As summer unwinds...

It's time to enjoy some mint chocolate chip ice cream as summer rapidly unwinds. For a little while, it seemed like everything I made revolved around an ice cream theme. I will not be making enormous amounts of ice cream during the fall and winter months because it is sometimes considered "out of season". For me, ice cream is never out of season!


This is a homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream prep board. So instead of this ice cream being made in a factory, it's just being made from scratch at home. I guess it's an original idea for a prep board!


Note the little puddles of melted ice cream splattered across the board. Normally, I would do anything to avoid such a slurpy mess, but in this case I intentionally created the mess! Everything is handmade as usual.


Although this is an extremely basic prep board, it is a fun, cheerful little piece fit for anyone!

A closer look. Note the two full, hardened ice cream scoops.

Bowl of the ice cream ingredients fully mixed.

Tea, Anyone?

I have officially decided that no dollhouse is complete without at least one teapot. They add that perfect, finishing touch of beauty. Each delicate teapot is shiny or worn, fancy or simple.

Here are a few tiny teapots that I have made. As usual, these pieces are all handcrafted in 1/12 scale. Most of the color and design was applied by hand using acrylic paints.

I warn you, this is only the beginning of my fascination with miniature teapots!

One of my favorites. The flower design, just like all the rest, is hand painted.

The standard copper and aluminum teapots. The handle of the copper pot actually moves up and down, just like the real thing! How fun is that?

A closer look at my first copper teapot.

A Taste of a Summer Evening

It's a lovely summer night and a group of people are sitting around a camp fire. Everyone is happily savoring the delicious combination of flavors that a simple s'more has to offer.

What better way to capture this moment than with a miniature? This s'more board highlights the tastiness of that crisp, toasty s'more. On a simple paper doily are four fully prepared s'mores simply begging to be eaten. Several jumbo size marshmallows remain motionless in their place, ready to be stabbed ruthlessly by a stick and then heated over the fire. Many honey graham crackers are scattered here and there. It's time to eat some s'mores!

Please note: I played with my little pieces on a miniature table before gluing them to their board. The final product is to the above and to the right.

Here are the pieces on the table.

Close up of the twigs on the table.

Holding two on the marshmallows on the sticks.

Just look at those graham crackers. Yum!

New Apron

My cousin and my aunt recently made me my very own Tweety Petie Products apron with their embroidery machine! My name is written above the lovely little cockatoo, and below it reads "Tweety Petie Products." I was given the choice of what color I wanted my name to be written in. Of course, I chose my all time favorite-- purple.

Now I can wear this while I work and at craft shows! I am so excited. Many times I have seen other crafters wear aprons at shows, so it is really exciting to have one of my own now.

Enjoy some of the apron pictures!

A close-up of the cockatoo and lettering. Love it!

My little cockatoo.

Alice in the Wonderland

I just can't escape making cakes! So it's about time I share a very original piece-- an Alice in the Wonderland wedding cake. This piece wasn't actually my idea. I found a picture online of a real wedding cake like this! Click here for the picture of the actual cake (all credit to bride.ca).

This particular cake took me hours to complete! I did not know the dimensions of the actual cake, so I had to estimate and reduce it to 1/12 scale. Then I had to start making the layers and adding details as I went along. The macaroons along the bottom layer and on the the middle layers took ages! I have never ever been so happy to complete something. After baking it, I had to add the final touches (that was my favorite part and the easiest too).

I am not huge on the color pink, but I do have my "moments." One of those moments is right now. I really do like the pink theme of this cake! But I wouldn't care for it as my own wedding cake.

Today was my first day of school. Over the summer, I have forgotten what it's like! It is refreshing to have a break and start all over again though. What I dislike the most is that it has really cut into my mini-making time and will continue to do so even more as the year goes on. But it is not stopping me from crafting-- no way! My time is just more limited now. The weekend is going to be my best friend again!

Enjoy the very unique cake!

The picture on the front of the miniature cake is the very same as on the real cake.

Crispy Cones

I very much prefer making my ice cream cones in bulk. Once I really get into it, it can be hard to stop me... that is until my fingers start feeling numb from creating that rigid texture that ice cream has. It is, as usual, a long and tedious process to make this particular little miniature.

Another ice cream surprise is in the making, but there are no photos of it yet! I still have to get around to baking it and adding final touches.

Making the cones.

Ahhh-- the finished product!! The ice cream cones displayed above were converted into dangly earrings. Mmm! Vanilla bean ice cream, rich chocolate syrup, and rainbow colored sprinkles-- all served in one crispy, crunchy cone!

Mmm, sugar...

Everything that I have been making lately is related to sugar. Cakes, candies, and cookies!

I must thank three very determined friends who went through a very disgusting recycle bin with me last night! When making a miniature pie, I use a bottle cap for the dish. I always salvage old caps from glass bottles! We found a gold mine of bottle caps in the recycle! I have an entire bag full now; I like to stock up so that I have them in times of need. I would say it is time to make some more pies.

This afternoon I made another carrot cake-- a miniature cake of course, not real! I am also working on some very unique ice cream pieces. I am steadily increasing my stock with new items for the craft show on October 23rd.

A miniature graduation sheet cake for my cousin, Maggie, who has just graduated from high school and our dance group. The lettering "Class of 2010" was extremely difficult to make! Also shown is the diploma, graduation cap, and the Trinity knot. We have been dance partners countless times.

Two platters of cookies and sweets which were custom ordered.

Here is one of the individual shots of the platters. Displayed in the photo above are chocolate covered pretzels, red jelly cookies, neopolitan wafers, three pink macaroons, and three purple macaroons.

This second platter displays several heart cookies, peanut butter blossom cookies, pink/white candy canes, and purple/white candy canes.

My newest box of chocolates.

There is Color Everywhere

I have gladly finished making all six of these cakes! Each cake has fondant rose buds along the bottom and three full bloomed roses on top. Mmm, look at all that icing! I have to admit that I got lots of practice making those rose buds! It took me hours to "build" and decorate these little guys! Each cake is about an inch in diameter. Blue, orange, purple, pink, blue, yellow, and green! There is color everywhere!

I enjoy all kinds of colors, but there is something so light and cheerful about pastel shades. All the time I look at certain objects and think: How neat would that look in 'this or that' color? I felt that way about these cakes! They look so cute in any color!

The cakes AND their slices! Whew!

Some very tiny cold porcelain roses.

Some of my very first French macaroons! Although these are so much fun to make, they require a lot of time, patience, and attention to detail! The shells were a bit too high.. live and learn!

A week already?

It's hard to believe that another week has gone by since I last posted. This past week has been full of miniature making, but of course you must have known that! I have been working on several custom orders, one of which is pictured to the right. Once the commissions are all finished, I will have many more new items to share. The ideas keep flowing to mind!

On Wednesday, I went to the movies to watch Inception. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed it. The last movie I saw in the theater was Prince Caspian! Thursday night was the last dance class for the summer program. I can't wait for the fall classes to start up again!

This afternoon, I performed my first solo dance performance. My dance was part of a pre-show to a play, The Sound of Music. I chose to dance a few slip jigs, a very light and graceful dance that is considered to be the Irish ballet. Slip jigs are only for female Irish dancers... that is why I am so glad to be a girl--hehe! All in all, this afternoon was irreplaceable-- full of friends, music, and laughter.

Despite that fact that I was doing Irish dancing, I wore a German costume. Because this performance was not associated with my dance group, I was permitted to wear whatever I wanted.

A bread making prep board. You can see a pile of flour, some wheat, brown eggs, one cracked egg, rolling pin, ball of dough, and the finished product-- a lovely slice loaf of bread. I still have to add some finishing touches to this piece.