My Easter Dress

Happy Easter!
This is my Easter Dress. I wish I could really wear it but it's too small at only 7" high. I thought you might like seeing one of my altered dresses as I don't usually have them with me at miniature shows. They are larger than 1" scale, but smaller than 1/6" scale.
Here's another...This is a close up of some detail on a dress called 'Ocean'.

How did we do with the Spring Tree and birdhouses? I have one more idea for you if you need or want more birdhouses for your tree.
Use one of the birdhouse designs from previous entries and cut it out of scrapbook papers in your choice of colors. These are lots of fun to make. You can color in or glue a black punched dot on the area for the bird hole. Proceed as with the others to finish.
A little wire coiled into a circle or a jewelry eye pin work great to insert in the roof center as a point for hanging.
I hope you enjoyed making the little bird houses. I'll have to think of another fun project for later.
Right now we're burning the midnight oil getting ready for the Small Scales Show in Rochester NY. Only a couple of weeks to go...

Here's a sneak peak at one of our brand new projects.Let me introduce you to 'Bunny Tails', one of our new Secret Book Kits. They're called Secret Books because when the drawer is closed they look like a little book with graphics on the spine drawer, on the front and on the back.
Papa Rabbit has taken the children on a walk so that Mama Rabbit can clean up the table which has been used for coloring eggs. The childrens' bedroom on the top floor is so cute with the matching carrot post beds and pretty pastel dresser.

We have a whole new series of Secret Book Kits - 13 to be exact, all under 2 1/2" high! And, we have furnishings for each of them. They are tiny. Some of the interior kits are 1/144" , one of the kits holds a 1/4" piece and some books contain room settings smaller than 1/144". Twelve books fit into a special bookcase with a stand to showcase the 13th. You can rotate your books for holidays and everyday.
We will have an email newsletter going out next week with ordering information. If you would like to sign up to receive our Constant Contact newsletter, please click on my website button in the side bar. The button will take you to my website, click on contact us and you can fill in your information.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter.
Robin

Just a Quick Note

Hi again to everyone.
I just want to say thanks to you all for the lovely comments. I really am just finding my way with blogging and discovered the main comments section. I know, what you're saying...What?
I've seen a few comments, but I just discovered, buried it seemed, a whole other section!
I just spent the last few minutes reading them all. Some of them go back to our trek across country a few years ago. I'll get better at this as we go along, I promise.
Shame on me, but many thanks to you all for the kind words.
Robin

Finally - The Spring Tree!

Yea! It's finally been nice outside and I could go out and clip some branches to make the spring tree. I also was able to start some garden clean up. (But only in some areas as I still have 4 feet of snow on some of my gardens on the north side) I'm getting ready to start shoveling it in to the warm areas so it will melt. Or maybe not. Maybe I should let Mother Nature do what she does and I'll use my time more wisely like showing you how I made a little spring tree to use as a display for my birdhouse designs.

#1 - Find a container that you'd like to use. I had a terra cotta pot in just the right size, about 4" diameter at the top. Because it had a hole in the bottom for drainage, I lined it in a double layer of plastic wrap. I don't want water seeping out.
#2 - Cut a piece of floral foam, the kind that you soak in water, to fit into your plastic lined pot. Tuck the edges of the plastic in.
#3 - Cut your branches so that the height is where you want it to be. I gather my branches so that the tops look good and hold mine together in a bunch and just cut off the bottom with my pruners. The branches that I clipped are curly willow, but you can use almost anything.
#4 - Start sticking the clipped branches into the floral foam, pushing them down all the way into the pot. Cluster them in the center of the foam rather than around the pot. That gives you a place to arrange some moss to look like grass. I grew this variety, but if you don't have any moss growing in your yard you could buy some sheet moss at a florist or at the craft store. Just tuck it right in and around your branches. What a mess I'm making!!!

#5 -Trim the spring tree with tiny tied ribbons. Use lots of pretty pastel colors.
That's it for today. Keep your pot watered and with any kind of luck you might see some leaves breaking out. The next post will show the tree trimmed with the birdhouses. And there are a couple more birdhouses coming.
Enjoy!
Robin

Pretty in Pink

Another house for you to work on...
As usual, refer to past entries for full instructions. I would do this one with a blue/turquoise base. Don't forget to add the tabs to the sides and put a hole in the center of the roof for hanging.
Enjoy!
Robin

April Fools (those of us who live in Maine and expect to see some grass come April).

Notice I didn't say...April Fool's Day. We are just April Fools. Somewhere down south, I know you have flowers. Maybe daffodils or even tulips but in Maine we have a foot of snow and more coming down as I write. This will not last long on the ground, but come on...I need to see green stuff growing and get my hands dirty!
OK, enough wailing for today and Happy April Fool's Day to you all! Here are another couple of birdhouses. These were created in 1996. (Oh my gosh, when did it get to be 2011? I feel like I just painted these!) You might have to trim a bit to get a good roof fit, because I'm sending you files from early original work. The pink house is just the blue house, shortened and colorchanged.
We need to get moving if we're going to make all the houses and get our Spring Tree done for Easter. What Spring Tree, you might ask? If you go back a few entries, I did talk about a tree on which to display the cutie little birdhouses you're making. The tree isn't ready to show yet, but keep working on the birdhouses in the meantime. I promise you'll have it in time for your Easter or Spring table centerpiece.
When you're making these, don't forget to add tabs on the sides so you'll have something to glue the edges to. The roof just folds in the center and is glued to the top. You could poke a little hole in the top of the roof to aid in hanging. Also, maybe add a couple of perches as well as a card stock base. If you're just seeing this project for the first time, go back a few entries for the full instructions.As in the other birdhouse projects, you'll need to click on the art, it will take you to a site called Scribed. You'll need to be a member of Scribed, or Facebook or have a Google account before you can download and print. Feel free to make, share or sell finished versions of these birdhouse designs. As in other angel projects, also share the name of the artist. Thanks for that, in advance.
Enjoy!
Robin