Welcome

I would like to send a warm welcome to

Casey  and Tessie of  Casey's Minis.  Casey has blogged daily for more than 4 years.  She is currently working on a very interesting project of filling 5 display boxes with curtains, which she shows how to make as she goes.  Tessie is featured in many of Casey's postings and is always entertaining.  You will find many great tutorials and lots of wonderful projects all through this blog.    Casey is also one of the finalists for the 2012 Best Miniature Blog Reader's Choice Awards,  you can still  vote here  until March 21, she won last year and is in the lead now.


I've made a decision on the exterior of Jaynie's Loft, I'm going to try to do a mix of stone and vertical siding.  I don't know which parts will be which yet and I hope that I can find some tutorials on how to do them.  If you can give me any advice or point me toward some info I would appreciate it.  I will be going by Casey's to look at how she did egg carton stone work.


I'm hoping to have some pictures of some things that I'm working on to show tomorrow.

Thank you for visiting, Mary

Fabric

We are having very unseasonable warm weather today, I have some windows open.  Ahh fresh air.  I took a break from doing some (early) spring cleaning to rest my back and blog. 

Casey  posted yesterday about men's hankies that she bought to use as fabric and it reminded me of fabric napkins that I bought a while ago.

I bought some of the plaid ones to actually use as napkins but most I bought to use as fabrics. 

These 2 are 18 x 18" and 100% cotton, a package of 2 for $1. 

 I bought lots of green and browns, does the color scheme look familiar.  I think that they will work well in Jaynie's Loft, I don't know how I forgot that I had these.

These are between 18" and 22" squares, came 4 in a package for $2.

I also found a few other colors.  I think that I bought at least one pack of each that they had in 100% cotton.
  
There were a few that were not 100% cotton, I left those in the store.


I hope that you can also find some nice fabric at a good price outside of the fabric store.





I need to get back to cleaning,  I hope that you are enjoying your day. 


Thank you for visiting, Mary

Welcome

I want to send a warm welcome to

Sanne of  Sannen vintilla - In My Attic  who is having a giveaway on her lovely blog.  Her followers have the chance  to win some very cute minis, a fish in a bowl,  a jar of irises, a cuddle cat and dog toy.  Jaynie hopes that we have some good luck to win, she would really like a pet fish.   If you spend some time looking at Sanne's older posts you will find many beautiful minis and lots of cute characters with interest stories.

I've tried a new craft, needle tatting.   I bought a book that came with 4 needles and a threader, it has general directions and a few patterns.  The only other thing that was needed was thread.  I used a #5 needle and #10 crochet thread for the flower pendant and butterfly.  I was getting something wrong following the directions in the book so I looked on youtube and found this video for making the flower pendant.  After I worked along with the video a few times I finally got this pendant.  Then I went back to a pattern in the book, this time it only took me 3-4 tries to get the butterfly.  I had a hard time getting the picot stitches (those little loops) even and keeping the stitches from twisting but I think  that I now have the basics down fairly well.   I think these look nice but if you want to see some very nice tatting,  visit Amy at  Crafter's Delights .    She does shuttle tatting and has  made some beautiful earrings that you really should see.   I'm hoping that I can work out a pattern that I can shrink down using a smaller needle and finer thread to make some miniature doilies.  Wish me luck, if it works out I may have doilies to share.  


Thank you for visiting, Mary

Arrf Arrf

Look who come home from Michael's with me.

I know that it's not the best time to get a new pet while we are trying to build a house.

Could you resist this face?

She is very nicely detailed and a very good scale for Jaynie and she was only $3.99.

Now I need to name her and make doggie supplies.   Do you have an idea for a name?

Here are a few things that I bought last weekend.   The little nano scrap books, 2 in a pack with a pen with a little magnifying glass for just a dollar.  I only bought one and I don't know why.  I was probably too tired to make good decisions or hungry and thinking more of food than what I was buying.  

This strange looking yarn is called 'bunny tails' and it is very soft with equally spaced puffs on a cord.  I had an idea as soon as I saw it, so I had to buy some.  Do you have any ideas for using it?



Here is what I did

Fluffy slippers and a duster.  I thought of the duster after I made the slipper, it doesn't show well in the photo but that puff is green, yellow and white.  I had a toothpick with glue on one end and a tri-colored puff = easy duster.

The slippers are 1" long, Jaynie has big feet.  I used scraps of cardstock, fabric and thin fun foam with the puffs cut with some cord left on each side. 


I hope that you are having a nice weekend.

Thank you for visiting, Mary

Welcome and Thank You

First I want to send a warm welcome to

Luisa of   la casa di Lu  who has a wonderful blog that showcases many beautiful minis in shabby chic style.  Luisa is also having a  give-away  where she is generously offering the chance to win some of her mini treasures. 

Second  I want to send a big thank you to Maria of   Pretty Things Ireland   for sending me a package full of wonderful gifts.

 Look
Maria even decorated the container and included a lovely postcard, isn't she sweet .

I just love the comforter and pillows, the colors and pattern are so pretty.  

I really did a poor job taking a picture of this, you can't really see the beautiful lace trim. 

Little fabric baskets that are just perfect for Jaynie's kitchen.

A rose in a vase, a pretty tray, tiny fancy soaps, perfume bottles

and look at the cutest little bunny.   I've been looking for one but had not found one that I liked.  I really like this one, he will go outside Jaynie's loft, either wild in the garden or as a pet in a hutch.

 And so  many tiny treasures that I'm sure I missed something.

Some beautiful fabric to help decorate Jaynie's loft.

Another pretty tray, tiny necklaces, a gift bag, a calla lily,  bows, plaques, butterflies, a cat, darling button  flowers,

and bread, Jaynie will never be hungry.




Thank you Maria, I love every little bit and will enjoy using them.   I'm going to try to copy and make more fabric baskets and fancy soap for Jaynie, they are so cute.

Thank you for visiting, Mary