Creatin’ Contest

​I don’t rightly remember how I found the Creatin’ contest on Miniatures.com.  It may have been through a YouTube video.  It possibly could have just been a random click while perusing the miniatures.com website.  But somehow early this year I found competition.  Should I?  Was my first thought.  No way I quickly told myself!  My creations are not competition quality, at least not in my mind.  But I kept going back to the contest pages.   Should I?

It was right about this time that I saw a little box that some cat food in that just screamed miniature sized outhouse!   I answered the call of my idea and I created a miniature outhouse…just the building.  I didn’t put it in a scene or make a scene with it.  I just made the outhouse.  But what to do with it?

No idea what to do with my randomly created outhouse, I went back to thinking about that contest.  Should I?  No… but then again….

By golly, I decided to do it!   It was a porch scene…what was somewhere near a porch in history?  An outhouse!  Even better, maybe I could incorporate some quilts, because I love to create miniature quilts!

What about doing the contest but doing a wash day scene!  Ohhh and I love kitchens, maybe I could build the house onto the porch and have a kitchen scene!  I plunked down my money and waited for my contest room box/porch to arrive.   I didn’t start working on it immediately….instead we bought a house and moved!  But I got to work on my project once we got settlers in.  I worked in fits and starts.  A bit here, a bit there.  

Immediately I realized that adding on the kitchen would make the project way too big.  I just don’t have room for a large finished project.  The yard and porch would be plenty big alone.  So I scrapped the kitchen idea.  But I still had plenty of ideas for my project.

Barn lantern in the outhouse?  Check!   Lamps in the windows?  Check!   Quilts on a clothesline?  Check. A tree with a treehouse?  Check!   

The contest entry had to be submitted by December 9th.   I work well with a deadline. It forced me to actually work on it, even when life got crazier and crazier.  I worked super early in the morning sometimes (4am miniature time?  It worked for me!).    Without the deadline I would have most likely pushed it aside and not completed it!

But complete it I did!   I took my pictures and I have submitted my entry!  A week before the deadline also!  At one point I was positive that I would be gluing and finishing things up at the last minute!

So here is my entry!  I was only allowed four pictures for my entry.  But hey…I obviously took plenty more so here is a mix of some of the pictures.

Christmas cheer….a little early

​Christmas already?   I walk through the stores and I shake my head at how early Christmas stuff arrives on the shelves.    It was out well before Halloween this year!   What happened to celebrating one holiday at a time?   But even while I shook my head in disgust and mockery at the super early arrival of Christmas, I myself turned my thoughts to the upcoming. Christmas holiday.

I pulled out my fabric bin and picked out some fabric.   Specifically, I picked out the Christmas Fabrics.  It was time for some Christmas quilts, miniature style.

The first one I was on with, but decided it was too much red and it messed up any cohesive pattern of the quilt.  

But no worries!  I had more fabric!   I love the second miniature quilt that I made!   Ironically enough it was the exact same pattern layout as the first quilt, I just changed out some colors and it made it much nicer!!!

And then just because, I did a simple patchwork miniature quilt.  I was happy with this one also. 

Did I have any reason to make these quilts?  Absolutely not!  I just like making quilts.   They will probably end up on Etsy or Facebook Marketplace….because while I like them and hate to give up my creations, I can’t keep everything can I?  

A paper crafted Outhouse 1:12 Scale

 Ok, actually I must NOT use the outhouse.  I actually hate to use them in real life.  But boy did I have fun making this outhouse!  This outhouse was a bit of a whim but also a wee bit planned in nature for a bigger project.

I had purchased some cat food and liked the size box that it came in.  It screamed perfect size for....an outhouse and it even had a door!   I was ready to roll!

I separated the front flap of the box from the main area and shored it all up with some masking tape. 

I cut a triangular piece and attached it to my box so that I would have a nice little peak and a small slope on my outhouse. 

I made sure that my front section with the door would work.

I decided to create my siding out of paper bags.  

I didn't grab many/any pictures.  But I cut the paper bags into flat sections and then I painted the paper a darker brown.   I grabbed my black paint and lightly brushed lines randomly to imitate the look of a wood grain.  I also made small '2x4's' to frame up the inside.  I painted them the same way. 

It was then time to glue the paper bag/siding into place.  I used glue sticks.  Nothing fancy!

I affixed my framing into place.

It was then time to make the wooden throne.  Of course I used cardboard.  In fact, I used some of the leftover pieces of cardboard from the same box.   I also decided that I wanted to have an adult sized throne and a kiddie sized hole.  So I made it two tiered.

I covered it with the same paper and glued it into place. 

Making sure to add actual 'holes' to make it look more real. 

I added a black painted half moon above the door and voila....an outhouse!

I didn't take pictures, but I used more cardboard to make a roof.  I covered the roof with aluminum foil and added a light coat of brown paint to the top of the foil to make the roof look old and rusy.  

I love my wee little dollhouse.   I have plans for a lantern and maybe even an old magazine (Sears and Robuck to keep with the historical feel).   I do have plans for where this outhouse will be residing.  It is for a larger project that I will be sharing very soon!  Until then...enjoy my paper outhouse!