Three questions

There's a new game in russian community. I suppose I'll let it out to the whole world tonight:)

It's called "Three questions to the craftsperson" (or something similar, :)). The rules are
1. to answer three questions of the blogger who gave it to you,
2. to give this picture to the other 3 bloggers
3. create new three questions for them.
I have received this game from two ladies at once, so I'll answer 6 questions. I'll still pass it to 3 bloggers, though :)
Here are questions from Ksanya:

1. Расскажите о том прекрасном дне, когда в вас поселился дух миниатюриста!!! ( Какой это был день, с чего все началось, и что было первое сделано вашими ручками )

(Tell of this wonderful day when you got the minibug!!! What was it like, how it get started, what was the first thing you have made)

I don't want to repeat myself a lot, I've written about that day in my first post already:) I can say it was very spontaneous (I like beeing spontaneous a lot!) I just saw a picture on the net and thought: Hey! that must be fun to create!:) The first item was an armchair for the christmas scene.

2.  Хотели бы вы придумать свои традиции ( игры, эстафеты...) (Do you want to invent your own traditions - games etc.) Actually no :) I am not confident enough that other people are as enthusiastic as I am in such things. Sometimes I feel like I'm forcing them to take part in such things and that is the last thing I wanna do - to force someone.

3. Как относятся ваши близкие к такому виду творчества. (что думают, что говорят, поддерживают ли...)

How do people around you look at your crafts (what do they think, are they supportive?..)

My mom is extremely supportive. She thinks she can't craft at all (I think she just didn't try!) and that's why she likes it a lot when I show something new. My husband is rather calm about this one, but that's who we both are - we are very calm people :))) He gave me Dremel as a present, so I think that counts for being supportive:) I certainly wish my daughter would be more interested, but I suppose that would come along when she's a little older.

And here are three questions I got from Ludmila

1. Какие хобби, кроме миниатюры, вам интересны? Что хотели бы освоить, чему еще научится?
What hobbies besides miniature interest you? What else would you like to learn?

Besides miniature I like doll-making and certainly want to learn more on this one. I also adore painting, I've attended drawing classes for more than a year, but then, unfortunately, had to quit, due to lack of time. i am also gamer (I know, totally unrelated to crafts, right? :) I like videogames a lot and think of them as a great hobby for spare time) And i like foriegn languages. I more or less know English and German. Now I've started to learn Chinese as well. It keeps my brain always busy :)

2. Откуда черпаете идеи для создания новой миниатюры?
Where do you get the new ideas for minis? I am only recently in this hobby so I sill have plenty ideas of my own to try out:)

3. Допускаете такую возможность, что через несколько лет вы оставите миниатюру, а всю, что сделано раздарите, раздадите? Или миниатюра - это на всю жизнь?
Do you admit the possibility that in a few years you will leave minis, give away all the mini stuff? Or you're planning to devote your whole life to minis? 

I have no idea) But I certainly hope that I'll make my way to master this skill. Probably even to the level where I can sell it and earn some additional profit with this craft.

And now my three questions that will go to Birgit, Britta, and Drora. Of course if any of you do not mind passing this game along - I've already said in my answer to Ksandra's second question, that I feel a little spammy when I do these kind of things :)
Anyway, here are the questions:
1. Have you ever thought of selling your crafts (or perhaps you did?) Would love to learn about the experience
2. Do you have any friends around you, who also got this "infected" with minis after you?
3. Do you ever feel guilty about diching household duties (or other duties) because you've spent too much time crafting? :)

So, guys, sorry for the longpost:) At least it was interesting for me to write it and will certainly be interesting to ready your answers:)

  

Bears!

Now my ginger has her own teddies :) I like the big one ("big", he-he) I need more practice on the tiny)

My daughter, Arina (she's 5,5 now), has been coughing a little lately (no wonder: we all got the same infection). So she's staying at home with me instead of kindergarten. I didn't go to work this week, but I must say I get tired even more here at home with her :) Inspite of the cough she's feeling great and extremely bored without her friends! I must say I'm not used to spent 24 hours with her without a break! :)) Usually she spends 1 or 2 days at my parents' but they are also afraid to get sick now, so we are stuck... It's such a pity she doesn't have enough patience to craft something yet :) but that's OK, I'll wait))
So, some rest when she's asleep now, finally :)

plants and small bookcase

Quick update here:)
Thanks to Jane at miniFanaticus with her wonderfull tutorial on plants-making I decided to give it a try. It is certainly more fun for me than paper leaves - with paper I get glue all over me :) - though the mount of ime is just the same. The only thing is, by Jane the leaves seem to be more translucent. I need more pratice on mixing the clay.
I did the pots on the Tatiana's tutorial here. Tatiana, thank you so much ) It's really as simple as that - you just need to wrap it with foil so that pots and dishes won't be ruined when you're trying to get them off the cap. By the way, earth looks very realistic if made the same way as lilacs: Semolina painted with brown acrilic paints looks great!
I have also made a small bookcase. Not sure what  would go in there.The photoes are at night under electric light - so the colors are not great.
All in all: too much purple??

Some progress

Weekend. It means finally some time to make minis. Usually. But, sadly enough, yesterday I cought terrible flu and was litterally not able to get up. Today feeling much better, thanks :)
However, lying in bed you also can do something pretty. I decided to try embroidery and I'm quite pleased with the result (the cushion is little too big but that's ok for the first attempt :))
This is what I generally like about miniature: you get to do so many things! you do not limit yourself by only painting or only woodwork - you do everything and manage to finish in a few minutes (hours, days, lol :) ) I certainly know that I wouldn't have enough patience to make, say, real-size embroided sheet (or perhaps even napkin! he-he) But when I can see the result right away - it is so much pleasure and fun!
I have as well almost finished the bed during the week (almost because it might need another coat of paint on it's legs - they tend to fall off :)))

When I was in store couple of days ago I saw small nice cutting board - and that is exactly what I need for this project. I won't even change a thing in it - it's the perfect flooring. Need to add only walls now and the room's ready to furnish :)



here's couple things more that I was able to do - a blanket and another simple cushion:

blogger question #2

Hi fellow bloggers!:)
While I am at work today (not willing to work too much, he-he) I decided to clear up some things for my understanding. On some of your blogs I see that giveaways are placed on the sidebar just the right way - with the picture of giveaway, the correct link and additional information (dates etc.)
However, I suppose I am using the wrong gadget, since when I post a link there it places only the most recent post from this or that blog, and not the one I have initially posted.
How do you do that?:)
Thanks!!

Girl's bedroom. Progress

Hello everyone!
warm welcome to all my followers, I'm very pleased to see each and every one of you :)
This weekend I finally got some time to make some progress on my project. Boy it takes time! Making everything for the first time, trying to figure out how to and simply getting used to new techiques..
My girl now is no longer bald! Here she is, ginger:

 I found out that I have the whole bag full of artificial hair - 3 years ago I've made afrobraids of four different colors - yellow, brown, orange and red. I've only took couple od braids for this doll and I have like 500 left, so I feel lucky that I kept it: I can practice on a lot of new dolls before I start using expensive materials :)
These photoes I took under elecrtic light and here's definitely something wrong with colors: I couldn't make her eyes look not so scary-black. In real life she has green eyes and white eyeballs. Shame that I'm not a photogrpher: She has to be a scary little monster now :)
I've measured her and she's approximately 10,5 cm which is quite a good size for 1/12 7-8 yearold.
I have also started with the bed for her - now Ginger's accompanying all my work and waiting for her bed to appear quickly: she really wants to sit on something that is hers and not on all of my boxes and tables :)

Here's what I managed to do today: a matress and details for future bed.

The maress cover is covered with cheap Ikea towel - it has just  right texture for the matress.
I feel I must give credits to all the tutorials I've used. Here they are:
Doll's wigging: http://www.dollmakersdream.com/Doll-wig-video-tutorial.html
Matress and bed (partially): http://1inchminisbykris.blogspot.ru/search/label/how%20to%20make%20a%20no-sew%20mattress%20and%20box%20spring

A very special thanks to Tatiana, for her lilac tutorial here: http://mylittlelittledream.blogspot.ru/2013/03/miniature-lilac.html It is due to these pretty lilacs (and the ones I've managed to create myself) I decided on the color of the whole future room - it would be different tons of lila))
Again, there's something wrong with colors on the poto. IRL the flowers look much more green and purple.

And here is a little scetch I've drawn to have an idea of how it all shall look like:
I hope to make more items this and the next week. I really wish I had more time :)

Thanks again for wisiting me :) Your comments are always much appreciated :)

Eleonora's and Eva's giveaways

I decided to take part in two beautiful giveways here:
a "real" italian pizza at scatolepiccine.blogspot.co.il

and fascinating items here (wow, they are great!): http://thesunnyhours112miniatures.blogspot.co.il/


I'm not sure it can actually be shipped to Russia, but I hope so :)

Tiny sleepy. Not so tiny:)

Here she is, waiting for her wig. I've made the same mistake again and she has a very small forehead (and huge feet :)) But still she looks nice (though my daughter finds her scary :))) She'll be a red-head and surely be better with hair than without. She's very small and it's really hard to work on such a small scale for a doll. (I shall really try bigger dolls! However, I do not want to, because I don't see a doll just for the sake of making a doll - I like it in the environment and it shall be 1/12 or less. Dilemma.)

Yes, I know she doesn't look like picture I've shown, but that was rather general idea and not a pattern to make.

New project. Tiny sleepy.

That was a very rough week at work and I had no time and power to do anything. Today I finally had inspiration and I have started my new project: tiny sleepy.

Here's a picture from the web that I managed to find that a least displays something similar.
Behind this idea two main reasons:
1. I've bought instruments for clay and I'll test them on a doll
2. My husband made me a beautiful present: Dremel that can polish, cut, drill etc. I do not want to make something big at the very beggining, so creating a bed looks like a perfect way to start :)

Today I've made a head. It is slightly better then the one that was on my first doll but still I am somehow dissatisfied. May be the size is too small, but I wanted to stay near 1/12th range... It is very hard for me to get all the face features right. I still hope to polish it somehow. Maybe after painting and wigging it'll look better.
I have also tried another way to make eyes. The doll from bakery had painted eyes. This time I prebacked eyes' apples, painted them with acrylic paints and glossed with the varnish that allows high temperature. Perhaps that is totally wrong: Now I'll need to bake them into the doll already after they are painted. I am pretty sure that is not how acrylic paints shall be used. However, the eyes are so tiny that I have no opportunity to paint them under eyelids afterwards. Anyway, that's another doll for me (or my mom, since she really likes what I am doing now) so I'll have the chance to view the result at a long distance.
Ok, here she goes :)

bakery. DONE. part 2

as i've promised - more pics:) I really need to learn to make photoes!

Bakery. DONE

I just can't wait till I make more photoes! I had to show you something!
I've finished all the details for my Bakery. Here's how it looks like in the night-time:

 More photoes to come today!

посылка из скрап-кондитерской

Я наконец-то получила посылку от моей бывшей сокурсницы Любы из Скрап-Кондитерской! 

вот туда ссыль: http://scrap-candyshop.blogspot.ru/

Именно там я нашла такие расчудесные баночки

И еще много всяких богатств:) Плюс Люба вложила также и замечательный подарок - еще 2 шнура, 3 салфетки (одна была тут же растерзана на абажур) и подвески. В общем, моя довольная, и хвастается))

 Пакетик справа - мой заказ, слева - подарок.

А вот и все вместе. 

Blogger question

Can someone please let me know how do people see the link to my blog if I comment on their blogs? The current link leads to my google+ profile and not to the blog itself. Is that not possible at all?

Добрые люди! подскажите, пожалуйста, если я комменчу чьи-то блоги - как сделать так, чтобы была ссылка и на мой блог? Сейчас мое имя ведет на профиль google+. Я понимаю, что зря создала блог под этим профилем, но, теперь, получается, ссыль на блог на прямую вообще не вставить?