11/08/05 Big Mini Fear?

[Minis On The Edge]

What is the one thing you would LOVE to try and do in Miniature, but you are just too afraid to try?

Mine is creating my own molds for things I have made. MaryAnn Stage (who did hogwarts staircase in 1/2" scale) has sent me instructions on how she does it AND she has written 2 articles on it. Though she is a click away and I know she will help me, I am still too chicken to do it. I have taken the plunge and bought all the needed items which came in the mail today.

[shutterbugkc]

I really need to make some miniature clothes for a doll I have made, but I'm very intimidated and can't seem to even start. So he stands there with his naked little pipe-cleaner body shivering in the cold. I sew full scale clothes just fine, but this is so small and I don't really have a pattern, so I will need to "freehand" it. I even have the material that I need for his shirt. I suppose, I could at least wrap the material around him like a robe. Poor guy.

[Missymew]

I'm scared to try anything!!

I wanted to make roomboxes for my granddaughters for Christmas ... I tried to figure out how to lay out a base and attach three sides to it. Don't have a clue ... I went up and down the aisles in Michaels trying to figure out how to attach things.

Finally went to the Miniature Store .. great guy ... gave me two fabulous room boxes for only $15/each.

Now I'm trying to decorate ... but I'm scared to wallpaper or install flooring ... I've never done anything like this in my life!! I've never banged a nail, glued, sewn...... I buy things that other people make and decorate.

I have my roomboxes sitting on a shelf ... furniture (made by somebody else) arranged. Yellow stickies where the pictures I've ordered will hang. But I really want to wallpaper and lay flooring.

HELP! Where do I start ... what would you recommend for somebody like me?

[Nameless1]

Shalean, here's what I'd recommend for complete Fear of Roomboxing:

1. Go back through the forum and find all the advice on ONE thing you need to do. Wallpapering is a good place to start.

2. Make yourself a "recipe" for putting up wallpaper. I call it a recipe because up top, you list the ingredients you need, then you list the steps to do it.

3. Gather the ingredients. Do not worry about whether you could save a trip to the craft store by getting ingredients for more than one task! The important thing now is to get a task done so you discover that you can do it!

4. Set up your work space with everything you need right there.

5. Do the task from beginning to end. It does not have to be PERFECT. Most people will never know the difference between PERFECT and REALLY NICE. We are always our own worst critics.

6. Take photos and post them so we can tell you how great it looks!

Then you just repeat this for each step. All this is, is a very explicit, one-step-at-a-time version of what goes ZOOOOOOMMMMM through an experienced crafter's head in doing a project. But you can't get the ZOOOOOOMMMM until you have some experience to draw on.

Oh -- and don't forget that everyone makes mistakes in projects. (Beginners may actually make fewer mistakes because you're still following the instructions carefully!) I always kick myself for the kitchen experiments that don't come out well... then I read Cook's Illustrated and notice that their experienced cooks try methods that are complete disasters. Experience is what gives you a feel for improvising, but no one improvises flawlessly all the time.

[debbie4159]

Stained glass -- I just love it but am too intimidated to try!

Debbie

[hydroped]

My biggest mini fear... electrification. I know I know - Darrell has a wonderful tutorial (I've read it many times ) and it's not that hard (so I've been told).. I even bought a kit.. so I have just about everything to get started.. have I started? Noooo. Why - plain old fear. I'm afraid I'll get the wiring in.. and I'll have to pull it out and do it over again cause I did it wrong.. not such a bad fear right? but it goes on from there.. I'll do it over again and this time it will work.. till I put up wall paper or paint and the tape wire will show under the wall paper.. (I have no idea why I'm afraid of that but I am) - then I'll turn it on and even though it worked before I put up wall paper I have this fear that once the paper is up the lights wont work and I'll be stuck with a house that has lumpy wall paper and lights that wont work and the hole thing now will look... very very bad

Fortunately I have managed to keep putting off wiring.. and have enough non electric projects going that I won't try tackling it now till sometime after the first of the year. I know - just do it - but dang.. so far that is THE most intimidating thing in miniatures I've faced yet. I really would much rather take a class where they walk you through it than try to tackle it on my own.. I wonder if the gal at the local mini shop would consider doing another wiring class (I missed the one she did last year)

-David

[hydroped]

...

Now I'm trying to decorate ... but I'm scared to wallpaper or install flooring ... I've never done anything like this in my life!!  I've never banged a nail, glued, sewn......  I buy things that other people make and decorate.  ...

HELP!  Where do I start ... what would you recommend for somebody like me?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Shalean - I feel pretty much the same way with the room box I bought - It's a great room box but what if I make a mistake?... Well - I went out and bought some foam core (I love this stuff!) and I measured the back wall first and cut a piece of foam core to fit then with it inside the box I measured the side walls and cut more foam core.. now I have psuedo walls - I can take them out, wall paper them and then just push them into the box - any time I decided I dont' like that wall paper or want a totally different box - out come the foam core inserts and I have the clean box to start over with. It's not the answer for everyone but I really like it - and you can do the same thing for the floor - or put down carpet without gluing or they have these great sheets of real wood flooring - a bit pricey at $15.00 a sheet but they are beautiful!

-David

[MistyStarz]

This may sound stupid... but I am afraid to even build my first house!!! I have been reading all the notes and learning from them. I have been working on a cabin that was given to me, adding things. But I have yet to even start a house from the box up!! So I guess every part about it scares me! Yikes!!!

[molmrath]

Everything! I keep putting things off because I'm afraid I'll mess them up. I'd have to say my biggest fear is probably doll making though. I've wanted to put together my own doll for years, but I've never even gotten up the guts to order the kit.

[Deb]

My biggest mini fear... electrification.        -David

<standing beside David> Hi, I'm Deb and I'm also afraid of electrification. For the same reasons too. I don't want to mess up the walls and have the wallpaper look bulky or put cuts or holes in the wrong places and then go thru all that to find out I did something wrong and the lights won't work and I'll have a lumpy, bumpy house that looks like swiss cheese.

Deb

[Nameless1]

Uh oh! I sense Fear of Not Being Perfect! (Admittedly, I could probably stand to develop some of this... I'm awfully happy to play around with my imperfections, and as a result, I'll probably never concentrate on doing really artistic-level work.)

What will happen if your first try isn't Perfect?

1. You'll rip it out and redo it.

2. You'll cover it with trim.

3. You'll do better on the next one.

Nothing really happens if stuff goes wrong. People don't show up to mock you. (Non-mini-folk don't know how it's supposed to work, and mini-folk know perfectly well that projects run into problems.) Nothing explodes. It's very difficult to screw up a project so thoroughly that it can't be fixed.

[shutterbugkc]

I don't want to mess up the walls and have the wallpaper look bulky or put cuts or holes in the wrong places and then go thru all that to find out I did something wrong and the lights won't work and I'll have a lumpy, bumpy house that looks like swiss cheese.

I remember being afraid of doing the electricity, but my fear wasn't about how it would look. I was afraid I would end up shorting wires and my little wooden house would burst into flames. I had a terrible mental image of it and when I finaly got everything wired, I turned it on and just watched it for a good 20 min to make sure nothing was going to catch on fire. Nothing happened and I was so relieved.

[wenlaine]

I hate to say it but wiring was my most horrible fear. I swore I would lick this problem until I realized what I was afraid of, FIRE. I was working on the first light after I had it all installed and for some reason (I'm still frightened and don't want to know why) it just started sparking, obviously a short somewhere, but I can honestly say, I was so scared I was sure I would never touch another light again. In the next half hour while I sat looking at this room with the light hanging, I convinced myself that I could do it, but I was shaking so badly. I took out the light, started again (this was after I had wallpapered) with a new lamp, fixed up the wallpaper and it worked. From then on, I knew there wasn't anything I couldn't tackle if I put my mind to it.

[Lyn]

Iam with Deb and Dave Iam teriffed to even attempted to wire a house in fear of catching it on fire and I have NO clue where the heck to start tape wireing or round wireing??

Lyn

[Nameless1]

Here's a tutorial on how to electrify with tapewire. I strongly recommend reading all of Louise's stories about her building adventures. You will never fear failure again!

I think Darrell & Melissa also did an electrifying tutorial, but I'm too lazy to go looking for it. (Trying to clean/reorganize full-sized apartment while working on a mini house today.)

[Added] I have started a poll in the General Mini Talk section to see how many people have actually set a dollhouse on fire while electrifying. I've never yet heard a story where someone did... but maybe I'm missing a trend...

[Deb]

Uh oh! I sense Fear of Not Being Perfect!

You've been reading my diary??? You're absolutely 100% right. I have a fear, no make that a phobia, of being less than perfect. But everything is a life lesson and one of the greatest things I gain from this forum and the wonderful people on it, is the encouragement to put aside the fear of failure and not let it stand in the way of trying something new.

So, armed with my can of spackle, a good xacto blade and the support of everyone here, I'm learning to be braver about trying new things--not just in mini's, but in the big, wide world too.

Deb

[strudles]

I think I'm most afraid of trying to put things together that will look nice together, like interior decorating and such. I am severely lacking in that area, even in my own house unfortunately. I'd feel so much more comfortable if I could hire a mini-interior decorator (lol). Then maybe I wouldn't be so intimidated. I'm also afraid of making things from scratch (in lieu of buying already made adorable things which I can't afford), that they'll just look dorkey and not like what their supposed to be at all. Ho hum, I guess those aren't the worst things in the world. The times that I have actually bit the bullet and made mini things have been such fun and so fulfilling too so I probably shouldn't worry about it, right?

[havanaholly]

I guess I've faced up to failure and made repairs for so long I may be "afraid" of trying something, but I'll charge on ahead & do it.

Except electric. What scares me? Not the fear of fire, although reading Louise's tale of woe nearly put me into traction laughing so hard. I went out & priced the wiring kits, transformers, fixtures, etc. Whoa! Nellie, I already $pend like a drunken sailor (no offense intended to any other sailors in our group). But I looked so forlornly at Tracy's little Glencroft fireplace lit up & flickering & DH saw the look on my face so maybe next house...

Although I think I'm a little afraid if I use dryer lint for quilt batts the little people might burn their house down smoking in bed (sorry, Wende, couldn't resist that one! )

[Nameless1]

LOL, Holly!

Related to Fear of Not Being Perfect... this afternoon, I'm ripping down the wallpaper in the Not-So-Haunted House's bathroom. It went on with bubbles at the bottom edge and then picked up a glue streak or two... to my overwhelming relief, I have three more sheets of paper. So I'm redoing the dratted thing!

[MiniMadWoman]

Well, I can honestly say that I'm not afraid to try anything with mini-ing after renovating (and almost completing) the Beacon Hill. Nothing ever went so wrong that I couldn't fix it "somehow"!!

What I'm afraid of is that hubby will cut off my banking privileges!!

[nuttiwebgal]

well I have been afraid to try many things due to the

"being less than perfect" problem.

but I tried paperclay...dont like the way it makes my hands feel and still not proficient with it but Im more comfortable about trying more things.

I was terrifed and clueless about wiring but after seing Tracy do the hard wiring I thought...hey I can do that. and the haunted house is proof of it.

Holly try E-bay for lighting kits. I just won an auction for 26$ and got over 200$ worth of stuff...cant wait for it to arrive so I can wire the Mckinley as per Darrell's

diagram.

fimo clay and dollmaking scares me also.

But I recently bought a mold off of e-bay and made something that I am proud of.

although its very amateurish.

so in the last 3 yrs I have learned not to fear but to plunge right in!

after all I can always try again.

and BTW

if it werent for the sharing of those who have such wonderful talent I wouldnt have tried any of the things I just mentioned!

mini thanks!!

nutti

[darrellandmelissa]

I am afraid to make anything with right angles. Little boxes, furniture and the dreaded picture frames. I can work ALL day on it and when Darrell gets home he takes one look and says, "ummm That's not square" But if anyone needs thing shaped in a parallelogram, them I am your person.

Melissa

(Darrell) says he is not afraid of anything.

[smallhouset]

I am afraid of my Fairfield. I have built 5 1" houses, several roomboxes and a few 1/4" boxes but for some reason I'm scared to death to start building that house. It took me 2 years to get up the nerve to order the kit and now I can't get it out of the box. I'm slowly gathering supplies to decorate and furnish it,but I don't even really know how many rooms are in it. I know I have to get past my this fear but......

terri

[craftaholic]

Stained glass -- I just love it but am too intimidated to try!

I took a stained glass class about 6 years ago. It is one of my favorite crafts to do. If you get a chance, TRY IT. I think you will love it. I strongly recommend taking a class where they supply the tools to make sure you like it first. The tools are pricey.

[darrellandmelissa]

Fears and such....

I can freely admit that MANY things we've done have turned out far less than even mediocre. That said, there are a few things we luckily managed to get right the first time by some streak of luck or just an accident. For example I have a knowledge of electrical things and melissa is quite good at anthing involving a needle and thread.

But for those of you afraid to try certain things I have a few suggestions. Just do it. Like a few have said already nothing can get so messed up there's not SOME way to fix it, hide it, cover it, correct it, or claim that it was PLANNED that way. GRIN!

Electricity - The transformer cuts the current and voltage down to such a low small level there's NO WAY you're going to start any fires by shorting something out, or get shocked. You can turn the transformer on, lick your finger and stick it across the brass brads and if you're SUPER sensitive you MIGHT feel something. I don't. I HAVE made my share of sparks. This usually happens when I've connected a new tape to one already powerered and tested it. THEN forgot to turn off the transformer, and set about adding another tape. Putting in the first side of brads is fine. But then it sparks as I push in a brad to the other side of the tape and the metal tool I'm using touches the heads of the brads on the first side. It's usually only AFTER seeing the tiny spark I remember to turn off the transformer.

There are many things we have NOT done. Not because we fear them though but because there are SO MANY things to learn and try that we simply can't do them all at once.

Examples on how I've covered problems.

* When I moved from the SF bay area to Redding, a few pieces of siding broke off of the Beacon Hill along with a few of the trim parts getting lost. The missing parts were recreated by using some matching parts that didn't get lost as patterns. A missing piece of siding I simple LEFT missing and painted the blank spot of wood behind it flat black to look like "tar paper" often used on walls under siding.

* wall paper usually covers tape wire fine. Especially if it's printed on heavy paper or applied to card stock. There's no way you'll have bumps and bulges. But what if you want to simply paint. In that case adding a stucco finish or using spackling comppund and creating a new surface over the tape hides it well.

* A part broke and was glued back together but the "repair" still shows. Possible solutions are to "antique it" to be an OLDER piece. Or... if possible, cover the repair with some sort of trim or decoration. OR.... if you're willing to forego the wood grain, add putty to the entire piece, sand it, and paint it.

And remember this always. If it's SOOO messed up that you believe that it's absolutely impossible to salvage or fix or mask it, then consider it an automotic invitation to experiment with it. After all, once you're sure you cannot make it any worse then adding paper clay may be fun to try your hand at. Or magic stone. Or tole painting. or or or... And you never know. You may invent a new style we ALL love and want you to tell us how you did it.

Another tip is to experiment with scraps and garbage. Our casket is one of our most prized possessions and took a long time and lot of work to make. But it was made out of coffee stirrer sticks, popsicle (craft) sticks, and the scrap punched out window and door parts from our Beacon Hill along with some glue, paint, and wood putty, and just "experimenting" because "someone" was complaining someplace they couldn't find a decent one inch scale casket. We couldn't either so we wondered if we could make one. But not having a lot of money for the project we used only scraps. The results were great. And a surprise for us too.

Darrell