The new Good Sam Show Blog is launched!!

My dear friend and mentor, Martha Puff, and her son Michael, two mforces to be reckoned with in the world of miniatures, have launched a brand spanking new blog, and it's all about the Good Sam Show!! The very first miniatures show I ever visited was the Good Sam in San Jose, California (when we still lived in San Francisco). It was with my daddy, so I'll never forget it. I was in heaven, rushing everywhere, taking it all in, and wanting to buy everything!! With everything shopping related, dad usually liked to hustle us along (I usually dragged my ass, trying stuff on and lingering at cosmetics counters, hehe), but he was just as into it as I was! We spent hours looking at every table and he even kept an eye out for supplies I could use ;-). So yes, Good Sam has a special place in my heart. I haven't been to many shows, but there's something about this one that has a more personal touch. It's also where I met Martha and Michael in person, both so talented and generous and kind and...ok, I could go on, but you get the gist ;-). Here's a link to the blog, and a pic I swiped of a very cool cobbler's bench. There will be much more to come!!

p.s. I've been miserably ill for the past week, so please excuse my absence...from almost everywhere!

Good Sam Show

Seafood avalanche

So, I've been pretty single-minded for the past week, making almost exclusively seafood (ok, apart from the Rainbow Trout, which is "Riverfood"), with the odd bit here and there ;-). These are some pieces apart from the ones I've been making for my customer's fish cart. And it aint over yet!

An ode to hideous food

Haven't had much time for another blog post, until now. I'm in full scale seafood making mode, to fill a lovely customer's fish cart :-).

But the reason for this post.  I must admit, I've had a little obsession with ugly food. When I was a teen, approximately *cough* years ago, we would receive these strange packets in the mail. Curious, I opened one and was astounded at what I saw! Recipe cards, in full garish color, of some of the most tragic looking food I'd ever seen!! They looked like they were from the 60s and 70s. I thought...is this a joke!?? Alas, it was not, and we continued to receive these, and I started saving all of them. Every time I saw a packet, it was like Christmas!!

Well, that card collection is long gone, but I've picked up the collecting bug again, buying old cookbooks and recipe cards from the 60s and 70s (mostly). Below, I share with you just a taste of the beauty of hideous food! The collection below is from Weight Watchers. Is there any question people would undoubtedly lose weight following these recipes??

My new friend Tanja Jensen- budding miniaturist supreme!

 Tanja is from Denmark. She befriended me not long ago and she is such a doll!! A talented one at that!! She is sending me a brand new jar of Scenic Water (GOLD!!), and I'm sending her some old, original formula Kato Clay (some from the wonderful pile that Jainnie sent me ;-). But I digress...I looked at her work and when she told me that she just started sculpting miniatures a year ago, I was shocked!! One year, people!! I believe some people can just pick something up, and it's pure instinct. The hands start working and it just comes almost naturally, you know? Not only does she make food- she's popping out dolls, too! I love to see people just starting out with such a passion, and I can tell that Tanja has that laser focus ;-). Go Tanja!! Check out a few of her pieces below, and visit her website for more (she will be adding more dolls soon):

http://www.sugarcharmshop.com/

My God, it's a mouse!?

It's been a loooooong time since I've made one of my goofy looking mice, but I added one to my poisonous mushroom log. I used to love making them and putting them in little "scenes".But heir tiny claws drive me batty, which is why I make about ten of them for one mouse, just in case :-/.

From messy tile to board

I snapped a quick pic with my iphone of my revolting work tile, with my potato heads lined up on strips of tape. I stick them on tape so I can paint the eyeballs and not have them roll around, haha!! I then transferred them to a board and made a little "boiling potato heads" scene. I am one sick #*&^!! I feel kind of bad, especially for the poor naked ones in the pot :-/.

Russian article, crab claws, and fruit

It's here! Olga did a bang up job on the article!! Lots of pics, and I used my Google translator ;-)!! Thanks so much, Olga!! Hey Susan, I'm with you- I want to see more Russian miniatures!!

http://www.in-miniature.ru/article.php?id=14

Also, here's a jar of crab claws and a fruit basket...

A Russian web article, a castle, and a couple fish pies

Recently, a very sweet woman named Olga emailed me and asked if she could write an article for her Russian miniatures site here: http://www.in-miniature.ru/
Of course, I said yes, and just now browsed the website! I just started clicking around and found a fab castle! It was conceived by an American miniaturist named Elaine Diehl, and it's a real grand "old dame" of a dollhouse. The piece took thirteen years to construct!! It must be MASSIVE!! There are other great works highlighted there as well, like Queen Mary's dollhouse. Sometimes, I love looking at big old lavish houses :-D. Below are pics of the castle.

The other pics are my fish pies ;-). My boyfriend, Batty....erm, Lance, has always wanted one of my Stargazey pies. Why? Because he's weird!! And really, I've found that most guys tend to like the weird stuff the most. Well, I finally broke down and made him one, because he kept bringing it up!!! In all honesty, it is wonderful to have a boyfriend who is so interested in what you do and wants to see everything...and OWN everything, hehe (he has a little collection of things I've made him, yes). Most importantly, he knows that when I "disappear" for long periods of time (which I do alot), I'm not ignoring him!!

Mushroom houses from Bewilder and Pine...and my ribs!

I love Bewilder and Pine on etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/bewilderandpine)! Months and months ago, my sister bought me an entire village, and she is making me wait until Christmas to open it...aaargh! Nicolas makes these wonderful, rustic, little creations, and it's difficult for me not to want to buy everything I see!! Anyway, I asked my sister to pick out a fairy house for Christmas, and this is the one she picked (the mushroom one in the foreground). So cute! The other pic, totally unrelated, is my platter of ribs. Still working on a long commission, and  I'm making two of everything- one for my customer and one to list ;-).

Attack of the tiny fish

Sardines and Smelt, to be exact ;-). And no blood in sight :-O!! I made some fried fish for an order, so naturally, I went overboard. Making tiny fish is really no more difficult than making bigger ones...I don't know why. But when I do make them, I like to pile em up!! Go big or go home!! Or, erm, go small, right!?

Bizarre baked goods

Keeping with the never ending spirit or putting faces on nearly every kind of food in existence (well, sort of), here are croissant heads. Why? I have no clue. I've done toast, I've done loaves, so why not blue-eyed croissants!?

IGMA Blog!! Happy Halloween!!!

Just in case you didn't know, there is a new IGMA blog and it's a beaut!! And I'm not saying this because my work is featured right now, hehe. The lovely Pat Richards runs the blog and does a bang up job!! THANKS PAT!!! And thanks for the wonderful piece you did ;-)!! Check it out:

IGMA Blog

Gayle Palama's witch's house!!!

My buddy Gayle Palama (shout out to another locally born chick ;-)) has created a fantastic witch's house, and I am tickled pink that some of my pieces have made it into that I love! When she first showed me some pics, I was immediately drawn in by the whole cool, creepy vibe. This is the kind of piece that I could spend HOURS marveling at because of all the little details she has added. Did I mention that Gayle is a hardcore foodie and watches the same cooking shows I do?? Woot!!!! I want to see MORE, Gayle!!!!

On another note, I am back from my week long vacation with BF Lance, aka Batty (because he is NUTS)!! We met in LA and drove down to SF. I've never been so exhausted in my entire life, but I had such a blast!! We packed alot into that week- lots of music shopping and hat buying and tattooing (him, not me), and getting lost, among other things. I started in on orders right when I got back home, so, needless to say, I already need another vacation ;-)!

Below are just a few scenes of Gayle's house: