Indy Show = Learning Experience

As you may know I decided to do the Indianapolis miniatures show this year.  It was a sort of a bust.  So to make this short, I'm making a list of pros and cons about doing this show.

Pros:

• I met a lot of very nice and helpful people.
• I learned a little about "selling the sizzle, not the steak".
• I did at least make my table rental back...just barely.
• Hopefully, I opened some eyes to the idea of doing something different in miniatures.
• I did get one small custom order.
• I have a bunch of stuff to list on Etsy and Ebay.
• I had many compliments on the furniture I had at the show.
• This gave me the inspiration to make some of the things that I have been meaning to make but just haven't had the time to.

Cons:

• I didn't sell much.  A total of 7 pieces of furniture, some pillows, one driftwood sculpture and a lamp.
• I have to unwrap and find space to keep all of the things I made for the show.
• I have to clean my house that I have ignored for the past six weeks to make miniatures for the show.
• I hear from other vendors that they didn't sell a lot either.
• People (at least in Indiana) may not be ready for modern, mid-century modern or colorful miniatures, at least not yet.

That all being said here are some pics from the show.

 

 

 

 

Also some of you may know that I have a real fondness for Halloween.  Here are some pics from Wildwood's Witches Shop.  It's amazing!

 

I think this spider web door with the spider handles is my favorite part.

Take a look at the feet on the table.

 The green glowing table and the green goo in the cauldron create such an eerie atmosphere.   The fireplace under the cauldron works of course.

Everything a mini witch could want.

So overall, the show wasn't bad.  I learned some things and met some great people.  Will I do the show again?  Not likely.  I think I will stick to Ebay and Etsy.

 

More Power Tools!

While we were gearing up for the  Indianapolis Miniature Show that was held this weekend, my awesome husband taught me how to use a new power tool...the router.

He cut out the starting shapes and I laminated them.

 

 Making sure fingers and thumbs are out of the way!

 Several table tops.

 (Yes, I am as short as it looks in this picture)

 

 

So, What did I make with all of the table tops?

 

Tables, of course!

 

 

 

Unfortunately, not one of these tables sold at the show :-(

 

They will all be listed on my Etsy Shop and Ebay over the next few weeks.

 

 

There will be more on that subject later.

Been Busy

You may wonder what I have been up to since my encounter with the mini table saw a few weeks ago. Well of course I couldn't stay away from minis. I've been busy making some things for the Indianapolis miniatures show sponsored by The Museum of Miniature Houses.  The show is September 20 and 21. 

This is what I've been up to:

A few one of a kind pieces

 Some coffee and end tables: the tops are made by my husband.

Unfinished MCM sofas with attached end tables...these are what I was cutting out when I cut my thumb on the table saw.

Some unfinished one of a kind pieces including a mini Heywood Wakefield dog bone bed.  I'm finally experimenting with my mini scroll saw.

Unfinished bullet planters...are you seeing a theme here?  Unfinished

 A few lamps...all working of course. Again, some unfinished.

A few shelving units (made by my husband)...actually these have been sitting in my work room for a few months.

A modern sink.  I still want to make a few more and a couple of shower units.

A box full of vintage items, mostly Petite Princess, vintage German and a few Crailsheimer pieces.

I'm still working on making some modern fireplaces both working and non-working. I'd love to make at least one kitchen.  I've also made some accessories, but I still want to make some pillows.  I only have a couple of weeks to finish what I've started and make a few more pieces before the show. If we don't do well at the show at least it will be a learning experience and I will have plenty to sell on Etsy and Ebay. Eek! 

 

Dangerous Hobbies

 

 

Warning: This post is not who are squeamish, have a weak stomach or faint at the sight of blood.  If this describes you...look away!


Some people thrive in the thrill of dangerous hobbies such ad base jumping, skydiving or demolition derbies.  Not this girl...my dangerous hobby is making miniatures!

My husband and I have decided to so the miniature show here sponsored by The Museum of Miniature Houses.  The show is the weekend of September 19-20 so we only have 6-7 weeks to make our inventory for the show.  He started making a few things for me to laminate which I did.  Then of course I had to trim the pieces from the laminate so he can router the edges.  I was on my last piece for this batch and apparently not being as careful as I should have been and cut my damn thumb on my Proxxon table saw.  Ouch!

Not wanting to pay for an E.R. visit, we stopped by our local Urgent Care...they closed at 5:00.  Really? Not exactly convenient.  Thank goodness for smart phones. We found a place close by that was still open. FYI, Med Check is not just for illnesses...they do stitches too and they were fabulous!  The funny thing is that when the nurse asked what happened, I told her that I cut myself on the table saw she said "you're my kind of girl" and of course we got into a conversation about minis.

 

 

 

 There are four stitches that you can seen and one you can't.

 The bonus is that they throw away the instruments after they use them. Since I make miniatures, they gave them to me. Sweet! I've already used the little scissors.

 

 After everything was a prettied up.

 

Needless to say, this won't stop me from doing much, but will I milk this for all I can? Like making my family feel sorry for me and do the dishes and laundry for me?

 

You betcha!

 

 

Modern Outdoor Furniture Tutorial: Part 2

Cushions:

For the cushions I usually use balsa wood.  It's really light weight and easy to cut.

 First I covered the ends with a small piece of fabric and use a little extra bit of glue at the corners and pinch the corners closed.

 Once the glue is dried I snip off the extra fabric.

Then I cut a piece of fabric roughly the right size to cover the rest of the cushion the press the edges under to the correct size.  I found this awesome tiny iron at JoAnn Fabrics.  I believe it's for pressing quilting seams.  Of course I used a 40% off coupon.

 

 I line up the fabric then glue just along the edges.

 

 Finished cushion.

 

Here are the cushions on the chair base.

 

For this sofa, I used Carol's (Pepper from Mitchy Moo Miniatures) method of upholstering.  She has a great tutorial.

 

 

Legs:

 

For the legs, I usually use dowels or aluminum tubing.  I was out of the right sized aluminum tubing so I used an aluminum channel from the hardware store.

 

 Using a metal cutting bit on my little saw from Harbor Freight Tools, I cut small pieces from the aluminum channeling.

Then I filed the rough edges.

 

 Then I glued the legs to the bottom using Quick Grip.

 

Voila!

Modern Outdoor Furniture Tutorial: Part 1

 I haven't been able to find any mini outdoor furniture that has modern lines...at least that I can afford.  So, I decided to make my own.  This is a first, so I hope it turns out OK.

First, I  made a chair frame.  This one is made from some left over 3/8" MDF.

 

Next I found a woven placemat.  This one is from Home Goods.

 

Then, I spray painted the chair frame the same color as the placemat.

 

Then I cut out pieces to fit each side of the chair frame out of the placemat.

 

I smeared a bit of glue on a piece with a stiff paint brush. I use Alleen's Fast Grab or Quick Dry because it holds well and dries clear.

 

I glued it on the chair frame and did the same with all of the pieces that I cut out.

 

Here you have the main part of the chair.

 

Next:  the cushions and chair legs.

 

...And the Minismodernas winners are:

The winners of the Minismodernas Anniversary Contest are: 

First place:  Carol of Mitchy Moo Miniatures

 

and

 

 

And second place: Gabrielle of  In the Twelfth Scale on Etsy. See her pictures on Flickr

 

Congrats to both:  You did an awesome job!