Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Don't even think about it, Coraline Jones! Now updates at bottom!

Ok, so I've talked about my Coraline custom orders from a dear online friend of mine.  Well...they are done :)  I am so happy!  Now I love helping my mini people out, please don't think that I don't because I love ya all like I love chocolate.  And I love chocolate!  Hehe, joking aside-I am so happy to be done with customs for a little while.  It feels nice to breathe the free air, lol.  I am so flippin' excited to make something out of my own imagination that I can't hardly stand myself!  I'm giddy.  I mean, GIDDY.  Hehehe.  I immediately launched into my next two projects that have been calling my name (subconsciously guys, I'm not THAT crazy) and I'm happier than a kid with candy.  First, I'll show you all the pics of my two Coraline customs and photos of what they are based on.  The box with button eyes was HARD because of the size.  A little over an inch and a half wide and full of button eyes, needle and thread, and a spool of thread.  I had to make it all by hand-including building the oddly-shaped box out of wood.  Ok well I cheated on the buttons...but everything else was hand made.  Eeeep.  So small!  Wicked difficult.  I'll post a photo of the box building mess. 

Yicky.  That was the hardest part.
            Finished photo:
And now what it was based on:


Kinda blurry but you get the idea
And now the photo of the scene with the beetle chair in it that my mini was based on (pictured afterward):

And my version which is followed as closely as I am capable of:




And no, I will not do this again unless someone offers more than I can turn down lol.  It was hard too!  But I really feel it was worth it.  My customer has two lovely dolls she's put together of Coraline and the other Mother.  I think one of them will sit on this chair.  They are really very good dolls and she has a nice Coraline collection building up :)  I think this chair I made into a mini is the one one made that I have seen.  I did a search and turned up nothing posted online so I believe it is one of a kind.  Kind of exciting when that happens!

Now about my next projects.
I've started my dessert cart out with this high quality tea cart that I purchased online.  It wasn't cheap but I wanted a good one.

Although mine is alot redder in finish than this one.  I would call it a bombay red.  I thought that fitting for the red queen's cart.  I have fixed it so the table flaps are stuck in the upright position to give me space for what I plan to put on it.  Plus I find the look of it more pleasing to the eye that way anyway.  I have begun sculpting a three-tiered cake that will be completely tricked out in every way possible.  It will be red, white and black and covered in stripes, playing card symbols-you name it.  It will look fit for the red queen, let's put it that way.  I will do this to the best of my ability.  I have been dying to do a tea cart for quite some time.  I've very happy to be finally working on one and I plan to pull out all the stops on this one :) 

Also while working on that I have been working on a red queen cabinet that will be full of wonderland fun as well.  Again, highly decorated is the way it will be.  Any suggestions as to what I should make to put in it are highly welcome :)  Leave me a comment if you get an idea to toss my way guys!  What fun...but I am off to bed.  I will post updates as I get to them.  I also plan on posting some of my own mini collection as well.  Right now, I only have witchy minis because it was a witch cottage that I was hoping to do.  But I have many goodies from some very popular miniature artists as well as several that I designed myself with the help of another artist before I figured out I could make them myself.  I am very new to this.  Valentine's day it will have been one year since I opened my store, and when I opened it was when I started making things for myself.  So right now I am just under a year of doing this :)

Ok little sneak peak at what I'm doing to the red queen's cabinet, far from done though!  I don't even have both door panels painted out yet-so only one of them is stuck in there.  But you can get the general idea of where I'm headed with the finish on this:


Like I said, one panel is still out of it because I have to paint it. 

I have so many ideas on how I want to fill this cabinet.  It may look "pretty" right now...but it will be filled with dark curiosities in keeping with our darling tyrant of a Red Queen, Iracebeth of Crims :)  Here's a partial list of possibilities of what will go in it:
Squimberry Tarts under a glass dome
photograph of the Jabber-baby-wocky
hand-sculpted taxidermy frog head from the tart thief
photograph of Jub Jub Bird (if I can find one)
crown on a velvet pillow
perfume bottles in red queen style
the Oraculum scroll
Dominion Over Living Things study book
any more I think of in the following days

For the top of the cabinet I purchased an ornate miniature bird cage kit for me to build that I will stain in dark cherry finish and then add red heart finials to the top posts of the cage (and place a red bird inside).  Then I will make some sort of hat like the ones the hatter made for red queen for the other side of the top.  Here's a picture of the cage kit I bought:
Fuzzy, but you get the idea.

For the bottom of the cabinet I'm making a small folded quilt.  I plan on doing small patchwork squares of these trims and fabric:

I think they really capture her style well. 





9 comments:

  1. Love your button box and chair, the chair is amazing! I read Coraline after reading your last post, I really enjoyed the story. The tea cart is going to be so cool, can't wait to see this cake you are making. Congrats on your 1 year anniversary coming up! You are an awesome artist :) I look forward to seeing your new creations.

    Victoria ♥

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  2. What can I say! They are simply perfection! Looking at the minis is like looking at the real thing anyway, you have followed them so closely and so beautifully! Your customer must be over the moon, I would be! The chair is awesome! You know how much Im waiting to see pics the Alice creations completed, Im saving just incase!! Lots of Hugs Kate xx

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  3. OMG that was my favorite movie! I love the bug chair it's so cute!

    Marisa :)

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  4. I'm so excited about your creations. The tea cart is going to be spectacular! I appreciate your attention to detail and artistry! My husband has agreed to let me build a half-inch scale Pink Palace. I'm so excited. Can't wait to set up my craft room and work on all the minis. Hugs!

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  5. Wow, Tara that beetle is superb. Can't wait to see where you go next. Everyone loves my flowers I can't believe you have only been open for a year. Well done you!!

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  6. Hi Sweetie,

    Wonderful work and I know that you put your whole heart into the miniatures you make and it shows. You are only getting BETTER. Can't wait for pic's of the Tea Cart as you go along. I am sure that it will be out of this world. Your box and chair are superb - great work.

    Love ya, Mom in Law Sherry XOXO ;-)

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  7. WOW! ! ! ! The red queen cabinet - what can I say - it will be one of your best creations yet. Can't wait for more pic's of it as you go on. Maybe, I will be lucky enough to see it in person when I come to visit for my birthday in March. I can only imagine how beautiful it will be when completed.

    Love ya, Mom in Law, Sherry XOXO ;-)

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