Suzy's Minis

March is here already! Spring is close, although we have had back to back snowstorms in Southern Ontario. It has been pretty mild winter where I am so I really can't complain. Its going to be nice to get back out into the garden though.  My son and his family moved out last week so I am slowly putting my studio back together.  I had to pack all of my minis up out of toddlers reach. It is nice to start with an empty room and try to achieve an organized and well thought out workspace but I already have stuff all over the place!   I see all of these beautiful craft rooms and workshops on Instagram that are so neat and tidy and totally magazine worthy. I don't know one craft friend who has a totally clean workspace! My worktable is already crowded! I have started adding NEW SHOWS to the Miniature and Doll Show and Event Page. Check it out  Locally here in Ontario, the Miniaturists of Toronto have announced the date for their 2023 show. Saturday October 14th at The Japanese Cultural

Its already half-way through the month!!!!. This Christmas season seems to be approaching way too fast for me this year.  I'm not even done collecting the flower seeds from the garden yet or putting away the lawn furniture.  We haven't had much snow where I am yet and its actually been above seasonal temperature wise. I love the snow but I'll take this at the moment. Do you decorate your doll houses for the holidays? I haven't started my 1:12 scale yet but Barbie's place is all decked out. These candles are made with those little glass jars from Dollar Tree in the crafts area.  I dripped wax into them and stuck a piece of black wire. The label is washi tape

I have been making candy all week and will have a limited supply available this month  in my eBay store - Redwoodretro   

Hello Mini Makers!! And just like that it is Autumn once again. My favourite time of the year.  Less humidity, fewer annoying bugs and two food related holidays back to back. Halloween and Thanksgiving!   Here are a few cool printables to make your Dollhouse Halloweeny My Small Obsession   has a fantastic page of fall and Halloween tutorials and printables Miniature Witch Hat Tutorial  Halloween Party printies  - from Nwabisas littlethings blog Halloween Paper Doll Polymer clay Dried Corn  Beautiful Halloween Lampshades  and more - from Glenda's World Make a Miniature Book for a Halloween House - From Paper Glitter Glue Trick or Treat Halloween Bags  - From Small Stuff's Print Mini page More Halloween Printies! Ghost animals tutorial

Doll and Miniature Artists, Bloggers, Designers and Stores I am in awe every time I browse the internet for minis, of the amazing creations and artists I come across. There are so many talented people in the miniature world. Please check out their work.   Instagram handles are listed where available. *If you are a Miniature Artist and would like to be listed here for free send me a message!  Updated Sept 2022 Dollhouse Fixer Upper - Author of the Doll Collectors Companion and the Crafter's Companion. @dollhousefixerupper  Vintage Barbie Photos -     Absolutely stunning Art photographs by Melissa.  @vintagebarbiephotos Blossom Friends  - Cute Tutorials, printables, links and more Magnolia Minis  Artist in 1:6 and 1:12 scale Her Mason jars are stunning! @magnolia.minis Minis By Karen    Melody Jane Dollhouses  - mail order store based in North Wales - Huge inventory! Stores These are stores that have an actual physical location that you can visit in real life. Know of one? Send me a

 Anyone else fed up with this heat lol? I find it hard to work on projects when its humid. I'm so ready for fall that I've started working on Halloween stuff.  I have been going through old newspaper clippings looking for vintage graphics I can use for my Miniature Curiosity shop. I haven't started it yet but Ive been collecting stuff over the summer to use in it.  One of the things I have been looking for at the second hand shops is the Wade figurines. They make such perfect statures and decor for both 1:12 and 1:6 scale minis.  Some can be worth money but most of them are common and I have already found doubles. I'm thinking of painting some of the extras.  I think the wade owls are my favourite and work well as modern Barbie decor I remember getting the nursery rhyme ones in the tea boxes when I was a kid.  I picked up a few already this summer that I am going to save for a Toy or Fairy garden scene.  If you collect these and are looking for a certain one, send me a

Make your own Dollhouse and Barbie Miniatures at home with your printer! A list of links/sites that have Free Doll printables and Miniature Printies Updated July 5, 2022 Follow me on instagram @suzysminis @redwoodretro Send me your links! General Printable Websites My Froggy Stuff  - Don't forget to check out her Youtube channel - Awesome content! Mini Doll Kits  - This page has wonderful wallpaper and a ton of other awesome mini related goodies. Small Stuff Digest  - Tools, Patterns, Tips, Articles, Poems and Printables for Miniature Enthusiasts True to Scales Miniature Blog   - There are some great links to tutorials on this site as well as some beautiful printables Minnesota Mini Market   - Lots of freebies on this site Minifanticus-   Nice variety of printies  Free printable Birthday party pack  Dollar Store Dollhouse   -  This site has medieval book printables as well as a neat tutorial on making vintage Christmas Trees out of bottle brushes Printable Paper Crafts    - This si

Exciting news - The MET show date has been announced. I really hope I can get to this one. Its been almost a decade since Ive been to a MET show. So many talent artists !! Click here for more Shows and Events

Happy Thursday! Almost the weekend yay! Throwback to a few summers ago when I made a little village in all the marigold planters.   I love putting minis in flower pots. They seem to last better in planters and pot than under trees.  The squirrels and birds knock things over to look for food and insects when I attempt stuff under trees. Last year a branch fell on my Fairy garden ( You can see the aftermath here lol ) Since then I have picked up a few more houses at Goodwill for my planters so spring better hurry up so I can start planting.  

When I was a teenager I worked at this rustic place called Cullen Country Barns. It was a craft /art store that was made out of old barns.  It also had antiques, food and a garden centre ( owned by the Cullen family who are Canadian famous for their Garden stores)   My mother worked there part time as well and we both taught classes on wreath making, ribbon roses and other 80's crafty stuff. To this day I always think of the barns when I hear the name "Dusty Rose"  -the most popular colour for decorating that year. This is also where I learned how to use polymer clay.  Fimo was fairly new to the Canadian craft scene and I had pretty much only seen it used in the miniature world for dishes and bread.  We got to use a certain amount of product to make sample displays so I remember being very excited to try the clays out.  I've  been wanting to do a craft room scene for my 1:6 dolls for a while and thought my old wooden crate would be the perfect backdrop for one based o

 Happy 63rd Birthday to Barbie. Born on March 9, 1959 ( the day she debuted at the International Toy Fair in NY City.) The first commercial aired the same year during The Mickey Mouse Club Click here to find out which Barbie was popular the year you were born . - From Good Housekeeping. Mine was Malibu Barbie :)