I’ve been working on the new Japanese foods tutorial book, and about a week ago, I hit a major wall. I was feeling serious creative blockage, and I wasn’t enjoying my mini making for the first time in a long time.

Mice to the rescue!

I’ve decided to take a break on the Japanese food book (it’s not going away entirely, I promise; it’s just taking a little vacation) so I can work on something that I feel more fired up about. The Nutmegs came up with the best idea, and I started working on it yesterday.

As much as the Nutmegs are loving their new city life, they sometimes miss their little home in the woods, so together, we’re going to build a magical woodland home for them to retreat to when they need a more rustic experience.

I’m documenting the entire process to turn into a book, and I’ll be sure to include some tasty woodland foods as well. So far, the house doesn’t look like much, but the next stage involves adding nifty sculptural details, like foundation stones and possibly some tree roots, before I paint the walls to look more woodsy.

mouse house

I have a vision of this mouse house in my mind, and it involves plenty of moss, sculpted mushrooms, and a cozy little kitchen. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m going to want to live in it once it’s done. So, stay tuned (sign up for updates here) for more pictures from the book-in-progress!

woodland diorama