Some hard work and a little Christmas cheer

Hello to all of you little mini darlings! I am so excited to show you a few  things that I have recently finished. I have a fair bit on the go and of course I'm doing everything but what I should be. Definitely feeling grateful for the to-do list right now and hey..I'm even getting paid for some of it, besides I love creating miniatures so this is all play. So let's take a look:

I did some sketches last week so I could make some clothes to go on the padded hangers I made. These will eventually go in my gorgeous Robin Betterly Cottage Armoire  Had very minimal fabric and trim choices but I worked with what I had. A pink cotton liner covered with flowing tulle. Cinched at the waist with a pink ribbon sash and a black and fuschia wild flower. Alternately..A red ribbon layered top with cross strap. Finished with a maxi skirt with tutu made of black tulle with white polka dots. Which do you prefer? 

Now lets get this straight..I have never made clothing of any kind before. I don't know how to make a proper pattern and I'm deathly afraid of my very basic (but way too fast) sewing machine. Also I estimated my model to be 5ft8. So I drew it 5.7 inches. Although I'll admit she is very slim..this dress seems too small. Am I wrong? Hmmm? Anyways here is my idea turned into reality. I like my drawing better. :( but I tried and can always make improvements. Anyone know where to get very modern ladies clothing patterns in 1:12 or 1:6 scale. I've searched Google till I forgot why I was sitting there...

A closer look.

I adore buckets of all kinds because you can do so much with them..unfortunately I'm saving for several items..new buckets are not on the list. So I made some from paper. I have some tin and would like to use it but I have no idea how I would secure it. I hardly think tacky glue would hold. Some sort of tiny nail or screw with a nut would be brilliant. Do they make those in 1:12?

Now my favorite new piece..My Spice Rack! This took me awhile. I made the jars from a long tube of plastic and filled them with real spices. Thanks to my super awesome engineers squares this baby is constructed almost perfectly..each measurement right on the dot! Can you tell I'm a little proud of this one? I 'chic'ed her up and she is shown here along with a mini mistletoe kissing ball! I'll be putting this swell nugget in my Dream Kitchen.

What do y'all think of her?

At my local mini groups annual Christmas party it is asked that you bring a $10 gift if you wish to exchange. The next two pics are works for my gift. I am making a Christmas cookie-making scene and it is going to be fab! Here are a couple of the baking items every holiday mini baker must have:

A set of shabby 'chic'ed bowls, cookie cutters and decorating candies ready for sugar-cookie dough and lots of gooey icing...

I had planned to go grocery shopping today so I can start to fill my pantry but I decided to go tomorrow, so that will be in the next post! Tonight.. I am going to snuggle up with my favorite pink throw, 

..put in an extraordinary film,

..and munch out on salty/crunchy and rich/chocolaty junk food till I'm sick..or till I submit to a sugar induced coma...Pass the salt!

That's the show for today peoples..I hope you like what you've seen so that you'll come back and see more. Remember I am almost always available for swaps/trades as well as custom request work. Sometimes during the seasons rush you can not book with your favorite artist due to demand. This is a perfect reason to try out my work. 

Thank you so very much for dropping in..please leave a comment..I cherish them so!

Merry Christmas to each of you! Mini hugs and BIG love!! xo

Giveaway Winners!

Good day y'all! Today the draw winners were chosen and I'm ready to announce them. So without further ado...

FIRST prize goes to Gwendolyn Edwards!

SECOND prize was won by Kikka!

THIRD prize will be sent to Indy-Poppy!

I am asking each of the winners to e-mail me at eatcakeminiatures@hotmail.com so that we can discuss your prize choices and tell me where to send your winnings. 

Before I sign off I must Thank you all for following my blog and entering my giveaway! Y'all have warmed my heart and blown me away with your compliments and well wishes. I do so wish I could send a prize to each of you...but not to worry if your name was not drawn this time; I will hold another contest soon! And please remember that I am almost always available for swaps/trades as well as requests for custom work! Now I'm off to spend my night under the covers with my pups and some dark chocolate Xmas toffee to watch SNL...Goodnight!

A nook, some WIP and finally...MY GIVE-A-WAY!!

Hi Y'all! I'm so excited to write this post as I've been anticipating it for a while. A couple of posts ago I mentioned that at 50 followers I would hold a giveaway, and thanks to some magical mini-friends, (like Gill at Make it small and of course each of you) I have reached my goal, plus a few extra. So after I show you what I've been making lately I will show you all the prizes and tell you what you must do to enter. So let's take a look:

A little fresh kitchen nook with settee.

Fruit salad is my favorite breakfast treat..sometimes I even eat it for dessert..but yes brownies are often included then..

Crisp croissants drizzled with dark chocolate and butter...mmmmm want one?

That fruit salad was a b%$ch though. For one, it took me ALL day to cut up these tiny pieces. Then I had to go back, separate and cut some even smaller cause they were to big. Then I wanted some 'canned' ...out came the resin.. but oh the bubbles! Shame. I tried soaking the bottles in warm water..tried blowing warm air..folded instead of stirring..and still bubbles..Oh well, I'll keep trying till I get it right but here it is anyways:

...with a little scale..

I had too much resin made so I thought I'd add to my pantry:

Fresh farmed honey with a honeycomb core (can't get a good shot of it!) and it's own tiny dipper stick! I just love this (bubbles or no bubbles)!

One thing I've learned to do now is to keep a book of my 'Recipes'. I can find it very difficult to re-create certain colors or mixes without reminding myself what worked before. Also who wants to pre-bake and check every time?  I started documenting some of these things after 'forgetting' for some time how to get the right mix for my icing and you can see the results in this next pic:

My icing was runny with no shape or texture and it took me awhile to figure out what I was doing wrong..I was so pleased to get the look I wanted with the white icing and now that recipe  is in my book of secrets under lock and key..lol..jk. I advise y'all to do the same.

Lastly, before I get to the real reason I'm posting, I wanted to show you what patterns I picked to try my hand at making a dollhouse quilt. So many great ways to do it but I'm going to try and sew it with my machine. I'm definitely an amateur at sewing, but I'm going to try a pink themed one 1:12, and a bold modern one size 1:6. What do you think of my mix? The longer strips show the pattern I will use for the border and back sheet. Wish me luck!

And now:  The Giveaway!

To enter my mini contest you only need to do three things:

1) Be a Follower of this blog

2) Mention this giveaway on your blog, facebook, twitter, website or the like..

3) Leave me a comment on this post telling me you want to participate and your choice of dessert.

Here are the prizes:

FIRST PRIZE is the choice of either the aqua, or the white side-board pictured below. Each piece will be accompanied by ONE dessert of your choice; one cake, one pie or 6 cupcakes, you choose the flavors.

AQUA side-board. Doors can be opened but they do not swing..perhaps you can improve that. Pie is not included (unless that is the dessert you choose)..

WHITE side-board. PLEASE keep in mind that these were both made from bashed $1 hutches from Michaels. There are many small imperfections. Cupcakes and tray are not included (unless they are your dessert choice).

SECOND PRIZE is this 1:12 Coffee maker, a set of two mugs (similar shown) and your choice of one dessert as mentioned above. I can fill it with coffee/tea or I can leave it empty for you to play:

THIRD PRIZE is this kit of  9 roses (for you to make) and one dessert of your choice: one cake or one pie or 6 cupcakes.

So that's that. I do hope everybody enters..I really tried to make the prizes appealing.. let me know if I've succeeded . I will leave this giveaway open for 1 week and will announce the winner on my blog next Saturday, November 24th.

...Let's look at those sweets up close once more before we go:

Golden sponge with deep rich chocolate icing...

Vanilla cupcakes with fluffy, fragrant coconut and raspberry, cherry or fondant rose toppings...Remember each prize comes with it's own sweet treat of your choosing; cakes, pies and cupcakes are only a few of the things you can choose to have made special just for you. You could also ask for cherry crumble, rice krispie squares or a tin or plate of cookies etc...; if you can think it, I will make it!

Thank you all for dropping in.. Mini hugs, BIG love and Good Luck to y'all! xo

  

Freshly made Cakes and other sweet mini baking

Only got a minute.. but it's been so long I just had to say 'Hello' to y'all! You know I love to write and create vivid pictures with my prose but there is no time today..you'll have to just enjoy my pics:

Flouring my pans and gathering supplies...

I just loved making these teenie packages of Crisco shortening and philly cream cheese.

I also had fun making this 'icing' tray with it's 'stainless steel' surface.

What was not fun..actually was very frustrating and perplexing was finally developing my first original technique for making polymer clay shredded coconut. But when I finally got the texture I wanted it was worth all the time and different attempts. Very satisfying. What do y'all think of my Coconut cake with it's fondant sugared rose?

Finishing the crumb coat...yes yes..CLEAR embossing powder next time..

I think these speak for themselves...mmmm I can smell the marshmallow fluff!

Used some findings to create a couple of unique kitchen pieces. A coffee carafe and a wooden cake stand. Must contact Tom Bishop for some more wooden toppers.

                                                Moist vanilla bundt with strawberry jelly twists.

Care for a slice? My texturing has gotten much better I think. Also finding it easier to work with my clay now that it is cooler outside. I find my clay is firmer and easier to handle without 'melting' so much.

Lastly I am thrilled to pieces to finally own a steel engineers square! Shout out to Pepper of mitchymoo! Now I can get to making a few modern pieces (like a couch for one) with no excuses for uneven cuts or corners! I've been making mini's for over a year without one and could never cut a straight line! It's no scroll saw haha but it'll do!

And dig this ruler that has spaces to mark every mm with your pencil! My prayers have been answered! 

Also I have started a flickr page under Eat Cake Miniatures. Please add me if your on there! I'll be back with more to show y'all soon!

Mini hugs and BIG love to each and every one of you! Thank you for stopping by! xoxo

P.S: Here's a quick shot of the chimney I've done for my Maison Blanche ... gonna paint her white I believe:

So freaking cool!! I LOVE making mini anything!!!

Show pieces, contemporary work and bashing hutches..

Hello to all my new friends and followers! We are steadily getting closer to a group of 50, and that means a give-away, so pass on my link and I'll soon reveal the prize! I hope y'all like the changes I've made to my blog. It's not what I will eventually use for the business but I am still saving up to have my Logo and blog designed professionally. I plan on having that done asap so that I will be able to create a banner, business cards and packaging that match and have it all ready so I can have my own table next year at Edmontons' Annual Dollhouse Show and Sale. This year I was not ready to do that but at the last minute I decided to put a few items out during the last hour of the day. I SOLD SEVERAL PIECES and made over $100 in less than 45 minutes! I learned a few lessons about the items I'll need and how to display and set up properly so all in all I' thrilled! And oh yeah, I even showed two large pieces: My 'Dita Von Draco Tea and Tarot' Tent, as well as, 'Cupcakes' Baked Goods (dumb name, picked to fit the sign during a last minute snafu). Would you like to take a look? Okay:

Here is my Psychic/ Fortune Tellers' Tent. I had NO IDEA how to make a proper tent; couldn't find any kind of plans, not even real ones, so this is what they got.

 

The star of the scene .. Ms. Dita Von Draco. Made by the wonderful J.D.Sutherland. Did you see her Leopard print platforms? She HAD to have them..

 

And her little dog (Mystic) too!

 

Tea leaves, Tarot cards, her Spell book and a snack of course.. Yes the crystal ball glows bright green but you can't see it in the photo.. sorry. 

 

A Bat cage, Dragon embryo, her wand, Love trap and a Vampire skull are some of her favorite things. All made by EV miniatures. (Package came a day and a half before the show. The pieces were rushed and many were falling apart or didn't even fit together. They were no where near as nice as the photos I ordered from. Letter of dissatisfaction on it's way...)

All in all I am happy with this creation, especially since it is the first scene I've ever done. I will probably pull it apart though and turn it from a stall into a Psychic roombox with a pleated ceiling like I've seen done by Dale Flutey. Definitely learned my lesson about buying expensive works instead of creating them myself. This year I am going to invest in me instead; I spent over $1400 on the 'tent'/contents and got a very muted response to it. I spent probably $40 on my bakery cart supplies, made everything (food, cart, picnic table) and it got a great reception and more than my share of compliments. So let's look at it:

 

My miserable attempt at 'natural light' photography.. now where is the damned light supposed to be? Not there, that's for sure. Lol.

 

Love my little sign with it's tiny chain link.

Venus cookies and cream cheese bunnies.

Goods for sale! All I can smell is cinnamon, strawberries and vanilla sponge.. can you? FYI:   Many of my food items are scented ...

 

                           Mitts and towel by Lug Art provide that last shabby touch.

Apple pie by Kim Saulter. Everything else by Moi!

Another quick look at my picnic table in the soft afternoon sunshine. The breeze blows the fragrance of raspberries and fabric softener through the air...

So those are the show pieces .. I hope you like them. One question though: Now what do I do with them? A mini friend of mine and I were approached about showing our work at a high-end Art supply store/gallery last spring. Neither of us were prepared at the time but now that I've accumulated some of my work it may soon be possible. I'll let y'all know first thing if it happens, I'm thinking late spring/ early summer 2013. So exciting!

 

 

I have wanted to make a modern piece or two for some time. I have plans for a quarter scale A-frame house I bought (can you imagine all the tiny contemporary wood, steel and glass furniture I can make?), as well as saving for a momoko 1:6 doll so I can make larger more detailed food items. One of my most favorite artists in this style is Lene from DragonDee Miniatures. She offers a tutorial on how to make a lovely origami paper folder which I tried. My piece is a little off because I struggled with the measurements that are not provided. Again I've learned from the mistakes I made and the next one will be better. All my errors are surely paving my way towards greatness..at least I hope so, because I make many!! Lene features many amazing modern touches so I tried to make a small plant and rock terrarium similar to hers. The rocks and grass are handmade (which explains why there is so few) and I'm looking forward to making more (wanna make bamboo shoots)in different scales. What do y'all think of these?

 

 

 

 

I got into Miniatures last summer after seeing mini food on Utube. I had been on there doing Japanese Deco crafts and trading packages with some of the other girls. Now that I've discovered all you incredible mini artisans I'm hoping to do some trading again. Luckily I have negotiated my very first mini-swap! Ayumi Suzuki is my gal. I have decided to make her a side board/cupboard with her choice of cake as well as cookies or dessert, with tea or coffee. So far I've started with 3 pieces all created by tearing apart and re-assembling Michaels Hutches. I know I should wait until they're done but I just have to show you what I'm doing:

 

This peach one will be papered with the red toile paper and given frosted glass doors. Here's her drop ring handles:

 

 

Next is my shabby white cupboard, still waiting for its' wood filler, sanding and second coat of paint. Once she is tiled I will fasten on her handles:

The sign will be distressed and the decal mounted properly. 

Tangy berries and cupcakes with more icing than cake. Really MUST practice my piping skills..also needs a leaf.

 

                                     

                                                   Last in this little series is my favorite:

Isn't she sweet..just wait till I' finished with her!

My pumpkin spice loaf slices came out perfect, YAY!!!

...and my loaf itself is something special. I just adore it! Sprayed my pans with textured outdoor spray paint, a little trick I picked up from my idol Kim Saulter.

 

Speaking of Kim..have you ever viewed her craft room photos? She has a beautiful shelf in it that I have to recreate for my groups' annual project this year. I am making two large pieces: A modern craft room and a 'White' room. This shelf is definitely not an exact replica but its close enough for me..here's what it looks like so far:

 

I will paper the inside completely and add doors and handles. A finished Dollhouse will sit on top and I will fill it with quarter scale furnishings to look like they were created in the craft room.

 

Whew..that was a lot of stuff to show you.. Before I go I'll share one last idea: These are the colors for my business; blog, packaging etc...Peach with a Red Toile pattern. I want my packaging to consist of a brown paper wrap or box, doily and rough string, covered with a colored logo business card or label. Kinda like this (but not quite):

 

Alright that's all.. unless you want to take a last look at my Charlotte a little closer:

 

Unfortunately my icing was too soft and I lost my piped peaks..How much corn starch do you gotta add - I used a shitload! Oh well..Happy thoughts.

Off to enjoy a spiced cider with a cinnamon stick and a day spent waiting for the ovens' timer .. Please follow or leave a comment, I cherish them. If you would like to trade or to order custom work just let me know!

 

Mini Hugs and BIG love! xoxo