The Start of a Greenhouse

 Hey mini friends!

I had thought about making the windows for the greenhouse myself, but that would've had me in a straitjacket. Instead, I opted for purchasing ready-made windows and decided to make the doors from scratch. I also got some shutters to make shelves with

                                    

                                

I did a little dry fit just to get an idea of size and how things would look placed inside. It turned out a bit shallower than intended, but we're going with it. 

I gave everything a base color of brown with splatters of turquoise here and there. I figured it would show through after I did some aging and sanding. I should have added another color (or two) just to give it that "re-painted over the years" look since they're supposed to be old windows. 

And because this thing isn't going to magically put itself together, we got the mini tools out. 

I have to say I'm pretty proud of these doors. I've never done anything like it. I thought they would be harder to build because well...my math never maths. LOL Surprisingly though, I got all my measurements right and even the cuts were accurate. Pretty sure it's because I mentally prepared myself, gave myself several pep talks, and dressed myself with tons and tons of patience, AND measured once, twice and then some more. 

The hinges though! The hinges!!! That was another story. I wanted them to be like real life hinges and so I had to create mortises (had to look that word up). One door went quite smoothly much to my surprise. But the other...the other!!! Ooh, she was feisty! I can't tell you how many times I had to glue one of those hinges. I lost count. I glued them all with a bit of super glue and then inserted the ever so tiny nails. But one of those hinges just would NOT cooperate. Every time I'd close the doors that one hinge just threw everything off, including itself. 

I had to do a lot of tweaking and sanding but in the end, we have two functional doors. I have to be very careful with one of them but alas, they work! LOL 

This pic is not of said troublesome hinge. I wanted to show you a pretty one. 😜

And because like I said, I'm really proud of these doors here's another pic for ya'. I still need to add door handles/ knobs. If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know. I just haven't found any that I feel would fit with the look. I want something kind of girly and vintage-y looking.

Thank you for stopping by mini friends. I hope you all have an amazing weekend! 

Big mini hugs,

Iris =)

Planning the Greenhouse

So...in thinking ahead to what I'd like to add to the dollshouse I'll someday have, I know I would like to have a greenhouse alongside it. So last year, I perused Pinterest, as one does for all project planning LOL, and came across small greenhouses made from old windows. 

I sketched out all the things I thought I'd like to have for my greenhouse. In the end, I'll have room for some, but not all. You can see what my original idea was in my sketchbook. 

I don't think the tiny green house will make it into this project, because well...after having some struggles I'm not yet ready to talk about LOL (we'll have to discuss in another post), my patience, sanity and not made for tiny things hands won't be able to handle it. I'm a little sad about it because I really do think it would look adorable to have a tiny greenhouse on a shelf inside the mini green house. 😊

I also wanted to add a light fixture, but I just won't have the clearance on the inside for it. I'm thinking maybe I'll  add one on the outside. 

In the little pocket labeled "Inspo" I added a couple of pics to remind me of the general idea I was going for, and I also have a tag with ideas for names to call the greenhouse. I've also left a space at the top of the page to fill in the name when I have one. I also left an empty spot on the page to add some pics of the completed greenhouse. If anyone has any ideas for what I can call it I'd love to hear them as I'm really not all that crazy about what I have so far. 

The main structure is complete and even though I have documented that the project is done, it still needs door handles and a few outside tidbits. 

I have a few progress pics of the actual greenhouse that I'll have to show you in future posts. I'm not the best when it comes to taking photos so I'll have to see what I can dig up. 😊  

I hope you've enjoyed your visit. Thank you for stopping by!

Big mini hugs

-Iris =)

 

 

Cottage Dreaming

I have a bunch of ideas for the little cottage I'd like to make, and would like to incorporate them all into one, but I'm not sure how to go about it yet. Since I can only have one small dollshouse, I'd really like to try and add all the different types of features I want in a cohesive way. At this rate, it's never going to happen. LOL

I have a few minis I've been collecting over the years and have temporarily placed them, along with some I've made, inside a little garden box/ greenhouse I recently found. 

The bench and birdhouse in this first pic are made by http://katiesclaycorner.blogspot.com/ I absolutely love her birdhouses and have quite a few different ones. The bench was a custom request she agreed to make me and I adore it. It even has a few spots on the seat that look like they could be nail holes. 

The little tray holding the books on the floor in the next pic is also made by Katie. The books themselves I got years ago from http://carolynslittlekitchen.blogspot.com/ I also have some of the adorable little plates she makes. 

I made the plant stand from wire, beads and cardstock. Mercedes from  http://libertybiberty.blogspot.com/ has a similar one in her beautiful french house and that's where I got the idea to make mine. I also made a smaller one in another color. 

This is the little set up I have created just to make myself happy in the meantime. Hopefully, I can 

get started on a little cottage at some point this year. Fingers crossed! :)

Thank you for stopping by to visit. Happy Friday Eve and have an amazing weekend!

Big mini hugs,

-Iris :)

 

Is it laundry day?

Nope! Not for me. 

Although, if I had a cute laundry basket like this it might motivate me. Maybe. LOL

I made this little laundry basket with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. 

Not really. More like...frustration, sore fingers and eventually patience. 

In the end, I am happy with how it turned out for being a first try.

Believe it or not, the clothes pins were much easier to make. I couldn't find the toothpicks that already have the decorative ends so, I used the regular kind and just sanded the little groove to give it a round head. I slit the other end with a hobby knife to give it that split look. I then aged them to give them that weathered look as if they've been outside on the clothes line doing their job. I made the basket that holds them out of wood and the handle is a small piece of wire with a bead strung through. It was a tight fit getting the wire through the bead and I may or may not have split one or two others in previous attempts. 

I'm thinking maybe I'll use the other two containers as laundry detergent storage...? I made them out of wood and glued embroidery floss around them. The idea is to finish them off to look like tin/ enamel containers, with a bit of rust of course. I also would like to use water decals to label them. I made the tiny scoops out of cardstock and edged them with the same embroidery floss. They're very tiny! 

Hope you've enjoyed your visit. Thank you for stopping by.

Big Mini Hugs,

-Iris

Vintage Tins

One day, when I have a mini house, I want to have all sorts of adorable accessories throughout. Nowadays people are creating amazing things with 3D printers and laser cutting machines, and I'm sure I will always have a growing list of all the things I'll want to get. In the meantime, I'll make what I can with what I have, and within my abilities of course. LOL

One of those things are vintage tins. Mine are a bit rusty and I'm sure over time they will get even more "loved". 😜 

I made most of them using 6x6 scrapbooking paper. The 6x6 prints are smaller and I just chose those that fit to scale better. I used acrylic paints to add the rust effect and finished everything off by giving it a coat or two of gloss medium. 

The lids and handles for some are a mixture of paper, jewelry findings, wire and buttons. In the above pics, for the round yellow "tin" I used a wooden bead for the canister itself. A button for the lid. And a tiny bead for the knob on the lid. The image is a tiny print I found in my stash.

I love how they turned out considering they are my very first attempt at making them. They have quickly become some of my favorite minis.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you are all having a lovely weekend so far.

Big mini hugs,

Iris :)

By Candlelight

 It's a holiday weekend here in the states and that means instead of the usual, and oh so very quick two-day weekend, we get a three day weekend! I decided to use my time wisely and do absolutely nothing related to adulting. 

It's been some time since I've done anything crafty, so here I am. 😀 I made some shabby candlesticks, and mini candles using real candles, for no particular use or reason. I don't have a dollhouse or room scene to use them in, but does it really matter? I just needed the art therapy. Although, I did recently find something that might work as a roombox. Idk, we'll see. :)

Hope you enjoy the pics and your visit here. Thank you for stopping by. 

A little dabbling...

 While I have not been creating much of anything these past few years, I got a little itch recently and decided to distract myself. I made this cabinet/ bookcase by deconstructing an unfinished hutch that Michaels Arts & Crafts used to sell many moons ago.

I wanted a stained wood look for the top. I don't have any stains, so I used a mixture of watered down acrylic paints to give it a similar look. 

This is what the cabinet originally looked like. I have a few of them (different designs) that I am now so happy I thought to buy. Even though at the time I had no idea what I was going to do with them all. LOL I'm glad I got them when I did. Michaels stopped selling them shortly after I bought them. They were only $1 and can easily be taken apart. I used the top part, turned upside down for this project. 

I hope you are all doing well, and finding time to get crafty. 

Wishing you all an amazing week! 

xo,

Iris :)

My Sweet Romeo...

My sweet boy put up a brave fight, but it was all just taking too much of a toll on his tiny body. I miss him dearly and my heart is broken. I still cry for him and hate the last images I have of him in my head. He was my first pet and the most absolute sweetest soul ever. He was loving, curious and playful. He was always happy to see me, even if I was only out of the room for a few minutes. He was my shadow. =)  

Momma loves you sooooo much, lovebug. I can't wait to see you again and kiss your tiny little face off! =*

RIP 

04/22/2009

-

02/19/2015

XOXOXOXO <3 <3 <3

Update: Romeo's Vasculitis

Unfortunately, Romeo has worsened over the last few weeks. He has a secondary bacterial infection on his lesions, which the specialist wants to treat with Doxycycline based on his last culture results. For now, she is keeping him off steroids due to this. The lesions on his ears and paw pads started deteriorating again, to the point where his paw pads split open and were bleeding again.

The specialist has discontinued Pentoxifylline and Protopic. She has increased the dosage of Cyclosporine. Her goal is to taper it to the lowest effective dose since this medication may increase the risk of opportunistic infections; damage to liver, kidneys or other organs. Romeo is currently battling a very bad bladder infection.

The specialist wants to start using Mupirocin, to be used generously on his lesions twice a day for resistant bacteria. She will start more steroids once his bacterial infection has improved. I also have to apply Easotic to his lesions as well as bathe him twice a week with Malaseb shampoo.

Since Romeo isn't showing improvements on his current treatment plan, the specialist is seriously considering treatment with Dapsone. It is a sulfa antibiotic that seems to be effective for Vasculitis, but can cause liver toxicity. There is also a treatment called "intravenous immunoglobulin therapy" that we can consider as well, but is quite expensive.

Based on my talks with the specialist, I would consider the Dapsone treatment. I am extremely concerned about the liver problems it can cause though, because Romeo is only 3lbs. He has a very tiny body, so you can imagine what the size of his organs must be. It worries me to put him on such an aggressive treatment. Romeo is very special to me, and I am afraid of him having irreversible liver damage that may affect his quality of life to the point of euthanasia. It has happened in some cases.

At this point, I am feeding him whatever he will eat. His appetite has substantially decreased and I need him to eat in order to give him his medications. I still haven't found something he will eat enough of so that I can give him his medications as prescribed.

The CareCredit card I have for his medical treatment is now maxed out at $1700. His last appointment this past Tuesday, December 16, 2014 was a total of $120.31 and that maxed out his card. At this point, I don't know what else I can do for him. If anyone knows of or can recommend anything, I am more that grateful to hear it.

Please remember, Vasculitis is an immune mediated attack on his blood vessels. The hope is that we can get him into remission and then if he is not vaccinated again, it will not come back. Please help me to continue getting Romeo the treatment he needs. I have done all I can to this point, but can no longer afford it.

If you or anyone you know can afford donating even $1, please consider doing so. Every little bit does help in these circumstances. I can not express my gratitude enough for those who have donated and for those who have helped spread the word. Thank you!

You can read more about Romeo's condition in my previous post or by visiting his page at: www.gofundme.com/c8gy4o

Have a beautiful week and Happy Holidays!

Update on Romeo...

After visiting the veterinary dermatologist this past Friday, Romeo was visually diagnosed with vasculitis. A biopsy can be done to attempt to confirm this diagnosis, but I can't afford it. 

Another issue is that in doing the biopsy he will lose a significant piece of his ears. Since they have significant deterioration, they would have to, not only take the affected area, but a little of the surrounding as well. He would also lose an entire paw pad wherever the biopsy is done, again, because of the same reason. See, Romeo is a very small dog. He only weighs three pounds. He has a tiny body.

The dermatologist said that the vasculitis may have been caused by his annual vaccinations. It seems that in small dogs the body over-reacts to their vaccines and the result causes blockage of tiny blood vessels resulting in ulceration and death of tissue, which is what Romeo currently has on his ears, wrists, paw pads and tip of his tail. 

I've decided to start treatment to try and cure the ulcerations, swelling and irritations. They may or may not work. It will be trial and error depending upon how he reacts to the medications. The dermatologist has started him off on three. One of the medications alone is $260. Because Romeo is so small the meds need to be compounded and this will take a few days. I went ahead and had the pharmacist do it, but at this point I still don't know how I will pay for them. If these medications do not work, they will change them to stronger immune suppressants. 

I was able to take him to the dermatologist visit thanks to the donations I received on GoFundMe.com and donations made by my sisters co-workers. In total, $200 was raised. 

I will no longer be able to vaccinate Romeo. If I do so, the reaction can start all over again and may be worse next time. I'll have to get his blood drawn for antibody titers to ensure that he is still protected from those viruses. 

His treatment will be continuos until he can be completely healed and it will be pricey. The only reason I resorted to the GoFundMe.com website is because I honestly cannot afford the costs. If you know of someone that can donate $1 or more please please share his link: http://www.gofundme.com/c8gy4o via Facebook, Twitter, Email or through any other social media. I really need the help to keep his condition from getting worse.

Thank you for anything you can do. I sincerely appreciate it.

This is what Romeo's ears look like:

He also has to wear booties until his paws completely heal.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my Romeo's condition.
I hope you are all having a beautiful week!   =)

Apology, RL Update & Romeo's Illness

First, I must apologize for my absence and abandoning my blog. I'm surprised to see I still have any followers left. Thank you for sticking around. It truly means a lot to me.

It's been two years since I last posted and it wasn't intentional. My life drastically changed and I have been dealing with the aftermath. I have been horrible in keeping touch with mini friends and emails. For that I am truly sorry. I created this blog to learn, share and make friends around the world. You have no idea how much I miss miniland and visiting all of your blogs. I hope I can get back into it soon.

The past year has been one of growing, accepting and putting my life in order, or at least trying to...lol. It has also been one of faith and love. Today I am in a better place but I certainly didn't achieve this alone.

Even though I haven't been making minis, I have been doing other crafty things, on and off, as a form of therapy. Maybe I'll start posting those things as a way of keeping my blog current, if anyone is interested?

Okay, now that the first two things have been addressed, on to the third and the one that saddens me the most. For those of you that haven't noticed that adorable pup to the right, he is my heart. He was the only reason I got up everyday and didn't just give up. I had to take care of him. I don't have children so all my maternal instincts are projected onto him. LOL He is 3lbs of pure sweetness. His favorite thing to do is to chase after his ball. He can literally do that ALL day! He also loves to cuddle. In between play, he will come up to me for some love and then go right back to playing. He's so silly!

In January of this year I noticed he had some scabs on his ears and took him to the vet. I don't know where the scabs came from or what caused them. The vet put him on antibiotics and gave me an ointment to put on his ears. It seemed like the ointment was drying the scabs out even more but then it got worse. Creams and antibiotics haven't helped at all. Today his ears look horrible. I suspect they also hurt because he cowers down when I'm cleaning the wounds out. I took him back to the vet two weeks ago because his paw pads were splitting and bleeding. The vet suspects that the two are related. She examined him and did cultures and everything came back negative. Her last diagnosis is that he may have some form of lupus. She also has posted photos of him on a medical website in order to get the opinion of other vets. She has never seen a case like Romeo's and is exploring other options for him.

She recommended I take him to a vet dermatologist and I have already made the appointment, but I don't even have the money for this. The consultation alone is $150. The whole visit will cost anywhere between $400-$800 because he will need a biopsy. I went ahead and made the appointment because I am hoping I can raise the funds needed through donations. I created a "gofundme" page for him explaining his case and I am praying that we will be able to meet our goal and be able to see the specialist. I hate not knowing what is wrong with my Romeo. These days all he does is sleep. He will go days with eating, which I suspect is a side effect of the antibiotics. And he doesn't show much interest in playing, which is extremely rare for him.

I know this is alot to ask, especially since I've been gone for so long, but I would be eternally grateful if you could help me in spreading the word about his donation page (http://www.gofundme.com/c8gy4o). If you are not able to make a donation please, please share the
link. Maybe someone else has an extra dollar or two to spare. I know in today's world things are tough for everyone, but any amount will help me in trying to get Romeo the diagnosis and treatment
he needs.

You can share, donate and read more here: Romeo needs a biopsy.

If you've made it this far, thank you reading this never ending post.

I hope you are all enjoying the summer, and if it's winter in your part of the world, hang in there. We will be getting it soon enough.

Have a beautiful week sweet mini people!

Iris

and we have a winner...

The participants were all listed...

shaken, rattled and rolled...

and out came a winner!

Congratulations to Maria!!! Maria, as soon as you send me your information I will mail out your prize. =)
Thank you to all who participated. =)

Have a beautiful day!!!

Message boards...

A while back at one of the craft stores, in the scrapbooking section, I found cork board and chalkboard card stock. The cork is pretty thin, so I thought I would make a mini board. I really like the chalkboard because you can actually write on it.  =) 

I'd also like to thank everyone who has signed up for my giveaway. I'm especially excited because I LOVE the work that many of you do. You have beautiful blogs filled with your gorgeous creations, and that you are interested in what I have to offer is quite exciting for me.

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the week.  =)

Who wants a giveawaaaaaay?!?!?!

A few weeks ago I was finally able to do a little something in terms of minis. It isn't much or anything fancy shmancy, but I hope you like it. This is what I'd like to give you in the form of a giveaway. Yippee, my first!!!   LOL  

There are no rules. The only thing I ask is that if you are becoming a new follower you are doing it because you are actually interested in my blog, and not for any other reason. I know sometimes people wonder if you need to have a blog of your own, but for me you do not need to. It seems unfair to put limitations because I've met and shared so many things with people, with and without blogs. Everyone shares the same passion and interest for this hobby, and not having a blog doesn't make you any less likely to share your knowledge, feedback, experience, swaps, gifts, etc. So, come one, come all and have fun. LOL

Now on to what we've gathered here for....lol.......
This is what I have for now. I feel like it's missing something, so if I can I will try and figure out what that is and add it.

Here are a few close ups. These are just a few decorative items. You know how I like old and worn...lol. I tried giving these an old patina look instead of my usual rust. The little white one is some sort of dish I put together and painted white. It still needs a few touch ups, and I'm not sure if I should give it some wear.

Flowers close ups. These you've seen before and some of you seemed to like them so I made these for the giveaway.

And here is a pic of the inside of the buffet table. The paper on the doors is the same as on the top.

I almost forgot, I have to set a date for this thing...lol. I'm not feeling any of the days in June without making this giveaway too short, so I'll go into July. You can participate until July 5th. I'll do the draw on the 6th (my mom's b-day). Good luck!!!   =)

Have a beautiful day!

RL Update...

Hello all you fabulous people!!!  =D

I know it's been some months since I've been around, but believe me, not by choice. It's too much to get into right now, but there have been some serious issues with my BF's family.

I miss everyone and I miss blogging. =(  I'd like to thank those of you that have sent me messages or left comments. No, I haven't jumped off any cliffs....yet. LOL  My poor blog has been abandoned so soon after it's birth, and I feel horrible. Discovering minis and all of you has made me very happy and it's what takes my mind off all the mundane. At the moment I can't do any of it. 1) because the in-laws are occupying the space where I have all my things, and 2) my spirits are down. =(

Anywho, I just wanted to let you all know what's going on and I also what to thank you for not abandoning me. Even though I didn't get a chance to show you much I still have people joining my blog. It makes me very happy to know you're still interested and are willing to give me a chance. I hope I don't disappoint you when I am able to return.

I have been trying to catch up on all your blogs. I have months of many blogs to read, but I am enjoying every minute I can read one of your blogs. I'm awed by all the creativity and how busy everyone has been. I've fallen in love with some many wonderful things I've seen!!!

I hope you all have a week full of love, peace and hopefully some warm sunshine.  =)

Gifts and Waiting for Papa to come home

I really love my latest gift! Rosamargarita over at La Tapatia recently gave away not one, not two or three prizes, but five!  She was celebrating her first blogging year! I can't tell you how small, well-made and adorable these are. Look:

 

 

 Gracias Rosamargarita! Son preciosos y muy especial para mi. Tendran un lugar especial en mi casita.  =)

Here goes the second part of today's title. My BF is away on another business trip and this is what my little Lovebug does every time. He sits at the door waiting for him to come back. As soon as he sees the suitcases come out he knows what's about to happen. He'll hang around the door and take a nap there throughout the day, for about two to three days. That's when he realizes that his daddy won't be back any time soon.  =(

Still waiting......=(

Hola!

It's been a while since my last real post about minis, but not by choice. I've been really sick and only starting to recover. Since I am feeling better I've been catching up on all of your blogs and came across some giveaways I'd like to share.

This one you just have to see for yourself. Carolyn is celebrating 500 followers with a really great gift(s). Her blog is truly one of my favorites and if you don't know her here's your chance. She's also a very lovely person. =)

Mely celebrates her first 100 followers and has a really great giveaway as well. I LOVE her teapots!!!

And Audra has a fun giveaway she's doing. I love how it's all packed and ready to come home from the grocery store. =)

I hope you have time to stop by and say Hi!

I don't think I'll have much to show in terms of mini making. Getting sick kinda ruined my plans and I have family visiting next week, staying until January. Mini making time will be very hard to find. =(   I still have many blogs entries to catch up on and will continue to visit everyone as often as I can. I'm excited to see what you have all been working on!

Have a beautiful week!

Giveaways cont'd...

Ok, so picking up where I left off yesterday, I wanted to share a few more blogs with you that are celebrating giveaways.

Sjoukje is celebrating her first 100 followers. She has a blog I really enjoy. I like her style and the things she makes very much. Please stop by and say Hi if you have a minute. =)

Isabel celebrates one year in the blogging world! If you haven't already seen the mini games she makes run on over, because they're awesome! Of course it's not the only thing she makes but they are just so darn cute! =)

Peggy is also celebrating her followers by offering a giveaway. I think this one is adorable!  =)

It seems there are quite a few one year blog anniversaries going on. Eva too is celebrating one year! This is another blog I really enjoy. Again, because I like her style and what she creates.  =)

Flora tends to add a little story or history with her posts and I love it!!! She is celebrating 500+ followers.

The blogs in today and yesterday's posts are some of the blogs I love to visit, and I hope you have a minute to stop by and visit all of these lovely ladies too. =)

Happy Monday to you all!!!