Miniature Monday: Books Books and More Books

I am in a miniature book making frenzy!

I took a workshop with Teresa Layman in October.  Her website is HERE.   This is a picture of her prototype for Natalie's Garden House (of course mine is still in progress and I hope it eventually looks this amazing!):

I'm planning  to make a circular bookshelf for a part of the back wall and need tons of books. I've been making books for the last few weeks and wanted to share my progress so far:

I also wanted to share the sources of reference material that I especially loved for miniature book making.  I looked at so many You Tube videos, purchased kits, looked at tutorials on full size books, and made my own book spines to print out.  I started out feeling pretty ambitious wanting all the books to have open pages.  I quickly realized that the books that barely show don't need that level of detail and moved on to the next (easier) technique.  For the assortment above, I used about five different types of materials for the pages.

YouTube Channels and the Tutorials I watched:

DollhouseDesigns  Making Miniature Dollhouse Books
We Love Miniatures  How to Make Miniature Books
AkameruKawaii  Miniature Scrolls & Spell Books
Maive Ferrando  Miniature Spell Books Tutorial
The Mouse Mansion  Miniature Books Tutorial
The Square to Spare  How to Make Miniature Books


Kits that I purchased:

Mini Mundus - 89 Small Antiquarian Book Covers  - I purchased this kit a very long time ago when images of open books weren't readily available on the internet.  I picked it up at a show, but this link is the actual company that makes the kits.  They sell 3 different book cover kits and book cases. The quality is amazing and since these books look new, they will provide a nice variety on my shelves alongside the old tattered books.

LDelaney's Miniature Book Kit and Tutorial (Etsy) -  Visit Lady Delaney's Etsy shop not just for the great book kit but also a wide variety of books that are already done and available for purchase.

I hope this is helpful!  I'll keep you guys posted on my progress.

Thanks for stopping by!

Miniature Monday: En Provence

En Provence was the very first workshop that I attended with my favorite instructor Bluette Meloney.  It is a small project with an 8x10 frame.

Thanks for stopping by!

Miniature Monday: Beach Hut

Today I'm sharing my 1/12th scale Beach Hut.  The original instructions for the structure were in the Miniature Collector Magazine.  This version is slightly modified.  The base was configured in such a way that I was able to create the illusion of a beach with paint, craft sand and resin.
 

Since this was a club project, everyone pitched in to teach a different mini.  We also had a gift exchange and I made 30 of those outdoor showers for everyone in the club.

The palm trees were surprisingly easy to make and I think they look amazing!

I had this beach bum in my collection.  He really knows how to soak in the sun! The small boogie boards were created by my young son who wanted to contribute.  I purchased and made way too many things for this project, and the fish cart didn't make it in because it was too big.  I love the details the artist put into it though and wanted to share it with you guys.

The back wall is actually removable as one unit.  I made it with mat board, wood strips and thin sheet metal.  

Please do let me know if you have any questions!! Thanks for stopping by.

Miniature Monday: Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys

Over the summer I was lucky enough to visit the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys.  You can find their website HERE.

Set in a beautiful historic cottage, the Museum contained treasures I'd only seen in miniature magazines.  Staff was friendly and super helpful.  After spending hours touring the museum, I managed to spend another hour in their gift shop.  If you're ever in Denver, you should definitely make time for a visit.

My biggest surprise was being able to see "Somewhere in Time" created by  Bill Lankford in 1989.  I cannot tell you how often I admired the photos in Nutshell News that featured it and I could hardly contain my excitement to see it in person.  Here are a few pictures:

Another favorite by artisans Noel and Pat Thomas from 1978:

There are dollhouses and room boxes of all styles and sizes.  The museum is also super kid friendly.  Treasures are tucked safely behind glass, and there was an actual working Nintendo game console from the 1990's that kept my 13 year old son busy when he was done with the exhibits.

Thanks for stopping by!