The giveaway I won

Yes!!! The parcel arrived on Friday and the contents were wonderful. Thank you so much Annie. Your work is not only very detailed but everything has a perfect finish. I am very pleased and proud to now own a few of your miniatures. I enclose your own picture, because I can't do better then that (and I tried!):

And now I'm going back to my own miniature work.  We had club day today and I took a workshop hyacinth making.  It was a spur of the moment thing, because there were no workshops offered this month and I prepared all the kits in the wee hours of the morning before I had to leave home.  Got it done, but only just and the kits weren't really to my normal standard, although nobody did mind I think.  They said they had a good time and liked the workshop.  Well, that's the most important part.  :-)  Now I have to think of something for next month, but between your blogs and my magazines I am sure I can come up with an idea.

I do have a question before I go, mainly for my Spanish speaking followers/friends.  There is an online Spanish magazine that I have downloaded once, but I can't find the link anymore.  Could any of you help me, please?  It's called: Taller de Miniaturas.  I would be so glad if I could download a few more, because it is a marvellous magazine.

Thanks and see you around

Marion

Giveway, welcome en general news

Pfff, back from holidays and I had to get back into the swing again straightaway.  We had a great time touring with the campervan for a fortnight.  For whom is interested, the story and piccies are on my other blog: Young pups rond Australië (which is both in Dutch and in English).  We would have loved to stay away a bit longer, but our club had their Open Day on the 19th so I had to get my stuff ready for display and some items that I wanted to sell.  And as always, you have the greatest ideas the day before and work far too late into the night to get it al done...  Anyway, we had a great time.  My youngest son came over for the weekend and helped me with a few things.  I was going to offer my resin doors and windows for sale and Kevin had designed a module for special light effects that he wanted to put up for sale as well.  So, we made a little display set to show the doors and windows and his light.  Since this module can simulate various effects we decided that for the display we would have a sign with a simulated fluro (fluorescent light) in it.  As you know, a fluro starts up with a bit of flickering and then changes to steady.  I was going to show a short video here, but it's incomplete right now, so that'll have to wait till Kevin is back and we can get it going again.  However, here's a piccie to give you an idea without the light on (the light is in the BAR-sign):

I never have a table at the show, but sell some odds and ends at the club sales table.  Mostly kits that I put together and some knitted items.  It's my way to create a little bit of income so I can buy a few items without feeling too guilty. :-)

And this is what I bought:

I was so happy to finally find somebody who sold Aleene's tacky glue, because my old one was nearly finished and it has been quite difficult to find a new one.  They also had a different kind of glue, called: white craft cement.  Apparently ideal for glueing silk and other fabric without staining.  Worth a try!  Further a bit of ribbon in a colour I needed and some glassware.  Also handles for purses, castor wheels, locks and keys and somthing looking like little doorknobs.  All those things I don't need right now, but you know as well as I do that they might come in handy one day...

Then, while I was away, my number of followers had grown beyond expectation and hurray!!! I have reached 100!!!  More about that later.  I first want to welcome all those new friends:

First my daughter-in-law, Tori, who has nothing with miniatures, but is a fantastic scrapper!  No time for a blog yet, what with family, full time job and study.  So, welcome Tori. And further:
Sara at Minidreamz,
Ana at Mi Mundo en Rosa,
Rosamargarita at La Tapatia,
Rosella at Il salotto delle rose, and
M Carmen Casanova at Mini Shabby
Also Berri Jones, but I couldn't find a link for a blog or website.
Anyway, I wish you all a warm welcome and I hope you will find something of interest on my blog now and again. Thank you for following my blog.  And by the way, people, all these blogs are well worth to have a look at, if you haven't done so already. Such variety, such skills!

And last but not least, to thank all my followers I want to celebrate the magic number of 100, so I have been working on a giveaway while I was travelling.  Here it is:

Christening gown and rattle in a decorative box

I hope you like this Christening Gown.  I have done some knitting before, but I have never attempted a lace pattern.  Pffff, I didn't realise the concentration involved, but I did it!!!  And it's going to be yours if you want it and..... if you are lucky. ;-)

I guess you all know the drill by now: You have to be a follower and I would like you to leave a comment of course.  I also would appreciate it if you would copy the picture (the first one will do of course) and post it on your blog, but you don't have to to be in the draw.  I hope to pick a winner on the 10th of October.  Good luck!

And now it's off to bed.  Tomorrow I am hoping to update my other blog, the witch's cottage.  See ya

Marion

Working hard and another Welcome

I've achieved more than I thought I would these past few days, although I am having problems with the batteries for my camera and can't take pictures at present.  To have a change from flower making I started on a kit for a doll's pram, which only needs a finishing touch that I need to do at home.  I lack the tools where I am at present. 

Yesterday we had our monthly meeting in Brisbane of our Dollshouse and Miniatures Club where I took the photo album workshop.  Since it was a repeat workshop and there was another one finishing off from last month there weren't many takers, although that never worries me.  With only a few one can pay more attention to the workshoppers and make sure they are going home happy with a properly finished mini.

Here are a few photos for the sake of your entertainment.   ;-)

Bettye, the lovely member and friend that gave me the black cat for my witch's cottage, knew that I was going to do Rik Pierce's market hall next year. She'd had a good clean-out at home and brought me some pheasants and a hare and a box with a few oranges made from Fimo by another member and friend who has passed away a few years ago. Very kind and indeed, these little treasures are very special for this reason. When my camera will be agreeable again I'll take some piccies and show them to you.

First I am going to give my eye a bit of a rest, because since the mishap with my little cat the other day a bruise has developed on my retina. I've seen my opthalmologist this morning and fortunately he could assure me that it only was a bruise and not (yet) a detached retina, for which I was very scared. I have to be careful for a while though, because things can still go wrong.

I also need to welcome a great number of new followers since I last posted some news.  I keep it brief this time, but I can assure you that all their blogs, insofar they have one, are very much worth having a look at (although you may recognise a few shared ones of course....).

Here goes.  A warm welcome to:

Oiseau deNim from Le Petit Monde d'Oiseau
Dora from Miniatures Dora
Bastrota from Bastrotas Blog
Alafosca from Altafulla Miniatures
Cockerina from Les Minis di Cockerina
Annie from Obsidian Hall
Heleni from Tres Petit Blanc
Michelle from Little Rabbit Miniatures
Lucia Gabriele from Case di Bambola
Debbie Lee from The Little Saints Nursery
Anama from Anamavesi Minis
Eva from Mini Escenas y Manualdidades
Nancy Mastwijk from Dollshousehobby
Marie Whomes from Witchwonders Dollhouse Miniatures

Please let me know if a link doesn't work.  I have been known to make mistakes now and then. :-)

Then there are two more followers for whom I could not find a blog: Garoldhart and Elis.  Please let me know if you do have a blog and I place your link here as well.  For all of you, thank you so much for your interest in my blog.

I am actually surprised to see already 53 followers.  Since I am a slow worker I'd better be prepared and start on a giveway, because I plan to have a giveaway ready when I reach the count of 100!!!  Please, not too soon. LOL
In the meantime I'll keep in touch and wish you all a nice day or a good night, depending on where you are out there. Nice of you to have paid me a visit in blogland...