Before the year ends…

So many things happening just before the end of the year. When I look back at all the good and bad things that happened in 2017 - didn't we just start 2017? - I can't believe how fast the year has passed. I really hope that 2018 will have more heart warming news from around the world than 2017.

But as we are not quite in 2018 yet, I thought I will try to spread some happiness before the year ends. More on this in a bit. First, I want to share that I just learned that my 2016 Creatin Contest Kit (which I could not submit on time) was going to be featured in the 2018 January-February Issue of the Dollhouse Miniatures Magazine. I will share the article once the Magazine is published, until then, here are some teasers:

On the other side, I decided to work on a tattoo shop project and gave it a start by creating a tattoo gun out of polymer clay, some wire, and some little aluminum pieces. I hope you like it...

I do not know yet how big the shop is going to be and what I will include, I just want it to be as detailed as possible. So in the upcoming weeks, I will be working on little accessories and furnitures, and I will try to share my progress with you if I find some extra time.

Ok, enough talk, regarding the happiness I want to share… I recently organized all my boxes that hold my miniatures and all my tools. I noticed that some items are simply sitting there and I don't find a use for them or I simply have some more copies of them. Why not giving them away and they finally get a real use? So here are the items included in my…

"New Year Give Away"

A colorful rug

Some cotton fabric, a tray, 4 glasses/vases, 1 blue pitcher, 1 bag, 3 bowls, 1 dog bowl,  and some ribbons.

Different kinds of textures.

If you would like to participate to the give away, simply leave a comment and I'll add your name to the list. I will use a random number generator to designate the winner. You can participate until end of day on the 6th January (CET) and I will announce the winner on the 7th.

Have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends!

Hugs,

Susi

Almost Christmas! My Creatin' Contest 2017 Entry

It's that time of the year again where we get ready for new year's resolutions. From what I experienced in the last year, it's now official that:
- I do work too much
- I need more time for miniatures
- I need to catch up with blogs

So in 2018, I'll work towards that. Nevertheless, using every single free moment since May - with lots of patience from my husband's side - I was able to finish my latest miniature project and could send in the Creatin' Contest entry pictures on time! Woot woot!

I can't wait to see all the stunning projects that people have sent in. Here are some pictures from my entry: "A Writer's Retreat"...

In this living room lives a writer, who loves to write thrillers. She has decorated her house influenced by Moroccan architecture. She loves reading and has a wast collection of books. She spends hours getting lost in a new exciting story with a glass of red wine. Unfortunately she smokes also a lot, but at least there are big windows. (Ilona, your gorgeous Magnolias gave this scene the perfect touch, thanks!)

Wishing good luck to all entrants and have a great weekend!
Hugs,
Susi

Alice in Wonderland...

Hi fellow bloggers! I'm super happy to find some time for minis before the end of this long and sunny weekend, so I would like to give you an update on what I'm working on. But before I start, I would like to thank you so much for your kind comments on my last post. On my side I've been very busy and I'm very sorry that I missed responding to them, but each single one of them made my day, thanks! 

So I still had this Alice in Wonderland set from Sally Meekins Ceramics, that I wanted to use in a scene, since the time I bought it at the Kensington Dollhouse Festival in 2015. I almost had forgotten about it, but I just came across the film on TV and it got me inspired again. Below some pictures of the result:

Have a wonderful week!
Hugs,
Susi

Spring and a new project...

It's sunny outside - and that 3 days in a row! I've been patiently waiting for the first signs of spring. I love this period of the year, there is so much going on outside. The changes in Amsterdam are beautiful this time of the year, every day there is something new to see. I just want to share this magnificent photograph that my colleague has taken with his phone on the way to work a couple of weeks ago. You feel the presence of the sun, but it is not quite there yet...

Since my last post, I managed to finish last year's HBS Creating Contest Kit and yes, I know I missed the deadline, but after the stormy year I had, I'm just happy to finally finish it at my own deadline. Now it's finally time for something new, hurrah! Seen the size of our home, my husband is not keen to have two projects at once sitting on both of our tables! Indeed, we need one to eat! Hah!

So I though, in the honor of the finished project, I'd go to a beach close by and take some pictures. Here they are, with some others taken at home:

First sunny weekend since a long time...

And here it is, the finished project - I still don't have a name for it. To be honest, it's not what I had imagined in the beginning, and I could not put all the energy I wanted in it. I just had lost my motivation at a certain point of time with everything else that was happening around me, but still wanted to finish it now. Could it have been better? Yes, but I felt the need to start something totally new. I initially thought about placing a glass door in the front, as well as creating a bamboo fence for the balcony and a garden full of tropical plants - but no, I just could not find the patience for it. Maybe sometime in the coming years... Below are some close-ups.

In the evening it looks kind of cozy though!

Before I forget it again, I realized that I did not mention my record shop having made it to the cover of the American Miniaturist magazine last August. This is an honor, it's thrilling and made me so proud.

And then there is this picture, really terrible - and I'm sorry for the quality of it -, but it means so much to me. This is the first dollhouse I ever saw and that my dad apparently had built for my aunt who is collecting miniatures. It is pretty old, older than me I guess, and does need some cleaning for sure, yet when I look at it, I remember all the hours I set in front of it, rearranging every room one by one... Do you remember your first mini-experience?

Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs,
Susi