nid d'abeille

blackhouse finished

2014-01-05T22:35:12Z

I finished my blackhouse (crofter's cottage) last month in time to enter it in a competition, but then I immediately turned my attentions to Christmas and never got around to posting the finished pictures here. (I won't know the results of the competition until February. I hope I'll win something!)

So here it is, finished at last.

( pictures )

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outer walls and some roofing

2013-11-24T03:15:01Z

I've finished my outer walls and almost finished thatching my roof! And I made a box bed.

( Read more... )

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roof!

2013-09-24T00:45:22Z

Now I have the underside of a roof!

( Read more... )

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more crofting

2013-09-07T22:25:03Z

I have more walls and floors! And even doors!

( walls and floors and doors! )

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croft walls and floors

2013-08-17T18:53:21Z

I have walls! And floors! And a very silly cat. Gianni refused to get out of the way for pictures. I love the first one. He was playing with a little plant seed or something.

( pics )

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Poppet music

2013-08-11T23:21:26Z

Earlier this summer, the poppets and I went to a music festival in Quebec! Here they are listening to one of the musicians.

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some crofter dollhouse furnishings

2013-06-16T21:45:18Z

Here are just a couple of the preliminary furnishings I've acquired for the little blackhouse, even though it's not ready yet.

( Read more... )

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crofter dollhouse

2013-06-16T21:19:49Z

Once again, gasp, such a long time between posts! But I've been busy working away at things. I got distracted a bit from miniatures by quilting (my other great hobby love) and gardening (my OTHER great hobby love) and reading (ok, probably my greatest hobby love) and various other things.

But my mind is always stewing in miniature juices, even if only on a back burner, and this is a project that I've been thinking of for about 12 years, ever since I first visited the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, Lewis, Harris and also Skye. Oh, so beautiful!!! And a year later, I got to visit them again on a naturalist and historic cruise, including even St. Kilda (which is such a precious jewel of a place) and also Orkney, Fair Isle and Shetland! I fell in love with the history of those islands, and I dreamed that one day I would make a little Scottish islander's croft house, with stone walls and a thatched roof. In Lewis especially there were many old blackhouses that fascinated and enamored me.

( Read more... )

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charity house

2013-02-02T21:24:49Z

Long time no post! I guess I've been busy with other things, but always thinking of you, dear reader!

( dollhousery! )

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poppet adventures

2012-08-12T03:13:16Z

The poppets and I have been away! But at last we are back from our various adventures.

First, some adventures in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

( poppets in Michigan )

And now, some adventures in Massachusetts.

( poppets in Massachusetts )

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Poppets in Britain

2012-04-05T02:42:47Z

And now for some poppet adventures in Britain.

( travelogue )

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The newest poppets

2012-04-04T19:44:06Z

I've made several new poppets recently and haven't yet posted their pictures. So here they are, all Napoleonic wars era.

( Christian, Polly, Kerjean and Sharpe )

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polar hut and Aubrey-Maturin

2011-05-14T05:09:04Z

Updates of both projects, with lots of pics.

( Read more... )

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No way!!! Front page again!

2011-04-23T03:01:09Z

I can't believe it, but I was on the front page of Etsy again! And in the first spot! Not that the order necessarily matters (apart from wanting to be in the top 12 spots out of 16, because the last 4 spots are just "alternates" if it gets on the front page), but it's nice to be the first one.

Eeek eeek! I feel so lucky and stunned and surprised and happy.

( look! )

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Etsy front page!

2011-04-12T17:16:35Z

I was on the front page of Etsy yesterday! I didn't even know it. I had to go and look it up. It makes me happy!

( Read more... )

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Various minis

2011-04-08T01:11:32Z

After being horribly sick for several weeks, I've finally picked up on miniatures again and have almost caught up with my to-do list. Almost.

Most of these are available at my Etsy.

( pictures )

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an exploration Etsy treasury

2011-04-04T10:46:38Z

You know I'm a big Etsian, and I just made this treasury. Had to do it!

Frozen Expeditions

(I've loved that Amundsen sculpture forever. I'm a little glad no one's bought him yet, though I hope he'll find a good home some day. I've talked to the lady who made him and she sounds fabulous and fun.)

Here are some other treasuries I've made. I joined a treasury team, and it's been fun. Making treasuries is a lot like quilting, picking out and rearranging the squares into a pleasing pattern.

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rolling pins

2011-03-05T20:26:34Z

Just rolling pins. The design (though quite ordinary) was inspired by one pictured in the Cape Evans hut in Antarctica, so one of them will be making its home in my polar hut, probably the one with plain handles.

( more pics )

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enamel, rust, books, bonnets, bullets, etc.

2011-02-27T08:10:30Z

Lots of various things, for my polar hut and for selling in my Etsy shop.

( many minis )

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Ruler for miniaturists, inch=foot

2011-02-13T03:43:04Z

I made a ruler for miniaturists! Well, I made it for me. It shows the ratio of an inch to a foot, and all the little fractions. It took some fiddling to make it print out full sized, so I wouldn't recommend using it to actually measure something. It's just handy for seeing ratios (like something that's 3/8" in miniature would equal something 4 1/2" in real life.)

Help yourself! And feel free to tweak it too.

Inch=Foot ruler

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Grow Your Own Railroad kit

2011-02-07T01:47:43Z

A number of people have complimented me on the beautiful railroad growing near my house. They've asked me, "How can I grow my own railroad at home?" Well, you'll be glad to know that I will soon be offering a kit for sale so you can do just that!

Honey and Bee's "Grow Your Own Railroad" kit!

( Get it while it's hot! )

Or maybe I should stick to miniatures.

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plate rack and cupboards

2011-01-09T13:13:47Z

I was commissioned to make this plate rack and pair of cupboards by the talented Michelle who is making a whole Hogwarts dollhouse. It was fun to work out the logistics and design with her. For the first time, I photoshopped my design together for her approval, and then I built it according to those measurements. It was fun! My finished product turned out just like my photoshopped image. I had done something similar with my ambulance volante, but to a much lesser extent. The computer is such a valuable tool though. Nearly every item I make gets its own folder, including various reference sources and photos of the thing itself. The ambulance volante folder has about 137 files, but this cabinet has only 45.

I wish I could see it installed, and see the rest of her amazing dollhouse too. This will of course go in the kitchen, above a similarly styled kitchen sink with wooden cabinets.

( pictures )

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enamel

2010-12-22T00:10:53Z

Lately I've been enamel crazy. I've always liked vintage enamel things, like kitchen implements and storage tins etc, and I even own a few retro and actual antique enamel things. But the last couple of weeks I've been crazy about making enamel miniatures, any free moment in between making my custom orders and doing other things. In fact, I've been losing sleep over obsessively making enamel things, and so now I'm exhaustified and won't post commentary because I'm too tired to think. Just pictures mostly.

( enamel things )

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catty needle felting

2010-11-08T22:25:44Z

I just finished my first needle felting project! It was a kit from my friend DB. Thanks, babe! It was fun!

The kit was for a gray cat, but I decided to adapt it to look like my own kitty Nemorino (Nemo).

( kitty! )

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polar hut furnishings and other creations (plus magazine)

2010-11-06T21:56:49Z

I've been working on furnishing my miniature polar explorers' hut, and some other things. I've also been featured in a magazine!

( click! )

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