A Miniatures Swap

Something old, something new, something created, something with blue...paraphrasing this famous saying provides an accurate description of my first swap experience.  It's been said before, but you gotta marvel at the power of the internet to bring strangers together.  The Flickr Modern Miniatures group begun by talented the Anna-Maria a.k.a. The Shopping Sherpa is very, very popular.  It has more than 9,000 members worldwide.  On the discussion board for this group, I answered an open-call from margaret_loves, to do a swap.  I must say to you veterans---pinchofpepper that includes you---who swap your talented mini-creations and post the spoils on your blogs,  please know that you've truly started something.  Margaret and I were both newbies, but we wanted in on the fun. So, we

1. set a theme = blue
2. set a budget = $10.00 

Even with this information, I still wasn't really quite sure what to do.  I went to Michael's and spent up my budget on a combination of finished items and a few raw materials read unfinished wood.  Truth be told, this really wasn't a lot of loot (and I guess I didn't expect it to be).  I knew I'd be undertaking more miniature DIY projects than I'd actually bothered to complete in quite a while.  So here's a look at some of what I sent in my package.

There is certainly an awesome feeling that comes after managing to get my large clumsy fingers to execute a tiny creation.  (Why is it so hard to turn the pillows right-side-out after stitching them up???)  I had some fabric remnants from a project. (I recovered an ice cream parlor style chair for my bedroom).  Such a small amount of fabric in 1:1 scale really goes a long way in the 1:12 world.
Thank Goodness!  The two pillows in the back were made from fabric samples, so the cost of that material really fit my budget--he he. I also learned that with one sheet of 9" x 12" felt you can create at least 4 rugs.  I created 1 round, 1runner, 1 square (see the photo below), and a set of carpet tiles (in the style of FLOR).  The carpet tile set was 3 by 3 tiles with each tile a 1.5" square.  Sorry I didn't bother to measure the other rugs.  I just eyballed them, my favorite technique, ha ha.

This scene took about 10 minutes to stage, if that.  I grabbed surface materials to set the floor and back wall.  This wall is siding from Miniatures.com.  The paintings are images clipped from the Paper Source catalog and mounted onto cardboard (recycled from doll packaging).  The wall cabinet is a pillbox resurfaced with contact paper.  I used seed beads for the door knobs.  The trash can is a popular eraser from a set sold at Michael's.  The television is a magnet that I picked up from who know's where.  Sorry, just one of those random finds.  The dried willow sits inside a very interesting bead also found at Michael's.  The TV and plant both sit atop the plastic box top in which moo.com mini-cards are shipped. The knapsack is a Barbie So In Style (little sister) accessory.  I made all of the books from scrapbook papers and fasteners.  I made the pillow on the floor from another fabric sample then stuffed it with more seed beads.  The bench was constructed from stock unfinished wood shapes also available from craft stores. I will try to do a detailed tutorial for this piece later.


The overall aesthetic of these pieces is contemporary but by the time Margaret gets them inside her Ikea Lekman box with her cube side tables and Reac Japan chairs, all will take on a more modern feel.  This swap was a certainly a challenge but it was also a great deal of fun. (Think Christmas in February).  So now I'm ready for the next one. Who's game to do a swap with me?