Happy Holidays 2014

Happy Holidays!

I sincerely hope that 2015 brings everyone peace, good fortune and especially more cool minis and modern structures. I know that I have been missing from the miniature community for several months, but hope to return to building small worlds and reading the blogs. I started a new job this year at an interior design firm and it's been an amazing, challenging and busy ride. I guess because this new gig offers me a creative outlet, it has taken a bite out of my available time and focus on the 1:12. However, I'll be back. I know, I know--famous last words...

Sleeping In The Bennett House

 

 

The Goods: Bed is Orla Kiely; designer pillows are PRD; bolsters are Bespaq; chair is Reac Japan; art mural is David Choe; framed art is DCWV; All accessories are Ray Storey, brinca dada, Lundby, Re-Ment, AG Minis, miWorld, and random but common finds from hobby and craft stores.

Probably Too Late To Say Happy New Year...

Well, late or not, I hope the year has been treating you all very good. More posts soon...

 

The Goods: Sideboard is PRD Miniatures; "glass" table top is PRD; "concrete" table base is a Martha Stewart Crafts sponge; wishbone chairs are PRD; lamp is my crazy concoction from random supplies; kitchen island is PRD; kitchen pantry unit is MitchyMooMiniatures; sofa is Momoll; all side tables are brinca dada; fireplace coffee table is Oleg Cassini; chaise is PRD; art is Martin Puryear; all accessories are Lundby, Minisx2, Bodo Hennig, Ray Storey, brinca dada, The Hairy Potter, and common household and hobby store finds.

Happy Holidays 2013

Happy Holidays!

My apologies for the long absence. Life is busy, busy, busy!--shout out to Prof. Hinkle and Frosty. I would not have put this scene together if it were not for the Poang chair that Pepper of MitchyMooMiniatures gifted me. She's awesome. You already know that. Anyway, the scene above is my 15-minute attempt to burn through some "Scandinavian, modern country Christmas, ski lodge" inspiration...It's a failure in my opinion, but instead of scrapping it as I often do, I'm showing it here. A toast to the spirit of "flaws and all!" Smiles.

Thanks to everyone who sends the nicest emails and reaches out. I appreciate this community of collectors, bloggers, designers, artisans, architects, interior decorators, toy enthusiasts and the "I'm just browsing" folks. Wishing you all an incredible 2014. 

The Goods: TK

Goes Together Like...

 

I know what love is! Somebody out there has got to be getting these references...Anyway, yep, I was inspired to make that crazy rope partition from some stairs I tweeted about last week. I expect to revisit this rope business in the future. This was a quick threading along a frame to work out some creative frustrations. I'm imagining that this whole setup is a small apartment where the tenant wanted to designate a space for the dining area without installing a permanent fixture or blocking any of the light. Shrug.

 

 

 

Some shots in different lighting...

 

 And some shots with figures created by Mary Colleen Eld...

The Goods:  That awesome Wegner chair is from Patie of Minisx2; the table is Bodo Hennig and AG Minis; the booth piece is an ebay find; the sink is Theo Klein; the kitchen counter is Urban Girl Dollhouse; the pillows are MitchyMooMiniatures; the accessories are Ray Storey (Thank You, Pepper!), Mary Colleen Eld, The Hairy Potter, Leslie Frick, Re-Ment, Plan Toys, Paris Renfroe, Mighty World, DHE, Lundby, DCWV, AG Minis, Restoration Hardware, and common hobby and craft store finds.

Turn That Frond Upside Down

I guess I have a bit of an affinity for dried leaves, pods, seeds and flowers. They always seem to sneak into my scenes.

 

 

 

This is the kind of ceiling lamp where you would glance up from time to time during your meal. Sure, you might be admiring it, but you'd also be checking to make sure it didn't suddenly gobble you up.

Oh. And I know it's not technically a "frond", but this is all I had to make a corny post title.

The Goods: Farmhouse table is PRD (Mr. Renfroe says this table is not really his taste--but little did he know that the gods were working through him for ME. I dig it!); Klein chair is PRD; wood cube stools are PRD; lamp is potpourri find; art is vinyl flooring samples in "African Wood Dark"; carpeting is woven paper from Recollections; glass bottles are Ray Storey (gifts from Pepper of Mitchy Moo Miniatures); and accessories are common hobby and craft store finds.

Oh Deer...

 

I put together a restaurant dining room scene in the Bennett House. My oldest child and I cobbled together the awful "swanky" restaurant name = Sky Stag. It makes us chuckle.

Putting together the Bennett House was a bit of a challenge. Not because the parts weren't labeled. Not because the diagram of parts didn't always look like the parts. The only real issue I encountered while building this dollhouse was removing the paper mask from the acrylic windows. The stuff just would not come off. I first used professional remover...then I used standard sticky residue remover...then I had to just let the stuff soak in a bath of shea butter baby oil. And it was the oil bath that finally got the mask to relent.

After the oil bath, I was able to peel/roll the mask back in large sheets, but not all of it would come off completely. There are some places where the mask came into contact with the glue used to adhere the acrylic windows to the frame. I used tweezers to try and remove those stuck pieces. In the end, I was not able to get the clean finish that I would prefer. The local plastics shop said they could make me all new windows. If I keep this house, I may have to take them up on that offer.

The Goods: Stag head is Dotsan; seating pieces are Urban Girl Dollhouse and Brinca Dada covered in Restoration Hardware's Italian Vintage Baroque fabric; tables are Re-Ment and MegaHouse; all accessories are LiLu, PRD Miniatures, and common finds from hobby and craft stores.