More Extreme Kit Bashing & The Dilemma

Over the years I have cast more of these Chrysnbon cook stoves than I care to remember. There is one in the Miniature Museum Of Kansas City I cast.

When I first became involved in miniatures there weren't any good stoves at all. The only one that was remotely in scale and acceptable was the Chrysnbon cook stoves in plastic. The first time I saw one I bought a dozen kits with the intention of casting them all. It may sound like it is fast and easy, but I assure you it isn't. I won't bore you with all the details of why and how so many things can go wrong when you cast one. Then there is all the clean up after the pieces are cast and they all have to be silver soldered together (with a torch). It takes several days just to get all the pieces sprued up to be cast. It also takes good size flasks to hold all the pieces to be invested for casting. Five flasks usually. I have always cast them in bronze.

For some reason today I am getting awful photos so you probably cant see that the parts I chose to polish are bronze in color. They look like nickel here. I could still plate them to look like nickel, I will have to see. The stove has been oxidized and waxed. It isn't painted.

My dilemma is what sort of stove do I want to use in my house. I would hate to pack this away never to be used because it is not an English stove. Maybe the answer is to create a space where I can have either interchangeably?

My grandparents had a cottage in Wisconsin when I was growing up. They bought it in 1917. I loved going there because we had 30 acres on a big lake. To this day we still have a wood burning cook stove we use that is almost like the Chrysnbon one here in this photo.

Green Apples

I have admired so many food artists work. I just love seeing all the amazing realistic things they do. The gorgeous arrangements that are worthy of a still life painting. I have wondered what the shiny gooey stuff is that makes cakes and sauces glisten. These and many more are the techniques that are a total mystery to me. It maybe time to find a good book (if there is such a thing) on the subject just to satisfy my curiosity. This is not something I want to get seriously involved in.

Today I decided to try something really simple, just a few green apples. No one seems to make loose things like this. If you want something on your own china that isn't glued down to it, you have to figure it out yourself.

So I got out the polymer clays I had to see if I could get the right color. I used a lot of transparent in the mix. They still need some flecks of brown and maybe a pale yellow patches here and there. No idea at all about how to do that.

I think I will form heavy foil in the bowl and then slip out the foil, do the arrangement and bake it in the foil. That way it will fit in or on the bowl or plate without being permanently fixed to it.

Copper and Sterling Silver Chafing Dish

This is a copper chafing dish I finished this week. The stand is sterling silver. Not exactly realistic for such an item I suppose. The reason I made it in silver is because I only had half round wire in sterling. I do like the look of these two metals together though. The tapered legs and the feet were all done with a needle file. The knob and handle are made out of African black wood. Now that I see the photos I think I will take them off and turn something that isn't so heavy. I also made another basket that is holding the lemons.

BTW... Does blogland seem a bit quiet to you lately?

I got mail! Lots and lots of Mail!

I am so thrilled to say... I have received one of Linda's gorgeous rugs and some of her fantastic mail!

Ever since the first time I saw the rugs in Une Petite Folie I have coveted and drooled over them. She has made me one that is perfect with the wall paper I chose to go in the master bedroom of my house. OMG!

Then when she posted pictures of the mail she made I was definitely pea green and close to slobbering on myself!!! There is something about those tiny little letters and post cards that I find totally irresistible. Some of the mail has been opened and has a letter half way out of it. She also made un-opened pieces and sent fresh envelopes and stamps. There are lots of post cards with writing on the back of them from France.

Thank you so very much Linda! You really cannot know how much I dearly love it all. I am so excited about having these perfect miniatures. :-)))))

The Addiction

My serious addiction to Stokesay Ware continues, I'm afraid. These pieces arrived today and I am once again so happy with the quality of them.

I was a little hesitant about the cups and saucers because on their web site they are photographed straight on. The cups have a bit of a curve that goes up to the rim, so I couldn't see if they were as thin as I hoped they would be. They are perfect! Also I couldn't see if the big bowl had a design on both sides. It has a design on three sides and a surprise one inside the bowl.

Making A Mattress

Sometimes you just have to make some practical things. Today I made a mattress for the iron bed. Not that it will ever be seen after the bed is dressed. Yancey (Button's brother) and the cat had to see if it was going to be comfortable. ;-)

It took me forever to paint the bed with oil paints. Paint hates me and it is mutual!!! I can't even get the top off before I have it all over me and many times everything in the vicinity. I added all the brass medallion findings to the head and foot boards (56 of them if I remember correctly.

I bought the fabrics and some lace in Chicago. So this week I hope I will be able to find time to dress the bed (another first)

I am STILL stuck on Federal Jury Duty until the end of the month.

Rose Cottage

Please click on photos to enlarge them.

This is a little cottage I stitched on silk broadcloth with silk threads and ribbon. It is 2 inches wide X 2 1/2 inches tall. Not a house as we refer to them but still a miniature of sorts. The inside is also stitched and houses a embroidered tape measure. The roof is padded so it can be used as a pin cushion. I still have to make the loop that goes over the bead to keep it closed.