Finally I have had time to both finish the 2023 June Clinkscales class project and post it to this blog. I actually finished the bed in October, but I’ve been too busy until now to post. Starting at the beginning: We were supplied the cast headboard / footboard and canopy pieces, the metal pieces for the canopy support, all the fabric (option to use our own, of course), the MDF for the mattress base, gold leaf, and various foams and trims. The above photo is after I gold-leafed and glued the basic bed together. Gold-leafing in a dry, dry, dry climate is fun (June in Arizona). Forget letting ..read more

In my last post I mentioned that doing the online class with June Clinkscales in March gave me the confidence to finish another room box I’d started in a class (again with June) in Chicago last year. This is called La Chambre Bleu, and was modeled after a tile-covered room in a palace in the Netherlands (I can’t remember which one or where, of course). June did most of the artwork (so we didn’t have to), but we did a lot of decoupage. Lots of gilding, aging, and just fitting everything together. Also lighting. We did hidden lighting that illuminates the stairs behind the door. We wired it up ..read more

Sorry so quiet here. I have been doing much since my last post, in all areas of life. In March, I had the good fortune to take an online class with the brilliant June Clinkscales. This is the result: June provided the cast panelling and the box facade. We built the box (simple plywood structure), added the spacers, made the floor, painted and aged the paneling, electrified the whole thing with an LED, and did the drapes and upholstered the bench / daybed. It was fun to watch the bed go from a simple block of wood (a remnant) to a fancy place to sit. June provided the silk for the bed and dra ..read more

I usually do a Christmas post, but got bogged down this year. Also didn’t do a real Christmas project this year–worked on finishing an older one. This is a tree scene I put together years ago, from odds and ends that had made its way into my closet over time. Looking onward to 2023, I have already signed up for a virtual mini class, and I look forward to what mini-ing the year will bring! What are your mini plans this year ..read more

I have a dozen American Miniaturist magazines from the past couple of years that I am happy to give away, free, to a new home. I am trying to have a clear-out. I pulled issues I wanted to keep, but the rest are up for grabs. Any and all. They are random months. You can contact me through my writing site here: https://jenniferashley.com/contact/ Please put “Mini magazines” in the subject line. I also have a ton of Miniature Collector, going back about 20 years. Again, I’m pulling issues I want to keep, but the rest will go (free). If you are looking for a specific issue, let me know. Or if you ..read more

I finished up my Halloween House for this year! This quarter-inch project started as a bare-bones kit from Jill Castoral. She adds suggestions for finishing, some of which I did and some of which I went my own way on. Learned a lot about aging and creating siding and shingles from card stock. (See previous post for more about that, and scroll down for more about the landscaping.) I added LEDs to the inside for some spooky lighting. Two in the fireplace and one in the fat candle by the books. Wires go out the back to a battery. For the landscape: I used a round wooden base from Michaels, and ..read more

I really enjoy Halloween scenes. They’re so much fun. I bought this 1/4″ scale kit from Jill Castoral at the Chicago show. She has a line of kits where you buy the shell (three walls, roof, floor, windows and door, fireplace and chimney), and then you kit bash it into whatever you want. She has instructions for turning the kit into anything (Halloween, Christmas, Spring, Elf, antique store), and you can go crazy on your own. I like these because while I have the main pieces cut out for me, then I can do anything, using scraps I have lying around. I am in my summer house, and my scrap stash is ..read more

I was so excited that the Chicago Show (https://www.bishopshow.com/blank-chv5) was held at the end of April this year! I’d signed up for a class with June Clinkscales so long ago, and we finally got to go! Both my husband and I took classes (he’s very interested in the electrics side of things), and I of course shopped at the show. I’ll post more about the class–a beautiful room box–once I finish it! For now, here’s pictures of my haul: I stuck to small things this time, no large pieces of furniture or houses. But it’s easy to go a little nuts!My big indulgence was this set (sofa and chair) by ..read more

I haven’t posted in a while, but I’ve made strides forward on my Mountain Retreat project. This kit is Eliana’s Vacation House by Hart’s Desire Miniatures, available from Hobby Builders Supply: https://www.miniatures.com/148-Scale-Eliana-Vacation-Home-Kit-P30164.aspx or from the Hart’s Desire Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/896485138/148-complete-kit-quarter-inch-scale First steps are to pre-assemble the stairs and the kitchen cabinets. The stairs are rustic and open, so easy to fit the steps to the stringers. I stained the staircase before glueing it. A square is best to assemble the ..read more

I haven’t done munch mini-ing since moving back to the desert because a) I went to two conferences back to back, b) hit the holidays, c) had to move the rest of the stuff out of another house to put it up for sale. However, I did some small projects and some Christmas minis! Plus I’ll share my minis from past Christmases. First, this un-Christmasy suitcase, mixed 1/4″ and 1″ scales. Safari time (old-time safari, that is.) Then I did a Christmas scene kit: Quarter-inch scale vignette–this is only about an inch deep, if that. More mini Christmas scenes! This scene I put together from a bunch ..read more