New Journey

I started a new jouney this year, one of personal growth and challenges.
At the age of 52, I have allowed myself to be in control of my life. All the decisions good or unwise are of my doing. It has taken great focus and energy to travel this new direction. What is exciting is that there is no set destination, no predetermined date of arrival. It is a trip that keeps revealing with every turn, with each new door that presents itself and a variety of methods of travel as I explore it.

I was thrilled and a bit relieved when my thoughts and fingers started to express themselves with my own art.

Much has been focused into making my new house a home; it has taken nearly 10 months to return to this avenue of expression.

I so missed it and everyone in my miniature and altered family. I have never forgotten any of you; I appreciate beyond words the love, the energy and the space that has been shared with me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I missed the NAME National Convention in Indianapolis and will not be attending the Small Scale Houseparty in Utah next week. What I miss the most are the wonderful people who I call friends and many more waiting to become new friends.

2010 Nationals in Seattle next July is not that far away- I intend to make up my absence with even more obnoxious enthusiastic and excitement.

For those going to Salt Lake Small Scale Houseparty- my altered Halloween house will be exhibited along with altered miniaturists. I hope you have a chance to see how unique each turned out, all starting with the same idea- and finishing with each persons own creative spirit.

There is endless ideas and endless potential available for all of our art- when shared- the possibilities are greatly magnified.

Thank you all for sharing….I love it and need it.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Years!!

2009 is starting out fresh and promises to be full of changes. Besides altering my miniatures, my real life is going thru an alteration… personal and economical- got to love the economy.

I hope you all have mini debts and major gains!!

The tremendous snow we had in Oregon over Christmas- delayed my trip north to my family in Renton, Washington by one week (16” at my house- the glowing globe is one of the street lights by our sidewalk completely covered). In turn our mini club delayed our “Halloween” Sleepover Christmas party by one week.










The theme of our Christmas party and gifts was Halloween, each of us are making an altered miniature house sharing the theme of Halloween and the criteria that it has to fit within a pre-purchased acrylic container.


Besides miniatures and gifts, we shared many laughs, lots of advice and a tremendous amount of food.

I ended up having to alter my house to meet our criteria, I am placing my acrylic box on top of a “witches shoe teapot”, and the top of the pot is secured to the top of the building within the box. Thus I had to cut and peel away my previous ½” base of foam core, leaving only the top skin, which I stabilized by gluing it to matboard. I reached interior clearance. Yipee!!

I progressed to adding a layer of torn paper over the initial exterior; it adds great texture and hides sins…..

I left the paper hanging over the edges or wrapped some into the interior…. Again it adds layers of texture and interest. Another thing you can do is to add plaster or paint to the exterior. Anything goes!!

Barbara was our hostess this year for Christmas; she has this incredible room that is full of light and tons of room. You can’t see the side tables piled up with tools, and anything and everything to work on a project. None of us came to her house with a moving van, but it would have been helpful from all that we brought.

Susan’s Halloween house has a haunted castle motif- her amazing painting skills are used thru her project. No activity in the graveyard that nite.

Lorene’s house was inspired by the pretty ghoul at the top; she customized the top to showcase her. Besides pretty it has pretty creepy things too!

Karla’s house is one of the happiest Halloween houses you can ever see, it has a terrace on top with a table and chair set for lounging on a bright moonlite nite!! Even the spiders are cheerful as they weave their webs.

Barbara’s house is co-coordinated with her favorite color- green combined with orange. She has collected over the years many pieces made by Karen Markland. She is using the traditionally one inch scale piece as a focal point. Gorgeous…. And ghoulish…..

My house has the tea pot top glued in place, skirted with a border paper of cauldrons, I secured a one inch scale pumpkin with bat wings (Karen Markland) to the top, and I have started in this picture to make a fence out of fimo candy corn buttons of varying sizes. (Not pictured is the bats- specialty buttons placed in between the candy)

As always spending time with people you love is the best present one can ever get.

I had a wonderful Christmas!! and I look forward to sharing the New Year with all of you.