Catching up!

Well, our little Meg has gone back to school today after her brush with swine flu. We aren't 100% sure if it was actually swine flu, it did start very suddenly, one minutue she was the normal hectic, noisy Meg and the next she was very poorly, it was as if someone had pressed a sickness button! She had the high temprature, dizzy spells, headache and vomitting, but the cough and watery eyes only lasted a couple of days, thank goodness. She also had a rash, but only on her tummy! She was desperate to go back to school yesterday, she was missing her friends because she hadn't seem them for a week, poor dab, but I kept her home a little extra days, just to be sure she was over it and wouldn't pass it on. Today, the horrable smell of dettol is fading, I think I have just about scrubbed everything with dettol lol.

With Megan in school, I have spent an hour this morning taking some photos of a new collection I had finished just before she was ill. This collection includes the sofa and chair and I will be listing it tonight on Etsy at around 9.30pm. It is a lovely high backed victorian sofa, with a rich mahagonay wood surround and a gorgoeous tangerine peach upholstery. I had great fun stitching the matching cushions, because I used some of my favourite 'blackwork' designs. I then got carried away and stitched some matching 'blackwork' samplers. The one in the middle in the fancy frame is for my Pumpkin House. I bought the frame in Miniatura some years ago and hadn't found the right insert, untill now! I also had to plonk a sleepy little bear on the chair, it just looked the perfect spot for him.

Off to post some parcels now, the Bearcabin shop has sold :0)
Have a great day, everybody
Julia :0) xx

Inside the Olde Abbey

Little Meg is feeling a bit better today and she has plonked herself on the settee, which she has renamed Meg's swine flu settee!! So as I don't need to run up down the stairs every 2 minutues, I have settled myself at the table where I can do a little work on the Olde Abbey and keep an eye on her at the same time. Not that I really need to, the noisy, talk non-stop Meg is back on duty lol.  Anyway, I have put the church pews, pulpit, etc in and I have been busy looking for lights and bible's on Ebay. I did find a birth and deaths register, but I think it may be a bit too big for my shelves, so I will keep looking.  As for the lights, I am thinking of putting in a Tudor style wrought iron circular light fitting and some wall candles.

We have also had a go at making real candles for the church. Mine is on the right, Hywel reckons his (on the left) is better!! Men!!!

A must have accessorie for the chapel, a good mousing cat, lol.

Back soon, Julia xx

My lovely gift from Teresa has arrived

Remember I entered Teresa's birthday surprise competition and won? Well, my lovely gift has arrived and here it is;

I haven't had a chance to try the tea yet, but the cookie was delicous. I did share some with little Meg, she is not at all well at the moment, which is why I have not got anything done this week and am a bit behind with everything!  The pretty box holding the tea sachets is sitting happily in my glass doored kitchen cupboard, for all to see. I had to be quick, because the eldest daughter was visiting when the parcel arrived and had her eye on it, lol.

Pop over to Teresa's blog, her is the link, http://minimadwoman.blogspot.com/ she has a lovely blog, Marigold Manor,  it's all warm and cosy feeling.

Back soon, hopefully!!
Julia xx

The Olde Abbey has stained glass

Working 13 days in a row has left me with no time to make minis, but I did manage to have a little play around with the glass paints for some of the Olde Abbey's stained glass windows. For the top window, I used a picture of a real church window as my template and placed it under my acetate. I then drew around the outline with a black outliner glazing pen and filled in the design with my own colours, which I mixed up from red, yellow and blue glass paints. The large window is going to take some planning, as I want it to be really impressive, but for now, I have leant some 'leaded' glass against the middle section of the window.

For the side windows, I used the same outliner pen to draw the lines of 'lead' and then made up a slightly mustardy yellow colour to gently 'wash' over the windows. I was pleased with the way it  turned out, as it looks as if the glass is really old.

I also did a bit of work on the roof and subjected it to some lichen and moss!!

Oh, and we have grass!!

Julia :0) xx

I won a give away :0)

I just had to pop a little post on and share my wonderful news.
I am one of those people who never wins anything, but enters just in case!! Well, I just quickly popped on the computor to list a couple of things on Ebay and I had an email from Teresa at http://minimadwoman.blogspot.com/

I won

I had entered Teresa's surprise bithday giveaway and her darling cockatoo, Bijou picked my name as the winner. So a huge thankyou to Teresa and Bijou and I hope you have a wonderful birthday on saturday, Teresa :0)

Pop over to Teresa's blog, the link is above,  it is full of wonderful things.

Julia xx

Artisans In miniature have a blog

A quick post to highlight a new blog.

http://artisansinminiature.blogspot.com/

Pop over for a peek at all the lovely work from various miniature artists.
They also have a fab, free downloadable magazine, packed with heaps of great articles and how-to's. Just click the AIM logo on the right of my blog to go stright to their main site.

The Olde Abbey has a roof!!

Work on the Olde Abbey has been slow, but tonight we found time to paint window surrounds and wood stain the roof shingles. All the roof needs now is a bit of moss and the roof will be done. Next, I have to paint the stained glass to go in the windows!

The shop with no name, but welcome in!

It has been a hectic last few days and the time just seems to have flown. I have managed to answer emails and keep up with some of my favourite blogs, but other than that I am left thinking it's back to work tonight and before I know it, it will be sunday again! For those of you waiting for the new Wild Heather Collection, I will start to list the range in my Etsy store over the weekend in between work and I will pop a post on to say it has been listed.

One thing I have done today is find a new home for the shop with no name! This little shop had been sitting in the back of the understairs cupboard for about a year, untill I dug it out a couple of weeks ago. To date, it has no roof and no name, but the window, door, walls and frontage are done and it it seemed a shame to have it hidden away. Hywel made me a life size dresser top for my dining room, so for now it will be living on the bottom shelf of the dresser. It is filled with the originals of my previous ranges of mini makes, like tapestries, hats, needlepoint bags, stools, cushions and last years autumn bears. It was quite nice to see them all again and I may make a few more up for this year. There are also a few of my favourite bought items, like the brass till on the counter, the side handle actually turns! It has had a quick tidy up and my little bear who pops up to welcome new followers is now settled in the corner!

My dresser with the shop on the bottom shelf, now all I need to do is make it a roof, or rather get Hywel to make the roof and then find it a name!

Hope everyone has a great Guy Fawkes, Julia xxx

November AIM Magazine now online

For a great free read, the November edition of  the AIM magazine is now out online.

A big welcome to five new followers

We have had five new followers in the last 2 days, so here is a big hello and welcome to you all. I hope you will enjoy visiting us. Comments are welcomed and I do try my best, time permitting, to put a little answer or just a thanks for commenting message  after your comment.

Julia :0)x