Anne Field's Miniature Club

Yesterday I got an unexpected package in the mail.

When I saw that pink as I pulled it out of the mailbox, I knew it had to be from Anne Field.

As one of her Ko-fi supporters, I am in her Miniatures Club and receive something quarterly as a thank you for supporting her blog.

This month it was the cutest burrito on a paper plate that was made by Legacy Miniatures.

In October, my first month in the club, Anne sent out this tray of iced donuts also by Legacy Miniatures. (The cake is from something else.)

If you are interested in miniatures, here is the link for the Legacy Miniatures Etsy shop. And if you aren't already reading Anne's blog, Field of Dolls Studio, go check it out. You'll be glad you did. (You can join her Miniatures Club via the link in Ko-fi here.)

Thanks, Anne! 

Miniatures & a Recipe!

(I've decided that since the holidays are coming, I'm going to occasionally post some of my favorite holiday recipes at the end of a few blog posts. When I do, I'll indicate that in the title. As you can see, there is a recipe today, and it is YUMMY!)

A growing segment in our hobby is miniatures.  They are a lot of fun and can go in scenes, be used as props in show entries, or be prizes at a show.  I was lucky enough to win a few in Anne Field's most recent photo show.

Those rosettes are gorgeous and tricky to make - I know because I have tried. 

Look at the little pink cake, the strawberry donuts (actually a gift from Anne for supporting her blog on Ko-Fi), and that cute pink and purple unicorn eraser. (Yes, I actually called a unicorn "cute.")

I, too, give out miniatures. Everyone who orders from Horsiemama's Mercantile will find a mini haversack tucked in with their order.

Recently I stitched up a batch and then hot glued jewels and holiday sayings onto them.

I have a large supply of horsey charms

which I string on ribbons and put into the mini haversacks to be tucked in with each order.

Occasionally I put stickers in those little pony pouches, too.

It can be a lot of fun to play with things of different scales. This was my office Halloween decor - not a lot went into making it, just grabbing some horses that were all in rearing positions.

Adding in Darth Vader as their trainer was what made me smile - simple as it was, I loved this little corner decoration!

And now, here's a recipe I hope you like. Try not to eat the whole batch in one day. (Er, for the record, it can be done...)

Molasses Sugar Cookies

(Depending on how long you bake these, they can be soft and chewy, or a little crunchy on the outside.)

Melt 3/4 cup butter, margarine, or shortening in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of molasses. 

Let cool, then add 1 egg and beat well.

Beat in 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons soda, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ginger. (I omit the salt and the cloves.)

Form into balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place balls on a greased cookie sheet or one that is lined with parchment paper, and bake 8 - 10 minutes at 375.

Daphne's Gift for the Pony Pals

Recently I received a box from my friend, Daphne Headley of Mini Hoofbeats Studio. Inside was one of my BreyerFest purchases - a beaded unicorn keychain that Daphne had made. 

Pink, a touch of purple, and a unicorn? That had Pony Pal Mila all over it, so when I saw it in Daphne's BreyerFest store, I contacted her and asked to buy it.

But Daphne didn't just send the keychain; she asked if I would like treasure boxes for the Pony Pals and then sent me a bunch of them as gifts!

Each one is different and has ribbon fasteners to attach the lid to the bottom.

They came in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and materials. (This orange one is my personal favorite.)

Daphne even took the time to put a couple of stickers inside each treasure box for the grands.

There was also another surprise among the treasure boxes - some miniatures for Little Lynn and Circus Girl.

A painting (aptly titled, The Orange Princess) and teeny tiny shippers, one of which was open and had a little package inside.

Circus Girl and Little Lynn were thrilled with their gifts!  Thank you, Daphne, for your thoughtfulness!

Little Lynn Prepares to Sew

In December there was a new challenge in the hobby - barn raising! Called the Bridle Tree Barn Raising Challenge,  people worked on building a barn or a part of a barn. It was so much fun to watch and see what people could do. Many shared tips and suggestions that I filed away for when I make my own barn.

Since I had been wanting to make a mini barn for Little Lynn and Circus Girl, I ordered the 1:144 scale barn from Sinny's Mini Art that had been used by several people doing the barn raising challenge. (Recognize it? It's a copy of Breyer's traditional scale barn.) I knew I would not have time to build a barn in December, but I do plan to tackle it later this winter.

Going to Sinny's online was going down a rabbit hole. There were so many neat things to buy! I poked around a bit at the premade items, and then I began looking at kits. Those are much like the barn - you put the things together yourself.

This was a must-have and went into my cart along with the barn. After all, Little Lynn is supposed to be me at 17, and I was sewing my own clothes at that age. My doll NEEDED some sewing supplies. (This is called rationalization. Haha!)

Unlike the barn, I did not set this kit aside but began working on it shortly after it arrived.

I began by preparing the labels for the bolts - cutting them out and carefully gluing them to the ends of each wooden piece.

Next, I ironed each piece of fabric (I was delighted that the print on two of them was in scale and would look realistic.)

Using the wooden bolt to measure, I  practice wrapped the fabric around the bolt to make sure there would be no loose ends or that the fabric would not be hanging over the ends.

When I was satisfied that I'd gotten the fit right, I unrolled them and then rerolled them onto the bolts, gluing each layer to be sure that the fabric did not shift.

I am so happy with how the bolts of fabric turned out - they are in scale and look like what you really do find when shopping for fabrics.

Next I tackled the teeny, tiny tape measure. I wanted it to look like my real tape measure, but the directions said to cut it out, cut in half, and glue the sides together, then fold it or roll it up.

Mine is made of cloth and is usually in a pile on the table like this when I am sewing. Could I make that happen with the paper tape measure?

I decided to try curling the paper just as I would some curling ribbon when making a bow - by gently sliding the paper across the blade of my scissors. I practiced on the edges of the tape measure that I had cut off before trying it on the real deal.

Success! Little Lynn's tape measure looks very much like my own.

The last step in the directions was to paint the scissors handles black. I looked back at the photo on the package and didn't like how that looked.

Besides, all my scissors, rotary cutter, and shears are Fiskars, and they have orange handles. 

I decided to leave the scissors as is and, if I change my mind and decide to paint them, then they will be orange to match what I really use.

Now, if only Little Lynn had a sewing machine, she could make a new costume for Circus Girl!

Generous Anne

Jennifer Buxton recently said, "Anne is awesome" in a blog post and she's right. Anne is also generous. I bought two folding chairs, two cell phones, some Cokes, and two flamingos from her  Black Friday sale and they arrived today. But there was more than what I'd purchased in that mailer.

Inside was this wrapped gift and note, too. (Anne loves pink, purple, and unicorns.)

I read the note first and then tore off the wrapping paper.

An apple, a rubber chicken, some Boston cream pie, a slice of pizza, four more flamingos, and some Starbucks drinks were inside!

Little Lynn and Wintergreen had been busy decorating so she decided she'd treat herself to a Diet Coke and take a brief break.

Thanks so much for your generosity, Anne! That was really sweet of you.

The December 10 Breyer advent calendar surprise is

an English saddle and a saddle rack!