New work and blogs of interest!

Mandrake potting table. I still have a little bit of work to do. I'm hoping the biggest mandrake looks like he is sleeping and this is what people see. I love the other little one just peeping out!


Witches flying out cupboard for storing her best hats, shoes, maps, broom and floo powder.


Potion cabinet - not sure if i like this. I shall see once all the bottle and jars are filled.



Some potion shelves - bad photo!




My work areas. Not sure if i'm messy or not?


Lots of large potion bottle and jars for the halloween props i have planned.


Salt dough moon cookies for the spooky large witches bottles. I need to paint them so they look baked then pop in a nice kilner jar with spooky tags and tatty cloth.


3 little witches potion shopping baskets on the go.


The Summer holidays are over and all the children have gone back to school. While the holidays are a lovely time and you get to have a lie in most days they are not ideal for working from home.
They actually went back last Thursday and i spent that entire day clearing up after the summer and having a good spring clean. Then Friday it was my birthday and the weekend i chose not to work. Friday was wonderful and had the best of days.
So on Monday i cracked on with working again and this is what i have so far have on the go.
Lots of little shelves with botanical potions, and some with weird items like fingers, bones, blood, tapeworm etc. They are not finished as yet but only need a little work.
I also started a witches potion cabinet which i'm not too sure about. I bought it as a wardrobe, removed the doors and aged it up. I'm sure it will be lovely when complete but at the moment it just doesnt look right. I plan on filling it with a variety of items like dragon scales, olde bones, blood, venom and all the nasty things. If it doesn't feel right i will use the contents on a shelf i make from my own designs. This is probably going to happen!
My favourite though is the witches flying out closet for storing her broom, hat, scrolls with maps, floo powder, her best shoes and items like that. I'm trying to make it have a halloween theme and so the pumpkins will be on the top. I'm sure witches dress the house for halloween! The broom will have a little face and be dressed upto match her hat and shoes. I think a little sign and a bag hanging will also set the scene. I made the cabinet myself and love it to bits.
There is also a mandrake table which i made myself. I like this table because it lends itself well to a potting scene. Its not finished either, lol. Just a little bit more to to. Its not all secured yet so can still play around with the arrangement.
I'm one of these people that seems to be getting nowhere then all of a sudden i have more than i can cope with. I can't seem to make a few items and put them on etsy a few at a time. It just doesnt work for me. It either nothing or everything with me. So i shall just keep working at all that i've started. I'm sure i will be somewhere by Sunday or Monday.
If you look around my room there are also lots of other minis on the go. They are all tucked in trays and pots for safe keeping. I forget half of what i've started and on my many a big tidy up stumble upon them and work on again. Quite often people ask me what i'm working on and most of the time i'm undecided because i've started much more than i can handle all on my own.
The boxes with everything shoved in are holding some lovely large bottles i've been collecting for my new large potions. I really need to get on with those before Halloween. But by the rate i move along i reckon this time next year i'll finally get there.
I thought i was an organised person but making miniatures is not something i feel in anyway organised about.
For some reason i claim to be tidy but from the state of all my shoving things in boxes looks like i'm anything but. I tidied all of this only one week ago and it gleamed with everything having a place and everything where it should be. In just seven days its been turned upside down again and for the life of me i can't figure out why. I feel a trip to Ikea is needed for extra storage.
Apart from all of this i'm more than happy in my room plodding along at a snails pace.
Hoping i get somewhere soon but not bad so far for a few days work!

Nikki xxx




Blogs, ebay, etsy and other great finds!

Here are a few fab blogs i have found recently, some great items currently available on ebay/etsy/other auction sites.

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/sdk-miniatures-LLC - superb ebay shops with fantastic kits in various scales.

http://miniaturesonly.kaqoo.com/index.php? The ebay alternative for dolls house minis only.
Check out these great room boxes on the site:
http://miniaturesonly.kaqoo.com/index.php?act=list&item=1103825983&old_item=
http://miniaturesonly.kaqoo.com/index.php?act=list&item=1103827304&old_item=
The site is quite small but its good to know theres an auction site purely for mini's.

Check out this fabulous shop on etsy that sells handmade miniature rustic furniture. Its good value and very well made: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7326603

Check out this absolutely super blog. I was so happy to stumble upon this.
http://mondodifavola.blogspot.com/
I wish upon wish i could make such beautiful furniture.

This is another great blog with some beautiful art work happening and the couple are living the dream: http://intothehermitage.blogspot.com/
Debbie sent me the link for this site a long time ago and its amazing how they both live. I lack the skills to live like this but truelly admire them a great deal!