New Printies - St. Patrick's Day and Family Tree

New printies for you for St. Patrick's Day! They are high-resolution images to give you good quality printies. They'll be available here and in the Printies section of my website. Enjoy!

These St. Patrick's Day postcards date from about 1900-1915. There is also a page of sheet music, "The Harp that Once Thro' Tara's Halls," and a vintage fruit crate label for Shamrock brand oranges. Click the images for a printable page.

The Family Tree printables below include:

• Bible page: Family Record 1882-1932
• Bible page: Births 1815-1924
• Marriage Certificate, California 1892
• Indenture Papers, Illinois 1815
• Matted Family Photographs for framing

Click the images for a printable page.

You may also be interested in:

Family Tree Research Set
$13.75

Gardens of Ireland
$2.75

Celtic Myth & Legend
$2.75

Any Jewish readers who could answer a couple questions for me?

Illuminated Mishneh Torah, c.1350

If you're reading my blog then you probably already know that my specialty is miniature books. I make a couple of different Christian Bibles, and have recently created a miniature Qur'an (soon to be listed.) I've had requests now and then for Jewish texts so I've been looking into it, however "looking into it" has left me more confused than ever. So I'm wondering if someone could answer some questions for me:

1. Is the Torah ever written in book form, or only in handwritten scrolls? (I've seen programs on TV about the creation of Torahs, which is absolutely fascinating, but leads me to believe that is the one and only form in which one is produced.)


2. Is the Talmud published in English at all, or should I make it in its original language? And is that Aramaic or Hebrew? It would only be relevant as far as the title on the cover (and which way the book would face), as I'm not about to attempt to make one full-text in miniature.


3. Should I make a Jerusalem Talmud, a Babylonian Talmud, or both?


4. Is there such a thing as a one-volume Talmud, or even 3 or 5 volume set? Or is it always a huge multi-volume set of books?


5. Are Talmuds ever made with fancy fabulous covers, or do they tend to have plain covers, or does it not matter? Would it ever have gilt page edges? Are there old medieval versions I could recreate, or should I just make a modern style one?


6. I have already made a Mishneh Torah (with English title) since I happened to come across a beautiful old cover for one. Just how common is this book? I read up on the background and history of it, but it didn't really give me a grasp of whether or not it's a common book these days.

I'd appreciate any direction anyone could give me on this, as I want to make them correctly. You can email me directly at info@treefeathers.com. Thanks!

Miniature compasses back in stock!

I'm so excited, I finally found another source for my itty-bitty compasses! Less than 3/8" (9mm) in diameter - perfect for miniature travel or camping scenes. Black base and clear plastic cover, and just 4mm tall. They have a magnetic center and the dial spins freely, but don't count on them to point to true north - they're just for entertainment, not hiking trips. You'll find them in the travel section of my store (link above or in the sidebar). Get yours before they're all gone!

Mini storage solution

Miniaturists are always looking for useful storage containers for mini collections and art supplies. Well I made a great find at Family Dollar today - tiny plastic storage boxes with lids. They're sold in packs of eight, for the unbeatable price of $1! They measure 2.5x2 inches, and about 1.5" tall. Perfect for all those little bits and bobs. They'd be good for shipping miniatures, too. You'll find them in the kitchen utensils aisle of the store.

I already know what I'll be using some of them for: holding the leftover bits of custom-mixed paints and plasters that I use. It takes so little for mini projects, I hate to mix up large amounts of custom colors and textures. They tend to dry out quickly in larger containers, so storage has always been a problem. These will be perfect! I'm also going to use them to hold different colors of flocking material, which currently stay in the plastic baggies in which they arrive. I have to pour out piles onto paper plates or into larger containers when I actually use it (and then try to pour the leftover back into the baggies.) This will be a much easier solution.

I think they'll also be handy for storing miniature works in progress, to keep the pieces together and clean. And I can stack them right on the work table within easy reach instead of away in a drawer where they might be forgotten. Maybe it will help me cut down on the UFOs around here!

What's your dollhouse wish list?

Am I the only one who didn't buy a dollhouse or kit this week? The boards have been buzzing with people showing off their new purchases; I, unfortunately, was not among them. Can't really justify the expenditure right now, of money or of time! (I still have an Orchid kit that my friend Brenda sent me like 2 years ago, waiting to be turned into a toy shop. Now that I've settled into my new home, I'm hoping to get started on it soon. No, really!)

But that hasn't stopped me from doing some wishful window shopping lately. There are a few houses I'd really love to get, and my mind just starts spinning with ideas every time I look at them. The list that follows is my "Will Conceivably Be Able to Get Someday" list, not my "Ha! When I Win the Lottery" list.

The one that has been on my wish list the longest is the front-opening Gloucester by Corona Concepts. I like the arrangement of the house, but I think part of what attracts me is the windows and the corner details, which remind me of the houses in Brittany where I used to live. Because that's what I want to do with it, turn it into a Breton-style townhouse. (Actually, I think it was explained to me that leaving the corner stones exposed is a Norman style, while in Bretagne they tend to plaster over them, but you still see both styles a lot there.) I've been collecting bits and pieces for years for my maison bretonne!

Another front-opening house I really like is 333 Franklin Street by Real Good Toys. What is it about front-opening houses that is so appealing? Is it because they're unusual here in the USA, being more typical of English dollhouses? Is it the realism of an entirely enclosed house with all four walls? Is is the space you can save by not having to turn it around to get inside? Yes, yes, and yes. And add, less to dust since it's enclosed. Franklin Street is a simple style, but offers a lot of possibilities. I'd even like to do a couple of them - one as just apartments, another with a shop downstairs, maybe a dance school upstairs, and who-knows-what on the top floor. And another for the cafe, bookstore, and miniatures shop! You could do a whole street of them and each one could look completely different.

The Victorian Townhouse, also by Real Good Toys, is another with a relatively small footprint but big potential. I like the interesting bay tower (and not just because it opens in front!) It also has movable room dividers, so you can really customize the layout. I'd love to do one as a single home, and another split into apartments. I see another street in the neighborhood!

The last one on (this) list is the McKinley Wall Display house. Another space-saver, this one hangs on the wall but is still quite roomy. I love that it has porches (many wall-hanging houses don't) and an interesting shape and details (many wall-hanging houses don't.) It also has three handy storage drawers at the bottom. Has anyone built this before? I'd love to see more pictures.

So what houses are on your wish list? What dreams and plans do you have for them?