I'm Back! Hoping All Are Well!

My latest mini painting, 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" based on a photo I took when we visited friends in Colorado.
In this photo, I made the gourd, the Chippendale sofa, the polymer clay goose and apples. Dale made the rug; Bertie's Miniatures made the zebra wood turned vase; Joyce of Mostly Art made the green pottery vase and red flowers; the butter churn is by Jane Graber; the dough board is by Sir Thom Thumb and the fireplace was a House of Miniatures kit.
This is my latest little floral chaise--I love this fabric by a Japanese company, Quilt Gate (hope they survived the tsunami and earthquakes okay).
In these two photos, I made the goose and hydrangea and the ivy from a kit. Mercedes Spencer made all of the lovely feminine, shabby chic accessories including the bird's nest, the trash can, the little bird houses and primitive doll, floral ewer and shopping bag.
I have been gone from my blog for nearly a year and I have missed it but it's been quite a tumultuouas year! We've had some family issues which are, for the most part resolved in a good way at this point. In addition to the hay we grow on our farm, Hampton Road Farms, he has started buying hay we cannot grow here from northern Kentucky and selling it and, so far, we've been blessed in that endeavor. It's hard work but he loves it and I pray for strength to continue to help him.

I want to thank all of you who have written to ask if we're okay--it touched me deeply and brought a tear to my eye! Thank you so much. Miniaturists are some of the most compassionate, loving, kind folks I have ever met and I'm privileged to get to know you through our shared passion. I had to leave blogging for a while since I couldn't devote the time to visit around to everyone (I'm still working three days a week as well) and make pertinent comments. I've been glad to keep up with some of you on Facebook. So, I'm trying to come back and I'll try to get around to everyone. I've lost so much not keeping up with what you've been up to but I'll try to go back a bit as I can and catch up! Thank you again for accepting me in your ranks, forgiving my lapses and checking up on me! And, Mercedes, if you read this, I am still collecting some goodies up for you! I am overcome with guilt I still owe you some things in our swap! I'll hope to send it soon!

Holiday Swap Items from Leo Furtado!

Katerina'sHoliday Swap Items from Leo Furtado

I participated in Katerina's Holiday Swap and was the lucky recipient of this fabulous, sumptious summer feast from Leo Furtado in Brazil! I was literally blown away by the details of the beautiful fruits, lovely translucent bottles of 'spirits', the ice bucket, mouth-watering, refreshing and lovely mixed drinks in various containers with accents of sliced fruit, rims of salt and foam!
And just look at these beautiful gelatin's, the grapes, the flowers! I could not believe my great fortune! I will have to create a special habitat for this wonderful treasure!

If you look closely in the overhead shot, there is a sweet little violet on the table! And underneath, more treasures of kegs, tulips, a crate of drinks and more goodies. And included in this veritable feast for the eyes and the palette, are enough jars of mayo, honey, jams and bottles for Joanna to have some in her house! Thank you, Leo!

And if that wasn't enough, the wonderful Kat Hazelton of Kat the Hat fame, featured my little witch's cottage on her blog today! So, it's been a wonderful day for me! Thank you to Kat for showing my little witch's house!

Busy Summer and Gifts from Mercedes!

Busy Summer and Gifts from Mercedes!

Every summer is the same. I think I will have more time with Joanna not in school and the routine a bit more relaxed for mini's and other things. But as you see above, summer is hay season on our small farm. I am in the John Deere farthest away square baling while DH is on the John Deere nearest raking. And this week, I am working daily during our annual Carolina Shop Hop at the quilt shop. So I have hardly had time to even check in with everyone or update my blog and just got my holiday swap items in the mail to Alicia for Cockerina's holiday swap today.

But, Joanna and I recently received some fabulous shabby chic swap items from Mercedes (while she patiently waits for me to get around to reciprocating!). Mercedes, thank you and our items are almost ready to send your way. I am having to protect the candy we bought for Liberty from my oldest two, Maggie and Ben!
This little doll and pillows may have to go in my long-awaited log cabin.
Part of these will go in Joanna's house and part in my garden center.

Probably the most special was this little coffee table with sewing goodies Mercedes made especially for me! I was near tears at opening it! Now I've got to get back in the mini groove to get Mercedes' things in the mail to her!

Blog Giveaway Winner on Our 25th Anniversary!

Blog Giveaway Winner on Our 25th Anniversary!

Thank you all for entering my blog giveaway and for my new followers. I hope you will drop by often (when I have time to post and to visit everyone around!) and see what I am up to!
Above you see us on our wedding day, June 22, 1985 and now at the surprise party our children and my in-law's threw us Saturday evening! My children had cleaned the house to a sparkle and invited about 70 of our closest friends! It was wonderful. All Jerry had been told was to take me out of town for the day and we went to the North Carolina mountains including Hendersonville and Brevard. We came home to a wonderful party! So I would like to thank them!
The names were put in the bowl for my giveaway and Joanna picked the winner:
Congratulations to my friend, Katie from Katie's Clay Corner! She and I have been blogging about our mini's for about three years now and I have been the recipient of some items from her that will go in Joanna's nursery when I ever get her house finished! Katie, I will e-mail you for your address! Hope you can use these items in your mini project! Congratulations!

Peach Blossom Hill 1:12th Scale Miniatures on Etsy

Finally! My Blog Giveaway

Finally! My Blog Giveaway!

Some of you who visit me here often know that I have been the recipient of many blog giveaway's lately and meanwhile, I have been working toward mine and I felt it had to be worthwhile. I meant to have it at 200 followers and then 250 and now I am one away from 275 so here it finally is! I hope you like it and someone is able to give it a good home. It is one of my little chaise's in an allover blue foliage cotton print on white, a circular white wire table, one of my blue mophead hydrangea arrangements, a basket of our South Carolina peaches I made from poly clay, two little books and a blue toile pillow.

I so appreciate all of you who follow me and drop by to leave a comment and see what I am up to. Though I can't yet make mini's my full-time vocation, it is my avocation and I enjoy the friendships and awe-inspiring projects you all do. Thank you for the e-mails, phone calls, kind and encouraging comments here, Flickr and Facebook and thank you for accepting me and my little amateur efforst in your life! And to my new followers, I apologize for not welcoming you officially yet but I intend to soon.

Meanwhile, to be eligible to win my little giveaway, just be a follower and leave a comment on this post. I will have Joanna pick the winning name the week of our wedding anniversary, June 22, 2010. And thank you again for your friendship!

Baby Dolls and The Graduate

Baby Dolls and The Graduate

I ordered the Belly Button Babies mold set from Cynthia Howe and after much assistance via e-mail from Cynthia and Terri Davis, mini doll maker extraordinaire, I finally managed to put one together and to dress it! You can put this little thing in your hand and have plenty of room left over! And before even learning how to best assemble them, I ordered the yawning set. I will pour them soon! It only took me about five attempts to create a bodice and sleeves. This is not the best photo but I've been working on various projects all day in my basement and just took the pix in my living room with overhead light.

This tiny baby will go in Joanna's nursery and it is lying on one of the items I will be giving away which I will hopefully post next week in my long-overdue Blog Giveaway!

I also was most fortunate on my recent very odd winning streak of blog giveaways to win this little darling clothespin doll from Carol of Wee Treasures! Isn't she the sweetest little thing you have ever seen? think I will !name her Adelaide. She had to go out on my front porch to pose in front of the peonies. I love her!
And I also had to post this pix of my son, Ben at his Baccalaureate ceremony with his sisters, Maggie and Joanna. He surprised us by being named an Honors Graduate (the ability and intelligence are certainly there--he just sometimes doesn't give it his all scholastically!). He will go to Clemson University in the fall studying agriculture education (if he doesn't change his mind!) Graduation was Friday night and Jerry's birthday (49 and holding) was Saturday--I took him to see Robin Hood which was very good--and then Memorial Day was yesterday and we joined friends for a hamburger cookout.
My children, Maggie, 20 (almost), Ben, 18 and Joanna, 10, almost 11!