My purchases 2019

Two things I bought that I used right away...

I meant to buy a range hood from Joanne Davies last year but didn't get around to it. But I knew I needed it for Ann's kitchen and, fortunately, Joanne was back this year and had some left.

I removed the trim and painted it with the charcoal Cottage Paint I used for Ann's cupboards.

Here it is in place. Makes a world of difference I think.

Everything in place once again.

Was thrilled to win People's Choice for the roombox!

For Mirabel's roombox, I had the incomplete set of fireplace tools that DS Marie had given me last Christmas. Unfortunately, that included the handle but not the shovel. But Hoanie had the set on the right so bought it. Colour's not quite right but it'll work.

Clipped the circle off...

and glued the shovel inside the handle from the set on the left...

And, voila! Have the set of fireplace tools that I need.

Got this china cabinet, table and chairs (with bonus flower arrangement) from the Doll Club table. They're perfect for the scenes I give away at Christmas.

Spotted this fireplace on Linda Austin's table and fell in love with it. Have to clean off the price tag but I'm visualizing it in a couple scenarios already.

Louise Zawada sells these beautifully wrapped gifts. I always pick up some for 'special' gifts. Kicking myself, though, as Kristy Wipf had some lovely little gift bags made with the same silver paper at the front centre gift. Should have bought a couple.

Got this beautiful cake plate trimmed with Swarovski crystals from Hoanie. It's so pretty.

A lovely (opening) suede handbag from Sue Lefebvre. She had several green ones that I would have liked but I wasn't sure what shade would go with my green and white bedroom so went with the black.

Picked these up from Karen Mohr's table. You can never have too many pitchers and glasses!

Shoot! I can't remember who I bought these candy polymer canes from. Some great all-sorts candy here. For years, I put licorice all-sorts in almost all my scenes. I may start again.

I first used this little glue bottle when I took Linda Austin's jewellery class. Since then, I've used the one she gave us in the class constantly. So I stopped by her table and bought three more.

My friend, Margaret Clark, stopped by and gave me these two tweezers. Looking forward to using them. Thanks, Margaret.

For years, I have been meaning to copy this piece of artwork from the hotel lobby wall. It's one of those projects that keeps niggling at the back of your mind and while you may think you're on the right track, it's never quite there.

Then I spotted these pieces on Hoanie's table. I think they may be the solution but even if they're not, I'm that much closer to being able to make it.

Wasn't planning on buying another light but for $3.00 thought "Why not?" Another bargain from Karen Mohr.

The piece-de-resistance 

Although Janet Harvie is a new dealer to the Edmonton Show and Sale, I've known her for several years and have purchased from her before at the old Bowmanville, ON, show and sale.

I absolutely could not resist this furniture set. My mind is full of ideas on how to display them in a room.

I have a friend who is so very kind to me each year at our Show and Sale and buys me a wonderful gift each year. This year, she bought me this wonderful display cabinet. It's 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" and 12" tall. At this moment, I'm thinking it might be a great setting for Janet's furniture and Linda's fireplace. But we'll have to wait and see. Thanks you very much, Barbara.

The Show and Sale 2019

Oh, my, what a wonderful day!

Packing up - ready to go on Saturday night!

Shot of set up before the sale started.

I must admit we were concerned that the loss of MiniLand (Alex Zohar) would be a death knell for our Show and Sale. It was tough. We lost 36 linear feet of tables and lost a dealer that had an online presence. It was a great loss but we made it through.

We had eleven returning dealers (two after a short absence), eight new dealers, plus our usual MEE tables (Children's grab bags, MEE consignment tables, and MEE donation tables).

Among our new dealers were Kim Stewart and Janet Harvie (our workshop leaders from Ontario); Marlene Hall/Sylvia Reiber; Aleeta Kent; Erika Baker; Karen Mohr and Debbie Marshall.

Marlene Hall/Sylvia Reiber came from Regina with wonderful selections of dolls, ribbons and trims, and flowers.

Aleeta Kent taught two workshops to our club. We were lucky that we caught her before Camp Mini HaHa this year. Cats, dogs, chickens and other things. Her Mr. Grinch was wonderful!

Former MEE member, Debbie Marshall, and her partner, Sheila, had a table of vintage dollhouse furniture. There were some wonderful things! BUT of course many vintage things are 1:16 scale so I couldn't use them. But Debbie and I did discuss the Venus and Martin Dodge books which are in 1:16 scale.

Erika Baker (a MEE member) had some wonderful roomboxes on her table. She had a shop front, a roombox and an attic. Prices were reasonable and the pieces were well-done. You can contact me
if you want more information.

Karen Mohr had great things on her table. Lots of kits and furniture. She won't be back next year as she was clearing things out and at the end of the day, she donated everything that was left to our club. Thank you so much, Karen

The Doll Club of Edmonton had a table this year. (I actually bought a few things there.) It's always a problem with the the timing of their sale. But we do try to have our sales on different weekends. It worked this year. Their doll sale is on September 29, 2019. We will have a table there to advertise our club. As with the "Driving Miss Dolly" trip in June, we want to keep the associated clubs working together.   https://www.facebook.com/events/2424845457589757/

The Workshops

The club sponsored two workshops this year on the Friday and Saturday before the Show and Sale.

Kim Stewart taught this great wicker trunk/blank chest on Thursday. Kim is an I.G.M.A. artisan from Ontario who also teaches at the Guild School in Castine, Maine. This is Kim's second trip to teach here.

Some pictures of work in progress.

Janet Harvie (Maggie Melinda Custom Miniatures) is also from Ontario. This was her first trip here as an instructor and a dealer.

Those who registered for the workshop told Janet in advance their colour choices.

Using the Pretty Pleater for pleat the bed skirts.

Using an unfamiliar sewing machine.

Some of the beds:

My displays for this year's Show and Sale

It'll probably take me a week to get caught up with the events of the past week, but I'm going to start with the displays I took last Sunday.

I was actually surprised at how many projects I finished over the past year!

The first large one was Ann's kitchen. This was a gift to Ann Zvonkovic of Thyme to Celebrate Catering. Ann supplied evening meals to our mother during the last years of her life. She was kind enough to allow me to borrow it to display at the show.

The second roombox is a gift to Mirabel, the housekeeper in Mom's building. This one has not yet been delivered. In fact, it has not quite been completed but will be given to Mirabel within the next few months.

Here it is...

This is the card on the back of the room box...and it is in miniature on the mantlepiece in the finished room.

Finally got a battery for the clock so this room has a working clock!

Need fireplace tools for the scene. I have this partial set which I'll put in it eventually but for the display I've put in a set from another roombox in the meantime.

A couple oldies but goodies!

This is the memory box I made for my Mom for her 79th birthday in 2002. I had gone to Dallas, Texas, that year to visit our daughter who was living there at the time and  attended Dallas Mayfest, the first major miniature show I had ever attended. At the show, I picked up some wonderful Nutshell News magazines and found the inspiration for this from one of them. Each section represents another part of Mom's life.

(It was this time that I met Joanne and went the the summer MEE event at Judy Mitchell's - and the rest is history!)

About the same time, I made this smaller memory box for daughter, Leanne. Memories of different parts of her life also.

Because last year's club theme was "Miniatures in an unusual container", I displayed this again.

Cheryl H. from Fall River, NS, and I were travelling to Calgary for a "mini-weekend" with friends when we hit a major traffic jam. It took us about two hours to travel the 30 minutes from Red Deer to Bowden so we decided to pull off and stay in Bowden. When we got up in the morning, we found a wonderful town-sponsored garage sale in a house. Got several wonderful things, but one of the best was this pagoda shaped lamp. I took out all the works and made this beautiful oriental setting.

The bamboo plant is by Alice Zinn.

I was so fortunate to have this old Reutter storefront that I could use to display the jewellery I made in our Linda Austin workshop in March. Most of the jewellery was from that workshop but I did add a lot of my own pieces. The earring rack on the left was designed by Carol Jones of Victoria. It's made from a Mettler thread spool. The finished shop can be seen here.

This was both and"unusual container" and vignette.

The container is a Shiseido makup box that a friend picked up for me at a garage sale.

I bought the cranberry glass epergne at the Driving Miss Dolly in Red Deer two years ago, the bowl was from an Edmonton Show and Sale years ago, the furniture is from an estate sale and the painting is one that my DS Marie sent me.

I just loved this little piece so much that I had to display it.

So much to tell....

But I got home from the Show and Sale, poured myself a Scotch, metaphorically put my foot up and watched  Ken Burn's "Country Music".

Hope I will get my act together and show you all the many pictures from the past week and the great new things that I bought today.

A wonderful Sunday visit

Last week, Barbara W. invited Joanne and me to meet for coffee at this wonderful new pastry shop/restaurant on St. Thomas Street.

Well, we met on Sunday morning and had a wonderfully delightful visit. Joanne took her latest 1/4 scale scene for us both to admire and Barbara had some wonderful goodies for us.

Barbara gave each of two of these wonderful little stands with domed covers. Total height is 3" and the base of the dome is 2 1/4" in diameter.

I immediately thought of the little brass trees that DS Marie gave me last year. (Think I have a half dozen of them in my stash along with a lot of other brass miniatures - including a partial fireplace tool set I can use in Mirabel's roombox. But more on that later.)

The tree was too tall so I clipped off the original stand...

Cut off 1/4" from a 1/4" square piece of strip wood...

Started a hole with a pushpin then added it to the bottom of the tree.

I painted the new tree stand with red nail polish. And also cut several other pieces from three sizes of strip wood.

I got out my puff paint to put 'ornaments' on the tree.

And I pulled out several pieces of coloured foil from my stash. Most of them are from Hershey's Kisses and other candies.

 I painted two of the pieces of strip wood with silver and green nail polish. I then 'decorated' the  tree with bits of red and green puff paint. Glued the tree to the middle of the stand.

I trimmed a piece of foil and coated the underside of it with glue then wrapped it around the piece of wood. I used the end of a toothpick to make the folds in the foil.

And here is the first package.

Repeated the procedure with another piece of foil and wood.

Here are the gifts around the bottom of the tree.

And with the dome in place.

Barbara also gave us each a set of these books she had made.

All three of us are avid readers so the conversation lead to sources of printed books and we discussed several websites.

Ann Vanture's http://www.paperminis.com/ Free newsletter and complimentary projects available.

Lee Ann Borgia's great books. https://minibooksleeann.blogspot.com/

Barbara Brear's incredible books http://bbminiatures.homestead.com/ Barbara also has some great tips in the section about her dollhouse.

And one of my all-time favourites https://www.wannainelpaso.com/ Wanna is a consummate story teller and miniaturist. She has tutorials and trash to treasure also. My favourite of her stories is https://www.wannainelpaso.com/fantasy/the_pigness_protection_program.shtml You will need a big, big chunk of time to look at the website.

And, of course, the Small Stuff (formerly Jim Collins) pages and pages of printable minis.

(Drum roll please........) The Dealer List for the September 15, 2019, Show and Sale

DEALER LIST 2019

Aleeta Kent

Needlefelted and polymer clay animals

Bits by Barb (Barb Striethorst)

 Plants/flowers (assembled and kits), petals/leaves, laser cut German items, rugs, food items

Debbie Marshall

Assorted miniatures

Doll Club of Edmonton

Miniature furniture and two houses

Erika Baker

Roomboxes, attics, store fronts

Fantastic Minis (Kristy Wipf)

1:12 scale: trees, chairs, food, Christmas items, seasonal, everyday dollhouse items

Janice Crawley, IGMA Fellow

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

Joanne Davies

Downsizing personal collection

Karen Mohr

Sale of miniature collection

Kim Stewart

Miniature wicker furniture, kits and accessories

Live A Little Miniatures

(Hoanie Yong)

Crystal and brass chandeliers and other light fixtures, genuine leather handbags and purses (NEW)

and miscellaneous accessories.

Luba Barnes

Magazines and miscellaneous miniature items

Maggie Melinda Custom Miniatures (Janet Harvie)

1:12 scale furniture, draperies and accessories

Marlene’s Dolls (Marlene Hall/Sylvia Reiber)

1” and ½” dolls and figurines, electric lights, silk ribbon, cotton lace, books, braid, trim.

Wicker, ladies’ hats, paper punched flowers

Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton

Children’s Grab Bags

Membership Information

Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton

Consignment Sale Tables

Donation Sale Tables

MiniMinutia (Tina MacDonald)

Laser cut kits, fabric, quarter scale building supplies, pottery

National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts

Information about N.A.M.E.

Pat Makarowski

Assorted furniture, fimo food, roombox, kitchen table with food, kitchen cupboards

                                                         

Reenie’s Teenies (Reenie DeSarker)

1:12 scale handmade miniatures (food, books, toys, etc.)

Sherri MacRaild, IGMA Artisan

Toys, seasonal decorations (with a twist), Noah’s arks, candy buckets for all seasons, plants in unique pots.

Sue Lefebvre

Miniature accessories

Tiny Treasures (Louise Zawada)

1:12 miniatures, kits, supplies, furniture, etc.

Wee Dreams and Cobwebs (Judy Mitchell)

Various handmade accessories in 1:12

Wee Woolies (Linda Austin)

Crochet work, plants, tools