Every Village Needs A Shop (Nutshell House)

Welcome to... "Twigs & Berries"

Today's Menu

Imported... French Frog Eggs, Pears& Raspberries With Honeyed Blueberry Sauce, Sparkling Honeysuckle Juice

Classes For Children Thursday Afternoon... A Field Trip... Identifying the right mushroom snacks.

For the Ladies... Try a new look...Wing Painting...Friday's By Appointment

Belgian Spider Silk Lace... by the inch.

Fairy Dust... Six Exciting New Colors!

Portable Rainbows... See our display window.

Emergency Wing Repair 24/7

Frankly this was a little &^%$# to make. It is going to be a while before I touch another walnut. lol I decided I would like to have a vine growing up and over the awnings. I started with very fine wire and soldered all the pieces together. Trying it on the shell as I went along soldering. Then I painted the wires brown.

Now I could spot glue the vine to the nutshell. The next step was to glue the 1/2 mm beads on. YEP one by one. I found that they were really secure by painting clear nail polish over them after the glue dried. Once I had all the "berries" on I really liked it without any green foliage but thought it had to have it on the vine. :-(

I built the bay window by cutting up three double windows to make one bay and glued that to a styrene box I built. In the window there is some magic happening. These holographic tiny stars blink colors even in relative darkness. I just glued them in a pile for the bay window display... "Portable Rainbows". If you could see inside it, you would notice there seem to be some much smaller ones floating in mid-air too. Those are glued to a second & third sheet of clear styrene on the inside of the house. They step back from the window front. I still have to make the sign that will stick out from the side of the bay. I am going to have to use someone else's printer for that.

PHEW.... Maybe too much information. ;-)

Finally!

At long last! For well over a year I have wanted a simple basket of croissants! I ordered them from Stephanie Kilgast at PetitPlat. She also sent me a gift of a religieuse. I love it! Thank you so much Stephanie!!!

Something else I have wanted for a long time is a lemon reamer. To go with the hand held strainer and all the other things I made. This boxwood reamer was made by David Edwards. I am delighted with it. I have a slight wait for the bread board I wanted from him with the word BREAD carved into it. Seven YEARS he told me.

I have been working on my next walnut house. It is a shop called Twigs & Berries. Stay tuned. :-)

Your Opinion

Please click on the photo twice for a close up.

The second fence finally arrived for the house. I have painted and shaped it to fit but not glued it in place.
I am not sure I like it. Rather then go into my opinions... I would much rather have your thoughts about it, if you would care to share them. Thank you! XXX

UP DATE.... TO YOUR COMMENTS

I loved the second floor balcony fence that came with the kit but... I must say it has more of a French flavor in my opinion and probably doesn't belong on Georgian townhouse. I have found the actual house this kit was fashioned after in Bath, England.

I thought you might like to see what the real house looks like that the kit was modeled after. I got the address off the box the kit came in. They don't have the elegance the 1: 144 scale one has. :-)

Karin is right about the reason for the ground fences being there to protect people from falling into the basement stairs. However I had disregarded that fact for an effect I was hoping to achieve.

I think I will just have to live with it a while. I hate the idea of changing that great second floor balcony fence to match the first floor one.

Thanks to everyone that leaves me thier thoughts! XXX

Making Frames

The past few days have been busy. I haven't had much time for miniature work except for these two frames. I realised all of the frames I have are large. I wanted some small ones for walls and tables.

I really liked this image of a woman wearing this crazy bird hat I found in 'The Graphics Fairy'. I also found another photo of this beautiful little girl that I really loved.

Georgian Townhouse 1: 144 Scale

Please click twice on photos for a close up.

I just loved this 1: 144 scale Georgian house from the first minute I saw it. I spend a whole lot of time trying to find it. Linda http://une-petite-folie.blogspot.com/ saw comment I made on a blog when I was searching for it. She also had fallen for it and wanted to make it. It was great fun to work with her on a project sharing thoughts, photos and sources, while we were literally on different sides of the world. I am sure you will be seeing her finished house shortly on her blog.

I had some alterations in mind for my house. I wanted to add hinges to the side. Also... I wanted to cut a new bottom floor to make it deeper than the floor that came with the kit. Splitting it so the front of the house would have an area for some additions. This would allow me to add a second fence and some room for two topiaries I wanted to make to sit next to the front door.
First let me say that the 1.5mm plywood used to make this kit sold me!!! It is very strong and is resistant to warping. I had to find more of it for the new floor I was going to cut.

The second iron N scale fence arrived after waiting for it for three weeks. They sent me the wrong one! So that is the last bit that I will add when it arrives in

The kit came with a very nice photo front door. I challenged myself to make different one. A six panel Georgian front door. Then I needed to improvise the brass hardware for it. The door it is 1/4 inch wide.

Lovely Swap Gifts From Caterina

Caterina and I decided on a swap for her beautiful tea box. It arrived in today's mail.

I am astonished by her incredible patience, She has filled the box with miniscule tea bags. All of them so well made they fit into the box perfectly! One even has real tea in it. I love the tiny tag on the string. :-)

She generously added these other gorgeous boxes of cappuccino, rosini and spaghetti. I cannot believe the strands of spaghetti. It is the perfect color and so fine. The open box of rosini also has pasta in it.

These are all such wonderful pieces and I am delighted to have them in my collection.

Thank you so very much Caterina! I am thrilled. http://leminisdicockerina.blogspot.com/

Catherine XXX

Lavish Gifts Have Arrived!!!

I have always known Linda was a person with multiple talents. That is demonstrated though every aspect of the miniature work she does and her resplendently beautiful blog. http://une-petite-folie.blogspot.com/ She has a special eye for detail. The photos she takes deserve to be published in a book!!!

I love, love, love these daffodils she made for me. Made even more special with the miniscule weed growing up on the side of the of the mossy flower pot. It is destine to live next to the front step of my house.

Who would think someone could be so thrilled with a bouquet of weeds! They will be kept safe until the day their stems are clipped and planted. To understand their size, look at the one on the flower pot above!

When Linda posted the photo of Beverly Miles beautiful tatted doily and said she was sending it to someone, I never dared to dream it would be to me. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. A photo cannot begin to tell you how fine and delicate it is. It reminds me of a snow flake. The thread used to make it is much finer than sewing thread. BEAUTIFUL!!!!

I have admired Margaret Crosswell's beautiful work for a very long time on Linda's blog. I am so thrilled with this beautiful pitcher. It is just gorgeous!!! It will have a special place in my house.

Thank you so very much Linda....I am so thrilled!!!!!!!! You are so very generous and a valued dear friend.

Catherine XXX