Cornucopia

 Hi Guys!

This week has been abundant with various and sundry activities, not any of them concluded, but all of them fun! So this post is going to be an amalgamation of the week and I hope you enjoy the variety!

First off I'll share that I made a little start on the porches for Vera and Virgil's cottages. I dug through my supply drawers and auditioned options, and at least figured out that each cottage porch will have a totally different aesthetic. For Vera, I am going with something very feminine and almost Victorian in detail...

For Virgil, something a little more country/rustic. I had some fencing assemblies left over from a Creatin' Contest kit, and what a great opportunity to use them!

I am slowly making progress, but haven't had a good chunk of time yet this week to dedicate.

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, we opted for safety above getting the family together. Since it was just Russ and I here at home, we took on a couple fun new activities together. One was assembling the LEGO Mandalorian Razor Crest set. We hadn't built LEGOs since our kids were growing up, and had never done one together. It turned out to be a lot of fun and we are just starting bag 3 out of 6. There are over 1000 pieces, so it will take us a while longer. It's not technically minis, but if I can convince Russ that working on small things together can be fun, he may just start to imagine us creating a cool, MANLY mini project together in the future. ;o)

We also got a new game for the Nintendo Switch. It's called Animal Crossing New Horizons. It's a lot of fun, filled with wit, humor and some fun facts about the flora and fauna that you collect in the game. If you don't want to become addicted or have another adorable activity take over your free time, I recommend avoiding it, lol!

Back in the spring, I mentioned that I was participating in another Instagram group swap. We would each be given only 1 person, anonymously, and would be given questionnaires filled out by them in order to make gifts perfectly tailored to our recipients current project. Based on my recipient's requests, I made a bathroom vanity and lots of accessories. Due to all of the Covid craziness, the deadline to mail the packages was pushed to October 31st. 

When I received my package and saw that it was from Australia, I squealed a little because I knew it was from Sam (BluePrint Minis). If you know her, you know she paints incredible mini paintings. You can see a past swap gift I received from Sam in a post titled So Thankful.

This time, I was working on Pound Cake, the bakery, so I asked for bakery related things. Sam not only painted a cupcake series and framed them in the coordinating colors of the bakery, she spoiled me rotten with other handmade and purchased treasures, too! Thanks Sam! I am so lucky to have been assigned to you! I love every single thing!

Sam is a busy lady so mostly posts on Instagram now. You can find and follow her @blueprintminis.

And I think, finally this week, I should tell you about a new project in the works. You know me... I never reach the end of one project before I become obsessed with a new idea. This time, it's for someone else, someone very special to me. That's the best motivation for me to finish a project! And this person, in spite of my best efforts, has not shown much interest in minis. Until now. And believe me, I have seized upon this. For now, I'll share the structure...

And one of the amazing items that will become a part of the project. Maybe it will give you a clue...

The rest will come soon enough. After I finish (I am determined) Vera and Virgil's cottages. Porches, roofing and wiring to go!

In spite of the state of the world these days, I hope life is busy but good for each of you, too. Happiness can sometimes be achieved simply in the way we choose to frame the events surrounding us. I'm trying hard to make my frames as positive as possible, and to help others do the same.

xo xo,

Jodi

Christmas Love From Germany

When Russ brought the mail in he was carrying a package and said
"I didn't know you were expecting anything from Germany".
I wasn't, but knew immediately that it must be from my wonderfully thoughtful friend Birgit!
I wasted no time opening what I knew would be a heap of awesome treasures!!!

An ornately decorated handmade card featuring Fluby and Rosey!

A box of delicious genuine German marzipan. Fluby and Rosey are even on the label!

A 2020 calendar featuring monthly photos of Birgit's incredible flower garden presented by Fluby and Rosey. Just look at August's hydrangeas! So beautiful!

There were also four containers filled with tiny treasures...

The first box had a note that said "We're magical vegetables looking for a place in a shop run by a very friendly witch". Of course they meant Fiona the friendly witch and the Autumn's Pantry shop! They are absolutely charming additions to the gang and when introductions were made this morning all became fast friends! What incredible characters they are, and what a talented maker they have! Just look at those mushrooms!!!

The next tiny box had a note and a gift that reveal just how thoughtful and generous our friend Birgit really is! So long ago I had mentioned wanting a radio for the Storybook Cottage kitchen, and she remembered! And she sent this perfect little Playmobile radio! A tiny boom box in a tiny box! It comes apart so that each of the features can be painted individual colors. I can't wait to paint it to match the kitchen! Yippee!

And when I opened this box I squealed! Three tiny perfect snowman ornaments! A gift for the Sweet Christmas Cottage's tree!!! Will you look at those tiny carrot noses?!? The scarves?!? These are just too precious! Thank you, Birgit!!! I can't wait to have a minute to play later so I can get them on the tree!

And in the last box - what a bonanza!!! There are tiny wonderful things to use as decor pieces and so many beads and baubles to make things with! Those gingerbread guys are definitely joining the snowman in the Christmas cottage!!! The little horse! The green clock! The happy duck! The succulent in a mug! So much fun!!!

It was such a wonderful surprise to receive these gifts of love from my lovely friend Birgit! Thank you so much, Birgit! Your thoughtfulness has made my day and I love having treasures made by your creative hands in my dollhouses!

I'd be really surprised if any of you did not know who Birgit is or already follow her magical blog BiWuBären on the Blog. She makes the most incredible tiny bears, and two of them, Fluby and Rosey, write for Birgit regularly about the happenings in Birgits tiny world. There are so many wonderful things to see and so many delightful characters who make regular appearances. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you head over and read her blog from cover to cover! You'll be delighted with her wit, amazed by her creativity and charmed by all her little friends!

Thanks again dear Birgit! You are truly a treasure!

xo xo,
Jodi

Loose Ends, Cliffhangers & Mini Project Plans...

This fall has gone by lightning fast and it feels like I had so many things going that I need to follow up on all of the loose ends and cliffhangers I left you with! Well... I guess "cliffhangers" is a strong word. It's not like you've been waiting to find out if Stefano came back from the dead (again)! But I bet you are wondering what I got in the swap! With so much left in limbo, I'll break them down into categories to help me keep my mind straight.

Family Room & Kitchen Renos

It feels great to have the family room and kitchen rejuvenated! I didn't realize just how much a lighter color would brighten up the rooms, even as we head into dreary, gray winter here in the Pacific Northwest. But even when the sun is hiding behind the thick layer of rain clouds, it still feels jovial inside!

The only things left on the To Do list are to replace a faulty 220 plug for the oven , recover the family room chairs and make some art for above the sofa. Since we are not hosting any of the holidays this year, there's no hurry to get the chairs done, and the oven still works - it just needs to be pulled out from the wall a little to straighten the cord. We wouldn't be true procrastinators if we didn't leave something on the list! Maybe January? :O)

Grandma's Hutch Makeover & Future Project

Grandma's hutch came out great - I love the serenity blue with the sage wall color, and the antiquing wax really highlights the molded details! I want to fill the shelves in the upper glass portion with miniature scenes. Marilyn suggested I make and display mini kitchens that were special to me growing up. Excellent idea, Marilyn! My grandma's kitchen was my first thought, and it's funny - I had been collecting ideas and making plans to do this for years! What a perfect place to have it displayed!

My grandma's kitchen was always active, full of family (she had seven kids) and smelling like some sort of great food or baked goods were about to be served! But by no means was it fancy. It had metal cabinets and a sink unit right out of the Youngstown catalog from the 1950's, red Formica counter tops and actual rooster contact paper on the walls in lieu of wallpaper. But boy was there a lot of love in that kitchen, and a lifetime of memories for our family! Grandma passed in 1998 but she's still in everything we do.

Here's a photo with grandma, my aunt Carol Jean and my little cousins, Teddy and Jimmy. It must have been March because Jimmy is enjoying the birthday cake grandma made. She made some spectacular cakes for all the kids over the years! See the cabinet above the stove on the left? That's not grime, it's where the paint on the metal cabinet had been scrubbed away over the years!

Here's another with the same crew sitting at the table. There was a leaf that could be added to the table, but just imagine seven kids, then later all their spouses and kids, cramming into such a tiny space! Holidays were wall to wall love, literally!

In this photo with my aunt Amy Jo and her two kids Camryn and Kyler, you can see more of the back kitchen wall. The window was east facing, so memories of  early morning sunlight and grandma singing along to country music on the radio fills my heart.

Here's one with Amy's best friend Colleen. Though she wasn't related by blood, she was part of the family! It's a good photo of the sink area and the back door to the built in porch.

I found a couple brand new rolls of the exact contact paper on Etsy a couple years ago. I made memory boxes and covered them with it for my mom, aunt and uncle, but I have lots left. I can scan it into the computer and shrink it down to scale for my mini version.

I've requested more kitchen photos from the family and am going through all my old albums and boxes of photos. Hopefully, I can begin to put all of the pieces and details together enough to make a plan. The hutch shelf is only 10" deep, so one wall will have to be eliminated. I hope to start on the project sometime in 2020.

Instagram Christmas Swap Gifts

I've shown you the gifts I made for my swap recipients, but now I get to share what I got! My first gift came all the way from Sirpa in Finland! One of the best parts to this swap was getting to meet new miniature enthusiasts from around the world! The ones I already knew, I know much better now! Sirpa's Instagram handle is @sirpa_sainio.

Her gifts could not have been more perfect! In addition to an array of generous materials to get creative with, she also made an incredibly adorable suitcase loaded with Christmas presents, a pair of charming little gnomes and a rug that she actually made on a miniature loom! The details are just precious, and I am excited to play with them in my gingerbread cottage, The Sweet Christmas Cottage.

Thank you so much, Sirpa! I will treasure your incredible handmade minis and make great use of the supplies in future projects!

My second gift came from another country, as well, but this time a little closer to home - Chrystine in Montreal. Her Instagram handle is @vintageinmontreal.

Chrystine wove for me the most amazing and intricate basket!!! It's incredibly detailed and perfect in every way! She only began making minis in April of this year, but I think she is someone you are going to hear a lot about in the future! This is going to be an amazing piece to display in my current project (which I'll talk about later).

Thank you Chrystine! I LOVE it!

If you want to see all of the participants, what we made and received, and what we all look like, just search the hashtag #christmasminiswap2019.

Linfield To Adobe Kit Bash

So on December 1st I got to crack open the Linfield kit. It was never opened. In fact, it still had the rusty industrial staples holding the lid closed!

I opened it up to make sure I had all the parts. These DuraCraft kits included everything - the shingles, the trims and moldings, Magic Brik river rock tape and mortar and even the wooden flooring strips! It also included a VHS tape with helpful instructions! I just happen to have a VHS player.

It's a really special kit. When I got to all of the trims, I saw that they were actually wonderfully milled with dovetailed joins! I realized that for me to lob off roofs and flatten out bay windows on a kit like this would be a travesty. I carefully returned everything to the box and put it back into inventory. Looks like I have a frilly Victorian in my future, and that I'll be looking for a Plan B on the adobe structure. I also remembered that all of my ideas aren't necessarily good ones. Ah, well. Such is life...

Instead, A New Project

But not to be thwarted from the thrill of a new project, the smell of fresh plywood and a swarm of tiny slivers, I cracked open a different kit! For me, idle hands are not a healthy thing, so my mind and craft table are never clear for very long. This alternate kit will house another 'Must Do Before I Die' dream that's been in the works since April of 2016. That's when I bought the kit, anyway. The plan for this project has been brewing long before I let myself buy the kit. I've been enamored with it since around 2002!

But what is the kit and what are the plans for it? I'm going to leave you with another cliffhanger here and only tell you the name of the shop and a peek at the early progress.

Welcome to Pound Cake...

Can you guess the kit? I'll share all of the fresh baked gossip in my next post!

xo xo,
Jodi