Kit, Kat and Basement Mosaic

Last night I took this close up of our cat Smokey just as he turned around on my lap to look up at me. Was he ever surprised! Hard to tell he is thirteen, he still looks and acts young. Maybe he is getting older if he let me take his photo, lol, he has always been totally camera shy.

The next two photos are of our basement where I store old, vintage cooking utensils and odd pots. The doors shown go into our larder. I painted the old concrete walls years ago and still enjoy them. I loved the way the rocks were showing in the concrete so I enhanced them. The other area is one basement entrance way that I fixed up years ago too, painted the floor, walls and made a mosaic out of broken tiles and ceramics then added odds and ends I have bought through the years for a rustic look, very little cost and it was so much fun. The water fountain does work but it is more useful as a table. We sort out all of our recycling in that room on the other side where there is also a heat pump.

The middle photo is a new Toddler kit I have recently designed to go with the mothers Vintage apron I showed in a previous post. I called it Ginger Spice Apron and it is available from my web site or eBay store. I had fun putting it on an antique paper doll in a paint program. Thought the kit really looked like a Victorian Swim Set. I have shown how I made the vintage, rustic hanger on my tutorial photo blog.

Free Printable Valentine Cards, B.C.Winter Olympics, My Mom's Cookie Recipe, New Kits

First I would like to thank all of my followers, such an inspiration visiting your blogs and knowing you care if I'm here. My apologies for not listing in Dec., we went on a wonderful three week, four continental cruise. We visited Italy, Spain, France, Gibraltar, Morocco, Canary Islands, Brazil, Barbados and Dominica and then home from Florida on time to celebrate Christmas. Everywhere we visited was so special, took so many photos that I hope to share.

It is very exciting here in BC as the 2010 Winter Olympics is starting in Vancouver today. I live in Victoria which is really close. I wish I had tickets but it is great to watch it on TV. Right now I'm watching the Torch Relay as it makes it's way to Vancouver. As the Poppytalk blog mentioned "Go Canada Go"!

I'm offer free Valentine Printable postcards and cards shown above, the first should print in one twelfth & quarter scale and the second set of images is larger. There are beautiful cards from a lovely postcard album from 1910 I bought last year and couldn't resist sharing them.

The next three photos I've shown above are new kits I'm offering through my eBay store and my website http://jdayminis.com  January and Feburary are my favorite design months as my mini business is often slower but that hasn't happened this year. To make more time in my day we've started waking up earlier and going for walk, it has worked well.

One kit shown above is called Newborn Queen of Heart's Baby. One customer mentioned she was going to use it for an Alice on Wonderland scene which I thought was a terrific idea.
I designed it using images from my vintage childrens Queen of Heart's book.

The apron kit is called Vintage Ginger Spice Apron. I have inherited many beautiful vintage aprons my grandmother and mother used to wear. I wanted this to look like an old apron from the 20's to 50's. I designed the gores and square bodice with a bias tape look as was used in so many of the designs or that era.

Today was my mother's Birthday and I miss her since she passed away. I've been thinking of how she really gave me a love for baking. She always said she loved blending the butter and sugar by hand and I do too. In memory of mom, I thought I would share her favorite cookie recipe that I enjoy making too. Since I need a gluten free diet, I just substitute for the 3C flour...rice flour and tapioca flour. The blended raisins really help to hold the gluten free cookies together. It is a lovely moist recipe.

Mom's Raisin Cookies

Blend with a spoon: 1 Cup butter and 1½ C. white sugar until smooth

Blend in a blender until the raisins are pretty well liquified:
2 eggs
3 T. milk
1 C. raisins

add: 1½ t. soda
1½ t.cream of tartar
½ t. salt
1 t. vanilla
3 C. flour

Spoon onto baking sheet and bake until golden brown and still moist. Bake at 350° for 8-10 min. or 325° in a convection oven. I like to add 1 C. chocolate chips, nuts or raisins or all.

All the best,
Mini Hugs, Jean

New Holiday Season printable and Blog Award

To celebrate this wonderful Holiday Season I have scanned in four Children's books and a post card from my collection. They are in their original condition from the end of the 1800's. The post card is from 1908 and came in a lovely album of postcards. The scans of each set of the books should print out in one twelfth scale and quarter scale. I have scanned both sides of the postcard for you to glue together. The postcard says Dear Cousin, I am coming home Sun. to stay all night. Wish you a Merry Xmas, With Love Freida
You just know whoever received the card was delighted.

I wanted to also thank Maria from http://marivigano.blogspot.com for her lovely new award. called "Este blog e un sonho" or "This Blog Is a Dream Blog" award, which I have shown on the left side of my blog. I now have to in turn, send it to 10 blogs that I love and admire. I love all of your blogs for so many reasons so this is always so difficult.
Julie Campbell from Bella Belle Dolls blog
Rosanna from La Casa Rosa blog
Debie Lyons from Piskies and Poppets
Debbie from Tiny Treasures
Marlies from Marlies en Minies
Marsha from Sassy Mini Dolls
Doreen from Doreen's Miniatures and Memories
Joanna from Joanna Thomas Art Dolls
Meli from Casitas de Meli
Christine from Dandelion Fair DollHouse

I really could go on and on because I love reading all the blogs so much and this really doesn't seem quite fair at all to stop here, I was just getting going!!!!

I am so delighted to see Debbie from Tiny Treasures blogging again after such a difficult time and Linda Carswell from Une Petite Folie as well. So difficult when health issues arise. I wish them all the very best.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season and fabulous New Year,
thanks for always being here in this wonderful blog world,
Mini Hugs, Jean

Free Halloween Printable, The Progressive Grocer magazine cover

Here is a free printable of The Progressive Grocer magazine cover from Oct. 1922, in six sizes. I thought those of you who are interested in vintage Halloween images might enjoy these. My original magazine is eight inches in height so the upper image should print out one twelfth scale and the smallest image quarter scale. The largest image could make a poster for a dollshouse. This was a wholesale grocers magazine I found while looking for vintage autumn themed magazines.

New "Kreativ Bloggers" Award and Watercolour of Nimmo Bay

I have been feeling so guilty about not posting a new blog for so long!!! Thank you very much to those of you who have continued to follow my blog and leave me messages.

Thank you so much Lirael from Lirael Dreams blog. http://liraeldreams.blogspot.com/ for this lovely Kreativ Blogger award, big mini hugs! Lirael has a gorgeous cat, Saphira and has made some lovely miniatures and written very interesting blogs.

Now that I'm finally typing a new blog and breathing a sigh of relief, I feel like I've been living on another planet, LOL. I had just planned on taking a few months away from our miniature business but when I did that it meant I wasn't on the computer at all and not able to read blogs! I missed everyone so much!

It was very healthy to have a break. I got out gardening and biking more in the sun. Replanted about five areas of our large yard, lovely to see everything growing and doing well. We planted a large vegetable garden too. Started doing more sewing and watercolours so it really felt like a break. The watercolour shown above is one I finished of Nimmo Bay which I gave to our friends. Nimmo Bay is an amazing heli venture resort on the coast of B.C. which we had the pleasure of visiting this summer. We had a lovely summer and it was the first long break I had taken in years. My tremor which is called a familial tremor seemed to be getting worse and it was causing me quite a bit of stress. I cut out coffee completely and I feel back to normal, it is not too noticeable even to me now.


Back to the lovely award, there are rules involved!
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.
5. Nominate seven 'Kreativ Bloggers'
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate
7. Leave messages on their blogs

1. I have been trying to be more environmental. Ordered clothes that are made of bamboo and organic fibers. Eating organic and getting most of our vegetable from our garden.
We have a heat pump instead of oil. We bought electric bikes so now I can't complain about biking greater distances, lol.

2. Started sewing again and making purses out of old block printed linen drapery samples my mom had saved, that went along with the environmentalism too.

3. I enjoy felting with my electric embellisher, used old wool sweaters I felted and embellished to to make bags and purses etc. Great to use old hand spun wools and roving left over from my weaving days.

4. Taking a couple of water colour courses. Although I was an art teacher each teacher has new techniques that can really help with my paintings. Really enjoying the classes.

5. My husband and I love line dancing, more like jazz dancing nowadays to modern music. We have been dancing three times a week for about sixteen years, really keeps us fit.

6. I love feeling passionate about what I'm working on. Excited when I was up during the night with a new idea.

7. Love people who are happy and excited about their life, it makes me feel so good too.


Post links to seven blogs I would like to nominate for the award.
1. MiniLisa
2. Casa De Bonecas
3. Casa Victoria
4. Confessions of a Mini Addict
5. Dollhouse Diaries
6. Tinepoppenhause
7. Small Serendipities

Photo Challenge

I was sent a photo challenge by Sandra Morris of Tales from a Toy Maker Sandra is always up to something interesting. Apparently I had to go to my photo files and pick file number 4 and then photo number 4, publish it here and explain a bit about the photo. It was really quite fun to see what photo would come up. The photo turned out to be 20090710_4. I took the photo in our back yard in July because I love the translucent look of the poppy petals, they were amazing this year.

Now the second part of my challenge is to pass it on to 4 other blogs to see what photos they choose. I would love all the bloggers to do this challenge but I'm only to pick 4.

I would like send this photo challenge to the following 4 bloggers.
Kat from Little Thoughts from an Average Mind
Kim from Flowers and Art
Linda from Une Petite Folie
Cathy from The Fabulous Farmhouse

When I just looked at this photo enlarged I could see our cat Slippers in the photo, she really blended in well. She is getting older and is such a dear. Therefore I have another challenge for anyone looking at the photo to find Slippers!!!

Mini Hugs, Jean

My Milk Toof by Inhae

A friend sent me a link to this blog and I loved it, very creative thought you might like it too. They use miniature elements very well, lol.

http://mymilktoof.blogspot.com/

Mini Hugs, Jean

Georgia Murray's new video produced by my son DWhiz & directed by Norm Li. Georgia is our son's partner.

New Micro Miniature Project 6, French Country Flower Shop, Vines and Flowers

Such a great time of the year for real gardening and I've been very busy with orders, dancing and life but the other morning I woke up at 5:30 and thought it would be a great time to work on this micro project. I've also been working on it in the evenings sometimes. It has been so much fun to get lost in such a little world again.

I really wanted a vine for the front of the flower shop, creeping up through the stones. Years ago when we were walking along a beach a bunch of trees had eroded from a cliff and their tiny roots were exposed, so I brought a few of the tiny roots home. They worked really well for this, they were flexible and easy to glue. I found some more tinier roots while gardening that I can use for shrubs too. I used some old licopodium cut from the stem for the leaves. I liked the way they were blowned in parts. For the tree on the side of the shop I used dark green sponge foam in tiny shreds for the leaves, hope to do a bit more to it.

Worked on the flowers a bit more adding foam and flocking in various colours. I have made my own tiny pieces of foam. I bought rainbow coloured sponges and put them through my very old electric food grinder (I no longer use it for food, but could because it is no different than washing it with tiny sponges I guess, lol). Natural sponges don't work, they just get stuck in the machine, I always figure things out the hard way. I have also bought the sponges at various times in train shops. I can't resist finding new colours. The flocking I bought at a ceramics store years ago, that was selling out, it was mostly in very bright colours. I mixed the colours in bags and shook them up. Orange, purple and turquoise makes a great teddy flocking colour. I still haven't aged the containers yet.

New Micro Miniature Project 5, French Country Flower Shop, Flowers

Really been having a great time with this! Added the front windows, used shrink art plastic and added thin strips of veneer, then glued the window to the back side of the front. Then I rolled out thin pieces of paperclay and built up inside around the windows as I did with the outside.

I rolled out a piece of paperclay with a rubber tile textured piece through the pasta machine and added a patio of the tiny tiles to the side door. There is a photo of the rubber lid opener I found years ago at the dollar store and had to buy it because it looked like tiny tiles. Fortunately it was stored with my pasta machine sort of serindipity not having to find it! After the patio dried I stained it and painted it with Mod Podge to make the tiles look shiny. I made window boxes of paperclay and painted them terracotta with watercolours. I cut tiny bids of bunka and a red pompom and glued them on top for the window box flowers.

You can see in one of the photos the three tiered display with large holders for individual flowers that I have seen in many photos of flower shops in France. Rolled out paperclay and cut out the structures and stacked them, then added holders for the flowers. I have some vintage rayon ribbon in a great green that I frayed and painted with a clear acrylic (water effects). When it dried I cut into pieces and glued the green stems into the holders.

A variety of techniques are going to be used for the flowers. One was mixing the clear acrylic with tiny bits of pompom, I will use flocking too and bits of bunka. I also experimented with cutting tiny pieces of dried paperclay and mixing it with the clear acrylic and made flowers that way, I painted them with mauve and blue watercolours and was pleased with the results, watercolour also worked to paint the pompom mixture. I'm looking forward to making more flowers.

I have a familial tremour that is worse with tea and coffee so I've been trying to avoid those while working on this project, LOL. The flowers might end up stuck to the walls.

New Micro Miniature Project 4, French Country Flower Shop, Paperclay

The photo above shows the tiny bit I cut from my sand block to sand the stones and tiles. Then I added gloss to each of the tiles inside the shop with Mod Podge. I rolled the paper clay through my pasta machine to finish the outside of the flower shop, adding small areas as shown. I was so pleased with the cracked natural look that was created by rolling it that I left if for one wall. Then I scratched in a block texture with a tooth pick on the outside before it dried and added more detail with a wet paintbrush after it was a bit drier. I'm really having fun with this project.

New Micro Miniature Project 3, French Country Flower Shop, Paperclay

I finally was able to work on this project last night. I did a watercolour wash on the tiles, then I hope to put gloss on each of the separate tiles to leave the grout dull and the tiles with a bit of a sheen. Watered down watercolour was used as a wash in a mix of Holbein's Burnt Sienna and Windsor Newton's Indian Blue, these colours don't fade as do some watercolours. A blending brown and blue to make grey rather than using grey seems to add more interest.

I also added a bit of Sap Green to the walkway for a hint of moss and painted inside the water feature with a mix including Cobalt Green mixed in Woodland Scenics "Water Effects". I will keep adding more transparent on top to fill the pond. The walls had a very diluted wash of the brown and blue mix too. I have kept the same mix to finish the outside of the structure too.

The base warped a bit more on the edges after doing the washed but I was able to bend it flat. I hope to work on the windows and then I will add the outside paperclay. I will be adding more paint to the stones as I contine.

I've really been having fun going through some French decorating books, one is called Provencal Living with great pictures for ideas another I bought when I was painting the cabinets in our home's kitchen cabinets with herbs. It is surprising how books that aren't even related can have great ideas. I was also looking online at paintings of scenes in France. We are so lucky having the web for inspiration! Thank you again to all my followers, I really enjoy seeing what everyone else is doing so much, so inspiring!!