Yesterday, I worked with Martie’s Miniatures inventory by photographing and recording finished pieces in my new software, CraftMakerPro . Here are some of the items I photographed and added to my software.

I have been working on macarons. I tried making them with a mold. Not so good. I guess it’s back to the drawing board. At least I did get some made. They just don’t look like I want them to look. As I said, back to the drawing board…or maybe we should say the internet. I’ll post updates as I figure this out and practice. After all, this is the first time I have made macarons. My daughter ended up taking my model macarons. There is a bakery near my house that makes the best macarons. Cakeit By V is terrific!

Lately, I have been working on photographing my miniature food and flowers. With a good camera, a light box with lamps, and a macro lens, it should be a piece of cake. Depth of field is playing havoc with making all of each image be in focus. My son says it takes practice. Hey Jon, I stacked this set. Not bad…but not great either. Actually, one picture was stacked in Photoshop while the second was as is with only the size of the image being altered. I really love how the grapes turned out.

It seems that after Christmas, stores put all kinds of things on sale. So it has been at one of our local craft stores. Last week, I went to A.C. Moore in Winston-Salem to spend my $10.00 reward certificate. My thoughts were to buy more polymer clay (not that I don’t already have enough). Anyway, I saw where they had the clay pasta machines marked down to $14.99. You can’t have enough of those either. So, doing the math, I decided to add to my pasta machine collection and use my certificate to purchase. My plan is to designate a pasta machine for like colors. I would have one machine for white, one for reds, one for pastel colors. I think it’s a neat idea.

Now this week, I hit the jackpot for polymer clay as the same store had all their Sculpey III clays for $1.00 a block. I didn’t get all the colors I wanted as they were sold out of many of the colors.  Still, I did come away with enough for me to get started. Now to find the time to actually sit down and create. Somehow, I have got to organize my clays and other supplies.

I went to the Philadelphia Miniaturia this past week. I took Ruth Stewart’s workshop on making Pastel Checkerboard cakes. This is a picture of my first cake. Of course, Ruth had to help most of us with the roses. However, I think with a little practice, I will be making beautiful roses all by myself. I need to work on pressing my clay tighter to keep from having gaps. I had so much fun and even made a new mini friend from Alabama, Kathy. I do believe I will save up for next year.

The roundtable kits that I submitted for the N.A.M.E. National Convention in St Louis, MO was accepted.  The kits were in 3 scales, 1:12, 1:24, and 1:48. The project was to make a wall hanging hat rack. The kits came with all wooden parts as well as 5 watch gears and a choice of 4 pictures. I tried to choose pictures that would show riverboats. Thus making the project a souvenir.  They will be offered for sale in the December issue of Miniature Gazette.

I took time off from selling on eBay and creating my mini food and plants for the N.A.M.E. National Convention in St. Louis, MO. My roundtable kits were accepted, So, with my granddaughter Liz by my side, we headed west. I never knew I could drive 12 hours. But, I did. I didn’t think we would find a place to bed down for the night. However, we did find a place. Only 2 hours from St Louis. We did have stops at every state line welcome center so that Liz could post on Facebook our location.

I have put several items (extras) up for bid on eBay. I am actually cleaning and organizing my mini stash. What I don’t have an urgent need for, I am putting up for bid. I have an entire collection of older miniature magazines. Those will go by way of eBay. Check out what’s up for bid!

Tomorrow, my daughter will be taking me to Duluth, Ga for the E3 mini retreat. I know it is late, but I still have lots to do. Dishes and clothes are washing. I am getting last minute computer stuff done. Then I have loose ends to tie up as I pack my items for my sales table. Gather and pack my tool kits, my meds, and my clothes. I promise pictures of my project. I am doing the quarter scale garden shed. I can’t wait!!!!!

Today, my best friend closed her miniature shop, Happy House Miniatures. She has owned   and  operated the store for 26 years. Due to her vision loss and other health problems, the shop had become hard for her to manage. It is sad when a shop closes. Especially when it is a miniature shop. There seems to be so few that are open now. I do know I plan to visit her at home as often as I can. Hopefully, at least twice a month. Maybe not as much during the winter months because of bad weather. We can talk miniatures and I can show her the latest items I have come up with. Long Live Friendship!!!