The Clock is ticking ...

Tomorrow is the big miniatures Fair in Sydney and I will meet up with Sydneysider Norma of 'Make Mine Mini' and fellow Tassie girl Linda of 'Une Petit Folie'. Hopefully I will be able to take some nice shots of trading tables.

Also, I am thrilled to welcome so many new followers, now past the 100 and heading for the 200. I'll be working hard on my technique so I can offer the promised chandelier as a prize to my first 200 followers. Stay tuned for some good pics next week and have a lovely weekend everyone.

And the Winners are:

I managed to print out all the followers who left a comment on my Giveaway post to be in the draw. All the entries were cut out and folded, then the first draw would be for the candelabra which was the most popular choice, the second draw was for the fruit. My little doll that I made several years ago (still wearing a crochet dress that is way to big for her, but she doesn't know it) was excited about the whole thing.

I'm please to announce the winner of the candelabra is Karin at: http://minitutesfromorrlake.blogspot.com
The winner of the fruit display is Daisy at: http://antiquedaisy.blogspot.com

Please contact me with your postal details and Karin, let me know if you'd like me to remove the spikes and put mini candles on the candelabra (though I have yet to make some, hope they work).

Thanks to everyone who left their comment, if you didn't win, perhaps the 200th follower giveaway won't be too far off.

Mini hugs, Margaret

Glad You're Here

Welcome all new arrivals, I hope you have left a comment on the post below to be in the draw tomorrow for one of my giveaways. I will enjoy visiting all your blogs too.

I haven't been posting a lot lately, working a bit and sweating over my metalwork too. Trying to improve my technique has turned out to be a bit of a nightmare, but it won't beat me, I'm determined to find a way to make it work. Hopefully I will be able to show the results soon. Still making candelabras, or at least trying to. Also started a French-style outdoor chair, like an old full-sized one I have. It is a little too complicated and time-consuming but will finish it eventually. My shop interior is at a standstill until I buy some wiring, I expect that would be the first step. That is a task that seems rather daunting. I would love to be able to make chandeliers for it ....
A bientot.

An Award from Carol from true2scale!

Many thanks for this Award to Carol from true2scale who makes fabulous miniatures and I just love her Seamstress store, she is also most generous in sharing her skills in photoshop, which I have yet to explore in depth.

The 10 blogs I follow that I would like to pass on this award to are:
Daisy at: http://antiquedaisy.blogspot.com/
Casey at: http://caseymini.blogspot.com/
Gonda at: http://gondasminiaturen.blogspot.com/
Anna at: http://miniannalee.blogspot.com/
Kris at: http://1inchminisbykris.blogspot.com
Chadina at: http://visionaryinminiature.blogspot.com
Roxanne at: http://bakinginminiature.blogspot.com/
Jeannette at: http://gardenofminiatures.blogspot.com/
Evelien at: http://ejacreates.blogspot.com/
Anneke at: http://pieplyts.blogspot.com/

Happy mini hugs, Margaret

A Tardy Welcome

I have been a little slow in welcoming all my new followers, now there are too many to go through. So happy to see you all here and wish you all good luck if you enter the giveaway draw. The lovely chandelier above is a project I would love to tackle as my metalwork skills improve. Wouldn't it look great in a French rustic mini setting? Electrified too, have to think how I could do it. Perhaps for a 200 followers giveaway?

Giveaway

In celebration of reaching 50 followers I want to give something back. Well it's a little late, but as they say, better late ...

I actually have two prizes on offer, so just choose if you would prefer the candelabra or the fruit platter. Now you probably know I haven't been making miniatures for long so please don't expect these to be totally perfect, they're not.

The candelabra is brass and other metal, primed and painted with hobby products especially produced for metal applications. It is a pewter colour and is designed and made by me. The 'candles' are part of the base, I painted them to look like candles but if you prefer, I can remove the spikes so you could place real (very tiny) candles on instead. The fruit is made from Super Sculpy and I hand-painted the finish, then sealed it with varnish.

If you would like to win either, please leave a comment here and indicate what your choice would be, and follow my blog. I will draw the two winners Friday week. Good luck!

P.S. Sorry, the photo isn't the best, I was in a hurry to catch the last glimmer of sun.

Soldering On

My second shot at candelabra-making, this one hasn't been painted yet, perhaps I'll leave it raw, just age it a little with chemical I used to use on stained glass, if I can find out what it is.
You can see what the candle holders are - brass tacks. Brad will file off the spikes with his trusty Dremel, then I can put candles on it. I think this one is a little neater, I used a finer wire to wrap around the soldering.

Also, welcome to Carolina and Anna, good to see you here as I learn more about miniatures and the making of them. I really want to find a particular skill that I enjoy and that I can 'perfect' if that is possible. Can only do that by trying a few different things and practice makes perfect.

Rustic Candelabra

My first attempt at mini soldering. I did some stained glass many years ago so wasn't totally new to soldering, but making something in miniature is a new experience. After much bending, twisting, fluxing and soldering, with a few expletives mixed in, I came up with this. The design is based on a rustic wire one I bought in France on my last trip back in 2001. My version is very rustic so I painted it to look like rust. Quite enjoyed the experience and will try another one.

Welcome to three new followers, Roberto, Nuria and Sylvia, will enjoy following your blogs also.

One shot is the newly finished candelabra, second shot painted (have difficulty positioning the pics). I've added a better shot of the finished piece to show the size and I don't think the previous one did it justice!!

Scary Bunny

Found this image on the Petit Parterre CCT security video - a giant bunny delivering a gift, must pop around to the shop and check it out. Hope they are Easter Eggs he's left on the doorstep!
Apologies in my last post for not properly welcoming my new followers, Contar, Margarita, Carol, Carmen, Daisy and Synnove, and now Roelie as well. Hope you'll enjoy dropping by occasionally.

Reverse Facelift for the Shop

Well you could say that, in fact I have made it look old with some antiqueing effects. It was looking a bit too clean for a real building, which is what I want it to look like. Painted the woodwork a light green but looked too pepperminty, so daubed antiqueing over it, then rubbed it off. Maybe I went a bit too far, but I'll see how I like it in a day or two.
First is a close-up before I finished the top, second shot is the finished look.

Another big announcement - welcome to another six followers, making it a grand 50. I promised a giveaway, but will have to think what I can offer over the Easter break. Hope you don't mind waiting, I'll try and make the wait worthwhile! Do all have a very HAPPY EASTER!

 try not to eat toooo much chocolate!

A bientot!