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Thursday, July 29, 2010

back in the brace


back in the brace
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

quite upset with the state of my hand. the swollen fingers are both due to hand being in brace, and fat fingers XD ok not exactly, they swelled up, which is why i put the hand back in the brace.

not sure what else i can do but get it seen by a specialist, who told me the -last- time that i had to avoid doing repetitive actions which is what's causing the pain to begin with. quite upsetting, yet feeling very resigned to my fate. no minis for a while (2 days already) but i am mid-commission and am feeling soooo frustrated.

have put my etsy store on vacation mode. those who know me know that i do not make such decisions lightly, alas, i can no longer ignore the worsening state of the hand. the pain is keeping me awake at night. if i could, i'd chop it off and install a bionic arm/hand. wake me up when they're available with precision enough for me to work on 1:144 miniature foods. XD

/rant off

Sunday, July 25, 2010

*rips open packages*

from left to right:

whitefrosty - Cake, cookie and bagel straps
http://whitefrosty.deviantart.com/

maytel - Oreo Charm
http://maytel.deviantart.com/

bobolagirl2 - Cake and cupcake charms
http://bobolagirl2.deviantart.com/

mad-aristocrat - Pirate bunny
http://mad-aristocrat.deviantart.com/

Kilemia - Pikachu cupcake
http://kilemia.deviantart.com/

these are the lovely prizes (for the dream food contest) i've received over the past few weeks.....i love them to bits! i know my work is nowhere close to 'cutesy', but truly, i adore cutesy stuff, more...and more..and more of late. i think i'm regressing. even the background paper was some cute origami paper that Asuka, Nyann and i came across a while back, and we couldn't resist buying a pack each and swapping for variety XD HURRAH FOR MINI-LOVING FRIENDS! :P
 
ARRRRRR WE HAVE CONQUERED THE INVADING CHOCOLATE HORDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Thank you, Whitefrosty, Maytel, Bobolagirl2, Mad-aristocrat and Kilemia for generously donating the prizes for the contest! imma have much fun with these, nya ha ha...XD



ehhh?? ANTIQUES????

please, note the dime, and gasp, like i did, at how small and detailed these are!

my fave piece, the display shelf :P they know what i like best! :P :P :P :P

my cousin and aunt went on a trip to Taiwan recently, they were so sweet to think of me, and got this from a museum they visited. it wasn't the miniature museum, but the souvenir shop carried 3 different sets of i -think- 1:24 replicas of actual items displayed in the museum. let me go grab the brochure:

"The Roombox of the Rare Treasure"


ok that's as far as i go in trying to quote and do research. wakaka. i can't do anymore, this blog post will be incomplete, and i will have keyboard impressions on my face when i wake up...not to mention an aching back and neck........;P 

i think they are only available at the museum shop itself....i checked out their website and there was a link to a 2nd party online shop, but they don't seem to carry it.......my other cousin who went got himself the set that had the jade lettuce. D mentioned that the lettuce was the highlight of the museum, i get confused when more than 1 person is in the room (myself included) so i might be wrong.....feel free to correct me :X

anyway. they also had a stopover in hongkong...and they got me this, which got me squealing and thinking and gushing about it all day that day :X


SEE?? SEE????? omg T-T i'm still a little overcome with emotion, and it's been a little over a week since i received it. 

a fully functional display cabinet!!! in my favoured colour/style for REAL LIFE furniture. is there a distinction? OF COURSE. 

/rambly personal bit on

i do not own a 'proper' roombox except for the 1:6 re-ment one that i got as an anniversary gift (^ ^) and although i tend to favour light coloured furniture for my miniatures, the main reason is it shows off my mini works better, and is easier to photograph than dark coloured furniture. i am a very practical person :( and have you noticed, darker furniture makes the dust appear more obvious?!?!? coupled with my poor housekeeping skills, i really should NOT own any dark items...but i do so love mahogany and other dark coloured or darkly stained woods. anyway. i'm so happy my cousin and aunt chose this piece, and that museum souvenir set for me, they are so very 'me'. D must have heard me randomly talk about the cupboard the rest of the day....*snorts* i can't help myself. i really truly very nearly bought the same piece off ebay, but the exorbitant shipping prices deterred me.

i want to add that i don't ordinarily accept gifts and compliments well, i think it can already be rather evident to those closer to me. it's not that i don't appreciate gifts, i really do not have the space to place them, and so i limit even my purchases (another reason why i don't stock up on prop items like cake stands, plates etc, nor sell them with my works)...plus the MAIN FACT is i'm so fussy, it's near impossible to get anything for me XD stop smirking, Asuka!!! YES I KNOW YOU ARE SMIRKING. Sans is too nice to smirk. :P
/rambly personal bit off

and yet, in true contradictory fashion, i got myself a new toy....:X but..but....WHO CAN RESIST HIS CHARMS??? he's been guilty of keeping me up countless nights! i could not stop thinking of him!

 Yotsuba ropes in a professional to help her with her 'puzzle'


Time for a tea break

"Yotsuba, may I know what you are trying to do?"
"I'm helping you write clues into your journal, Professor Layton!!"
"Yotsuba, a true lady does not scribble into someone else's book without permission."

oh i can tell i'm gonna have SOOO much fun already with these 2 XD

my fellow Etsy teammate, Yuki, showed me his acquisition of revoltech's take on one of my favourite game characters on the Nintendo DS. PROFESSOR LAYTON. oh that suave british gentleman.....i think it's his accent that gets me ;) i have completed 136/138 of the puzzles in "Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box"......AND the game, but now i have to go back and find the last 2 puzzles GRRRRRR augh! i hate it when that happens! and it has the number 6 in it!!! AUGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! *gnashes teeth*

anyhow. thank you all for your warm comments, i hadn't realised that i now have over 200 followers! :O i have been so busy trying to recover from tummy and sinus ailments, and i still have to catch up on some commissions and projects...and plan some other stuff....i always try to reply but sometimes, i feel so awkward i don't really know what to say. i think all this communication stuff is really hard, so if i appear weird or unfriendly or uncommunicative...it is probably because i am :X i don't think i'm that bad in real life....or in real time, where i am able to explain myself better. but truly, i appreciate all comments and constructive criticisms...i always take them into consideration in order to improve myself, and my craft. aiyoh. the mini meet and lovely chat i had with Sans yesterday has gotten me all introspective, hence yet ANOTHER rambly post. *blush* well that and i'm trying to keep away from claying, so that i can heal up and start again on monday!

ok lah *feeling flustered* i'm going to bed. have a good weekend everyone :)

Thursday, July 22, 2010

the different scales i work in.....

Part 1 - the different scales, and how i get to the measurements

these are in 1:3. i have had some people ask me what scales i work in (with?), and others were kinda confused too, and i do apologize for not being clear. i started out with what i -thought- was 1:12, after i found the world of dollhouse miniatures. i have found that each scale has its own challenge, and also some technical issues to be aware of. ready? here comes the math lesson.....XD


the smallest squares on this cutting mat are 0.5cm wide. starting from left most, are my latest kiwi cane slices in 1:24, 1:12, 1:6 , 1:4 and 1:3. the thinnest cane is in 1:48. you can probably tell by estimating that the measurements are 2mm, 4mm, 8mm, 11mm, and 15mm. so mathematically speaking, in real life, the dimensions would be:

1:24 - 24 x 2 = 48mm = 4.8cm
1:12 - 12 x 4 = 48mm = 4.8cm
1:6 - 6 x 8mm = 48mm = 4.8cm
1:4 - 4 x 11mm = 44mm = 4.4cm
1:3 - 3 x 15mm = 45mm = 4.5cm

how did i come up with the measurements and how come they are different for the larger scaled items? for me, i tend to work backwards. i usually pick up my ruler, and guesstimate how wide the fruit should be. so, excluding the rind/skin/fur (??) of the kiwi, we can say, it ranges between 4.5-4.8cm wide. now, i could be really finicky and go further into the 2nd decimal place, but feh, my math isn't that great and my ruler doesn't go beyond 0.5 mm divisions :P

since 4.5 is easily divided by 3, i went with that for the 1:3 scale, and reduced my cane accordingly. i usually start out with a 1:2 cane, and reduce from there. so you can probably guess why i went with 11mm for the 1:4 scale right? XD XD XD

but wait! 4.8 is also easily divisible by 3, AND 4, why didn't i use that then? well. for larger scales, i have found that it is better to work in -slightly- smaller dimensions for a few reasons:

1) fruit sizes vary, you can get away with smaller fruits, but larger ones can appear 'clunky' (at least to me it can) so i prefer to work in a small-medium size range
2) uses less clay
3) cane needs to be reduced quite a bit to make sure the separate clay pieces adhere properly with each other, in case i had accidentally introduced air pockets while assembling the cane
4) i don't like the number 6, and 16 has 6 in it :X so i tend to avoid any measurements with the digit 6 in it. strange, but true fact about me! (my fave number is 7, and i love other prime numbers too)

uh. yea that's all i can think of for now with regards to the above.

(i think i'm the only one who bothers thinking about stuff like that and even blogging about it. meh this post is so dry, i know...)

next section touches on the various scales i work with, rehashing some stuff you might already know by now................

===============================================
Part 2 - what the heck are all this 'scale' stuff you are talking about and why does it matter anyway?!? small = CUTE! SQUEE!!!!


VERY TRUE! SQUEEE!!! however, if you are selling miniatures, it is important to -know- what scales you are working with. what looks good on your favourite mini plate might not fit as nicely onto your customer's fave mini plate. heck, some people don't care, and for those of you who don't....ahhaha i don't think they even made to reading this far XD

so. why these scales then? why not 1:10, 1:8, 1:14?? why are these so special, you ask??? here's what i've learnt so far, i could be wrong, but you always have google and more knowledgeable people to verify....:P

1:12 aka scale dollhouse miniatures aka one inch scale
to put it simply, in doll size, 1 inch = 1 foot real life size. and since 12 inches make a foot...TADAH! i guess the serious dollhouse collectors started out with imperial measurements, not metric like we're (i'm) used to here :(

this term also applies to 1:24 aka halfscale or half inch scale, 1:48 aka quarterscale or quarter inch scale, and even 1:100 and 1:144 i think, aka micro scales.


the commonly accepted scale for dollhouse miniature collectors. if you do a search for dollhouse miniatures, it is likely you will see the vast majority will state that their items are 1:12 scale. this is my favourite scale to work with :)

1:18 1:16 (thanks, Pubdoll!)
 i stumbled across some flickr photos of some awesome awesome miniature furniture, but realised they weren't the more common 1:12 scale! how very strange! what is this "Lundby"?!??! ah ha!!! a quick visit to googlei edumakated meh ril quik!



http://pubdolls.blogspot.com/

UPDATE: WIKI IS WRONG.....it is 1:16, not 1:18! -_-" for more info, and examples, please go to Pubdoll's blog, i had to stop looking, i was getting into a state of serious "I WANT-itis".......which would be detrimental to my state of "i-have-no-space-to-store-'em-itis" T_T ok i lie. i'll probably be another silent stalker :E all this coveting is gonna be the death of me......



i think they're great, and much of their furniture -should- work with 1:12 roomboxes. i prefer my items slightly smaller than -strict- 1:12 anyway, so i'm looking forward to owning a Lundby house. someday, someday T_T i have no space to put my growing pile of materials and tools!!!

oh sorry. where was i? dangit i got sucked into that site.......

i have never made 1:16 scaled items. i might try some day. just for fun and to see the difference.

1:6 aka playscale
this scale is what i grew up with, playing with Barbies!!! her body dimensions are definitely off *grins*, but most of her accessories etc are at 1:6. Re-ment, a popular japanese brand of miniatures, is also at 1:6. but some items are small enough to use at 1:12. i found a wonderful site that tracks such items, i'm afraid of going through the site, it'll just fuel my insane desire for more re-ment items. not food though. i started making my own minis cos i hated the plastickiness of re-ment foods :P


not a popular request, due to the ease of availability of props. hence not a scale i work with often. nor a scale i'm entirely comfortable with, but probably cos it looks clunky after being so accustomed to 1:12.

1:4 and 1:3, aka MSD and SD sized

the MSD and SD refer to "Mini Super Dollfie" and "Super Dollfie" respectively. not all ball-jointed dolls (BJD) are MSD/SD, but MSD/SDs are BJDs. confused? read more about it here


and here


i had to figure out the differences as i started selling more of my works to doll collectors, so i guess, if you are thinking of selling in larger scales and don't know the difference, it is time to start knowing? :X


alot of the 1:4 items could work with 1:3 dolls, just like 1:6 work for 1:4, but not that many people nor commercially available props are in that scale. i started making larger scaled items for TDA '09, my first (and only, so far) miniature-related event! it is the only relatively-high-profile miniature related event (that i know of) here in Singapore, and since i have been wanting to own a BJD for like, forever, i took the plunge and participated.


i really. really. really want an Unoa Quluts. Sist or Lusis, i haven't quite decided. not that it matters, they're so costly, my teeth hurt.

(wonder if i put up a paypal donate button i'd get anyone to help me on my BJD quest? XD )

there you have it. why i work in these scales.




AHHH TOO MANY WORDS! even -i- wouldn't have made it this far without pictures :P i'm working on some 1:3 items, this is as much as i could get done with my very, very, -very- sore hands/wrists. i stupidly rolled out some clay colours instead of using the pasta machine, and now both palms are bruised :( washing dishes today...was indeed a challenge XD i didn't break anything though, go me!

ok enough of talking to myself. tomorrow, i'll be having a mini meet-up, SO EXCITING!!! a good excuse to let my hands heal up! i will be roping in Sans and Asuka to help me do some chopping too, my hands can't take it anymore LOL

p.s. my next 'technical' post should be about differences in working with 1:3 vs 1:12. donno when that'll be. would anyone be interested in reading that, or should i not bother?

Thursday, July 15, 2010

not quite a gingerbread house


i had some leftover clay from previous experiments with air dry clay, which explains why the colours turned out the way they did, and why this isn't exactly a gingerbread house XD



probably could dress up the scene a little bit more, but i already feel there's too much going on......had some gumdrops and gummi bears to use, but i couldn't find them AUGH...oh wait. hrm. i think i remember where i left the gummi bears now :O stupid memory organization......*smacks own forehead*



i think my fave has to be the cookie tree! i made like, a whole bunch of these. am still trying to assemble more houses....but i need to head out to the post office soon....

oh forgot to mention how small these are. the house is barely 2cm x 2cm x 2cm :) here's a pic for sense of scale......




the prizes have arrived! i need to take pics of them, man, for a hobby, these little things require plenty of 'work' XD

p.s. Asuka has generously made a gingerbread house tutorial, have you seen it yet??? you can find it here:


http://asukas.blogspot.com/2009/11/halloween-house-tutorial.html

i remember squealing in delight when i first saw it...i know mine deviates rather greatly from hers, but she already knows,  i'm terrible at following instructions!! XD XD XD

finishing up my air dry clay stash


not much to update, but am trying to blog at least twice a week to keep myself going.....


played around with some new tools and molds.....while trying to recover from my current ailment, the dreaded sinus infection T_T

been on a real Julia Child and Antiques Roadshow kick (those who have added me on facebook would probably know XD) and mindlessly churned these out. the amount of items molded has almost doubled since XD am trying to use up my air dry clay stash before it 'expires'.....man, that is ALOT of clay to go through, especially when working in 1:12!!!!!!!!!!!!

you can probably guess what i'm about to assemble, yes?

Friday, July 9, 2010

decorative painting



last year, i'd bought some ceramic blanks (is that the term for it?) off ebay, and they were a little large for the sizes i prefer to work with. i guess the items could still pass for some large-ish 1:12 items, but i think they work great at a smallish 1:6, or even with these 1:4 cookies i made a while back.

yep. i'm pushing back another 'let's discuss sizes' post. sorry, i had it all planned, but i got distracted and now i've misplaced the items i planned to take photos of.....and you know how much i dread photo-taking :( man, gotta get organized!


i 'accidentally' chose purple for the scalloped edge platter, more because ....yep you've guessed it, it was leftover from painting the 'flowers' on the jar. this post is full of inverted commas and/or apostrophes?!? hurrah for mis!-used punctuations XD


i used instructions and examples from this book i borrowed from the library....i love it! it's full of inspirational ideas, not really my 'style' (i like minimal, almost stark, clean lines and sleek surfaces) but it's all very cute, and i am always up for learning new techniques to...well, 'enhance' my miniature experience!

very long link to some google book suggestion/review thingum, click here to view the preview. man, the internets is teh awsums!!!!



of course it's not very well done, i'm just showing here a section that i think can marginally pass for 'decent'. don't scrutinize too hard ok? :X the jar is approx 3/4" in diameter :O that's a pretty large cookie jar in 1:12!!! (9 inches wide in real life) i think it still needs a layer of varnish, either gloss or matte, i haven't yet decided. still waiting for the paint to dry.

i used acrylics and the finest paintbrush i have, first giving it 2 coats of white acrylics. i did ask if i should prime it in any way first, but the guy who sold these said his customers just went ahead and painted acrylics on it so....that's what i did. they're going into my personal collection anyway, this is not something i particularly enjoy doing all the time. i highly doubt i'd be more than 'reasonably able' at painting, given my reluctance and near-hatred for handling paint. BUT i think the results are pretty cool, all things considering.

yay me for trying something new! now back to something old, and much more comforting.....CLAY. ^ ^

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Batty over Bones; Eva going Green

i first came across these via Susanna's blog, and fell hard for them....




the largest of the four, the Stegosaurus, is barely as long as my thumb! i don't know what scale this is, but i didn't care. i bought them as kits, and made some signs to go with it...it was meant as a gift for my bf, in celebration of....actually i don't know. a whimsical purchase? XD anyway, i finally finally had time to complete it! i know the signages could have been better made, but i really wanted to cheer up bf with it, and i knew he wouldn't even notice if i made them any nicer anyway XD

you can find the kits at the following links. they're from the same seller, just different venues.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kfarrell?section_id=5759275
http://www.everythingtiny.com/


========================================




so....this little mischief started turning green, no it's not cos i haven't washed her (she got her shower on Monday!)...more due to the new floss/chew toy i got her ewwwww

see the culprit? and eww even her paws turned green but it's not so obvious in this pic i guess.

i'm alot better now, recovering from a nasty bout of gastric flu. tum's still wonky, but at least i'm no longer shuffling in and out of the toilet :every hour or so. also, brother passed me the data cable, i'm getting all the pics out of the handphone now!!!! woot woot! and even better yet, i got some exciting news from my cousin, but i can only share that much later....ahhhh!!!! i'm excited i'm excited, could you tell?

man my posts on this blog are so mood-swingy. GET A GRIP, CINDY! XD

next post will probably be a mish-mesh of the size/scale thing, and some pics off my handphone. i'm still trying to sort stuff out, i'm feeling extremely overwhelmed! over NOTHING! HA!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

wish i had newer stuff to show off

EID sized sushi set. it's slightly larger than 1:3....special request from a DoA member.

yes yes. i know about the soya sauce. :(

largest items i've made so far, in terms of scale. and i will definitely get to that technical post about scales and stuff, just feeling really lackluster lately.

does anyone really read this crap i type anyway?
blah blah blah

played with paints this morning. and some extra large mochi for...i donno. either huge charms or props, i haven't decided. they're approx 2.25cm wide, made them with leftover clay. i realise i'm quite crap at painting. i want an airbrush!!

also, got some cheapo wrapping paper, thought they might be suitable to make little retro looking bags. but i have no idea what they could be holding. candy? chocolate? even tried to make a box but....ahhh feeling so blah. i think i still prefer working with clay. i've got so much unfinished crap lying around it's driving me insane.

BLEARGH.