JellyBean Junction

On Hiatus...

2010-01-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

You're probably thinking, "Well, duh! It's been months since you posted anything!!" I took a break for the holidays because I was working ridiculous hours and had zero time for crafting. :(

I was hoping to get back into the swing of things and start making more minis now that I'm back to working less than 15 hours a week. (In case you're wondering what that sound is, it's good ol' Honest Abe crying as I pinch my pennies)

But life with a toddler makes things interesting, and McKenna has completely given up her naptime. There goes mama's "me" time! I don't know when I'll be able to work on miniatures again. Also, I may need to be looking for a full time job, so everything is a little up in the air right now.

I didn't want to leave my poor lil blog completely abandoned. :)

I'll be back!!

I hope...

So I haven't been completely non-crafty....

2009-11-16T14:26:00.001-08:00

Although my Etsy shops have unfortunately been moved to the back burner in preparation for holiday entertaining, I can't go too long without making SOMETHING. A couple days ago I made this pretty Autumn-y wreath to go over the fireplace.

But it begs the question...
How and where am I going to store it after Thanksgiving??

Team Spotlight Tuesday - - Calling in Sick

2009-11-10T00:39:00.000-08:00

I'm fighting a monster headache tonight, so I'm not going to be able to do a team promo post for this week :(

But just head on over to Etsy, and don't forget to search
"dachshund team"
"teammids"
"pcagoe team"

Time for night-night!
Zzzzzz

Weird Wednesday

2009-11-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

More wonderful weirdness from Etsy:

ida.s dreams from unconventionalida

Little Poison Love by LittleCraftyShop

Purple People Eater Fingerless Gloves by BoysenberryLane

Team Spotlight Tuesday - PCAGOE Team

2009-11-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

We don't get much in the way of fall colors here in Central California, but since pretty much anything is possible with polymer clay, I can get my autumn leaves fix just browsing through the team member's shops!

A simple browse through Etsy using the search "pcagoe team" will give you a glimpse into this wonderful world!

Fall Leaves Polymer Clay Pendant by fungibleelements

Fall Colored Leaves Handmade Polymer Clay Buttons by PolymerClayCreations

Fall Leaves Double Light Switch Cover by peggers

I was really planning on sticking with a "leaves" theme for this post, but this just made me laugh out loud!
"We're All Going To Be Pie Soon" by peggers

Create A Little Autumn...

2009-11-03T01:17:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, and living in a location that is less than famous for it's fall color, you can make your own garland of fall leaves to brighten your home. Simple and easy - even the kids can help out!

♥First, cut simple leaf shapes from felt, solid or patterned papers (or use all 3 like I did!) My papers are from my scrapbooking stash.

♥Punch a small hole in each leaf.

♥String your leaves together! I used vintage variegated fibers and crocheted a chain, adding my leaves as I went along - but you can use a simple length of yarn or string and tie your leaves. Make your garland as long or short as you'd like. My garland is about 4' long and is made of 50 leaves spaced about an inch apart.

Have fun!

Weird Wednesday

2009-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween is coming - bring on the WEIRD!

AlyshellsCraftShack has some monsteriffic offerings in her shop! Kazoot Votar comes with a hilarious backstory and an art card with an acrylic painting of his likeness.

I'm loving monsters lately! sweettaters has some cute sock monsters in her shop.

One more cute little monster to share today. This is Gracie from JunkerJane

Team Spotlight Tuesday - TEAMMIDS

2009-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Get lost in your own little world with Miniatures in Dollhouse Scales

Our official team announcement:
We are a Team specifically for makers and collectors of accurate to scale dollhouse miniatures for adult collectors.

Not all dollhouses and miniatures are made to scale for adult collectors. Some dollhouses and their contents are intended for children to play with and are more strongly made for play purposes.

There are many types of miniatures but the ones this group is interested in are in the internationally accepted dollhouse scales of 1/12th (one inch = one foot) - 1/16th (three-quarters of an inch = one foot) - 1/24th also sometimes called half-scale (half an inch = one foot) - 1/48th sometimes called quarter-scale (quarter of an inch = one foot) and the incredibly tiny 1/144th scale also known as micro minis (one twelfth of an inch = one foot).

Here are some other links to find out more about the team:
Blog - http://teammids.blogspot.com

Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/groups/mids/

Web Site - http://www.teammidsdollhouseminiatures.goods.officelive.com

Etsy - (Click here to search "teammids" on Etsy).

One of our newer team members, JasonsWoodworking, makes some beautiful turned pieces, including this striking vessel:

You will find some some stunning candle centerpieces in WhimsyCottageMinis' shop.
This one would look fabulous on a Thanksgiving table:

littletimewasters makes some beautiful tiny art.
Can you believe this handpainted rendition of the Mona Lisa is only 2 inches tall??

Weird Wednesday

2009-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Bring it on!

As alittlecatty mentions in her shop announcement, "Normal is normal; weird is better!" Howley is no exception:

In ObeyMyBrain's shop, you will find lots of uniqe items, including this Squid Hat:

PearsonMaron's shop is a wonderland of mythical creatures and whimsical sculptures. Everyone loves a Jackalope!

Just a few examples of why I love Etsy. Share your weird!

Team Spotlight Tuesday - The Dachshund Team

2009-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's just starting to get chilly around here, so I figured this little cartoon is appropriate:

It's been a while since I've made any new Halloweenies, but other members of the dachshund team are hard at work on new items for Etsy!

You can find several cute towels and appliqued items in bjgardn's shop, including this doxie set:

Laughingfridge has such a cute shop. I love Penelope because she looks so much like my Pinkerton!

ylbb (Your Lips But Better) is a new member of the team! The packaging for her lip balms features an illustration of the adorable Gigi!

Weird Wednesday

2009-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Got weird??

How about a moldy pumpkin? Just check out ALittleCharacter's shop!

Vandycraft's Eye Monster is awesome!

You never know what specimens you'll find in specimen7's shop!

A Blog Award :)

2009-10-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

I just received this nice award from De. Thanks so much!

Here are 7 things you might not know about me:
1. I'm a dork at heart. I love sci-fi and fantasy.
2. I was a band nerd in high school.
3. I worked in radio for 7 years.
4. Yeah, I'm nearly 30 - but I love Twilight!
5. I have 3 tattoos.
6. I hate grasshoppers and crickets.
7. When I was younger, I wanted to be a psychologist.

7 Awesome "Kreativ Bloggers":
1. Joyce, Mostly Art
2. Hanna
3. Chris, MandarinMoon
4. Arlene, Harrison Hollow Designs
5. Laurel
6. Waxela, SpiritMama
7. Iris

So here are the award rules:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you. (Thanks De!)
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.
5. Nominate seven 'Kreativ Bloggers'
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

Team Spotlight Tuesday - PCAGOE

2009-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

It was quite a long day today with a sick toddler, but I wanted to write up this quick post to feature the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy! If you've never had a chance to work with polymer clay, you're missing out! So versatile, and oh so addicting!!

A simple browse through Etsy using the search "pcagoe team" will give you a glimpse into our wonderful world!

Beetreebyme's shop offers some wonderful beads and gorgeous figural pendants like this Autumn Vine Fairy:

Cabinfeverclay also makes fun beads and pendants for your own jewelry designs. This abstract pendant is really cool:

Ashpaint's shop, Harrison Hollow Designs, is full of fun decorative items, plant pokes, and ornaments - like this Santa:

Still Kickin'!

2009-10-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

I realize I've been a little lax in sharing my latest endeavors. I've been so busy with special orders on top of lots of work hours, and - oh, yeah - wrangling a 2 year old! Not much blogging time lately :) But most things end up in my Etsy shops, so you can pretty much always see my latest work there.

My little hamster habitat brought about a special order for some guinea pigs! I even have some little mice in the works!

Believe it or not, the most time-consuming part of making these little habitats is cutting up all the paper/cardstock for the "wood chips" I use 4 or 5 different shades of brown, and try to cut them up as randomly as possible. Maybe I'll do a little bunny next!

In addition to the custom orders, I've also put together a few little mini ideas that had been floating around in my head:

The cactus garden was lots of fun to make. Every now and then I'll make a mini that I'd love to make over and over. I think this might be one of them. There are so many different types of cacti and succulents, I could mix it up :)

The little weenie dog pull toy is based on a full sized one that I own, though mine is just plain wood. After making this mini, I think I might give the old one a makeover!

Weird Wednesday

2009-10-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Gotta love Etsy!

Loveandasandwich has such a fun shop! How about some monsters for your ears??

The geeky gamer girl in me loves this retro Nintendo soap! You must check out Digitalsoaps.

Well, you all know we're dog people around here, but OhBoyCatToy's shop is so cute! Just look at this TP roll catnip toy :)

Team Spotlight Tuesday - TEAM MIDS

2009-10-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the 1 year anniversay of the Dolls and Miniatures category on Etsy! It was a long fight to try and get our category established. Before that, miniaturists were forced to list their items in the "Toy" category. Toys? I think not! It took a grass-roots campaign to get our category recognized - keeping ourselves visible in the forums at Etsy, blogging and posting all over the place, and an awesome petition that recieved over 700 signatures:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/add-a-dolls-category-on-Etsy

So what better team to feature today than TeamMIDS?
Miniatures in Doll Scales

I am constantly in awe by the amazing creations from our talented team! I was thinking about sharing dolls made by the team this week, but I figured I would direct you to the team blog for the amazing slideshow that is posted there:

Dolls! Dolls!! Dolls!!! Slideshow

Be sure to go take a look!

So today I will share some accessories and furniture made by some of our team members:

Minide has put together this sweet wedding vanity scene:

Not all mini furniture is Victorian in style. Just look at Minibydesign's Art Deco chest and bookshelf combo:

Amatheria's cherry blossom triptych is another beautiful accessory to your modern style dollhouse.

Whatever era you prefer, you can furnish your dollhouse in style... just search "teammids" on Etsy!

The Paypal Fairy Loves Me :)

2009-10-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

I've had several sales in the past few days so I'm busy getting packages together for a trip to the post office tomorrow. I'm also working on some commission pieces, including guinea pigs, mice, a cheerleader bear, a lil dachshund in a hunting vest and a crochet afghan. And of course still coming up with more ideas of my own... the latest being a mini garden bowl of cacti and succulents.

Oh please oh please will someone tell me how to add more hours in the day?? I have the next 3 days off, but I know I'm not going to be able to get as much mini-ing done as I'd like.

I don't have any new pictures to share. I really want to get better about that - and taking more in-progress photos (though you might be frightened by the perpetual mess on my craft table...)
I'll leave you with one of my items that just sold:

I can't believe it's almost Halloween! I've totally got to get cracking on McKenna's costume!

Weird Wednesday

2009-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Bring on the WEIRD!! This week, I'll show you a few items that are at once weird and cute!

Maybe a little weird, but oh so adorable! PilliPillihandmade has several cute scarflettes in her shop, including Bucky:

Colorful, surreal, and weirdly beautiful, a rabbit with parrot wings in sarada's shop:

What is a Hershel Pancake?? I'm sure I don't know, but head over to babsiebijoux's shop and find out more!

Team Spotlight Tuesday - The Dachshund Team!

2009-09-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Members of the Dachshund Team are either owned by a wiener dog (or two, or four), or create and sell items for or featuring the loveable little hound!

I'd like to share a few of my favorites:
Chloejessica creates some adorable paintings. This one of Chloe would match my turquoise kitchen perfectly!

Sasha is saying her prayers in this cute set of bookmarks. Check out SassySashaDoxie's shop!

Doxiedoodles' sweet illustrations always bring a smile to my face, but here's something a little different - a sweet doxie pull toy!

Search "dachshund team" for more :)

A Busy Week!

2009-09-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

I really need to improve my time management! It's been a busy week for sure, but I feel like I could have been so much more productive! (Are you saying to yourself, "umm... it's only Monday...???) My schedule is all wonky. I work Mondays, but only partial days - so I kind of feel like that's my time to breathe a little sigh of relief.

I have been working on new projects, and I hope to be able to grab a little more time this coming week. I've been lamenting my time at my "real job" and wishing I could somehow find a way to make use of any extra time I have. I've realized that I can work on miniature crochet on my breaks! I think I'm the world's slowest crochet-er, but it's nice to do something creative while at work.

I can't believe it's almost OCTOBER!! I listed some Halloween Minis in my shop this past weekend, and today I sort of combined my 2 "product lines" into one item -
A Miniature Dachshund:

And speaking of DACHSHUNDS, be sure to stop back by tomorrow when I do a little feature on the Dachshund Team :)

Weird Wednesday

2009-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

You can always count on the wonderful world of Etsy to bring on the WEIRD!

Now we all love sock monkeys - but what about Sock Creatures?
Beezmiller's shop has lots to choose from, including Keith:

LoopyBoopy has been one of my favorite artists for a while. I just love her Zombie Couple Cake Topper. Perfect for a Halloween wedding.

And this one just made me laugh out loud! Everyone needs a knitted biology project! CraftyHedgehog has several to choose from. And if you're so inclined, you can even buy the pattern to make your own.

Team Spotlight Tuesday - PCAGOE

2009-09-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Polymer Clay - This is NOT your child's Play-Doh!

I read this on a team discussion recently, and it's so true! When I try to describe what I do to people that are not "in the know", they seem to think I'm talking about making miniatures with Play-Doh. No, hun - it's polymer clay! Fimo, Sculpey, Premo! So fun, and so very versatile!

A simple browse through Etsy using the search "pcagoe team" will give you a glimpse into our wonderful world!

You can also take a look at the team's Flickr Pool or check out the website at http://pcagoe.com/

Here are just a few examples:

SpiritMama's shop is such a lot of fun. Some very fun unique items for all tastes! I wish I had one of these as a cake topper:

I just adore everything in MandarinMoon's shop! This one really caught my eye (har-dee-har!)

There is so much beautiful jewelry made by the team, and SCDiva has created some of my favorite pieces - Like this one. I love the verdigris effect, the shape of gingko leaves, and big, bold pendants, so this one's got the hat trick as far as I'm concerned!

Off to the craft room to make a teeny tiny hamster habitat!

I've Always Wanted An Aquarium...

2009-09-19T11:08:00.001-07:00

I think this little aquarium turned out so cute!
Quite a while ago, I purchased some Reutter porcelain miniatures that came in a little plastic case. I immediately thought "aquarium!" But I didn't have a chance to get it made until now. This was a lot of fun.

First, I made the coral pieces from slightly marbelized polymer clay, and textured them to add dimension. I also added on some marine life, such as plants and a starfish. After they were cured, I rubbed them with a little bit of paint to add more texture. I made a little "terra cotta" pot from clay, and put a plant made of fringed cardstock inside.

The little fish were of course made of clay, with painted details. The "gravel" bed of the tank was a trial and error think. It ended up as a mixture of sand, glitter, tiny marbles, glue, and acrylic paint. All the pieces were arranged inside, with twisted, painted pieces of cardstock added in as "seaweed", and a few paper branches for more plant life. A couple of real sea shells complete the scene.

There was another "trial and error" issue with this aquarium. The original case included a black plastic lid, and my intention was to use that as the lid of the aquarium. But when I got it all put together, the lid made the whole thing too dark! D'oh! So, I ended up making a lid from a piece of clear plastic with a cardstock frame, and the original lid became a base!

I think I'm going to be listing this on Etsy. But I really like it...

There's Nothing New Under The Sun...

2009-09-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

Do you ever think you have a great idea, even if it's just a little one, only to find out it has already been done?

For a little backstory...
I made my first Halloweenies several years ago. When Hallmark came out with the "Hot Diggity Dogs" (see below) a few years back, I stopped making my Halloweenies for a while.

I guess I didn't want to be accused of being unoriginal.

Finally, I just decided that darn it, I made mine first - and there's room in the world for more dachshunds in costume! Hehe...

Now, when it comes to miniatures, most of us try to recreate items from real life, so of course there are going to be a lot of very similar items. I think even when making fantasy style items, people tend to have similar influences, so their items might have some creative "overlap" too.

As much as I love miniatures, sometimes I find myself avoiding browsing the categories. If I see something listed that's similar to what I've been working on or thinking of making, I begin to second guess myself, and sometimes decide against starting that new project. It puts a damper on my whole creative process.

I wonder if other miniaturists struggle with this?

Weird Wednesday ( a little late )

2009-09-16T21:28:00.001-07:00

I've had company all day, but I still wanted to get this post in tonight.

Another little feature I'd like to do here on my blog is Weird Wednesday. I just love all the quirky little shops on Etsy! A search of the term "weird" will turn up some surprising listings.

I found these little booties, which are both weird and cute!

The Etsy shop name is (of course!) sushibooties!

Team Spotlight Tuesday - TEAMMIDS

2009-09-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to figure out just what I want to do with this blog. I want to share more of my creations, especially the creative process. But whenever I start creating, I get ahead of myself and forget to take photos of the actual process! And most of my creations are total improvisation, so I don't know how much help it would be to share the method to my madness!!

But, I have decided that at least once a week I will spotlight one of my Etsy teams.

Today I will be featuring Miniatures in Dollhouse Scales

Our BlueKittyMiniatures describes the team:
We are a Team specifically for makers and collectors of accurate to scale dollhouse miniatures for adult collectors.

Not all dollhouses and miniatures are made to scale for adult collectors. Some dollhouses and their contents are intended for children to play with and are more strongly made for play purposes.

There are many types of miniatures but the ones this group is interested in are in the internationally accepted dollhouse scales of 1/12th (one inch = one foot) - 1/16th (three-quarters of an inch = one foot) - 1/24th also sometimes called half-scale (half an inch = one foot) - 1/48th sometimes called quarter-scale (quarter of an inch = one foot) and the incredibly tiny 1/144th scale also known as micro minis (one twelfth of an inch = one foot).

Here are some other links to find out more about the team:
Blog - http://teammids.blogspot.com

Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/groups/mids/

Web Site - http://www.teammidsdollhouseminiatures.goods.officelive.com

Etsy - (Click here to search "teammids" on Etsy).

FairyFurnishings shared their latest creation, and it made me laugh out loud. I just love it! Fairies have to go to, you know!

MiniBuilder is an amazingly talented furniture maker! Just take a look at this beautiful Mission Style Dining Set!

BlueKittyMiniatures makes some gorgeous cakes and cute cookie jars, but the Harry Potter fan in me was drawn to this little magic book:

Making miniatures is such an addicting hobby! I was in the craft room way too late last night, and I'll have some new minis to share later this evening :)

Etsy Finds - A Triple Play!

2009-09-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

I hope it's not another case of biting off more than I can chew, but in the process of revamping this blog, I decided I wanted to make regular posts featuring some fabulous Etsy Finds - especially creations from fellow team members!

I plan to set up some kind of regular schedule for these "spotlight" posts, but for today's first installment, I'd like to share items from all 3 of my teams!

First - The Dachshund Team! (search "dachshund team" for more)

LaughingFridge's "Bella Ballerwiener" and WillowTreeTreasures' Primitive Angel Dachshund

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Next up is Team MIDS - Miniatures in Dollhouse Scales (search "teammids" for more)

Everyday Gourmet's Strawberry Daquiri and GodsFlyingFlowers' Tiny Monarch Butterfly

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

And finally, PCAGOE - The Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy (search "pcagoe" for more)

JuliesSpace's "Fly Away" Necklace and Peggers' "Ghost Rider"

If you haven't discovered Etsy yet - what are you waiting for?? You can get all your holiday shopping done in one spot!

Making Changes...

2009-09-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be playing around with the blog a little bit. I am also making dollhouse miniatures one again, and I'd like to make this blog a little more interactive, including my Halloweenies and minis. Things might look a little wonky until I figure out what I'm doing :)

Esty, Here We Come!

2009-08-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've listed the Halloweenies in my Etsy Shop, and I've also added my "Etsy Mini" gallery towards the top of the blog :)

New Halloweenies to Share

2009-08-20T01:26:00.000-07:00

Below is a sneak peek of some of my newest Halloweenies, soon to be listed on Etsy and/or eBay :)

Sera

2009-08-20T01:15:00.001-07:00

click to enlarge

LuLu

2009-08-20T01:14:00.002-07:00

click to enlarge

Louis

2009-08-20T01:14:00.001-07:00

click to enlarge

Clark

2009-08-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

click to enlarge

Albus

2009-08-20T01:12:00.000-07:00

click to enlarge

Drake

2009-08-20T01:06:00.001-07:00

click to enlarge

Some Old Friends

2009-08-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Houdini

Wahine

Daisy

Frank

Oliver

Tookie

And a couple of my very first puppies: