My Excellent Adventure in Paperclay

I'm a guinea pig!

Another self portrait I hear you ask?

Heheh, ;))

nope,

that's Cheryl, a furfriend of mine.

My Excellent Adventure?

I'm the guinea pig trialling a miniature workshop!

Courtesy of a wonderful friend

and most talented lady...

Lidi Stroud 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lidistroud/

http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/lidistroud

http://www.etsy.com/people/AbsoluteBasketcase

I absolutely never dreamed of learning paperclay.

A workshop is beyond my capabilities.

So,

to have this opportunity is beyond my wildest dreams!!

Lidi is kindly giving me this workshop

one morning a week over a few weeks.

To say I was scared to death of not coping

with the work would be an understatement.

Lesson One

The kit.

A mysterious pile of loot!

Gatorboard walls

Paperclay

Pastry board and roller

Clay tools

Door and window frames

Fountain

First we knead the paperclay

and roll it out.

Then it goes onto a wall

and the brickwork is marked.

I got one wall done during the lesson

and had two more walls for homework.

Close up of the bricks,

still damp.

I found the work very physically demanding

but not impossible

and now I know what is involved

I'll be able to practise this technique at home

when RL allows.

I am seriously slow at learning new things so believe me when I say

Anyone could do this!!

Given a talented and generous teacher who will start you on your own

Excellent Adventure :)))

Thankyou so much my dear and generous friend,

you'll never know what this gift means to me,

being a guinea pig is my biggest

miniature adventure ever!



Snowdrops are Early

In spite of high winds there's a feeling of spring

in my garden,

the snow drops have popped out 

8 days earlier than last year.

Yes, I guess it's a bit obsessive to write that on the calendar ;)

The promise of spring,

warm days,

sunshine.

Sunbathing.

A Little Bit of Excitement

A new workstation!

Tired of having to pack up the dining table every time we wanted to use it, I decided

to let the moths out of my wallet and get another workstation!

There's a drawer for tools, another for glues.

 One for clamps, another for odds and ends of wood.

There is room for individual project drawers

so they can be stored and easily brought out

to continue work.

And, you can almost see the top of the fridge and freezer

that have been covered with 'stuff' for years

where it was within quick reach ;)

I've had one of these for my crochet work for a number of years and it sure makes life easier.

Wheel it away when the house if full of guests

and find what you're looking for with generally less frustration from searching.

I can still misplace things but not quite as easily as

when everything was shoved into boxes.



Just pottering around

It's mid-winter Downunder, meaning time to do the heavier gardening.

Not a lot of time for miniatures but the school holidays couldn't pass without spending time with grandkids making something for their projects.  

No.3 grandson requested a paper towel holder for his kitchen.

No.2 grandson made a trash to treasure planter box for his stable a while ago, 

he has painted it and planted some of my dodgy flowers. 

I'm sure the horse will find them appetising

even though they look like they came from another planet ;)

And,

my own pottering with paperclay.

That's a trotting pole in front of the planter.

The flowers were a kit from

Georgie Steeds

A new suit for Christopher

Isn't he the sweetest little angelface?

The migrants are here!

A belated welcome to new migrants

Hilda Grace and James George!

With thanks to Robin for all her help,

superb packing and travel arrangements,

and making sure our much loved couple

departed their land of birth safely.

This is a tale of a family.

Some of the names have been changed to protect the innocent,

some have not,

Some of the tale is dollhouse fiction,

some is not :)

Part 1

In the beginning

there had been a love match

between

Hilda Grace and James George.

They produced and raised a much loved son who,

in the way of young men,

sought adventure along with fortune.

You may hear more of his adventures

in the future but for now,

this is his parents story.

Adventure led young James Downunder

and fortune he found.

Love found him.

He married an Aussie girl,

and settled down in marital bliss

which was wonderful news to his parents

but they missed him deeply

and wished so much to meet their Daughter-in-law.

Before they knew it Hilda and James became grandparents.

Hilda wept tears of happiness,

tinged with sadness

that she couldn't cuddle her first grandchild

or see the pride in her sons eyes. 

Then they became grandparents again.

Hilda found her thoughts turned constantly to

the grandchildren she hadn't met.

James George was stoic

but in his heart

he too longed to see his son

and to meet those grandchildren.

The decision was made to travel Downunder for a visit.

Arrangements were begun and then - 

they became grandparents again. 

With the family increasing in Australia

and retirement on the horizon

it seemed natural to make a permanent move

so they made plans to sell their house

 - that took some more time -

and they became grandparents again.

Finally all the arrangements were complete.

Passports in hand the elderly couple said a sad farewell to England

(and Robin)

and set their faces toward the new life awaiting them

in their new homeland

with their beloved son and his family.

By the time their ship docked,

they'd happily become grandparents again :)

(Help Robin, a couple more grandchildren are necessary to complete this story)

Here the author allows a peek into the happy arrival.

Just in the door,

being greeted by Daughter-in-law Janet and the most recent grandchild,

while son James Gordon puts the car away.

Hilda Grace couldn't wait to get her pinny on and start helping out,

but first things first,

her arms are aching for the long awaited cuddle of a beautiful grandchild.

So,

while James George takes the luggage upstairs,

Janet hands over the baby to a very happy grandmother

(who hopes the little dear won't screech).

In honour of the important occasion

baby is wearing the christening robe

that Hilda Grace made and sent for the families Christenings.

Oh dear,

it's looking like there's to be yet another grandchild.

Hilda Grace is in her element!!

James George somehow manages to fit their chest

and a couple of suitcases into their room,

they will have to be unpacked before the rest

can be brought up from the car.

Hmm, he thinks, chihuahuas seem to have taken over the whole house.

He smiles to himself,

between grandchildren

and dogs

and a happy Hilda

life is going to be warm and wonderful.

The story to be continued!

Thankyou Robin for these super grandparents!

More Frames

Still playing with trashy treasure

and paint.

Shabby Chic Hearts.

Beachy Chic Shells.

Each frame is about 1" square.





Bear Found Planking

I just sprung Eleanore

planking on the back

of our lounge.

It is breaking my heart that I can't comment on most of your lovely blogs so I'm sending everyone bear hugs

from

me

and

Eleanore.

Sharing the joy

Two parcels arrived here a short time ago

so,

I wanted to share my excitement!

How awesome are these perfect little jars

of condiments and jam?

From

Sarah

I only wish the huge RL jar of pickled onions I made last week looked as yummy!

These two darling chocolate Easter Hens are

from

Peiwen

How gorgeous are they?  Beautiful.

Food for the miniature soul.

And lastly,

I rememberd when looking in photo albums,

I forgot to show this lovely display of chrysanthemums

from 

Pei Li

when we swapped late last year.

I adore these tiny amazing flowers, they are so delicate in RL,

the photo doesn't do them justice.

Thankyou Pei Li :)

Going Potty

No need to make the obvious remark,

I already know I'm potty :)

Miniature potting is one of the many and varied symptoms .

And it's fun although not expertly done.

When you don't have what you want

and can't wait for the postman,

you try making your own.

Paper Clay is great though I'm not by any means much of a potter so we'll call them

Shabby Pots!!

and hopefully get away with the unique pot style ;)

I didn't have any of the little wooden pots this time so

these ones are all my own work.

The pansies were begging to be planted,

hence the potty potting.

Yes, I actually made the pansies.

Much holding of breath

and stress

and learning not to sigh.......

so you don't have to search far and wide for petals.

Regular followers will know I'm more than slightly challenged when it comes to miniature flora

so please critique my first miniature flowers made from a kit, I'd love to know how to detail them to make them as life-like as possible.

The kit was from

The Miniature Garden

The african violet was a 'pot ready' gift that only needed

a home and I love the wee thing.

The floral tape aspidistra was made a couple of years ago,

please don't look too closely at the poor thing,

it's kinda embarrassed :(

about being made to pose and help fill out the frame.

At this rate the conservatory may well be finished this year!

I never seem to finish my own projects,

making the details is more to my ability than the structure

and the potty mind loves the variety of creating whatever comes to the imagination.

Framed........

When you're bored, play with trash.

 

Coffee stirrers and buttons.

Cheap thrills :))

Royal Wedding Fever....!

Heheh, when I saw these plates I just had to have a souvenir of the Royal Wedding!

From

Carolyn

My fuzzy photo doesn't do them justice, they are really really lovely and made me smile.

Another smile :)

A parcel arrived in the mail yesterday unexpectedly from a dear friend.

Don't you love surprises!!

I was gobsmacked when I opened it to reveal a whole box full of beautiful wicker that she'd made.

This chest is just one piece!

Adelaide claimed it immediately and dressed it up with her favourite things.

I just love it!!

And I love all the other bits which will turn up in photos soon!

Happy Easter

Easter Greetings,

hoping for peace and family time for everyone.

These are my miniature Easter makings for 2011.

The basket is an old one with a shabby facelift,

the birdie-on-a-stick is new,

the nest is new,

as are the Easter Eggs and the pull-along-bunny.

Mr. 9 year old grandson helped make the polyclay eggs.

Inspiration is back!

Some Self Indulgence

I'm feeling like a bus today. 

You wait and wait for a bus that never comes then two arrive together!

Just thought I'd share what I've been up to,

indulging the passion while unable to make miniatures myself.

From

Blue Kitty Miniatures

The ducks reminded me of my grandparents home and made me smile.

Being unhandy with miniature plants I couldn't resist these gorgeous succulents.  The photos don't do justice to these polyclay creations, they are absolutely wonderful!

From

MostlyArt

I adore this little Froggy flower frog in this lovely bowl!

Once again the photo doesn't show the perfection of the handwork.

The bunny and african violet were surprise gifts that made my day :)

Here they are all together with a spike I made 

inspired by Mercedes RL size spike.

The spike is my first play with miniature making in quite a while.

All of these goodies reside in my conservatory which is getting nicely filled.

Adelaide's Clothes

No More Zen Knitting

It feels good to be back to miniature crochet after 3 months of real life poking its ugly nose into my fun.

Adelaide has been naked for far too long. 

An Angel Suit for a little angel!

Adelaide came from Alicia

Long Absence...

Not much time to post of late but keeping up with

all your beautiful blogs

during spare moments keeps me almost on the level ;)  

Do I suffer from insanity?  No, I enjoy it! 

Also enjoying cooking.

Croissants, brandy custard and prunes - upmarket bread and butter pudding - a fave with family!

 And making soap - perfume and additive free.  No photo, it's still maturing.

And knitting RL size dish cloths when my hands are shaking too much for miniatures.

Knitting dish cloths is addictive. 

 Zen knitting my friend Bev calls it,

automatic movements that let your mind roam free.

There have been some moments for miniatures.

Pink for my kitchen. 

Enamel mugs for no.2 grandsons stable.

Egg carton pavers for the stable.

Grandson made a planter box and I had help building a Feed Bin.

  

Pet dishes made by no.3 grandson for his kitchen while he was off school with Chickenpox. 

That lad is good with poly clay!

And a cat bed made by me.

 Second set of dishes made by me for the stable because no.2 grandson didn't have chickenpox

......and had to go to school!

Yellow for grandsons kitchen.

Just small projects for my butterfly mind.

Shabby What? - Shabby Grubby....

Grunge-ing (my own word) a nice miniature is not an easy thing for my clean, neat and tidy brain come to terms with; much as I love the work of real shabby miniature artists who seem to know exactly how much is enough, the process doesn't come naturally to me. 

I can't say I like what I've done.

 

I think I went a bit too far, my husband wants to put it on the kerbside for the metal recyclers.........hmmmm, is that a compliment or a criticism?

At least the banged up cream coloured jug does look more used now, not so 'brand new with artfully applied chips added'.  I don't like the other two jugs much, they were better without the grunge.

I used thin washes of two paint colours, an amber sort of one for the rusted marks and and a dirty brownish black for plain old dirt stains.  Dotted the wash on and spread and dabbed with my fingers.  When there was too much I wiped it a bit with an almost dry cloth, that left a hint of colour in the depths of the brush strokes in the white paint and looked more natural.

Five Minutes of Fun

Table made from card, wire and beads.

Needs some shabbying but I'm nervous about messing up.

Paint effects are not my area!!

A Nice Cuppa.....

Breathe a sigh, Christmas and New Year are over.  Time to take stock and make plans with a nice cup of tea.

Can't do the cuppa without the kettle, matching our toasters of course. 

We wanted our kettles to be real so we took our measurements from my

RL Sunbeam Kettle.

Brushed stainless steel for grandson,

green for my modern kitchen.

What we made them from.

I'm so sorry I forgot to take photos for a tutorial as I went along with these kettles, they've been a work in progress for over a month as I worked out how to achieve each step, in between christmas shopping, christmas baking, christmas decorating, christmas parcel wrapping..........you get the picture!!  I wasn't altogether sure my idea would work till after I got the wire ring to stay stuck round the bottom of the main body to represent the ridge where the top part is joined to the element part of the lift off kettle.  After that hurdle the rest went easily.  Look at your own kettle or a photo of one that you like the shape of and you'll see it is just a sandwich of pieces stuck together.

I cut part of the bead off for the main body then cut two circles from the tongue depressor the same size as the cut off base of the bead.  Then sanded a slight bevel on the cut edge of the bead and the same on the edge of one of the wood circles and glued the two pieces together so the bevel edges made a slight depression for wire to sit in.  I used 5 minute epoxy glue for the wire and there's no way to get it to stay except to hold it in position till that glue sets!  Next I drilled a hole in the piece of dowel down the shaft for the spout of the kettle and cut that tiny piece away from the dowel on an angle so it would tilt upward when glued on to the bead.  The hole in the top of the bead was filled with a plaster type filler and a tiny hole drilled to insert the pin for the knob of the lid.  The 'lid' position was marked by placing the bead upright on the table and placing a pencil on a book or something horizontally positioned so the bead can be turned round against the pencil and make an even mark all round the top where the edge of the lid would show, then a slight depression was filed using the pencil mark as a guide.  Two holes were drilled into the bead and a wire handle was bent and glued in, once again using epoxy glue. 

For the electric base, drill a hole in the centre of the other wood circle and use that as a guide to drill a matching hole in the bottom wood circle of the kettle so when the top is put on the base the two circles will match one another.  Glue a short length of toothpick into the hole in the base for the 'electric plug' bit that goes into the kettle.  Next, round off the top edge of the base and the bottom edge of the kettle.  Turn the base over and add 3 tiny slices of toothpick for feet, sand so it will sit firmly.  Black thread and card make the electric cord.  Then paint in your chosen colour scheme.

What did you do on Boxing Day?

I first counted my blessings.....miniature and otherwise.........

This blessing is a gift every Christmas, it belonged to my Pop who passed away in 1970, was cared for by Nanna till 1995 when it came into my care.  It must be well over 50 years old, I recall it being around when I was young.  I love the rich colour of the abundant blooms and treasure the memories they bring.



Then some miniature christmas goodies.

Meet Imogen Iris.

A special gift from my other 'arf, dressed in cream and old christmas red. 

She joins her older sister Isabelle Ivy, 

(sitting down)

in the Christmas Shop with Ambrose,

(the dog with the face only a mother could love but he is a precious memento of a dear departed friend) - where both girls dream of

Christmas Presents. 

Please don't look at the naked christmas tree, I promise I'm trying to make decorations..........

From a very dear friend who has a very new blog. 

I collect Depression Glass, now I have some in miniature!   How cool is that? 

The phone is a symbol of our legendary chat-a-thons ;)

That tatted doiley, handmade, gossamer fine.  Isn't it gorgeous?

It deserves a photo on its own to show off the awesome detail.

The bridle kit is again from 'imself and the totally grogeous silver trophy is from another lovely friend.  It looks like I'd better build my own stable soon!

After counting blessings I thought, since Grumpy is off his oats and on paddock rest, it would be appropriate to make hay while the sun shines............

OK, end of horsey puns, and the sun hasn't shone here for a week. 

Nevertheless, a large part of the day was spent making up that bridle kit.

I rarely have that much time to play all in one day, it was like christmas mk.2!

Shadow looks pleased with his new 'clothes' :)  Here he is visiting my grandsons horse who is as yet unnamed.  If I was a trifle younger, and a trifle smaller, I'd hop right on that saddle and take a wonderful ride but since I'm neither of those things I'll have to do the grandmotherly thing instead and spend some time with grandson making up his christmas bridle kit for his horse very soon.