A first try and some pumpkins

Hello everyone, hope you all had a great week! Mine was a bit busy so I didn't get much miniature work done :/

What I did do though are two things. I made some Fimo pumpkins, which I think turned out alright, although I don't like the stems very much. I thought about using green Fimo, but it didn't seem quite right. Perhaps I should go with a darker brown next time? 

Every witch needs pumpkins!! I thought about making some eyes on them but ultimately decided against it (for the moment).

And the second item I tried making is a candelabra. I made it from wire and cardboard. It was extremely difficult making the wire stand exactly as I wanted but in the end I managed it. I don't think it looks all that bad for a first attempt, although when I make a second one I'll definitely change the design, perhaps add a bit more room for candles,... 

This still needs candles but overall a solid first attempt in my opinion.

My shabby first attempt at a candelabra...

Well, this is mostly it for now. I've also been trying to make a basket, since I found a great tutorial, but I've been having some problems with it which I'll hopefully resolve soon.

Until next time!

*Poof*

Of hats and dragons

Today I decided to make witch hats. I found a great tutorial that helped me a lot: GardenofImagination's wonderful HAT TUTORIAL. Thank you very much for a great explanation!

These are the hats I came up with

This is the first hat I made. As you can see I got quite a bit of glue on it in places I shouldn't have :P But as a first attempt I think it turned out pretty good. I love how the decorations turned out. 

Second attempt, the fabric was a lot better to work with but I didn't have anything other to decorate it with, since everything I had was black. Will have to get some material in the next few days.

An unfinished hat, still needs decorations. Again, I need to restock :)

These hats will probably be in the upper floor of my Witch's abode (will have to name it someday soon, hehe). As you can see this will be a fantasy witch who has a habit of wearing a different hat every day.

I do plan on making more of these as they were really fun to make!

Next thing is Is. The little dragon I created out of Fimo. I know she's not perfect but I think she's extremely cute and perfect for sleeping on a shelf.

Presenting Is :) And her horns glow in the dark.

Sleeping on a shelf... it's fun making her pose. I tried adding a chain so she wouldn't run away but I just didn't have the heart... And she promised she'll stay home :P

And another project from this weekend.... a shelf unit. They are made from real wood, not plywood and are only 3mm thick. I think this thickness works a lot better than plywood and it's a big difference in general. 

And the shelf finished. It's painted and sanded down to look aged. I did a slightly darker shade this time and I like it way better.

I had my dad cut enough pieces for 3 of these. They will come in handy on both floors. 

And a couple more scrolls for the end. Made from "aged" paper (coffee stained), these will be all over the house so I still need to make a lot more. These are meant to be "everyday notes", the ones from a previous post that are more fancy will be for more important documents.

Well, this is it for today. I had quite a productive weekend, considering I had a ton of other things to do.

And a clue for next post.... I tried making a candelabra..... will see how it'll turn out.

Have a great week everyone!

*Poof*

Cupboard of magical things.... well, the cupboard at least

I managed to put together and finish a miniature cupboard. Please keep in mind it's my first one.

It's made from 4mm thick plywood, but I think that if the wood would be thinner it would be a bit nicer.
I have plans for a couple of shelves and a kitchen counter/island, which will be made from real wood and will only be 2mm thick, which I think is better. But for now this is it, with 4mm thickness.

Luckily for me, my father works with wood and has a a bunch of tools. I made a plan and he cut the pieces with electrical tools, so I don't have to do it by hand :) I would cut the pieces myself but he's very protective of my fingers, hahaha.

Measurements: W 12cm x H 18,5cm X D 4,5cm (the top 2cm)

Assembled cupboard

Painted but not yet sanded to give it a worn look.

Finished product....

A few goodies on display, not what will be in here. Still need to make a lot more!

Close up. Here you can also see a leather bound grimoire and the newest quill.

Ok, this is it for now. I'm off to make some more miniatures.

*Poof*

Beginnings are easy..... Scrolls and books

Welcome to Illyria's Miniatures. I started this blog because I recently got the courage to start making dollhouse miniatures in 1:12 scale and I wanted to share them with other fantasy miniature enthusiasts.
I've stumbled across dollhouse miniatures a few years ago and have loved them ever since. Sadly I never had the will to make anything myself, until now.

For my first project I want to make a fantasy witch's house, filled with all kinds of amazing things. This will probably be a little hard, because there is no place to buy dollhouse miniatures where I live. So I decided to make my own. I realize this will be a long project, especially since I can't work on miniatures full time, but I'm not really concerned with that. I don't want to fill the house in one weekend with bought items, I want to enjoy making every miniature as well as furnishing the house.

My first attempt at miniatures were books and scrolls. I think they turned out pretty well.

Books can open but the pages are blank inside. I like to think of them as old grimoires (they aren't completely finished though, I still need to make some "metal" parts on the covers). Books are covered in leather and I painted 2 books gold on the sides.

Miniature scrolls and a quill, different sizes. All scrolls can open.

Book pages waiting to be assembled.

Unfinished books...

Books and scrolls in 1:12 scale.

Well, that's it for now. Yesterday I also started working on a cupboard and have glued it together. But more of that is the next post, when I have it painted and hopefully finished.

Thanks for reading!

*Poof*