1:12 Caladium hortulanum

 the weather in Singapore has been really warm lately, and thus dampened my enthusiasm for making clay minis. so i decided to work with materials that did not melt in my hands :P

next to Eva's cute little acorn house!

i found a wonderful plant tutorial quite a long time ago, and tucked it away in my bookmarks for until i could find a way to incorporate it into whatever project that would call for greenery. you know how you would print out little projects that you hope to get to 'some day'? i have quite a number of folders of stuff like that :P for those who might want to add another project to that folder (if you haven't already!) you can find it here:

http://les-miniatures-de-victoria.oldiblog.com/?page=articles&rub=212034&nba=3

googletranslate was a great help, and i did manage to get them out within half a day (with plenty of distractions of course, courtesy of a little four-legged 'helper'). initially i was going to finish them with a satin varnish, but initial results looked too plasticky to my taste, so i switched to matte and i think they look pretty good! i don't really like round pots, prefer angular stuff so i picked out a Re-ment planter from the home centre series and used it :)

in case you were wondering what i printed it on, i used a regular old 80 gsm copy paper, but would much prefer something thinner, and set to best photo quality setting for matte papers. the instructions are pretty self-explanatory, plenty of pictures are in the tutorial!

* forgot to add earlier that i did run a green pen down the sides of the leaves to hide the white paper, i think it makes a world of difference! oh and of course that i crinkled up the paper too before i varnished it....

i'm not sure why, although i do like flowers in a 'please don't buy me flowers i prefer them in the field' kind of way, i would much prefer a beautiful green plant. i remember learning about poisonous house plants way back in primary/elementary school science, and caladiums really stuck in my mind. firstly, for the way it rolls off the tongue, and then because they just look....so happy! i really like the shapes of them, and the colours. if ever i were to own a plant (*snort* it's amazing i kept my dog fed and watered daily as it is, and she has to remind me) i would probably pick a hardy green leafy one, like these :) just don't let the kids touch it!

i hope this planter will brighten up my nook a little. going off to try and do a little 'mini-baking' now that the weather's a little cooler today :) hope you enjoyed my little show-and-tell!

Starting 2011

huhuhu!! i got some lovely gifts over the holidays!! they were quite a surprise as i don't celebrate christmas, but i definitely appreciate the sentiment and i adore them greatly ^ ^

firstly, see the colourful background???it is a wonderful tokidoki calendar from DALE!!!  i'm not sure how she knew, but maybe it's quite evident that i adore cutesy kawaii stuff, i just never could justify splurging on tokidoki items as over here in SG it's more than 'quite expensive' (to me anyway), so it's really quite a treat!! i originally planned on hanging it up on the side of my desk/shelving unit, but i've found another way of using it :E woohoo!!!

next was from Rosanna who put together a christmassy package of a cookie 'snowman' soft toy, which bf remarked immediately, "i thought that was a bun." (he must have been hungry) , a set of 3 differently sized cookie cutter sets (SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!), a little chef figurine (seated next to Yotsuba) and a chocolate star :D at least i hope it's chocolate, i didn't see a wick so it could not be a candle, right? *furrows brows*

and the biggest surprise, a Reac chair from Sans! :O i'm so tickled and overjoyed by it because just the day before i received it, i had been planning on making some mini gummy kisses, you know the kind? and i was even puckering my lips, trying to imagine how to make them.... anyway i couldn't help but giggle when holding it in my hands, not only do i have a designer chair (SNORT!!), Yotsuba had better keep her crayons off it!! XD just re-living opening that box is making my insides squeal and chuckle a bit......i think i rikes the kitsch :P

and then! i also had these arrive from Eve! she had wanted to do a swap and as always when a swap is requested, i would ask for supplies...i already own a beautiful  prep board that i won previously on one of her blog giveaways, so i didn't ask for some of her works :D i do hope her parcel arrives soon, there have been delays due to the weather and holiday load :(

and, on starting 2011 with something new....

i had been invited to participate in a mini 365 project, over on flickr...the goal is to take a photograph of miniatures for each day of the year. now, this is to me a rather monumental project as i'm rather commitment-shy (almost phobic) but hey, i'll give it a go :) i have LOADS of Re-ment and assorted other miniatures (sylvanian, gashapon toys, random cellphone straps etc) that would appreciate a little dusting off after sitting in their storage boxes these past few years. and true to form, i mis-remembered the date and posted tomorrow's pic today (i'd prepared a weeks' worth of pics). note the background?!???! TEE HEE HEE!!!! yep, it's the tokidoki calendar! ^ ^

anyway, i also realized it's the day after Asuka's birthday, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY ASUKA!!!

My love for Re-ment

bf got me a belated anniversary gift!!! yea yea it only took me 1.5 weeks to get round to taking pics...and the anniversary was in july...the both of us aren't too fussy with anniversary stuff, we celebrate weekly! :P have i grossed you out yet??? :P :P :P

and you know what......IT CAME WITH A SECRET SET :O :O :O

it took me a while to say 'yes' to the "Home Centre" set. i felt a little silly and bad that my cravings for re-ment were so strong, but i'm glad i didn't (couldn't?) resist this collection. good thing i didn't (??) cos when i decided that i was going to take photos of my fave items today, i searched for the pet carrier and went into a near-panic state when i couldn't find it. i thought, 'HEY OMG DID I TOSS IT OUT WITH THE GARBAGE?" i really shouldn't place my bin next to my caddy (on top of which i do my photoshoots). ANYHOO. after a search, i checked back in the box and realised, hey. this doesn't look right. pet carrier is set #8, this is..*flips little brochure* set #11? *insert seriously puzzled face here*

of course it wouldn't occur to me that i'd get a secret set. these are much coveted by the re-ment collector, some going for almost 10-20 times the sticker price on greedbay. me, i like the colour pencil set best. which i think is like, the ultimate fave or summat judging by the responses to the pics on flickr.

i think i'm super lucky this time cos i believe the 'homu sentaa' set is a discontinued one (says on the box "2006"). i am mighty pleased, with a tinge of disappointment cos i really love that pet carrier and it was partly why i wanted the whole set. a quick check on greedbay put it a almost half of what bf paid for the complete collection. ah well! *throws hands up in air*

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/start of flashback

years ago, way before i started making my own minis, bf got me a re-ment house. it's stackable, and i did say i wanted to get a whole condo to house my modest re-ment collection. i say modest, because compared to some of the re-ment collectors who contribute frequently to the various re-ment flickr groups, what i own is laughable!  

to date, i must have collected at least 4-5 whole sets, and various individual boxes. i don't like to try my luck with the unmarked boxes, and bf is of no help at all *grins*, he reasons (and rightly so) that i can always sell off the sets i don't like/want. but...once i get a complete set, i don't want them to be separated wahh!!! XD


/end of flashback
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i didn't open up all the packets cos i wasn't ready to display them yet. the re-ment house looks like Godzilla (i.e. me) picked it up and gave it a good shake. it's sitting above my laptop on my table shelving area, holding some of my minis-that-i-haven't-found-a-place-to-store-in. coincidentally or subconsciously, i opened up the garden items, maybe cos next on my to-do list is flowers???

look at how innocent this wee bike sits on my table. this...THIS is the one that made me go NnnnnGHHH!!! WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yotsuba loves it to bits, maybe even a bit more than the little red wagon....

 i placed an older red wagon i got from Talina at a steal (thanks Talina!) and surprise surprise, it's slightly smaller than a 1:12 wagon! i'd read that the older re-ment stuff was smaller, some even closer to 1:12 (re-ment these days is mostly 1:6) but i suppose this could just be a mini red wagon. doesn't bother me, I LUVS IT.

and that translucent green bucket OMG HAHAHAHAHHA!! i'm smiling to myself as i type this. my fascination with little red wagons stem from an inside joke between me and bf....let's just say, on my more painful days, it can be hard getting me to move around without massive whining and protestations. :X 'nuff said! :P

I WANT MORE RE-MENT GAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *ROARS*

more, and better (i hope!) swan cream puffs

air dry clay swan cream puffs in 1:3 scale, a customer request. i made these slightly more 'cooked' looking this time, as i felt the first experimental ones were too anaemic looking XD haven't yet informed my customer, i hope she likes these.......





so of course i had to make more in 1:12. they are also darker than the last attempt, i much prefer this colour. the cream i applied differently, they're not quite uniform but i have found that i much prefer it this way. it's more interesting to look at, more 'realistic' since i highly doubt in real life, swan cream puffs are made perfectly uniform, and much more fun to make. i don't have to fret over whether it's all 'perfect'. it's less stressful this way too! :P







and i've got mail!!!! woohoo! i bid for some items off evilbay, and these arrived today! the office lady re-ment sets! i didn't want the whole series, the only item i REALLY REALLY REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY wanted for the longest time...was that pink suitcase. so that little coffee tumbler was really appealing too. and that in-out organizer tray. and those curlers. but i digress. I FINALLY GOT IT YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i originally did not want to include Yotsuba in the setup....but i don't have a suitably sized doll nor furniture to play out the scene. it then became somewhat as if Yotsuba were playing dressup. and since i can't dress her up (technically i couldn't cos i couldn't undress her ROFL) she has to do 'pretend play'. can't do the whole "let's help momma pack" scene either since in the manga, she only has a dad. far as i've read anyway. shoot i wanna go finish reading it but curse this short attention span. where was i?

oh yes. so there she is, packing the essentials. her nightmare-before-christmas Zero purse, her eye (ok face) mask so she can sleep better (the nightlight irritates her yet she has to have it on) and her bunny to hug to sleep!

i wish i had more exciting and new items to show ya. the closest i've got are the curtains. you can view the pics i took just after i completed them on my flickr :)

off to find some lunch.

my cousin's new camera

cousin visited today with aunt, and he'd brought his new DSLR, alas, he hadn't purchased a macro lens as yet and learned rather quickly that it's hard to take pics of my minis without one XD well, when he does, i'm sure i'll have FANTASTIC pics, meanwhile, here are some rather good ones too ;)

Yotsuba has been featured in quite a number of my pictures, and i hope you enjoy these as much as i did posing her ^ ^

Rock paper scissors!

"Jan-ken-po !"

"HEY! stop that!"

"Let's do some gardening ^ ^ "

trying to get her to stop moving is...hard....:P

"Usagi love"
(usagi is japanese for rabbit)

GUNDAM!
(i purchased a whole keroro gunsou kit specifically for this set XD)

"Hey Yotsuba! Look at the nice cameraman!"

mm just like those oleskool studio portraits hehehe

i knitted the rabbit following a free ravelry pattern, but i lost the link cos it must have been a good 2-3 years ago since :( her rabbit water bottle is one of my super duper fave re-ment items. i hope i haven't lost the cap :(

Eva kept trying to get into the shots XD

ok this pic i took with my own camera the night before. LOOK AT THAT!! soooo adorable!!! i absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Stitch & Scrump (his little blue ragdoll) so when i saw this...i was ecstatic!

i took plenty more pics while i was at my very first dollmeet!!! pics are up on my flickr ;) (most of them are on flickr, don't know how many read the blog and i'm not sure about the protocol on using pics of others' dolls?) i was saying after many of them tried to persuade me to get one "WHEN you get one....." etc etc cos i was oooh-ing and aaaah-ing over the beautiful BJDs.....but yea. i still think of dolls as props to my minis, be it purchased (re-ment etc) or made by me....*scratches ear* sure, i love dolls, but somehow, the dolls seem more to me like props than the reverse haha. especially miniature containers/tupperware. ODD HUH?

it has been a really really REALLY fun start to 2010 ^ ^ i'm already exhausted! sheesh i'm weak.

going to a pyjama party tomorrow ;) can't wait! why do i get the feeling i'm trying to squeeze as much 'non-clay' fun in before my clay arrives? i think cos once the clay gets here, i'll probably lose all sense of time XD i hope by then my new friends don't think i'm avoiding them, i'm not, just very very obsessive is all :P