3D Printed Kitchen Mini Photos Completed ✅

Phew! That was a mouthful and a plateful, lol! But I am so happy to say that all the photos of the kitchen 3D printed minis have been taken, edited and are as "ready" as I know how get them! I am not sure of the best way to share the photos with you, other than to divvy them up into the groups that I will sell them in (should I decide on that endeavor).

I have divided them into 7 groups...

Group one includes:

• Spice Rack w/Opening Drawer and Removable Spice Tins
• Honey Pot w/Dipper and Removable Lid
• Garlic Keeper w/Removable Lid
• Salt Pig w/Removable Lid
• Pear Cookie Jar w/Removable Lid
• Utensil Crock
• Utensils: Spoon, Slotted Spoon, Spatula
• Dish/Hand Soap Pump
• Paper Towel Holder

Group Two Includes:

• Vintage Toaster Kit w/ Plug/Cord
• Butter Crock w/Cube of Butter
• Vintage Canister Set of Three w/Removable Lids
• Bread Box w/Removable Lid
• Cookbook Holder

Group Three Includes:

• Cookie Sheet
• Bread Pan
• Muffin Pan
• Scalloped Cake Plate on Pedestal
• Bundt Pan
• Pie Plate
• Rolling Pin Kit
• Optional Bakeware Rack

Group Four Includes:

• Vintage Mixer Kit w/Plug & Cord, Hinge
• Two Liquid Measuring Cups
• Three Dry Measuring Cups
• Three Measuring Spoons
• Stacking Mixing Bowls Set of Three
• Sifter Kit

Group Five Includes:

• Dutch Oven w/Lid
• Medium Pot w/Lid
• Small Pot w/Lid
• Small, Medium and Large Covered Casseroles w/Lids
• Small, Medium and Large Frying Pans
• Optional Casserole Storage Rack
• Optional Frying Pan Storage Rack
• Optional Lid Racks

Group Six Includes:

• Bud Vase
• Napkin Holder
• Salt & Pepper Shakers
• Retro Pitcher
• Covered Butter Dish w/Cube of Butter
• Four Dinner Plates
• Four Salad Plates
• Four Dessert Plates
• Four Bowls
• Four Coffee Cups

Group Seven Includes:

• Teapot w/Lid
• Coffee Pot w/Lid
• Two Teacups
• Two Saucers
• Sugar Bowl w/Lid
• Creamer Pitcher
• Tiered Dessert Stand

At this point I do not know what the pricing will be. I have yet to compile the questionnaires that have been returned to me and see the suggestions. I also need to do a little market research to see what similar items sell for. I do know that I'd like to offer free shipping. There is nothing like the nasty surprise of getting to checkout only to see your total way up once taxes and shipping have been added! I need to see if Etsy accommodates a shipping credit for international buyers, too. Still so much to learn!!!

Now it's time to dismantle the photo shops, put the mini kitchen minis away for safe keeping and figure out the next logical step. Would it be helpful to list the kitchen minis on eBay? Say one group of the painted minis and one group of the unfinished minis just to measure interest and pricing? What do you guys think? All honest feedback and suggestions are most welcome! 💗

I hope to be back soon to share the reviews and photos from all of the testers, plus all the finishing tips, products and techniques folks used on these 3D minis. I am so inspired by the creativity and ingenuity in our community of miniaturists! You guys are amazing!!!

xo xo,

Jodi

Almost Ready!

Hi guys! I'm back with an update on the 3D Printed Vintage Kitchen Minis progress. What an epic and time consuming journey this has been! Today I looked back and was surprised to see my first post asking for volunteer testers was September 1st. And it was a good month of designing and test printing the items before that! It just goes to show you that you never know what surprise adventures life will pull you into. But I am happy to report that I am almost at the point where I can take the product photos.

Prop Kitchen Almost Ready!

In my last post I had shared how I needed to create a photo studio where I could take photos of all the items I may sell. I already had the structure, so I just needed to outfit it with a "prop" kitchen to photograph the minis in. That has been a major undertaking - creating all the fixtures, furnishings and accessories. But it is pretty close to being ready so I thought I'd share some photos. I ended up making two sets of countertops. I used 1/8" basswood for both, applying a faux marble to one set and a butcherblock type top to the other. The marble may work okay in future photo shoots, but for the vintage kitchen items, I thought they would be better viewed with no distracting veining.

Faux Marble Counters

Butcher Block Type Counters

Because I have cookware items to photograph, I thought I should install a gas cooktop, too. I didn't want to go to all the trouble of making and installing a hood, so I made a compact downdraft type version. This leaves the wall space above the stovetop open so that I can add my shop plaque to the photographs. I also left it white/black instead of adding the "stainless steel" to have it be more of a backdrop than a feature. Like all the props, it just sits on the countertop, held in place by Aileen's Tack It Over And Over for removal if I need the counterspace for a different shot. The open shelving is repositionable, too, so I can move them around as needed.

In terms of props, I made quite a few. I tried to leave them as neutral as possible so that they would not compete with the actual products in the photos. I made up some pots of herbs and a tray to place them on, a pitcher with hydrangeas, paper towel holder, hand and dish soap pump bottles, some kitchen signs and wall art.

I made a plaque and some letters to include in the product photographs because all the people said to clearly define your brand. I'm adopting the blog colors for easy recognition, too. Oh there is so much to learn!

Some décor items didn't make the cut. The first utility island I made and painted in black didn't photograph well. I also found the big industrial lighting shade was a distraction, as well, but I may offer it at some future point with all the other lamps and fixtures I have designed.

I made many things, some of which are still having their finishes applied, like the cutting boards. The Java cup holder is still getting some kinks worked out, too.

Luckily, I had wine bottles left over from doing Tasha's Kitchen. That saved me a couple days worth of time.

For the banquet area, I made the bottom cushions out of 3/16" foam core, wrapped in quilt batting then covered with a "snow" colored cotton fabric. I borrowed the pillows from the Beachside Bungalow, with the exception of three that I purchased on Etsy. They turned out to be a perfect compliment!

The table is a design that I used to offer back when I had my Shapeways shop. I just topped it with a piece of scrap plywood stained in the counter color. I designed it to use on the deck of my Alki Point project, and there it is barstool rather than tabletop height and has a "glass" top.

I'm learning some things about photography, like black things often lose their detail when photographed with my phone camera and lighting. Better to use a dark gray to paint things like the spoon and fork in the future. 

Also, I am discovering that by diffusing the bright LED bulbs in my work room fixture, I get better results. I just place a sheet of waxed paper over the Lexan top of the photo box and it removes the glare but keeps the brightness.

So now that the prop kitchen is nearly done, I can begin the product photo shoot process. But first, I need to clear the decks, clean my work room and ready my mind for another learning curve. With a little luck and some dedicated mini time, I'll be back soon with my photos, the volunteers' photos, finishing products and tips and information to share about their reviews.

Thanks for coming along on this epic side journey! I hope you are learning some good and useful things throughout the process, too!

xo xo,

Jodi

Fall Already???

Hi Guys! Is it really fall already? It feels like I put my head down to get packages out to my volunteers, and when I looked up, October was well under way! Let me assure you that even though I haven't posted in a few weeks, I've been BUSY! I'll try to catch you up on all the happenings...

In my last post I shared how the packages of  vintage 3D printed kitchen minis were on their way to the volunteer testers. Since then, I have gotten several reviews and photos back and am so excited with the feedback! Here are just a few comments...

"How I wish you could've been here when I opened your package a few minutes ago! I literally gasped and squealed at the array of beautiful items that were enclosed, and marveled at the tiny honey pot and sweet sifter. Thank you for your unexpected "thank you" gifts! They're SO precious!!! I love EVERYTHING that you've sent, and am blown away by the quality of each piece. I would venture to say that they're the best 3D printed items that I've seen so far. Also love that you've left them attached to their little bars/stringers to make painting easier."
Terri K.

"I received the little precious things. I am in love with everything. The colander is just too too good! I am going to finish up a purse I'm working on and then will be devoted to minis. Thanks for this opportunity. One thing I can say now: I purchase quite a few 3-D items to finish. The quality of these is much better. Of course, I will be swearing a lot with the toaster!!!"
Pat S.

"The package arrived today and I will get started on this after my NAME Gazette meeting today at noon. Thank you so much for the presents you sent. They are fantastic and hard to believe they are plastic/resin. After just going through what I got, I would definitely like to have you as a supplier when I finally get my miniature food business kicked off. You have items my other supplier doesn’t (just like she has things you don’t, well, mainly because I had a few custom requests that she filled)."
Marilyn H.

"I was so thrilled when my package of your minis arrived in the mail today! I can't thank you enough! When you see them in the images on your blog, they're fantastic, but when you see them in person, they're just marvelous and so captivating!!!!! I love that tiny honeypot you included, it's just wonderful and oh so cute! And that little sifter! They're amazing! I can't wait to review them, and thank you for making my day!"
Julia T.

I'll share photos I received from the volunteer testers in a future post - it's amazing the range of products that were used and the finishes they've come up with! So inspiring!!! There were some really good suggestions on improvements, too, so after a couple adjustments, I started printing again - this time, for photo shoots. I needed three sets of everything: one for the Willowcrest kitchen to be painted in it's color scheme, one with a more crowd pleasing palette to use for product display photos, and one set right off the printer, lightly sanded but left unpainted so folks will know exactly what they will receive. Honestly, at this point I am still not certain if I will open a shop. There is so much to learn and I need to be sure I can handle the business part. Online retail has gotten very complicated if your gross sales are over $600 per year with the new tax laws. For now, I'm going to "act" like a shop is happening, do all I need to do and learn all I need to know, and then decide.

I've used a two-tone porcelain enamel look on lots of the pieces.

In the garage for spray varnish.

The printed pieces have been painted and sealed, and I am preparing myself for a major photo shoot. To accomplish this, I needed a photo studio. Some of my longtime readers might remember when I made up a Houseworks Duplex Roombox for this purpose way back in 2017. It's finished with a lot of texture but completely neutral in color so that the items being photographed will not have any competition for their attention. I have used it a couple times - once as the backdrop in the post So Thankful, after receiving many gorgeous mini paintings from Samantha Burns and once as the backdrop when I experimented with and then sold a bunch of vanities. That post was called In Sink. Then the structure got shelved and mostly forgotten until now...

I decided that my original idea for it was a good one, and if I planned things just right, I could create several props to use for all kinds of photo shoots in the future. For these vintage kitchen minis, I needed a pretty neutral kitchen to display them in. So, in between all the other things on my plate, I got busy making one. I used Design Space, the Maker and chipboard to custom fit the space in the left side of the shop.

I went with a modern farmhouse style this time because it fit with the vibe of the roombox shop and would provide a pretty neutral backdrop for the 3D printed items. All the pieces will be removable so that I can use the space for other room items besides a kitchen, and have even created many shop type display pieces to use in the future.

I've got to cut the sink opening, add a backsplash to the countertops and then finish them. I think I am leaning toward faux white marble. For the walls, I'm going with modular wooden open shelving - great for displaying all the kitchenware. The banquet will need cushions for the booty and loose pillows for the back. My To-Do list would probably freak out even the most type "A" OCD person, but my strategy is to do all I can, enjoy it as much as possible, and stop caring what the calendar says. It works to keep me from freaking out an acceptable amount of the time. 😁

In family news... We got to stay for a long weekend at Tasha and Brent's farm. They had just gotten eight baby chicks who stayed in the house in their hatcher pen. That allowed lots of fascinating watching time and plenty of holding them so they get used to people. They were so funny and beautiful! Truly just like little children! 

I also got to love on Vincent and Carl, the goats. They really like me - probably because I taught them what pumpkins are and fed it to them! 

And I got to feed freeze dried worms to the three older hens and the gender confused rooster, Angelica.

It was such an amazing thing to see my little girl and her perfect partner beginning to live their dream!

Thanks for coming by, everyone! I hope in spite of what the calendar says, you're crossing things off your To-Do lists faster than you are adding them!

Back next week with progress...

xo xo,

Jodi