Welcome!

I have been lax in welcoming my new followers. Please say hello to:
Michael Pereira
Elisabete
Drora Hed
Arantxa y Silvia
Lauren

I was only able to find links for two so if I've missed your link, please let me know. Thank you all so much for joining in here. Please share your thoughts and comments.

Again, welcome!

Good morning and Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to stop in and wish all of my friends in blogland a joyous and blessed Christmas. May your day be filled with love, laughter and loved ones as we celebrate the birth of the Savior. I also wanted to share a few of the gifts my wonderful family presented to me this morning. From my children I received a lovely hand knit scarf and a basket filled with hand care items, a wide based travel mug from my alma mater (I was constantly spilling my tall mugs while crafting, lol), and a beautiful day planner.
My hubby has a tradition of putting Christmas earrings and socks in my stocking. The reindeer earrings are so funny!
This box is overflowing with goodies for mini-ing. I got tools and hutches and clay and molds and wire and glitter and glue...I'm sure there's more. Hubby is so good at coming up with fun supplies each year.
I also got two miniatures I'd been admiring. This changing table looks just like the one we had for our children and looks perfect in our mini house.
We had a red step stool just like this when I was a child. We usually sat on it when Mom trimmed our hair - just like my baby brother is doing here.

We had so much fun this morning with our children and last night with hubby's family. Today we'll be travelling to my Mom's.

Again, I wish you all the happiest of holidays!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a joyous and blessed Christmas!

It's a wreath. No, it's a dollhouse. Wait, it's both!

I finished a small travel sized tin of hand balm yesterday and decided to make a couple of mini wreaths. The ones I made last year were bigger and have 2 stories. These new ones are just one room. This one hangs in the Santa house bathroom. I've added flames to the fireplace since I took this photo.
This one is listed in my etsy shop. I think the rooms look cozy. These are fun and really simple to make. I just experiment with whatever wood scraps I have on hand for floors and furniture.

Christmas spirit 3

This is our main family tree. It's in the master bedroom - it's the biggest room and it makes Christmas morning fun. The ornaments have been collected over the 28 years of our marriage. Each year everyone gets to choose a new ornament. The kids will take theirs to start their own traditions once they move out.
This is the ornament that started it all. At first, Mark and I got one ornament together. This one was our first Christmas together ornament (married first Christmas - we'd been a couple for 5 years.)

Christmas spirit 2

One year my SIL's and I made new stockings for our family. These are very large and hang in our stairwell. The quilt behind them is a family quilt made by my MIL - each square represents a member of the family. The quilt on the right was my baby quilt made by my grandma.
I collect Santas and nativities. Here are some of both.
This was the very first nativity hubby and I purchased early in our marriage.
This one is in the family room. It was the kids' to arrange as they wanted - now that they are older it's my job.
This is the Willow Tree nativity. It is displayed year round on this shelf.

A bit of the Christmas spirit at my house

This is one of the first things you see when you step into my home. The milk can was painted by my MIL and was a Christmas gift one year. I filled it with greenery cut from our yard.
This little tree is decorated with glass balls - some vintage and some new. The small red one with white flocking on the right was on my husband's family tree when he was a child. This tree sits in the bay window in the living room.
This display is some of my favorite Christmas photos of my children, including their first photos with Santa.
My mom and I made this advent calendar when my children were little. You add an tree, person, animal, etc. per day until Christmas. The 25th is baby Jesus.
This boot was my stocking when I was young. Mom decoupaged bits of old Christmas cards (we chose the pictures) onto cardboard Santa boots.

These are a few of my favorite Christmas decorations. More coming!

Link to tree tutorial

Here's the link to part 1 of the Christmas tree tutorial I did last year. There are three parts to the tutorial but you'll be able to find them from part 1. If anyone makes one of these, I'd love to see your finished tree!

I love Christmas!

I found some sparkly white pipe cleaners recently and thought they'd make a cool Christmas tree. I used the same method as the tutorial I posted last December. Then I made all the red ornaments to decorate it. I also made another silver tree with ornaments. Both are in my etsy shop.

The white tree is my favorite so far. It looks so elegant.

Harriet's been busy!

She's been working on the Christmas decorations for the boarding house. They are very simple in 1946 - there just isn't much money to spare. Outside she's hung evergreen wreaths on each section of porch rail and on the upper story windows.
Each hall banister has an evergreen cluster tied with a bow and a glass ball ornament.
The living room has an evergreen swag decorating the mantel and a small table top tree decorated with simple glass ball ornaments and bead garland. The boarding house looks festive and ready for Christmas.

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

As promised (a long time ago!) here are the interior photos of Zegelien's Women's Quality Apparel and Accessories. The first photo shows the handbag display and the cabinet of folded blouses and sweaters. The second photo shows the hats for sale. I made all of these items. I also made the hat rack.
Packages purchased and wrapped and ready to go. All of them have actual items inside.
A close up of the display case. I made the case and the items inside - jewelry and gloves.
These things show through the front window. The shoes are a mix of Polly Pocket shoes and some paper ones made by Gaye of My Small Obsession. I made both dresses and the mannequins. The pink swing coat was made by Sandy Copeland.

I still have room for some extra items. I will need to post a photo of the doors into the shop, too. I found some great photos so it looks like someone is ready to come in from the busy city street.

We're still having some internet issues but I hope to be back regularly soon. I miss you all!

I see I have some new followers, too. Thank you all so much for stopping by.

Just a taste

I'm fighting a bug this week so I haven't been out to find "real" internet. Here's a "small taste" of the finished boutique. I'll post more photos as soon as I can. I hope to be back on a regular basis soon.

Welcome and update

Please help me welcome Clara, Flor and Lady Jane. I'm still having internet issues so I'm not able to post links today from home. I do appreciate each one of you and thank you so much for following my blog.

I've nearly finished the boutique. Hopefully, I can get somewhere with better internet tomorrow so I can post new photos.

Thank you all for you patience!

Fireplace Swap & Boutique Ideas

I found these ornament frames today at Dollar General. I am going to use some of my mirrored poster board to make ornate mirrors for the boutique. I also have a name for the shop - Zegelien's Ladies Boutique. The larger retailers of that era all seemed to be named for someone. Zegelien is my MIL's maiden name. I just like the way it sounds, LOL.
I was recently involved in a fireplace swap in an online forum. I made the fireplace tools, bellows, ax and stack of logs for everyone. A few of the lovely things I received are shown here - the Victorian coal box looks wonderful in my Petite Dreams Victorian parlor.
Kate upgraded to this beautiful fireplace. Brenda made the fireplace and the overmantle (really intended to be a dummy board but I like it on the mantle.) She also made the clock. The log rack was made by Gaye and the pinecone topiary was made by Rosie. The turned jar on the mantle was made by Tom Saunders - that piece was the original inspiration for Kate's living room in Magnolia Way. Brenda, Gaye and Rosie all made more items than I've displayed here. Not all of them have a permanent home yet.

Just for fun

I'm still gathering ideas for my new project but I had fun rearranging people in the saloon today. Daisy and the sheriff are dancing to Sean's piano music. Looks like they're having fun!

A New Project!

Hubby and I had a wonderful afternoon. We checked out an antique shop I'd never been to and tried a new to us restaurant. We found this hatbox at the antique shop. I'm thinking late 1950s ladies' boutique. I can make dresses, suits, hats, gloves, jewelry, handbags...This will be fun!

Family

Some of you may remember that my father in law passed away early this year. My MIL decided it was time to sort through his things and asked everyone to choose anything of his that they would wear. My son's favorite thing is this hat. I think he looks great in it - and he thinks of his grandpa every time he wears it.

I'm still struggling a bit with minis. I need to get to town for Christmas tree making supplies. I have some ideas so keep watching this space. :0)

A new article!

The story of Rose and her friends at A Rose Among Thorns saloon was published in the November issue of American Miniaturist. The two page article turned out really well. I wish there'd been room for more photos - there isn't even one showing Pansy - but overall I'm happy with the finished piece.

Big day today. I had to get new tires put on DD#2's car so I drove to her college town (and spent over $400 on tires!). We had lunch together then I stopped on my way home to visit my mom. We had a good visit, too, but it was a very long day. The next few are booked solid. I think I can crash on Tuesday, lol.

Have a great weekend everyone and Happy Halloween!

The results

It isn't perfect but I purchased this fabric with the intention of making a sofa. I used a bit of it for the dining chair cushions in the boarding house but it wasn't the best choice for the living room there. This sofa was not made from a kit. I used thin wood for the base and back, foam core for the arms and cushions, a bit of quilt batting for padding, and skinny sticks for the legs. I glued 2 together to form the leg pieces and used a single layer for the stretchers. I don't really have any plans for it but I needed to do something mini to get the ideas flowing again.

I also need to stock up on Michael's hutches again. I use them for so many things other than hutches. Home office cabinets, fireplaces, windows, benches, kitchen cabinets, just to name a few. The boarding house used up the last of my miscellaneous minis, too. I think I may have to hit a couple of craft stores soon to stock up. Gee, that's too bad. ;-)

Inspiration?

Finally, there are some mini ideas rolling around in my head. Nothing concrete enough to share yet but stay tuned!

A change in plans and a scary boy

This is the change in plans. I decided to turn my knitting project into a purse so that I can make a wider blanket. The handles were given to me by my mom when she cleaned out her craft supplies. It's a great size and I love the finished bag. Tomorrow I can start a new afghan. :)
And this is the scary boy! My son is involved in our high school theater program. They are doing a haunted theater for the weekends in October to raise food and money for the local food bank. Adam leaves home looking like a normal teenage boy and comes home like this. I'll go next weekend but I've got to get someone to go with me. I don't like haunted anything, lol.

See, I really am knitting!

I just learned to knit last winter so this blanket is not going to be very complicated. It's my first time using circular needles and they are wonderful for wide projects. This will be a small blanket for snuggling in the recliner this winter. It's just simple knitting in creams and browns. The stripes will add interest rather than a variety of stitches.

I'm still waiting for inspiration for minis. I have been working on the fireplace swaps but I haven't started any big projects. In the meantime, I'm enjoying all of your blogs. I'm sure one of your lovely projects will soon inspire me. :)

A Mini Slump?

I need to get back to blogging regularly but the internet is still iffy and I seem to be out of mini ideas at the moment. It doesn't happen often and hopefully it won't last long. I need to be working on a swap project. I can't post any pictures of that yet.

In the meantime I've been knitting. It keeps my hands busy and my mind working creatively - but I still hope my mind turns back to thinking about minis soon!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Welcome!

A quick welcome to Margarita Vives and Natasha. I'm still having some internet problems so I will post links when I can. Thank you both so much for stopping by!

Halloween swaps

Since Harriet moved out of her old kitchen and into the boarding house Wanda moved in. She's done some redecorating with batty wallpaper and a good layer of grime everywhere.
I received some very interesting swap items from my Small World friends. Gaye made everything on the table except for the crystal ball -spells on scrolls and a spell book, a candle and a skull.
The witchy cookie jar was made by Sandy Copeland. The "food" was made by Gary in New Hampshire - witches fingers, bbq bat wings and candied eyeballs on the footed tray. The wooden bowl holds rancid meat with carrots and rat tails and a boar's snout.
Brenda made the pumpkin head and the three jars of potion ingredients on the shelf over the window. Gaye made the bottle. The shelf over the chair holds a glow in the dark skeleton from Gary and an eyeball plant from Rosie. The bottle next to the cauldron was also from Rosie. The shelf on the right wall holds a beautiful witch's hat by Sandy Copeland.
Charlene made the pumpkin with the ghost and Brenda made the crate of pumpkins. Wanda's hat and her owl, Walter, were made by Sandy for last year's swap.

I made the furniture and the candlestands with candles, the wall shelves, and Wanda. The view through the window was in the October issue of American Miniaturist.

Another small update

I thought the living room needed something more so I made this chair. It's truly a combination of odds and ends from the wood box. The legs are small clothes pin halves. The arms I think were supposed to be the side rails on a child's rocker. I had to make some adjustments but they worked well for the chair arms. The top of the back is a piece of gingerbread and the bottom of the back is a piece of baseboard. The trim between the front legs was on a hutch that had one broken leg so I had to remove the trim.
Here it is in the living room with the other furniture. Looks like George is going to do some reading before dinner.