Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Preview of Our New Kits

Finally, I've seen the first robin of Spring, the tulips are poking up, and the brown snow is disappearing! It has been a long, but productive Winter. Mr. T2S and I are looking forward to sharing what we have been working on during those bleak months. 

Here is a preview of the new things that we will be bringing with us to the Chicago International Show, (April 19-21). These new items will be added to the website soon after the show. Hope to see you in Chicago!

1:12 Scale Glitter House Tower Kit

Up on the Housetop Vintage Decorations; workshop and kit

1:!2 Scale Glitter House Wreath Kit

Kitchen Shelf with Decals Kit

1:48 Scale Peel and Stick Wallpaper. Many designs are available now

Friday, March 22, 2013

100 Miniature Spring Tutorials


If you would like to add a link to the list, please leave a comment.
Your suggestions are always welcome!
  1. Easter Egg Prep in 4 Scales Janet Smith, Dessert Minis
  2. 1:12 Daffodils about.com
  3. Teapot Shelf Christel Jensen via YouTube
  4. Mouse Tea Pot Christel Jensen via YouTube
  5. Faberge Egg Butterfly Dreams
  6. Victorian Birdcage Sue Heaser via polymerclaycentral.com
  7. Living Miniature Container Garden Cotton Ridge Create
  8. Flower Arranging Table Cotton Ridge Create
  9. Garden Accessories in Basket Cotton Ridge Create
  10. Daisies Cotton Ridge Create
  11. Geranium mini-mansion.de
  12. Casting Bricks Jan’s Dollhouses & Miniatures
  13. Bricks George the Miniguy
  14. Stone slab steps mini-mansion.de
  15. Easter in a Shadow Box, DIY Dollhouse Miniatures, Joann Swanson
  16. Sheep and Lion Pull Toys DIY Dollhouse Miniatures, Joann Swanson
  17. Kite DIY Dollhouse Miniatures, Joann Swanson
  18. Faucet Planter and Daisies 1inchminisbykris.blogspot.com
  19. Round Basket 1inchminisbykris.blogspot.com
  20. Easy Rugs 1inchminisbykris.blogspot.com
  21. Rag Rug on a Beading Loom 1inchminisbykris.blogspot.com
  22. Rug from Bunka Christine Verstraete
  23. Spring Blouse Janet Harmsworth via AIM
  24. Nest Basket of Tulips Catherine Davies via AIM
  25. Aprons Kathi Mendenhall via AIM
  26. Felt Roof Deb Jackson via AIM
  27. Straw Hat Dragonfly International
  28. Straw Hat minidolls.com
  29. Marie-Antoinette Hat BJD Magazine
  30. Gainsborough Hat minipatterns.com
  31. Victorian Hat Gina Bellous
  32. Feather Dyeing Gina Bellous
  33. Cold Porcelain Flowers Gina Bellous
  34. Open Parasol minipatterns.com
  35. Closed Parasol minidolls.com
  36. Easy Parasol/Umbrella Wasting Gold Paper
  37. Umbrellas DIY Dollhouse Miniatures, Joann Swanson
  38. Picket Fence Butterfly Dreams
  39. Plant Container Butterfly Dreams
  40. Dressing a 1:48 Scale Bed Karen Benson
  41. Wicker Etagere (in French) Création Sudéne
  42. Strawberry Cane Toni Ellison via YouTube
  43. Water Features about.com
  44. 1:48 Flowers and Plants about.com
  45. Baby Booties dollhouseminiaturesclub
  46. Iris Design Stained Glass dollhouseminiaturesclub
  47. Fountain dollhouseminiaturesclub
  48. Balloon Shades Merriman Park
  49. Lettuce dollhouseminiaturesclub
  50. Watercolor Workshop Jean Day
Additional tutorials suggested by readers:
50 Tutorials from 2012:
  1. Customizing a plastic sheep Paizley Pawz
  2. Needle felted sheep about.com
  3. Grass Steve via thewhistlepost.com
  4. Stone wall Carol Jones via YouTube
  5. Cold porcelain daffodils Diane Harfield via YouTube
  6. Baskets from paper Alice Zinn
  7. Wicker basket Miniatures & maisons de poupées
  8. Oval basket about.com
  9. Bunny-shaped wooden basket babsiluv
  10. Hat straw basket Doll Artists' Workshop
  11. Opened parasol Gisele's Miniature Creations
  12. Easter Peddler's Cart Joann L. Swanson
  13. Leeks Angie Scarr
  14. Pansies Alice Buerkle
  15. Roof thatching Earth and Tree
  16. Hats Cynthia Howe
  17. Straw hat Jean Day
  18. Printable hat box Jean Day
  19. Fantasy fairy wings Deb Wood via CDHM
  20. Watering can 1inchscaleminisbykris
  21. Coloring Easter eggs Mary Eccher
  22. Baby in a christening gown Doll Artists' Workshop
  23. Printables for baby Erika via Picasa
  24. Duck or bunny slippers Doll Artists' Workshop
  25. Chocolate bunnies about.com
  26. Hat-shaped cake about.com
  27. Easter cookies about.com
  28. Ham cane and slices drn7ztfsj via YouTube
  29. Scene inside of egg about.com
  30. Chocolate Easter eggs about.com
  31. Marshmallow Easter treats about.com
  32. Easter cupcakes about.com
  33. Easter lilies about.com
  34. Vintage seed packets printable Jean Day
  35. Chicks about.com
  36. Easter egg tree MsMiniLover via YouTube
  37. Bread ring Joannesminis via YouTube
  38. Birdhouses Joannesminis via YouTube
  39. Birds nest about.com
  40. Bird cage Court of Gypsies Miniatures
  41. Wicker bird cage about.com
  42. Paper tulips Brenda Shahzada via My Small Obsession
  43. Tulips about.com
  44. Irises about.com
  45. Pussy willows about.com
  46. Narcissus (in Italian) Pressature con il microonde
  47. Jonquils (French) Les Maisons de Miki 
  48. Printable flower pots True2Scale
  49. Easter bunny mold clayminis 
  50. Bunny cross stitch pattern Minna
Additional tutorials suggested by readers:

Friday, February 22, 2013

Chicago International Workshop

We have been working feverishly to prepare new items (I'm really excited about!) for the Chicago International Show. If you will be attending the show, please stop by our table to say hello and take a look at the items that we will be introducing.

If you interested in taking a workshop, we will be teaching the vintage style Glitter House and Sleigh. We'll light it with your choice of a white or red LED, construct a tiny little sleigh and create an itsy bitsy Santa made from a real pinecone. Just like the antique versions from yesteryear! You'll learn techniques for working with LED lighting, paper and wood veneer. This will be a fun, shorter class. Students will likely leave with a finished project. How often does that happen?!? 

Glitter House and Sleigh workshop at the Chicago International Show.

Friday, February 1, 2013

So Sweeeeeet!

I am enthralled by vintage valentines. I find their designs, colors, and text irresistibly charming! So, I decided to celebrate the season of love by capturing the nostalgic feel of those vintage valentines in this decorated hutch.  Of course, the scene wouldn't be complete without a few luscious chocolates and a lighted glitter house!

Kits for Valentine's Day are available from true2scale.com

Cupcakes pops from Kim's Mini Bakery.
I wanted to give the glitter house a sweet, alluring look...in a Betty Boop sort of way. See the rosy cheeks and detailed mouth? Tiny window awnings give the appearance of eyelashes. A path made of heart-shaped pavers leads up to the door and the heart-shaped base is decorated with a fence with the tiniest details. Perhaps it's a bit over-the-top; but isn't that what Valentine's Day is about?

I hope your Valentine's Day is extra sweet (and a little spicy too)!

Glitter house kit, LED lights and other Valentine's Day kits are available from true2scale.com


Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Sarasota Show and a break from the Icicle State

Even though the locals called it cold, the weather in the Sunshine State felt really lovely to us! Along with a bit of sunshine, we enjoyed yummy oysters, a wade in the Gulf, and some great miniatures. It was a fun-filled weekend! We were fortunate that our table was next to Karon Cunningham (England) and Mike Barbour. And Molly Cromwell did her best to talk us into the Danube Cruise. Oh dear...

Some of the lovely pieces from the show:

Karon Cunningham showed dolls from Silke Janas-Schloesser.

Barbara Sabia

Laura Collum-Silverstein

Ruth Stewart

And here are the items that went home in my suitcase:

Painting: Josephine Meyer; Wood items: David Krupick; Pottery: Jason Feltrope
On Monday, we enjoyed a tour of the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. Completed in 1925, the home was inspired by... you guessed it... Venetian architecture.

Ca' d'Zan, home of John and Mabel Ringling.



Settee from the art museum.

My favorite from the collection of fans in the art museum.

Before going to the airport, we stopped at Lido Beach for a wade in the Gulf. Upon returning home, we were greeted with a temperature of 7 degrees F. Even Mr. T2S was unhappy! 



Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Building of the Indecisive Roombox - Part 3


With the roombox coming together nicely, I decided to create a focal point for the parlor; a mantel with a lighted village scene. This is a very special village scene, created by Sylvia Mobley at Pine Rose Studios. Sylvia does the most spectacular work in porcelain and ceramic clays!

As many of you know, I've done a few lighted village scenes in my time (ha ha!). So, I thought I would share how I put them on mantels and add the LED lights. 

Please forgive the terrible photos that were taken with my phone. I was in a bit of a hurry on Christmas Eve to finish and wrap the project, which was a Christmas gift for my mother.

I used:
I chose a French Style mantel piece that I felt would fit with the architecture of the roombox. As is often the case, the mantel was not deep enough to accomodate the houses, so I cut a deeper faux mantel top from matboard. White matboard is obviously preferred, but a coat of white paint solved my last-minute materials supply issue!

A faux mantel top was created from matboard.

Before I glued the matboard in place, I made tiny holes for the LED wires to slip through, one hole/one LED per house. Typically, I glue the LEDs into my paper glitter houses (tutorial) but in this case, I was concerned about gluing them to the porcelain houses. Instead, I bent the wires of the lights flat against the mantel piece and placed the houses on top of each LED (this solution worked well). The wires were pushed through the matboard and bent. They exit the back side of the fireplace under the faux mantel top.

LEDs are placed on top of the faux mantel top. Their wires exit under the top and behind the mantel.

Using foamcore for the chimney breast allows me to carve a section on the back of it for the battery and switch. I wallpapered the front of the chimney breast. Holes were drilled from the front of the chimneybreast (behind the fireplace) into the carved section. The LED wires were pushed through the holes and connected to the battery and switch (tutorial). 


The back side of the chimney breast.




After the wires were pushed through, and the LEDs were tested again, the fireplace and firebox were glued to the chimney breast. The houses were glued on top and the mantel was decorated.

A future post will show the completed village scene and the roombox that were finished just in time for Christmas.

Other posts in this series:

Sunday, December 23, 2012

The Building of the Indecisive Roombox - Part 2

Well, here it is... just a couple of days before Christmas, and I have yet to finish the indecisive roombox. The project has been neglected for a while because I've been busy creating new kits for 2013 (I can't wait to show them!).

The ceiling was a bit of a challenge because I found out that I don't have the proper tools to cut it. A table saw would have worked perfectly. Are you reading this, Santa?

I installed the lighting components from Creative Reproductions 2 Scale, which included a flexible strip of LEDs and a power supply. Using a trick I'd learned from Joe Zerbolio, who teaches really helpful wiring clinics at the Miniature Museum of St. Louis, I mounted the LEDs on a triangle-shape molding and glued the molding to the front of the roombox.



The black walnut flooring kit was purchased from Broadnax Prints. It took a couple of afternoons to assemble the pieces like a puzzle, but it was fun! A coat of dark walnut stain and several coats of a gloss polyurethane will be added.


Choosing the wallpapers has proven to be the most difficult job! Even though the architecture of the roombox suggests a French style, the wallpapers and furniture will be an assortment of Victorian pieces that were collected by my mother and me for our large Victorian house.



Here is a selection of the many, many carpets that were collected over the years. Most of our collection was purchased while my husband and I were still dating. While on a trip to Istanbul, we found these little carpets in all of the tourist shops. And the fantastic markets offered plenty of opportunities to purchase large quantities of rugs for a discounted price. We returned home with our suitcases full of them! Perhaps that was the first time that the future Mr. True2Scale realized that his soon-to-be wife was a little obsessed with miniatures!



Other posts in this series:


Monday, November 26, 2012

The Building of the Indecisive Roombox - Part 1

I am an indecisive person. I mentioned in a previous post that it took 5 coats of paint for me to decide the perfect beige for our garage door. I take after my mother in that regard. Case in point—25 years ago, my mother and I started a 9-room Victorian dollhouse. The shell is still sitting in my mother's basement; furniture, wallpaper, and a myriad of findings all attest to the plan to finish the dollhouse. However our indecisiveness about color schemes, wallpaper, flooring, etc., prevented us from moving forward. Well, then came college, Mr. True2Scale, career, etc. (luckily I was decisive about those things!). But, the dollhouse was never finished. Now, it seems unlikely that the time and space needed to finish the house will ever be found.

That's why I've started this roombox for my mother. I'd like her to use some of the goodies that we've purchased over the years while we attended the many shows together. This seams like a simple idea, right? Well, until I decided to complicate it a bit...

The Indecisive Roombox
I think that it will be much more fun if my mother may change the rooms to fit her moods. If she's bored of looking at the parlor, she may slide a kitchen or a bedroom scene into place! The concept is simple enough, but the execution may prove a bit tricky!

Here is what I'm starting with, the Chateau Roombox from Goliath Miniatures. My mother picked it out when we were attending a miniature show in Chicago. At that time, it was to be her birthday present. However I'm hoping that I'll be able to give the completed roombox to her as a surprise Christmas gift.

The Chateau Roombox from Goliath Miniatures.


This is a really nice roombox to work with. It's very well built, and the plexiglass panel in front slides out for easy access to the inside.

A few hours of sunshine and unusually warm weather today allowed me to paint the inside and outside with a first coat of paint. The inside will obviously be covered, but I wanted to provide a nice surface for the tapewire to stick. My extensive collection of house paint came in handy for mixing the creamy color, which is comprised of: upstairs bathroom ceiling ivory, downstairs bathroom cabinets white, 3rd painting of garage door beige, and just a hint of front door chocolate brown. Keeping all of those cans of paint now seems almost justifiable!

Next step will be deciding on wall, floor and ceiling designs, and installing the LED lighting goodies that I've ordered from Carl at Creative Reproductions 2 Scale.


Other posts in this series: