Back to school

Hello to all my readers. I hope you are still reading...I'm afraid I've been a very boring blogger this summer. I started back to work today but once I get into the routine and finish up the summer canning and freezing I should actually have more mini time. Once I get time to start on the Sweetheart Cottage, aka the Elves' Workshop, this blog should be much more interesting to read. Thanks so much for stopping by during the "dry stretch."

Saturday, in an effort to get as much done as possible before today, I froze a bushel of sweet corn, and canned pasta sauce with eggplant, squash, tomatoes and ground turkey, and canned peaches. Big day! I have pears to do sometime this week and the tomatoes are still coming. All good things but all take time I would normally devote to minis. Maybe I'll post some photos of my beautiful pantry in the meantime. :)

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Still gardening

August is the time when all the summer's work is rewarded in the vegetable garden. I've been busily canning green beans and trying out new squash recipes. Today we are canning more beans (courtesy of a good friend) and tomorrow we'll do our first batch of salsa. Hubby and I came up with a great support system for the tomato plants in our raised beds and we will definitely reap the benefits. I have already harvested more tomatoes in just a couple of pickings than our 18 plants yielded last year.

Meanwhile, mini ideas are working their way through my mind. They will be ready to manifest themselves in actual minis by the time I have a bit of down time. :)

Wishing you all a wonderful, blessed week!

Not much mini time

Well, I had hoped to have lots of time for miniature projects this summer but it was not to be. I did get the DuraCraft Victorian done (and it was a lot of fun!) but now I'm in the middle of garden harvest and "putting up" for the rest of year's enjoyment. School starts in 2 weeks. I still have that Sweetheart Cottage waiting and I will get to it, I promise. :)

I will have to make some time for projects because I have a really cool swap coming up. It's a personalized swap. We all chose the house we wanted things for - I chose Harriet's Boarding House c. 1946. Then we make something for each person that fits in the house they chose. This one is gonna be fun!

Now I'm off to read your blogs while I wait for the weight on the pressure canner to start doing its little dance. Have a great day!

Summer bounty

 I was very excited to use up six of my summer squash in a double batch of sweet relish today. The four I had left would be good grilled or as the "noodles" in lasagna but then...

...hubby and I walked down to the garden this evening and found eleven more! I will make some zucchini bread (substituting the yellow squash), and chop and freeze some for later use in bread. We also like it breaded and fried or grilled. Do any you have any really good zucchini or summer squash recipes? I want to try my friend's zucchini patty recipe but I think I will have enough squash to try any new recipe I want, lol.

Yesterday I canned the first of the green beans and I will be canning more of those on Friday. I love providing for my family in this way! My last few weeks before school, and thus work, start are going to be very busy, though.

Mini change

 Several months ago I found this half scale baby in the round robin swap box. So, of course, Ben and Ally had to have a baby. Isn't he cute? His name is Benjy - Benjamin, Jr.

 As is often the case in real life, the sewing room had to become the nursery. Ally and Ben are practical types and didn't want to go over the top with the nursery. It hasn't changed much - just a cradle and a change in the artwork. There's also a tub of baby wipes and a tube of diaper ointment on the center dresser. It is doubling as a changing table.

As I think of things I will add more baby items to the room. Even with all the storage it's looking a bit sparse.

A mini of a different sort

I haven't had much time recently for dollhouse miniatures. I did make a different kind of mini recently, though. I made a small princess dress for my great niece's third birthday. She loves Rapunzel and this dress is very loosely based on the recent movie. She looks quite adorable. :)

Artist in Residence

 On Wednesday, I was the Artist in Residence at the local library. I sat at a centrally located table and made this mini garden in a planter. Library patrons could come over to watch, ask questions, etc. It was really fun! Adults, children, families - all stopped to see what I was making. I also had several requests to show dollhouses again. I'm going to take four of my larger houses this year for National Dollhouse and Miniatures Month in October.

As a result of the AinR I will be showing our elementary school garden club, Little Sprouts, how to make a simplified version of this in a terra cotta pot. They make something each year to sell at the school carnival to raise money for the school garden. This project will be great for that.