Name that miniature..

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite minis with you. These treasures are probally what started it all. I don't have much information to offer you about them, if you know more, please fell free to share!! On the bottom of each is a sticker marked made in Scotland, and we lived in Scotland when I was little. I have no idea where we got them, all I know is that I've always had them. They are about 25+ years old. I have more, somewhere around here.......packed away so I don't lose them...lol~ now if I could only remember where I put them....terrible!

The first picture is of a badger and a mole. 2 of my favorites!! Below is a mouse with the toadstool, and a cat looking at what used to be a mouse. LOL....now that I'm looking at it, I see there was once a mouse, it must of gotten broken off.....so now there's a spot where the mouse used to be....but his tail is still intack~ almost looks like the cat might of eaten the mouse?!Here is the cat with a quater, you can see that the minis are slightly bigger.
Now, I know where these came from. I got one at our annual Christmas craft show every year. My Mom took me every year as a kid. I learned a lot from walking around and looking to see what other artists were doing. There used to be a dollhouse booth at the shows, too. I sure do miss that booth now! I don't know why I had to have these as a kid, but we'd look for them! I just like the little things in life, and they're considered pottery, another favorite of mine! I'm not sure of the artists name, but the initals CKH are marked in the bottom of each one.

Welcome to Frankie's Place

It seems that all I needed was a little bossing around, and I got the cafe done. I named it Frankie's Place after Frankenstein, the dachshund near the chair. Chris from Candid Canine made him for me, and I think he's the cutest! Actually, she made all the stuff on the table, the framed picture on the wall, the cat bag, the spooky plants, the crystal ball (it almost looks like it is glowing) in the cabinet, and she sent the little picture in front of the cabinet. She's also suggested the name. OK, now that I gave her credit for everything she made, I can talk about what I did to complete this scene. (I guess you'll notice that it isn't completly done....I have left some room in the cabinet for future findings.) Let's see.... I made the 2 pumpkins on top of the cabinet out of polymer clay. I also made the pumpkin teapot inside the cabinet out of polymer clay. There is a Dracula and a Frankenstein book on the floor; I made these as well. And before I forget, I must to tell you about the kitty on the chair. His name is Victor. As you can see, Victory likes to harass Frankenstein. And although he drives that little dachshund crazy, the two are inseparatable!!

Thought you's like to see a close up of the table! Anybody hungry for a finger sandwich?

Slow projects make me shop

I need a rug for the pink room, but have been unable to find anything I like. So, I have choosen to make my own. Now, I understand why I never really picked up cross-stitching. Chris from Candid Canine sent me a pattern for a dollhouse rug, and I really liked it. But then I had a bright idea that it needed Hawiian flowers instead~ so I am using the border she sent me, and I found a flower pattern online. I won't even tell you how many hours it took me to make that simple little flower......oh my........I will glady pay someone to do the next, but for now I am making myself work on this one. I try to do a little each day, and still have only managed to barely finish the border. Ugggg......someone help....... Oh....but shopping I can do. It is instant gratification! I found this little cookie jar on the clearance table at our local shop. I swear she called my name as I walked by. I have no clue where she'll live, but it was one of those things that I had to have.
I bought this table to use in the cafe, but it just didn't look right. Oh darn, guess I have to make a roombox for it?!?! LOLI have seen these in the HBS catalog, but you can't choose what ones YOU want. But, here it was..... a pink one, just for me.....sitting on the shelf. So, there you have it. I haven't gone anywhere, I am just procrastinating. Yup, still have to grout, still gotta figure out my straw roof......and now I have to cross-stitch that freaking rug:)

My 1st Trade

I did my first trade here recently.......and it was so much fun! Chris from Candid Canine wanted some cakes, and I wanted some spooky plants.........so we each made 3, and swapped! We each also included a few extra things in our boxes. She uses Model Magic, and I use polymer clay. Here are the plants that were made for me. The one on the left is too funny! The one on the right is a mandrake.And here is Frankenstein.....You may call him Frankie. Isn't he the cutest!!! And she even made a bone for him!! Here is what I sent......I made 4 cakes, cause I wasn't all that inpressed with one. But I have learned that sometimes what some people hate, others may love. And speaking of lovin'~ I almost didn't send the cake with the pumpkins on top~ it turned out so well!! I still have to make one for myself!! The cake in the middle is a 3 teir chocolate cake, coved in roses and liles. The color of it is much better in person, but at least you can see all the details! The yellow cake is a wedding dress cake~ it's suppose to look like a wedding dress~ but with flowers instead of a head.
And then there is the teddybears. Her favorite color is yellow, so she got a yellow bear. The other one was suppose to be a dashouhd, but somehow arrived as a bunny.....so I guess I gotta work on that a little....LMAO!!! All in all this was a fun way to meet someone new and trade great gifts of talent!! Thanks again, Chris!!

The pillows

I made the pillows for the bed this week. They were pretty simple. I took a piece of card stock~ 2in x 1 1/2in ~ traced it onto a piece of folded material, and then sewed it together on the inside of my line. I turned them them the riight way, and stuffed them. I sewed up the hole....and put them on my bed. The pillow in the front is a 1 1/2in square. See my bunny?? I made her out of polymer clay. She's right at home!

RIP Cora's house

Due to some new medicine, this week hasn't been very productive. I have been working on some small projects, but have not worked on Katie's Corner or the Halloween cafe.......BTW~ the cafe needs a name~ any ideas out here?? And then this past week, Cora's house finally took a turn for the worst. Due to the fact that our 'healthy' cat likes to sit on it, he has finally managed to cave the roof in. Over the weekend, I tried to glue it back together, but due to the old glue and the dust bunnies, I wasn't very successful.

I finally just ripped the whole roof off, and walked away. I really don't want to trash this house! It just needs some.....OK, a LOT of TLC. I think I may strip it down, and see what I have left.....if I can, I'd like to save it and turn it into a haunted house or something~ that's if I can find room around here to store it??? Cora will get a new house~ I just have to order it, Oh, then build it....lol........

I like it!!

I started gluing the rocks.....and even added a planter under the window.

And I finshed gluing the rocks!! I really like how it's looking~ but I'm really not looking forward to grouting~ I've only done it once, and it was a pain it the butt!! Any tips??

You back yet?

OK, So after I got my package from Chris (remember you just came back from checking her stuff out at http://cverstraete.com/), I had to find a 'home' for for my new treasures. I had planned on doing a poetry reading cafe, but can't figure out how to get everything I want into the box. We'll see what happens. The 'room' is a box I bought at Michael's, I'll have to remember to take a before picture next time~ or at least save the label that was on the box!! I plastered the walls to give them depth, and painted it black. Then, I painted it purple. I bought 2 $1 cabinets from Michael's, painted the other one first, to only realize that everything I wanted to put in it, didn't fit. LOL.... So, now have 2 green cabinets. The cabinet is much brighter in the picture than it looks in person; however, I do want to 'age' it a little more.

The floor is a piece of black foam board, painted in a purple checker-board pattern.

And here are the handles of the box. I am still thinking about how to cover these holes up, but haven't decided exactaly what I want to do. I am leaning towards making some long, black, velvet?, curtains for each side. Or a giant picture to cover them, or maybe mirrors?? Who knows~ I'll have to sleep on it! And don't worry, in this picture, the walls are only halfway done.

Well, hopefully I can get back to Katie's Corner before it starts to collect dust. Let's see if I can get both projects done before the end of May. Encouragement and ideas will be greatly appreciated!!

A bump in the road!

I'm blaming this on Chris from www.candidcanine.blogspot.com !! I don't think she'll mind~ I have totally gotten side tracked from Katie's Corner, and have started a new project. I commissioned Chris to make a whole spooky dinner spread for me~ I had seen some of her stuff on her website (http://cverstraete.com/ ), and fell in love with her work! She makes the coolest finger sandwiches, and she even makes drinks with eye balls floating in them. Ohh, and don't forget to check out her medievel books!! Everything in the picture below was made by Chris~ Thanks Chris!!!!!

A close up of the table, there's even a side salad:)!! And the skeleton head candle holder~ it's one of my favorites!!

You hungry yet?? Yummmmmm

Ok, ok, I also ordered some human food. A pot roast dinner, with salad and a cake.

OK, so........ go check out her stuff.....I'll wait.