MINI CRAZY?

JULY 31

This month ends on a happy note. While DD was working out of town, she found the Shrink  Film for me. YAY!! Now I can replace my table tops and paladian windows.

My saw table has been repaired too.

I didn't do a lot of minis this week. The heat and humidity zapped my motivation.

I tried working on a knitted mini gown, but after the 6th time of ripping out and starting over, I gave up, and started a simpler project.

I did some sorting and weeding. I do this whenever weather, health, and mini mind are too out of wack for creativity. I made a lunch bag or two of trash. Stuff that WILL go to the dump. Progress !

I have a few more large bins of supplies and "stuff" that are still in the loft. I need to make room for them SOME WHERE.

I also "contemplated" the Church and Gazebo.

I laid out the front and rear walls, figured out the finishing process, and planned out the door, and more windows.

I also laid out the assembly line for finishing the roses. I only? have 50 more to do.

We've renamed the Church "WE ARE THE WORLD." Miniature Church of Acceptance.

An "earth person" came to sit with me this week. I was so excited to show her my mini houses. She didn't get it. I was disappointed. 

I've been in this area AKA (bedroom communities) for 1/2 my life. In 29 years here, I've only met one person who did any type of arts, crafts or needlework. Isn't that strange?

The neigbors think I'm "off."  When I go for my walks, I get the looks and q's "how ARE you" as if I'm about to explode or croak. I always wondered why they talk to me this way, until one day I met a realtor looking around the neighborhood. She said "You're the one who does the little houses. I heard all about you."

Ah well. Crazy, don't fit in, topic of gossip, but I'm still having fun.

CABINETS INSTALLED

JULY 27

HOORAH !!! I finally finished the cabinets, appliances, and counters for the Thornhill. This kitchen had as many problems as a Real One, being over seen by a bad general contractor.

I'm glad this job is almost finished. It took months, and I've been totally obsessed with the finishing details for over a week.

Now I'll take a break from construction for a few days.

I have even more problems. The beautiful sunshine that I loved so much when my minis were in the loft, turned all my windows and plexi tables an ugly shade of yellow. I've seached high and low for shrink film or Shrinky Dink. I thought it would be easier to cut the ovals and rounds from the shrink film, than from the window plexi glass.

I can't find it anywhere, and I'm having trouble finding the window plexi glass too.

Deb made this beautiful luggage and handbag for our July Swap.

DH suggested that I put it in the front hall of the Thornhill. That's where it will go. ;-)

SUCCESS?

JULY 23
Mini making has been hit and miss for the past few weeks, so has time on the internet.I HAVE gotten a few things done.
I mailed my swap and think it was well received. I hope so. I was very proud of it. I "rarely" say that about my own minis. :-)

I finished the new pillows I made for the sofa. They sat in the UFO box for too many years. So another check on my goal of finishing things this year.

I'm still working on counters and cabinets for the Thornhill. Paint and wait, cut and wait, paint and wait, glue and wait. (and start all over again)I managed to strip and cut the wood I need, then the saw table wheel broke off again.

ROUND AND ROUND

JULY 13
The past week has brought ups downs and all arounds.
My battery operated dremel bit the dust. :-(  It was only used a couple of times. Of course I've had it for years, so can't return it. A nice idea (battery operated) so much easier to use. It has less power than the electric, but the power was fine for mini wood. The hold switch for the collet changes is made out of cheap plastic. Just not strong enough. #$$#@.
I carpeted another room in the T.H.
I tried the skulpy 3 for the counter tops. One square was not enough. I can't find any more. Besides, I'd have to buy 3 more multi packs to have enough. Too pricey.I printed out a formica look pattern onto "cold press" art paper. I'm going to treat it, glue it onto basswood, then cover it with a textured sheet protector. That will be my counter tops.
I wasn't at all happy with the diswasher kit. After lots of sanding and several coats of testors paint, it still looked woody. I took a paint color chart, peeled off a paint sample, and glued that to the dishwasher front. It looks MUCH better.I'm re-painting all of the cabinet knobs a chrome color. I didn't like the brass in that kitchen. The more work I do, the more work I think to do.
I "finished" and "re-finished" my swap item. It's ready for shipping. The re-worked pattern is safely put away, in the book, NOT in one of my safe places. LOL!!!
DD gifted me with another screen house for my camp ground.

BUSY BUSY BUSY

JULY 6

It was a very busy mini weekend.

DH finished the shell of the garage, and then "prodded" me to finish designing the house layout.

He also made a table top for the camp ground, and cut down a couple of tables under other houses. It's getting crowded in the TV room, and every inch of space saved helps.

I went "hunting" for items that evidently are no longer carried in MA stores. I couldn't find shrink film or texturizing medium. I'm going to try poly-clay for my counter tops. I grabbed the last package of granite skulpy.

I also grabbed a few sheets of textured paper, to experiment with.

I remade the parts for the swap, assemled it, and did the first coat of paint. YAY!!! I did all the cutting by hand, since I lost my square and couldn't re-align the saw. When I misplaced my dremel, I found the square. :-)

Today we had an unusual day of sun and dry weather, so I went out to the shed, opened all the windows, and did some more staining on the T H dining room furniture.

Tomorrow I hope to get back to installing carpeting (if I don't have too much RS cleaning to do).

So much fun; so little time.

AND FOUND

JULY 4
I had no luck with the tiles. The patterns and textures are too big for miniatures. I'm thinking of experimenting with concrete. Then I'll try fimo, then wood. I'll probably end up using wood. I wish I was a better painter.
I started on my latest punch rug. Yes I found the threaders. They were where they belong. DUH! I can never find things when I put them where they belong.
I did the first glue joint on the pattern I'm trying to re-work. SUCCESS :-) sort of. I have to do it over, because of the saw jiggle. One leg is shorter than the rest.
DH has started building the garage shell for the Ranch House. We're thinking of using that 15/32" ply wood for the roofs. The 3/8" has gotten so expensive, and takes so long to get from the supplier.
I had a "mini" score on my trip to the Antique Shops. I found a pair of ladies, elbow length, dark brown, kid leather gloves. They're only about a size 5, but I can still get more than a dozen bags, or pairs of shoes out of them. DH negotiated the price and got them for $8. I walked away from them because of the $10 price tag. I wouldn't have spent more then $6.

LOST?

JULY 3, 2009I finished the table skirts. Now I can get back to building. :-)Today I'm off to Lowes and Depot to look at tile. I'm hoping to find an old fashioned vinyl tile that I can use as a counter in the Thornhill. I'm not having much luck with that. So far, I've only been able to find them sold in cases.
I spent a lot of time this week trying to re-do that pattern for the item I'm making for a swap. It's been very frustrating. I found a similar RS item on line.I'm on the right track with the changes I thought needed to be made.  Now if only my saw would co-operate. It's out of line, AND the wheel on the saw table is broken.
I designed another pattern for a Punch rug, and did a little work on a Bunka rug. I can't start the Punch rug yet, because my threaders have gone missing. They're in that "safe" place.

Moving Along

6/30/09It's been a while.I haven't had a lot of time for mini making.All of my houses have been moved to the main level. I've been trying to find places for everything. I've also been shortening table skirts. That's been quite a job. Sewing is NOT MY THING. ;-) That job is almost finished.I'm still trying to find a spot for three room boxes.For the first time in 7 years, all of my minis are on the same level of my home. I'm very happy and very motivated.

DOWNSIDE UP

6/25/09
My husband came up with the idea for incorporating the wood bins into the table that the Church is on.

This was an awesome idea. Now I have room in the closet for my power and hand tools, AND my vacuum cleaner. :-)The ranch house has also been moved down stairs. This weekend the Bostonian will come down.The Harley, Camp Ground, and Dumpster Dives have been moved out to the Lobster Shack aka Studio Apartment. Today I did a couple more rooms of carpeting. I screwed up royally. I transferred the pattern to the wrong side of the carpet. I saved it by cutting and splicing. It does show, so I will have to make an area rug to hide the seam.I do have other places I could use the carpet, but since it might be months before I get to a mini shop, I decided to make the splice, and replace it at a later time.

YADA

6/22/09This weekend my Church was moved to the main level. More on that later. I started working on a future swap from a pattern I found in NN. It was too big, and I had to re-work the pattern and start over. I hope I can get it finished in the next couple of months. I'm excited about it. I think it's something most of the ladies would love.
I finished putting my July 4th roombox back together. I had to repair the paper first. I now know not to use tack it over on untreated paper.:-0

My dishwasher and the rest of the carpeting is in, so I hope to be back at the Thornhill this week.

I "CAN" FINISH SOMETHING

6/18/09

It was a long day.

I finished the wedding in a wine glass. My friend Joanne re-made and dressed the bears and gifted me with them when my daughter got married. So I "had" to create a place for them.

I worked on wall rooms today. (curtains and faux windows for Kristina's room)

And made a couple of things for the Ori room

I made the mistake of leaving my work room door open. Snickers smelled that open door from a sound sleep. He didn't destroy anything, just made a really big mess and went back to sleep. 

PROGRESSING

6/16/09

A busy mini day.

I did a lot of sorting, weeding, and putting things away.

I'm almost finished with my wedding.

I designed a punch rug pattern that I will use to make a runner for the kitchen. First, it took me two hours to find the print program because I had put in a safe place. :-o

SET BACK STEP FORWARD

6/15/09I had to go back to the hospital, so had another few days away from minis.I'm making up for lost time.

My Thornhill has been moved to the main level of the house. I'm really happy about that. Now I can work on it, even when I can't make it up the stairs. :-)
I worked on cabinets today, making fillers (spacers), installing the knobs. I'm still waiting for my dishwasher kit.Last week I made a cute little item for swap, and I didn't break it. :-)My "wedding in a wine glass" is coming along, nicely.

MY BAD

6/9/09I didn't lose the dishwasher after all. I never ordered it. I mistakenly ordered a 2" cabinet instead of the 2" dishwashwerI spent 1/2 the day looking for it before I checked my receipts.Now I'll have to wait for a new order to come in. I'm also waiting for carpeting that has been back-ordered.

BUILDING PROGRESS AND NOT

6/8/09  

Bath/Laundry tiles

Kitchen 

Design dilemmas just like real life. The fridge is too tall, and is so old that now it needs to be painted. I lost my dishwasher cabinet. One of these cabinets must be for one of the bathrooms, and was not supposed to be painted. :-(

Rug

Two days to make the template, and about 15 minutes to cut and install. 

MISTAKES

6/7/09I finished tiling the bathroom and grouted using vinyl spackling. I finished painting and sealing the kitchen cabinets. I need to make a template-jig for installing the knobs. 

I worked on a template for one of the rugs. It is VERY difficult because I added closets to the rooms. I should have installed the carpeting before the closets.

THIS and THAT

6/6/09

The flu virus has kept me down for most of the week, and will keep me from the event of the year, the Sturbridge Mini Show

The up side is that I've had time to finish cleaning up the bad links on the printies projects and tips page.

I made it up to the loft and started tiling one of the bathrooms

While I was up there I took some pictures of the cherry floors

Kitchen, Great Room,

Office, Front Hall,

Dining Room

GOOD MORNING

6/1/2009It was another busy weekend. We also have been re-visited by a recent flu virus we had.

I did get a bit of mini time in.

I finished installing the decking (slats) on my front porch.

It WAS bad poly on my cherry floors. I gave them a few more coats, and they were still blotchy. I sanded them, and then used the best "DEFT." They're still wet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll look beautiful tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

5/29/09Happy Birthday To MEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!

My gift to myself this year will be 5 rooms of mini carpeting.

When I went to my office this morning there was a gift from DH, the RGT Light House that I have been wanting for MANY years. :-)

When he called to ask if I found it where he had left it, I told him he has to take it back, because I have a 40% off coupon. That won't work he said, because he got it at more then 50% off.

A very good day !!!

BLAH BLAH BLAH

5/28/09

It was another trying day.

I sanded the floors and put on another coat of poly. It's not looking good. I may have defective poly. The floors are very blotchy. I'll try another coat or two. I hope I don't have to sand it all off, and start over.

I started installing the porch slats (basswood) on one of the porch rooms.I tried Weldbond, since I need to avoid toxic chemicals. That made the slats warp. I switched to Aleene's fast grab tacky. That worked out much better. 

STILL AT IT

5/27/09

It was a long mini day.

I fixed the rug, put the first coat of poly on the cherry floors, washed curtains for the Seaview wall rooms, and worked on the wedding in a wine glass.

I did some measuring and have a carpet order ready to go to E+T.

I'm trying to make tiles now, but my printer won't accept the paper.

MONDAY BLUE TO PINK

5/26/09

Not a lot of time for minis today. Mondays are always busy here, especially when they come on Tuesday. ;-)

I did finish sanding the cabinets, and finished the punch rug I was working on,  except for that bald spot the camera showed up. I couldn't see that with my naked eye. I use yarns for some of my punch rugs. You can't punch the rows too close, or you get puckering, except the 3 or 4 edge rows. Those need to be very close, or you get bald spots when you turn the fabric under.

TEDIUM

 5/25/09

I've been working on the mini sites. The move to the new server is going well.

Today I went on a hunt for supplies that are no longer available. Tomorrow I experiment alternatives. ;-)

THORHNHILL CABINETS

 5/22/09

I finished sanding the floors in the Thornhill, and worked on the cabinets which need sanding after each coat of paint.

MINI MAINTENANCE and REPAIRS

5/21/09

I've been working on wall rooms the past couple of days. I painted some of the wall dividers, made 5 more faux windows and printed out window views for them, repaired another window, and hung the curtains on all of them.

I repaired a desk (replica of a life-size one of mine). I made the mini desk about 17 years ago. I cringe at the crude workmanship now, but it still "looks" okay. ;-)

I also repaired a card table I made, that has been forever collapsing. I drilled holes into the bottom of the table top, and set the legs in. This worked out well. Wish I had thought of this before any of the last dozen times I tried to fix the thing.

I have a tray of perfumes and cosmetics that I got in a swap. The glue had failed, so I fixed that. I had tried to repair this before, and that also failed, so I cut a silver disc and glued it into the tray, and then glued the cosmetic bottles onto the disc. TA DA! SOLID.

I repaired the swap I made, so I'm also ready for the next round of swapping. :-)

Mini maintenance is a lot more fun than life-size. ;-)

THORHNHILL WOES OVERCOME

 5/19/09 
HOORAY !!

I finished installing the cherry floors in the Thornhill. I did 5 rooms with the hardwood, and cut most of it by hand. The house is not truly square, so all of the end and edge pieces had to be cut one by one. It was easier to keep the mitre saw right there, than to keep getting up to go to the table saw. Or so I thought until the arthritis kicked in.

;-) No matter.
As soon as I get the floors sanded and do 3 coats of poly, I can have the house brought downstairs to be finished. I am SO excited.

GETTING BETTER

5/13/09

YAY !!! After three weeks down, I am finally feeling better.

Real life requires I try to do a little cleaning. But I have my punch rug all ready for lots of mini-breaks.

Life is good.

IN MY OWN WAY

5/12/09

I'm in my own way these days.

This week I made a nice little item for a swap, but it broke. :-(

I spent most of today searching for a pattern for a punch rug. I finally decided on a pattern, but then I couldn't find the supplies I need. It was an all day affair that grew more an more frustrating.It all finally came together, and I am merrily punching away.

Minis are my life-line. When I'm down and out, I knit, punch, paint woodwork, shingle, or make bunka rugs. These projects are so relaxing and mesmerizing, and take little physical energy. My problem is getting the projects ready when I have so little energy and shake so much.

I "should" always have something "ready" to go for times like this. But mini addict that I am, when ever I do get something ready, I start it right away and keep at it until it's finished or I grow tired of it.

MINI MUM

5/10/09

It's Mom's Day. Snickers gave me a wide screen TV (mini of course). DH gave me a violin for my music room.

Getting back to minis is slow going. I'm still tired, shaky and having vision problems. Each day is a little better though. I'm happy and hopeful. I'm committed to trying to do something mini each day, even if it's only for a few minutes.

Today, I learned to ruche 2mm silk ribbon. I'm amazed that this Klutzy Katie can do this. With some practice, I think I could do well with it.

OLD AND WEATHERED

5/8/09
Minis were on the back burner while I was busy with my daughter's wedding, and recovering from a medical flare-up.

It's hard to get back into the mini-groove.

My hands are so shaky from medication. I get very frustrated.

Mini groups these days are all about aging and weathering. I get bored. I'm aged and weathered enough. I want to surround myself with NEW and PRETTY and WRINKLE FREE.

I started a couple of small projects this week.

One is a wedding in a wine glass. The featured items were gifts from a friend. Working on it reminded me of my celebration boxes.

I recently had a request to make a recovery box. I haven't made one of these in about 7 years. I gave up taking orders  for the celebration and recovery boxes. The commissions were too stressful and time consuming for me. But > Such a good cause.

The young women, whose lives have been saved through their fellowship, are so inspirational.

A MINI ANGEL

4/28/09

Sandy Dawson was a dear "e" pal. I will always remember our silly days on DHG, and the kindness and support she gave me through many trying times. If there is a MINI HEAVEN she is there.

COMPUTER WOES

4/20/09

Google is moving all of my sites. I spent a couple of days trying to learn the new format.

I was VERY tempted to delete the sites and blogs and rip out my internet connection.

SWAP DAY FAILURES

4/17/09

It's swap day. I made a tired serving tray, the glue doesn't hold well enough for shipping. I knitted a doll's doll but I didn't like the face.

CHUGGING ALONG

 4/16/09

I made some of the faux windows for the wall rooms. I printed window views from google, because I don't have time right now to go to Scituate to take pictures.

I spent a lot of time on the Mini Resources web site. 25% of the sites are defunct. :-( COME BACK !!! We homebodies need our NET FRIENDS. Great Mini Week ! I installed another cherry floor in the Thornhill. One more to go.:-)

DUMPSTER DIVE

4/14/09
I spent the day in the mini room. Finished nothing. DH did a dumpster dive. He's bringing home another doll house. I asked him what kind of dollhouse. He said it's a single family, not a condo. :-)

ABOUT MINI ME (aka Mimi the Misfit Miniaturist)

I started the Seaview in 1990. I didn't even know that miniaturing was a "hobby." I fell in love with everything when I went to my first mini show.

In 1995, I became an internet mini person. I was looking for information, so that I could learn ways of making things to complete the house.

I met some wonderful people through internet mini groups, and bulletin boards. Many of them have moved on to other hobbies, or to Mini Heaven.

The fun we had, the encoragement they gave me, and all that they taught me, will stay with me always.

 

On a very sad and lonely Thanksgiving morning, I received an e-mail giving me notice, that one of the Net Groups had given me first and fifth place awards for my Nativity and Sobriety roomboxes. I was so blown away by this, that I cheered right up, and realized that MINIS have a way of making people smile (especially me).

 

I "accidently" acquired a few more buildings, and soon my intention of building ONLY the Seaview blossomed into a full blown mini obsession.

 

Somehow minis find their way into my home. Someone "out there" thinks I should be making or fixing minis. I'm not arguing.

In the past 20 years, no matter how bad life gets, minis can take me away for a while, and make me smile.