Calorie-Free Sweets!

I've been working on miniatures again the past few days.  It seems like "all the cool kids" are making mini food these days!  I see a lot of mini food on charms and other jewelry, and while those are really fun and I've made a few novelty pieces too, true scale miniature artisans always amaze me with their skill!.

Being self-taught, half the fun is in just figuring out a new way to make something look "real".  I look back on some of my earliest mini food and I know I've come a long way, but I'll never be done learning.  Which is why, even though the mini food market is pretty saturated, I'll still keep making mini food.  I love baking with flour and I love baking with clay!

I keep meaning to take photos of in-progress pieces, but I get so "in the zone" that I forget to pick up the camera!  But here are some sweet desserts that I listed in my Etsy Shop today:

Peach Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, and Pecan Pie.  Yum!

One of my other favorite things to make in miniature is kitchenware/pottery.  I love browsing through antique shops or vintage listings online to find inspiration.  A few years ago, I was commissioned to re-create this vintage cookie jar, based on one from an old family kitchen:

Cookie jars are fun to make.  I decided to find another vintage style to make, and I started working on this Dutch Girl yesterday:  (You'll have to excuse the poor photo quality - it was taken with my phone)

   

The top is removable and the jar is hollow inside.  It turned out to be a little over 1:12 scale, since she stands about 1 1/2" tall.  Sometimes it can be hard work to keep things within the proper scale.  When I finished sculpting the lid, I know she would be just a little too big, but I didn't want to waste that work, so I just finished her.  She could still fit into a larger scale setting, and I think anyone who collects this style of  antique cookie jar would appreciate her as well.  I just need to get some proper photos taken and then I think I'll put her on Etsy!

Tweet

Do You Hexipuff?

Last year, one of my New Year's resolutions was to learn to knit.  I have been crocheting since I was 12, but I've always wanted to learn to knit.  Then I found the project I just had to make: The Beekeeper's Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits  (http://tinyowlknits.wordpress.com/)  Just look at how beautiful this is!

(photo by Tiny Owl Knits)

I did fulfill my resolution - I learned how to make hexipuffs!  They are still the only thing I've attempted to knit, but that's ok, since I'll be working on this project for a while.  This project is supposed to take a year, since you need to make between 350-400 "hexipuffs" to complete the quilt.  I think I'm on the 3-4 year plan, since my 1 year and 4 months total is somewhere around 165.

Here is a look at some of my own hexipuffery:

It's such a cool project!  Each puff takes me about 30-40 minutes to make, so I work on them on my breaks, in waiting rooms, or when I'm a passenger on long trips.  

All this hexipuffing got me thinking... (it was bound to happen)

Hexipuffs in clay!  Why not?  It would be fun to wear a little hexipuff charm on a necklace or a bracelet.  Last night, I started playing with my Sculpey, trying to figure out the best way to make a knit design in the clay.  It's a work in progress at the moment, but here's a peek:

Happy Hexipuffing!

Tweet