Castle Ruin.....

Sorry to have been somewhat absent of late. I've been trying to get some projects completed as well as the usual stuff around the compound. An author friend sent me manuscript to beta and my son just got his "real" driving license.....so I've been a bit pre-occupied. However, in surfing around late last night, I came upon an interesting site whilst looking for castles. The guy is a gamer first and foremost but he builds his own gaming pieces. I don't know what scale he works in but it appears small....probably smaller than even 1/24. But this Gothic Ruin is very cool....and he gives directions. He also has interesting tips and advice if you navigate around his site.

www.warfactory.co.uk Just scroll down and look for the Gothic Ruin.

Where I've finally learned to use the macro on the camera...kind of....I think....LOL

I decided to look for the instruction booklet that came with my little digital camera, only to discover that it was all in Spanish...weird. So much for buying things at Costco. Seriously, it's wasn't one of those where it's English and then if you turn it upside down and backwards it's another language. This was all Spanish. Anyway, fortunately these things are available on the world wide web so my better half printed it out for me.

This is the little table I've been working one for the July Florida show. My son said I need to set up a "photography space" instead of just taking the pictures where ever and I guess he's right....maybe tomorrow. But for today I wanted to share what i've been spending my time on.

This is the "Enchanter's Table"..... and most everything need to cast a proper spell is at hand. I've tried to show all four sides...I like these tableaux to be able to be viewed from any angle. Not only does she have all necessary spell books but a variety of enchantment scrolls and ingredients to enchant objects. At the moment, she is preparing to enchant a ceremonial dagger which is atop a book in the right hand corner. She has momentarily laid her wand near the scroll she is using while she steps away to obtain some forgotten item.

I have also completed another Alchemist Cabinet which I'll try to get decent pictures of by tomorrow. I need to play with this camera a bit more but I think I'm getting the habg of it. A tripod would help....there is one around here somewhere.

So I have 2 down and 4 more to go. I really hope that there are buyers at the show come July.......it's a little scary really to be doing this for the first time.

Tabitha (aka Susan)

What a mess!!!.....

Must've been an earthquake during the night.... Everything was soooo carefully placed on the shelves last night, but I was much too fatigued to glue it all down. No matter, thought I...it'll just get done in the morning. Ha! Guess not.....at least not before it's all put in place again.

This is but one of 5 items (see the table next to the cabinet) I want to prepare for the July Florida show and at this rate, I'll barely finish.....plus get everything else together. It justs takes so long to make each little thing that I put in it (or on it...) I think I'll have to come up with a new production plan.....maybe make all the scrolls at once instead of as I need them. But then, what if I need astronomy scrolls and all I've made are divination scrolls??? .....le sigh.....le moan.....

....maybe I'll just take a bike ride....or learn how to take better picture....bleh!

Tabitha (aka Susan)

Where I'm drooling over cupcakes.....

I stumbled across this lady's blog and am just blown away. What delights! They really are magical...I had trouble convincing myself they were all mini as I scrolled through her work. What an artist! Gotta have some of these.....just to have them.

Visit her at "It's a Miniature Life"...

http://kimsminiatures.blogspot.com/

Susan (aka Tabitha)

Where I find surprises in the e-mail....

About a month ago, I very unexpectedly sold a piece to a gentleman who makes Sailor's Valentines in pocket watch cases. I had some cases for him and I brought this along to show him what I did with the watchworks. I called this my "Alchemist's Cabinent". Coincidentally, his father was a pharmacist and he intends to keep this under a dome....just to have. I was thunderstruck at the time when he asked to buy it and still am a little. I had no photos of it and he promised to take some and send them to me. These arrived last night, as promised.

Visit his site www.sailors-valentine.com to see some really beautiful, tiny things! If I sell enough of my things, maybe I can afford one of his.....sigh....

Susan (aka Tabitha)

Where the Whittaker's remind me of something...

I just saw the coolest Dumbledore desk over at the Whittaker's blog and remembered these:

I made them a few months ago and got a little carried away.... I must have a dozen. Well, a good Wizard astrologer can never have too many Orreries. And they make nice gifts.

Plus they're very fun to make....no two are ever alike!

Susan (aka Tabithat)

Where I say how easy it was...yeah...right..

Thank you all for your kind comments about the balance scales. It was a rather ambitious project for me but I wanted such a scale for my Potion Master's table and couldn't find anything out there. I had the design but the execution eluded me until my darling TG showed my how to use his circuit board soldering iron. (BIG learning curve there.....) After many burnt fingers ("you really have to use the tools, Mom..."), melted wires and frustrations....voila'!

I'm rather pleased with it and have managed to put together three....well, four, if you count the wonky one tucked back in the Apothecarie Cabinent. I simply point out that it is very old and well used....

I find it very satisfying to actually produce something that heretofore had only existed in my head, don't you?

Where I sit around waiting for glue to dry.....

I guess I could do laundry while I wait but that's no fun. Instead, I thought I'd try to see if I could get some pictures of things that I've made to post.

...because every alchemist needs a balance scale.

(whew! That went well. I wonder if is as easy to post multiple pictures? Maybe tomorrow.....)

Susan (aka Tabitha)

Where we talk about ourselves…..

Allow me to introduce myself......my alter ego, Tabitha Corsica...the Ice Queen...

I love miniatures….and I love holidays….and there it all began on a blustery Sunday afternoon almost 16 years ago. Not being a Buffalo Bills fan in particular, I left the baby with he who was and ventured out into the icy cold to an exhibit of dolls houses at a local Victorian mansion, converted to an events center. And in no time at all I was hooked.

All the pretty little things….I was entranced, enchanted, captivated and totally carried away by all that I saw. I quickly signed my name on a guest list for those wanting “more information” and before I could say “please pass the Tacky”, I belonged to two miniature clubs.

Back to the holiday thing…. Most of the things I’ve created, houses, boxes and just “stuff”, have usually been based on holidays. Christmas is my favorite….my first house was a small Green Leaf Christmas House. Then there was the leaded glass conservatory with the Victorian Santa and the put-about I gave to my sister and all the things I made for swaps not to mention the big Bostonian that I decorate for Christmas each year….well, you get the picture. I moved on to Valentines Day, complete with candy and flower shops, and then Halloween. Oh my. On thing just lead to another…as it always does. Occasionally there was the odd Victorian accessory thrown in…usually because of one class or other.

Halloween led me to Gothic which led me to wizards and Merlin and Dumbledore …which is where I am right now. Not Harry Potter in particular but the ancient magical world in general. And, while in the past, I‘ve given away my creations as gifts to friends (make one to keep and one to give away), I’ve been encourage to offer them for sale. Which I will start to do very soon….well, not until July but that will be here in an instant.

While I no longer live in the land of the ice and snow, the sobriquet “Ice Queen” seems a good fit so it remains. I have one darling husband, one darling teenage geek son and two usually but not always darling Havanese dogs. I live on a barrier island in the middle of Hurricane Alley (or so it seems of late), though we’ve managed to dodge that particular bullet for a few years now. Some say the Calusas made it so…..another area of ancient magic I must look into.

I am new to blogging and hope I don’t screw it up too badly.

For now, adieu, I’m working, as always, on yet another project……

Susan (aka Tabitha)