Shy Spirit

What an interesting topic! I can't help with any information, but will be watching to see what others can add.

Just throwing in my vote - Paperclay all the way! Roll it out like pie dough, use glue to attach to the wall. Paperclay is very forgiving to work with ... it may crack some as it dries, but you can fill in cracks so easily with dampened "worms" of paperclay. It does shrink slightly as it dries, but not much. Seal it when dry. I have used egg cartons and they can be very effective, but paperclay is much quicker and easier (IMHO). Of course, you can't beat the price of egg cartons!

I am practically drooling over the Chinoiserie furniture ... it looks beautiful! I have some pieces that I bought second-hand, and although they aren't anywhere near the quality of your mum's, you have reminded me that I need to do something with them! Looking forward to seeing the house, and also what you do to create the look you want. I'm excited for you!

Thank you for sharing your experimentation with us, Roxy - it shows us very clearly the different results. This is so useful!

Very interesting ... I have used the wood stain markers successfully, as have others here ... but Muriel, you have given us food for thought! I now want to try my watercolour pencils on wood. Thanks for the link to Arjen Spinhoven's website, Cynthia - I love the kits! I hadn't seen this person's work before. The Moorish side table is right up my alley, and I now have that on my "wishlist". I copied the painting instructions for future reference, thanks again!

Impressive! Very clever construction - and some pretty nice tools to work with, too. They ended up with a very realistic miniature. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for sharing your Orchid, Melissa. It's so sweet! You have managed to fit a lot into each room - I love the ongoing chess game on the top bunk. The video wasn't so blurry ... I almost didn't view it because I can get dizzy easily, but it was fine!

A very quick and easy way to age paper is to wipe it with a damp teabag. I don't know what the tannins in the tea may do to the paper, but I have a picture that I used this method on, and it still looks fine - and that was about fifteen years ago!

That's a lovely picture, and an interesting story to boot! I hope it works out for you with Kathie's friend.

It sounds like you have some delicious eye-candy - either now, or in the future! I look forward to seeing the gypsy caravan all fitted out, and my curiousity has been piqued ... do you have a photo of your special painting? Nowadays of course, with the "Paint" program and other wonderful techie developments, resizing is just a few clicks away. I say that easily - but I still need to be talked through the process, step by step, if I'm trying anything like that!! Fortunately, I live with a computer guru, so I have help nearby.

Jeannine, how are you with polymer clay? I love the stuff personally, and you may bake that so easily in an oven, no kiln required.

I believe they would need the actual object to scan for a 3-D printer, not an image. How on earth do you plan to paint those miniscule details in half-scale?? My hat is off to you!

Oh this book is beautifully done, Cait! I love the texturing you achieved, and the aging is perfect. Most impressive.

Thank you, Joanne! Yes, it took forever to paint the roof - the shingles were only stamped onto a smooth sheet of wood, so I felt they really needed to "pop". I hope you manage to post some pics ... good luck!!

I must admit that I am not on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. A few choice blogs (where I lurk), Pinterest, and of course Greenleaf are places I find inspiration, and I see that many people display their creations on all these places. Pre-Covid you could approach public spaces like libraries to display pieces. The miniatures club that I belonged to displayed a number of roomboxes at the local library. A couple of Senior's community centres asked for some temporary displays - and even a talk by one of our members, to a group of interested seniors! That might have to wait until post-pandemic, but something to bear in mind.

Why don't you create your own blog? Easy for me to say - I wouldn't have the first notion how to go about it ...

I like this! Looking forward to seeing the completed display - Hocus Pocus is a great movie.

I had high hopes for this show, and waited with great anticipation. While watching the first episode my eyebrows ended up arched in a permanently surprised look - permanent for the length of that episode, that is. I could hardly believe that these people were the best miniaturists in America! Of course, we know now that they were not. No offense intended to these brave souls ... they gave it their all, and did much better than I would in such weird circumstances. I expected to see more in-depth techniques, less "drama", and more or less what you all have already mentioned. Happily, the one tip about using gel nail polish to glaze pottery pieces was new to me. I look forward to trying that sometime. I don't use gel nail polish (or any nail polish), so will have to buy some, and also a light setup to cure it. In my opinion, the winning team deserved their prize. Can you imagine what a "trip" it must be, to vacation in a RL version of the miniature home you designed and decorated! I really hope this boosts the miniature community in general. I think it should be about time for the pendulum to swing back, and for the craft to grow once more. Fingers crossed.

This is another lovely outfit! I agree that the sequins look best on the boots. The details are, as always, amazing.

Have the fairies moved in yet? I like the wild look - I'm sure it will attract a lot of fairies!

Nothing wrong with conversation, Michael! Congrats on the castle build - I hope you will take and post many pics along the way. How nice for the family, to see their late father's dream brought to fruition by you.

What a wonderful Christmas present to yourself!

Yes, shillings, sixpences, all the old British coinage! You could make a copper cooking pot from a big old Penny. I live in Canada now, but my family may have some old coins somewhere ... otherwise, I'll be looking at mostly Canadian/American coins. Borrowers can be modern, and live in other countries too ... Nice to have your own name stamp, Joel! Do you have any photos of the miniature knives you made?

On my "To do" list is a "Borrower's" roombox. Wouldn't it be appropriate to have some bowls/plates etc. made by the Borrower's from "borrowed" coins? I shall have to think about this ... I do love receiving this kind of inspiration - thanks!

This is what makes the Greenleaf forums special - the talented members who contribute their knowledge, techniques and tips to the group at large. I am interested in seeing more of what people like Joel and Ron do with the dapping tools. I've never tried anything like this before (and maybe never will), so it will be very enlightening. I love to learn as much as I can about all kinds of miniature-making, even when I may never attempt some of the techniques myself. Joel, I saw the "black smear" right after I posted - I think we were posting at the same time. Did you make your own name stamp?