Been away and Marleens Giveaway

It has been a couple of weeks since I was able to check in here. Had to take a little trip as my dad was having surgery. All is well and I'm glad to be back home.

Marleen is having a giveaway to celebrate having 100 followers. The workshop photo below is her gift to the winner. There is still a little time to join in, just follow the link to her blog.

http://marleensminiaturen.blogspot.com/

Miniature Copper pieces

A few weeks ago I mentioned finding a miniature garage sale here in my neighborhood. These are the best of the copper pieces I purchased. One of the pan lids is hammered which really intrigued me. Another needs to have its handle soldered back on so hopefully someday I will acquire that skill or find someone to do it for me. The second photo shows what seems to be some type of water faucet. If someone knows what the proper name for this piece I would like to know. There is some pitting going on this which will be ok if it does not get any worse. The ocean air here is very unkind to metals so for now it will be stored safely away. This piece is also signed; Elaine Ware, JCS 4-6-80 No 007. Wow 30 years already so certainly a nice vintage piece. Does anyone know about Elaine?

1:48 scale Greenhouse project

Hello eveyone! Today I wanted to introduce you to my half scale greenhouse project and thought to pass on a little tip as well.

I found this little greenhouse while still living in Florida back in 2008 and started working on it after we settled here. It quickly got set aside again after I rejoined the workforce.

Faux painting has always been a passion of mine and I love playing around with colors like the stone on this project. You are still able to see the original color on the inside. Don't mind the empty vines, they will bloom again soon. Actually, you might be able to see that the glass cracked in transit so this really is a cover up. Speaking of cover ups, there is a product on the glass in these photos which is explained below.

This flooring is a section of wallpaper that has been in my stash forever. If you are like me you change your mind several times before making a final choices and I am now thinking that this floor is a bit too gray for the Hawaiian light. I have also started carving out the support columns and archways that mimic the front side.

Here is my little tip for you. Paint some type of  masking product on the glass prior to painting. 'Painting' this product on was much easier than applying tape before painting or scraping with a razor after. This particular product is part of a line meant for glass etching. It is super easy to apply AND remove. If you look at the top right roof section you can see where it has been removed.

The Tiki Bar is now open

The Tiki bar along with its new decor arrived on my doorstep this week. These custom items are what Kathi of Beautiful Mini Blessings, made for me after winning her giveaway. These are so much fun and I am so glad she was inspired by where I live to make them. The detail is supurb. She even used some lei flowers to seal the little packages. She is so creative wouldn't you agree? If you do not yet follow her blog I think you will find it fun.
Mahalo Kathi, these made my week.