I haven’t posted in a while, but I work on minis almost every day. Here are some mini scenes I’ve recently finished (all kits):
This is 1/4″ scale, called Warm Wishes, a kit from True2Scale. The fireplace flickers.
I finished it just in time to add to my Christmas display. A very Hygge feel!
This is a Robin Betterley kit, an homage to Matisse. I enjoyed this kit so much I ordered the other two in the series (Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo)
It was like playing with Matisse’s art. I loved making it.
Now I’m working on some microscale minis (and cursing). I like microscale but it gets soooo tiny! Also need to finish up the chateau, and then start some half-scale minis I’ve been thinking about for a long time.
Hope everyone is off to a good mini start this year.
I haven’t finished the chateau, but I’m far enough along that I can do a sneak preview
It’s so pretty! The color scheme (deep blue-green / black / gold highlights) is just gorgeous.
This started with simple materials, but the class was all about how to make everything look real with paint, aging, highlighting, etc.
I still need to do some touch up and finishing, and the stairs aren’t glued on (I might not glue them at all, just set them in place wherever this ends up).
The interior.
This is even more unfinished. I need to touch up the paint and fill gaps, plus do the aging.
I will also build a chandelier and wire it then wire in a switch. Plus finish the parts in roof and under the floor where the wiring will be hidden. But all the trim is glued in, floor finished, cupids hodling up the molding …
Door with handles and a little bolt to hold it shut.
I’m happy with this lovely piece, and so grateful that June Clinkscales loves to teach. 🙂
When I finish the whole thing I’ll post more pics. I have to step away and do more traveling, so probably won’t finish until end of next month, so I thought I’d show my progress.
I have some furniture already picked out for it. Not much, so that the room can shine by itself, but a couple of pieces to highlight it.
I haven’t posted in a while, but that’s because I’ve been working on a new, long project since the end of June. It’s another June Clinkscales class, and it is gorgeous! A one-inch scale French-style folly (modeled on a real one north of Paris). I have the outside more or less finished and now working on the inside and the wiring.
I will have photos soon! It’s just beautiful.
I meant to spend the summer putting together all kinds of mini scenes, brought all the supplies, etc., but this has taken all my mini time this year.
A while back I put together this quarter-inch scale house. It was by Suzanne and Andrew’s minis (they have retired, which is sad for me, because their house kits were wonderful).
The building is based on a real house that was turned into a library. I like to have a “story” for my house, so I thought, “Well, why not make it a library?’
I pictured a small town’s library with traditional bookcases, lots of books, a reading room and study areas.
Lots of books in the main room, plus a place for a little music for special events.
A room for studying or reading. Basket on the floor is a book exchange (take one, leave one).
The upstairs room has a place to sit and read or to use a laptop (in case books aren’t enough!)
I’d like to do a little more, like add signage or more ornaments or plants.
I’m happy with the result and glad I was finally able to finish the interior of this lovely little house.
Continuing with scenes I’ve built in the last year, here are two I thoroughly enjoyed:
First:
This is a Robin Betterley quarter-inch scale kit. It’s a facade with through-the-window scenes. I really like those. I’ve long had a hankering to design some of my own, maybe in half scale. I’ll see what I can do! I have many ideas.
Second:
I didn’t intend to build this kit at all. I bought it (called “Box Theatre”) from a dealer at a show. In fact, I bought two. I put them on my closet shelf and thought I’d sell them secondhand or give them away or something.
The other day, I pulled one out, opened it up, scanned the photos, and thought “That is adorable!”
Two bunnies have an island getaway holiday … in a fish tank! I couldn’t not build it.
It’s the kind of kit where you make everything out of beads and found objects (junk). Superglue was my friend. I’m not sure what the scale is–probably a little smaller than quarter-inch. Each side of the box is about six inches by 3.5 to four.
It came with LED lights. The “underwater” light changes colors (scroll down to see). It’s too funny.
I enjoyed this so much I searched the net for the scene I’d wanted to buy from the dealer, but she’d sold out before I reached her table. Now I have three (including this one). Next two are a country house in a stump and a cozy home under a snowbank. I’ll build them all, for no reason other than fun!
Ages ago, I built the Joie de Vivre kit from True2Scale, which is a beautiful quarter-inch scale Art Nouveau bookstore. I finally finished all the bits of the interior, and also the furnishings for the exterior.
I was intimidated by the many pieces to build for this shop but I decided to start in one corner of one room, build everything for that, then proceed from back to front. Once I got the ground floor finished, I moved to the next floor, and so on, then did the exterior furnishings. It worked. Kept me going instead of becoming overwhelmed and putting it aside for more years.
The outside has cafe tables and a cute swan bench on which to relax while reading whatever you purchased inside.
The front entrance, with a place to park your bike.
The interior of the bookshop, with plenty of books and cozy corners in which to read.
This photo has a better shot of the balcony.
Next stop, the second-floor reading room, again with lots of books and cozy places to peruse them with a cup of tea.
Readers can listen to the gramophone if they so desire.
A close-up of the treats waiting for readers on the sideboard.
The balcony outside the reading room, for reading and nibbling on the treats.
The third floor houses a printing press, where members of the suffragette movement are making flyers.
Building the printing press was quite the feat. I like how the room came together, under the stained glass ceiling.
I am pleased this shop is done and on my shelf for display. I heaved a sigh of both accomplishment and relief when I was finished.
For my post about the finished exterior, and for more shots of the decorated interior before the furnishings see this post: New Quarter Scale Projects
Reviewing my blog, I realized I never posted pictures of the final La Lumiere with furnishings. (This is one-inch scale).
I purchased the gilded chair from June Clinckscales at a show, but the console table and mirror were done by me. Full disclosure, they are 3D printed (as is the fireplace you can glimpse through the open door), but I did all the gold leafing, marbleizing, and the enamel bits on the table.
Mirror and table against my Kleenex box backdrop. 🙂 The gold-leafing in all its glory!
Overall, this was a great learning experience. The floor took me forever, I would like to add. I kept smearing the paint and having to re-do, even after I’d aged it. But I think it turned out all right in the end.
I haven’t posted much lately, but I’ve been making minis. Every day!
I’ve accumulated many kits in my mini life, and I determined recently that I was going to make them ALL! So I’ve been putting together kits and adding some of my own things to them.
I’ll start with this one, a quarter-scale bathhouse. The kit is from True2Scale and comes with everything (except paint and glue).
Not the best pic, but this was cute and quick to put together.
Next, another quarter-inch fun one. I bought this simple kit at a show a while back, because it made me laugh.
The black cat honors my former cat, Hannah, who passed on years ago.
Below are two quarter-inch kits from a mini-ist who retired. The kits are book blanks that I painted and covered with the included art. I added all the furnishings.
The first is a Paris cafe. I thought it called for marble-topped tables and chairs and some plants. I painted the marbling on the tables. The chair pads are from wallpaper that I cut out with a hole punch.
The second one is an Art Deco room. I added all the furnishings and made the plant and tiny books in the bookcase. The cat is a 3D printed one I painted white with a touch of orange, in honor of my cat who passed away in September.
Last, another that delighted me. This is from one of Robin Betterly’s calendar club kits (you subscribe and get a kit a month for the year). This I think was June. I’d never have thought to do a quarter-inch scale tiki bar, in a suitcase! I loved this one.
I have a couple more kits / builds to share, but that’s enough for this post. More to come!
Merry Christmas! Some Christmas Minis I’ve don over the years. Both kits and putting together things of my own.
This is a one-inch scale pedlar’s wagon (a kit) with lots of toys, books, and games. I had an old Breyer horse (one of the things from childhood I never got rid of), and recruited him to pull the wagon. I think he’s happy with it.
Finished this one yesterday, a build-along in one-inch and micro scales. I usually don’t participate in build-alongs, just because of time, but this one I did, and it was fun! My snow got a little messy, but oh well.
Have a Merry Mini Christmas, Happy Mini Hanukkah, and a Happy Mini New Year!
Jenn's Mini Worlds: A Dollhouse Miniaturist's Blog 