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MayEbony — My Miniature Garden - WAMA Beginners 1st Prize
Published: 2013-10-03 12:22:15 +0000 UTC; Views: 2334; Favourites: 87; Downloads: 0
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I was so surprised and excited to win First Prize in the Beginners Category with this garden at the WAMA Annual Show 2014.The container is a frozen yogurt tub and I made pretty well everything except the rocks, and the sticks and chain for the swing. To give you an idea of scale, the swing is 2" high by 1" wide. The trees and bushes are made of jute (hairy string), wire and coloured (by me) sawdust (which was created by David). The grass is sawdust coloured with acrylic paint as well. The blossom tree and flowers at the back are wire and finely chopped kitchen sponge. The white trellis was carefully cut from a plastic tray that a cake was on. The bull-rushes are jute and brown paint. Oh and I made the birdbath and bird of polymer clay.
The new resident of this garden is the lovely and she tells me that her pet (seen here on the birdbath) is named Blaze. I hope you have many peaceful and happy days looking at the flowers and swinging on the Dewdrop!
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Comments: 98
So many pictures from you I had to wait until the weekend to make some comments and to look at them all. I rather like the waterfall and assume it is made from a glue gun. Must remember that when I go back to railway modelling.
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Aawww thanks so much for hanging in there Mel. Yes, glue gun trails - you're right If you want to make trees let me know and I can point you to a great YouTube tutorial (and tell you how I made a little change for the better).
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Indeed May, please point me in the right direction. While I am not actively involved in model railways at the moment the information will come in very useful in the future.
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I actually just came across this one www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YWVTW… which looks really good. And actually a lot easier than the one I really was looking for. However, here's the real one www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5jPBz…
I've learned a few things doing these. Firstly, you don't have to mess around microwaving the acrylic paint and the sawdust mixture to make the leaves. Just pour your paint into the sawdust jar and let it dry naturally, giving it a stir about hourly or so to prevent it clumping. Secondly, if you want a tree with thicker foliage, you can actually do a double trunk (so 4 strands of wire that form a 'square' with more fibres than you could fit into 2 wires). This method also means you will have 4 wires that you can bend at right-angles to form a self standing cross for your tree.
Do use pliers to hold the wires while you turn the handle otherwise the wires pinch your fingers - yup - learned that
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=… is his whole crafting playlist. Not bad for a Kiwi 
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Thanks so much May. Some great ideas there which I will certainly follow through. Interestingly enough the chap with the bare feet sounds more South African than Kiwi. Behaves a bit the same way also.
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No worries. His accent isn't strongly anything is it? I can hear the Kiwi but can well believe there is anything/everything else in there too. The bare feet are unusual around saws and whatnot these days
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Congratulations on the win!! This is really beautiful
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This is so beautiful! I love your breakdown of how you made it. I never would have guessed that was a frozen yogurt tub! It looks just like a metal bucket. Everything about this piece is beautiful and so creative. Definitely deserving of the win. Congratulations!
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Thank you so very much Sweetheart
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This is so absolutely beautiful, whimsical and fantastic..Congratulations on the win! So well deserved hon!
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Thank you so very much Jane, it means a lot that you like it
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Thank you so very much dear Nathalie
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Thanks for telling us how you made all the pieces...really creative!
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Thank you so much for your lovely words Ruth
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Oh thank you I didn't realise that you had not seen my other miniatures yet.
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no I hadn't. I looked for your photos before and didn't think you had a gallery, but then I saw it was a tab option on your profile yesterday. I still haven't looked through your whole gallery.. I will do some more looking later when I come on to browse
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I understand the shortage of time. I'm positive you're the same as me, wanting to do 50 things all at the same time. If only we had more hands
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haha!! I say this all the time!!! My head has me in 50 directions but I only have 2 hands, dang it! I work a lot on my crafts once the kids are sleeping so I can craft more but then I don't sleep much, lol so I really love Fridays!! Late nights and NO early morning, yay for Friday!
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My children are grown now of course, and with children of their own. Yet I still don't have the time I would love for creating. I have one crochet mouse complete, 1 complete body awaiting ears, tail and face, and 1/3rd of a body. I really should have done rabbits because these are for Easter. I only give them a tiny egg each - they get far too much chocolate from everyone else.
I was actually watching your magic circle YouTube in the car as we travelled today (on my phone). I did one magic circle successfully on the way out but could *not* get another to work for the 'homeward journey mouse'. It just wouldn't let the tail slide long to use up the slack Typical of me, I'd done it correctly, just wasn't being rough enough with it
Do you get time off for Easter? Our schools are on break this week and next, plus Friday and Monday are paid public holidays for all full-time employees (in most jobs). Those that do work get extra pay.
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wow, how awesome to be able to watch a youtube video while in the car! Technology is so great sometimes.
My children are 22, 12, and 11. I had my last 2 just as I turned 30 and 31. I enjoy having them and I wish time would slow down! It goes by so so fast.
Yes we do get a short break for Easter. Tomorrow is last day of school until Tuesday the 22nd. It will be a relaxing time, I'm looking forward to it!
I can't seem to find enough hours to do everything I want to do. I want to make so much and my brain is always thinking of the next project. I have my 2 pages on facebook and sadly my dollhouse page seems to get neglected lately. I want to change that very soon and start another dollhouse project! Once I get one started I won't be able to stop, lol My crochet page is always active and I have a new pattern in the works all the time. I will force myself to stop with the yarn once I get one more Easter pattern up and then I'll get busy with some miniatures again. I have a couple ideas in mind already. I recently made a few paper mache characters and I want to build them a place to live.. I can't wait!
Keep me posted on the magic circle. It gave me troubles too when I first started and that's why I made that little video. Soon it will be 2nd nature to you and you'll be doing one without even giving it a thought
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Yes, technology can be so amazing (and so frustrating!)
Oh wow, that's quite a gap. I bet the second and third were easier. I have found grandchildren to be amazing!!! Mostly because I'm older and wiser and more laid back (as well as the fact that I can give them back of course!)
I hear you - soooo well - on the million things at once. I've nearly driven my husband mad today, yanking him from one task to the next; showing him things on the computer; making him dispose of a massive spider in the garden; take test shots with 2 lenses to see which is clearest; looking up winners pictures from my camera club and a heap more besides. And even then he cooked our main meal while I played. He finally said that if he buries me in the garden his life will be a lot more peaceful He leaves for work soon (it's 3:30pm)
Oh yes, I meant to say. I was pulling at the thread at the top of the magic circle, which meant it was closing up so I though I was correct. Then the tail wouldn't pull because I'd just pulled *it* tight, instead of the other loop. So, MayEbony, pull from the *bottom* like Sharon told you in future hmmm? 
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yay!!! I knew you'd get it in no time and now it'll just happen. Many times I go to start a chain and end up with a magic circle, no joke! It just happens and I'm not even thinking about it.. dang I got a perfect circle but wanted a chain, lol
And yes, the gap between my 1st and last 2 is really noticeable. My oldest is a huge teddy bear, standing 6'3 with shoulders wider than my hallway, haha and he's been such a joy to me and my last 2 I notice that I enjoy every little thing they do even more! And all the stuff I used to worry about means absolutely nothing. I even love to just hear their voices.. when they call me from a friends I think how cute they sound, haha it's amazing what 10 years can do to a mother
And my parents are close by too and they have been a huge part of our lives which makes it even better
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You're right - I haven't failed since I realised what I was doing wrong. In fact I was teaching my 2 granddaughters to crochet today - the eldest is left-handed and I did the magic circle for a leftie with barely a thought about how to reverse it. It was *very* interesting, and actually fun, switching between right and left as I showed them what to do. The leftie laughed when I told her 'this is as hard for me as it is for you' because she could see the truth of it! They each made a little blanket for their mice. Other than one stitch, I couldn't tell which had been Georgia's work and which had been mine (where I took over for speed) on her blanket. I was shocked. Her tension was brilliant and consistent!
Ha ha for teddybear sons. Mine are only 6' tall, but considering I'm 5' 4" and David is 5' 7" they did well. My Dad and brothers are/were 6' each as well. It's as if we can't get taller than that lol. It's great that you an enjoy your second 2 and not endure the excess worry that we do with a first child. I'm so pleased that your parents are near, and obviously 'worth having' as well
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Sorry for the late reply.. I read your message a while back but wanted to reply when I would be on more than 2 minutes, lol
I wonder now how your grand-girls are doing and if they have crocheted anymore since your message? It sounds like the one might have a bit of a natural feel for crochet. That's how I started out too! It just came natural with tension and consistency and it wasn't long before I was making up my own patterns. Boy did that change my life, lol
Well your boys and mine could start up a basketball team!
I'm only 5'5 and I nick named my parents The Hobbits cuz they're 5'8 and '5'4.. so funny!
Anyway this is way off topic but the other night I felt my first real earthquake! Scary to say the least and now I want to move to safer ground. I was sitting here writing up a blog post and my desk started moving all about and the stuff on my walls began to rattle.. took me a few seconds to figure out what it was then I quickly phone my Mommy! lol She didn't feel it but it was all over the news. I hope that it doesn't happen again anytime soon! My mom and I are planning our escape off this Island we live on. It's so beautiful here but sadly it's sitting on a fault line so we will be moving asap!
But until then I will keep myself as busy as possible and I won't think about it much... sounds like a good plan
Hope you are well and say my hellos to your girls
Talk soon
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I think I'm even later replying than you were 
I'm 5' 4" - my Mum was 5' 1" and has shrunk with age. My hubby's 5' 7" so we're really short for our tall sons. All the men in my family are 6' so they got it from there. I love that you call your parents Hobbits, that's so very cute!
I'm so sorry you had to endure that earthquake - they terrify me! Apparently if you're walking or driving you don't feel them. I think I'll keep on moving forever I've felt 3 in my life and that's definitely 3 too many! I presumed you lived on mainland Canada. I guess island living would have good and bad points.
I've just posted 2 new photos of miniatures. A 1/12 bedroom and the beginnings of a 1/144 dollshouse.
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Oh my goodness, well are you ready for a shock??
I actually replied to this message just a hour or so after you wrote to me..
it was a nice long message!
Then I hit something and I went back a page
came back and the message was lost LOL
so I left and thought I'll answer again when I come back on, so here I am
Anyway!! I've been busy writing up patterns and making videos. I'm happy about that. I'm now taking a day to tend to my house chores, blah! I wish I could wave a magic wand and all would be clean!
OH, yesterday there was another small earthquake on my Island again! But it was like a 3.2 or something, very small but that mega quake is gathering up it's energy!! Time to move and fast! But I think somebody upstairs is watching out for me so I have time to pack, lol
My daughter is loom obsessed! She's always making something and I'm always buying those bands! But no complaints from me because she's really enjoying herself.
Ok, that it.. now I'm off to tackle those chores. Have a wonderful day!
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Hello Sweetness I'm so sorry about your long message. I really hate writing a message again because all of the enthusiasm and spontenaity have gone out of it haven't they? Thank you so much for writing again though, I love to hear from you
Oh gosh, I am criminally behind with so many messages here on dA 
Housework - isn't it a pain? LOL And of course there's no end to it. Some women seem to have cleaning and organising their home as their only hobby. Can you imagine? I really must go and see your new videos etc
Oh no! Yes, please do move house quickly! But I'm sure you are being watched over in the meantime
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Hello Dearest
Oh no! So sorry to hear of your injury!! From one crafty person to another I know this hurts so much more not being able to do the things you want to and yes, that would feel like a life sentence
I'm sending you all the well wishes and positive healing thoughts I can muster !!!!
LOL, no I can not imagine cleaning and organizing as my only hobby YIKES!!!!
That would just not do at all, talk about a life sentence!
I'm trying to rest my wrist tonight hahaha talk about injuries, mine is just from marathon crocheting though so I'll get off here and go and ice it now and take the night to watch a movie, yay me! I'm thinking I'll watch Lord of the Rings OR maybe some Jane Austen..
Talk soon!
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This is gorgeous! The swing is especially amazing and I love how you made the blossom tree; it's a really neat idea.
I love how colourful this miniature garden is.
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Thank you so very much for your descriptive review, it's so good to receive helpful opinions Steph
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This is utterly amazing. Seriously. How long did this take you? And how did you place everything so perfectly? Tweezers? I am in awe!
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Oh, thank you Erin. I made it in bursts over a 3 week period. Each new step needed to be thought through, and then I had to get up the courage to actually do that item. And indeed yes - my precision craft tweezers got a *serious* workout. The next item is well into being finished and if anything it's smaller still 
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May! This is so adorable! Now you just need to put it into your garden and let a faerie move in.
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Thank you so much dear Bertie! I actually have another miniature in the making that I think you will like as well
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Ohhhhhh, I can't wait to see it!
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