what2craftnow

Welcome aboard, Elizabeth!! With the special pricing, I ordered more than I will use for this project....but we miniaturists know...it can ALWAYS be used in some future project, so if you can afford it, I say "Go for it". (we are such great enablers here...hehehe)

Happy, Happy Birthday Dean! Hope your day is filled with all the people and things you love most.

So sorry to hear of your loss Daphne. I had a favorite aunt like that too. She was such a bright light in our family, and I miss her to this day. Sending you gentle {{hugs}}

Tracy, I'm stickin' with ONE <she says, stamping her foot>...and like it or not...it WILL conform...<she says.... rather sheepishly>...oh boy, you know where THIS is goin'... This 'resident' and I are at total odds...a true battle of wills. So far...Resident 4 - Chris 0....<heavy sigh> This "the customer is always right' stuff is just...&^$#*!!!!! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (Not to mention...expensive!) <double sigh> Methinks I have opened Pandora's Box unknowingly and unleashed a small monster......who thinks money is no object, and 'traditional' is highly over-rated. Have decided I am just along for the ride...and am merely the means to an end. SO BE IT! AMEN! I SURRENDER.........(someone, PLEASE, remind me of that 'surrender' part when I complain..again.)

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one that this 'change' thing seems to affect. My Fling has changed it's mind more times than I can count now...so mine just may be a metamorphosis, so to speak ...perpetually in progress and longing to be something else. OY

One of my fav's is www.petitepropertiesltd.com in the U.K Another is www.andrewsminis.com

Not sure if this will help, but I have a few links in England. www.theoldnewinn.co.uk/village.htm www.bekonscot.co.uk www.abingdonvillage.com.au/ www.lakelandminiaturevillage.com I think most of these outdoor buildings are constructed with dense foamboard and resin castings for detailed work. Lakeland Mini Village appears to be stone construction.

Welcome back Sarah!! Hope you can convert your friend too....we so love new mini friends and enthusiasts! Have fun getting back to your Beacon Hill.

Been there, Jo. Mine took several turns at being 'this', 'that'...and I finally had one of those "Aw heck...just do it the way YOU like" moments. I don't know if anyone else will 'get it', but I do...and that's all that matters to me. I find that they are ALL unique and surprising in the end, even if some are 'the obvious' or duplicates. Everyone has their own special touchs added, so NONE are really the 'same'. Besides, woman!!...you do such FABULOUS work - it will be awesome no matter what you choose to do, of that I am sure!!

Oh, Those darn exteriors!!!.... Bricks? siding? paperclay? Tudor? Offbeat? Whimsical? Weathered? Whatever? I'm sure it will tell you Anna. They ALL seem to find their voice somewhere along the line...and then it really is :blahblah1:

Trying a brand new technique (for me anyway) on this Fling-thing. :groucho: My practice piece turned out pretty cool. Now I just have to decide which colors - bold or subtle, or both..and of course, try not to mess it up too badly. If I can carry it off even fairly well, it should be pretty different. And the owner of the house is pretty PICKY, so I'd best be "verwee, verwee careful". FLING ON

No expanding here...just the basics. My first two ideas wanted to 'expand' in the worst way...which may be why they are no longer working ideas. LOL I simply have no room for expansions anymore - barely have room to work on this one as is. It will just have to be content with staying 'compact'. But I plan to cram as much 'stuff' in it as I possibly can. May look like a hoarder's house by the time I am done.... :hide:

Sadly, I seem to be at a dead-end with this project. 'We' cannot agree on anything, and my patience level has reached it's end (for the moment). I am well known for having a VERY short attention span, so if the plan and ideas aren't flowing like a faucet, I walk away. <sigh> Soooo, I am just going to sit back and wait and see what happens. Hoping that magical 'something' will hit me...and SOON! Seems my silly muse and I have 'space' issues....and, unlike HER, I am REALLY not in the mood for going HUGE. <grrrrrr> Maybe she can gather some of her other 'musies' and they can just build the darn thing whilst I sleep...then I will be more than happy to decorate it! LOL

Deb, you could try 'Golden Creeping Jenny' (also called moneywort) instead of Baby Tears. It's not as delicate looking as Baby Tears, but still nice looking. It does well in sun or shade and 'creeps' all over. It pulls out easily if it gets too invasive. I planted some a couple years ago in an urn in one of my raised beds and the cascades reached the bed and took root there, so I just left it. It has covered nearly two-thirds of the bed now and is a lovely yellow contrast to the greenery. Also keeps a lot of weeds to a minimum. I think the less sun it gets, the 'greener' it will appear - the ones I planted under a raised area of my deck are more of a chartreuse than the distinct yellow of the ones in full sun area. It weathers winter beautifully too. Might be worth a look-see. Glad you will be able to get out and 'putter' in the dirt. I love getting my hands in the soil...gives me such joy to put something in the earth and see it become something beautiful. Although around mid-July, I have just about 'had it' with weeding, bugs and 'pinching back'...LOL

Then it was just my old eyes. Whew! Glad he was there and you got some of his lovely stuff. With the lighting 'kick' I was on...he probably would have cleaned me OUT, so just as well that I 'missed' him.

Well, I call dibs on the "SENILE" rating first.... :nana:

We have a 'reputation' here??????? :hide: Sheesh...and I thought this was the ONE place I could hide from ALL THAT!!! Will it never end?? hehehehehehehehehe (am having one of those "Indiana Wants Me" moments ....j/k...evil laugh)

I hope Bill is alright too Tracy. He is such a sweet guy. I couldn't find Ray Storey at the Bishop either (More lighting..go figure..lol), but that just may have been due to my 'old' eyes. Ray is always such fun to chat with, so I missed him. And it was not that crowded either. Oh Well...do hope they are A-ok. They do such fantastic work and are always on my list of "MUST stop and see". Have a wonderful time tomorrow!!♥♥

Well, back from the glorious Bishop show and IMA show and I spent WAAAY too much $$$. I actually did pretty well at keeping a lid on it .. until I got to The Lighting Bug at IMA..(sigh). In fact, I bought more lighting than anything else..LOL And THAT was NOT 'the plan'. Just goes to show..."plan all you want - these mini shows will wear you down in ways you never even thought of".. At any rate, I got some nice items - all suitably ____ish for the Fling, so tomorrow it is back to getting this Fling-thing progressing again. After all that shopping, I am too pooped to pop tonight. DH keeps sayin' "I'll take you back down there on Sunday if you wanna go"...and I'm like, "Please!!! DON'T ENCOURAGE ME!!" He must be off his meds ...LOL I'm just going to put the leftover $$ in PayPal and internet shop it away from the comfort of my chair. hehehehe On a sad note: Bill Lankford was not at the IMA show today. Not sure why he wasn't, but I do so hope everything is OK. I truly LOVE his landscaping stuff, and would have spent another small fortune at his table. Oh..and is it just me...or is Bespaq smaller in scale than most other pieces?? I swear, it is so beautiful, but you put it up next to something 'other' and it suddenly looks "uh-oh"...just a thought. Sorry, I'm rambling...

Jo, I have no doubt you and your muse will come up with something utterly fantastic. Have fun!! FLING ON!! I am off to the Bishop show today to see if I can glean any inspiration. Mine seems to have taken a break, so I'm going to go see if something at the shows will jostle the creative juices.