Monday, January 26, 2015

Miniteers Meet

Miniteers' Visit


This month Elizabeth brought the incredible storage basket gifted to her from Lidi of BasketCase Miniatures to show us.



Fatima is amazed and jealous... me too!

Elizabeth is so thrilled and happy to have received this wonderful little work of art.

It is fantastic, actually nicer than the photos on Lidi's site http:///basketcase-miniatures.blogspot.com/  It is very finely woven, beautifully finished and has such nice weight in the hand. Such a kind and generous giveaway.

Lidi, can you see how happy she is?

But down to more serious discussions (in the kitchen of course).

It was my turn to host Elizabeth and Fatima for our monthly mini fix. We do communicate regularly by phone and email but when we are together we have so much fun and the hours slide past so quickly.


Both E. and F. are full of enthusiasm for this wonderful hobby and each month produce something new to amaze me.
 Elizabeth has been producing flowers for her garden on http://www.studioeminiatures.blogspot.ca and has also made bee skeps. If you look at her elbow on the counter above you will see a basket but the left item is a skep.  I wish that I took a close up photo of it but I think you will see one very soon on her blog.  E. also bought an assortment of artificial plant material for me to try and kick start me back into my miniature landscaping.


Below they are discussing the petit point pieces that Elizabeth has given to Fatima for her Garfield House. The theme of her house is the night before Christmas and the house, although modern, reflects its Victorian-era past. Elizabeth suggested that Fatima might be able to make cushions or upholstery using the petit point.


Conversation can be quite lively. Fatima says she will find it difficult to cut into the petit point. Elizabeth says she has been holding on to them for years. Two were taken from evening handbags. Do you remember seeing the bags at the Thrift Stores at one time. I still look for them but have not seen any for years.



Elizabeth insists they should be cut up and used ... and she must be obeyed! Show and tell next month perhaps?


On a challenge from Elizabeth,  Fatima has made onions - perhaps she will make them available soon on her site http:/www.beauxminis.com but she is often busy creating something different so we will have to wait and see.


Onion braid by Fatima, market basket and petit fours by Elizabeth


Teapot, cup and saucer by Monique Jouvenel. 



The onions look good beside the garlic!

In the afternoon we worked on little additions to Fatima's collections of Xmas items. Elizabeth made Christmas crackers, Fatima made rolls of wrapping paper and I made boxes. We cannot do anything that takes too much concentration as we are ..... no, we are not drinking too much, we are simply talking too much to apply ourselves to anything difficult.



We will not meet again until March when we go to the Seattle Show for a weekend escape.

I am heading back to Brisbane, Australia for a month and I have just noticed that the Brisbane Miniature Show will be on a few days after we arrive. I am looking forward to meeting some of my fellow miniaturists there and seeing their work.


I was excited that Minworks was featured in the Spanish Magazine Miniaturas in January 2014.  I know being published is old hat for many of blogland miniaturists but I was pretty excited.





I was amazed when Madelva, the Editor, connected with Elizabeth in 2013 to ask permission to use photos from my blog for Miniaturas.  I must admit I did not believe they would actually print them so it was a wonderful surprise when Elizabeth emailed me when I was travelling in New Zealand to say she had received several copies of the magazine.




I do note I have made quite a few small changes since these photos, most evident  is that
the bathroom is completely different now with a lite added over the door and heavy crown molding as well as a different colour on the bath.



also the linen cupboard is filling up.


Finally a small victory!

The bedside lamps have been lit because after an ongoing battle with the electrical tape it seems to be working! I should say that very quietly as next time I turn them on they may not work .... again.





 What a difference it makes to the bird bedroom - so named because of the blue birds in the wallpaper.

This is a reminder to all to make sure you take photos of your houses so you can appreciate how things develop over time.

regards to all
Janine

Monday, January 5, 2015

Is The Party .. Over....?

So - is the party is over?




All the Christmas and celebratory china has been washed.




 All the linens carefully laundered.


 Decorations are transitioning from display to storage.


Still time to enjoy a contemplative cup of tea and macarons with friends not expected but happily received.




A quiet moment before preparation of a warming winter's feast.






Outside the cold air casts a steely light but inside all is warm and all is bright.




May your New Year be bright, sometimes still, but mostly healthy and happy.

warm regards Janine


My mini house is filled with gifts from Elizabeth http://www.studioeminiatures.blogspot.ca and Fatima at http://www.beauxminis.com

We have been friends for some time and they are both generous and enthusiastic about sharing their talents. In the "through the window" picture you can see my Xmas garlic that Fatima made - also to be seen in StudioE - although the character of our houses are completely different the garlic fits perfectly. Fatima also bought me the casserole dish on the winter work table scene from Jason Feltrope at the Seattle Fair in 2014 when I was in New Zealand. I do hope he will be at the Seattle Fair in 2015 as the Miniteers will attend together this year.  You may notice the hanging pot rack that was a Hallmark decoration that Fatima found and bought for Elizabeth and me.

French macarons and box on the kitchen dining table by Fatima. Selection of breads by E. as well as cake and tarts under glass covers and Paris platter on the dividing counter. Bowl of icing and pierced bowl beside the sink and jug in sink. I think she made the soap and bubbles on a plate.  Linda Park of Sydney Australia made the yellow kitchen gloves.  Thanks Linda!

If you have visited StudioE you know she is the Queen of fitting wonderfully appropriate things in her house.  Many of the items on the winter food prep table were a birthday gift from her a couple of years ago but the pot of chives are new from StudioE.

In the formal dining room - Christmas gift 2014 from Elizabeth included the birds on a blue-rimmed plate by Christopher Whitford. China by Teresa Welsh to the left of the bird plate, on the Stokesay platter and in the display cabinet - gifts from Elizabeth in 2002. Fatima gave me the little silver plate with handle - cannot remember which year sorry!

You can tell I have been well spoiled by the Miniteers.  Thank you, thank you!

I did remove two postings - one on our garden renovation and the other on our main floor renovation. I did so because I realized that those postings were probably not of interest to miniature enthusiasts. I am sorry it caused some confusion. I had been most preoccupied by our renovations in 2014 but hope to be back in the mini fold in 2015.
J.