Botanique Begins...

It is so exciting for me to start a new project! I used to get the same giddy feeling when I was little and got a brand new box of crayons. So many possibilities in one little box.

Speaking of little box, you may remember that for the flower shop I am using a chipboard kit from Alpha Stamps. Its called the Storefront Roombox. It measures 10" tall x 10" wide x 5-1/2" deep. I feel like I can pack in a lot of visual lusciousness without taking up much precious display space in the 1:1 house. And the amazing price means I have more cash to splurge on some special pieces.

It is super simple to dry fit and pull back apart for planning. There are offset tabs and slots and the chipboard is sturdy with just enough give. An added bonus is how much less space it takes up on my work table than a large project. I can lay out all of the materials - if I can see them, it is less likely that I will forget to use them (I hate when I do that).

I was surfing around the Greenleaf store contemplating another project (thanks mom and dad for the birthday mini money!) when I came across their new patterned doors. I instantly thought they would make wonderful wall panels. There are a front and matching back panel to the doors so you get two panels for every door you buy. Plus, they include a full size solid door panel to center in between the panels and a piece of frosted "glass". Even the panel waste pieces can be used for a multitude of things. Not bad for $4.95!

I used them as wall panels in the shop and have plans for the "waste" shapes, as well. Here is where I need to tell you that in addition to my build, I am simultaneously working on a surprise project for a very special person. I may show glimpses of that project now and again, but mostly it will be in secret until after it has been given to the recipient. Hence, the panels painted blue and in obviously different shapes than the panels in my shop.

Over the last several days I have added the wallpaper, panels, moldings, fireplace, mirror and flooring. The flooring I am using is one that I have wanted to try out for several years now - like since I did the Starbucks in 2013. Well, I finally ordered it from HBS/Miniatures.com and it is awesome. It is the 1/24th scale latex brick sheet. It looks and feels amazing and the detail is wonderful.  The area of brick that sticks out past the side wall will be the shop's outside display area. I may paint the brick in the shop interior, but for the exterior I will just add some moss and mold. You know, the kind of stuff that Weed-B-Gone never really works on for long in real life.

The hole in the side wall is going to get a bay window later on. The chipboard is so much easier to cut than 1/8" plywood that alterations are A-OK!

I have a lot of lighting to add - ceiling fixtures, sconces and lamps. They are all 12 volt, but the wires will connect to battery packs which I plan to hide in a false ceiling. That is another great thing about the chipboard - easy to punch out small holes for wires.

I am working on a fancy design and finish for the ceiling. This is where I'm at so far. I need to make it removable to access the interior, so that is a challenger I'll have to face later on.

I'm working on some of the shelving that will run along the tops of the wall panels. Then I'll start some of the table, shelf and display kits to see what's going to work and what I have to customize to maximize display space.

I only have a couple more days before I have to put the minis away and turn my attention to other exciting things. Starting Saturday, Russ and I will be finalizing plans and packing for our 30th wedding anniversary!!! Three weeks of road tripping, camping, desert southwesting and family visiting! It just freaks me out to realize that it was 1987 when we got married. I can tell you the years went by like a flash, probably because they were all so special and wonderful! He truly is my best friend and my favorite person in the world!

Last but not least, I would like to take a moment to thank HBS for their amazing generosity! It is so much fun to participate in the Creatin' Contest, but to receive Honorable Mention is beyond what I ever dreamed of! Thanks so much for hosting such a wonderful event every year! It must be so hard to choose the winners from the vast pool of tremendously talented and creative contestants! I can't wait to see all of the entries!

xxx

Sixteen Succulents, Three Baskets, Two Days and A Whole Lot of Fun!

In my last post I shared both the joyful anticipation and the trepidation of the arrival of a new PC. Thank you all for the luck and good wishes sent. Most of the process was flawless, and the couple things that were a little less cooperative gave in soon enough. I am up and running and can't believe how ~F~A~S~T~ the new computer is!

By Sunday afternoon I was on pins and needles to start on the succulent and basket kits from our wonderfully creative and ingenious mini community member Nancy Enge!

I had ordered a set of sempervivum with green leaves, but Nancy was very kind to include an extra set of white leaves in case the green was a little too dark. This was very serendipitous; because I would need to color the leaves myself, on her blog recommendation, I ordered a set of Winston & Newton Promarker alcohol based markers. These things are ~F~A~B~U~L~O~U~S~! Just wait until you see how the pink blended into the green on my leaves! I vow to never be without these markers the rest of my whole life! (a bit dramatic, I know, but they are just that good!)

Do you know how many varieties of succulent exist in the world? Me neither! But I found this photo and suddenly realized that I could go with pretty much any color combo I liked! In miniatures, we are the creators!

I got my leaves all colored and stylus-ed (a great time to space out while one is stylus-ing) and began assembling. With each step, as I saw these little succulents become, I became more and more giddy!
They~are~just~so~adorably~beautiful! I suddenly KNEW exactly what colors I'd use for the baskets and accessories!

Have I mentioned that these markers are amazing?

I can't say enough good things about the kits - the paper is a perfect weight to work with, the kit instructions are packed with great step-by-step directions with photos, they go together like a dream and Nancy must be the fastest Etsy shipper I've ever experienced! If you haven't gotten the kits already - Go Shop Now! If you have and are waiting to dive in, Do Them Now! Just look at how wonderfully they turn out!

These are the first set of display botanicals for the flower shop, and getting to enjoy them so much has reinvigorated my passion for the project as a whole!

Thanks, Nancy! We are so lucky to have you in our mini world! Now get busy on the Hen & Chicks! I Want! :O)

Veggie Tutorials

Some of you may recall that for the HBS Creatin' Contest 2016 I made a vegetable garden. I used a combination of kits, loose pre-made vegetables and some good old mini ingenuity. I was contacted by American Miniaturist and asked if they could publish some of the tutorials. I was delighted but I wanted to see, if using only common craft supplies, I could make a vegetable garden all my own. I was able to pull it off using mostly office paper, toothpicks, glue, paint and Mod Podge. I am happy to share the success, so if you've got some basic craft supplies then you can make all of these for yourself!

Rather than putting everything into one gigantic post, I decided to make the How-To's available in .pdf format, as well as have the entire tutorial available as a separate page on the blog. There are six parts to the entire project, including four different vegetables and an easy raised vegetable planter.

To view, download or print the tutorial, use the link below:

How To Grow A 1/12th Garden In Just One Weekend

To see the dedicated blog page see: Easy 1/12 Scale Vegetable Tutorial

The tutorials are intended to publish in the April issue of American Miniaturist. I am super excited and hope the tutorials will be handy!

I was hoping to be finished Tuesday night so that I could start on the flower shop - no such luck. In addition to the tutorials taking a bit longer, my seven year old PC has been randomly shutting down. It is a long and technical story, so I'll just say the new PC arrives tomorrow. And we have a new wireless router. This all means I'll be spending the next few days using some colorful language, pulling my hair out, and in general being intimidated by technology. Flower shop, I'm getting closer my darling! Until then, air kisses...