Life...

...has been really crazy these past several months. Lots of ups and downs, so I have been very quiet lately. I haven't had a lot of time for minis since we moved into our new apartment, but I do have all of the houses displayed and they look really nice. I recently got a DSLR camera (yay!) and plan to do a few photo shoots with them when my schedule allows it. I may invest in a macro lens someday soon...

I have, however, started a new hobby: soapmaking! I started late last fall to make Christmas presents and I found that a) I really, really enjoy it and b) my soap recipes were turning out to be pretty awesome (if I say so myself - haha). My husband and I revived our old business, PeaceCrafted Products) from when we lived in NH and are now selling hot process handmade soaps. (Shameless plug: here is the website and the Etsy store. We'll be adding spa salts soon too, and I may even throw in a few miniatures on the Etsy store that are left from Linda's Minis.) It's rewarding to have started our old business back up again and I love crafting soap since it is very relaxing while taking a break from my day job. Plus it's like alchemy...turning lye and oils into something absolutely wonderful! :)

Hope all of you are doing well! I still read blogs from time to time and lately have been feeling quite inspired by all of them. :)

Cheers!

A bit of an update!

Hello there!

It's been a busy week as I have started teaching again. Next week is going to be even busier, so I am enjoying a low-key weekend, watching movies and organizing some of my craft area.

I posted a video recently to my new Youtube channel (where I have moved all of my mini videos) about toys you can find in your local chain stores that would make good 1:12 toys. One of those that I had featured is a small plush bear and I adopted him into the Glencroft. :) He's a perfect fixture in the bedroom.

I will be doing a giveaway soon (nearly 200 followers!) and will be giving away a mini chest of 1/12th scale toys including some of those I had in the video and others I have made. I will be finding another of these plush little guys to include, too! So cute!

Anyway, I also want to show off some lovely items I purchased from an online mini business, Timber Ridge Studios, I had seen advertised on Small Stuff Digest. The owner, Ronni, has so many wonderful items in her shop and it is all very inexpensive.

Here are some of the items I picked up (already in the Glencroft):

The tiny buri pot came from Timber Ridge. It's very cute! I believe the lid is detachable, but I have left it attached and placed it in the living room. It's perfect for this house as I imagine the owner is a collector of items from all over the world, especially of items from Asia.

I also purchased that blue decanter sitting on the sink. The little stopper does come out!

This is a faux marble vase that I believe Ronni had turned herself on a lathe in her studio. It's perfect for some roses I had made!

I highly recommend her website. You should check it out. In addition to the items above, I bought some vintage lace, fabrics, tiny pine cones and garland, and microbeads. She has a lot of variety there and lots of supplies that are difficult to find in your local craft store (especially if you're not super-close to a brick and mortar dollhouse store).

One more thing I recently received in the mail were some neat kits from True2Scale. A few weeks ago there was an online dollhouse show with lots of great dealers. I decided to take advantage of some of the nice items that were being offered and picked up a forsythia in French pitcher kit and another kit to make up 4 lovely French pillows. Both are from their La Boutique Bleue line.

These items are packaged very nicely. The kits are tucked into silvery envelopes as you can (kinda) see below:

I haven't made these up yet, but I peaked into the pillow kit and everything is just lovely, including the detailed instructions!

When I do make these, I will be sure to include pics and let you know how they went. :)

That is all for now, I believe. I have an Etsy order to send to Spain (yay!). Hopefully I will make some time to work on a few more things. But for now, don't forget to check out Linda's Minis' Etsy shop for some fall-related items!!!

Summer is (almost) here!

Now that the semester has ended this month, I plan to do a bit of traveling. I'd really like to go to visit my family in PA. But I think I might take the long way...there's a string of mini shops along I-90 in NY, one in Volant, PA, and one in Pittsburgh, PA. I think it would be fun to go on a "mini" road trip. If I do this, I will definitely blog about the experience, with information about each of the shops, and maybe even pick up a couple of things for giveaways! I'll likely post more info on this as I plan it more thoroughly. What would you like to know about the shops if I pull this off?

If you haven't checked out Linda's Minis on facebook, please do so! We're at 30 followers (yay!) and there's a coupon code for my shop there. When we get to 50 followers, we will have a giveaway there (you have to "like" the page on facebook to participate)! So please stop by. The site is: https://www.facebook.com/LindasMinis

Hmmm, what else...I am dreaming up some new stuff for the etsy shop as well as planning my next project.

And because I like to include a pic with every post, here's a photo of some fern fiddleheads on a class field trip a few weeks ago! Happy spring!

Hiya!

Well, it certainly has been a while since I have posted, but so much has happened in the past few months.

1) I got a new job! I am now a professor, teaching biology to undergraduates.

2) Because of #1, I moved from NH to NY. I live in the Albany area. It's very nice, though I do miss the ocean quite a bit.

3) I went to Hawaii about a week ago for a symposium, and that was pretty awesome. :)

Due to all the craziness in my life, my hobbies have been on the back burner, but now that I am settling in, I hope to finish up some projects and start some new ones.

Hopefully this week (or at least within the next couple weeks), I will have shingled my Glencroft (finally) and finished off the rest of the work I need to do for it (add the front door, finish the chimney and attach the front yard).

I also want to explore some of the mini shops in my area. Apparently there is Lord Jim's Dollhouses in Schenectady, Linda's World of Miniatures in Greenville, and Judy's Tiny Shop in Delmar. I hope they are all still open so I can go and check them out. Have any of you been to these shops? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments.

Jason still lives in NH (in fact, I am there visiting for the weekend), and this has proved convenient (but still a bit of a bummer that we live so far apart now) because I didn't have a lot of time to move and was able to just move what I need. I'll be taking the Glencroft with me and a box of minis I left behind.

So hopefully I will post more updates soon!

Cheers, and thank you for following my blog!

Goodies to come...

Hello everyone! I'd like to welcome all of the new readers to my blog. :) Thank you for following me...nearly 70 followers?! Wow! I am thinking of putting together a give-a-way package when I get 100 followers, but more on that later.

I've been away from minis for the last month or so, since this summer has been dedicated to career-job hunting. I am working locally for the time being, which is great for the wallet and the bills. ;)

I am inspired, as always, to complete some of the projects that are waiting for me in my craft room, first and foremost - Glencroft. She needs her chimney finished and her roof shingled. I think I made a decision on the chimney and that can be completed while I wait to get shingles (I want to be permanently employed first - lol).

Jason nabbed something awesome for me on eBay and as soon as we get it in the mail, I'll show you. I am very excited!

Here's something the New England locals might be interested in: the New Hampshire Farm Museum. I took my sister and nieces there on July 4th weekend. First of all it was a real treat for my nieces (one is 16, the other is 4), but also for us adults, too. We saw animals, old farm tools, and a very lovely homestead from the late 18th/early 19th century. For those working with a historical miniature scene, it's quite a treasure trove of ideas. In addition, there is a lovely dollhouse in the parlor, fully finished and furnished. :) I was quite happy with that. And in the gift shop are wooden dollhouse hutches and other pieces for very low prices. In fact, they are very similar to some pieces I already have. I did pick a couple pieces up, but for now I do not have pictures of them. I will get them up on the blog asap.

Another thing I have been working on in the meantime, not related to minis, is the website of our bath salt company. Jay and I create salt blends by hand and pack everything here in our home. I apologize for the shameless plug, but if you are interested, do check it out here! :)

I think that's it. I just wanted to update so you know I am still around! :) I enjoy reading my friends' blogs and am constantly inspired by all of the amazing projects I see on them. Keep it up!

Peace,
Linda