Summer has arrived!

http://alittlecrafting.blogspot.com/2011/06/4th-of-july-printable.html

Rolling right along into the summer !!  We went from ice storms to thunderstorms and now we are sweat'n to death in the heat and humidity.  I need a pool !!

A couple weeks ago I attended a meeting of the Nashville Area Miniature Club. This is a group of folks (guys and gals) who meet monthly to enjoy making and talking about miniatures. They have a club project for the year where we start with a bare box, decorate it and the front door and porch for each holiday.  The Bushytails and I have a lot of work to do to catch up !  

Here is a picture of Susan W's (unfinished) box; measures 11 x 6 inches She added a frame to hers, I have no idea how ours (the Bushytails and I) will progress. 

                                      

Mr. Bushytail has been working really hard to install the siding on our new project and to get the front door painted before company arrives for the big July 4th holiday.  

His friend Mr Spotter stopped by to help but they aren't getting much done because Mr. Spotter brought the triplets along. The babies love riding in the wagon and Mr. Bushytail just can't resist those sweet little faces. 

The patriotic decorations are also a project from the Mini club - Yankee Doodle or Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty. He is made from a mini newel post and glued to a 3/4" square cube. The cube and bottom of the newel post are covered with paper.  His hat and beard are paper.  He has a tiny feather in his hat.  Lady Liberty was a ready to assemble kit that one of the members provided. I loved making her hair, its a product called "BUNKA" a fun fringe type material, easy to work with and turns out really cute.   

I made a 3/4" tall "crock" to hold my pinwheels it still needs some work.  

I think I will be joining some "old" friends at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri over the 4th. Hope you and yours have a great Independence Day ... and God Bless America !  

Good Bye Snow - Welcome Spring !!

The Bushytails had a great Valentine's Day and the exchange of mini's with the facebook ladies at Club Mini Swap USA was great !   18 small packages arrived and what fun to open each tiny delight, each obviously made with love ! 

The Bushytails and I formed a production line and made 18 Kissing Booths 

with tiny tickets in an envelope.  The picture on the end is of all the fun pkgs we received. 

Mrs Bushytail is ready to get on with Easter !

We have been working on some new minis and the learning curve is steep for one of us. 

The bunny in the basket has a 1/8th inch ribbon on his neck and the basket was formed over the top of a glue stick to give you an idea of its size.  The bunny and eggs are paper clay - (oh how I miss E and her paper clay creations!) 

 

 On the white plastic spoon is a tree made from bump chenille, painted green, decorated with tiny pieces of pom pom and seed pearls. Also the "chocolate" duck is paper clay.  The chick on top of the spoon is made from pom poms and a there is a tiny peep on the spoon handle - its tiny tiny ( mad with puffy paint)  

The inspiration for the church came from, of course, my love of all things Christmas.  I tried cutting it out with my Silhouette, there were lots of detailed cuts in the file and the machine ate the paper so I modified and added my own detail.  Most of the pieces on the church were cut using hand held paper punches.

Now I am loving these dishes but oh my gosh don't you just love how a photograph  highlights all your errors !!! Looks like I need some of those magnifying loopy things they use in the operating room!  If you are looking for tutorials for mini making visit  http://joannswansondiyminiatures.blogspot.com/   She has a ton of tutorials (my Easter basket above was made using her tutorial).   Have a good week and thx for stopping by !  XO E 

Classroom Party

Today was the Valentine Party at Woodzeez Elementary. Mrs. Bushytail came to help and brought red Kool-Aid and cookies! Our teacher decorated the bulletin board with lots of valentines; someone gave her roses and a biggg box of candy. We can't wait to get home there are lots of goodies there too !

The swap package arrived today I will be back soon to share the goodness .... ewww so many cute tiny minis  XO E

Valentine mini making

I'm on a mini making spree.  Here are a few pieces I've made in the last couple weeks and have a couple more to add.  They are really fun to make and I have been amazed at how I have used every craft making skill I've ever learned !  I will post tutorials.

 The wreath is made with a bump chenille, with handmade ribbon rose.   The quiver is paper, trimmed with foil from a doily and is about 1 3/4 " tall.  The mini box is paper, trimmed with crepe paper ... and I'm sorry but I did not even attempt to make it open ... haaa my mini making skills aren't there !  The card holder is a paper punched piece trimmed with bakers twine.   Thanks for visiting !  XO E

For the love of "minis"

 My vision is failing me, I desperately need to visit the ophthalmologist.  My focus is less than ideal, I have ADD, therefore making miniatures should not be for me ... but I love "playing" with miniatures and have gotten hooked !  I see something and think "oh my that would be so cute in "mini".  

A while back I bought a 1/12 scale table and decided it needed to be decorated for Valentines Day, it's a work in progress and I am sure will be ever changing, but today I made a runner for my table and it was simple.  Here is a little tutorial if you want to make one. 

    Simple supplies: lace, ribbon, and stitch witchery

1. I cut two pieces of lace to fit my table, leaving a little to drape over the end.

2.  With my two pieces of lace laid side by side, flat sides together, I topped with a matching length of stitch witchery, topped with a piece of  seam binding (not pictured sorry).  This will be the back of your runner.  Then "bond" it together with an iron.    

It's a sandwich:  lace, stitch witchery, seam binding (or preferred ribbon).

3. Now for the top of your runner, flip your lace over and repeat the sandwich - adding your decorative ribbon last (on top) ... caution make sure your ribbon doesn't have an embellishment that will melt when the iron hits it !!  To solve my problem I laid a piece of fabric between the iron and ribbon and it worked on the second try !    

Here's my runner   The table is 5 3/4" long and depth is 2 1/2"

 

Last week I mailed my minis to Debby for the swap.  She is the host for the swap so she divides them up and sends them out.   I can't wait to get our packages, there are 19 of us in the swap ... SO excited 19 minis !   Thanks for visiting.  XO E 

Winter in the Hollow

Another Christmas has come and gone; all is well here.  The barn and the animals were decked for the Holiday, and the snow fell.  Work on the farm went on as usual. 

Of course Momma and the baby are always busy in the kitchen.  Valentines Day is coming up soon, and we are getting ready for a swap over at Club Mini Swap.  

Our mini's are all wrapped and ready to mail to Ms. Debby.  We made 19 minis related to Valentine's Day, and in turn we will get 19 minis back.  We love our mini's and can't wait to see what our fellow swappers made !  Kisses and XO  !!

"Ertls and Ertls" of Best Chritmas Wishes

Well ...  ERTL's or oodles, which ever you prefer.  Yesterday I found this tiny ERTL 

(brand name) collectible at Tractor Supply (oh how I love the Tractor Supply)  and today it's new Christmas decor.  It joins my hippo under glass from a couple years ago, a tribute to my favorite Christmas song "I want a Hippo for Christmas".   

 and Santa and Mrs. Claus shopping for a new '57 Ertle

I plan to make a Santa Barn or two I've made several and never kept one for myself  :)

tutorial here:

http://hshollow.blogspot.com/2012/10/santas-barn.html

I've been on a blogging and crafting hiatus for months, lost my mojo some how, I do like to recycle Christmas photos, so I made my cousin a shadow box using the card she sent me with her kids pics ... she boo hoo'd  I think that means she liked it  :)  

bad angle but you get the idea

Last April (April) my daughters "boyfriend" asked for her hand in marriage ... I cried, we hugged, and it was to remain a secret until the ring was in hand ... the boy agonized over ring styles and choices (he did good!) but finally in October he proposed.  Between both of their schedules I feared I would die never seeing them marry !!   He also wanted the proposal to be unique and special and agonized over the "how to",  so finally he asked if I'd help ... if you knew me, you'd be saying "how on earth did you manage to keep your mouth shut for so long???" Whew it was hard but once given the reigns I ran ... so I've spent much of my free time over the last few months making "it" happen.  It turned out beautiful.  We managed to keep it a surprise.  Here's a couple pics.  To get the pics a very sweet photographer, with permission of the "boy", crawled around in the dark and got a whole bunch of great pics !!   Wedding date 10-18-14  in Nashville, and the church is booked !!

 

I am a faithful reader of blogs, and follow many, so I am lurking in blogland and on pinterest.  Who knows when I will be on here next, but until then, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.   Elaine