How We Made Our 'I Spy' Castle

 I invited my friend and Beta reader, Tricia, to fly down and visit for a weekend so I could get to know her better. I learned more about the wonderful pre-school she runs. "How do you want to spend your time together?" I asked. "We can scrapbook, do needle-felting, whatever!"

She said she wanted to make a miniature beach scene to share with her kids. From there on, we were buzzing with ideas! What if we made a castle in the sand? One with lots of cool, fun, bright items that the children could find? With that task in mind, we set to work.

This is the finished project.

1.      The container – I volunteered an old plastic terrarium. The size is roughly 9” wide by 9” high by 13” long.

2.      The castle form–The castle was drawn on a piece of poster board. The flat castle is 10” long and 8” high. Then Tricia cut out the four windows, a big front door, and crenellations (those tooth-shaped bits along the top). Then the piece was curled into an oval shape and the ends were stapled together. Tricia used the final oval shape as a pattern to make a top floor for the castle. She added a small indentation for the wiring of the lights. She cut out two layers of trim to put around the windows, the door, and below the crenellations. She painted the castle a light gray and the trim a darker gray. I made the big door out of balsa wood. We decided to trim it with shells for handles and a bit of doily painted gold. The final touches included a heart-shaped “gem” and die-cut punch shapes to make the hinges.

3.      The stained glass windows—Tricia drew grids on an overhead projector cell. Using Sharpie markers she colored in the blocks. I love how bright and jewel-like they are! These were taped behind the open windows. There is a battery operated light that shines through the windows and wow! It is soooo pretty!

Notice the sparkling exterior. See the red kite? The light is one, so you can see how the colored windows glow.

 Note: Click on the picture to see a larger version.

4.      The castle exterior—The exterior is covered with crushed jingle shells. Tricia ground them down with a mortar and pestle. She spread white glue on the castle and pressed the jingle pieces into the glue.

5.      Mermaid banner—I made this from a piece of white cotton painted with fabric paints and hung from a toothpick and beads painted gold.

6.      Pink snail—Tricia painted the snail shell a cheerful hot pink nail polish. She added a coat of sparkle! I formed the snail’s body from papier mâche and glued him to the side wall.

7.      Base (sand)—Several layers of waste Styrofoam were shaped so that the castle would fit inside. The final shape was taped together with masking tape and then painted sand color. Glue was spread over the base before sand was added and pressed down so it would stick.

8.      Base (ocean) –This is acrylic paint put directly on the base of the terrarium.

9.      Plants—These are plastic plants trimmed to an appropriate size.

10.   Cactus—Tricia painted a piece of coral with green nail polish.

11.   Rocks (around castle base)—These are from my driveway! They get caught in the tread of my tennis shoes and I walk them into the house. I figured, why not use them?

12.    Stepping stones—Tricia cut these from a Styrofoam container. I painted them sand colored and added the fake wet footprints.

13.   Palm tree—I made this from a cardboard strut that’s part of a pants hanger. I used lapped pieces of a brown grocery bag to create the bark. The fronds are green painters’ tape folded over floral wire and cut to shape. The coconuts were formed from Crayola play clay and painted brown.

14.   Sand castle (miniature)—I used more of the cardboard strut. I cut it down to a 1” piece. The crenellations are small beads. The tower is part of a wooden chopstick that I whittled down. I painted the tower top red and the castle light tan. A black marker was used for the windows. The wooden door is a piece of a wooden coffee stirrer.

15.   Green lizard (on coconut tree)—This is rather crude, I admit. It’s an armature of green floral wire covered with green painters’ tape.

16.   Colored sea shells—Tricia added these! So cute!

17.   Crab—Again, I formed an armature from floral wire and coated it with paper mâche (paper towels and glue water).

18.   Starfish—These are five tips cut off of toothpicks and glued together before being painted.

19.   Flip-flops—I painted poster board with orange nail polish and cut it to the right shape. I glued on white floral wire for the straps.

20.   Beach chair—This was a gift from my son.

21.   Beach towel—This is a thick paper towel striped with an orange marker. The fringe is from a piece of white cotton fabric.

22.   ABC book—I made this from white copier paper, blue scrapbook paper, and clear packing tape. The letters were punched out and glued on, as was the flower.

23.   Lei—Tricia punched these flowers from tissue paper and threaded them into a loop.

24.   Sand pail and shovel—This is another piece of poster paper cut into a circular shape and a base. The handle is floral wire. The shovel is the base of a tea light candle cut to shape and glued to another piece of floral wire. And of course, then the whole shebang was painted.

25.   Flamingo—I bought this a long time ago.

26.   Seal—A bead I bought. Tricia painted it, glued it to rocks and a small piece of plastic greenery.

27.   Whale—A bead that Tricia painted.

28.   Dolphin—A bead that Tricia painted. I stuck it on a bit of toothpick and a base.

29.   Sea turtle—Tricia bought this at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

30.   Umbrella and table—A gift from my son Michael.

31.   Glass of lemonade—A piece of clear soda straw glued to a piece of plastic formed the glass. Yellow nail polish made the lemonade—and the ice cubes are sea salt crystals. The straw is the plastic covering from a paper clip. (You cut it and pull it off, leaving the metal shape underneath.)

32.   Napkin—A piece of napkin bound by white floral tape. A leftover flower from Tricia’s lei was added, along with a red bead.

33.   Bluebird—This is made of plaster poured into a Mod Podge flexible mold and painted.

34.   Nest with eggs. (Same as the bluebird.)

35.   Background of Jupiter Lighthouse and pelican on wharf. I painted them with watercolors and acrylics.

And I almost forgot--I added a red kite with a white tail.

I think the kids will have tons of fun looking for all the items we’ve included in this project! What do you think? Do you have a favorite item? 

Re-Write, and Do Over -- and Save by Acting Now!

That headline seems to be the story of my life right now.

Fatal, Family, Album: Book #13 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series is now in the hands of beta readers and proofreaders. I've already gotten word that will result in one change. I know there will be many others.

A lot of writers get their backs up when they are criticized. That's not professional. I have learned to listen carefully to readers and proofreaders. They might not always be right, but often they make a terrific point. For example, I like to call Ladue a "tony" suburb. "Tony" means "fashionable among the rich or upscale." However, nearly every beta thought I meant "tiny." So I changed the wording. It's just not worth confusing the majority of people.

An astute beta has a background in banking, and he noticed a big flaw in my plot. I am thankful that I have his expertise to help me. I had done research. I had asked experts for help, and they gave me assistance, but that's different from reading the book and seeing how I used the information.

I am all for anything that makes my books more accurate, more readable, and more enjoyable. That's why I have more than a dozen people weigh in before the book is published.

Of course, the longer I write books, the higher my own standards are. I keep adjusting my expectations upward. That means I am more likely than ever to spot my own weaknesses and want to make changes.

It's the same with my miniatures. I didn't like the chandelier in the Steinway room box. I had wanted the light to stream through it. I had purchased Swarovski crystals, but I didn't think my design used them to full effect. So...down came the chandelier. That made try #4 or 5, I think. I looked at images of chandeliers again, and I started over. I really like the newer version.

Now the light shines through the chandelier. It also streams through a hole in the bottom so that it shines through the Swarovski crystals.

 

I've taken down the flat screen TV because I want to improve the trim around it. I'm going to replace the floor. I've actually ordered real wood parquet in a pattern that I think echoes the panels. I still want to put a trim around the zebra rug, but you might notice the tiny needlepoint pillow on the chair.

 

Last night we had a Facebook party to celebrate Happy Homicides 6: Cookin' Up Crime. Each author had a time slot. I watched what the other author guests as I stitched the pillow. I got so excited as I saw the Steinway logo taking shape that I stayed up to finish it. This morning, I turned it into a pillow.

 

Today is the last day that you can buy Happy Homicides 6 at 99 cents. It's also the last day you can get Shotgun, Wedding, Bells at 99 cents. I'm posting the two links below because I hope you'll take advantage of this chance to save money. Better yet, why not "gift" a friend and send her/him a copy of the books? You can't buy a card and mail it for 99 cents!

 

Be sure to tell me what you think of my dollhouse improvements.

 

All best,

 

Joanna

 

Shotgun, Wedding Bells: Book #11 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series

http://bit.ly/SWBKiki11

 

Happy Homicides 6: Cookin' Up Crime

http://bit.ly/HH6CookinUpCrime

A Dollhouse Room Box Featuring a Spirio, by Steinway

My husband has been selling Steinway pianos for more than 35 years now. The introduction of the Spirio, Steinway's high definition player piano, has been nothing short of a game-changer. People absolutely love it, and the supplies are limited.

One day our retail manager, Jenny Hung, mentioned to me that it would be fun to have a miniature of a Spirio. We got to talking. She showed me ads featuring the Spirios. "They are hard to get, you know. It would be super to have a miniature as a way to talk about them."

So I got to work.

Wowzer. Did you ever have one of those craft projects that really pushed your limits? This one did! Everything had to be done twice, and in one case as often as four times. My fingers are sore from working on this in the evenings. However, it's almost done. Let me walk you through my madness...

This is looking into the room box from the right to the left corner. I'm thinking about re-doing the entire floor. As you can see, it doesn't extend under the books on the bookshelves. However, I am pretty happy with the legs on the piano. I bought the piano, but the legs were not the iconic Steinway style, so I had to make new ones. I used chopsticks, which when you think about how most people can at least play Chopsticks, it's sort of funny, isn't it? If you look closely you might be able to see that the legs have tiny casters on them. I made the wheels of the casters from clay. I still want to replace the piano bench, as that's not a Steinway artist's bench. I also need to get gold paint to write Steinway and Spirio on the fall board, plus adding the Steinway lyre. Then I need to put a polyester shine on the piano because most Spirios have a polyester finish.

What gave me fits was that silly archway. I purchased it online and one leg is slightly canted inward. That meant I had to manipulate the molded panel to the right so it didn't make the leg look crooked, which it is. I also think I should detach the books and set them back farther so they seem more realistic. I want to add lighting, too, and I think that'll help give the illusion of depth.

The curtains are white silk. I think I'll put a nighttime or twilight scene outside the window.

This is the best "action" photo I could find (in color) of the great Vladimir Horowitz. A part of the magic of the Spirio is that Steinway can reverse engineer performances of late, great artists, so you can actually have the same performance on your piano. You'll see why this photo is important later.

I wanted to mix classic with a bit of funk. That's why I did the zebra rug. I printed the zebra hide on flocked paper, painted it, and then spread white glue over the image. To that, I added one ply of tissue and pressed it into the glue. (If you'll notice, most tissues are actually two pieces of paper pressed together.) The result is a texture that looks realistic.

The white leather chair was a real challenge. I made four separate sofas/chairs that were too big, too modern, too whatever. I made the faux leather using directions by the fabulous Kris Compas, who learned the technique from Bluette Maloney. You paint silk with acrylic paint, and once dry, spray it with an acrylic fixative. However, the finished "leather" is not forgiving. It's a challenge to get it glued down and to shape it properly.

I bought the unfinished "marble" fireplace online. I have my own technique for making the faux marbling. I squirt a variety of acrylic paint colors onto a non-porous surface and then dab a crumpled up piece of plastic wrap into the mixed paints. This I dab onto the surface until I'm happy with the result. When it's dry, I coat it with Mod Podge gloss.

In the far right corner is an urn I made by quilling, which is essentially wrapping a thin strip of paper around itself and shaping it. The "enamel" paint on the urn is nail polish. This photo gives you a better look at the urn with the plant.

Vladimir appears on the flat-screen television over the mantelpiece. That piece was a pain in the butt. I used corrugated cardstock to build out that back of the screen, and it collapsed on me! I had to fill and shape it with Elmer's Wood putty. The silver trim is actually cut from an aluminum pan that held food at a store function. (How's that for recycling?) The white trim around the panels needs to be touched up, too. I made each panel twice. ARGH! the trim is actually matchsticks, and I should have bought the long matchsticks because I had to glue several short ones together to get the right sizes.

The chandelier about killed me. I was using a very fine wire that kept breaking. Beads flew all over the place. I think I've found a better solution, and I want to add more beads to the piece.

The fire in the fireplace isn't the best I've ever made. I'd like to add sequins or glitter to be more realistic. 

I want to add a pillow and maybe a book to the armchair. Perhaps even a footstool. On the mantle, I need some decorative touches.

Oh, and I also want to add a fireplace screen in gold.

Other than that...it's finished. (LOL)

Any suggestions? Thoughts about what to put on the mantle? Ideas for the footstool? What colors should the pillow be?

Creating in Miniature & A Mystery

Whether you write or have a hobby, both are satisfying ways to let out your creativity.

When it works, those words on the paper give you joy. And when it doesn't, well, we all know the torture of wrestling with stubborn words or sentences.

I'm in the pre-formatting stage now of my latest project, The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden's Fall River. The novella provides another glimpse into my supernatural vision of Fall River. No zombies this time, though, as in Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter. 

So, I'm done with the million edits now, a cover is ready, and the formatting is next! The photo includes one of the story's lines.

This has been an interesting project, which began with  a question I had - how would coming upon the Borden murders that Aug. 4, 1892 affect Dr. Bowen, the family physician and neighbor? Was there something haunting him, and the city, that such terrible deeds could be committed?

The Burden murders, you see, were not the only ghastly deeds. Did you know there was another axe murder around the same time? The area also had a history of wars between the Indians and the Colonials. Stay tuned for more details on the project. You can sign up for my newsletter at my website and check the Dr. Bowen page there, also.

As for my other creative outlet, I love finding bargains at the local flea market! Here's a glass case I just found! I'm going to display some items I made before for my miniature Ladies' Shoppe (still in the planning stage.) At least I can display some things instead of keeping them in boxes. The pretty couch is resin and actually was sold as a Christmas ornament at Hobby Lobby. I have several pieces I was lucky to find since they don't seem to offer them anymore.  I repainted and added French labels to the small chest. I love the shabby chic style!

That's all for now! Happy creating! 

Moving Beyond My Comfort Zone

I've been working all weekend on my entry for the 2016 Creatin' Contest, run by Miniatures.com.

The contest begins with a basic kit, and then you finish it as you wish. This year the kit is called "Backyard Bungalow." You can learn more here http://www.miniatures.com/Creatin-Contest.aspx

I was inspired by the Lodge of the Four Seasons at Lake of the Ozarks. Not that I wanted to copy the property, but I love the idea of having all four seasons represented in my build.

A big part of my entry will be the plants and flowers. At a recent Molly Cromwell Miniatures Show, I met Alex of Botiny Miniatures. Her work is incredibly detailed and impressive, as you can see HERE. She explained to me about using rice paper. Seeing her work encouraged me to work harder to make my flowers more realistic.

I'm definitely getting better at making 1:12 plants and flowers. I made the entire arrangement below, including the pot. It's quilled, which means I used paper twisted into a coil and shaped. After I achieved the shape I wanted, I painted the pot with nail polish to make it look like enamel. I love the fact that there are so many beautiful colors of nail polish these days. It's almost like the manufacturers know that miniaturists love the stuff.

Those coiled grasses in the back are thin strips from a mailing envelope. I cut them, colored them, and curled them with a pair of scissors. The purple sweet potato vine is painted rice paper, as are the marigolds and zinnias.

To finish my Creatin' Contest project, I have a ton of work to do--but I enjoy entering because it pushes me beyond my comfort zone. This contest definitely challenges me to be a more creative person.