Another Cosy Cottage

Having a shop-day

2012-04-03T12:07:00.000+02:00

Usually when I have a shop-day I shop...till I nearly drop. But nowadays I reserve time to fill my webshop. I start with gathering the miniatures I made and checking them a few times if they're good enough to sell. I'm such a perfectionist and I only want to sell something I'd really like to buy myself. Hubby tells me I shouldn't be so fussy and that not everyone shares my personal taste but I just can't help myself.

Next step is to photograph the items and off I go with my camera, looking for the best daylight and with my photoboxes under my arm. I arrange the miniatures and try to take pictures... a lot of pictures. After that I choose the most clear and truthful ones to put in the shop.

By the time I finally sit behind my pc to upload the items in the shop half of the day has suddenly vanished. Ehm...maybe hubby is right?

But when I'm finally done it's such a satisfying feeling. Yes! I did it!

Feel like taking a more detailed look around? Visit http://www.anothercosyshop.nl where you can see the pricing and way to purchase. I'll have virtual coffee waiting for you!

Tutorial Spring Butterfly Lantern

2012-04-01T21:39:00.000+02:00

What should I call this thingy I made; 'birdhouse with butterfly', 'butterfly house', 'hanging spring ornament' or maybe 'paper latern shaped like a birdhouse and with a butterfly stuck in the middle' (hmmm...accurate but kinda long)??? Oh well, the name doesn't really matter now does it? Here I have a tutorial for you; real easy to make, with materials everyone has laying around and done in no time. As you can see I'm still celebrating my favorite season of all: SPRING!!

Materials needed:

Pretty paper

Scissors

Pencil

Glue (gluestick for paper)

Paper punch (heart shape)

Paper punch (butterfly shape)

Embroidery thread

Tiny bead

yes...

that's all!

Don't despair if you don't have the paper punches I've used. Any shape would really do, just keep the measurements in mind.

Step 1: Making a template

Take a small piece of cardboard (a square 4 cm is more then enough) and fold this in half. Draw half of a house on the cardboard and cut the shape you've drawn out. By the way...this is the perfect method to create identical sides to any shape you want to draw.

Check to see if the shape of the house you've obtained is to your liking.

Step 2: Making the walls

Cut out a strip of pretty paper (4 cm - 18 cm) and fold in half. Using the template draw the househalf 6 times and cut out.

Take the paper punch and punch out the hearts. To be able to punch exaclty in the middle first unfold the piece of paper and use the folding line as a guide. Turn your punch upside down and see if the folding line is in the middle of your punch.

Step 3: Glue together

Glue the folded pieces one on top of the other, don't glue the whole house together just yet. Leave the last two sides open. Leave to dry.

Step 4: Finishing touches

Color the cut edges with color pen or ink. I've used distress ink on mine.

Find your embroidery thread, a tiny bead and two tiny punches (I've used two butterflies)

Cut 16 cm of the embroidery thread and fold in half, tie a knot to leave a loop from which the house can be hung. Place a tiny bead unto the thread, underneath the knot.

Fold the house open and place the thread in the middle. Take two buttefly punches and determine the correct place on the thread to glue them. Glue the two butterflies on top of one another. Glue the remaining sides of the house together.

Done!!!

I hope you enjoy this tutorial.

Tutorial Bunny Ballerina

2012-03-10T08:51:00.001+01:00

Dancing on tiptoes...a cute little bunny for you to make.

So let's grab the materials and put this little ballerina on her feet, it's an easy project and so adorable when finished. Who knows..maybe this bunny will lighten up your coming Easter.

Materials needed:

Two pressed cotton balls (1 cm diameter)

A chenille stick

A round toothpick

Scraps of paper for the dress (I used two colors tissue paper)

A tiny piece of felt for the ears

Markers, black and pink

A circle cut out of cardboard

Pretty paper to cover the cardboard circle

Glue

Scissors

Step 1 - Let's do some bodywrapping

Cover one of the cotton balls with the paper of your choice. This ball is going to be the body of our ballerina. Cut a wide enough circle out of the paper to cover the whole ball. Glue the paper onto the cotton ball untill it is covered. On one side there's a hole in the cotton ball, make sure to keep that hole usuable, don't cover it up.

Set aside to dry.

Step 2 - I like a firm head

Cut a small piece from the toothpick, the length should be just enough to attach the head to the body of the bunny. I needed 1 cm in this case. Glue the piece of wood into the hole of head.

Step 2 - To hear I need an ear...or two

Cut two little ears out of the felt. Have a look at the picture to see the shape.

Put a tiny blob of glue on the bottom of an ear. Glue the sides of the ear together.Take care only to glue the bottom half and leave the top ear as it is. Use a clip to secure and set aside to dry.

When the ears are dry glue them to the backside of the head. Trim the glued end if needed.

Position of the ears at the backside of the head

This is how the head looks from the front side

Step 3 - Put your left leg out, put your right arm in

Cut 4 pieces of chenille stick into 2 cm parts. Two will be the arms, the other two the legs. Poke with a craft pick two holes on the side of the body and two on the bottom. Put a tiny amount of glue on one end of the chenille sticks and insert the sticks in the holes. Allow to dry.

Step 4 - I spy with my little eye

Take the markers and draw the two eyes with black and the mouth with pink. Since the cotton ball will absorb the ink quickly don't put to much pressure on your maker. If needed you can mark the position of the eyes and mouth first with a crayon and when satisfied use the marker.

Step 5 - The dress makes the bunny

The tutu is made out of three layers of tissue paper. For each layer take a piece of paper and fold in half, fold in half again.

Take the upper right corner and fold it down, you'll have a triangle shape

Fold again in the same manner

Take the scissors and cut the top point off

Cut the lower part into a roundish shape

The completed skirt

Cut three skirts and glue them to the body. Use a tiny amount glue.

So far...so good. It should look something like this:

Step 6 - Standing firm

Cut a circle out of cardboard and poke a hole in the middle. Cover the circle with a pretty paper. When dry, glue the feet of the ballerina into the hole.

Step 7 - The grand finale

I like bows so bunny had to have one too!

And...glue the neck into the hole of the body. We're done!

I hope you like this tutorial, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Have fun!

Here's another bunny I made.

Bella Ballerina and Fluffy Flower together. Aren't they cute? Oh dear....making bunnies is becoming addictive!

Late in the evening

2012-03-09T17:25:00.000+01:00

In between taking care of the kids, wallpapering at my moms, the flue, spring holiday , planting flowerbulbs in the garden and taking part in activities at the schools of my sons I found time to do some miniatures. Quite incredible huh?

Honestly I can't think of a greater way to relax. Just imagine me late in the evening sitting in my private little corner of the house, my worktable filled with scraps of paper, different kinds of glue, woodchips, scissors, craftknifes, uncountable bottles of paint and paintbrushes in jars. I have some great music on and I can't help myself from singing along and swinging my feet to the beat. The desklight is shining brightly and my two pairs of glasses are in reach if I need to see something a little better. The smell of fresh coffee surrounds me....aaaaaaah....just PERFECT!

And there I go, my head is filled with so many ideas...I glue...I cut...I paint...I hum...I move to the beat...

Late at night I suddenly realise how late it actually is. I try to clean up the workspace a little (not to much though, the chaos others see has some wierd logic and order to me), I dim the lights, turn off the music and take a closer look at the miniatures I made. A huge sigh...life is good, life is great!

Let's find hubby, pour a glass of wine, walk the dog together and snuggle into bed.

Here are some of the miniatures I made lately and recently were added to my webshop.

You're ever so welcome to browse around in the shop http://www.anothercosyshop.nl

It's 2012!

2012-01-11T13:33:00.000+01:00

Funny as it is only a change of date but this new year feels like a new start for me; the beginning of new exciting happenings. A burst of energy is running through my veins and I want to love, laugh and live!

I've been busy with family and friends in the last month, very cozy and snuggly AND tried to do some miniatures in between those busy times. I wanted to put some more items in my shop before Christmas but just couldn't find the time. So...today I finally came around to doing that. I also decided to use the other blog of mine 'Another Cosy Shop' just to show the new items I've made. I have a real 'official' shop where buying is much easier. Gosh...it almost looks like I'm becoming profesionnal *huge smile*.

I hope you don't mind me showing off a little wee bit and show you some of the items I made!

The pictures only show a few of the items, there's much more to see. If you would like to take a peek you're welcome at http://www.anothercosyshop.nl

I'm afraid there's also sad news I want to share with you. Remember little dog Fifi , a give-away on my blog, that was going to live at Carla's in sunny Brasil? I've send her on her way in november but until now Carla hasn't recieved her yet. I'm afraid poor little Fifi might have gone lost. Isn't that just awful? I'm keeping my fingers crossed here she will turn up soon. If she doesn't I promise you that I'll make a new Fifi (Fifi #2) and try to get her to you as soon as possible Carla!

And the winner is.....

2011-11-27T14:51:00.000+01:00

Thank you all so much for entering my give-away! Today was an exciting day for Fifi, she could hardly wait to find out where she was going to live. Impatiently she waited for all the names to be put in a bowl and for my son to draw the lucky winner. He took his time by the way, knowing it was a very responsable job.

All the names together...

...waiting in a bowl

There he is....look at the serious look on his face!

Fifi goes to Carla Allesandra of Miniatura!!

Congratulations to you Carla Allesandra! Please contact me to give me your address so I can send Fifi on her way.

Fifi is going to live in Brasil, what a lucky little dog. That is...as soon as I can part her from my son...

Have a great day everyone and thanks again!!

Mom gasp ...There's a hedgehog in the microwave!!!

2011-11-03T12:40:00.000+01:00

I've been making hedgehogs today and decided to make some pictures along the way to show you how.

First of all you'll need: fimoclay (brown, ocre and black), craftknife, clay gun (mine is from Artwork) but you could use a garlic press, tweezers, bowl, water, microwave.

Make a ball out of brown fimoclay, press it down on your worktop to get a flat bottom. Mold it into a yellybean shape. With the craftknife cut off the edge of one of the sides. Now you have the body of your hedgehog. Don't make the body to big, it will become much bigger after you've put spikes on it.

Make a smaller ball out of ocre fimoclay, form a yellybean shape and cut that in half. This will be the head of the hedgehog

Put the two pieces together and there you have a nude hedgehog!

For the spikes put some brown fimoclay through your claygun or garlic press.

Cut the strings of clay into tiny pieces

Pick up the little strips of clay with your tweezers and push them into the body of your hedgehog. Start at the back. Try not touching the clay with your fingers because the spikes will flatten.

Halfway through....yes, it's looking more like a hedgehog already!

Done..one spikey hedgehog

For the eyes and nose take some black fimoclay and make two tiny balls. Cut one of the balls in half; those are the eyes. The other ball is the nose.

You can bake your hedgehog in the oven but I prefer microwaving. There is some controversy whether fimoclay is safe to be put in the microwave. Until now I never had problems using the following method:

Put the hedgehog in a microwave suitable bowl and cover it with plain tapwater (use enough water to totally submerge your hedgehog). If you put it straight into the microwave the fimoclay will burn!

Cover the bowl with microwave foil.

Put the bowl into the microwave and heat for 3 minutes. The water will start boiling so do be careful to take it out, the bowl will be hot!

Take the hedgehog out of the bowl with a spoon, you'll notice the fimocolours somewhat fade. Let cool.

Higlight the colors with acrylic paint. Brighten up the eyes and nose with some varnish.

Done!

Don't forget to take the miniatures out of the microwave as I sometimes do. One of the kids, wanting to use the microwave himself, came in rolling his eyes exclaiming...Mom! There's a hedgehog in the microwave!!!

Have a great day :o)

Naughty Boris!

2011-10-31T10:31:00.001+01:00

I made myself a little dog too....a tiny mischief I named Boris. He's totally the opposite of Fifi, she's rather posh and cuddly, he always puts himself in trouble.

I love pets but I do have rules! One of them is 'NOT ON THE COUCH' because I hate those doghairs everywhere and having no place to sit myself. Ofcourse the same rules apply to the dollhouse but look what happened this morning...I caught him in the act!

I was about to scold him but then he looked at me with those puppy eyes and I just melted. What to do? Instead of punishing I just gave him a huge hug and realised his hairs are so tiny it won't make much difference anyways.

Be honest..could you resist that look?

By the way...I have it from reliable source (Boris) that Fifi tends to sneakily find the best seat in the house too. Just a little warning for her next owner!

Fifi wants to be adopted

2011-10-31T00:06:00.001+01:00

Wow...have I been busy lately! Time really flies. I've been making loads of miniatures because...drumroll...I'm opening an official webshop! It would be great if you stopped by to say hello, the link is http://www.anothercosyshop.nl

I'm still filling the shop with items and having loads of fun doing it.

I did keep up with reading all of your blogs, what great creations I've seen, so much talent out there. Quite amazing!

And ofcourse I noticed I have 350 !!! followers, isn't that absolutely incredable?

To celebrate this I made something for you to give away and I really like you to meet:
FIFI

Fifi is a tiny handmade dog and is looking for a home. She's a real girly girly dog with pink bows. She likes to cuddle and play with a ball.

The dogbasket and leash are also handmade and she won't go anywhere without them!

Would you please give her a home? If you do, please make sure to:

- Be a follower of this blog.

- Leave a comment beneath this post.

- Keep your fingers crossed till sunday 27th november when the draw will be held.

- Posting a link on your blog would be appreciated, in fact your name will be put in twice for the draw (please mention you've linked the give-away on your blog).

Good luck everyone!

In a creating mood

2011-09-07T16:40:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I feel a little like Speedy Gonzales...so many ideas, so much energy, so many things I want to make!

Look what came out of my hands the last few days:

Most of the items are for sale in my shop where you can see the miniatures in more detail.

Going to grab a cup of coffee and back to the glue, paper and tools...gosh...what a great feeling!

Have a great day!

Oh my...not another one!

2011-09-05T02:02:00.000+02:00

I did it! After a long time aking myself if I should because there are so many who did it already and why would anybody be interested if I did it too and am I any good at it or will it be a huge failure.... I finally made up my mind. Yes! I will have a go at it, why not?

Ohw..you might wonder whatever I'm rambling about here. Well...I've opened my own tiny webshop! I know...another one in the wonderful world of miniature shopping. It would be great if you took a peek and let me know what you think of it.

http://anothercosyshop.blogspot.com/

Time flies

2011-08-24T09:42:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone! As you can see I'm back after months of absence. I don't even have a great excuse to explain why I haven't made any blog entries for such a long time. I've just been busy...extremely busy. Too much to do in too little time has been my motto lately.

However, I did find time to read up on your blogs. What a source of inspiration it gave me, my joy in the miniature world is back!
Where is the balsa wood, paper and tacky glue? Let's start with dusting my tools and workspace...I want to MAKE something tiny!

A sincere 'thank you' to all of you!

Give (far) away

2011-04-17T10:58:00.000+02:00

Who's the lucky one? Where will the give away go to?

First I added a few new names to the basket where everyone was waiting patiently...

My youngest son asked if he could do the drawing and he took his job very seriously. He stirred the names for about 10 minutes until he was finally ready to choose one.

The winner is:

De http://delightfulminis.blogspot.com/

Congratulations De!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These mini's will be on your way soon.

Just wow!

2011-04-14T16:54:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I can't believe my luck. A few days ago I was cruising through blog land and became a follower of Sjoukje. She's been into dollhouses and miniatures for some time but just started her blog http://maisondupompier.blogspot.com/

I was amazed at the tiny creations she made. After a week of blogging she had 3 followers and wanted to give us something for following her. Now...how great is that?

Look what the mailman delivered just one hour ago!

A fantastic sailboat and an amazing little pillow

Another look at the sailboat, it's just perfect. So tiny and detailed!

The pillow has this cute heart in the middle and is soooooo shabby chic, I love it!

To give you a better impression on how tiny these beauties are I took a picture with a ruler behind them.

I'm going to sit and admire them for another few hours...wait...hold on! I was so hasty to show you these treasures I haven't even thanked Sjoukje properly yet! THANK YOU SJOUKJE!!!

(my day sure is!)

I confess...I'm a fake

2011-04-14T13:58:00.001+02:00

Yeah!! My images are back!!

I'm no painter...I lack the talent, skills and the abilities.

I've been wondering for ages how to transfer a printed picture on wood. I could ofcourse just cut out the image and paste it on with glue but I really wanted pictures to look like they were painted on wood.

I'm horrible in painting myself so why not cheat a little and just use some magic?

I stumbled upon something called 'Powerprint'. Although I haven't seen it used in miniature land till now I decided to give it a try. And finally I can say I'm getting the results I was hoping for.

What do you need to transfer an image/print on wood?

- Powerprint (laserjet printer medium)

- A picture (laser printed)

- Paintbrush

- Pressure roller

- Hairdryer

- Water

- Sponge

Some tips before you start:

Make sure the picture you want to transfer has colors that won´t run. I use laserjet prints because inkjet prints will do just that. You can use photographs or pictures out of a magazine as well.
Also remember that white isn´t a color that will transfer. The white color will look transparent after transferring. To keep the white colors transfer unto a white background.
If you want to print text on the surface don´t forget to print the text in mirror or else the letters will be in reverse after transferring and unreadable.

First cut out the picture you want to transfer.

Prepare the surface you want your picture to be transferred on, I've sanded a piece of wood, painted it white and sanded it again.

Use a paintbrush to apply the Powerprint. Make strokes horizontally and vertically to cover the whole surface

Do the same with the image you want to transfer, apply on the printed side, not the backside.

Place the image on the wood and make sure you press it firmly, use a roller to apply pressure evenly. I've used the handle of one of my tools as roller. If excess powerprint attaches to your roller clean with a damp cloth, powerprint is sticky stuff.

Dry the picture for 10 minutes with a hairdryer. Turn your work around from time to time to dry front and back. Be patient to allow the work to totally . The perfect time to have a cup of tea or coffee!

Let the picture cool off.

Moisten the sponge with water and carefully stroke upon the paper surface of the picture. You´ll notice the layers of paper will loosen. With the sponge and your fingertip carefully scrape away the layers of paper untill you see the picture again.

Let the work dry in between and you might see some white paper left. Continue the process until you have only the image left. At this stage be careful not to be to enthusiastic and scratch away the image itself.

The image on the left still has some layers of paper left, the image on the right is almost done.

As finishing touch I have applied some bronze coloured paint on the edges of the picture. When all was dry I've applied a coat of satin varnish.

Waiting and waiting

2011-04-13T08:42:00.000+02:00

As you might have noticed all my pictures are gone due to maintenance at the photobucket site where I upload most of them. I'm sitting here waiting (im)patiently until everything turns back to normal. I better go have a cup of coffee and check back later. They better hurry or I'll be tearing my hair out here!

I just love surprises!

2011-04-11T17:21:00.001+02:00

I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the amazing total of 300 followers. And trying to be real organised (which I'm usually not) I decided to be in time for the next give-away. The comments on the chair were marvelous so I thought to myself...why not do it again?

I worked on the third give-away behind the screens and it's READY!!!!

Here it is...I hope you like it.

The chair...plant table and pot of hydrangea

AND

Birdcage, two candelsticks, picture and deer statue

I saved the entries from the previous give-away and I took the liberty to include everyone in the drawing for this one. So...if you already asked to be included you don't have to do it again. If you want to take your chance on winning this give-away and haven't included your name in the previous one, you can do so below. Please remember you have to be a follower of this blog.
I'll be drawing the winner coming saturday, April 16th

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!!!

I'm sitting here with a huge smile on my face, I'm so happy so many people are interested in this blog. Please excuse me...I just HAVE to go do a happy happy joy joy dance here!

We have a winner!!!!!!

2011-04-09T12:12:00.000+02:00

I've had an early start this morning, the weather is beautiful and the garden is luring me outside. But first thing's first...the drawing of the give-away.

Here we go....

Everyone listed

Who will be the lucky one????

Congratulations Rosa / Yayin!!!!

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've already send you an email to obtain your address, the give-away will be on the way to sunny Spain as soon as possible.

Heating up the place

2011-04-08T13:35:00.000+02:00

I've joined another blog http://poppenhuiskladblogger.blogspot.com/ and since that one is merely in Dutch I'll be using English here. I haven't been blogging much lately but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. I'll show you what I've been up to the following days.

To my big surprise so many of you have entered the give-away...I'm stunned. What a great response! Tomorrow is the big day and I'm really wondering where the goodies will go to...maybe the gift has to travel across oceans, mountains and borders to get to it's destination!

Guess what? Already over 300 followers, I'll soon be having another give-away!!!!! Any suggestions on what you'd like to win are welcome!

Well...spring is in the air, the temperature is climbing slowly, we're turning off the central heating and we all have days of lingering in the sunshine on our minds. The perfect setting to create the following; a coalbox in miniature :o)

I made a box out of balsa wood with a removable lid at the front. After covering it with Gesso I painted it greyish and gave it a more used look.

Here you see the basic box:

I made tiny coal scoops out of the tinfoil of waxine light cups

After attaching a hook on the side of the box from which the scoop can hang, a knob on the front of the lid and a handle on top this is how the coalbox looks

The box is filled with tiny stones resembling coal

The living room is getting cozier and cozier...

See you all tomorrow, I can hardly wait!

Wheeee....Another Give Away!

2011-03-15T15:50:00.000+01:00

Het is zover! Al meer dan 200 volgers dus ik ben veel te laat. Maar beter laat dan nooit!

Oh my, already OVER 200 followers, I'm running late with this give-away!

Wat kan je winnen? Nou...dit!

What can you win? Well...this!

Een stoeltje naar eigen ontwerp met een plantentafeltje en natuurlijk een varen in pot...allemaal zelf gemaakt.

A chair by own design, a plant table with ofcourse a potted fern...all handmade.

En wat leuke kleine frutseltjes zoals een kroontje, bord met met Parijs afbeelding, krans en een beeldje van een hertje.Ook zelfgemaakt!

Some cute little must haves like a crown, a plaque with Paris image, wreath and tiny deer statue. All homemade too!

Hoe kan je dit winnen / How to win this give-away:

Wees volger van m'n blog/ Be a follower of my blog
Schrijf een reactie onder dit bericht zodat ik weet dat je mee wilt doen / Write a comment beneath this post to let me know you want to participate
De einddatum voor het meedingen is 9 april 2011 / The final date to enter is april 9th 2011

Ik zou het fijn vinden als je een link naar m'n give-away zou zetten op je blog, maar dat is niet verplicht.

I'd like it very much if you'd put a link to my give-away on your blog, although it's not required.

Veel geluk allemaal heel erg bedankt voor het volgen van m'n blog!

Good luck everyone and thank you so much for following my blog!

Green fingers

2011-03-15T12:11:00.001+01:00

Plantjes om je heen schept sfeer, de natuur een stukje naar binnen halen willen we allemaal. Met de lente in aantocht ben ik bezig met het maken van plantjes en bloemetjes. Hier heb ik een net gekochte pons uitgeprobeerd om een varen in elkaar te zetten.

Het groene papier heb ik eerst beschilderd met verschillende kleuren groen en bruine acrylverf om nuances te krijgen. Daarna ponsen en ponsen...

It's always a great feeling having plants around it brings a small part of nature into the home. With spring coming I decided to make some miniature plants and flowers. I really wanted to try out this new punch I purchased and make a fern. First of all I painted the paper I wanted to use in different shades of green and a little brown acrylic paint. After which i punched out the leaves...

Ik vond een enkel geponst blaadje wat ielig dus ik besloot twee blaadjes op elkaar te plakken met een stukje bloemendraad ertussen. Ik zorgde ervoor dat de blaadjes een beetje versprongen zodat het een vol blad werd.

To obtain full leaves I decided to glue two punches on top of eachother with a piece of floral wire in between. I made sure to place the top leaf a little under the bottom one so the gaps were all filled.

Voor een lekker vol plantje maakte ik zo'n 18 varenblaadjes. Ik knipte af en toe een blaadje wat bij zodat ik niet allemaal dezelfde kreeg.

For one fern I made 18 leaves, I trimmed some of them to get different shapes of leaves. A real fern has small and big leaves too!

De blaadjes op elkaar plakken

Varenblaadjes staan te drogen / Fern leaves drying

Het lijkt wel een jungle hier.

It's becoming a jungle out here.

Daarna wat lijm in een plantenpotje smeren en daar wat zelfdrogende klei in doen. De bovenkant besmeren met wat lijm en aandrukken in droge gemalen koffie. Dit lijkt prima op tuinaarde. Daarna de takjes erin prikken en de blaadjes een beetje naar beneden ombuigen.

Take a flowerpot of your liking and glue some self drying clay into it. Cover the top of the clay with some glue and press into grounded coffee. This looks exaclty like garden soil. Then stick the stems into the clay and curl the leaves downwards.

Zoals iedereen volg ik hier op de voet het nieuws over Japan, een aardbeving gevolgd door een tsunami en de verschrikkelijke gevolgen daarvan. Ook ik denk aan de mensen daar en ik kan me nauwelijks voorstellen hoe de totale ontreddering en verdriet zal zijn. In gedachten verzonken...de berichtgeving op tv spookt door m'n hoofd. Hier zijn geen woorden voor...

Like probably everyone in the world I also follow the news of the disaster in Japan, the earthquake, the tsunami and the terrible aftermath. My thoughts are with the ones that have to endure so much. I can't find words for it...

Sophietje

2011-03-12T10:35:00.001+01:00

Wat kom je toch een leuke workshops tegen in blogland. Kijk deze nou! Het is niet echt een poppenhuis miniatuur maar het maken van een poppetje met tandenstokers. Ik was gelijk verkocht en moest het uitproberen.

There are so many great tutorials in the blog world. Look at this one! Not really a dollhouse miniature but it's a doll made out of toothpicks. I just HAD to try it out myself.

Hier is de link/Here's the link

http://angelamichelledolls.blogspot.com/2008/12/toothpick-doll-tutorial-1-supplies.html

Het is een workshop in het engels maar goed te volgen met veel foto's. Een schattig cadeautje maken voor jezelf is toch het beste wat er is? Terwijl ik ermee bezig was had ik het volgende liedje in m'n hoofd uit de jaren 50, vraag me niet waarom, ik was toen nog niet eens geboren. Dus even opgezocht op youtube en zowaar kon ik het terug vinden.

The way the instructions are written in this tutorial is just so funny. Make sure you read through al the different steps, it'll bring a smile to your face! Whilst making this cute doll a song stuck into my mind and I was humming it all the time. I searched for it on youtube and was even able to find it it's a dutch song from the 50's! I wasn't even born then, how hilarious is that?

De naam voor mijn gelukspoppetje is natuurlijk Sophietje! Dank je wel Johnny Lion!

The song is called 'Sophietje' the performer is Jonny Lion. Ofcourse I named my little doll Sophietje.

Kijk...hier is ze. Niet de allermooiste van de wereld maar zoals Angela al zegt in haar uitleg...je eerste poppetje nooit weggooien. Die is en blijft speciaal.

Here she is! Not the prettiest doll I ever saw but as Angela says in her tutorial...treasure your first doll because it special.

En nu zit Sophietje dagelijks mee te kijken naar het miniatuurgebeuren en bewaakt mijn koffiemok. Wie weet volgen er nog wel een paar poppetje, het was vreselijk leuk om te maken.

Sophietje keeps me company daily now, watching the miniatures I make and guarding my coffee mug. I'm almost certain she'll have some friends soon, those toothpick dolls are such fun to make!

Dank je wel Angela Michelle en Johnny Lion ook namens Sophietje!

Thank you Angela Michelle ad Johnny Lion, also on behalf of Sophietje!

Jumping for joy

2011-03-11T10:47:00.000+01:00

Heb je dat ook wel eens dat je een gat in de lucht kan springen omdat mensen je zo blij maken?

Don't you sometimes just want to jump for joy because people make you happy?

Ten eerste jullie allemaal bedankt voor het volgen en de lieve berichtjes op het blog. Wat een prachtig welkom terug.

First a big thank you to all of you for following my blog and leaving such sweet comments here. It surely was a warm welcome back.

Ik ben druk bezig geweest, voldoende om een paar berichtjes op het blog te zetten. Maar met het volgende werd ik wel heel blij. Ik had een pakketje gekocht bij http://www.nalladris.com/ voor een kroonluchter. Ik had al eerder een kit bij deze webshop gekocht en het beviel me prima dus ik begon met veel plezier.

I've been real busy the last week so here's an update on what's been going on here. I purchased a kit for a chandelier at http://www.nalladris.com/. Since I've bought her kits before and was very pleased with them I started of with excitment to get this project done.

Eerst maar een alle prachtige Swarovski kralen en onderdeeltjes in aparte bakjes doen zodat het geheel wat overzichtelijker wordt en daarna de beschrijving nauwkeurig volgen. Ik was lekker op weg, totdat...

After sorting the beautiful Swarovski beads and findings neatly I started following the instructions carefully. This was great fun, until...

... er tot mijn grote schrik één van de gesoldeerde bakjes van de basis afbrak. Een ramp, want ik kreeg met geen mogelijkheid het bakje weer terug op het ornament. Ik probeerde alle soorten lijm die ik in huis had uit maar zonder succes. Wat nu?

...to my horror one of the soldered caps broke off from the base. A true disaster because no matter what glue I used I was unable to put the parts back together again. What to do?

Ik stuurde een mailtje aan Sun (eigenares van de webshop) met de vraag of zij het onderdeel ook apart kon leveren. Ze stuurde gelijk antwoord terug dat ze wel iets kon regelen. En wat dacht je? De volgende dag bracht de postbode een nieuw exemplaar en dat alles zonder extra kosten! Daar word je toch ongelooflijk blij van, wat een service zeg!

I decided to email Sun (she owns the webshop) and asked if there was a possibility to obtain the part separately. She answered immediately that she could arrange something. To my big surprise the next day the mailman brought me the package with a replacement. And all of that without additinal charge! Now...isn't that something that just makes a person happy? What service!

Hoera, de basis klaar (met nieuw ornamentje) en alles in de Gesso.

Hooray, the base is finished and covered with a coat of Gesso.

Geduldig kraaltjes rijgen en vastmaken.

Carefully threading beads and attaching to the base.

Ik ben een prachtige kroonluchter rijker.

I'm the proud owner of a beautiful chandelier.

Jammer dat je de glinstering niet zo goed kan vastleggen op de foto. De Swarovski kristallen heb ik in het grijs besteld en dat maakt de lamp nog aparter. Trouwens, hij werkt echt!

I'm unable to catch the glitter of the Swarovksi crystals on a picture but I assure you it's amazing. I ordered grey crystals which make the chandelier even more special. By the way...the light really works!

Ik spring een gaat in de lucht hier!

Still jumping for joy here!

Firescreen and mirror

2011-03-05T17:40:00.000+01:00

Het is zo leuk om zelf miniaturen te maken dus na het zoeken op het internet en het lezen van boeken had ik genoeg ideetjes om aan de slag te gaan met een haardscherm en een spiegel

Making my own miniatures is so much fun, so after searching on internet and reading my books about dollhouses I had enough ideas to try and make a firescreen and a mirror.

Wat heb ik gebruikt?

Papier met 1 cm ruitjes.

Karton 2 mm dik

Spiegelkarton

Gipsband

Schaar/lineaal/potlood/penselen

Gesso

Acrylverf in de kleuren zwart/brons/goud/zilver

Scrapboek decoratie randjes

Tacky glue

Kleurloze nagellak

What did I use?
Paper with cm squares
Cardboard 2 mm thick

Mirror cardboard
Plaster tape

Scissors/ruler/pencil/paintbrushes
Gesso
Acryl paint in the colors black/bronze/gold/silver

Scrapbook decoration
Tacky glue
Clear nailpolish

De patroontjes uittekenen op papier. De spiegel is 6 cm hoog en 4 cm breed. Het haardscherm is 3 cm hoog en 5 cm breed. Het haarschermpootje is 1,5 cm hoog en 3 cm breed.

Het handigste vind ik om de helft van het patroon uit te tekenen, het papier dubbel te vouwen en dan te knippen. Zo krijg je twee identieke zijkanten.

Draw the patterns on paper. The mirror is 6 cm high and 4 cm wide. The screen is 3 cm high and 5 cm wide. The screen leg is 1,5 cm high and 3 cm wide.

I find it easy to draw only half of the pattern then fold the paper in half and cut it out. This way I'm left with identical sides.

Knip het midden gedeelte uit van de spiegel zodat er een kader overblijft van 5 mm breed. Doe hetzelfde voor het haardscherm, hier is de breedte 3 mm.

Cut out the middle part of the mirror so you get a framework 5 mm wide. Do the same with the firescreen but use a width of 3 mm.

Het haardscherm / The firescreen

Leg het patroontje van het scherm en het pootje op karton van 2 mm dik en trek het over. Knip uit karton 2 keer het frame en 4 keer de pootjes. Knip een stukje gipsband af wat past in het frame. Schilder alles met een dun laagje Gesso en na drogen met zwart acrylverf.

Put the patterns on 2 mm thick cardboard and trace over the screen 2 times and the leg 4 times. Cut the patterns out. Also cut a piece of plastertape lage enough to fit into the screen. Cover everything in a thin layer of Gesso. After that has dried paint it with black acrylic paint.

Besmeer twee pootjes met Tacky glue en lijm de twee andere pootjes erboven op.

Plaats het stukje gipsband tussen de twee gedeeltes van het scherm en plak de gedeeltes op elkaar. Knip het teveel aan gipsband netjes af.

Spread some Tacky glue on two of the legs and place the other two on top of it.

Place the piece of plastertape in between the two parts of the screen and glue together. Cut off the excess of plastertape.

Maak een kleine inkeping aan de bovenkant van het pootje, het scherm moet er in kunnen passen. Lijm het scherm op de pootjes.

Cut a notch at the top of the legs, the screen should be able to fit into it. Glue the screen on the legs.

Als laatste het haardscherm met acrylverf in brons/zilver/goud versieren om een oud en gebruikt uiterlijk te geven.

Decorate the screen with bronze/silver and gold paint to get an old and used look.

Om het haarscherm stevigheid te geven heb ik het afgelakt met twee laagjes kleurloze nagellak.
To make the firescreen more firm I've used two coats of clear nailpolish.

De spiegel / The mirror

Trek het patroon over op 2 mm karton en knip twee maal uit, een achterkant en een voorkant waaruit het middengedeelte geknipt is.

Trace the pattern on 2 mm cardboard and cut out a backside and a front piece with a cutout middle part

Versier de voorkant met decoratie plakrandjes, deze worden vaak gebruikt bij scrapbooking.

Decorate the front side with scrapbook trimmings.

Daarna bedekken met een laagje Gesso. Als dit droog is verven met zwart/brons en gouden acrylverf.

Cover with a layer of Gesso and after this is dry paint with black/bronze and golden acrylic paint.

Een stuk om maat geknipt spiegelkarton tussen de twee gedeeltes van de spiegel plakken. Het randje van de spiegel bijwerken met verf en de spiegel is klaar!

Place a piece of cut to size mirror cardboard in between the two parts of the mirror and glue together. If needed touch up the edges of the mirror with some paint and the mirror is ready!

De complete open haard...

The complete open fireplace...

...met haardscherm...

...with firescreen...

...en spiegel!

...and mirror!

Total make-over

2011-03-05T15:39:00.001+01:00

Van de buurvrouw had ik een open haard gekregen wat hoorde bij het Del Prado poppenhuis bouwpakket. Jammer dat ik er geen foto van gemaakt heb, dit is de enige die ik kon vinden waar het oorspronkelijke model op staat.

My neighbor gave me an open fire place that belonged to a Del Prado dollhouse kit. To bad I forgot to make a picture of it, this is the only one I found where you can see the original.

De open haard is versierd met halve pilaren, karton, touw, sierlatjes, uitgeknipte figuurtjes uit behang en een gekocht ornamentje van engeltjes. Daarna heb ik een laag Gesso erover heen gesmeerd. Op de foto's van de eerder gemaakte sofa is deze techniek te zien. De schoorsteenmantel is beplakt met plakplastic met een marmeren patroon.

The open fire place is decorated with pilars that I cut in half, cardboard, rope, decorative strips, cut out figures from wallpaper and a bought ornament with angels. After that I covered everything with Gesso. You can see this technic if you take a glance at the pictures of the earlier made sofa. I covered the mantelpiece with adhesive plastic with a marmble pattern.

Pilars, rope and cut out figures from wallpaper

Angels in top and marble mantelpiece

In het volgende bericht leg ik uit hoe ik het haardscherm en de spiegel heb gemaakt. Blijf kijken! :o)

The next post will be about making the fireplace screen and the mirror. Don't go away! :o)