Welcome to The Miniature Garden

A huge thank you to everyone who has joined this blog, I'm tickled pink to see what an international bunch we are...........the wonders of the internet never cease to amaze me! And to think that only a year ago I could barely send an e-mail.
It's amazing how something you love can spur you on to learn new skills, and believe me I'm still learning. I can't tell you how proud of myself I was when I managed to add a facebook badge to this blog..........then I added my blog list........well it is a miracle I can get through my workroom door, my head is so big!!!
So I hope you will come along with me on this voyage of all things computery and miniature.

I'll leave you with a couple of vignettes of my 1/24th scale work.
The first shows a weathered potting bench, pots of geraniums and busy lizzies or impatiens.

The next is a spring scene with tulips,iris and auriculas. The table and chairs were bought a very long time ago from In Some Small Way.

I really love working in this smaller scale and plan to bring out more kits later this year.

If you would like pricelists and a picture cd of all my flower kits, just e-mail me your postal address and I'll send everything off to you.

The Basics

When I meet people at shows and they ask me what they need to make the kits, this is what I say..................These are the 3 basic must haves for making my flower kits.

Tweezers, an Eraser and Tacky Glue.























Tweezers with the finest points. These become your fingers so don't worry about how small the petals are! They can also be used for creasing leaves and petals.

A large eraser, tip out your petals and leaves onto its surface.
Separate by stroking with the flat tips of the tweezers, you will soon get to know the feel of more than one leaf or petal stuck together.

Crease and cup on the surface, it has just the right amount of "squidge". It is also much easier to pick up the petals from its softer surface.

Tacky Glue.

Always use tacky glue, it doesn't matter what make, I sell these little bottles that are useful for a workbox. Squeeze a small puddle of glue onto a suitable flat surface, and always take your petal or leaf to the glue and dip.

Remember, less is more! It is always possible to re-glue, but too much glue looks horrid and you will get into a sticky mess. Always clean any glue off the tips of the tweezers regularly.

More tips to follow soon.

Kit of the Month

Photograph by Liz Eddison

Bunches of Tulips are in the shops now, and I love this stripey sort more than most. You add the stripes with a fine felt tip pen, don't be precious about it, the markings on these type of tulips are crazy!

This kit comes in white or yellow and if you use the code MAR11 on an order form, e-mail, or even in person, a kit will be yours for £1.45 instead of the usual £2.90.

Kit of the Month

photograph by Liz Eddison

This month's kit is Forsythia and Pussy Willow. I just can't wait to see Forsythia blooming, a sure sign that spring is on its way, this winter has gone on for far too long!!

Quote FEB11 on an e-mail, on an order form, or even say it to me at a fair and buy this kit for half price. £1.45 instead of £2.90.

The Miniature Garden Centre is now on facebook!! If you have any photographs of Miniature Garden kits you have made, you can put them on the page and share them with everyone!!

The New Studio/Workshop. Finished!

This post is long overdue, blame Christmas, New Year and the light being so awful that I couldn't take any decent photographs.

So the outside first. The front with the new steps across the whole width, room for a few pots in the summer to add some colour. It is south facing, so I'm thinking Lavender and Geraniums and anything else that loves the sunshine.

If you are wondering what those little silver circles are at the base of the window/door frames are for, they cover small holes so that I can run fairy lights to the Bay trees at Christmas. I'm sure the builder thought I was mad when I insisted he start drilling holes in my new doors!!




The Venetian blinds give me privacy, but are easily opened to give me more light.







The back, which faces into a small courtyard again has its steps and railings. I have hung some bird feeders in the trees and I'm having lots of feathered visitors. Can't wait till the summer when I can have these doors open, and have my coffee in the courtyard.

The interior is completely kitted out.....hurrah for Ikea!!
Everything went together really easily, though it has taken ages to decide where everything should go..........and I still keep forgetting where I've put things. It's a good thing that the boxes have labels.

View from the back to the front.

And the front to the back.

Kit display boxes with the displays stored inside them, spares and fair stuff in the boxes and drawers beneath. Space on top of the boxes so that the displays can be on show when I give workshops.

Two large bookcases with lots more storage space.

The computery side of the room. I'll clear the long table with the laptop on it when it comes to the workshops, and there will be another trestle table in front of the bookcases, so it should comfortably fit 6 people.

This double unit is my packing department, it also holds all my large sheets of coloured paper and has two drawers dedicated to all my punches that I use to make the kits.

So thats it finished, I'm working in here every day and loving it. But let me just warn you, it will never be this tidy again!!!!



A Blog Award !

The lovely Jen from http://jenniferblackreinhardt.blogspot.com/ has given me The Stylish Blogger Award.

Thank you.

Please take a long look at her blog, she makes the most amazing jewellery, and takes beautiful photographs.

The rules of this award are.............to tell you 7 things you might not know about me.

Pass the award on to blogs I love and contact them about the award.

So here are the 7 things about me........

1. I have been making minature plants and flowers for over 20 years.

2. I am a very impatient person except when making miniatures.

3. 18months ago I could barely send an e-mail. Now I love my computer, until I hit the wrong button!

4. I live 7minutes walk from the River Thames.

5. I can't bear to sit and do nothing, it seems such a waste of time.

6. I have to have a cup of tea first thing in the morning, then it's coffee, coffee, coffee.

7. I recently bought a bicycle and went out on it once, I was so frightened by the traffic I haven't been out on it again!

Now for a few miniature blogs that I like to follow:

http://littlerabbitminis.blogspot.com/

http://a-miniature-life.blogspot.com/

http://abeeinabonnet.blogspot.com/

http://fairfield-pickett-kitbash.blogspot.com/

http://une-petite-folie.blogspot.com/

Please take a look and enjoy!

Kit of the Month

Snowdrops, those brave little flowers that show their faces in even the harshest weather.

The Snowdrop kit will be half price in January, just mention Jan11 on your orderform or e-mail and the kit is yours for £1.75 instead of £3.50.

Happy New Year!