Crazy mode, time on my hands..

So yeah I had the house to myself today.. I was a busy bee =)

I posted a new tutorial on prep boards and cutting boards, just kinda making them more fancy for your scenes or sales.

I worked on prep boards for sale at the mini craft fair:

I love this one particularly, I am getting better on my mushroom making.. less sicking to my hand and falling on the floor. =)

 

I even did a few more pieces of the Holiday Inc. House ..time to make the doughnuts...little ones :)

 

 

 

 

Project: phase one...of 1000?

I just wanted to post the gingerbread house quick to show its completion:

 

 

____________________________________________

 

To continue: I started the "very basic start" on the Holiday Inc. build, the base and walls last night.

I have to go pick out some wall decoration and stain..and flooring..and..well you know how it goes ;)

 

 

MiniFanatics, around this house

My 5 year daughter is my biggest fan ;) She was my inspiration from the start and always has great ideas in case I get fog brain when I sit down to the clay table.

From time time we did projects together until she told me she wanted her own clay and tools.

Most children play with clay or playdoh from time to time and you find some nice food stuffs in there or a funny little character but usually a big hand sized ________<insert thing here.

 

My daughter went from lumps to some pretty nice stuff.

 

And of course were not talking about big old hand sized chunks here.. I think she is going to outdo me by age 7.

 

 

At least I can be a good assistant in her shop ;)

 

 

 

Christmas goodies..making tools..to make the goods

I started messing around with creating stamps and new tools today, I now have ambitions of being a mini cutter maker.. my cutters would be like little embossing cutters so you would not only stamp detail into something but also cut a nice sharp shape out... <<<this is all fantasy you know? A gal can dream>>

I worked out a few kinks on the piping method for random items:

I made a pumpkin pie..since its already too late..ehh I still wanted to try one. I used my new handy dandy extruder gun on the whipped cream.

This one is still the prototype but I used a mini medicine syringe from a leftover vet visit to construct a really small piping gun.

 

 

It is filled with the standard tls/frosting mix.. just a little thicker. The hardest part will be to perfect a star shaped piping tip which I am messing around with utilizing metal tubing snipped bent and dropped into the syringe.

 

Think of a really small caulk gun

 

 

 

I also did not want to be the only girl on the block who didn't do a gingerbread house for this upcoming holiday craft fair...yeah so I started that. I just hope to perfect the piping gun for the decoration.

 

 

ps.. you see them gumdrops?  Pretty damn cute ain't they? Translucent/ color mix covered in fine sand and fine glitter ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Workshop...in the..workshop

I only had a few mini Min's today so I started to work on a display counter and a simple table:

 

I am running out of balsa wood packs I will have to start searching more than just Michael's for the 8.00 packs of scrap wood. They do have a hobby lobby about 40 mins from me. Last time I went there tho I think I spend about 2 1/2 hours just looking around at small packs of "things" just to see how many mini ideas I would come up with.

 

I better pack a bag lunch for my next trip ;)

 

 

You will see tho I have upgraded my dollar store table for this $2.00 table I've made form balsa wood.. hey its a start :P

I took a break from the clay today *shocker*

Yes I know, I must be low in zinc.

I am getting excited now, I've ordered the Taft General Store from Greenleaf and my big project will soon be started.

So in anticipation I picked up some of the piles of wood I've had laying on the wood shelf...forever...and started working on some of the workshop furniture:

 

Now this isn't to showcase my artisan skills with popsicle sticks ;) .... they are rough and unfinished but I will get some nice detail wood and stain once I figure the color palette for the room.

 

This is supposed to be a workbench and shelf...or will be when I'm done. :)

Black Friday..aka stay in your house and cleanup..

Well I should have been resetting the house today but instead the mini fever took over.. it started the night before as I stared at the decorated dishes for Thanksgiving.

Then this morning the "ideas" pop in your head..you know if you don't start on them or sketch them out your going to be just floating around anyways... So I took the morning to work on some new skills.

Platters/Mugs/Bowls and fruit:

 

I decided to attempt a few different things this morning, I never really work on platters or cups so I though that would be a good start.

As you can see here its your standard Polymer punch plate: punch circle then press a smaller circular object in the middle slowly and rim will lift. I used a couple of small nail decals on the plates just to add some contrast.

The 2 decorated bowls are done with a stylus, Ill have to get more into that one at another time, its a few steps for that

 

 I worked a bit on twice baking clay, starting with a standard shape and adding clay to it with details. A simple mold pressed cup... baked it, then added the base and fancy handle. This way you can grip the cup and press details in.

 

 

This platter was done by punching a simple circle then adding indents, I ran it though the pasta machine once and it turned out to be a perfect oval.

 

The cookies I did cutting with a exacto and hand shaped..just to see if i could

 

The fruit bowl is something you have to keep working on but I wanted to get a baseline to see where i was at in making small fruit.. first time bananas here.. they don't look to bad ;)

 

Ps...my nails and hands are jacked up... yes...yes I know

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving:

I just want to wish you all a happy and healthy day today!! May your bellies be heavy and your hearts be light!!

Making a few more...

I know a lot of us are into the holiday spirit recently involving minis..and the macro's ;)

I was going to join this little craft fair a local school was having this year..then I saw how big it actually was..then I chickened out.. I ADMIT IT.  Also in my hide under a rock defence, I really did not have any stock items to sell.

There is another smaller fair..library style ..*lol*.. I may look into. That one may be the best to dip my mini toes into.

Sometimes its hard to come out of your mini shell but even the smallest turtle does it from time to time. ;)

So I am working on a few display items since its a holiday fair, I love every ones little Christmas cookies and while you HAVE to HAVE a few cookies for display.. you also need something pretty to put them on :)

 

Cookie Plate Tier:

This is very simple to make:

Make three polymer clay plates in varying sizes. You will want to bake and paint/glaze those plates before assembly.

Use a large sewing needle to punch a hole into the center.

Clip a bit of wire make it straight, then slide your plates ..then the bead/ jewelry ring/ stiff paper circle, into place by applying a bit of tack glue . I do use super glue from time to time on the bottom to really place the wire.

Hold each section until dry < insert elevator music here>

You can then glue the entire piece onto a wooden circle or clay circle base to make it stand.

You can do 2 tiers maybe add a shiny bead to the top.. have fun with it ;)

Upgrading and updating your store:

I said to myself as I looked at the turkey platter..i said Jane..cause that's how I talk in my head..I said Jane..you can do better:

So I did..I updated the turkey platter itself with a better set of onions and potatoes.

but then I decided to make this into a feast..so I added a few little things to go with it.

I am not all about creating mini dishes as a norm, I like to create different mini items as my skills progress but I do think this set turned out pretty damn good for a "newb"

Still learning.. ;)

Holiday Basket

Ive been working all day on this basket.. you ever crate a mini that give you miniitus of the spine because you have been hunched over for too many hours?...yeah well I got that...

... but I must say I love this piece.

The basket was created with the sting weaving technique that I use for all my baskets and cornucopias,

I polymer clay was big here obviously but I also did some printies and painting on this piece. Pulled string to show straw some tissue paper to line the basket.

As you can see I have bagged candies, cookies, a cocoa mug with some candy canes in it, a new version of the Christmas tree candle and a shiny box..that holds... ______________ <imagination here:

The little bell I picked up recently I had a few silver bells but found a pack of these mini gold bells that I had to snatch up.

Now I think I will go lay on my hardwood floors for about a hour...and try to straighten this old spine.

Late night entry

Ive started to work on some gift baskets, I always check them out in the stores each year they get more and more packed with brand X ..blahh..

I think i'll keep it simple... here are some of the things that will go together in the first one.

Your grandmothers ever have them Christmas tree candles? or those really fancy carved ones, that they would pullout on the holidays?

 

And yes.. I am still using the dollar store table ;)

SHOP IS OOOOOOPPPEENNNN:

So I have done it.. ive put myself out there for the world to gawk at... I have quietly and slowly started to add items to the shop, even if no one ever buys these things I feel as if I have gotten over a great fear, and it feels good.


Check the shop when you have time, you seasoned Etsy shopkeeps can give me advise if you are so willing.

I will keep adding through the day as I run about ;)


                               http://www.etsy.com/shop/MiniFanaticus

Thank you gifts, first 5

I started working on gifts to the first 5 customers, I want to do a nice package for each so I was thinking a book, goodie bag and some..uhh thing..else.... Its not all hammered out yet in my head.

I did a few of these little coffee table books in different themes flowers, fruit,ferns leaves

I worked on a couple of desk buddies to hang around your mini library.

 

I dunno this one might look too angry...but hes serious about books ..so that's good :P

 

 

I also though about doing a few videos kinda a link to: as part of selling, I might be getting ahead of myself here but I thought a live show of the item might be nice to see once in a while.. just gotta get some pretty furiture to showcase them with..not my dollar store side table *lol*

 

This one isnt offical its just testing the idea..

 

 

Camera ..lights...action...

I still have a few days till I open shop, Ive set up the standard package.. Etsy store, paypal account, shipping and return policy, Just waiting to make sure transactions go through pay pal etc..

I have worked on the light box and camera shots a bit, I've determined some of the best lighting to show details as well as shine/glimmer/color.


You can see the gold candle is showing a nice effect here, a bit of tilting and distance get a good shimmer.

 

Pale off white backgrounds, simple paper towel and paper ruler seemed to work the best to showcase the item and still show info on size

 

 

I know people want to see the scale but they also want to "peer into" the object so I tried to utilize shots that did both. A bit of size and a bit of detail

 

 

I used a lot of "effect clay" in these lots, I am hoping they show through in the pictures.. somewhat ;)

 

 

 

 

 

The Light box:

Step one... lovingly create miniature items with the most detail you can pull out of your noggin:

Step two ..take the crappiest pictures you can of that item so it does not so it any justice....<<< WAIT WHAAAAAAT?

So I figure besides just working for hours on making something, I should throw a couple of hours into trying to take pictures that ...somewhat resemble what you can see with your eye..this part is the hardest.

Now if you have seen my other blog you know I have struggled with finding the best light to take pictures under, and for a while under my range hood seemed to be the best..that light has...uhh faded.


So I decided to mess around with a light box.

 

I have seen many tutorials on creating one and the lighting effect for those pictures but I am using this old digital camera ..and im no lighting scientist...<this is a term isnt it?

 

So of course I just threw a few pieces of card stock together and tape and I got this:

 

The biggest problem I am having is the lighting effects, this candle set is glittery and gold but you don't get the feel of it in the least. Gold tipped pine cones and glitter..uhh how do I get this to show?

 

I guess the testing continues, I am still searching for the perfect light, which I might never find.

Taking stock: your store and you.

While I am not rushing to get this store open this weekend..I am trying to get it up and running <this make any sense?

I have a shelf full of random things that I have made, I am trying to make category's to place them in so that they make sense.< yeah ..I'm not making any sense...

I know people loved the candle centerpieces so I am going to keep making those with different themes. I have a few in mind with a frosty touch ;)

 

Making miniatures is hard stuff friends....( big production for such a little thing) I wanted to go crazy and get a lot of things on the site but I might just have to pull back my little reigns and just get a few "little" things a'goin.

 

 

 

Paper Boxes:

There are many websites and graphics out there for free printable boxes. I have collected quite a few of the downloadable graphic patterns, now you can paint the boxes or apply some paper to them or if you are familiar with a photo paint program, then of course the mini world is your ..uhh mini oyster?

Anyways here are  a few examples of simply adding new art to some plain box patterns.

 

 Crimping the boxes is the hardest part when making smaller and even smaller versions of said box so I use a sharp clay tool with a flat end to bend the fold line first. this seems to make a straight edge and not fray the paper.

 

You can use any tool you like I know some people might use a table edge or just hand fold but as you see here pressing the tool into the fold is quite easy.

 

Now your pattern options are endless,you can use the old standard prints that are out there like the famous Jims Dollhouse Pages

 

 

or Jennifers Printables but you can also just go out there and find tons of simple box pattens on the net to make your own.

 

 

>>>>>>>>>

 

For instance I have made these simple boxes for a few of my minifriends that have participated on my previous blog:

 

To: JennyB, A.wright. and Illyria's Miniatures

Thanks ladies ;)

 

Making something you like..and making it again and again : Molds

Ever made a little item that seemed to turn out just perfect and then when you try to make another it looks like a lump of shoe crud? This is where a mini mold might come in handy.

So you've made a great little bowl..and your not any kind of bowl scientist or craftsman..but you want to make that bowl again.

 

Then a mold may just be the thing for you. They have many diffrent types or craft molds out there but the one I keep too is Amazing Mold Putty. Combine two bits of goo squish and boom you got a mold.

 Now does this mean you can throw a lumpy ball in there and you have a exact replica? NO no no..uhh no, you still have to do the work my friend but its less work and forming the inside to a mold is a lot easier than trying to produce the outside shape.

So you can see the progression here is still handmade work, that is cut, shape, press, Ball Stylus , bake, sand and seal.

 

The great thing about the basic mold is creating additions to your already made bowl and shrinking enlarging within the same pattern. Don't forget you can twice bake these babies..so maybe a handle and you got  nice serving dish :)

Greetings,

This will be the start of MiniFanaticus ....good little things to come.....