Miniteers Meet

Miniteers' Visit


This month Elizabeth brought the incredible storage basket gifted to her from Lidi of BasketCase Miniatures to show us.

Fatima is amazed and jealous... me too!

Elizabeth is so thrilled and happy to have received this wonderful little work of art.

It is fantastic, actually nicer than the photos on Lidi's site http:///basketcase-miniatures.blogspot.com/  It is very finely woven, beautifully finished and has such nice weight in the hand. Such a kind and generous giveaway.

Lidi, can you see how happy she is?

But down to more serious discussions (in the kitchen of course).

It was my turn to host Elizabeth and Fatima for our monthly mini fix. We do communicate regularly by phone and email but when we are together we have so much fun and the hours slide past so quickly.

Both E. and F. are full of enthusiasm for this wonderful hobby and each month produce something new to amaze me.
 Elizabeth has been producing flowers for her garden on http://www.studioeminiatures.blogspot.ca and has also made bee skeps. If you look at her elbow on the counter above you will see a basket but the left item is a skep.  I wish that I took a close up photo of it but I think you will see one very soon on her blog.  E. also bought an assortment of artificial plant material for me to try and kick start me back into my miniature landscaping.


Below they are discussing the petit point pieces that Elizabeth has given to Fatima for her Garfield House. The theme of her house is the night before Christmas and the house, although modern, reflects its Victorian-era past. Elizabeth suggested that Fatima might be able to make cushions or upholstery using the petit point.

Conversation can be quite lively. Fatima says she will find it difficult to cut into the petit point. Elizabeth says she has been holding on to them for years. Two were taken from evening handbags. Do you remember seeing the bags at the Thrift Stores at one time. I still look for them but have not seen any for years.

Elizabeth insists they should be cut up and used ... and she must be obeyed! Show and tell next month perhaps?

On a challenge from Elizabeth,  Fatima has made onions - perhaps she will make them available soon on her site http:/www.beauxminis.com but she is often busy creating something different so we will have to wait and see.

Onion braid by Fatima, market basket and petit fours by Elizabeth

Teapot, cup and saucer by Monique Jouvenel. 

The onions look good beside the garlic!

In the afternoon we worked on little additions to Fatima's collections of Xmas items. Elizabeth made Christmas crackers, Fatima made rolls of wrapping paper and I made boxes. We cannot do anything that takes too much concentration as we are ..... no, we are not drinking too much, we are simply talking too much to apply ourselves to anything difficult.

We will not meet again until March when we go to the Seattle Show for a weekend escape.

I am heading back to Brisbane, Australia for a month and I have just noticed that the Brisbane Miniature Show will be on a few days after we arrive. I am looking forward to meeting some of my fellow miniaturists there and seeing their work.


I was excited that Minworks was featured in the Spanish Magazine Miniaturas in January 2014.  I know being published is old hat for many of blogland miniaturists but I was pretty excited.

I was amazed when Madelva, the Editor, connected with Elizabeth in 2013 to ask permission to use photos from my blog for Miniaturas.  I must admit I did not believe they would actually print them so it was a wonderful surprise when Elizabeth emailed me when I was travelling in New Zealand to say she had received several copies of the magazine.

I do note I have made quite a few small changes since these photos, most evident  is that
the bathroom is completely different now with a lite added over the door and heavy crown molding as well as a different colour on the bath.

also the linen cupboard is filling up.

Finally a small victory!

The bedside lamps have been lit because after an ongoing battle with the electrical tape it seems to be working! I should say that very quietly as next time I turn them on they may not work .... again.

 What a difference it makes to the bird bedroom - so named because of the blue birds in the wallpaper.

This is a reminder to all to make sure you take photos of your houses so you can appreciate how things develop over time.

regards to all
Janine