Playing Catch-up

I know there has not been many posts on minis for a few days. After three months of being unable to walk properly and loads of medical tests, I've slowly be feeling better and more able to move around. This of course means that finally the real house gets some much-needed attention.

FH had been helping with things all along, but he couldn't do everything that needed to be done with his full time job taking 8 to 10 hours out of most days, including some weekends. He was able to make sure filth never got mixed in with the clutter. That's what mattered to me. I loathe filth. So now I'm working on a so crawl through the house with a combination of decluttering and deep spring cleaning.

There will be no before pictures, because frankly I'm too embarrassed to admit I let my house get to it's current state. I still can only get a few hours of the deep cleaning done in a day. My stamina isn't quite 100% yet. But soon! :-)

The neurologist said there's nothing wrong with my nervous system. So we're back to square one with trying to find the cause of the weakness, loss of balance, and inability to walk properly. I have a theory but I'm keeping it to myself until I see more evidence.

From My Stash 4-29-09

This week's installment is a memorial tribute to a wonderful artisan who passed away before a good percentage of the miniature world ever discovered her. I knew her simply as Kay, a good-hearted woman with talent to match. These pieces have been in my collection since 2000 and I've been trying to design homes for them that will showcase their lovely detail. Her signature is simply, "Jud."

This collection doesn't even begin to do her range of styles justice. She painted whole rooms of furniture in different styles including country primitive snowmen, Christmas holly, pastoral settings complete with tiny flocks of sheep... They were all amazing. And so was Kay.

GLEE!! Thank you, Kat!

I'm so excited! The latest parcel of mini purchases from Kat the Hat Lady has arrived! I'm so in love with it all!

Isn't it all amazing? The lovely Edwardian Easter bonnet is destined for my modern hat shop. The Gothic red and black rose broom belongs to Ezzie and will go in her cottage when it's built. The rest will be in various witchy settings when they are built. Right now, Ezzie's potion kitchen and cottage are at the top of the list... along with Ezzie herself. Then I've planned on turning my San Fran into a haunted house and I want to build a witch's hat shop.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kat! I love your work! :-)

Welcome, Kat!

A very special welcome to Kat the Hat Lady! So glad you are joining the fun. For those of you who don't know, Kat is a miniature milliner, making some of the most creative and fabulous hats. You can visit her blog,Kat the Hat's Blog Page or visit her website http://www.corylus-urbs.demon.co.uk/ to see her fabulous creations!

I must warn you that her hats are addictive, almost like potato chips. You can't only have one, you must have more. ;-)

Welcome, Tara!

Hello and welcome to Tarapiglet! Tara's building a wonderful dollhouse based on the adventures of Winnie the Pooh. To see her lovely house and gorgeous minis, visit her blog, The Dollhouse at Pooh Corner.

Gardening

After a bit of cleaning in the kitchen, FH and I went out for a picnic lunch in the park and then began seriously looking for heirloom tomato plants.

We found two different heirlooms, different from the ones we enjoyed last year. Along with a regular Roma hybrid, we brought home a Pink Brandywine and a Mr. Stripey. FH found some heirloom French carrot seeds as well. And I convinced him to get four different chile plants and some bush beans.

FH bought some pansys and tulips for me. Everything is planted now and we're back inside relaxing.

Castor and Pollux were "backseat gardening" through the screen door.

Exhausted, But Exposed to Beauty

FH (Fuzzy Husband) and I are back from this month's bow meet. The boys all had a great time and I enjoyed making sawdust all over a sweepable floor. ;-)

We had pulled barbecue pork, polish kielbasa, sauerkraut, and chips for lunch.

Here's FH busily working on his bow:

On our way out I ran around the grounds and took pictures of pretty things.

Welcome, Hertta!

Hello and welcome to Hertta of Nukkekoti Villa Hertta! Hertta makes beautiful miniatures and has stories about her dolls. Please go over and say hello. :-)

Welcome, Christine!

Welcome to my newest follower, Christine of DandelionFair!

Christine makes the most adorable wooden bears in quarter scale (1:48) as well as lovely furniture pieces. You really need to have a look, you won't be sorry! She's also new to the blogging world, so let's make her feel welcome. :-)

No New Minis Today

I got a message this morning that a friend's son had been in an accident yesterday afternoon. He flipped off his skateboard going down a hill. No he wasn't wearing a helmet or pads. No, he wasn't supposed to be out skateboarding as he was grounded at the time. She had been with him all night at the hospital. He had a concussion, several staples and stitches, but he is fine.

This afternoon I had his younger sister (the artist of the orange card) here with me while her mother went to get her brother from the 24-hour observation at the hospital.

We played "I Spy" with my Christmas scene.
As you can see, there's a lot of things to "spy" in this room. I will do a real post on the scene another night. I'm exhausted from running errands and have to be up early tomorrow.

FH and I are both going to the bow meet tomorrow. I'm going to take pictures of the guys while they play and use the space to cut wood for furniture for the Greenleaf. I'm taking the rug along for a second project in case I get to a stopping point with the furniture stuff.

Storm is Rolling In

From the looks of things we're about to have a nice little storm. Don't know it I'll be on-line later or not.

I am working on the Greenleaf today.

Here's a picture of Pollux on the cat tree to tide you over. ;-)

More of the Rug and Fun Extras

I hope everyone enjoyed Earth Day today! :-)

Here's the latest installment of progress on the rug.
I worked on it a bit yesterday, but I was still feeling quite dazed from the muscle relaxers. Hoping to get more done on it tomorrow and Friday.

I puttered around with the Greenleaf today. The upstairs is papered. The downstairs ceiling has been measured for it's paper and floor template.

Other than that it's been a light day for minis. Went out with girl-friends for lunch. We were celebrating one of them buying a house.

Got the cutest thank-you note from the other friend's little girl from a trip to the ice cream parlor.
The middle bowl of ice cream (yes, they're ice creams, can't you tell?) is mine, as I had a caramel swirl mixed in. Hers is on the left, because it's got sprinkles and M&Ms (lines and circles) mixed in. She couldn't remember the flavor her mother got though, so it's just scribbles. I put it up on the refrigerator where all lovely drawings and cards done by children belong.

Tomorrow I should get the ceiling into the first floor of the Greenleaf and perhaps get that floor papered as well. I still have to decide what on Earth I will do for floors.

FH and I brainstormed some things I could do as displays for the Rendezvous-era minis. Hobby Builder Supply sells a display case divided into fourths. I'm thinking about putting a different scene of everyday life (growing food, baking bread, spinning/other textiles, smoking meats, etc...) into each section.

That would leave me free to do a simple main room of a colonial house in a regular roombox, thus allowing me to show many different things with only two roomboxes to carry around. And by spinning or doing whatever handwork I'm playing with, it will attract the "touristas" attention so they come over and get a history lesson and hopefully an interest in minis and/or fibers.

From My Stash 4-22-09

This week I have more pictures of foods I have made. This time it's cookies (biscuits) and they are all loose in their bags. I apologize for a lack of pretty presentation, but I was in a hurry.

Brownies with chopped nuts:
Chocolate chunk cookies:
Chocolate iced bar cut sugar cookies and oatmeal raisisn cookies:
Christmas cookies:
Heart-shaped sugar cookies:
Leaf-shaped sandwich cookies(loved these as a child):
Thumbprint cookies with the oatmeal raisin cookies above them:
Sugar cookies:
I will try and get pictures of some of these plated when I know where they are going to live.

If anyone needs cookies for anything, let me know! ;-)

Not Much To Report

But I thought I had better post something or a few of you would be after FH for details.

Saw the neurologist today. None of the scary and somewhat problematic things showed up on the tests. But this means we still don't know what is wrong.

She's going to do a nerve conduction study (no needles, just electric shocks) next week to see if she can find a neuropathy.

The pills for my jaw muscles continue to make me think handling sharp objects is a very bad idea. I doubt I will take them for the entire 30 day prescription. Once a get the inflation under control or to the point where the muscles stay loose enough for the anti-inflammatories to work, i.e. when I can eat without wincing, then the rest are going away.

Hoping to get back to minis this week somehow. I do have to say I'm in love with Jane Harrop's Thirties and Forties Miniatures in 1:12 Scale. I spent most of yesterday afternoon reading through it.

The Rendezvous crowd have also suggested that I build a scale replica of an American colonial house and/or Shaker house to bring to the camps where tourists will visit. Then I can give a history lesson with props in addition to spinning on a drop spindle and doing embroidery.

We shall see what comes of that idea.

"Why Didn't I Take the Blue Pill"

So the medication that I was given for the stress-induced damage to my jaw knocked me down the rabbit hole without a second thought. I took a dose after the Long Rifle meeting was officially over (around 3 this afternoon) and by the time FH and I got home at 7 this evening I was fighting to keep my eyes open.

Went to bed and woke up about 45 minutes ago, still tired, but needing to feed the animals and give the boys their medicines.

Going back to bed now.

I'm so not taking this medicine during the day again. Will be an "after dinner" medication. I need to function during the day.

Finally the Sewing Cabinet

A picture is worth a thousand words so this post will be as picture heavy as I can make it. I'm going to show you how I used some wallpaper and paint to turn a craft store cabinet (don't remember if it was a Michael's hutch) into my sewing cabinet.

Here's the wallpaper I used:
Here's the original cabinet, inside and out.

I popped the original knobs off the door and filled the holes with wood putty. At this point I wasn't sure how I would decorate the cabinet so I wanted the holes filled in.
The interior painted and with the extra shelf I built from scraps.
14-count Aida cut to fit the inside of the doors. Did this while the putty was drying. After the putty was dry and sanded I coated the whole thing with off-white spray paint.
Blue paint for the top and trim based on the blue from the wallpaper. Had to mix it since FH had the car and none of my blues came close.
Crackled over the blue with pink.
The wallpaper has been cut and decoupaged in place.


Here's the finished product with as many goodies as I had ready tucked inside. I made the bolts of fabric. The notions, patterns, and tape measure are printies. I will be cuttig more of the printies out later on.



It's kind of Shabby Chic. I think seeing pinks, blues, and creams together in other people's projects has had an affect on me. But I really like the paper I used and those are the colors that fit. Now I get to decorated the BD's sewing room around this cabinet. But at least I have an idea of what to do with it now. ;-)

I still have to make the handles and cut a few more printies. I got myself so excited over this that I just had to share now. ;-)