Click on the pictures to see a larger picture of each project.
Cigar Box Projects
The Wabash Valley Miniature Guild had a project for members where we could make anything we wanted to but it had to be in a cigar box. My project was a shaded garden place to read or watch the fish swim and enjoy a glass of wine and some cheese.
The top of the box is pink and white striped material that makes a draped awning for shade. I made the wicker bench out of white crochet cotton. The basket is made of dark brown needlepoint canvas. The flowers are painted babies breath. The grass is landscaping material from a model train store.
My mother used her cigar box folded down to show her artist painting a fall scene. She built the easel and the paint stand and also did the artist’s painting on the easel. The little paints in the paint box are metal miniature that she painted. She used landscape materials from a model train store to make her fall scene. The artist doll is a commercial piece but she did make his outfit and cap.
The Library
This project was hard to photograph because of all the Plexiglas cases inside the Plexiglas box. Every book, magazine and record jacket I made by photographing full sized originals. They are all exactly 1 inch = 1 foot scale. The books all have readable fronts, backs and spines. I glued the covers on to blocks or balsa wood or on to mat board, depending on the thickness of the book. I painted the “pages” part of the wood either white or gold.
My Mother built the big library table, the Librarian’s desk and the table to put return books on. She also made the card catalog. The desk has the nameplate of the Librarian at our own local branch library on it. This is one project we have kept in our collection. It has been exhibited many times and several Librarians have wanted to buy it but so far we have kept it.
Towel Holder
This is my mother’s project. It has taken several first place awards in competitions. It is a full sized hand towel holder that she built herself. The bathroom scene was a kit she put together. She made the circular braided rug.
Ski Lodge
This breakaway box was made to have a place to display the “bear rug”. The rug was a gift to my mother from a friend who had visited New Zealand. It is actually a sheep rather than bear rug. This box has several commercial pieces in it along with things we made. My Mother painted the 2 pictures on the walls. I made the gifts and we both made tree and mantel directions.
Birthday Box
This was made for my friend Jeani’s birthday. It is made in a candle box. We cut Plexiglas pieces to fill in the openings on both sides and the top of the box. I made the fern and the macramé hanger. I needle pointed the pillow on silk needlepoint material. The picture I cut out of a needlework catalog and framed it. I made the packages and bows, cake and the flowers. My Mom made the table and tablecloth. The chair was from a kit and vase was bought at a miniature show.
Christmas Tree
My Mother built the box for this tree. The sheets of mirror on the back wall and the floor were left over from a building project at the old Idaho nightclub. June Phillippe crocheted the angel on top of the tree. The decorations on the tree were made from pieces cut from plastic stamens and glued on the tree. The garland was commercial and I got it at a show. The deer on the right side of the tree is an antique and one of the main reasons we made the box.
Christmas Tree In A Dome
This tree was made for a friend. The icicles were made with fabric paints on wax paper. The garland is made with heavy gold and silver thread.
