Road trip plans

Yes, this is mini related!

As I mentioned in the previous post, I will be visiting as many upstate New York miniature shops as possible and a couple in western PA! It gives my fiancé and I a perfectly good excuse (not that we need one) to visit some towns we've never been to, see some new sights, and check out some new restaurants, too.

So far, here's the list of shops we'll be visiting:
Lilliput Miniatures
Niagara Hobby and Craft Mart (which I discovered after watch MsMiniLover's video on Youtube)
Chautauqua Miniatures
Volant Miniatures
and Lynlott Miniatures

And unrelated to minis, because we like anime, Godzilla, and awesome Japanese things, we're also going to visit Joy's Japanimation in Greensburg, PA. :) Then off to my parents in central PA for some nice, relaxing family time. My mom just retired so we will get to spend lots of time together!

During the trip, I will be blogging each day about the on-road experiences, goodies I picked up and maybe some hints at a future giveaway! ;)

Speaking of giveaway, don't forget to check out Linda's Minis facebook page and LIKE it if you haven't already. At 50 followers, I'll announce a giveaway!!!

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!

Announcing Linda's Minis Facebook perks!

Linda's Minis has a facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/LindasMinis

If you "like" this page, you get news of the latest happenings and additions to the Linda's Minis Etsy shop.

If Linda's Minis facebook page gets 30 likes, all of the fans will receive a coupon code for a discount in the shop. When we reach 50 likes, there will be a drawing for a giveaway for a free item!

Check out the page and share with your friends!

My next project(s)

In my last post, I hinted about my next project. I guess I can elaborate a little more on that here. :) I've had the Canterbury in a box for a while and have been trying to figure out what it's going to be. At first, I thought about turning it into a library, a tea room, a bakery, or something like that. Then it hit me! I love history and one of my favorite places to go visiting, antiquing and learning about the area is Lancaster, PA and the surrounding area. This part of Pennsylvania is full of Amish farms and museums, as well as lots of Pennsylvania Dutch history. (For those unfamiliar with PA Dutch, these folks lived in PA around the 18-19th centuries and were actually German Descendants. The word Dutch here is actually an alteration of the word "Deutsch," the German word for, well, "German." My ancestors on my father's side were PA Dutch and Irish, and the PA Dutch side had lived in the Lancaster County region at one point).

Anyway, I digress... for my next project, I want to build a historical society of a fictional town in the Lancaster area with lots of PA Dutch, Amish, and historical artifacts. This is going to be a lot of fun. I foresee a tiny meeting room, a research area, and an upstairs museum. I know the Canterbury is small, so I won't fit a ton of stuff in there, but I think I have plenty of pieces already (and in kits) that will work. Plus, this house comes with its own furniture too, so I can fill in the empty bits.

I've already picked up some stuff from an antique shop in Cambridge, NY: tintypes (to frame and put on the wall) as well as a wooden nickel as an antique advertising piece.

We have a color laser printer again  and I am going to make some hex signs, advertising and more historical photos. I've also picked up a little working wooden filing cabinet (for the research room) from Mainly Minis.

 

I can't wait to start on it. I've been itching to build lately and this particular kit is small so there's actually room to display it and I may even finish it over the summer. This build also gives me an excuse to hit the antique shops for more ephemera. :)

One more find in Cambridge is a gorgeous Japanese box:

I think I am going to turn it into a room box and perhaps sell it on Etsy. Hmm, we will see. :-)

My first Etsy treasury inclusion!

So it seems as my little knitting basket has been featured in an Etsy Treasury! So exciting!

Bed and Breakfast (in miniature) treasury

Lots of cute stuff featured here - check it all out!

So, I've been quiet as the semester is quickly winding down to a close. Lots to do, lots to do. But not to worry, as I have been planning my next project. :) Once I get some materials together, I'll reveal what it is.

I've decided to not participate in the Spring Fling from Greenleaf (well not at the moment at least; I could change my mind), but instead work on another idea I've had, one that's based in history. :)

And, now that the semester is soon to be over and I will have more time to travel, I am planning something very fun. So, stay tuned for that. ;)

Wordless [Mini] Wednesday - New stuff on Etsy Edition :)

New mini goodies and some stuff for sell. :)

I picked up two more Carolyn Curran pieces last weekend and want to share. I love these things! I talked to one of the nice people at the shop in Queensbury, NY (Sutton's Antique Marketplace, if you're ever in the area) and they told me that the dealer who sells these also collects life-size pottery. A lot of these minis were copies of pieces of his collection. I love hearing background stories about these items! Anyway, here's a pic of the two newest pieces added to my collection:

Behind the pottery in that picture are some goodies I just placed on etsy: a framed print of a lighthouse and a basket full of knitting goodies. Here's a link to my shop and a pic of all the stuff that's up for sell as of tonight (except for the table, which is only for display)!

I also have a little Reutter Porzellan Beatrix Potter tea set (dollhouse mini size, of course) up on eBay here. :)

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! I have a lot of grading to do this week, so my posts may be minimal, but the crafty gears are always turning. ;)

PS: Linda's Minis has a facebook page, too! Check it out here. :)