Framed........

When you're bored, play with trash.

 

Coffee stirrers and buttons.

Cheap thrills :))

Shabby What? - Shabby Grubby....

Grunge-ing (my own word) a nice miniature is not an easy thing for my clean, neat and tidy brain come to terms with; much as I love the work of real shabby miniature artists who seem to know exactly how much is enough, the process doesn't come naturally to me. 

I can't say I like what I've done.

 

I think I went a bit too far, my husband wants to put it on the kerbside for the metal recyclers.........hmmmm, is that a compliment or a criticism?

At least the banged up cream coloured jug does look more used now, not so 'brand new with artfully applied chips added'.  I don't like the other two jugs much, they were better without the grunge.

I used thin washes of two paint colours, an amber sort of one for the rusted marks and and a dirty brownish black for plain old dirt stains.  Dotted the wash on and spread and dabbed with my fingers.  When there was too much I wiped it a bit with an almost dry cloth, that left a hint of colour in the depths of the brush strokes in the white paint and looked more natural.

Miniatures take a backseat..........

to "real life" at times. 

Christmas and New Year are big Downunder with long school holidays covering about 6 weeks during the hottest time of the year and many taking their annual work holiday.

Being much better with tools than clay I had Levi assist me with a photo tutorial for making pie dishes - coming soon to this space.  Waaaah!  I'm having photo problems in my computer so can't share the pics in the camera for the moment.

I can share something I began making in late November and had to lay aside during the silly season - two shabby type containers for my pink baby roombox.  They were made using clear plastic pen casing, beads and press studs.  The taller one will hold cotton balls while the short one already holds cotton buds.

If anyone can tell me how to make paint stick to this type of shiny silver bead I would be very grateful, I painted them every which way I could think but every time the paint just came off the minute I touched them.  Gesso helped the paint stick to the press studs but those beads....................frustration!

Update of Emma Rose's Shabby wardrobe

I couldn't find my old coathanger jig so had to find time to make a new one before hanging Emma Rose's clothes in her wardrobe.  Gold wire was all I could find in my stash, not the best choice for a shabby baby, they can be replaced later.  The little matinee jackets were knitted by a dear friend but I made the rest.