Mini Newspapers

Ms. Sadie A. Doll made the front page!  Read all about her upcoming shop opening in the Miniville Daily News.

In the (Miniature) News

Sadie is thrilled that she made the front page, and insisted on reading her articles in the exact spot where the news photo was taken.

Poor Rufus is upset because his photo was cropped out and placed waaay at the bottom, where no one would see it.

Sadie explained that people would know all about Rufus because the paper had printed her "Pets welcome on the outdoor patio" policy.  Speaking of that, she put in an order for pet dishes so pets can be served sparkling clear water along with their handmade treats.

Mini newspapers

 Speaking of handmade, it was nice to have something bigger to work with today.  My eyes and my fingers were equally grateful for the larger newspapers after working on those tiny cookies yesterday.  I didn't even need a magnifying glass.

I admit that I actually wrote several news articles for The Miniville Daily News front page.  I found a free template for microsoft word online here.

 After I downloaded it I opened it in word and edited it so I could add photos.  I also "interviewed" Sadie for another newspaper using a free template I found online, but that only let me save a PDF and I didn't know how to resize a PDF.  I tried saving it as a microsoft word document, but it tried to get me to buy a subscription to do that so I let that one go. 

Miniville Daily News

I followed this tutorial
for putting the newspapers together.  I did 3 layers of mod podge, plus sealed the paper with spray fixative before mod podging.   

Sadie announced that 1:40 AM is much too late for us to be working, so she told me to get to bed.  It looks like she followed her own advice.

Hope you all have a good night.  Take care, and thanks for joining me on my descent into mini madness :-).

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I'm having such a blast making mini baked goods.  Today, chocolate chip cookies are on the menu.

Miniature polymer clay chocolate chip cookies.

These were super easy but soooo time consuming.

Mini chocolate chips for 1:12 inch scale dolls

 Sadie is very happy with these cookies; they fit perfectly in her tiny hand (with the help of some unbaked polymer clay to hold it in place, lol.

Mini chocolate chips next to real cookie

I even grabbed a real cookie to show scale.  I only had Maria cookies here.  Heaven forbid I bake real cookies for me, lol.

I followed a great tutorial on youtube to make these cookies.  It's by SugarCharmShop.  She has the BEST tutorials.  I'm just starting out so my things aren't as nice as hers, as she is a gifted artist, but I'm learning, and having a blast. 

Mini chocolate chips from baked polymer log

I baked a thin polymer log, as per the tutorial, and then chopped it up into chocolate chips and chunks.  This was hard to do as I overbaked the polymer clay.  I had to use a magnifying glass and reading glasses, lol.

Then I mixed the polymer clay with the chips.

I used Sadie's hand as a guide to get the right size cookies.

Then I rolled a log, chopped cookies off, and shaped them. Then I used a toothbrush, foil, and a pin to add texture and details.  The video in the link above explains this much better.

Lots of polymer clay cookies

I broke one cookie apart, as though someone was eating it, and I left a little roll and one slice in case I want to do a baking scene with Sadie.  I didn't paint or texture the roll and slice so they look unbaked (even though they're baked, lol).

I don't know what I like better, watching videos of mini tutorials, searching google and Pinterest for ideas, or making things.   These simple cookies took almost 3 hours, including baking time and photography.  I can make real cookies in half an hour...and now, I really want cookies . Sadie offered me hers, but it's really not the same ;-).

Foamcore Dollhouse

I've been enjoying a week of freedom because I have the house to myself.  Of course, this means I get to "make a mess", aka craft, lol.  I have a cute dollhouse kit but have not tried to build it yet because I'm intimidated by it.  I decided to design my own very simple one room foam core dollhouse to practice on.  I'm so glad I did!

Foam core dollhouse WIP

 First I watched several zillion (or so it seems) videos on youtube, showing how to make and decorate cardboard dollhouses.  MyFroggyStuff on Youtube is awesome, and even though she makes mostly Barbie sized things, I learned a LOT.  Namely, she makes everything look easy when it's not, lol.

Add caption

 For example, in her videos she can cut straight.  Even with rulers, I cannot.  I did my best but my window and door openings are wonky.  I did manage to use some clear hard packaging plastic on this window.  I still have to make window sills. Thanks, Froggy, for teaching me how to do windows!

Entrance

 I love my little entrance.  My door, wonky though it is, swings open and closed on toothpick hinges, and the doorknob also turns and is held in place by a piece of toothpick and some glue.  I had to whittle the toothpick to make it fit into the bead hole.  Never thought I'd do that, lol. Again, thanks to Froggy for teaching me the technique. 

Interior

 I used scrapbook paper for the interior and exterior walls and I wish to heaven I'd have found suitable patio flooring scrap book paper, or roofing scrap book paper.  I found some real wallpaper pieces in the basement that I ma use for shingles but am unsure as of yet.  I kind of like the offwhite roof colour and the wallpaper is more of a tan colour.

Back Patio

I regret not cutting out another doorway on the back, but I wanted one full wall to play with on the interior.  The dolls and table are for scale.

My mini shop logo

I wanted this dollhouse to be a shop, either a bakery/cafe mix so I can experiment with making polymer clay cupcakes, donuts, cakes, cookies, etc.  I couldn't find a nice mini sign so I made one with a free logo maker online.  It's very simple but looks cute when printed on white paper and then glued onto pink foam sheets.

I bought some construction paper but it doesn't have brown or black; I couldn't believe it.  I really wanted black to make a chalkboard.  I found some chalkboard stickers instead but my white pencil crayon wouldn't show up so i had to use water color paint instead. I tried using puff paint but ruined a sticker.  The water colour paint looked like chalk so that was OK.

I still need to finish this and am running out of time.  I'm hoping to get the shingles, flooring, and window and door frames finished today,  and tomorrow I"m going to try to cut out some simple shelves, a display case, and a round table and some chairs. 

I highly suspect that I will be frustrated with making teeny tiny baked goods and will wish I had tried a Barbie sized dollhouse instead.  I would have, but I just don't have the space.  I did buy a faux Barbie at the dollar store and am tickled pink to have a Barbie again.  I bought some several years ago when I made Barbie items in plastic canvas, but I gave them all away.  I really loved that Barbie pool and picnic set.  I hope some little girl is enjoying it.

Needle felted mini piggie and cage,

needle felted dollhouse mini piggie and cage

needle felted dollhouse mini piggie and cage with bottle, bowl, and bedding

Finger tip sized needle felted guinea pig

Needle felted mini guinea pig with cage, bowl, water dish, and bedding, in plastic canvas dollhouse

Before Christmas, I made this little mini guinea pig in what I hope is 1:12 scale, or close to it. It's the tiniest needle felt I've done so far.

I figured a guinea pig would be an easy way to start learning how to needle felt tiny items, and now I want to make lots of piggies, lol.   The cage is just green plastic canvas stitched together to make an open topped cage.  The bedding is newspaper.  The bowl is the thing you pull off coffee creamer bottles, and the water dish is a mni lightbulb.  I wanted to paint the tip silver but I didn't have any silver glass paint.