The Mouse Market

A Cooler Made for Mice

After coming home from yoga yesterday morning, I was feeling ultra mellow, which is great…just not when I’m supposed to be working, and I finished a few hours of design work before giving myself permission to take a quick nap. Right. My “quick” nap ended two hours later, but I did feel super refreshed, so I must have just needed a break. At any rate, after a tasty dinner (I’ve been in the pursuit of the ultimate non-soy veggie burger, and, thanks to Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Suppers, I think I’ve finally discovered burger Shangri-La), the mini-making fires were finally lit under my sluggish butt, and I churned out three salads–Cobb, Niçoise, and Greek–a spaghetti carbonara meal set, and the pièce de résistance…the teeny tiny cooler.

Chopped Salads Galore

I had a few cans of soda that never seemed to sell at shows and a bag of ice that I use very rarely, so I decided it was time for them to join forces in the service of a super cute cooler set. I filled the cooler with ice, and with the exception of the cubes that touched the glue-coated floor and walls of the cooler, all of them were glued and placed individually (ahh!) to avoid visible clumps of glue all over the place, and then I carefully placed the cans and handmade watermelon wedges and went about gluing more ice cubes to cover them slightly. I love it! (See more pics of the foods mentioned in this post on my Flickr page.)

Smorgasbord of Sides

Today, I finished all of the side dishes (twice baked potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce, and stuffed peppers) that I’ll be displaying on a mini table with the burger I trays I posted about a few days ago, along with two tostadas plates, a bowl of salsa, and two fish taco meals. Tonight, I’ll be knocking out a few jewelry pieces, because my mom and grandma are coming for a four-day visit starting next Tuesday, so I have to make sure I have plenty of things ready to list on the days when they’re here. I certainly don’t want to waste precious family time sitting in front of my computer!

Greek Salad with Pita Squares

P.S. Remember the big ol’ tent I was so excited to have purchased in an earlier post? Welll…turns out the seller was out of stock, so my money was refunded, and I was knocked back to square one. The next cheapest tent was $40 more expensive–I’m going to have to do a bunch of outdoor shows next summer to get my money’s worth!

Sunshine Breakfast Table

Before I start talking about miniatures and become totally distracted, I wanted to share a coupon code for Moo.com, the place where I get my snazzy photo business cards. Every time I order a box, I get a coupon that can only be used by new customers, and it finally occurred to me that I can share it with my readers so it’s not going to waste. To get 15% off a pack of 50 business cards, use the code “G2MSCG.” There doesn’t appear to be any limit to the number of times this can be used, since the code is the same on all of my coupons, but you do need to be a new customer. Happy shopping!

Rise and Shine!

This morning, I put the finishing touches on a custom breakfast table for one of my favorite customers, and I decided to go with an orange-pink color scheme. The table features two plates of toast and jam with country sausages, a little carton of orange juice (I bought that piece) with two glasses of orange juice (made from resin), a stack of buttermilk waffles topped with fresh fruit, a little griddle with sizzling bacon and sunnyside up eggs, and a tropical fruit salad preparation scene, all on a cute, white kitchen table. I’m super happy with the way it turned out.

Morning Treats

Today, after a brief nap–I’m feeling super sluggish–I’m going to continue working on pieces for my upcoming show, starting with a number of side dishes to accompany the selection of burger platters I made earlier this week. I’ll likely mention this through the weekend, in case people are tuning in on different days, but my monthly newsletter comes out this Sunday, so be sure to sign up using the subscribe box on the upper right hand corner of this page. Thanks!

My New Teeny Tiny Kitchen

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that my Aztec Imports miniatures order had arrived, and I was in for quite a surprise when I unpacked the box. Based on the catalog descriptions, I thought that I was purchasing the bottom section of a white kitchen set, as in, the sink, stove, and lower cabinets but not the upper cabinets. When I opened the boxes, I discovered that the upper and lower cabinets are sold as a unit, so I have nearly the entire kitchen at roughly half what I had anticipated to spend–yay! All that’s left to buy is a cabinet for the refrigerator and a unit with two stacked ovens, both of which will cost less than $10. Not bad. I think I’m going to use one of the Paris kitchens from the Paumes books I talked about yesterday as decorating inspiration.

Itty Bitty Counter Space

While running errands this week, I also picked up a daylight (or white light) bulb, and once I have a little more cash, I’m going to buy one of those goose neck lamps to set up lighting for my photos. On sunny days, the light in my work/photo area is orange-y in the morning, which can look cool depending on what I’m going for, but by late morning the light is blueish, as you might be able to see in the kitchen photos here. I can correct for it up to a certain point on my computer, but sometimes too much tampering leaves the photos looking odd, and particularly when I’m shooting an item that I intend to sell, I don’t want to alter the photo very much to ensure that shoppers are getting an accurate view. Bottom line: I’m excited to have a source of light that will allow for clear photos, regardless of the time of day.

A Cooler for My Picnic Area

This week, I’m going to be working on a number of new preparation boards for my upcoming show, and while I was browsing in a bookstore in Memphis a couple of weekends ago, I came across an awesome cookbook in the bargain stacks called Frame by Frame Cooking: Quick and Easy. Every page is filled with bird’s eye view photos of each step of the recipes, so if you’re in need of preparation visuals, this is a goldmine. Oddly enough, while at the library this morning, I found a nearly identical book called Cooking from Above: Classics, and now I’m good to go with preparation inspiration. Another honorable mention in this category is Martha Stewart’s Cooking School, so be sure to check out these titles if you need help with your prep scenes.

P.S. My monthly newsletter is coming out this weekend, so don’t forget to sign up using the subscribe box on the upper right side of this page!

Summer in Paris Macaron Necklace

While working on a bunch of mini burgers yesterday, I was listening to old episodes of the radical politics/craft podcast, Craft Cartel (new episodes might be in the works, according to one of the the show creators–yay!). One of the episodes contained a review of the now-defunct magazine World Sweet World, which looked like crafty-sustainable-design heaven, and I was heartbroken to discover that back issues are virtually impossible to come by, with the exception of a couple issues that would have cost me $35 in shipping alone from Australia. Yeah, right. (As a consolation, check out archives of cool craft/DIY tutorials on their website.)

French Picnic Necklace

Anywho, in my search for back issues, I came across the online shop of a nifty Aussie store called Lark, which then led me to a series of books by a Japanese publisher called Paumes. Seriously, check out this link. If you like design, decorating, yummy food, or travel, you’ll totally freak (in a good way). In a roundabout fashion, I was then led to the site of Frankie Magazine, which has put out a couple of books featuring sweets and afternoon treats that are total eye candy. By the end of my Internets adventures, I was actually feeling a bit overwhelmed, and this is something that seems to happen frequently whenever I’m exposed to lots of images, products, or ideas.

A Burger Bonanza

Often, when I find cool books, magazines, or websites, the urge is to buy whatever it is they’re offering. (Good thing I’m also broke, so that never really leads to anything.) The problem is that this is a trend that never ends. I’ll never reach the absolute, last “cool thing,” and I could conceivably consume myself into infinity (with a big enough wallet, that is), but where does that really get me? I can’t possess these cool ideas in any meaningful way, even though that urge is what’s driving my desire to buy, buy, buy. However, what I can do is find inspiration and weave that into my own art in a way that’s unique to my experience, which, I could argue, is much cooler than buying another book or other random object that I likely won’t even remember six months from now.

Custom Order: Festive Cranberry Sauce

When I’m feeling barraged by an onslaught of stuff (a common occurrence in our culture, unfortunately), I have to remind myself that desire in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it also is something that can’t be “cured” by obtaining the object (or person or experience) in question, because there will always be another object of my desire waiting in line. If this is something you’re interested in exploring, you might want to check out an awesome book called Open to Desire by Mark Epstein, which talks about the gap that exists between our feelings of desire and the thing or person stirring up that desire. He offers guidance in how to settle into, and even enjoy, that gap, instead of constantly seeking to quench those feelings of desire, which, as we know, is a never-ending cycle.

In a total about-face, tune in tomorrow when I talk about my Aztec Imports order that just arrived, including my new mini kitchen.

A Well-Stocked Pastry Case

While setting up my booth display mock up yesterday, I decided to fill my white pastry case with desserts and sell it as one piece. I’ve elected to leave all of the desserts unglued, which means that the case’s new owner will have eleven tasty-looking desserts to display however they choose, and the case can be rearranged to their heart’s content. I’m a little bummed that it was pretty much impossible to photograph the case in good lighting without eliciting a bad glare, because I had envisioned much snazzier photos. Ah well. This is going to be the first of many new complete sets that I’ll be selling in my shop in the coming months, and I hope to start selling individual sets that, when combined, will form an entire kitchen (or pastry shop, restaurant, or whatever the theme may be).

All the Sweets a Doll Could Want

In my excitement over buying my first complete set of appliances, I initially overlooked the rather obvious fact that other mini makers might be excited about assembling a cute kitchen of their own, so when I place my next supply order, I intend to purchase a few stoves, refrigerators, kitchen islands, etc. Then, I’ll combine each appliance or piece of furniture with a selection of mini food items to form little sets. For example, the stove might come with a sheet of cookies and a pot of something tasty for the stove top, along with a little towel and matching oven mitt, that sort of thing. If shoppers are feeling inspired, they might choose to collect all of the appliances, each with their own assortment of foods and accessories. I can’t wait!

Upcoming Show Booth Plan

The past few days have felt really productive, and being able to cross the Aztec Imports (dollhouse miniatures) order off of my list was a huge relief. I should be well-stocked in minis for at least a few months. Yesterday, I received an Ebay notification that one of my watched items, a 10′ by 10′ EZ-Up Tent was on sale from a seller who already offers free shipping, so I decided to go for it. At $99, the tent was the cheapest I’ve found, and I feel confident that I’m buying a good quality tent, since I know a number of artists who use that brand. Usually, brand doesn’t really factor into my purchasing decisions, but after reading one horrible Amazon.com review after another for a no-name brand of the same tent, I was pretty terrified to end up with an expensive purchase that might fall apart after one use.

Meats and Soups

This afternoon, I spent a few hours setting up my practice booth display, mapping out which sections need a little work and which areas are pretty much done. I’m excited to say that roughly 80% of the table is completely finished, which is amazing, because I still have one month before the show. Granted, things will likely sell between now and then, but my plan is to create pricing signs in Adobe Illustrator and wait to print them until the week of the show. That way, I can delete any sold items and replace them with new pieces that I’ve made without wasting any paper.

Pizza and Breads

Speaking of pricing, I’ve decided to spread my pieces out a bit more this time, which has made the table seem so much less cluttered, and I’m leaving spots on the surface of the display to accommodate pricing, so my signs aren’t sticking up all over the place and obstructing the view of other pieces. For example, on my wooden stair step displays, I left enough room on each step for a flat pricing placard, which I think is far better than the vertical signs that I propped next to each stair at the last show. It looked so messy, and I think it was harder for shoppers to quickly find the prices they needed. Hope everyone has been enjoying a lovely weekend!

Summer Berry Tart Earrings

After two (very long) days at my mini-making table and in front of my computer, I’ve finally finished my very first tutorial. As time-consuming as it was, it was really satisfying to watch as the tutorial emerged, and it was also interesting to actually think through my work process in such a detailed, step-by-step fashion, something that I don’t consciously do as I’m working normally. My last conventional job involved training personnel on various tasks, and it was fun to tap into the “explain-y” part of my brain again. But enough babbling and on to the tutorial itself!

Summer Berry Tart Tutorial

For this tutorial, I created summer berry tarts, and I include instructions for making both a dollhouse miniature piece and a pair of earrings. The entire tutorial is in color, and it contains over 40 photographs and 14 pages of instructions, plus a supply guide and bonus tips, including pointers on how to use the skills presented in the tutorial for other polymer clay projects. It’s suitable for beginner mini food enthusiasts, but I wouldn’t recommend the tutorial for younger kids due to the use of sharp blades, an oven, and a variety of sharp and pointy instruments!

Tutorial Excerpt

For now, I’m making the tutorial available through my Etsy and Dawanda shops, although I will certainly be selling it on this website once the shop section is up and running. Another tutorial is in the works, but I probably won’t have it finished until after my August show, unless this tutorial is so incredibly popular that people are banging down my door, requesting the next installment. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy making some scrumptious-looking summer berry tarts!

P.S. While available, you can also purchase the actual 1/12 scale summer berry tart or the sterling silver earrings version.

Poor Quality Pic of My Future Kitchen

I’m so incredibly excited! *deep breath* Thanks to a few Etsy sales this week, I was finally able to place my first wholesale order with Aztec Imports, and I bought a nice assortment of pieces for my shop, as well as a few kitchen appliances for my first roombox. I’ve decided to make my home kitchen scene all white, so I purchased a kitchen island, a stove and sink, and a refrigerator. With my next order, I’ll fill out the kitchen with the upper cabinets, but for now, I’m super thrilled to have these pieces to work with. I’ll be able to set up more realistic scenes for my food photographs, and it will give the Nutmeg family somewhere to putter around in as well.

Matzoh Ball Soup

Along with my personal treats, I ordered a few furniture pieces, including a white pastry case identical to the one in my Petite Pâtisserie, that I will be turning into elaborate food scenes intended to be sold as a unit, so if you’ve been dying to have a fully stocked pastry case, stay tuned (or, if you want to custom order a case with personalized treats, drop me a message and I’ll save the case just for you). I was also able to stock up on pots and pans, cookie tins, a super cute blue and white cooler (like the old school Coleman coolers), an ice cream maker, and other mini wonders. I can’t wait for the shipment to arrive!!

Homemade Chicken Potpie

Yesterday was also productive on the mini-making front, and I finished two-thirds of the photos for the fruit tart tutorial. Since most of my fruit tarts feature fruit slices that require a technique called caning, which would require far too much information for one tutorial, I had to choose fruits that could be made in another manner. I ended up picking halved strawberries and blueberries, and I have to say that I’m quite happy with the results. The finished tarts are very summery and tasty-looking. I’ll have the rest of the photographs finished today, and then it’s just a matter of putting all of them together in a pleasing layout and writing the text. I say “just” but that will likely take an entire day. I can’t believe how time consuming it is to take photographs of each and every step. A piece that normally would have taken me under an hour to complete took roughly four hours and counting) to photograph!

P.S. For this week’s meals, I’ve been using Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Suppers, and I made Sweet Potato Gratin with Onions and Sage last night. It rocks, and I’ve found the recipe online if you want to give it a try.

Cool Peppermint Desserts

I suppose I could wait a bit longer to see if more votes come in, but I really want to start on my first tutorial today while I have a bit of time, so…[drum roll]…I’ll be making fruit tarts this afternoon and photographing the entire process. It will likely take me a few days to get everything written up and nicely formatted, but if I can finish the last few tasks necessary to get my shop up and running, the fruit tart tutorial might be the very first thing for sale in my spiffy, new shop. Fingers crossed.

Creamy Lobster Bisque

In terms of the banner makeover, I found an awesome watercolor book at the library called Creating Nature in Watercolor, and I can’t decide if I want to start working through that or an equally amazing book called Chinese Watercolor Techniques: Painting Animals. Decisions, decisions. One of my readers asked if I’d considered combining ink drawings and watercolor, and it’s quite coincidental that when I was going through my supplies last night, I found an ink bottle with a set of nibs that have been gathering dust for ages. I love the look of ink drawings, so I might experiment with that as well and see what comes out of my little painting session.

Jumbo Catfish Po'boys

On a very random note, I came across a cool site on Etsy called Seventh Sphere, and if I had oodles of money, I’d probably snatch up a bunch of super cute bags for myself and for cute gifts. I’m particularly fond of the Eco Friendly Selvage Coin Purse. Adorable!

Vegetarian Lasagna

With July passing me by, it’s nearly time to start working on miniatures for my August dollhouse show. I’ve been pretty disciplined about making new jewelry pieces for the past two weeks, and while I still have about 100 more pieces to complete before the enormous September show, the world shouldn’t come grinding to a halt if I take a break to restock my dollhouse minis. And it’s looking as if I might have just enough room in my budget to place that Aztec Imports order I’ve babbled about excitedly in previous posts, which means that I’ll be one step closer to creating my first series of roomboxes–yay!

Pancetta Wrapped Pork Loin

I have the first stages of my online store set up completed, and now, it’s just a matter of waiting for confirmation from Google Checkout before I list my first handful of items. I’m sure it will take me awhile to get the hang of everything and to work out the design details and the organization of the shop sections, but I’m excited to be that much closer to my goal. Things are really starting to come together!

Cardamom-Fig Stuffed Pork

Last but certainly not least, I want to create my first tutorial this week before I start working on my dollhouse pieces, and this is where I could use your help. I seem to change my mind on which item I want to make for the tutorial every time I think about it, so perhaps you can decide for me. I can either make a savory or a sweet food, and here are the choices: pepperoni pizza, a cheeseburger, macarons or fruit tarts. Whichever food I end up making, I’ll include instructions for the dollhouse miniature and the jewelry version. So, whaddya say? Which teeny food should play a starring role in my very first tutorial? If you have a moment, please leave your vote in the comment section, and I’ll be starting work on the winning tutorial later this week. I, and my indecisive brain cells, thank you in advance for your help!