Archive | Art RSS feed for this section

DIY Project #29, Part 2

6 Jun

DIY project number 29 is coming along slowly. I’m okay with the pace because I’m simply taking my time. There have been distractions, but good ones, like going away for the weekend to hubby’s hometown. And then, of course, there were the golf games. But all in all, I’m pleased with how the project is progressing.

All the itty bitty pieces

The biggest challenge is working on the sofa chair, as fabric materials are hard to handle. Now, I cannot don’t do the sofa chair because it is the main piece of furniture in this little layout. Just have to be positive to get it done.

The big sofa challenge

Tags: , , ,

DIY Project #29

19 May

After procrastinating for days, I finally mustered enough energy to start DIY project number 29. The unbearable heat is taking its toll on me to be a sloth and do nothing. It is not healthy.

Project number 29

So project number 29 is from the same series as project number 27. It is a slightly bigger set than number 28, which was minuscule. Although there are even larger sets to work on, I’m avoiding them now. My Ikea display cabinet, sadly, has no more space to display the big units. Oh well, time to buy another display cabinet!

Luckily, number 29 came with dust covers, just like number 28, so I can display it anywhere upon completion. I only hope my pace will not stutter due to the heat. Onwards with crafting my miniatures!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Fixing the Mess

12 May

I am feeling like a sloth lately because of the hot weather. Two weeks ago, I completed DIY project number 28, and since then, the mood is not there to start the next one. Although number 28 is a done deal, the wiring mess is eating at me. So I have decided to fix it before I begin project number 29.

The switch is so tiny, and the wires so delicate that the connections fell apart! I was aghast; my fingers were more clumsy than deft! How do I fix the mess when all parts involved are so minuscule?

Tiny and skinny maketh a mess

I had to borrow a soldering iron hand tool to do the job. Let’s hope this works. Otherwise, all the effort to put the lights in place for this beautiful tiny house will come to naught without a switch. Keep the sloth away, and get the job done!

Tags: , , , ,

DIY Project #28, Part 3

2 May

I finally completed DIY project number 28 over the weekend after six weeks. I think it could have been a lesser duration. The two public holiday breaks and the recent trips up North to hubby’s hometown derailed my momentum. Oh well.

This set is the tiniest house that I have built compared to the others. Everything is so minuscule, the flowers especially and the pieces of furniture. On top of this, this is also the first set with two hinges on the structure (roof and front façade of the house) to open and close – a very different setup from the others.

Although there were frustrating moments because of the size and mistakes (misreading the instructions), I took on the challenge. My biggest bane now is the wiring for the lights. It is so messy! In most of the projects that I have done, the lighting wiring is not so complicated, and this set shouldn’t be as well.

This mess aside, I’m pleased with how this set turned out. Onwards with the next one!

DIY project number 28
The house with hinges and messy wiring!

Tags: , , , , ,

The Heat is On

14 Apr

When it rains, I complain; when it doesn’t, I complain too. It’s a never-ending love-hate cycle as far as Mother Nature and the weather is concerned. The constant rain pre- and post-Chinese New Year has subsided; now it’s the heat! Unbearable. Cities nationwide and in South East Asia are recording crazy high numbers on the heat index.

I feel like I’m living in a giant oven despite being indoors at home with high ceilings and open windows for ventilation. This week, I’m taking a break from golf, so minimal exposure to the outdoors. It is mind-numbing heat that makes me want to stay home.

However, being indoors, sitting and staying put, and working on my miniatures, is no better. It is just as hot! And hiding in the air-con bedroom 24/7 is not the solution. When will this end? Sigh.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DIY Project #28, Part 2

11 Apr

Sunday was not a golf day but a good day for some me-time and my craft. I worked on DIY project number 28, and there was much progress. But this project is taking a little longer because we have been traveling up North to hubby’s hometown more frequently than before.

Anyway, back to the project in hand – all the eenie meenie pieces of furniture are on track to being assembled. It’s hard to hold them, so two tweezers are required to hold onto them when I apply the glue. And several times, I messed up because I did not read the instructions properly.

My little Happy House

Then again, the manual is in Chinese, and during those mess-ups, I did not use GoogleTranslate on my iPhone to do the job well. I assumed and thus messed up. One just cannot be complacent when it comes to dealing with tiny things here.

The biggest challenge will be the hinges. This piece is very different from the others that I have worked on. The frontage wall and roof are not glued down but hinged to open and close. Interesting. Well, I hope I can complete the set before the end of the month!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

DIY Project #28

21 Mar

Soon after completing DIY number 27, I debated which miniature to work on because I had been hoarding a mountain of choices. I opted for the latest purchase – the Happy House because it looked so cute and fun to do. However, the minute I started it, I wondered if it was the right decision.

The latest project

The house is minuscule, and the parts, oh my goodness, tinier than my pinky nails! There was even a nozzle head replacement for the glue applicator. Doesn’t this show you how minuscule the set is? Deft fingers are not enough, but a fine nozzle is a must!

A fine nozzle applicator for the glue

I wouldn’t say it was a regrettable decision because I have never had a set unfinished. It’s the duration that irks me sometimes, taking so long. But I always complete what I start.

Tiny, mini, puny, can’t get any smaller!

My thoughts were bordering on the timeline to complete it. It could rival project number 25, which took six months and collected some dust. I hope this negativity of incompletion is just a passing-by thought and should not derail me. I will stay positive and get it done!

Tags: , ,

DIY Project #27, Part 3

20 Mar

Last week, I completed DIY project number 27. It took me three weeks because I took a week off from working on it. Thus, a two-week job, and not longer, being such a small set.

I found this set to be very different from the past ones that I’ve worked on. The pieces were smaller, and there were more paper-based props. Man, it was tough. But all in all, I think it was a good challenge.

With a dust cover provided, DIY project number 27 now sits outside and not in the Ikea display cabinet! Yay, this was a bonus because the cabinet has so many of the completed sets. I jumped right into number 28 immediately. On a roll here!

DIY project #27

Tags: , , , ,

DIY Project #27, Part 2

24 Feb

The latest miniature project, number 27, has kicked off! I opted for the Elegant Studio set. So far, it’s going well. However, the challenge lies in understanding the manual, which is in Chinese and not English. But with the Google Translate app, this minor challenge is hardly one with the phone in hand to do the job!

The bonus of this set is the dust cover that came with it. So upon completion, I don’t have to worry about crowding my Ikea display cabinet. I can decide where to place this Elegant Studio anywhere in the house. Nice!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

DIY Project #27

21 Feb

I am undecided about which set to work on for DIY project number 27 – so many choices, so little time. Recently, I bought another two sets from my favorite online shopping site. It was an impulse purchase, but also for a sense of security.

When I started project number 26, there was this sense that my mountain of miniatures had reduced, so I had to replenish it quickly. Hahaha. Of late, I noticed my DIY purchases are getting smaller and smaller in scale compared to my earlier sets.

Subconsciously, I think I am mindful of my Ikea display cabinet – it is running out of space. I really should buy another cabinet to resolve this issue. Then again, it is fun to work on tiny sets, although it can also be trying at times. I love the challenge, I guess.

So DIY project number 27 is a toss-up between the new tiny purchases over the other sets that are much bigger. And as the two new choices have books, my preferred theme for miniatures these days, I will close my eyes and pick one.

Which one to work on? Hmm

Tags: , , , ,

← Older Entries