Another late night.  I’ve been putting some finishing touches on the dollhouse.  It’s coming together quite nicely.  I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to finish work, so I have to remind myself that I have to declare it finished at some point.  There is still a little bit of detail work left and I’ve been making tiny eyelet lace curtains.  They are adorable!

I really like how the wallpaper came together.  I used mixed patterns of paisley and a rich, Victorian print.  Why can’t I be small enough to live in this house?!

To prepare for the upcoming Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, I’ve been juggling alot of tasks at the same time.  I’ve been hopping back and forth between creating jewelry, working on the dollhouse, ordering supplies, creating a catalog and making sure that I have my marketing ready.

For the jewelry pieces, I’ve been working on making polymer clay fruit canes.  Theses canes are rather cumbersome to make.  You have to be very delicate with pressure and make sure that you don’t miss any steps.  You take pieces of clay and layer them in a specific order.  Then you either roll or pull the clay until it begins to form a thin cylinder.  Once it reaches the desired size, you slice the clay into tiny pieces.  However, when you slice the clay, you need to slightly roll the cane against your razor edge as to not “smoosh” the clay into an unrecognizable blob.  I cannot tell you how many canes I have made over the past few years that were unsuccessful either due to the color being off or the cane did not create a realistic effect.

Strawberry Cane (Doesn't This Look Bizarre???)

Banana Cane (Less Disturbing Than the Strawberry Cane)

AND!…If you would like to attend Gimme Some Sugar’s fundraiser event, you can check out the details here:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1210172829#!/event.php?eid=189368321103177

You may also donate here:  http://bit.ly/gx30qs

OK…so I have been horribly neglecting my blog for too long.  On a happier note, I have been pretty productive.  The craft show went fantabulously.  I luckily had enough merchandise and networked with many people.  It was invaluable information to speak with so many customers and find out what type of merchandise they are looking for.  Variety is truly the spice of life and it appears that everyone is looking for lots of choices.

On the creative front, I have been working like an insane, busy bee to make lots of goodies for the holidays.  I’m very excited to add them all to my Etsy shop (which always seems to take longer that I think it will).  I placed a HUGE dollhouse supply order for miniature plates, flatware, cake stands, furniture, etc.  I was super duper giddy when I received my box filled with everything that I needed.

Some new items that I’ve made include rings, miniature stud earrings and embellished bobby pins.  Each item that I make gets me pumped to make another…..and another……………….and another.  There are not enough hours in the day, and Christmas is fast approaching.  I’ve got to shake my tail feather!

Another delightful announcement is that I am a proud new member of the team Miniature Food Jewelry on Etsy. Check them out!: http://www.etsy.com/teams/6057/miniature-food-jewelry-on-etsy

Oh!  And yes…I am planning my wedding.  We have finally decided to have the wedding back to December of 2012.  No, not on December, 21, 2010 (You know, the suspected end of the world day.).  I think that we have finally chosen an amazing venue that will be sure to wow everyone and create an awesome event.  More to come!…

Wowie zowie!  It turns out that I am going to be participating in a craft fair on October 16th.  I’m now working round the clock to create tons of tiny treats.  I want to make sure that I have plenty of inventory as to not miss out on any sales.  There are always a lot of details that go into something as small as having a craft show table.  You need to make sure that you:  have enough change, more than enough inventory (you can never have too much), a creative visual display, marketing (such as business cards or advertisement sheets) and hopefully a person to go with you to watch your table during bathroom breaks.

Last night, I created custom boxes for my goodies to either ship or use at the craft fair.  I’m pretty pleased with the way they turned out.  They are simple and cute.  Next, I need to update my business cards.

While bulking up my inventory, I was creating a batch of clay frosting/whipped cream.  It’s a bit of a process.  There aren’t many steps, but it is still time consuming.  You need pour some Liquid Sculpey into a small cup.  Next, you will need the desired color of clay kneaded into tiny pieces.  Make sure that you knead it very well, or it will be more difficult to smoothly mix it.  Take tiny pieces of the clay and mix it with the Liquid Sculpey.  I use a popsicle stick.  Mix, mix, mix, mix, mix, mix…etc.  Get the picture?  You mix it…ALOT.  After a while, you will notice the lumps disappearing.  You can now apply the mixture or pipe it onto your figure.

I was doing some research of miniatures supplies and found some fantastic websites that sell air dry whipped clay.  The clay already comes in a whipped consistency along with piping bags and teeny tiny tips to create a super realistic effect.  As soon as I saw this, I ordered them immediately.  My shipment will be here in just a few days and I can’t wait!  I’ll let you know how it works out.

On the wedding planning front, I’ve been doing some online research.  There are so many fantastic blogs to use as creative resources.

Check out this amazing photo of an Alice in Wonderland inspired table!  http://lilyspruce.com/blog/2010/04/your-wedding-is-a-wonderland/alice_dessert-table/ So whimsical and beautiful.  Is it wrong that I want this to be in my yard all year round?

And check out Pepper Design for more kitschy, shabby chique ideas.  http://www.pepperdesignblog.com/?p=5118

I am super duper lucky to have a matron of honor who is a pro at everything weddings and honeymoons.  Check out her amazing incites!  http://happyhoneymooners.com/ She chronicles her recent honeymoon and I’m honored to be mentioned in the following post! http://happyhoneymooners.com/?p=106

Life just got a little easier…thanks to silicone molds.  Silicone does serve additional purposes besides for your tata’s or baked goods.

I have been struggling with cupcake bases for a while now.  It’s difficult to achieve a very realistic cupcake base with accidentally pushing on the clay too hard.   So, I started searching for a tool that could help me.  I came across a review of a product called Amazing Mold Putty.  As soon as I saw it, I had to buy it.  Amazing Mold Putty is a silicone rubber compound that you can use to create almost any kind of mold that you want.I am finally able to make my own silicone molds that can be used again and again.   Not only does this cut down on cost, but it also cuts down on time.

The putty comes in two plastic containers.  You take equal portions of each putty and knead them together for about one minute.  After they are mixed, you can press the putty around whatever object that you would like to create a mold from.  It hardens within 15 to 20 minutes and voila!  You have a reusable mold.

If you would like to purchase an already completed cupcake mold, they are available in my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/listing/55971964/cupcake-base-silicone-mold-for-polymer.

I was originally intending using these molds strictly with polymer clay.  However, I decided to get back into dabbling with resin casting.  I’m taking the polymer clay pieces and placing them within one of the molds with resin.

The past few nights I have been crafting until 5AM.  The creative surge is fabulous, but very tiring.  I’m so behind on wedding planning.  Television programs are constantly showing wedding related shows that are a constant reminder of all of the many details that I have yet to handle.  But, I will prevail!  Meeting with wedding venues is on the agenda for the upcoming week.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Bonjour! I am a professional painter, polymer clay jewelry maker, knitter, crocheter, baker, sewer and all around crafter/artist.  In July, I turned 30.  While entering my thirties (yikes!), I became engaged!  So now I am planning our wedding.  Our wedding is set for early August of 2011.  It goes without saying that I don’t have an overabundance of time to plan.  Thank goodness I am a crafty bride to be and I will be hand making the majority of decorations and what not.

Enter my little Etsy shop:  Gimme Some Sugar.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/misscrochet

My shop mostly carries miniature dessert jewelry.  As fall approaches, I am expanding my jewelry line to include additional whimsical accessories not only pertaining to food.  I’m also trying to juggle my painting career, crafting as well as a full time job.  Any items that I will be selling through my store will be going towards my wedding fund.

I’m going to use this blog to showcase what’s going on in my shop and how it corresponds with and impacts my personal life.  You’ll also find some crafting tutorials.

I’m always looking for advice for planning a kitschy yet romantic wedding.  I hope you enjoy!