miniaturia guild of cape town 17-12 dec jan... · wise advice. merry christmas! some good advice...
TRANSCRIPT
December 2017 - January 2018
Miniaturia Guild
of Cape Town
Page 2 MGCT
Guild member Toni Rowland has made a beautiful You-Tube music video to honour all those, including herself, whose lives have been touched by cancer. Her voice is like an angel and she would be happy for guild members to see it on https://youtu.be/_3s_cIjqSfA Strength to you as you go forward Toni.
Felicity Walker has been featured in “American Minia-turist” with her wonderful Christmas room box. Well done Felicity!
Well done to Jenny Cole who was part of a group of people who spent the night of the Somerset West/Gordons Bay fire, helping the SPCA evacuate all their precious animals. Anastasia Messaris’s husband Nic has kindly offered to
make us magnetic boards. The cost will be R200.00 for a
200 x 300mm board, as shown in the photo below..
Magnets are not included.
If you would like to order one, please contact
Anastasia on 072 320 0762
It is time to start collecting items for our weekly raffles as our stock is running low. Barbara will start a fresh list to keep track of items donated and all you want to ensure is that she has put a tick next to YOUR name! (Otherwise we all know how she can nag!) She will be collecting as from the first meeting of 2018 so why not bring something on the first meeting and get it off your list? Our weekly raffle is always anticipated and enjoyed and brings in a regular income to boost our funds so please do your bit by donating something small (obviously) but worthwhile.
My last Newsletter
It’s been a great privilege writing your Miniature
News Letters over the past few years. I've been
fortunate enough to have had an amazing array
of interesting and informative articles to write
about, lots of which I have found through social
media, the internet and those that Guild
members have kindly forwarded to me.
I wish Anne and Ellen much luck for future
editions, and am happy to be leaving them a
substantial ‘stash’ from my computer that will
cover the next couple of years worth of articles!
Thank you SO much to Barbara, my side kick and
great helper and also to Ellen, Sue and Oriana
for their proof reading and checking through
each issue. Sandy Bernstein
Elizabeth Moss 12th December
Anna Braun 6th December
Barbara Brear 19th December
Liza Greeff 24th December
Anne Johnson 25th December
Sue Farmer 26th December
Anne Sturrock 26th December
Christine Hampshire 28th December
Allison Smith 29th December
Elana Ross 11th January
Erna Stubbs 11th January
Jeanette Borman 12th January
Page 3 MGCT
About that holiday to do list……….
Do you look forward to the magic of the holidays? Or do you dread this time of year with the reluctance of an exhausted
Grinch? I know which one I am. Between decorating, gift buying, family negotiations, and travel preparations, we do tend to
lose our normal good humour. But I think its worse for many of us crafters because we put pressure on ourselves to make
the perfect gifts for our most beloved friends and family. Next thing you know, we have way too much to do and as each day
is torn off the calendar, we feel a gnawing sense of guilt and urgency and dread. That is no way to live! Here are some things
to think about as you try to "do it all" in the coming weeks.
1. Set Boundaries - We were raised to be polite, helpful, and accommodating. However, just because someone wants you to
do something doesn't mean you must. Saying no is okay. It doesn't mean you don't love that person. You do have a choice in
how you spend your time and energy. You are the boss of you.
2. Time Blocking - If you don't set aside time for your creativity, it won't happen. The needs and flow of the day will take
over and you tell yourself that you'll do it "later". Soon the day is over and "later" is pushed to another day. Set a time and
stick to it.
3. Big Rocks - In business time management, experts say to pick the "big rocks" of your day's tasks and get them done first.
Then you can enjoy the rest of the day in peace. So pick the most important things that MUST be done that day and get
them done first. Otherwise you'll just keep putting things off until the last part of the day and then you never get into the
studio at all.
4. Making Gifts – Don't put pressure on yourself. It takes all the joy out of the process. If you're feeling too stressed, it really
is okay if you buy gifts this year. Or even make a batch of cookies tied with a bow. Trust me, everyone loves cookies. Instead,
make things during the year and surprise your beloved ones with random gifts. It will be so much more meaningful.
5. This, Too, Shall Pass - Do you know what will happen if you don't make any gifts, don't buy anything, and don't clean the
house? Christmas will still come. In 25 days. And you'll still enjoy your family. There will still be games, hot cocoa, singing,
laughter, egos, and your annoying relative who makes everything about her. Things do not have to be perfect. Life will go
on. Or, as my dad always told me, "In a hundred years, who will give a hoot?" Wise advice. Merry Christmas!
Some good advice from Gingers blog, The Bluebottle Tree found at
http://us9.campaign-archive2.com/?u=129c03a635e348bd5a73c4471&id=70e607c965&e=5d83d6b17a
Letter from the Chair
Phew, another busy couple of months! As a guild we have enjoyed many varied workshops from exceptional teachers.
(I am not sure who was challenged more, me making a tiny teddy or Jackie making a scroll saw angel...)
Your committee has been busy preparing for next year. We had a well attended and successful future workshop meeting.
We needed 54 ideas for the year and had over 80 suggestions, awesome!
A new idea for the auction will be presented later in 2018 and by now you will all have seen the guild group project. I have
so many ideas for the project that I don't quite know where to start.
Sadly, our stalwart, professional and dedicated Sandy Bernstein is stepping aside from creating the newsletter. Once she
had made her decision you could see a huge burden being lifted. As Sandy said, she will have more time for family and
miniatures! (Lucky us) Ann Sturrock has gladly accepted the challenge to produce the newsletter.
Sandy is one of the founding members of the Guild. She is always willing to give of her time, expertise and materials.
Personally, I am continually amazed at her talent and the detail that goes into one flower. Have no worries though, Sandy
isn't going anywhere as she is already booked to teach next year! Of course those of us who are also teaching don't want to
teach on the same day as she is!!!
Thanks again to Sandy for continued efforts to make the guild what it is today, an amazing, fun place to be.
Page 4 MGCT
Finishing Sequence when building a dolls house
1. Read ALL of the instructions before beginning assembly.
2. Assemble shell
3. Install basic wiring.
4. Apply siding to house. (See Tom's siding and glue tips)
5. Paint siding and porch floors - if you have them.
6. Paint trim, windows, and doors. Some people like to install the windows and doors at this
time for appearance; this may be done temporarily by using Mini-Holdtm to secure them.
7. Install trim (trim around roof needs to be installed before shingling).
8. Shingle roof.
9. Paint and install posts and railings. (if applicable)
10. Stain and varnish plywood floor. You can skip this step if you're going to cover the floors
with carpet, tile, or hardwood.
11. Paint or paper ceilings (see Wallpapering tips)
12. Paint or paper the walls. If you temporarily installed windows and doors, remove them to
facilitate papering.
13. Install carpeting, hardwood or tile flooring.
14. Install electrical outlets.
15. Paint or stain any interior trim such as baseboards, chair rails, window and door casings,
and crown mouldings. Paint or stain staircases.
16. Install staircases
17. Install windows and doors and all interior trim and mouldings.
18. Install ceiling fixtures and outlets.
19. Furnish the house and have fun.
Read more at http://earthntree.com/miniatures/index.php?main_page=page&id=3
Page 5 MGCT
Make yourself a simple Christmas shadow box by taking a shallow box and spraying it in the
colour of your choice. You could even sprinkle glitter on the ‘frame section’. Drill a hole large
enough to thread through a silver or gold wire battery operated LED miniature string of lights in
one of the top corners
Paint the inside a silver grey or gold colour. Turn the box so it is taller lengthwise and then build
up the base up with paper clay or Das to resemble a hilly landscape. Mark the position where
you would like your miniature fir trees to be placed, and drill small holes. Place a toothpick in
each hole so you can mark their positions. Let the paper clay dry before covering with a liberal
amount of tacky glue. Sprinkle on fine glitter when the glue is still wet, and when dry gently, tip
the box to get rid of any excess glitter.
Insert the fir trees with a little glue to hold them in place and then thread your LED miniature
string of lights through the hole in the top of the box and arrange as you wish.
(The battery section will be at the back of the shadow box) Sandy Bernstein
Page 6 MGCT
Creating Christmas at Biltmore takes a village
Biltmore Estate is a large private estate and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House, the main house on the estate, is a Châteauesque-styled mansion built by George Washington Van-derbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 square feet (16,622.8 m2)[2] of floor space (135,280 square feet (12,568 m2) of living area). Still owned by one of Vanderbilt's descendants, it stands today as one of the most prominent remaining examples of the Gilded Age. During the holiday season, gingerbread is usually the most popular building material for houses and villages. Topped with gumdrop roofs and powdered sugar snow, such charming creations are too pretty to eat and too fragile to linger long after New Year’s.
At Biltmore, however, our Christmas village is a more substantial than that—and it took several generations of the Biltmore family to bring it to life! For 2016, the Christmas at Biltmore theme is Hearth and Home, which brings to mind celebrations around the fireplace, caroling from house to house, and certainly the warmth and hospitality that began with George Vanderbilt welcoming family and friends to his new home on Christmas Eve 1895.
Thinking of this theme, April Partain, a full-time member of Biltmore’s floral team, was inspired to create a miniature village for the Banquet Hall—one of several areas for which she was responsible this year. As she discussed her ideas and plans with her co-workers, however, everyone began to realize that none of the current decorative houses and churches that were readily available were created on the same scale as the Banquet Hall and its massive table on which the village would be displayed.
What’s a floral designer to do when the materials to build her dream Christmas village don’t exist? If you’re April Partain, you go ahead and plan out all the details, knowing that your own village of friends and family will help you make it all happen.
“We started thinking about doll’s houses,” said April, “because those are a more appropriate size for the Banquet Hall, and they often have beautiful architectural details that resemble the original structures in Biltmore Village.” When word got out about April’s plans, many people donated and helped with building and decorat-ing dolls houses that could be used in the scene that once completed was erected in the Ban-quet hall. It was displayed over the Christmas period of 2016. Sandy Bernstein
See more at : http://www.biltmore.com/blog/article/it-takes-a-
villageadbsc=social:attraction:general_20161204_68328576&adbid=10155713330787619&adbpl=fb&adbpr=161193252618
Page 7 MGCT
So much more exploring over the following days took us all over Paris with strolling, looking, shopping, eating,
browsing, laughing, and sweating in temperatures of over 35oC and even as hot as 43oC one day. We also met some
South Africans in Passage Jouffrey.
We also went to Giverny which was the home of Claude Monet. The house is charming and very colourful with each
room bright and bold with colour. The sunflower yellow dining room was very happy and the blue and white
kitchen so homely.
Belinda and Debi’s trip to Paris and attending S.I.M.P… continued from last News Letter
The gardens are stupendous and well worth a visit if you are in France. It felt as if we had stepped into his
paintings. I cannot believe that the photos I took are not purchased pictures.
So the main reason for going to Paris in June was to sell our miniature wares at SIMP (Salon International Miniature
Paris). 100 tables of miniatures were a feast for the eyes and we were so well and warmly welcomed. It was a
looooooonnnng day and we were exhausted at the end. It was a wonderful experience .
Page 8 MGCT
And then it was some more exploring in the city including enjoying the group of gents performing live in the metro
tunnels.
And then we had to pack! Open some wine, prepare ourselves mentally, discard packaging, pack, repack, refit, pour
more wine, rebox, weigh the suitcase, unpack, repack, sip more wine, re-sort, refit, repack. And then we went out
to buy another suitcase when we ended up doing more shopping! Then it was back to repack, refit, pour more
wine, rebox, weigh the suitcase, unpack, repack, sip more wine, re-sort, refit, repack.
When our driver arrived at 06h30 on the Wednesday morning his face was a picture when he saw all the luggage.
I had booked a van because we had a lot of luggage but his horror was amusing. Eventually after a game of baggage
tetris, we were in and off to the airport.
Advice: If you are flying Air France out of Charles de Gaulle airport, be at the airport at least 4 hours before your
flight. Air France is not at all well organised and the queues are abnormally long.
We arrived at the airport three and a half hours before our flight but it was not enough – queues queues queues!
And then more queues! Added to the queues there were so many irritable people which did not help. Twenty min-
utes before our flight was due to depart we were still standing in the passport queue. We had been standing in
queues by then for more than three hours. I found an official and pleaded our case of only twenty minutes to de-
partures and he moved us through the queues thankfully. After getting through passport control we still had to get
through security and after unloading everything we got scanned. But! I had forgotten a tin of cooldrink in a side
pocket of my bag which resulted in a detailed search of my baggage and a drug swab too. And our flight was being
called too.
Advice: Don’t have any liquids other than the regulation 100ml bottles in a clear bag when you go through security
in an airport.
Belinda and Debi’s trip to Paris and attending S.I.M.P…
Page 9 MGCT
We were finally on our way to our plane to fly home. We had woken up at 05h00 so that we were not rushed but
it all went pear-shaped at the airport. We were exhausted and starving! We needed food! And then we saw it –
you know how a store appears to light up with a surrounding glow luring you inside in a mesmerised state? – well
that was us! We grabbed sandwiches and a bag of chips and Debi stood with our bags at the door while I headed
for yet another queue at the cashier.
Then I heard the airline paging our names as the flight was closing!
“Debi” I yelled “Run! They are paging us for our flight!”
“What” Debi yelled back.
“Run!” I yelled again, “tell them I am on my way”
Debi ran off like a mad woman.
I left my change on the counter and grabbed the food and ran after Debi but I couldn’t find gate 48. I could see
every gate number up to 57 but no 48. Huh?! As I reached gate 49 I saw Debi pacing at the desk of 48 – the gate
was hidden behind a store – really? But we were there! Safe! With food! We could go home now.
We settled into our seats on the plane and tucked into our sandwiches. They were manna from heaven after the
morning we had endured. The plane was delayed 74 minutes by the way! Belinda McWilliams
Belinda and Debi’s trip to Paris and attending S.I.M.P…
Page 10 MGCT
Nicola Mascall - British tapestry designer and maker
Nicola Mascall has been designing and making miniature tapestries since 1992. Having trained as a de-
signer and illustrator and with a natural ability for needlework she has gradually turned her passion for
Doll's House miniatures into a small business
She has always had a passion for arts and crafts and spent her early working years in art, design and illustration having gained a higher diploma at art school. Her love of needlework came from her mother who was an exceptional needlewoman. She encouraged her to sew and knit from a really early age. Her love for 'petit point' grew steadily after discovering the wonderful world of dolls house miniatures back in 1992. She found it a joy to create designs inspired by historic needlework, particularly enjoying the chal-lenge of producing items to scale working on 40 to 70 count silk gauze'. In the past two years her interest has mainly been in miniature rugs and carpets particularly the intricate designs of Oriental rugs. When she has time, she gets inspiration from visiting Historic houses, Museums and Galleries. The sumptuous upholstery, wall-hangings, cushions, carpets etc found in such places are always inspirational to her. Some of her designs come purely from imagination. As in painting, she just starts from a blank canvas with maybe a vague idea in mind. She has a wonderful cross stitch design programme on her PC which enables her to play around with ideas from a wide palette of colours. Each year she attends 5 or 6 fairs. About 4 weeks prior to the fair she sets up her stand in her studio to see what needs doing. She always has kits available for all the items she displays unless they are 'one-offs'.
More info about Nicola can be found on her website by clicking www.nicolamascallminiatures.co.uk
Left, Nicola in her studio.
Below Left, Two cushions that are available as kits
Below, an exquisite Aubusson carpet being stitched in
72 count silk gauze.
Sandy Bernstein
Page 11 MGCT
Basket makers in the Miniature world
The miniature world has some extremely talented
basket weavers, and in this article I will be showing
you a few of my favourites, with links to their blogs or
websites, so you can extend your search if you are
interested.
Lidi Stroud, an Australian miniaturist, lives on the
beautiful Mid-North coast of New South Wales, and is
at the forefront of basket making in the miniature
world.
Her designs are complicated and perfect in every way.
She loves finely detailed baskets that look old, well-
loved and worn! She makes every type of basket
imaginable, from dog beds to picnic hampers to utili-
tarian baskets and everything in between. She mainly
works in 1:12th scale, but has been known to tackle
1:24th scale baskets.
Go and have a look at her wonderful blogsite at
h t t p : //b a s k et c as e - m in ia t u re s . b logs p ot .c om
Nancy Simpson discovered the world of minia-
tures in the 1970’s, attending shows, taking
classes and putting together kits. She progressed
to making furniture, learning to turn wood and
sewing quilts and in 2000 she attended IGMA
school in Castine. In 2007 she walked into a full
size basket shop and while looking through the
shelves, she saw a 1” Nantucket basket mold. No
one had ever used it because you couldn’t buy
wooden bases or handles to fit. She wove those
first baskets with miniature split ash. Later she
learned to thin the cane for the Nantucket baskets
and to use ash to make Shaker baskets. She feels it
is necessary to use the original materials and
methods in making her miniature baskets. Drawing
on many of my classes at Castine, she figured out
how to carve the handles, turn ivory for knobs,
turn brass rod into tiny washers, and “nail” on the
rims. Learning how to saw with the jewellers saw
and to measure thicknesses with callipers has been invaluable. You can read more about her
basket making at http://miniatureitune.com/?page_id=20
Page 12 MGCT
Basket makers in the Miniature world continued...
Above are some designs from Elizabeth Bodzas
She says: “This is the time to uncover my big secret of making
baskets. So I use a very simple yellow wire of 0.4mm width. I
use brown acrylic paint to get that fine shade of the baskets. If I
need an old basket, I use matt paints and chalk powders to
cover the shiny surface. The weaving is the same as they use in
making real size baskets.”
Above are some basket weave designs you can try out in miniature.
Joc gives you some lovely tutorials on miniature basketry.
http://jicolin.blogspot.com/
http://mytinyworldfromhungary.blogspot.ca/2012/02/how-to-make-
miniature-wicker-basket.html
Kris teaches you how to make a simple
basket on: http://1inchminisbykris.blogspot.co.za/
search/label/How%20to%20make%20a%
20woven%20basket%20from%20crochet%
20thread
Page 13 MGCT
"Cherished Possessions": (Sarah Gardner, 1709-1794, Maker; Dated 1720-1725)
These extraordinary objects, made by the teen-aged daughter of a well-to-do Boston, Massachusetts family,
are the only American-made free-standing figures known to have survived from the eighteenth century. Wax
work, like fancy needlework, was among the artistic skills considered important in the education of young
girls during this period. Sarah Gardner supported these figures on armatures and used coloured beeswax
and real fabric trimmed with lace dipped in wax for their bodies. They are protected by their original English
bell jars and mounted on turned wooden pedestals made to fit the jars. Considering their fragility, the fact that
they have survived in excellent condition is a testament to how much they were treasured by Gardner's
descendants.
Page 14 MGCT
Q: How long does a blade last when used for polymer clay?
A: That depends on what kind of blade you are using and how you use it. You might be surprised to learn
that I use the same 6" blades that I've used for nearly 15 years. I never sharpen them. They are pretty dull and it would be difficult to cut skin with them. But they work beautifully for opening packages, cutting slices of clay from a new block, chopping clay into pieces, cutting away excess clay, and running under a sheet to lift it from the work surface. Most of the clay work that I do does not require a sharp blade. Using a sharp blade just increases your risk of cutting with the wrong edge or slicing yourself. Therefore, this type of blade lasts forever, really. If you have been really hard on yours, it might need sharpening and you can do it with some 1000 grit sandpaper or even a knife sharpening stone if you have one. But even then, that's mainly to remove any nicks in the edge, not to make it super sharp. (Also, I prefer these blades to be fairly stiff. If they're too flexible, they will twist when you slice through large blocks of clay, giving you uneven slices.) On the other hand, if you make super thin cane slices, you will absolutely need an extremely sharp blade known as a tissue blade. These blades are used in medical pathology labs to make microscopically thin slices of tissue for viewing under a microscope. These blades will cut you so fast that you won't even feel it. Using one of these blades for general polymer clay work is just asking to be cut. Save these blades for the highly precise work of making paper thin slices. The extremely sharp edge on a tissue blade is also very thin. And that means it will dull very quickly. So the usable lifespan of a tissue blade is quite short. Always make sure to (very carefully) wipe the blade after use, dry it, and store in a box or envelope in a safe place. The lifespan of these blades depends en-tirely on how much use they get, what material they're cutting (does the clay have glitter, mica, foil, inclu-sions?) and if they're allowed to rust.
True tissue blades are used in the medical field for taking paper-thin samples of tissues. Clayers use ul-tra-thin, very sharp blades to take the thinnest possible slices from canes . For the best results, use only the very sharpest blades for slicing canes and . These blades come in different lengths and strengths. Some are very sturdy and don't tend to bend, while the extreme flexibility of others allow
for curved cuts.
How to get rid of finger prints on Polymer Clay
http://mailchi.mp/thebluebottletree/june-newsletter?e=5d83d6b17a
Fingerprints are so frustrating. No matter how careful you are, they find their way onto your work.
It's always best to smooth your work before baking, but what can you do if some fingerprints are
unnoticed until after baking? Is sanding the only way to remove them? Sanding is an effective
method, but use an ultra-fine grit sandpaper, to avoid white marks and scratches. A very quick and
simple solution is to use acetone (not nail polish remover) on a Q-tip. The acetone will dissolve the
clay, allowing you to smooth the surface. Be careful to stick to one colour area as the dissolved
clay could stain other, lighter areas.
Single edge blades Tissue blades
Page 15 MGCT
A Future Project
A gorgeous idea that I am going to try will be to
‘etch’ into Das or paper clay some delicate
patterns around a window. I would think using
Das may be preferable to paper clay as the
‘paper fibre’ in paper clay may make it difficult
to engrave the detailed patterns.
I will let the Das dry almost fully and then
transfer a delicate design using tracing paper
and a sharp needle tool to gently ‘dot’ the
design into the Das.
I will then use a needle tool to gently scrape
away the design. When I colour the wall the
areas that are cut away will pool a darker shade
and give me the aged look I want. I will use a
selection of very weak watered down mixes of
burnt umber with a touch of Lamp Black and
Payne’s Grey to achieve this.
Sandy Bernstein
Chairman Ellen du Toit
082 816 1328
Treasurer Susan Harris
082 716 3077
Secretary Midge De Goede
082 702 4746
Workshop co-ordinator Barbara Brear
082 881 3965
Librarian Elana Ross
083 407 3554
Membership Jenny Cole
083 388 7988
Workshop Assistant Lynda Till
083 448 0390
Special Projects Belinda McWilliams
082 495 1358
Teas
Daphne Holdway
078 381 3633
Newsletter
Sandy Bernstein
021 794 2805
January 20th - First social meeting of the year
Sales tables 12 – 1 pm
Lunch 1 – 2 pm (please bring a plate of eats)
Meeting 2 – 3 pm
Workshops will be open for bookings after the meeting.
(Bring lots of cash so you can buy and book!)
Page 16 MGCT