit and/or materials.

A MEE Associate member may:

14.  attend additional workshops/general meetings at a cost of $5.00 per event. This does not include the cost of any kits or materials.

15.  bring one guest to a workshop, at a cost of $5.00 per event. This does not include the cost of any kits or materials.

A MEE Associate member is expected to (if at all possible):

16.  display their miniatures at the annual Show and Sale.

17.  contribute time and effort to supporting MEE activities (e.g. assisting in putting on the Show and Sale ).

During COVID-19, all extra fees will be waived.

If you wish to join us at this time, your membership will be current from date of joining to August 31, 2021. 

Until regular meetings are again allowed, associate members will be receive all newsletters, be allowed to attend all meetings and workshops (via ZOOM) 

Jewellery Box/Bedroom/COVID19

As much as I love the black/gold combination that Tina used for the original kit, as you'll see farther down, green/gold works much better in this room.

I know better but my first choice of green marker was the cap that matched the room. Big mistake. Should have tried it on a scrap first.

This is the green I want. (Big difference between the cap colour and the actual.

The box pieces ready to stain and put together after cutting off the leg extensions in the kit.

Put together.

The filigree added to the box and lid.

 Missed a picture here where I coloured the edge of the lid and the top inside of the box itself with the Krylon gold.

Couldn't find the wooden pieces I had thought I would use for the feet of the box but these yellow beads are a much better size anyway. Put four of them on the ends of round toothpicks and painted them gold.

Then glued them to the bottom of the box.

This is the bedroom where the jewellery box will go. The pieces on the floor at the front are various options for the dressing table.

Went with some bottles by Judy Mitchell, the jewellery box and a mirror. I have a Chrysbon dresser set that I think will go on the table also. The jewellery box isn't hinged yet so have to do that and add jewellery to it.  But it's coming together.

And this is what it looks like so far...

This is the middle room of a three-room roombox which has a bathroom, bedroom and a sitting room.

The bedroom is pretty much finished, the bathroom needs a couple things and the sitting room is almost done. The biggest things that have to be done are the lights in each room and covering the outside of the box. Those require that I have to empty it to get those things done.

It's going on the back-burner (yet again) for now as I have to finish Vern's attic and one other project for Mission Hill Village.

Off-Topic
This afternoon at 2:30, family and friends of residents in the extended care building next door (there are two buildings next door - the one my Mom lived in and an extended care building which has been in lockdown for 4-5 weeks) lead a 40-50 car cavalcade through the parking lot with posters, balloons and waves to let people know they were thinking of them. It was lovely and quite touching.

Length of M.E.E. membership

We're adding a new column to our M.E.E. membership - the year each member joined the club.

In the summer of 2002, I had just finished making Mom's memory box for her 79th birthday.

Over time, I had noticed Joanne's posts on Small Stuff and at this time, she had posted that she had checked WalMart in St. Albert for the carved toothpicks that were in great demand at the time and they didn't have them. So I dropped her a quick e-mail thanking her for saving me a trip to check it out for myself.

We spoke on the phone and it turned out she lived only a few blocks from me. She came over, we connected and shortly after that, she invited me to join her at M.E.E.'s summer get-together which was held that year at Judy Mitchell's.

In September, I joined the club, attended my first Gathering (Edmonton's last) in 2003 and went with several others to the Winnipeg Gathering in 2004.

Lot of good memories!

September 20, 2020, Edmonton Miniature Show and Sale CANCELLED

It's with great sadness and regret that we that the Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton Club announces that our 24th annual Show and Sale originally scheduled to September 20, 2020, has been cancelled.

😪

In this uncertain world of COVID-19, we  feel that this is a safe decision for our club, dealers, and the public.

We have spoken with the hotel and they have agreed to transfer our room deposit to September 19, 2021.

We hope to at least have an online show of members work in September.

Keep safe, everyone, and plan on having a really great sale in 2021.

Phone visit ... and actually did something!

Not much...but something.

Monday night I phoned Sherri MacRaild in Calgary. She had sent me a newsy email last week and I decided it was easier to pick up the phone and call her. She and her husband winter in Arizona so we had a lot of catching up to do. Sherri is an IGMA Artisan who sells at our annual Show and Sale and makes the most unique toys, seasonal decorations, Noah's arks, candy buckets and plants in unique pots. She told me about a new project that she is working on and it sounds wonderful.

I had to admit that I was not getting anything done so she gave me a swift kick in the rear VBG!

So I got out my newest kit from Tina (a jewellery box) and my new Krylon 18 kt. gold leafing pen.

All the filigree pieces are gold leafed and ready to attach.

I like  the way Tina did her sample in black with gold filigree but I think I want to do it in green as the bedroom I plan on putting it in has all white furniture with green walls, flooring and beddring. Also think I'll leave the legs off and have it sitting on gold feet. So have to decide on that before I finish it. But at least it's started.

I have this screen that Tina also designed and made the kit for. At the time I did it I didn't have the Krylon pen so used my gold Pilot pen which is quite dull - not the bright gold of the Krylon.

 So I repainted it with the Krylon pen and love the difference.

The gold pen 'slipped' a couple times so I went over those spots with the black marker.

This will eventually go in the black and gold 'sort of Art Deco' living room that I have planned.

This is the cap off my Vitalux vitamins for my eyes. (Mom also took these so I have a few saved up from her also.) They're 2" in diameter and 7/16" deep. My original thought was that they would make lovely little nursery tables if painted with flower tops. But not I'm thinking they would also make nice little end tables as I have some filigree napkin rings that would make nice bases.

Something like this. Maybe  paint the base gold with a black marble top? Possibilities are there I think.

ZOOM

As a club, we are totally blessed by many computer-savvy members.

They have been able to keep the club and workshops going through these trying times.

As for me, I've had some really difficult and weird things happen as I have tried to work with ZOOM.

First, tried to use my computer! Connected but no picture. My camera was SO old that it wouldn't work. And the driver would only work with Windows 2007.

So then, tried to use my tablet. Connected with that just fine. But no front-facing camera!

BUT, knew my old tablet had a front-facing camera BUT it would take me forever to recharge it!

DD Leanne said I could use my phone but I said I didn't have email on it but she told me I could connect through webmail...which I did.

Anyway....

Whatever my troubles, at least of half of the Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton have been able to connect through ZOOM and we are blessed with that!

Tuesday night, Tina will be teaching a workshop on ZOOM. It is a lovely jewellery box. She will tape the session and then put it on youtube so those who can't follow it on ZOOM can get it there.

What a blessing to have Tina not only teach us through ZOOM and Youtube but that she designed this in the first place.

Bookshelf inserts

One of the projects that has been suggested for our club Miniaturist Enthusiasts of Edmonton for 2020/21 is a bookshelf insert...these are wonderful and would give us a challenge in space and perspective.

I hope this link works as it will demonstrate all the ways this can be done. See here.https://www.boredpanda.com/book-nook-shelf-inserts/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic

Harry Chapin - WAY off topic

DS Marie always thanks me for introducing her to poetry and we've enjoyed that throughout the years but...

Marie introduced me to Harry Chapin's music about 40 years ago....and I fell in love.

While I loved Taxi, W.O.L.D., and all the others, my favourite has always been Mr. Tanner.

So when I got this email from Marie the other day:

Remember the song Mr. Tanner by Harry Chapin.  Well, it was based on an actual review that he read about a singer from Dayton, Ohio named Martin Tubridy.  If you go on youtube and type his name in it will bring you to a concert that the surviving Chapin band was putting on and he sang the Big John Wallace part of the song. 

I did Google it and you can hear it here.

If you're a fan, I hope you'll enjoy it. If you have never heard Harry sing it, you can hear it here.

A gift from DS Marie

Once again, Marie came through with a great mini gift. She told me it was originally in a 10" x 10" frame and was purchased from the Leonardo Fine Arts Gallery in Cornwall, Ontario.

It is signed on the mat but unfortunately I can't make out the signature. Also tried doing an image search with no luck.

No matter. It's a lovely little piece. The art itself is only 2" x 2" but in order to preserve the signature, I plan on framing it with a half inch mat all around.

Still can't seem to get into "mini" mode. Doing lots of reading but that's about all.....

However, I would like to suggest once again, my friend, Marjike's blog. She is making excellent use of her time in isolation - catching up on UFOs and sttarting a wonderful new project. Highly recommend it.

After waiting over 4 months for my cataract surgery (April 9 and 16), still haven't heard anything from my ophthalmologist but they're closed this week and doubt very much if it will happen. And, quite honestly, I'd feel much more comfortable self-isolating and postponing the surgery as much as I want it done.