Building and Finishing a Dollhouse

The Dollhouse & Miniatures Blog has been posting useful articles to help you plan and finish your dollhouse. Familiarize yourself with a variety of tools and materials and the particular uses for which each is best suited (I always wondered what the heck "gouache" is for.) Learn basic techniques for painting or installing wallpaper. Get pointers for choosing a scale or style. The Dollhouse Decoration Checklist is particularly handy, giving a step-by-step checklist, from sanding and priming to installing final trim. I'm looking forward to more posts!

King of the Blues

Last night I saw legendary B.B. King in concert. It was one of the best shows I've ever been to... the guy is just AWESOME! At 83 the shows may be a little shorter, but he can still make that guitar sing like nobody's business. When he lets loose singing, his voice is as powerful as ever, still full of passion. And his face - oh, I love his face! Probably the millionth time he's played some of those songs, but he still seemed just as in love with the music as the very first time. The band, I must add, was fabulous! They clearly adore him; the drummer didn't even flinch when B.B roared out, "Don't rush me! I carry a knife, and I cut drummers!"

That was one thing I really loved about the show - B.B. and his band seemed to be having so much fun, and enjoying the music and each other and the audience so much, being there was like a real "moment," not just passive witnessing of a performance. I feel so grateful to have had the chance to see him. And inspired!

And much less disturbed by my upcoming 40th birthday, which had been bothering me with thoughts of the end of my youth, and looks, and potential, and dreams, and future... B.B. had lots of advice for "young people over 50," (especially the men, which included leading them all in a couple rounds of "You Are My Sunshine" to all the ladies in the audience.) To see him up there at EIGHTY-THREE, and despite having to be helped on and off the stage - he's still playing, still singing, still joking around and loving life. And still writing new songs, too! We got to hear his hilarious paean to the wonders of Viagra, and the title-track of his new CD, "One Kind Favor," which he says his kids don't like (as the favor is to keep his grave clean.) Gave me some much-needed perspective and lightening of the heart.

So in the words of B.B. King: "Oh, I like that part, I'ma do it again!" I think that's good advice.

Ah, Paris!

Even store windows in Paris have that certain je ne sais quoi! These lovely miniature porcelain ladies were spotted in a jewelry store window by Claudia Strasser on her first day in France. Check out the rest of the photos at The Paris Apartment. Oo la la!

The Village is cranking!

The Tomato Nation Fall Challenge is moving along! Only $700+ needed to hit the $75k mark, at which point a generous donor has pledged to contribute $10,000 in matching funds - so keep it coming, folks!

The Challenge is running until October 31, and the goal is to raise $100,000 to help fund educational projects through DonorsChoose.org. Read my original post, or visit the TN Challenge page for full details.

Total as of October 22: $74,253
Students Reached: 10,906

Not-So-Wicked Witches

Get in the spirit for Halloween with a visit to Candid Canine, Christine Verstraete's blog. Her most recent articles, "Halloween in Miniature: Wicked Witches" and the follow-up "Not-So-Wicked Witches," give a humorous look at the portrayal of witches in miniature. Some wonderful photos of miniature artisan dolls!

Pictured: 'Gladys' by Gina Gagnon of Lone Wolf Mini Creations.

Dolls & Miniatures category on Etsy

Thanks to the hard work and persistence of the etsyDAM Team (Dolls and Miniatures,) there's a new top-level category on Etsy! As of October 6, artists can list their work under "Dolls & Miniatures." Etsy sellers have long wanted this category, rather than being restricted to listing their items under Toys. Congrats, here's hoping it boosts your sales!

etsyDAM Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/etsyDAMs

etsyDAM Team Blog: http://etsyDAM.blogspot.com

I love Calvin!

Hot Library Smut

the nonist » Red-Hot and Filthy Library Smut
"Yesterday I came across a truly gorgeous book of photographs by Candida Höfer titled, Libraries, a title which pretty much says it all, because that is just exactly what it is, one rich, sumptuous, photo of a library interior after another. It’s like porn for book nerds. Seriously."

Stumbled on the above article and its accompanying photos today, and what can I say but "wow!" If you love books, then these gorgeous photos will make you drool. I'm definitely putting Librarieson my wish list. Imagine doing the Abbey Library of St. Gallen (the oldest library in Switzerland, pictured here) in miniature! The thought of making all those books makes my eyes glaze over.

Miniatures in the Modern Age

The internet has opened up a whole new world to miniaturists - online groups and discussion boards, the ability to find tutorials and other do-it-yourself materials at the click of a mouse.

Now Gaye Coonce of Anderson, CA, has taken the hobby another step forward. She's the mastermind behind Creating Dollhouse Miniatures, a video blog just chock-full of miniature eye-candy. Virtual tours of dollhouses and personal collections, tutorials, inside looks at artists at work - all the best videos of scale miniatures in one place!

"I have spent thousands of hours on YouTube watching countless videos and posting the best," says Gaye. "Many people don't know that there are videos of miniatures on YouTube, and YouTube isn't child-friendly. Handpicking the videos and posting them all to one place that is all about miniatures eliminates that problem. It's also another way to promote miniatures and the artists, and introduce the world of miniatures to a whole new generation."

In addition to the 100+ videos available, Creating Dollhouse Miniatures is a great resource of links and information about the art of miniatures.

Gaye encourages miniature artists and collectors to create a video and submit it to the site. "Anything that promotes the art of miniatures!"

Artist's video blog: Creating Dollhouse Miniatures

Artist's website: My Small Obsession

It Takes a Village

The annual Tomato Nation Fall Challenge is here again! The Challenge is running until October 31, and the goal is to raise $100,000 to help fund educational projects through DonorsChoose.org. That will buy a lot of academic, art, and athletic supplies - and once again, TN blog author Sars in a tomato costume! This time she's pledged to take the train to Washington DC in full tomato regalia.

Donors in the TN Challenge are entered in a drawing for some great prizes - be sure to follow the instructions on the Challenge page to be sure you're properly entered. Along the way there are some mini challenges and the chance to win more prizes. There is no minimum donation amount, even $10 will help, so join in the fun and help some deserving school kids!

Total as of October 10: $48,345
Students Reached: 7,526

"DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.

"Proposals range from "Magical Math Centers" ($200) to "Big Book Bonanza" ($320), to "Cooking Across the Curriculum" ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling. In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter."

Mini Polymer Clay Candles

MiniMaker has added great new tutorial on making drippy candles to her site, just in time for Halloween scenes. Be sure and check out all the other projects and printies she has available while you're there!

More new stuff...

I've added a search function to the blog - it will also search my regular TreeFeathers website at the same time, so if you're looking for tutorials or something you'll see everything available from both places. Cool, huh?

A couple weeks ago I put a fun map gadget on here (requires Flash) that shows where visitors are coming from. Kind of fun, people are visiting this blog from all over the world! Hello out there! So I added a translation feature. I've switched out the Yahoo translator for a Google one. The Yahoo one seemed more accurate (at least from what I could tell, comparing the page in French on both), but the Google one offers a lot more languages. I put it at the top left, right under the blog archives, so it's easy to access.

New Layout

I'm trying a new layout. It was bugging me how the sidebar just went on and on, so I'm trying out a 3-column arrangement that I think organizes things better. Still not sure I like it, though... Post a comment and let me know what you think. Is it too crowded or too hard to read this way?

National Dollhouse & Miniatures Month

October is National Dollhouse & Miniatures Month! Many shops are having sales, so it's a great time to pick up some of those minis on your wish list. There are also all kinds of special exhibits, contests, classes, and other festivities going on around the country. Visit your local miniatures store to find out what's happening in your area, or check out these links:

National Miniatures Trust

National Association of Miniatures Enthusiasts