Confessions of a Mad Miniaturist Plus Some Exciting News!

Before I share the exciting news, I feel that I owe respect to honesty and therefore, need to first make a confession. You see, I seem to be suffering from (que dramatic music)... Project completion impotency! To prove my point, I will list off for you the projects that are started, some pretty far along, and yet not fully satisfied. Ahem...

1. Real Good Toys Barn Bash - trimming out the back opening, attaching it to a foundation, roofing and landscaping are all that she needs to be completed. Why have I stalled? Because I am a fickle be-otch and began fantasizing about Alki Point. There she sits, dusty and disheveled. If you listen closely, you can hear her say "cheater"!

2. Alki Point - She is done! Finito! Terminus! Only, she needs to have her power strip tidied up and concealed. Then she needs to have her glamour shots taken at the real Alki Beach. Why is this not done, since February you ask? Because. I got busy with (and excited over) the Shabby Chic Soap Shop. Plus, driving to Alki from Spanaway means traffic. Lots of it. I. Hate. Traffic! Oh, and see that building next to her on the right - that's next on my list.

3. Starbucks - this is the first in the set of three Street Of Shops. I stopped work on her because I wanted the brick facade to be continuous, and therefore would need to complete the other two in the set first. Yeah... That was like three years ago... I just need to finish it by itself and be done. She's all finished inside. I even built on a replica bathroom which is also finished inside. If/when I ever get to the next two shops, I'll improvise on brick continuity.

4. The Shabby Chic Soap Shop - I got stuck and frustrated trying to make the chandelier, which turned out to be way too chunky and completely horrible looking. Then I stalled out on whether or not to drop $60 on a real battery operated chandelier (even though I have wired wall sconces) and just forget trying to make one. Then I decided maybe it didn't need to be electrified at all. Then I felt lazy about not doing the wiring. Then I walked by it one day (it currently sits on the shelf so I'd have room to work on the Creatin' Contest build) and HATED the outside color scheme including the shingles!!! Now I've decided it all has to be repainted. As soon as I figure out what and how to do it.

And of course on top of all those, I am currently working on the Creatin' Contest build. See that list there? There's sooooo much left to do on this project! You'd think all of this wanton mini lust and the associated guilt would be enough to make me just stop and FINISH WHAT I STARTED!

Nope. I can't...

I have a serious addiction! It is a disease, you know. I can't be blamed for that. Can I? I'm not trying to hide anything. The blog name says it all...

Ugh... Now that I've admitted all of my shame, I'm a little hesitant to share my good news. Maybe you'll all be really mad at me. Maybe you will all want to come to my house and take these poor unloved projects away from me. Maybe you'll all think I'm a really bad person. :O(

But wait! YOU guys are my peeps! We are all completely and madly codependent! We support and enable each other all the time! You! You glorious comrades totally get it! You probably have a dozen or so mini skeletons on your shelves or hidden in closets, as well. In fact, you have probably purchased something in the last couple weeks that you totally did not need but wanted really, really bad!

Phew! Thanks for being in this with me! I love you guys!

Okay - so finally out with the good news!

A few posts ago I mentioned that Hobby Lobby had the RGT Beachside Bungalow kit for $119, then had the 40% coupon. I got it for half the regular price, so there was no way I was letting that opportunity pass me by.

I told myself that I was not even going to open the kit until I at least had the contest build completed. Then one day I was sitting at the computer, minding my own business when the kit's finishing page just pops up on the screen! I didn't think there would be any harm in reading it, right? But it got me so excited! It has already finished wood floors! I wondered what they looked like. I opened the box. I looked at the pictures online. I wondered if I could swap the stairs to the other side of the house. I drew out the dimensions and made a first floor layout in my design program. That got me to thinking about the kitchen. That got me looking for cabinet kits. That got me looking over at Elf Miniatures to see what they had available and what the pricing was like. That got me talking to Elizabeth (I love her!) and totally coming up with an affordable and awesome kitchen plan!

The Wall Of Cabinets Layout

The Island Layout

I was shocked at how quickly Elizabeth got back to me. She asked me so many important questions and clarified every detail to be sure I would get exactly what I wanted. She offered options to me that weren't even listed on the web site, and ended up saving me even more money so that I could afford the fridge cabinet enclosure. Then, to put the cherry on top, she said they would go out airmail from the UK on Wednesday!!! What?!?

I just don't deserve so much happiness, but I am so grateful for it! My "Notes From The Universe" this morning said:

"The secret behind miracles is that the person performing them begins without any knowledge of exactly how they will succeed... yet still they begin.

When you move, I move -
The Universe"

Thanks for sticking through all my rambling to the end! I'll post photos of the new loot as soon as it arrives!

As for when the project will actually start - that remains to be seen...

Meet The Little Piggies

Since my kids were very young (and my nieces and nephews), I have been putting my own spin on classic fairy tales for them. I wanted them to understand that those who are pure of heart and intention do win! The bullies always lose in the end, and when they fall, they fall HARD!

No project like The Three Little Pigs - Revenge could be complete without the most important element - it's characters! From the time I dreamt of this build I knew I had to find the perfect piggies. I searched and searched and then one day found these little guys on eBay. They were just the right height at 5" (without the bases), had bobbling heads and totally captured the look I wanted - fairy tale fun!

Each one would need to have a very unique personality. I began searching for costuming that would fit their skills and interests. Each one needed to stand out on his own, but look similar enough that you knew they were very closely bonded brothers. Without any further adoo, I present to you our three little heros:

Bob

Bob is a logical, level headed and handy young pig. He's gifted in brick laying, and enjoys a good round of chess. He's a methodical thinker, and often succeeds by applying common sense to a problem. He thinks of problems as opportunities. Safety and security are a priority for Bob. He's the oldest of the three, and feels a strong sense of protection for his brothers. He also just really enjoys their company!



Joe

Joe is the jokester of the family. He's always coming up with the funniest quips and often ribs his brothers in good fun! When it comes to the culinary arts, he could not be more serious or talented. Joe's specialty is combining the most seemingly odd combinations of ingredients to make a 5 star meal. He is also an expert at tenderizing even the most unforgiving cuts of meat. Joe loves to share meals and laughs with his brothers, for never a merrier bunch you shall find.


Sam

Last but certainly not least is sam. Sam is a caring and nurturing soul. His love and care for his brothers is evident in the way he takes care of them all. Keeping the house in tip top shape is a point of pride for Sam. He's an avid gardener growing not only the best produce for miles around, passers by are often seen admiring his flowers in abundant bloom.  Sam's gentle way and happy go lucky presence make him a friend to all.




I hope you've enjoyed meeting our little heros and will continue to check in on the progress for the HBS Creatin' Contest build. Coming soon... That dastardly villain; The Big Bad Wolf!

Back At It... Finally!

This blog is (mostly) about positive things such as miniatures. I bet that's why you are all here - making the rounds to see what other creative minds are doing in the mini realm. We all get each other, and I love that! Mini's are what I do to distract me from some of the tough stuff in life, and I am sooooooo grateful to have them. Usually, no matter what's going on in my real world, my minis are a way for me to escape and enjoy. But not always. I've had a tough couple weeks, so much so that even mini-ing didn't appeal to me. I'm sure you've all been there, and here's a hug for the next time you need it!

Thank goodness, like most tough times, it's now in the rear view, and I can focus a little time to the HBS Creatin' Contest build! When I last left off I had gotten the bunk beds and single bed made, and just needed to dress them. I found some awesome little quilts on eBay by tonis-treasures when I was buying things planning for this project last year.

I made mattresses out of foam core and covered the visible "sheets" with fabric.

Attached the quilts to the foam core...

Glued and clamped them to the bed frames...

And voila!

A perfect fit for the space! I think the piggies are going to squeal!

Next, I needed a table. I could not believe that in all of the kits I've been collecting for the last four years that I did not have a dining room table kit! I had to get creative! The hubs had saved me some nice thin-ish slabs of oak. He also happens to have hole saw bits in several sizes. Gotta love a man with tools! Then I found the cork from a magnum bottle of champagne (left the wine tasting with tons of corks, too - you know... Just in case...) with the perfect curvy character. I also had some circle shaped Woodsies. I was in business!

Glued...

Painted, stained and hole covered with a vase (cheap glass vial painted red inside). I did have some chair kits! Phew! That would have taken some major brain power to make three chairs from scratch, although I have done it before - from chop sticks, even!

But it was still missing something... The flowers! One rose (Bonnie Lavish kits) for each little piggy! I dusted the edges with artists chalk to give them some blush.

I believe that takes care of all of the major furnishings for the build!

Next up, I needed to remove the Geico piggies from their bases. When I bought them, I thought I could just run them through the scroll saw.

Ummmm, No. Too wide and too tall. I attempted to use a Dremel cut off wheel attachment. Ummmm, No. They broke. A lot of them. What the heck was this stuff made of?!? Apparently, some kind of epoxy. So, I swallowed my "I can do it all by myself" pride and asked the tool expert - the hubs. He (patronizingly) said "no problem sweetie". But it was a problem! I kind of felt better that he had trouble, too! ;O) He Dremeled, he hacksawed, he coping sawed and I helped him grip. Finally! A giant mess (it looks like a DEA smuggling photo) to clean, but free piggies!!! And an awesome man willing to help!

And now, the fun part! Getting to dress and personalize each of them! Very exciting! More kits are involved! They're going to be so stinkin' cute!

Except, I got word that my next crazy busy work schedule will most likely start a week early. So that means like next week. No mini life well into August. :o( I'm sad, but that's life! Gotta pay the bills and buy more kits!

Tonight, I get to catch up on all of my favorite blogs! Have a very happy week!