Seaside scene

Even though I spoke too soon about the sunshine and we only had rain today I made a seaside themed scene. I decided to do 4 scenes altogether. This one will be the third.
I used the same idea as the others with stained balsa wood covering over with silicon glue where the sand would be and a cut out of blue paper with the white flecks again.
I used real sand and crushed shells for the beach. Choosing tiny shells to decorate and reindeer moss as seaweed. 
For the fence I used match sticks and for the sandcastle I used a toothpaste tube lid covered in sand with tiny shells stuck around the sides and top.
I made a bottle from beads to look like it has washed ashore. I love the old message in a bottle thing.

1.12 scale allotment

With the sun finally out and the temperatures rising I am getting that summer feeling and want to create sunny feeling miniatures!

With this in mind I did the natural garden and loved it so much I decided to do some more. This scene is an allotment.

I used the T bag soil mix layered and built up in places on top of a piece of sanded and stained balsa wood.

Once nearly dry I added my twig tree, cabbages (that I cheated and bought from Pinocchio's. Our local doll house dealers) I also bought the flowers that I cut to size and the trowel and secateurs. The stool I already had I just painted it and then rubbed in some ash to age and dirty it up a little. As a finishing touch I added some twigs too.

As I don't have a garden just a yard I am loving the fact I can still enjoy looking at one but in miniature! 

 

Nature scene

Sat in the sun on the back door step watching the children play really felt like summer today. 
I decided that while I was sat about I would make some thing. I started on a few things then found a piece of paper. Blue with white flecks in it. To me it just said water on a hot day with the clouds above reflecting within it.
So I cut a little wavy shape out and stuck it to some balsa wood I had cut to 3 1/2 cm squared, stained then coated in pva glue and water.
Next I took a t bag and emptied its leaves into a bowl and mixed in some pva glue and a little water. Covering the wood where I hadn't put the paper I squashed the mix thinly across. Once dry I built up some areas to give a more realistic finish.
Taking several different verities of dried mosses I created the grass and surrounding plants.
I used some tiny shreds of dried grass to wrap around a twig to create the log and I used dried mushrooms that are growing in a patch.
I cut a wheel from a wheel barrow and set it within the moss as though the grass is becoming overgrown and finished it off with scenic water.

    

Scenes in a box

I decided that I liked the witch in a box idea I used for a gift and decided to do a couple more. This time I left the witches out and did a knitting box and a sewing box. I think they would make great gifts.
I started by taking a small box, folding it flat and cutting it so that when put back together a door is formed. I then covered the inside with the paper I had chosen to use before fixing the over lapping flaps to the outside of the box. Once secure I put the box back together and covered the outside with a contrasting paper.
I found that you can get books of patterned paper in all sizes for scrap booking. It works out cheap and there is a great range.
I had a pack of transfers with flowers on them so I used a couple on the doors to the boxes then added a ribbon to one and a rope to the other door to create half of the lock. I finished them off with beads. On the side of the box I stuck a bead to finish off the lock.
Inside the first box I created a sewers scene. I used a picture of a shelving unit with material and cottons on stuck to a piece of balsa wood inserted into the back of the box, I added a mannequin, sewing machine with material being sewn upon a small table and some bobbins of cotton, tape measure and scissors.
The second box has a nanna sat in her rocking chair knitting, next to her is a basket of wool and knitting needles. In the corner on the wall is a shelf with a vase of flowers.
Every thing is totally handmade in both boxes.