Étagère

Finally I have some free time to write this post....

I think this is the last piece of furniture of 2013. Well, the Étagère and another console table, which is painted white.

I made this Étagère last month and it will be used in a lantern scene I'm making for a very dear relative. I hope to have everything finished in January for her birthday. It's going to be a shabby-chic-like patisserie, if I can make enough cakes and pastries to fill the scene.

It began with all the pieces cut out.... I made the plan based on a picture I found on the net.

I like how it turned out for a first try although I think that next time I should build a cabinet for the bottom and then add the Étagère..... my boyfriend thinks that it looks strange because the first three parts are the same size. Do you agree or is it ok the way it is?

I still can't decide if I should leave it like this or should I distress it a little..... some sanding here and there wouldn't be a problem but would it look better like this or distressed?

This is the lantern where I plan on making the little scene.... the table will be white, I already have it made but didn't find the time to take pictures yet.... There are going to be pastries on the Étagère. On the table there will be a plate with a fork and a half eaten cake. When my relative was visiting a few weeks ago she couldn't believe the small cutlery I purchased in Vienna so I decided to build something around that. Of course a dining table with a full dinner would be ideal but my Fimo skills aren't all that.... I'm just hoping I'll be able to whip up some pastries....

I'm hoping I'll get everything done before the middle of January. I have all the furniture, now I still need the cakes and pastries. I already made some cake slices but I will need quite a few more. I'm thinking of adding some boxes for pastries in the left corner.... and of course the chair still needs a seat... 

Oh, and please excuse the bad pictures..... We've had terrible weather for the last month and I have to take pictures inside.

Well, I think this is the last post until Christmas, unless I manage to take some more photos, which is unlikely.

I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful holiday and may Santa bring you lots of minis!

Until next time!

*Poof*

A chair!

This time things actually went as planned!! I'm super excited to share my newest creation with all of you, my dear readers! Finally, after many failed attempts..... I present to you.... a chair! :)

This is the end result and my first chair made from scratch. I like how it turned out although I might have been a bit too impatient to finish it and see how it will look. I could have done some more sanding on the back but all in all I think it's great for a first try.

Now as promised in my last post, I'd like to show you my new working area....

This is my father's workshop. As you can see he isn't exactly accustomed to keeping things clean. And I completely understand that you can't have a clean workshop if you actually work in it. You can see the large lathe he has on the left. Too bad it's not small enough for making minis....

This is the other part of the workshop where I'm currently taking up space :) It's too cold to work outside now but at least here I don't have to worry about bad weather and can work any time I like (unlike on my balcony).

And another view.... You can see the saw we use to cut the wood for my minis. Actually, my dad cuts everything to the correct thickness.... I guess it's for the best since I would probably loose a finger or two trying to operate this thing.

Now for some pictures of work in progress on the chair. It took me quite some time to figure out the best way for making mini chairs that would stick together. I'm very aware that these are not even a little close to what they could be like but for now I'm satisfied they stay glued together. The chair is made out of pear wood.

This is how I started....  These two seats are for the new chairs, I forgot to take pictures of the "prototype".

And this is the actual chair in the making (from the picture above). I had so much fun cutting out these tiny cabriole legs! They're a lot easier to cut than the ones for tables since they're about two times thinner to begin with.

Then it was time for the back of the chair. I drew my own pattern so there isn't another chair like this in the world. And of course some holes and a lot more sawing. 

And this is the semi finished result. I love how it turned out! After I figured out the lower part and forced it to stick together I got a little worried about the back. But it all worked out perfectly.

And here it is, fully assembled although not yet completely sanded.

If you look closely you can see that the legs are made of different wood. I just had a spare piece of walnut the right size and since this was a "prototype" I didn't want to bug my dad with cutting me pear for the legs. Now that I've seen it sticks together and how it works I do have pear wood for legs also.

And the end result. I wanted to make it into a shabby chic style but I can't decide if I should leave it like this (just white) or should I sand some parts and make it look a bit work and more shabby-chic-like. Any thoughts?

I couldn't resist trying it with one of my tables. Although this table is actually meant to be more of a side table or something standing in a foyer, not a table you would put a chair to..... but still, I had to see how it would look. I think I'm going to have to make a shabby chic dining table and some more chairs.

I was thinking of making some very light pink or lavender chair colours..... Hmm..... I think those would be lovely although I'm not sure they would fit into any settings.... Or perhaps I should just leave them a natural colour? Any suggestions on chair colours? 

Now I can't wait to make more chairs! Seems like once I understand how something works I can't wait to make more. I'm sure I'll make some walnut ones (finished with shellac) in the future but right now I'd like to get some more practice with pear wood (we have a lot more of pear than walnut wood at home). And I don't feel bad about colouring pear but I wouldn't dream of colouring walnut (except for the scrap piece I had for this chair legs) or much less mahogany.

Until next time!

*Poof*

Mahogany table

I know, it's been almost an entire month since I last posted..... I just can't believe how sometimes real life get's so busy I have next to no time for myself, let alone my minis!

I've wanted to show you this table I've been working on but haven't had the time until now. I started making this table right after the newspapers but then I got so busy with work and family obligations that I put it aside. It's still sitting like this but I'm hoping I'll be able to finish it next week. I'm very happy to report I have a whole week of mini time ahead of me so that means a lot of new ideas.

I got some very nice mahogany wood from a friend. I'm very excited to see the finished piece and set it next to the walnut table! It's a lovely wood to work with. Although I don't have very much so I have to be very careful with how I use it.

Here you can see the difference between mahogany and walnut. Both are still completely bare, without any shellac or even oil. The colour will pop and be a bit more intense when I apply the finish.

And what I've gotten done so far on the table. You can see my rotary tool kit under the pieces. This is probably the single most important thing in my process of making furniture.... besides my saws and sandpaper of course.

Now I've had a bit of time today to come up with some plans for a chair. So far there's not much to show yet but I will hopefully have some progress to show next week. I'm really excited to try making a chair (again), since I've tried three times already and given up. I think now I have a better plan and understanding of how it all comes together and hopefully it won't fall apart as soon as I glue everything together.

And also now that it's colder outside I moved to my father's workshop. It's not as warm as in the house but it's way better than outside. I'll show you some pictures next time..... although I must say it's not exactly clean. But I don't really need clean since I'm going to make a lot of dust anyway :D

Until next time!

*Poof*

Some very curious mice...

I had a bit of free time this morning and was able to finish the mice that are crawling into the Daily prophet.... or perhaps they are rats since they seem to be a bit big....

Some curious mice are crawling into the Daily Prophet... perhaps they're searching for news....

A coin to compare size.

And the whole front page with the coin for size reference.

Until next time!

*Poof*

Daily Prophet

Today I decided I needed a break from furniture. I always had the idea for making my own Daily Prophet on my to do list. Last evening I spent a few hours searching for things to put on the first page and deciding how to arrange everything. Although this is a first try I am very pleased with it. It's not an exact replica of the Daily Prophets found in the movies but I like it anyway. Now I can add to the list of things to make during the colder months when it won't be possible for me to make minis outside and I will need relatively dust free projects - making this newspaper was fun, will have to come up with some other versions of it.

The full front page I made. Although it's not much to show for 3 hours worth of work in designing it I like how it turned out. 

A stack that would be perfect in Flourish and Blotts..... I made most of the papers folded and I have quite a few more..... anyone interested in a trade, hehehe.

And now my poor sculpting skills..... this mouse is so tiny I had to sculpt him on a 1 cent coin. In general I like how he turned out considering how small he is. In person he looks a lot better but the camera captures all the small imperfections since he's a few times bigger in the pictures. I think my camera is too good for taking shots of my poor clay creations, hehehe. I do have to colour the eyes black though. Perhaps I should buy some seed beads next time I go to the craft store and use those for eyes.... any other suggestions perhaps?

I just love this little one trying to crawl into the newspaper :) and best of all, no need to sculpt the whole mouse!

I do like how he turned out although he's not exactly realistic.... and way too big for 1/12 scale. But who says a witch can't have bigger mice, right?

I hope you all enjoyed reading about something other than my furniture.... I feel like all I've been making for the past couple of months (with the summer-long break) is furniture..... so it's been fun to make something else and not needing a plan and measuring everything three times.

Until next time!

*Poof*

Serpentine Center Table

Finally I had a couple of days for myself. And of course any mini addict knows that means working on your projects! The boys had some work to do on the house renovations and I couldn't help so I got a whole weekend of free time.
Although the weather wasn't all that good, it was unusually cold for this time of year (only 10 degrees outside!) I put on four layers of warm clothes and settled on the balcony. I didn't think that miniatures could be hazardous to my health, but I've been proven otherwise. Although I don't have a fever I do feel quite bad today. But at least I got a lot done.

Ok, enough rambling, on to the interesting part.

I've decided to make another table.... I'm starting to think I'm getting a bit stuck on these.... perhaps because I figured out how to make them and they turn out good. I'm thinking about a nightstand next.....

This table has thinner cabriole legs than the dining table and is also quite smaller. It would fit perfectly in a foyer with a large bouquet of flowers on top and some mirrors on either side.... ooh, I see an idea for a roombox coming up.... maybe someday.

It still needs to be finished with oil and shellac.

And the new dining table to compare for size. 

This is the table I started cutting out a few weeks ago. Now I finally got the chance to finish it.

And here are all the pieces waiting for the finishing touches, oil and a few coats of shellac. I also made two matching console tables this weekend. These still need to be sanded a bit though. And the two hanging shelves that I made a few weeks ago are also waiting to be finished. I like to have a few pieces ready so when I finally get to the shellac part I can do all of them at once instead of doing each one individually. Since I have to put on four coats of shellac it's better to have more pieces.

I think it was a very productive weekend and I actually have something to show. Now it's probably time for some new pieces.... perhaps I really should try a nightstand..... will need to hunt for ideas.

Until next time!

*Poof*

Going to a miniature show!! Super excited :)

I barely remember when I last posted..... life has been getting in the way of miniatures a lot these past few months. I have very little free time these days but hopefully that is going to change soon. 

But for once, real life is going to have to make way for miniatures!! I'm super excited to be able to go to a miniature show! It's in Vienna, Austria next Sunday and I'm already counting the days. Although it's a 5 hour drive it's probably going to be well worth it. In case anyone is interested, you can find more info here.

Is anyone from blogland going too? I will of course make a full report when I get back :) 

I know this can't possibly compare to any of the larger shows but all of those are a lot farther away than 5 hours. I can't wait to see what treasures I bring home.

In between everything else I found some time to try a new dining table design. As you can see this one is a bit different from the previous one although I'm not sure it's the best one.

Rough cabriole legs.... still need a lot of sanding before they will be finished.

As you can see, not much has gotten done on my minis. Sometimes I think we all struggle to keep up with real life and then have no time for our projects. At least we have Halloween to look forward to, right? It would be time for some spooky/witchy items, wouldn't it?

Until next time

*Poof*

Another try at hanging shelves....

Today was a holiday so I had a few hours of spare time. Of course that means mini making time :) Since I'll be at work all day tomorrow I decided to treat myself to some minis today.

I've wanted to make hanging shelves from walnut wood for quite some time but never got around to it. I've also had the wood cut to size for some time and now I finally used some of it.

This one is a new design, although it is similar to a previous one. This of course needs to be further sanded and then it will get the whole treatment of shellac.

This one is from similar to one I made out of pear wood, but not exactly the same. It's smaller and a bit differently shaped. This one will also be finished with shellac. It will also be a bit darker after I apply paraffin oil and finish everything.

Sometimes, when real life deals us a plate of worries there is nothing more relaxing than taking a couple of hours off and doing a quick mini project. I love how these turned out and hopefully I will add a few more designs later on. First I want to make a few more console tables and probably one or two dining tables. Even though it's going to have to be stretched over a few weeks I hope everything will still get done.

Until next time!

*Poof*

OOAK Walnut console table now on Etsy

As promised, the walnut console table is now in my Etsy shop.

You can find it here.

Until next time!

*Poof*

Serpentine console table + large serpentine table

Hooray, two new tables :)

But first I would like to thank each and every one of you for all your nice comments and wonderful ideas! I appreciate every comment but sadly real life doesn't allow me to thank everyone individually right now. Please know that I love all of them and that they mean so much to me. It's always nice to know what others think of your work and it's such an inspiration to get such positive feedback.

Ok, down to business now, here's part of the process for another serpentine table and the result of the console table.

Before the final sanding, you can still see the rough spots that need some sanding.

It's still so nice to see the wood colour pop when I apply paraffin oil. I wanted to show you the difference again :)

Both tables with a coat of oil.

I love how this table top turned out. The specific grain and wood colour makes every piece unique and OOAK. It's truly beautiful.

I got this one to shine even more.... 

And the finished console table. I like how it turned out although I think I will change the sides a little on the next one. This one will probably go to my shop tomorrow.

I love making these! I will need to make some new designs for them.

I also have a question for all my wonderful followers.... If you could choose, which table would you rather have - a large serpentine table or a smaller console table? Would the console table fit better in your dollhouse since it's smaller and can be used for more things, or would you prefer the large serpentine table despite of it's size? I was wondering because I am thinking of a few new designs but I would like your opinion on what to make - smaller side tables/console tables or large dining room tables?

Until next time!

*Poof*

Serpentine console table part 2 + my new gadget

As always real life keeps getting in the way of making minis. And I had another distraction.... a new camera :D I bought a Nikon Coolpix L820 and couldn't be more satisfied with it. It suits my needs perfectly. Of course macro photography was a big factor in my decision and I can take great close ups with it.

I actually assembled the console table and sanded everything. Now it's going on the waiting list for shellac but I still need a few more pieces so I can coat a few pieces together.

I also started working on another large serpentine table. So far I have the table top and the cabriole legs cut. 

I love the way this one looks. There can never be another one the same :)

Roughly sanded legs. These will need a lot of sanding to become the way they should be.

And of course I had to play around with my new Nikon. A couple of shots so you can judge for yourself if it'll do for miniatures :D

Now another day of work and then we're off to our mini vacation in a spa. I can't wait!! 

Until next time!

*Poof*