1:48 scale miniature Japanese Teatime items

Happy Chinese New Year of the Goat everybody! It still is Chinese New Year as we supposedly celebrate it for 15 days, but the busiest few days, i.e. New Year's Eve thru till 2nd day of Chinese New Year duties are done with, and the last time for me as I will technically be part of a new family next year :) 

Woah, so many months have passed since my last post, and not much done :( Healthwise, things are still a little more than hinky, but I am trying to motor on with the help of proper dosages of painkillers. Between November and now has been a hazy blur of unbearable ladypains (re: adenomyosis/endometriosis), colds, an upper respiratory infection that wouldn't go away for more than a month, and my old laptop of more than 5 years giving up after I caused a blackout with an improperly plugged in UV lamp :X The weather has also been a lot chillier and wetter, for a lot longer than usual, but it finally warmed up this week, enough for me to head back to the pool to lose the Chinese New Year weight gain :P So I tried my best to continue working on requests that came in last year, while I am able to.......

The good thing is, this lovely customer emailed me last July, stating that she had no problems waiting for this order, and I thoroughly appreciate that. I went about creating the smallest items I've ever attempted!!!

The masters for these, which I have since lost, were turned on my IKEA drill, which has also died :( The humid weather is killing all my electronic gadgets!!! Ah well. As you can see, they're about 2-3mm wide, and I cast them in epoxy resin, because I was fearful that clay would be too fragile at that thinness.....

She had also requested some floor cushions and a tatami flooring, found a lovely floral bias tape with patterns small enough to work for the cushion, and finished it off with a teensy weensy gold knot in the centre. Loving how it turned out! Each is barely 1cm square.

(table is an old Sylvanian family item I collected more than a decade ago! might have been a stool from a sewing machine set, or table from a micro sofa set? or is it Re-ment??! Auf, can't remember, but it's not made by me is what I meant to say.....)

1:48 scale miniature Japanese Tea Scene, UV Resin, Epoxy Resin, Polymer Clay, Cloth, Inkscape, Paper, Acrylic paint

Fired up Inkscape and heavily modified a free tatami texture I found online, did up a sample by scoring along the lines but at 1:48, ey, not sure why I bothered. :-/ I'm not sure if you can see but I've also detailed the Usagi Manju (Rabbit Steamed Bun) with red eyes and brown ears, and the sakura mochi has a teeny yellow centre and detailed indentations.....kind of difficult to detail items approximately 1mm large..... *squints*

I debated over the green, and decided to do a darker and chalkier shade so it 'pops' more, especially since it is sooo tiny, but in contrast, the pink of the mochi seems a little pale in photos?! It is a few shades darker in real life, I promise! Looks like my photography skills have reverted to n00b status after such a long break T-T

OKAY enough self-flagellation, I have another large-ish order which I'm mid-way through, but here's part of what I've completed :) It's 1:6 scale, which I am not often asked to work with, so it posed new challenges for me, which included sculpting with air dry clay since no batch work was necessary!

1:6 aka playscale assorted sushi, WIP. microbeads, paper, acrylic paints, oil based paints, air dry clay, UV resin

Ouf it's almost March.

1:48 scale dollhouse miniature foods

Finally, a 'proper' update for this smaller scales blog :) For those who are keen on my larger scaled, BJD items, I have updated over at http://clover-tea.blogspot.com on where you can purchase some of the items made for SGDC2014!

Meanwhile, here's a quick update on a commission that I accepted in July 2014, but due to a pretty lengthy injury and mad preparations for SGDC2014, I didn't get much time to work on till this week! Luckily, my customer didn't need it immediately, and gave me time to recover and concentrate on his order :)

There are still a few components to work on, but again, I stupidly sprained my index finger taking photos for my new online store, aiee, why do I keep getting into such awkward situations :(

http://snowfern.tictail.com

As I've explained in my other blog, I can't afford the Etsy fees, so I will try to list more over at tictail than Etsy, but I will still keep the Etsy store open for printables and smaller items, scale and price wise :)

Yup. That's the finger I sprained :( It hurts typing and I hadn't realized how reliant I am on it till now. Ah well. :-/

These vegetables were made out of polymer clay, and they are reaaaalllyyyy fiddly. I finished them with highlights using acrylic paints. The onions and leeks were finished off with teeny thread fibres to simulate the roots....not sure if you can see them....not sure why I needed to add them either, guess many people's observations were accurate, I am insane.

They are in 1:35 scale, though I made them thinking they should be in 1:48, so I was relieved to have some leeway in terms of sizing. In case anyone was wondering why I keep going on and on about scale, these food items are meant to go into a 1:35 scale model that my customer is building, and so I wanted to make sure they scale nicely against his beautiful workmanship! I have seen preview photos of the stall, and am so excited to be part of the project! I will ask for permission from him to share his photos once I am done with his requests, so stay tuned for that! :D

Have a great day! WEEKEND IS ALMOST HERE!!!! woot WOOT!

1:12 Macaron Sets, a belated birthday gift, and larger scaled donuts

It has been some time since I made these, but have never gotten round to using them. I remember first coming across some beautiful macaron boxes, in a similar design while looking for some inspiration in making petit fours. The idea stuck in my mind, and whilst waiting for a friend's wedding dinner to start, i grabbed a pencil and paper, drew out the template in a random size, tore it out, test assembled it and stuck it in my purse.

fast forward too many months later, i pulled it out from my drawer of half-baked ideas and drew out a template using Inkscape. modified it a little from the original, toyed around with a few colours, and decided that these are the ones i most like. i think i'll start using green in my next batch, and i'll explain a little more later my new appreciation for green....:P

Photospam ahead :P Each set has a different mix of macarons!

1:12 scale dollhouse miniature macaron sets - polymer clay

aaaand, I've also made available printables of these in 1:12, 1:6, 1:4 and 1:3 sizes! so now your macarons can sit in a cute little box, designed by me for your personal use :) 

All available in my Etsy Store - http://www.etsy.com/shop/snowfern

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The bf is such a sweetie :) he surprised me with this dollhouse kit as part of my birthday surprise (back in Dec, i'm super pampered i know :P ).....and frankly i'm quite a terrible person to buy gifts for. Not only am i picky, there's hardly any space left in my room for personal effects now that i've shifted all my work stuff back into my bedroom :S I usually prefer a good meal with good company as i find such moments invaluable, and far more precious than an object i might not even appreciate :X

So when i received this, i was a little apprehensive. i'd never worked on a wooden dollhouse kit, other than the flimsy balsa wood kits i played with as a child. so opening this up and seeing the laser cut pieces, then measuring them and realizing they were 1:48.......AHHHH SO HAPPY!!!! mostly because it coincides with a purchase i've made recently....shhhhh it's a secret ;P

i looked through my stash of scrapbooking papers and decided on a colour scheme....this isn't exactly the sort of colour i would use for my own dollhouse, but the completed piece isn't destined for me ;) (that's a hint!)

i found the laser etched detailing a little too blah, so i added some basswood strips to give the window sills a little more dimension.

 The front door opens!

View from the back

aaaand, cos i have a few gachapon Sylvanian family sets, as well as some cheapo 1:48 furniture sets in my collection of toys........TADAH!~ SO CUTE. the knitted bear on the bed (or maybe crocheted?) is a gift from my friend Sue, and the knitted bunny and bear at the piano were made by me using a free pattern i found on Ravelry (i think i've blogged about it before but i'm in a rush.......AHHHH LATE FOR DATE)

From the front! Will probably add some flowers and more details to the lawn, but this was a complete surprise, and progress this far took me 3 whole days :O i have stuff to get back to so......it'll do for now :)

WIP Donuts in 1:3 and 1:4/1:6 sizes :) Air dry clay

Decided to take more WIP pics, which means using my handphone/Instagram.

http://instagram.com/snowfern

I'm on instagram so...you can follow my progress there too! ^ ^

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On a personal note, my health is improving slightly, and so am starting on commission work again ^ ^ Right now, my commission slots are full for Feb and Mar, but if you have any small requests (literally and figuratively XD ) do drop me a mail at snowfern at gmail dot com and I'll see if I can work on them alongside my current schedule :)

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................

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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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lundby_%28company%29

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......

http://www.lundby.com/eng2008/lundby2008.asp?avd=lundby_produkter

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

http://mini-sizer.wikispaces.com/

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Dollfie

and here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball-jointed_doll

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?

2-in-1 post (or maybe 3-in-1)

Part I, in 1:48 scale

pardon the dirty clay, these are practice ones from scrap clay.

1:48 tea set. didn't take measurements but you can probably tell how tiny it is. crazy small. i think the cups aren't even 3mm wide.


Part II, in 1:12 scale

these kept me busy most of yesterday...........

have not given these a satin finish. figured would be easier to do that once the pastries have been glued onto the earring backings and clips. will let cousin have first pick, and some of these will make it onto etsy. i hope. haven't updated my store in...ages. sheesh. slack much? :P

ran out of earring backings hehehehe

decided to switch back to polymer clay. i think i'm definitely more comfortable working with polymer clay. i do like the textures that ADC gives for breads and pastries, but i am unfamiliar with its properties, and it bothers me that i do not know how to seal them appropriately. i struggle with painting, and that's another issue i'd rather not deal with anymore. these breads were made using molds, i made a master and then made molded them using alley goop. i really love that stuff. :P a bit of detail is lost, but i simply have to detail it a little more, the mold is just to get a consistency with the shapes and sizes. the details such as oats and sesame seeds are added later. i thought of placing them in the molds before i push in the clay, but it just seemed too cumbersome. maybe i'll try it out when i'm feeling more adventurous XD


Part III, in 1:6 scale

Yotsuba got some mail last week! :O Sans of http://sansdollhousediaries.blogspot.com/ sent me a surprise gift :O

it is not a drum...

it is not a beret, nor a stool....

hrm...wonder if i can fit in there. well, not this way for sure....

slowly does it....

oh it's pretty roomy in here!

seeya later!

kids, do not try this at home!

ok enough of that silliness :X thank you Sans! your surprise gift put a silly grin on my face the whole night! i know, i'm too easily amused. as you can tell, Yotsuba enjoys her new gift very much ^ ^ she sends her thanks, and her love! i don't know how i'm going to find space to make a new setting, i don't know how to incorporate it into any of my scenes either, i sincerely hope you don't mind finding it used in goofy ways :X