Tinkerbell: Winter Chic (and other things)

This Tink inspired fairy has been lying around my room for months now. I spotted her the other day and decided it was high time she got a photograph done! So whilst I already had my camera and tripod set up for taking photos of my work I thought I would just take a picture of Tinkerbell too.  And wasn't she pleased to have one. It's actually a table decoration I made for the wedding next year. I had this idea that I would put fairies on all the tables. So far I have made... two.  Yeah need to get going on that! 

What else?

I've been working a lot- perpetually covered in glitter- luckily I don't mind! I have noticed that Henry always has bits of glitter on his face lately too (sorry!). It just gets everywhere! Good job I love it so much.

Here are a few little snippets from lately. It's been a while...

Left to right: work // work // nice fabrics I bought (I really wanted to make Celestine a little tweedy cape-y thing) // work // doodles of my dino kids I did in a cafe one lunchtime when Henry and I actually ate out // starry chest I painted for the castle.

Other things: harvest supper, torch light walks, Pizza Hut in London with uni friends, painting gold and silver furniture, swarovski crystals (I wish they weren't so expensive!) more fabric buying, trying to find pieces for a 'jewel' patchwork quilt, stuffed squashes and a wii night with friends, orange and strawberry juice (my new fave) lots of rain, new cat mittens from Henry (and actually having to wear them in the cold!) getting some sample Witch's Cat 'books' in the post (!! exciting!) eating indian and watching anime, Henry working a lot (he's training to be a teacher and has lots of homework!) watching quite a few horror films, coveting tiny moomins on ebay, discovering an amazing new picture book (which I can't afford boo! Christmas present maybe?) reading Comet in Moominland again (Something about this time of year makes me want to read the moomin books) and Celestine has been playing on her Carousel:

xXx

She's whiskey in a teacup

So Celestine's birthday went by much more celebrated than I had anticipated! My friend Henrietta suggested that we do a miniature teaparty on Sunday afternoon and I was like YES! It was just like old times when we used to make tiny weeny sandwiches and pizza and cake for our mascots when we were little. Except this time, being older and all, we were able to make the food look much more professional. Also this time we had a camera to photograph it all! Henrietta brought along Matilda the mouse and together Matilda and Celestine had a birthday teaparty. It started out rather sedate and they stuck their little fingers out as they drank from their tumblers (do mice have fingers?) but it all began to go downhill when Matilda opened the whiskey... (it really was real whiskey!) Being so small Celestine and Matilda are complete lightweights! (Celestine had to spend the following day nursing a hangover in bed)

Here's what we made ^^ A chocolate cake with mini smarties on the top, chocolate cupcakes/mini cakes with white chocolate stars on the top, mini pizza (we happened to have some leftover dough in the fridge and tomato puree and mozzarella) mini marmalade sandwiches- like Paddington Bear! And mini marshmallows dipped in chocolate. 

Here comes the whiskey! ^^ (also note the tiny birthday card Celestine received from my friend Sian)

As you can see things ended in quite a mess ^^ Matilda found her nose in the chocolate cakes.   They both enjoyed themselves immensely though. Which is the important thing!

Celestine Forest Princess (and Miniatura)

Well it's been a funny week.  I have been feeling a bit stressed- partly because I didn't feel well over the weekend (overtired) partly work and partly just a few other things. But it's ok now- I am bouncing back! On the day I really didn't feel well Henry thought it would perk me up to go for a walk. So we drove to this place where he wanted to try out walking. It was very foresty and hilly. Henry has taken to carrying an I-spy book with him on walks lately so we spied lots of mushrooms in the foresty undergrowth.  So that was quite nice- although I was still feeling ill- and Barney was having a whale of a time bouncing about and chewing his stick but then... then we got lost! We couldn't find our way back to the car park. We ended up walking around for way longer than either of us wanted to.  Plus it was just before lunch and we were both really hungry. And did I mention I was feeling ill? It wasn't great at that point. Luckily we came across another car park and a business man on his lunch break gave us a lift in the end. Which was nice of him.  Poor little Barney though- he's only got little legs- ended up having such a long and exciting walk that he was completely wiped out for the rest of the day and the following day. He couldn't even manage to climb up the stairs! He's recovered now though.

On Saturday I drove to Miniatura in Birmingham. Henry came but sat outside and did work.  I didn't end up buying anything that exciting but I did get a table and chairs for the dining room in my castle and some shelves- though I discovered when I got them home that my miniature books are too big for them- ironic! I also got a few other little things but nothing that exciting or expensive. It is nice to just walk around and marvel at everything though. The detail and craftsmanship that goes into some of the tiny pieces is incredible! I managed to take some photos but not very many...

The two bottom pictures are Sally Meekins Ceramics.

So that was a fun trip for me- not so much Henry!  But then we went into Birmingham afterwards and went to Forbidden Planet and Cex and the like. And looks around- none of us had been to Birmingham before. It took us ages to drive into it and find parking and we almost gave up but we were glad we didn't. Once we found something to eat there we had fun looking around.

Other things lately:

- Though I say it myself I baked a really good chocolate cake- it was the one thing I managed to achieve on my not feeling well day.

- Celestine had a birthday and now won't take her birthday crown off.

Hmm... that's all I can think of! Hope you had a lovely weekend!  

Happy Birthday Celestine!

Today is Celestine's birthday.  She had a big (for her) chocolate cake with white chocolate stars on it. 

sidenote: This cake had the best icing on it! I discovered a new way of making icing (thankyou pinterest) simply salted butter and melted dark chocolate mixed together. It's amazing! very rich but also not as sweet as your regular buttercream icing. It's my new favourite way of making icing for sure!

Celestine's had a lot of adventures since her last birthday...

She's been to exhibitions in London, been on lots of autumn walks, sledged in the snow, travelled on a boat in Oman, received a Valentines letter, seen the Christmas lights...

She's made a snowman, baked miniature gingerbread men, read lots of books, drawn pictures in her sketchbook, decorated a Christmas tree, been on shopping trips to the supermarket, had her own carved pumpkin house made for her...

She's worn a lot of yellow, climbed trees, visited her secret miniature friends, travelled to Dubai, been to the beach, collected flowers...

She's been on holiday to Cornwall, sailed in various boats, been to the bluebell wood, taken tea from her pumpkin tea set, explored rockpools...

She's enjoyed the blossom, worn many different outfits, watched the fireworks, ridden her new bike, visited an aquarium, had rides on a miniature carousel, visited Bekonscot model Village...

And much more... I can't remember everything!

Happy Birthday Celestine! xXx

spotty bags and chandeliers

Last weekend Henry and I took a trip to St Albans. I had mentioned that I thought it would be nice to do a proper outing and was getting a bit cooped up with my work and so Henry suggested we went to St Albans on the Saturday.  It was a nice thing to do actually even though it was so grey and drizzly. (I swear it's been non stop rain ever since we came back from holiday!) We started by having Cornish pasties at the West Cornwall Pasty Co. (reliving the Cornish memories!- I so wish I was still there...) and then had a look round the shops. We ended up buying matching pairs of proper walking boots as Henry was in need of new walking boots and I didn't have any to start with. We got the real proper ones- as an investment! We do like walking. I also got a new bright pink raincoat because my old one was so old and ugly. What exciting purchases! haha.

We also went up the clock tower which had some VERY thin and spirally steps. That's where these pictures were taken (look at that grey sky!) Of course Celestine came too and wore her yellow rain coat and rain boots.

^^That's the (what has become known as the toadstool) bag I bought in Cornwall. Talking of red spotty bags I never posted about this hold all bag I made for Celestine before we went on holiday.  It was sort of an experiment but turned out really well! 

I was inspired by this stylish tartan barbie bag I saw in etsy. Celestine was rather taken with it and wanted to buy it but the measurements of it would have been too big for her. So I made one instead. It's not quite as nice as the tartan one but at least it matches her dress! And fits a lot of her clothes in too. It's more spacious than it looks. I think ideally it would have a smaller zip but as I was only experimenting I didn't want to spend money on hunting down the perfect zip.  By the way, the backgrounds of those pictures are rooms in my castle- still very much a work in progress! 

Oh and here's another little project I did recently. This one is for work though. I needed a sparkly silver chandelier for a set I was making so bought a cheapish plain one and jazzed it up with glitter and gems.  it's only stuck together with the gluegun and PVA so it's not durable enough to go in an actual dollshouse or anything but works perfectly for my illustration work. 

So yes quite chuffed with that.

I really haven't done much else apart from work since I got back from Cornwall.  I've been trying to continue with bike rides for exercise but it's very difficult when the weather is so rainy. I think I'm going to have to switch to swimming instead soon.  How I wish I had a swimming pool in my house.

side-note: My ideal house: Would be castle shaped. I would have a studio in the turret with windows going all the way round to let in lots of light. I would have a moat shaped swimming pool to do lengths in round the castle. I would have stairs with a slide next to them so you could slide down and walk up. I would have a jacuzzi/hot tub in the top of one of the turrets with a glass ceiling so you could see the stars though it. I would have a black and white chequered floor in the entrance hall and stained glass windows with pictures in them. I would have multicoloured chandeliers and star patterned wallapaper. THAT would be my perfect house!

And this weekend I am going to Miniatura in Birmingham! So very much looking forward to that. Especially after an intense week of work. It will be nice to have a break for a few hours. I find it's very important to go on trips/do exercise when working from home plus working weekends. Otherwise I go crazy. And I think it helps the work too. 

Anyone else going to Miniatura this weekend? I will report back anyhow!

Now I must go to bed. Goodnight! X

Celestine at the Seaside

This was something I painted before we went to Cornwall but didn't get round to posting it. It's the first time I've painted a whole flat scene (as opposed to making it in 3d) for a while. The rocks need work and probably some other things but over all I was pretty pleased with it.  It is of course of Celestine, dipping her toes in a rock pool. You can tell I was REALLY looking forward to going on holiday!

Someone mentioned to me that it doesn't look like Celestine is a miniature person in this picture and I suppose it doesn't really.  But just so you know- she is supposed to be tiny! Need to find a way of making it look like a very very small rockpool next time. Maybe some big shells and limpets and mussels would help the situation...

One of Celestine's favourite things about the seaside is being able to swim and boat in all the small rockpools. It must be so much fun to be a tiny person!

edit: (I realised Celestines nose looked a tiny bit too large and blobby so I have given her a digital nosejob!) 

 edit 2: (eyes. hmm)

Cornwall

Last week Henry and I went to Cornwall with some friends. We stayed in my favourite place where I have spent a lot of childhood holidays. I hadn't been there for six years and it was SO nice to go back. I won't leave it so long next time!  I think Cornwall really is my absolute favourite place in the whole world.

It was such a good week. We did so much stuff. We cycled 26 miles on the camel trail from Padstow to Bodmin (Henry and I went on a tandem!), ate Cornish pasties and lots of other nice food, sat on the beach for hours in the sunshine, went body boarding (twice- wish it could have been more!) had meals out and a fun game of pool in the pub, watched a horror film (Dagon) ate chocolate ice cream and raspberry sorbet, had a bbq on the beach, toasted marshmallows on the fire, went to a sealife centre and saw a giant octopus at feeding time (impressive! I didn't know they were such intelligent creatures), did lots of clifftop walks, looked round shops in Padstow (saw a miniature dragon but didn't buy it) and Newquay, bought a new red spotty bag, popped into the gallery of an artist friend, sailed my boat down the stream, cooked meals for each other,  went to a craft and miniatures shop, had a cream tea in Padstow,  ate lots of scampi (I love scampi!) bought a Cornish Pixie, raced down the sand dunes, absorbed the breathtaking beauty of the surroundings (personally I have never seen more beautiful beaches than those in Cornwall) and of course took lots of photos!

It was a brilliant brilliant week and the weather for the most part was amazing. I was so so sad to come home as we drove back down the road from the holiday house. I didn't want to leave! But I shall go back. :)

And it goes without saying (though I shall say it anyway) that it was really good to spend the week with our friends. We had a lot of fun and funny times.

And of course Celestine enjoyed the trip immensely too. She had her own proper mini marshmallows (tiny cake decorating marshmallows I found in the supermarket) to toast on her own tiny fire.

I will be counting down the days until we get to go back! ;)

X