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/