Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton

We had our last meeting before the Show and Sale on Sunday, September 21, 2014.

The dealers are:

DEALER LIST 2014

Another World Miniatures (Linda Maddaford, Bev Perret)

1:12 scale fine furniture, blown glass, silver, findings, fabric and lace, silk ribbon and accessories some 1:48 scale accessories, findings and kits.

Bits by Barb (Barb Striethorst)

Flower kits, assembled flowers, landscape supplies, German laser cuts, food items

Cheryl Hartlen

Miniature tartan afghans and placemats, slippers, etc.

Connie Stitt

Handcrafted plants and flowers in 1:12, 1:24 and 1:48 scales

Hoanie Yong

Chandeliers, books, Christmas trees, ornaments, other misc. items

Janice Crawley, IGMA Fellow

1:12 ceramic dishes, Toby Mugs, figurines, tiny porcelain dolls (1” – 2”)

Judy Mitchell

Various handmade items in 1:12 and 1:48 scales

Lilliana Olson

Large dollhouse (empty), variety of miniature items

Linda Austin

Miniature wheel-thrown pottery (all scales) and assorted miniatures

Little Day Miniatures

Handcrafted miniature food

Luba Barnes

Miscellaneous miniature items in 1:12 and 1:48, magazines, furniture

MiniLAND, VICTORIA

Full line of roomboxes, furniture and accessories

http://www.miniland.ca

info@miniland.ca

MS. MINI (Sherrill Bedu)

1:12 and 1:48 scales porcelain dolls and accessories, furniture

Needleart Treasures by Rosalle

Crocheted accessories for the mini home

Patricia Makarowski

 Furniture and accessories in 1:12 scale, some 1:48 scale.

Teresa de Simone

Sherri MacRaild

Handmade Hallowe’en, Christmas and other items in 1:12 scale

Wee Lighting

Miniature 1:12 12 volt floor/table lamps

Across  from the sales room will be the Show Room with an incredible number of displays....over 60  so far!!

Most displays are from our own club, especially the "A Camping MEE Will Go" display of  the trailers many club members made as our club project from the past year. 

This year, we have a wonderful number of displays from people outside the club. There will be two dollhouses made by young miniaturists and their grandmother; eleven roomboxes by an emerging miniaturist; and several displays by some of our dealers.

We hope that you'll come and join us for this incredible day!

The Borrowers

Just had this incredible thought....

The box that DS Shirley gave me...

I couldn't easily take out the  "shelves" out so I was thinking that it could be made as a wonderful "Borrowers" scene with the upper level as a 1:12 setting with the lower levels being done as a  "Borrowers" scene in 1:48.

That would be SO wonderful! The BIG problem is that the "Borrowers" things would have to be made SO much smaller.

BUT I know I will never do it so if there is anyone in the Edmonton club - or anyone who lives near us - who would be interested in doing this....

Please let me know if you would like the box...

It's 20 1/2" wide by 11 1/2" high x 6" deep.

Just a thought!....

And even more gifts...

Tuesday night, Leanne and Rob treated me to dinner at Outback.

On Labour Day weekend, Leanne had gone to Montana. While she was there, she picked up a baseball bat, ball and glove for her Dad's memory attic.

Her SIL is a fingernail artist so Leanne had ordered an incredible set of fingernail tapes for her - and another for me!

This doesn't give you ANY idea! All these rolls of tape are 1 mm wide and they are in all colours and shapes. (Leanne ordered them from China and they were only $1.80!!!)

Haven't decided exactly what to do with them yet but I'm SO excited to have them in my stash!

Christmas in September!

Through this blog, I've been extremely fortunate to meet, among others, Sus from Denmark. We've been corresponding for quite a while. Months ago, I sent her a package of various items from my stash and tonight I was very pleasantly surprised when Canada Post announced I had a package.

And what a package!

 The beautiful vase of flowers came with this lovely note: "Dear Maureen, I can't give or send you flowers, so this is what I did instead. Hugs, Sus" This beautiful picture of Copenhagen is a sculptured picture. The middle piece is a copy of the of the Hans Christian Andersen mermaid that sits in the harbour of Copenhagen. Next to that are two silver ducks with scarves. (A popular gift to the baby on Christening day to save money - the scarf identifies the sex of the child.) Then a lovely tall vase with a glass flower that came in a box that has possibilities in itself.

Those were the specifically Danish gifts which would have been enough in themselves!

Glass head pins (Sus suggested the holder could become a table top - what a great idea!); beads, jewelery findings; contact lens containers (great as holders for glue - let it dry out and wipe out); lot of aquarium bead; wonderful folded shirt and tie; some beads; wonderful plastic animals (the polar bear is one I already have in my art gallery); wooden buttons that can be used as wall decorations in a nursery; these are the plastic bulbs that can be cut into bottles (thrilled to have them; the rest are self-explanatory)

 An incredible collection of charms, beads, and other beautiful things; a package of bamboo skewers; some angels and other things; some tooled toothpicks; a bead; a bone folder (for defining folds) WONDERFUL didn't have one before; gold/silver pens; a string of leaves; and (be still, my heart) quilling paper and, not one, but two, quilling tools!

These wonderful little glass ornaments! The penguin is exactly 1" tall. Great fun!

Thank you, Sus! What an incredibly great gift!

So much to catch up on....

Barb asked me to mini with her on Saturday afternoon but I had started cleaning and was on a roll so had to say 'no'.

Was glad I did because Sunday morning I got a call from sister Carol saying she was coming out for a day. She arrived early afternoon and she, Shirley and I spent the afternoon at Mom's having a most marvellous visit. She had brought a supply of fresh vegetables out for Mom so we had a lovely evening meal.

I don't know if I mentioned this here although I did mention it in The Camp Show and Tell. In 1941, my Dad, who was in the Canadian Army at the time and was training at Kananaskis, was photographed shaving in the mirror of his motorcycle. The picture was published in the Star Weekly and although we all knew about it, none of us had ever seen it!

Earlier this year, a man from our home town bought a copy of the picture on e-Bay and tracked down sister Carol through an old family friend and gifted her with the picture. Carol had copies made (and framed) for all of us. She gave Mom, Shirley and me our copies on Sunday.

What a wonderful gift!

Carol spent the night with me so I was able to show her the Quilt Shop that I made for her:

She was very impressed! She doesn't get to keep it, however, until after our Show and Sale on September 21. But sister Marie is coming out on October 7 and will take it up to Carol then. But I did give her a picture of it to take home and show off to the Quilt Guild.

We had a wonderful evening and morning visiting then she headed home this afternoon.

We had one heck of a shock this morning when we woke up to SNOW!!!! It pretty much melted as it hit the ground but it kept up until mid-afternoon. Temperatures are supposed to be in the low 20s C. by the weekend but it was a bit of a shock.

Joanne left for Washington, D.C. this morning so I'm wondering if she saw the snow on her way to the airport. At least, she'll certainly get warmer weather there. Happy Birthday, Joanne! And have a wonderful holiday!

So the past three days were pretty busy and exciting......BUT tonight I had a wonderful surprise!!!!

But that will be in a separate post!

For Children at the Edmonton Show and Sale

The future of our hobby is in the children.

With that in mind, the Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton Club has for the last several years made an effort to encourage young people to get involved in two ways at our Show and Sale on September 21:

(1) Sunni and other members have a "make and take" table where young people can do a project. I believe that this year's project is a Hallowe'en scene. This is a lot of fun for everyone concerned. BUT the tables open at 10 a.m. and when the supplies run out, the tables close. So it's important that those children who wish to take part arrive early in the day.

We will also have a table where children can leave their work to display it.

(2) A Grab Bag table with bags of minis for $1.00! This year we have about 300 grab bags available. Each bag contains a number of minis.

If you have a child who is enthusiastic about minis, you're encouraged to have the work displayed at our Show. You can email me  to get an entry form. There is no charge to enter the display but we do need to know about it in advance so we can plan for it. All displays must be dropped off at the hotel between 7 and 8:30 a.m.

Joanne's Bookmobile trailer, club meeting

Yesterday, Joanne and I went to the Enjoy Centre to pick up a lawn chair for her Bookmobile and a flamingo for my Christmas Shop (inside family story). She got the lawn chair but the flamingoes were sold out.

Then we went back to her place so I could see her Bookmobile trailer. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me because it is absolutely wonderful! Wasn't quite finished at the time but it is beautiful! I hope I'll be able to show pictures before the Show and Sale.

Tonight Lucille taught a doll-making class at the club workshop. I didn't take it myself but it was fun watching all the dolls come together.

Debbie with the pieces in place.

Lucille explaining the next step.

Carol K. hand-sculpting a doll with many of her dolls in the foreground.