Thursday, 15 July 2010

Choc chip cookies!

Cookie close up

Cookies and tea

finger cookie

I made these cookies using Betsy Niederer's tutorial on the CDHM forums. It was pretty straightforward and simple, but whoa! So time consuming! I don't know if it's because I made as many cookies as I did or if it was because I insisted on colouring the bottoms as well. My back complained a lot last night.

I managed to burn three of the cookies when trying to figure out how long to pop them in the oven for. I finally settled on 40 seconds in the end. I think I need an oven thermometer. :< I have no idea how accurate my little toaster oven is.

The tea set is the Megahouse Forest Tea set that I got from Labuan :D I've recently realised how few plates and things like that I have... I love Re-Ment and Megahouse plates and tea sets <3 Need to get some more...at some point in the future...a distant point... :(

I think I'll try to make miniatures in playscale or something close to it. Scales confuse me because I'm usually not sure how big the original item's supposed to be in the first place.

Anyway, next project: gingerbread house!

And if you're wondering what happened to the pie i was working on, I made a lemon meringue that I'm not satisfied with so I stashed it away in a box.

Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Failed experiments

Failure

What I've been up to for the past few weeks: lots of clay experimentation failure :P

From the left: Over cooked lemon canes, a failed attempt at making a bowl (I had made a few more, but I threw those away) an over cooked cake, something that was supposed to be a plate and a pie crust I can't get out of the bottle cap mold.The over baking is due to a misconception of what thickness meant.

Me: Bake for 10mins per cm of thickness. Well, long = same as thick! :D *burns clay and feels dumb*

I've since managed to cook my canes right, and I now know how to slice them without distorting the cane XD I just have to cook it first and then slice it before it cools down completely. Some people refrigerate or freeze their canes, but I've found that it doesn't work for me.

Clay is such a time consuming hobby. And a money consuming one. -_- Always seems to need some other kind of tool to achieve desired effect. Ball tools, brushes, chalk pastels, paint, acrylic texture paste, syringes, pasta machine, molding silicone, two part resin, miniature dishes, etc etc. I ain't rich enough to get all of that! My hands are sore from rolling clay that has become hard due to the cold weather. Ugh, I want a pasta machine...

I've also been working on painting my other dollhouse. It's coming along, slowly!

Friday, 4 June 2010

Toys, toys, toys!

I remember liking miniatures even as a little kid. I remember one birthday, my ma bought me this awesome present. I picked it out myself from 1st Emporium--it was this pink shelf with little alcoves in it and within them were various miniature grocery store products: a box of Ritz crackers, a blue detergent bottle, cans of food, a couple of hamburgers. It came with a shopping basket and a cash register too. I used to have so much fun with that, back when I was still young enough to play pretend and enjoy it. It felt really good. For a space of time, I was transported to another world, a world where pretty dolls had wonderful adventures on the landscape of the carpet, where rumpled blankets were mountains with caves and little Polly Pocket fairies danced and lived in the flowers in the vase. Oi, so nostalgic ar...

I still love toys, but I can't do the whole pretend thing anymore. One of the sad things about being an adult, I guess. In a way, that felt rather like how reading feels, the total absorption into another world that a really good book gives you. Maybe that's why I like reading so much haha. Mrs Manik (sec school teacher) did say I tended to live in the clouds. Being adult does have its perks though: I can now make my own toys and have them not really suck! (well, that's relative) As a child, the things I made or drew never really looked quite like what I had in mind. At least now I have the ability to take it a step closer to that perfect mental image. Maybe one day I'll reach it. But for now I need to practise, practise, practise! (Why is blogger saying 'practise' is wrong?)

Anyway what am I rambling about all this for? I'm not even sure it makes any sense -_-;

Bah, some pictures:

Willow Cottontail's apples

Willow Cottontail spilling a basket of apples. I made the apples. This picture was taken for the sole reason of showing off my apples. They were originally green, but I brushed the outside with some red chalk pastel powder.


Snack time
Looks like Bikkie Bear doesn't have to eat Waffle anymore.

This is not a really good picture for the apples, but you can see what they'll look like under the skin. Willow's holding an apple with the skin peeled away. You can take any one of the apples I made and cut them and it'll be white underneath. I've always thought that technique of making polymer clay fruit as being really neat.


bread

Finally, some experimental bread I made. I made the 'dough' too yellow so Thomas says it looks like pumpkin bread his mum used to make. On the left side, the bread's been given a dusting of talc powder to simulate flour. Didn't come out too well, maybe I need to use less powder next time? Overall, not perfect but a far cry from my first bread attempts:

Bread comparison

The yellow thing at the top is my very first and the one next to it was my second and the ones below, my third.

Polymer clay is awesome.

Friday, 9 April 2010

The continued adventures of Biscuit and Waffle

Lovin' flowers

Waffle Cat loves flowers! On his little trip he's been able to amass quite a number much to Biscuit Bear's disgust.

Waffles for Dinner

Biscuit: We're lost and I'm starving. I'm sick of lugging this heavy cart around. I want food NOW.

Waffle: :3

Friday, 2 April 2010

Waffle Cat and Biscuit Bear go for a ride

Waffle Cat and Biscuit Bear go for a ride

Biscuit: We're lost. We'll starve. I'm going to have to eat you to survive you know.

Waffle: :3

Thursday, 1 April 2010

Back with a few pics

Bikkie Bear going home from school

Little Biscuit bear walks home from school. In chest high grass. Because his mother doesn't love him enough.


I got this little Sylvanian from Woolworth's. They're selling Sylvanian babies there, at almost AUD10 a pop. I got this one on special so it was about $8 instead, but still, quite expensive. But those toys are so tempting! The other babies call out to me from their place in the aisle!

I've just realized that I've not posted anything on flickr for about 8 months. O_______________________O It really didn't feel like it was that long! I've missed posting pics on flickr, so expect to see more!

I've also finished sorting out my toys for the most part, so I can get back to crafting and photographing my stuff again, finally. Speaking of photography, I've entered a Re-Ment contest on the Re-Ment Fanclub Blog. I found out about the contest 30 mins before the deadline -.-. I am not proud of my 25 min photo...

Re-Ment's also released some great new minis while I was in my "Ignore the Toy World" mode. Not too many though, most of them have been blah Disney tie-ins or key chains. (Ai Li, you'd probably like this one though.) But I love the new Hinamatsuri set! I wish I was working =_=. I want money for toys dangnamit!

Sunday, 16 August 2009

Grocery shopping

The contest is over, and here are the winning entries. I don't like the entry that got 1st. I saw the pic of the second prize winner on flickr, and it looks significantly better over there, not all blurred and stuff. I think of the two, the 2nd prize winner has the nicer pic.

Anyway, Ai Li's insane textmate session resulted in a blindboxed Re-Ment prize that she gave to me ^-^ Thank you Ai Li!

Gift of Groceries

After picking up the prize and shopping a little (I spent the most money ;_;), we ended up doing this:

I come bearing Biskits

L to R: Me, Mur and Ai Li

Mur: I come bearing Bizkits! And an empty bottle! :D
Pei: Why do you have a cat in there that is giving us the finger?!
Ai Li: ... haiz...

Hiya Amal

Everyone: Hi, Amal!
Amal: Hiii! Oooo, what's that, lemme see...CHOCS! :D

Hmmph

Mur: :D
Amal: :)
Pei: >:o
Ai Li: :|
Cat: _|_

Wednesday, 5 August 2009

The voting page is up

Well, it's been up since the 3rd actually. Anyway, here's the link to the voting page, feel free to vote for which ever you like! May the best pic win. I know my entry is too pink for some tastes (it nearly sent my bf into diabetic shock, it's the one with the Pinky St and the red tv), so I don't expect to win anything.

Also, cuteminis.com's method of voting is really open to abuse. All you need to do is create several new emails for yourself and you could put yourself in the lead. And I see a rather suspicious number of votes for one particular entry. Could be just my jealousness talking.

There is a rather large disparity between the prizes, the first prize is a miniature toy combo pack worth RM150 and a cuteminis voucher worth RM100, while the runner up gets a cuteminis voucher of only RM80. Seriously, what's up with that?

Sunday, 2 August 2009

Strawberry House

I entered these pics to the cuteminis.com photography competition. I hope I made it before the deadline. The house is a repaint of a Willow Hall Conservatory bootleg. This thing's actually been an on and off project for nearly a year--it's pretty hard to paint since all the pieces are glued in place and you can't pull it apart without breaking it. I've also made a huge ton of mistakes (bubbles, paint runs, you name it and I've made it) since this is the first thing I ever tried repainting. That means more time consuming paint removal and redoing.

This house was also not meant for the pinky doll in it. The Sylvanian bear I wanted to put in was unfortunately too dirty and I didn't have time to clean it.

Anyway, here're the pics. Don't die from the pink overload :P

Strawberry House

Mmm...toast

Breakfast

It's the weather forecast

Strawberry vanity

Thursday, 23 July 2009

Scenes from the house

Cooking Lessons
Butler Cat trains one of the girls as a maid. The road to good cooking is a tough one!

Don't take pictures!
Aya: Don't take pictures! Grrr... GET OUT! *throws soap*

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

Modding Pinkies

Mod

I've stripped the paint off and primed Evangelion Asuka's summer outfit. I've also stripped the paint off Yoshiko's head and tried to carve her mouth open. I don't like Yoshiko's face mold, so now she's mod fodder. I need sandpaper.

Friday, 26 June 2009

Bread and Baskets

Here are some baguettes I made with polymer clay and painted with acrylics. The tutorial actually called for using chalk pastels to brush the colour on, but Brunei doesn't have cheap chalk pastels apparently. The only place that sells them is Active Art, and those were like $3 or $4 when I went there last time.

I was also lazy so I just used the dark brown paint out of the bottle and the bread now looks slightly overcooked, but I'm pretty pleased with they way they came out, especially when compared to my past attempts.

Overbaked Baguettes


Here's a comparision of the baguettes with the first loaves I made when I was just starting out. The baguettes are basically Bread Attempt #3.
Bread comparision

I've also 'repainted' the Sylvanian Families basket holding my oranges. I wanted to make itlook less plasticky. I had only intended to dry brush it but I apparently suck at dry brushing. I have mixed feelings with the result. Should I strip the paint and redo it?
Basket comparison

Also, bonus pic: Re-Ment flowers!
Flowers in the Sun

Thursday, 25 June 2009

First try--polymer clay oranges

Dug out my clay and made some clay oranges last night. The idea was to make oranges that would look like oranges on the inside as well. Here you can see the clay before it's been baked. The clay is rolled out into canes first then cut and molded into balls. I've made the orange skin too thin so I have a few oddly coloured ones.

Making oranges


Here's the end result: Misshapen orange slices and too orange oranges. Let's just say this has been a learning experience :) I'll do better next time, but I'm pretty sick of oranges right now.
Baked oranges


This is the main reason I decided to make oranges. On the left is a Sylvanian Families basket with Sylvanian oranges and a lemon (?). It's all one ugly piece of badly painted and moulded plastic. The right features my too orange oranges taking over.
Basket of oranges

Friday, 19 June 2009

Repainted dining table and chairs

I got this at Giant last year. Fake Sylvanian Families dining table and chairs! The colour is really just atrocious.

Table and chairs repaint 1


Primed and masked and ready to be painted! The primer's actually gray but it loks kinda brown in the pic.

Table and chairs repaint 2

And done! They've been painted with black and red spray paints and given a glossy finish. Seats painted with cheapo acrylics. Still need to seal and touch up those parts.

Table and chairs repaint 3

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

Maid Yuki and some new Pinkies

This is for Oxba, who requested Maid Yuki. Here, have some cake too!

Maid Yuki


I got some new Pinkies from Chong Hock the other day--the Sky Crawlers Pinkies (strange choice of anime to Pinky-fy) and the last of the Range Murata Pinkies.
From lef to right: Kannagi Suito, Kannami Yuichi and Caine.

New Pinky St


After some mixing and matching of parts

New Pinkies mix n match

I quite like that combo on Caine (R). Makes her look like a little dictator. I think Yuichi looks good too, sort of like a little business man. No briefcase alas, so he had to make do with the repainted luggage case from the back of the red pinky car.

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

Coffee and Desert

Coffee and Dessert

Cakes and coffee for desert and the butler's left his cart unattended. I wonder if he'd notice if I took a muffin?

Hmm, Oxba, you'll have to wait for the Yuki pics. I'm not satisfied with the way they came out.

Wednesday, 3 June 2009

Beach!

My course mates probably think I'm some kind of freak now, taking toys on photoshoots during a picnic :x Sandflies are also a horrible blight upon the earth. I got 23-24 bites at Muara beach last week, and the ones I got in December haven't disappeared yet. Ugh. Anyway, this time we went to Tutong and the beach there really has no sand flies. Seems to have less wild life though, we didn't manage to see or catch as many lil crabs.

Anyway, the results of said photoshoot:

Here we have Ohara sporting Agito's front hair (the paint on which is rubbing off, much to my chagrin) and modelling Asuka's sundress.Should have gotten the morning glory in the photo as well.
Morning glory

I nearly lost the greenish-white popsicle. After bringing the pinky back to the picnic area I realized she wasn't holding the green one anymore. Cue O_o. Good thing I found it a little while after, half buried in the sand... Also, when I got home I found that the bottles of drinks in the bg, the some of the paint had been scraped off the package ;_; It seems pretty easy to scrape off the paint now and I'm wondering if it has to do with the trip to the seaside or whether it has always been like this... The pinky holdig the ice cream is Wild Arms Rebecca.

Ice cream

Crab hole!
Crab hole

Ker-thud
Ker-thud

Without hat
Beach

Watching the sea
Watching the sea

Edit: haha, my flickr badge now looks like it has a few little yellow UFO's on it.

Saturday, 30 May 2009

Series 9 teaser

p:st series 9

Well, finally Vance has put up teaser pics for their next series! According to Suemomo of Plasticpop, the new series girls will be released in August.

Pinky Street is also gettin their own website, seperate from the Vance main site.

I'm rather excited for the twin pony tail pieces. There just have not been enough girls with hair like that!

Sunday, 24 May 2009

:9

:9

Hungry and unscrupulous enough to kidnap the Puddleford ducklings for the pot.

Friday, 22 May 2009

Mayura is hungry

Looking for dinner

Mayura looking for dinner.


Yum

Miiko: Why are you looking at me like that? Stop it! It's creepy...


I got Range Murata's Mayura pinky from Chong Hock XD. I've put her in Mikuru's maid uniform and swopped her hair with the alternate colour ver. of the sitting Yukata Pinky. Her eyepatch is from the Agito Airgear pinky and the knife and plate are from Sylvanian Families