The Mouse Market

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.

Fruit Tarts for Spring

I began working off of the month long miniatures schedule that I drafted over the weekend, and so far, I’m enjoying the structure. I managed to cross everything off of Monday’s list, and I even hopped around to another day and made a handful of fruit tarts, so I’m a little ahead of schedule. Yay!

Breakfast Display

Yesterday’s completed treats included three fruit tarts–Georgia Peach with Oranges and Blueberries, Spring Citrus with Jordan Almonds, and Fresh Kiwi Blueberry–two sunny side up breakfast plates, two platters of biscuits ‘n’ gravy (my first attempt at both the biscuits and the gravy), one experimental quiche, three waffles, including two à la mode, and the pièce de résistance, a custom ordered sculpture. I’m dying to show pictures of it, because I’m really quite happy with the piece, but I need to find out if it might ruin the recipient’s birthday surprise if I do. Details to come…

Scrumptious Waffles

In less exciting news, I’ve noticed a decrease in my online sales over the past few days, which happens to coincide with the last time I posted new jewelry pieces. Not terribly surprising, since roughly 80% of my sales are jewelry, as opposed to dollhouse miniatures, but I’m a little concerned, because I really don’t have time to make new jewelry pieces until after the dollhouse show, yet a slow sales month at a time when I need more supplies than usual isn’t the best combo.

Detail: Biscuits and Gravy

Hopefully, after this first year in business, once I’ve been able to destroy my debt and sock money away for our land purchasing goals, I can scale back on the number of shows I do in the beginning of the year, focusing mainly on the holiday season shows while keeping my online shop reasonably well stocked year ’round. Fingers crossed!

Lolita Charm Limited Edition Set

The Lolita Charm giveaway has launched, so be sure to visit the Lolita Charm blog for your chance to win $38 worth of Mouse Market swag and to grab a coupon code valid through March 31, 1010. I thought this announcement deserved its very own post, so scroll down and click on “Booth Display Dry Run” to see today’s original post, too. Happy Monday, and good luck!

St. Pat's Day Cupcake Earrings

With the Indie Craft Revolution fast approaching, I’ve been quite the busy bee, and I’ll be finishing up a number of pieces this weekend before working on my jewelry display shelves for the show booth. This morning, I wrapped up a set of St. Patrick’s Day End o’ the Rainbow Cupcake Earrings (available in Light Spring Green or Rich Grass Green), along with a number of Sunnyside Up Egg Earrings and Peeled Banana Earrings.

Lolita Charm Limited Edition

If you’re in the mood for pink, glittery goodness, stay tuned for updates regarding an upcoming giveaway with Lolita Charm, the blog of Lolita queen, Victoria Suzanne. I’ve created two custom pieces worth $38, and one lucky winner will take home the I Heart Pink Fruit Tart Accessory Collection: Lolita Charm Limited Edition. I’ll be sure to post a link once the giveaway is up and running!