Miniatures @ I.Love.Little.Things

Some Macaron Jewelry

2012-01-27T06:24:00.000-08:00

I'm pampered by the attention given to this macaron pendant, which received 50 over hearts within a couple of weeks. I didn't expect it to be so popular. Designing jewelry is errr... well... more difficult than making miniatures! Other than my Oreo cookies jewelry, the response for my other cookie series had been lukewarm. So this is really a great form of encouragement for me to come out with more food jewelry designs.

This is a pair of macaron earrings. Available in my shop. There are also a couple of new items so do pop by. :)

Hope you like these photos and enjoy the coming weekend. :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies Preparation Board

2012-01-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

I'm late but Happy 2012! This is my first post for the year 2012 and I'm starting the new year with an entry for the dollhouse miniature preparation board contest at deviantart.

http://semi-sweeties.deviantart.com/gallery/33953213

I guess many artists have attempted chocolate chip cookies prep board before and the idea is not new. But after 3 years of dabbling in miniature food, I have yet to try it. It is hard to be different as the ingredients are rather basic - eggs, chocolate, flour, sugar, butter ... so I made a tiny recipe card. It's so tiny you can hardly read the words (perhaps you can by using a magnifying glass) but you can see the picture quite clearly. It's a coloured pic of a stack of chocolate chip cookies. Hope you enjoy these photos!

Rainbow macarons & Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T06:09:00.000-08:00

Rainbow macarons ... but I suppose this is a pastel rainbow. One day I would attempt macarons in the real rainbow colors.

My little one has fallen sick on Christmas eve. Oh dear! I hope she gets well soon. Fortunately I managed to post this in time to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. I've not been very active on blogland and miniature making due to my commitments so I really appreciate you for accompanying me throughout my crafting journey. A special thank you to my cyber friends for leaving encouraging comments on my blog/deviantart/etsy/flickr. In short, THANK YOU and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Daisy Cakes and Cupcakes

2011-12-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

Made these some time back. Daisy cupcakes and cake. I love that cake but the more I look at the cupcakes, the more I dislike them. The cupcake bases weren't perfect.

However, I got to admit although I didn't like the cupcakes, I adored these photos.

Especially the shot with the toothpick. Finally, you don't have to see my wrinkled fingers.

Oh... did I say that too soon? Here comes my wrinkled finger again. ^_^

Yes, I dismantled all the daisies from the cupcakes and put everything on the cake.

They have been fixed with glue and there's no turning back. :D

Chocolate Fondue & Some Food Jewelry

2011-12-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

This is my fourth chocolate fondue. If you are interested, just type 'fondue' in the "Search This Blog" function on the right. This is an unintentional piece as I wanted to make something with my remaining ice cream scoops. Or ice cream balls I call them. The result? An ice cream chocolate fondue. Heh heh...

This is suitable for 1:6 scale. Pictured below with my wrinkled fingers. No no... I'm not very old. It's just that I have wrinkled hands which run in the family.

And recently I made some mini food jewelry. I don't know how the response will be but I will slowly fill my Etsy store with more food jewelry. It's going to be tough as there are just too many food jewelry and miniature sellers on Etsy these days!

I love this Oreo jewelry picture. It's a real Oreo cookie in the background. Quick! Heart my cookies here.

There are more rings but the above two are my favourite. To see more, hop over to my Etsy store here. Thanks for staying with me and have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Gingerbread men attack!

2011-11-20T22:28:00.000-08:00

Warning. Lots of gingerbread men ahead.

Another gingerbread men preparation board but something different from the one I made last Christmas.

I don't even eat gingerbread in real life but I really enjoy making miniature versions of them. Perhaps I like their happy faces too much. It makes me happy too.

Very very tiny M & M candies (or chocolates?)...

Told you there were lots of gingerbread men.

Here is a tin of gingerbread men biscotti. I deliberately made them in a lighter shade of brown as it shows off their happy faces better. And personally, I like them unfrosted.

If you like these gingerbread men, they are all available at my Etsy store. There are many new items as well, including some food jewelry. So do pop by and take a look!

Mimo 7-11 Miniature

2011-10-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is my 4th wedding anniversary gift. A convenience store drink cabinet set from Mimo! Mimo is the Hong Kong version of Re-ment and I love it, especially since it has been years Re-ment produced something I like. I didn't get all the sets as Mimo is quite pricey. Each set costs about US$50 and the shipping cost is already US$20. I don't know how many sets there are in total but judging from this box, there is a Set H which implies there may be 8 sets in all.

Mine is Set F. It was a tough choice between E and F for my case.

The bad news is that for this particular series, you have to stick the drinks labels yourself. The photo below shows one of the many sheets of stickers. Love it or hate it.

Here are the "blank" bottles, cans and drink cartons. Can't wait to get started and see the final result. These look like 1:6 scale and those living in Asia would be more familiar with the drinks, such as Vitasoy, Minute Maid, Oolong Tea...

Told you I can't wait to get started. I've already started labelling some of the plastic bottles. Will keep you posted of the progress!

Making blueberry pancakes

2011-10-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

I love it when there is nobody at home. Silence of the night. Inner peace they call it (I feel like Po in Kungfu Panda). Tonight is one of the rare nights I have time all to myself. So no matter how tired I am, I must finish this post.

Did you know I have something for prep boards too? I love how all the tiny items come together on a board. Occasionally I need my 'prep board fix'. Here is the most recent one that took me several weeks to complete (not that I'm slow but I seldom have free time with a toddler to look after) - a blueberry pancakes prep board!

Oh yah, I love pancakes too. I also love making miniature pancake/waffle stacks. I seem to love everything don't I? No wonder I'm called "i love little things". I'm getting crappy. My dear bed, here I come!

Available at my Etsy store.

Quarter Scale Cheesecakes

2011-10-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

One of my lovely customers asked if I could make quarter scale cheesecakes and I immediately fell in love with the idea. While most of my fellow miniaturists in Singapore are indulging in 1:6, 1:4 and even 1:3 scale items, I went the opposite and did 1:48 scale. Maybe quarter scale items are out of fashion? Doesn't matter to me. I had so much fun making these tiny cheesecakes.

So there you go. A teeny weeny strawberry cheesecake posed with my husband's finger. My finger is too wrinkled to be pictured. *LOL* The cake measures only 1/4" inch across. No molds or cutters were used (erm... is penknife considered a cutter?). If you click on the pic, you can (hopefully) see the dots in the strawberries.

I like the blueberry cheesecake better, but the strawberry one seems more popular on my Etsy and Flickr.

I think there will be more quarter scale cakes to come! Maybe not cheesecakes but the sweeter flowery types of cakes. Meanwhile I'm working on a 1:12 prep board which suddenly looks gigantic to me now!

PS: Jennifer from plushpussycat - congratulations! You've won a surprise gift as mentioned in my previous entry. I'll contact you at your email shortly.

Finally, a Rainbow Cake ...

2011-09-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

For years, I've been dreaming of making a dollhouse miniature rainbow cake.

But it's mission impossible with air dry clay, specifically air dry resin clay. Resin clay is very soft and can't be sliced properly. When it turns hard upon drying, it is already too late to do any texturing to the sliced area of the cake. Yet, I didn't turn to polymer clay (I'm too poor to afford an oven). I could only STARE in admiration at other artisans who made rainbow cakes. O_O

Finally, my dream came true! I made my very own rainbow cake using Hearty paper clay. For those of you who have been reading my posts faithfully, you'd know that I've been experimenting a lot with Hearty recently. I'm loving it more and more. It was however not possible to do the very crumbly texture like polymer clay but you do get a rather realistic mousse-like cake texture.

How do you like the result? I'm happy! It's my first step towards more layered cakes. I'm not selling this one though as I'm not perfectly satisfied with the frosting yet.

Then again, would you prefer a rainbow cake with mousse-like cake texture or a crumbly texture? Would you also be interested in a rainbow cake tutorial using air dry clay instead of the usual polymer clay that almost everyone is using? I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment or drop me a mail at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com . You stand a chance to win a surprise gift (it's miniature food of coz).

Goodnight and have a colorful weekend! ^_^

Hearty Mooncakes

2011-09-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Time flies. I bought the mooncake mold last year around this time. The mold waited one year! I finally made my favourite snow skin mooncakes in mini version and I used Hearty air dry clay for these. You can see that Hearty holds texture really well. I mixed with acrylic paint and liked how the colors turned out.

As my mum goes .. strawberry mooncake, durian mooncake, green tea mooncake ...

The completed look with tea pot and cup. The golden placemat is made by me too.

I was a tad disappointed with the low participation rate of the contest for which I gave away a box of chocolates. I would like to apologise to my blog readers who left comments expressing their interest but didn't manage to go over to Mini Treasures Wiki. One of you told me that you had difficulty registering an account and couldn't see any starred pages at all. It could be due to browser incompatibility.

On the brighter note, the winner Narina is now my blog reader too. Welcome Narina and congratulations!!

I promise to hold another giveaway and it will be held here on MY site. ^_^

Last but not least, happy mid autumn festival to all and enjoy all the mooncake eating (if you have a chance to eat them overseas).

CONTEST !!! WIN THIS !!!

2011-08-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
You can win this lovely box of chocolates. To enter the contest, please click here.
The contest ends 31st August. Please show your support for Mini Treasures Wiki!

By the way, Aiclay is also having a giveaway. So please hop over to her blog if you wish to win some gifts from Hokkaido!
http://www.aiclay.com/2011/08/giveaway-gift-from-hokkaido-find-deer.html

Failure.. and some tips

2011-08-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

I had a short break recently and was able to try out new materials. I bought a few items and I'd like to share with you some review / tips.

(1) Floree daisy mold
My verdict - lousy lousy lousy. The sharp edges of the flower make it very difficult to remove the clay from the mold. I tried baby powder and vaseline cream but bits of clay still get stuck in the edges. I did several daisies and I think only one can make it. I don't think I can use them especially after my husband said they look like kueh tutu before the centre was painted pink. Now you know where to get the mold for kueh tutu!

Picture of kueh tutu from Wikipedia. By the way, they are yummy!

(2) Hearty White Clay
I've been using resin air dry clay (ADC) since I began my miniature journey. And I never figured out how to make cakes easily. You've got to work hard with the needle, painstakingly poking the piece of clay to get the texture. I accidentally found the answer through hearty clay. I cut through a dried piece and tada... you get the natural texture of cakes or bread! Easy work. Just make sure you use a sealer/varnish when using this paper clay.

(3) I found mould on my polymer clay collection from other artists!!! Polymer clay?? Mould?? I must be kidding right?? It's true. They grew mouldy. I almost panicked but sweeping it with a dry cotton bud solved the problem. So make sure you don't stash your precious collections away too long. Take them out, air them, admire them and wipe away any dust very gently with a DRY clean cloth.

Oh yah, before I forget, I'm having a giveaway in my next post so please be sure to come back! It's my way of saying thank you for following my blog all these years.

Email me ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

My favourite creation

2011-08-08T01:28:00.000-07:00

My Etsy shop has been opened for almost 3 years now. I never dreamt that I would have a hobby that lasts me this long. I think I'm still enjoying this hobby even though I have less time for it now. Hopefully my shop will go on and on until I'm 70. LOL

I looked back at some old photos of my creations and decided to feature my favourite one. It's a tough fight between the rainbow popsicle and the mini steamboat. Oh well, just feature both!

Recently I made some croissants but ran out of bread tongs and plates. I was feeling lazy and wanted to just relist an old listing and put a disclaimer "Please note that the tongs and plate are not included". But hey... does this sound like confusing or tricking the customer? Not good to be lazy! So I decided to take a new batch of photos. There you are... another series of croissant pictures. Hope you don't get bored with them!

Contact me at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com
Visit my shop at http://www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com/

Chocolate + Banana + Ice Cream + Waffles + Husband

2011-07-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

I told myself I have to update my blog tonight. No matter how tired.

Looks like I can only do one miniature project a month. It took me 1 week to make the waffle stack, 1 week to do the bananas, 1 week to make the ice cream bowl and scoop, and 1 week to make the waffles on the plate and the chocolate...

My husband played a great part in this project too. When he saw the bowl of vanilla ice cream, he went "Ooooohh... this looks so real. This bowl of flour mixture is just waiting for the egg to be beaten into it." I think he can't get his mind off my prep boards with broken eggs. But hey, I still think my ice cream looks real. It has the texture that ice cream should have, just that it is in a bowl and not a tub. Can't we have homemade ice cream?

At first my banana and ice cream are lying on the chocolate sauce (no drizzle or sprinkles). He went "This is not realistic. You must have chocolate drizzled all over the ice cream and banana." At this point I got quite irritated but he is right this time. So there you go - the realistically messy banana chocolate waffle.

How do you like the end result? I'm happy. ^_^ And I'm happy with my husband too (other than the bowl of flour). LOL.

Going to be made available at my Etsy shop. Have a great week ahead!

Fairy Tin Macarons

2011-06-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Hello there...

It's been more than a month since my last post and I apologise for that!

I'm starting to miss making miniature preparation boards. I made a few two months ago but didn't have a chance to complete them. In the meantime, hope you enjoy the new range of macaron collection.

And... Happy Father's Day to my papa. I love you Dad. I love you Mum (even though Mother's Day is over).

Re-ment's Laughing Cow

2011-05-02T04:43:00.000-07:00

I'm totally in love with Re-ment's Laughing Cow cheese triangles. Aww... looks just like the real thing. I kept all the stickers on the triangles so that I can make miniature versions when I have time. Time! When will I ever have enough of it?? And sleep! I mean 8 hours of continuous sleep. Ever since my baby came, I've been waking every 2 hours at night!

I'm going to bed soon but thought of uploading these real vs miniature shots. Gonna upload to Flickr too... must make full use of my newly purchased Pro account!.

Gee... I love these cheese cubes too. It's a pity the Re-ment version doesn't come in individual loose cubes. The cubes are printed. Would have been more fun if they were just like the tiny cheese triangles. No worries... I kept the wrappers and logos... I just hope I don't have to wait until retirement before I can concentrate on my miniature business. That's all for now folks!

Do add my Etsy shop to your favourites. New miniatures will be coming in June.

Peanut Butter Cookies Prep Board

2011-04-10T05:44:00.000-07:00

I had wanted to make a chocolate chip cookies prep board but decided to try something different. So I went for peanut butter cookies!

I wonder why PB cookies are marked with a criss cross pattern. Here is the answer from Wikipedia - The Peanut Butter Balls recipe in the 1931 edition of Pillsbury's Balanced Recipes contains the first known written instance of instructing the cook to press the cookies using fork tines. The recipe does not explain why this advice is given, though: peanut butter cookie dough is dense, and without being pressed, it will not cook evenly. Using fork tines to press the dough is a convenience.

So there you are... the criss cross pattern being carved painstakingly on each tiny cookie. But the end result looks fun doesn't it? I hope you like this prep board. Available at Etsy soon.

An interim post

2011-04-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

What an odd title. I had wanted to take photos of a new item and some new macaron tins, and also a Re-ment set I purchased recently. Then I found out that my batteries are dead. Yes, all 4 of them (my camera only needs two by the way). They are now being charged at the corner of my room. Sigh! Can't be helped. Let's find something that I can upload in the meantime. Ah! I haven't got this one up yet! I didn't want to upload this because it's not really something that I've never done before, but let's not waste my effort taking and editing this photo. :D I promise to blog about the new item very soon. My Etsy store badly needs an update too. :(

I Heart Cupcakes

2011-03-09T04:36:00.000-08:00

Whew! I just finished washing the dishes and tidied the kitchen, put in the laundry, cleared my work area, cleaned the baby... very therapeutic! I like things to be neat and tidy. With a baby, every day is busy for me as I live by baby's routine. Yet my mother-in-law thinks I have an easy life since I've got a domestic helper. But hey... you need to take turns to look after baby and do the household chores don't you? Not forgetting I still got to work (even though it is part-time) and leave a little bit of time for miniatures (my way of destress). Ok... this is not the place to whine about MILs but I'm sure many of you can identify with that!

Back to miniatures. I made another cupcakes board, this time with little pink hearts and confetti sprinkles. Some of you may wonder why I love making cupcakes so much? I don't know! Probably because they always sell. Plus they are really fun to make as there are so many ways to decorate them. Please expect more to come ... I still have plenty of cupcake ideas in my head!

Available at my Etsy store.

Inspired from a food mag

2011-02-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

Okay... I guess you do not need any inspiration to make fruit tarts. Just check out the number of dollhouse fruit tart listings on ebay and etsy. But when I saw the photo in a local food magazine, I just couldn't help making a miniature version.

I like the photo below best. My mini creation being placed on the magazine page. Hmm... I think the one in the magazine looks more yummy right? :P

If only I can find a small enough tea cup to match. Those that I have are slightly oversized for this 1:12 scale tart measuring only 3/4 inch across (but this means a 9 inch tart in real life).

That's all for now. Work is a little more hectic than usual and I've been busy taking care of my little one. Hope I can post more next month! ^_^

Teddy Bear Cookies

2011-02-04T22:53:00.000-08:00

This post is long overdue. It is the Chinese New Year over here and there are two public holidays on Thursday and Friday, hence we have a very long weekend. Finally a chance to upload these photos!

Some miniature teddy bear cookies & a tiny glass of milk. I don't know about you but I can never resist teddy bear cookies because they are just so cute... ^_^

Oh, did I mention that I completed my actuarial exams? I am just very very very very happy that I do not need to take any exams in my life EVER AGAIN. No more books. No more study notes. No more constant worrying about lagging behind in my revision. I'm a FREE person!!! Woohoo!

Some macaroon tins

2011-01-14T23:26:00.000-08:00

It's 2011! I've yet to wish everyone a happy new year. Neither have I made big plans for this year as I'm very busy with my baby. I just hope she grows up healthily and I wish for good health for my family and all of you who are reading my blog.

I just realised my blog is about 2.5 years old and I only had 30 posts last year. That's too lazy!!! Ok, I shall strive to improve for 2011... I don't mind posting more often, if you don't mind reading about my life other than looking at my miniatures. Sometimes, I can't decide whether this should be a commercial blog or a blog sharing my life and crafting journey. I guess I like to whine to you once in a while :P

Let me start the year with some macaroon tins. The graphics on the tin are actually meant for making scrabble tile pendants. I love scrabble tile pendants too. I collected a few and even contemplated making them for sale but nah, there are just too many scrabble tile pendant sellers on etsy. So I used them to make a couple of macaroon tin boxes. The top one is currently available at my etsy shop.

Ok, baby is calling... I knew I wouldn't be able to write much. Meanwhile, have a GREAT 2011 everyone! May all your new year resolutions come true!

I love custom orders. Drop me an email at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com.

My last post for 2010

2010-12-16T00:29:00.000-08:00

It may be some time before I put up my next post. I shall end 2010 with this post wishing all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And I hope my gingerbread men will put a smile on your face.

I'm rather free now, which may make some of you wonder why since I just had a baby. You see,
#1 I'm still on maternity leave
#2 I extended my babysitter for another month, since I thought it would be some time before I could engage a domestic helper (I don't like to call them maids)
#3 My domestic helper came much earlier than expected

The result? My helper does the household chores; my nanny takes care of the baby (she even has time to take afternoon naps now); my mum plays with the baby; I only do the feeding. I know this "holiday" period will end when the nanny goes back to Malaysia next week but I am enjoying it whilst I can. I took the chance to do my long overdue hair coloring and visit to the dentist. To update this blog and make a few sales. To regain some personal time and make resolutions for 2011. To prepare for work in January.

Don't be mistaken though. I love my little gal and I thoroughly enjoy looking after her. Whenever I see her smile, I know it's all worth it. And I know this year's Christmas will be so special because of her.

May you also spend this festive season with your loved ones. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies Prep Board

2010-12-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update...

Hardly have time with a kid around but it doesn't stop me from celebrating my favourite season. I luv Christmas!

Here is a Christmas tree cookies prep board with pink frosting. On sale now at my Etsy store.

Gummy bears

2010-11-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

Gummy bears attack!

These are really tiny. In fact they are so small that I can't take a proper picture of them showing the shape of bears. I had to put two on my finger before you can see that they are miniature gummy bears.

Unfortunately I had time to make only three colors. I'm still trying to improve on my time management now that baby is taking up most of my time. No, I should say ALL of my time. I'd probably be crying in a week's time when my nanny leaves. :~(

Well... life goes on and things can only get better. Wish me plenty of luck!

Making Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

2010-10-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

I came up with a chocolate mint cupcakes prep board and made a piping bag for the first time. I'm glad it came out rather well. I made this prep board whilst waiting for the arrival of my baby. I was really bored then. Could only wait at home as I was too "big" to go anywhere.

And finally, the day arrived. My little bundle of joy... sleeping with arms and legs sprawled out just like the tom boy mother. ^_^

Check out the choc mint cupcakes and other new items in my Etsy store.

Fruit tarts in special October

2010-10-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Yup i last updated my blog only 4 days ago... but since I finally have some peace n quiet, and I don't know when I can have some peace n quiet again, might as well make another entry for October 2010.

This October is going to be a special month. There are two special dates which makes everyone scrambling to hold their weddings - 10.10.10 and 20.10.2010. It's rather memorable. For me, October is special because it's the month of my father's birthday and also my little gal's birthday (though I don't know which date yet).

Whilst waiting for the day to come, I made some fruit tarts - mini ones of coz as I can hardly cook a decent meal in real life. It's also the first time I made raspberries. Can you spot them? It's not clear from the photos (try enlarging them) as the tarts are glossed. But they are indeed raspberries made of many many tiny balls of clay.

Currently available at Etsy.

Beignets = Donuts ?

2010-10-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

Yahoo... exams over! Freedom!!! The feeling is great and I had better enjoy it whilst I can.

Here is a set of miniature beignets custom made for a customer. I've not heard of beignets before this. They are a kind of pastry coated with confectioner's sugar and taste like donuts. Or do they actually belong to the donut family? *scratch head* Never mind, I'm just glad that my customer is happy with these beignets.

In the process of churning more miniatures... stay tuned ^_^

Oops, realised I have the same backdrop for the past few posts... It's purely coincidental! I promise it will be something different the next round.

More bread

2010-09-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Still on bread.. but I promise this shall be the last post on bread in a long while ^_^

I'm getting more anti-social these days. I hate it when friends, who haven't kept in touch for a long time, abruptly send me one-sentence sms like "What is the sex of the baby?". There's another friend who sent me a link to take an IQ test at 12 midnight. His point? He wanted to show that my IQ is lower than his. In fact, he said he was very sure that my score would be lower. (ok, if you are so sure, why send me the link in the first place?)

Oops! Sorry about the whining. Let me get back to the main topic and allow me to share these photos of bread with olive oil & vinegar. (Available at Etsy)

Bread et Butter & a dose of thankfulness

2010-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'm into bread recently. I had bread with peanut butter & jam in my previous post. Let's have something more basic - bread & butter.

Something basic... don't we all sometimes take basic things for granted?

I'm very thankful recently. To a few people. It's not that I take them for granted but I appreciate them even more these days.

So, please allow me to use this blog entry to say thank you to

My hubby - for every little thing that you do for me & little Crystal.
My mom & dad - for taking care of the home renovations, getting all the baby stuff, and cleaning up my dirty house.

No miniature talk in this entry... I'll let the photos do the talking ^_^

Peanut Butter Jam Sandwich

2010-08-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

PBJ stands for Peanut Butter Jam or Peanut Butter Jelly? In any case, I've not tried the popular PBJ sandwich cos I don't like jam. I can't imagine the two together except in miniature form... maybe not.

Here is the PBJ set. See what I mean? I still didn't stick the two slices of bread together. I'll leave it to the dolls while I treat this as PBJ sandwich preparation in progress. Afterall, I wanted to show the fluffy texture of the bread slices as well as the texture of the peanut butter & jam.

And here is a kid's breakfast set since I had some extra smiley potatoes. All items are now available at my Etsy shop.

I've got to slow down on my minis now. My baby keeps kicking me when I'm sitting down or when I'm sleeping. This explains why I'm updating my blog at 5.45 A.M. I'll try to catch some sleep now. ^_^

Tiny Popsicles

2010-08-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Popsicles! Perfect for a hot summer.

I love how these popsicles turned out, especially the rainbow ones. However, the tiny rainbow popsicles are extremely difficult to make. Maybe it is easier with polymer clay. With air dry clay, I had to painstakingly mix each colour with the clay and sometimes the shade just doesn't look right - either too dark or too pastel. Actually there is purple too but if I add the purple portion, the popsicles become too elongated. So please don't ask me why there are only 5 colors. In fact, these take so much effort that I don't know how to price them for sale.

The neapolitan ones are easier since there are only 3 layers. However, I made a mistake of glossing them as they don't look so realistic now. On the other hand, they look a tad unpolished if they weren't glossed. I hereby announce the neapolitan popsicles a non-success, but I can sell them cheaply to anyone interested. Just drop me an email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

I just listed some items in my Etsy shop. Do pop in and have a look.

Fruity Cupcakes

2010-08-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

I've been missing in action for about 2 weeks as I was so busy with work. It's a nightmare struggling with tons of excel sheets at 3am in the morning.

Though I'm less busy now, I find myself not being able to work on minis as much. Why? My pregnant tummy is getting in the way between the table and myself!! I find it hard to bend over to do texturing. I got to do it slowly, taking regular breaks in between. It doesn't help that I'm using air dry clay because once you start, you can't stop! I console myself that I work with 1:12 scale and not anything bigger.

Finally have time to feature these fruity cupcakes that I made. I love colorful things. They make me feel happy. Hope you like these photos and if you like the cupcakes, they are available at my Etsy shop.

*Hit 200 followers! Thank you all for sharing my crafting journey.*

Then and Now: Fondue vs Gingerbread

2010-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's a relaxing weekend for me as work slows down a little. Packed more things to make space for baby but my husband picks up the things I throw, saying they carry memories. Maybe I am too un-sentimental. I wanted to throw away an empty wedding photo album given to us by his friend. It turned yellow and I see no point in keeping it. Well, the album is STILL lying around and I am not allowed to touch it.

Then... *no space at home*

Now... *no space at home*

Anyway, back to miniatures... nope, there is no direct link between fondue and gingerbread men. Just that I recently recreated some old pieces with a different look. The fondue was an accident, as I didn't know what to do with some loose ice cream balls and marshmallows.

Now...

Then...

And here are the new and old versions of gingerbread mean. I like the new faces better.

Now...
Then...

Please visit my Etsy shop here.
Wish all a good weekend.

Broken Eggs n Baked Beans

2010-07-07T05:28:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed making this little prep board especially the broken eggs, the bowl of raw egg and the baked beans!

Let this be a short post as I've been rather busy lately. Till my next post but hope you enjoy these photos :)

Kids Meal - Cheeseburgers n Smiley Face Potatoes

2010-06-27T05:58:00.000-07:00

Saw a pack of frozen smiley face potatoes at a supermarket and thought it would be so fun to bite into one (after they are fried, of course). These are not so common in Singapore. Are they popular in the States? Anyway, they are too cute and I just have to make a miniature version. However my husband said they look creepy and more suited for Halloween. :(

Inspiration from a fast food restaurant "Bob Evans" in the USA. The link can be found in http://www.flickr.com/photos/12170996@N06/4738165340. My blog editting doesn't allow me to copy and paste, so you have to go to my flickr and click on the link there. I chose to type out the flickr address instead of the looooooong website of the photo source. The actual version below seems to look cuter.

Well, if you find the smiley faces creepy too, ask for some fries instead.

Available at my Etsy store.

Refreshing Ice Water with Lemon

2010-06-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

A customer enquired about the ice water with lemon set and so I made another one for sale. Someone asked how I made the bottles of mineral water - these are plastic and are part of miniature supplies. I'm only in charge of the lemons and glass of ice water and of course the idea. I hate it when I see some artists copy the idea of other artists. It's fine for common ideas like chocolate chip cookies or donuts but I find it hard to accept exact replica.

The photo below shows the old set but the glasses here are made of plastic instead of real glass. Real glass is more expensive but I prefer its finer quality.

I also updated my Etsy shop banner. Seriously I'm tempted to get professional help for a shop makeover. I'm still thinking about it, so let's make do with this new banner for now.

Start of another week. Monday blues... but I'm so glad it's going to be my second last Monday blue!

Re-ment Baby Stuff & A Rose Cake

2010-06-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

I'm into collecting miniature baby stuff recently. See what pregnancy does to me? Spending money on miniatures instead of real stuff that I need. :P

Here is a Re-ment set I bought from Ebay. I think this belongs to the "Pharmacy" series. Sorry for the mislabelling in the picture. I love Re-ment but ever since they got bigger and bigger, I've stopped collecting them. I contemplated buying this set long long time ago and finally it's mine!

For those who can't visualise the size, the diaper pack is about 2/3 of the middle three fingers combined.

I like the baby oil. It looks just like the Johnson&Johnson baby oil bottle.

The lid of the baby wipe can open and close. And some of the cotton buds can be taken out from the container!

My favourite has got to be the diaper pack. The diapers can be taken out. Check out the prints on the diapers! I'm truly amazed by the Japanese.

More collections to showcase!

Before I get too carried away and bore readers who come from the mini food blog *slap myself*, here is a mini rose cake I made but it received no hearts on Etsy. Doesn't matter, I'll work harder next time ^_^

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ice n Hot Chocolate Prep Boards

2010-06-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Some new items in my Etsy shop. Miniature Iced and Hot Chocolate Prep Boards!

I haven't made any real chocolate drinks at home. I always have it at Starbucks, especially their iced chocolate. I used to have it every day but I've cut down on cold drinks since my pregnancy. It's fine I suppose... it helps me save SGD6 (about US$4) per day.

The set below includes hot chocolate in a little cup, filled with frothy marshmallows. Yummy!

The iced version below comes with a little glass (made of real glass!) of chocolate. You can almost hear the tinkling of the ice cubes.

Off to take a break now! I only have half a day left before weekend is over. Enjoy yours.

PS: I'm on DeviantArt - see link on the right to view my photo gallery.

Stack O Waffles n Breakfast Feast

2010-06-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

How time flies! It's been almost 2 weeks since my last update.

Here are some pics of all the recent breakfast items. I love such pics but they really involve lots of work. The croissants and pancakes are sold but the waffles are still looking for a owner. Please hop over to my Etsy store if you like it. ^_^

Stack O Waffles... with a bowl of strawberry syrup.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! I'm off to clean my kitchen!

Custom orders welcome. Email to ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Stack O Pancakes

2010-05-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

I was quite free this weekend, so plenty of photos! Do you remember those round flat clay in my previous post? They have been transformed to a stack of pancakes ---> see below. Yes, I'm super inefficient cos I only made ONE stack.

Work in progress picture... I am showing this pic just because I love the shades of golden brown.

Then I prepared another breakfast set with some croissants I made earlier. As usual, only ONE set available for now. I'm running out of the bread tongs. And I don't feel like getting new supplies cos the shipping fee from the ebay seller is exhorbitant. I wish sellers don't try to make a profit out of the shipping fee.

I had wanted to take more photos but my 4 rechargeable batteries were all flat. See my efficiency? Yet, I'm extremely happy with myself for 7 pics + all the photo editing work + two new listings + updating of my Flickr album.

If you like the breakfast sets, grab them at my Etsy.

Custom orders welcome. Please send enquiry to ilovelittlethings@gmail.com .

The waffle maker

2010-05-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

First of all, thank you for all the congratulatory messages. I did not know how I survived that awful first three months but I am certainly back in action, although quite slowly... I get tired easily.

Having taken such a long break, I decided to try something easy, especially since my attempt at cheesecake failed last week.

How difficult can the waffle mold be? I was WRONG. Don't ask me why. Vaseline and baby powder didn't help much. Press too hard and the clay sticks to the waffle maker. And it is sooooo difficult to remove the clay with the pattern intact. Air Dry Clay is really very soft. I tried leaving it there until the clay hardens but the base turned greenish (i think it reacted with the black paint of the waffle maker). Fortunately, it gets better with practice but I recommend using those flexible pop-out mold available at Etsy miniature supplies stores.

To be continued... I need some sleep now. ^_^

Oh yes, if anyone can recommend me a brand of air dry clay that you feel is good, I'll be very grateful.

Some good news

2010-05-16T07:22:00.001-07:00

I mentioned I had some good news didn't I?

Ok.. here goes.. I'm going to be a mum! Frankly, I still feel like I'm a kid and just cannot imagine being someone else's mum. Some days I imagine my kid ransacking, messing up, and worse, swallowing my miniatures. Gasp!

I spent the whole of today packing and reorganising. I've made some plans for my miniature business but my stuff are everywhere. So I organised everything in shoeboxes according to:

For sale
Materials (clay, paint, glue, molds...)
ReMent + other personal collection (Gosh! those mentos sweets in the rement boxes have turned into liquid!)
Tableware and accessories
Stationery/boxes/envelopes for postage

I also cleared away lots of other stuff to make way for the baby room. Tada! My things are now 80% neater. I'm very tired now but I feel so organised. I'll work on my Etsy shop very soon!!!

Countdown

2010-04-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

A very short post cos it's only 5 days to exam! Thanks for all the good luck wishes. I've been working quite hard at home but somehow the study material doesn't stick in my head. In the midst of studying, I ate a box of froot loops... and decided to take a big-small photo with the miniature bowl of froot loops that I made.

Not forgetting a new item in my Etsy shop - a bottle of 24 pastel macaroons.

Will be back for more soon! And of course, some good news to share in May... ^_^

Baking Cupcakes

2010-04-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from my studying. I'm not young anymore and yet still taking exams! It is my last paper for my job-related qualifications. Since this is my first sitting, I don't expect to pass. The pass rate is 30%! Nevertheless, I can't NOT study. The feeling of guilt eats into me... I must at least give it a decent attempt. Never give up before you even try!

I've baked some cupcakes for you this weekend. Hope you enjoy them. Available at my Etsy shop. Big thank you to my customers for giving me a sale now and then despite my limited listings... I'm trying my best... I promise more new listings from May onwards.

Custom orders welcome (ilovelittlethings@gmail.com)

Little Ginger Men

2010-03-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Today one of my best friends told me she has been following my blog. I'm touched. Most of my friends only visit my blog once and they say "Wow... interesting stuff." and that's it. So I was really happy to know that someone out there is willing to give me a few seconds of her time now and then. I also want to say Thank You to my dear readers who pop by occasionally and for all your kind comments.

It is a pleasure bringing joy to people through my miniatures. I hope these little gingerbread men below will make you smile. They are not coloured yet but I just had to take a picture of them. Can't you tell they are all eager to be photographed? ^_^

I haven't tried anything new recently. I made some new cupcakes but will feature them in my next post. The only new thing that I tried is a pair of chopsticks for the sushi display. It was hard work shaving the toothpicks! Tip - use thinner toothpicks to begin with. This is available at my Etsy shop.

Have a great week ahead!

I love Campbell soups

2010-03-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

Happy that weekend is here again. ^_^

I'm going to stop working full time soon. I get more and more tired of spending 9-5 in the office. I try to get inspiration from Etsy's "Quit Your Day Job" articles. Those people who manage to do it are really great! Right now, I'm not confident that I can be like them but they are certainly a source of inspiration!

I love Campbell ... minestrone, mushroom, chicken noodle, tomato... yum yum. I even like their oriental flavours like hot & sour soup and wintermelon though some find them a little odd. So there you go - a soup preparation board! I'm feeling lazy this morning, so I shall not write anymore and let the photos do the talking. Bon weekend!

I want to improve my cakes!

2010-02-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

I'm used to making cakes that are about 1 inch in diameter without using any molds. I would knead the clay into shape so it really looks "handmade" - the edges are not perfect and the cake doesn't look so neat. This time, I used a cutter and the most appropriate size I have is 0.75 inch. Gasp! That's small! However, 0.75 inch is actually a common size for 1:12 scale. You will never get this small with commercial cakes from Thailand.

So there you go. A mini peach and strawberry cake - 0.75 inch diameter. (I borrowed the fingers for this shoot cos my fingers are just too wrinkled *LOL*)

I'm happy with the cake shape this time. The edges are almost perfect thanks to my round cutter. Just that I had in mind the cake I saw at the Japanese bakery shop near my home. It had peaches, strawberries and kiwi but.... as I worked towards the centre, I found that I had no more space for kiwi. Sometimes things don't always go your way.

Nevertheless, it looks fine without the kiwi (if I didn't mention, you wouldn't have known right? ^_^) So this is up for sale at Etsy. Meanwhile, I'll strive to improve my cake making skills!

ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-02-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

I'm a rather slow worker when it comes to miniature making so I only update my blog once every two weeks. To everyone who follows my blog, thank you so much for being patient and staying with me.

This week, I present a pancakes prep board. The title 'buttermilk pancakes' is inspired by CafeWorld on Facebook. I'm super lousy at coming up with interesting titles to catch your attention - surely "buttermilk pancakes" sounds better than "Making Pancakes"?

The most difficult part was the shell. With the clay soft and wobbly, it was a challenge keeping the shell thin whilst maintaining the curvature. Nevertheless, making broken eggs is really REALLY FUN! Have a funtastic weekend everyone!

www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com

ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

I collect miniatures too!

2010-01-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

I'm a happy and lucky gal. Although I wish to be a full time miniaturist, it cannot fill my stomach in the country I live in. So I hold a full time job and one of the perks is that it allows me to splurge a bit on miniatures made by other artisans. I intend to slowly showcase my collection... since I'm kinda hooked on macro photoshoots too.

The blackforest and chocolate fudge cakes are from amcfern. Seach for this seller on ebay if you are interested. The best thing about this seller is that all her miniatures are reasonably priced. Warning - it can be very hard to win a bid!

These cute Pocky boxes are from Snowfern. They are personal gifts. We chatted quite a bit over emails, flickr, blog etc. She's such a sweet lady. How sweet? She gave me the large doiley in the photo (she must have known I needed it for my photos), plus two smaller paper placemats, plus a pack of goldfish crackers! Awwww...

The lovely chocolate boxes are from mini_menu (ebay). Mini_menu is one of my top-rated miniaturists. I'm always impressed by the fine workmanship and exquisite details. The miniatures are in the range of 20 odd pounds but they are absolutely worth every cent.

Hope you enjoyed the photos. ^_^

Contact me at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Making fruit tarts

2010-01-09T08:10:00.001-08:00

I had initially intended to make a plate of fruit tarts, but the more I looked at the biscuit bases, the more I grew in love with them. I just couldn't bear to cover up the cute little holes so in the end I left two of them "working in progress".

This piece is therefore an accident but sometimes, the outcome is even better than the original idea. Hope this colourful prep board brightens up your day. Available at my Etsy store.

By the way, I bought a miniature cake and it turned moldy!!! Can anyone tell me why? I have been keeping it for a year under dry and cool condition. I never knew completed pieces can turn moldy. And imagine if it had cost me US$50 :( It looked so disgusting that I threw it away but if any of you can teach me how to deal with the mold, I'll know what to do next time. Thank u!

Contact me at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Sushi Tray

2010-01-04T08:55:00.001-08:00

I'm clearing my backlog. I've just cleared my backlog at work, now I'm clearing my backlog for my blog. This sushi set was created some time ago and I only feature it now!

It has been a hectic month in December and before I know it, I will be busy again from Feb-Apr. I'm pretty lazy these days... sleeping and stoning take up most of my time. I'm also rather hooked to the 'Mini Cafe' game on Facebook. It's fun running my own cafe without coming up with real money, hiring my friends on FB as employees without having to pay them wages, and cooking fantastic dishes like "crackling peking duck" when I can't cook in real life. :P

Thanks to everyone who dropped by to wish me Happy New Year. To show I'm serious about my new year resolutions, here is an annual planner hung on my study room door. I'm sharing this with my husband and the first thing he marked wasn't my birthday or anniversary but Chinese New Year - something which I dread! Grrrr.....

New Year Resolution

2009-12-31T23:24:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,
Nothing new from me but just wanted to put up a post to wish all a Happy New Year!

Have you made your new year resolution? For me, I hope to finish my last exam and have a baby in 2010. Well, it's only a goal but we all need something to work towards, don't we?

May all your wishes come true. ^_^

Chocolate Fondue for Christmas?

2009-12-12T22:43:00.000-08:00

Ok..linking fondue to Christmas may be a little lame. I was just trying to connect to a Christmas theme since I didn't make any gingerbread house, logcakes, christmas cookies and turkeys. ^_^

I miss crafting now that I work even on weekends. I took some time off to have a Toffee Frappuchino at Starbucks (love their Christmas blends!) with my husband, who reminded that I haven't blogged for a long time. He's right. I just hope all my air dry clay don't dry up before I use them.

So what is your favourite item when you have chocolate fondue? For me, sticks of marshmallows! Hence I translated them into mini versions. You can have the ice cream and fruits, just don't fight with me for the marshmallows...

Please heart My Etsy Shop
Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Merry Christmas month!

2009-11-29T05:17:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Are you in the Christmas mood yet? Obviously I am! So here is a mini plate of gingerbread man cookies, each face delicately painted.

We had a long weekend in Singapore (though I went back to work on Saturday) :( Nevertheless I rested well, cleared out some clutter at home, sorted out my miniature and supplies, and prepared some new mini food. I felt very productive! I'm also trying to find time to photograph my collection of food miniatures from other artists. Yes, I'm a collector too! So watch out for this space... but seriously, I think The Mini Food Blog is a damn good idea ^_^ http://theminifoodblog.blogspot.com

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Hotdogs Bun Prep Board

2009-11-20T17:36:00.000-08:00

It's been two weeks and I didn't update my blog cos I couldn't bear to part with my duck cookies. *sob* They attracted many new followers and I would like to say thank you for being with me!

I don't want to go on and on about having too little time for miniatures.. I'm sure many of you can identify with them. Family, work... it's hard to strike a balance. I've been working late EVERY day... I'm going crazy... I just hope it doesn't eat into my favourite Christmas season!

This week, I'd like to present a Hotdog Bun Preparation Board. Everything handmade by me except ketchup and mustard bottles.

I visited Shanghai over the weekend. It was cold and rainy. This was the ONLY photo I took from my hotel. ;)

Contact me at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Duck Cookies

2009-11-05T07:01:00.000-08:00

I bought a ducky paper puncher many many months ago but have not got the chance to use it. Since I have a little more time now, I managed to make some duck cookies!

Problem with paper punchers is that unless you can dismantle the cutter, you need to use air dry clay and wait for it to dry before you can punch. The layer of clay has to be quite thin. You also need to find a puncher that has a cute shape (hearts and stars are too common) that is small enough for 1:12 scale.

My husband does not appreciate miniatures. Neither can he appreciate why I spend so much time on miniatures. However, he had lots of fun punching out the yellow pieces! I hope you have fun looking at these photos too. Have a good weekend ahead everyone.

Email me at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com
Visit my shop www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com

More chocolate cakes...

2009-10-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

Made lots of chocolate cakes... I did some experiment along the way and I would like to tell everyone NOT to use nail varnish as it will start cracking and appear gummy within days.

Photos for your viewing pleasure! Weekend is coming... ENJOY!

Just a simple chocolate cake...

2009-10-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

I am a person with few words recently. So just a simple post to show a simple chocolate cake...
Hope you like it. ^_^

www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Bread completed ... nooooo Twinkle!!!

2009-10-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

Twinkle, dun mess with my baguette!

"But yum yum... " *giggles* (she likes it so much she is really holding onto it without any blue tack for support!!)
This is the "After" look - are they very different from my previous blog entry? The power of colors! I like my bread this way, not covered by "flour". This entire set will be available at my Etsy shop over this weekend. It's late now and I need to go to bed but I'm really happy that weekend is just round the corner!

Custom orders welcome: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Bread in progress...

2009-10-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

Exams finally over... last time it would take me days to get over a hard paper. It gets quicker as I grow older. Alternatively, take a needle and start poking into a piece of clay. This is what I get (see picture) and a happier mind. Throw in a favourite TV program and I forgot I just had an exam.

It's been some time since I touched my minis and it is always easier to start with bread making. These are what bread look like before adding any colour. Not so nice huh! Hopefully after the colouring, they would look like the finished croissants. I bought the basket but it can only hold about 3 pieces of bread, 4 without the baguette. The basket is too narrow. I'll have to think of something else.

It's time consuming to texture with needles and pins. I tried sandpaper but it doesn't work. Maybe I should get the roughest grade sandpaper? Any ideas?

It feels really good updating my blog! (sorry that I don't have many nice photos of minis yet!!)

Burger Mood

2009-09-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm craving for some cheeseburgers. A burger at Carls Junior costs about US$7, a cheeseburger at MacDonalds costs about US$1.50, a burger at my Etsy Shop costs only US$1! (Listing will be available shortly)

I apologize for not being active this month. I haven't replied much on my blog and Flickr, or had time to send my regards to Snowfern who hurt her hand (Cindy, i hope you read this!). I need to concentrate on my exam but I will be back in mid-October to prepare for the Christmas season. My favourite time of the year!

Still on burgers... this time a fast food set with fries and a mini fried chicken.

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Miniature Cup Noodles

2009-09-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

I am back from Hong Kong! When people in Asia think of Hong Kong, they normally think of shopping and dining and shopping and dining... but alas! I didn't manage to buy any clothing! Branded goods aside, I think the fashion has somehow changed and I don't have money for branded. ^_^

Poor me! Nevertheless, there is a very small consolation... two instant cup noodles miniatures. These are not that mini but look rather realistic. Hope you like them! (Hmm.. I should have bought that bowl of green bean soup too :(

Ice Water + Vitamin C

2009-08-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yippee! I'm off to Hong Kong this Friday. Have not been working hard for my shop... partly becos I am changing job and partly becos of my exam preparation. Nevertheless, I'm taking a short break before I start work.

And I promised myself to go to bed before 12.30am today. So just a quick post and presenting my iced water with lemon slices preparation "board". Ok, not a typical prep board I know..
I enjoyed making the lemons and the glass of ice water using epoxy resin. Available at My Etsy.

12.29am! Good night!

Miniature Cereal Part 2 - Koko Krunch

2009-08-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

My last post was 25th July! I've been occupied looking for a new job and finally there is a good offer! I realised that I can only make miniatures when I am in a good mood. That's when I'm able to put my love, heart and soul into my creations and hopefully pass this on to miniature lovers who buy my items.

Still into cereals - a bowl of koko krunch this time! They may not look as good as those colourful froot loops (see my earlier post here) but i certainly love the chocolate goodness!

Available soon at my Etsy shop.

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Sushi II

2009-07-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

New addition to my sushi collection. Somehow, sushi easily gets hearts at my Etsy shop but I can only sell one set in a couple of months. Perhaps people prefer Re-ment version but trust me, this is much smaller!

Itadakimasu! ("Let's eat" in Japanese).... er... i mean let your dolls eat

Compare with my first set of sushi blogged here

Contact me at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Butter choco marble cake

2009-07-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like to go through Flickr to get inspiration for mini food. So one day I came across this: www.flickr.com/photos/49631061@N00/135905521/

The most challenging was no doubt the marble cake. Someone please teach me how to do marble technique! How do you get nice patterns, evenly distributed, with just the right dose of chocolate in the right places? While I am satisfied with the way the marble cakes turned out, I think there is room to improve. As for now, come pick a slice for your tea time. ^_^

Still deciding whether to put this on my Etsy shop but I will be listing a couple of new items over this weekend. Do lookout for them!

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Miniature Cereal Part 1 - Froot Loops

2009-07-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

Start the day right with Kellogg's Froot Loops! While I don't fancy the sweet taste, looking at them makes me happy. I love colours. Hopefully they brighten up your day too. Available at My Etsy Shop

It's Sunday - just one more day of precious rest before a busy week starts again. I have a workaholic colleague who loves weekdays more than weekends. She often says, "Don't you find weekends so boring? There is nothing to do."

I don't think there will come a day when I have nothing to do. Other than miniatures, I've started to collect scrabble tile pendants. I'll feature them when they arrive. ^_^

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Cupcakes... tarts...cupcakes...tarts

2009-07-03T09:31:00.001-07:00

Phew! I've had much problem trying to upload images onto blogger. My photos managed to upload to Picasa Web Albums (Google's photo storage) but somehow couldn't show up here.

Anyway this is for those who still have problem. Quoted from yvolow: Upload the usual way. DO NOT click done. Right click on the pic, left click on properties & copy the URL. Do not close the uploaded image window. On ur blog window in edit HTML format, input the following: img src='URL'/

Some commission items - the ever popular fruit tarts and cupcakes. I lost count of the cupcakes I made! The cream is made using my hands and a tweezer. Someone pls get me a piping tool!
www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com

Twinkle n Playboy

2009-06-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Before I sleep, just a short post.

Twinkle is really a very mischievous girl!

"Ooooohh... what is this... looks interesting... "

"Hey mommy... i dun like my hair... can u take me for rebonding?"

Gdnight... really sleepy

Playboy for my dad

2009-06-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

A cheeky gift for my father... the magazine is from ebay. I love the Playboy - you can even flip open and see the content page but that's it folks! No other suggestive photos! I have since filled the cup with Milo and made stains on the rims. This is a typical scene of my father during his tea time... ok he doesn't read Playboy at home but I guess he wouldn't mind reading one!

Today is SIMP in Paris... I don't exactly know what it stands for but it is a miniatures fair. I feel so excited for Stephanie (PetitPlat) who is taking part in it. Wish there is one in Singapore too!

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com
Etsy: www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
Dawanda: www.ilovelittlethings.dawanda.com

KFC Bucket - finger licking good!

2009-06-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

I came across this mini KFC bucket and drink and had to buy it! It's so cute but would have even been better if it were made of plastic instead of cardboard. No chicken in it too!!

So I made some fried chicken to go with it. If you want to make them, use Winton oil colour #44 but be prepared to spend time cutting the clay into very very small pieces to get the fried skin. Hint: do this during advertisement time on TV or when you are really bored ... they can also be used as peanut crush on cakes!

Just sold 2 sets... email me ilovelittlethings@gmail.com if you are interested.
Limited number of buckets!!

Miniature Rose Cake

2009-06-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

I've eaten chocolate cakes and fruit cakes but never tried a cake full of roses in real life. In fact, I don't recall seeing rose cakes in bakery shops here. Perhaps only wedding cakes are adorned with roses. So I "baked" one today! I doubt anyone would want to eat so much sugar icing (the roses) if this was real!

Available at my Etsy shop.
Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

More breakfast!

2009-06-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Weekend is here again! So here are some mini breakfast sets to kick-start your weekend. Please pardon my chunk of butter for the croissants - I was told that it looks like a potato! I was so amused but I'll remember to improve my butter next time! Available at my Etsy shop. :)

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Flaky Banana Pastry

2009-05-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know what you call this.. but it's a kind of flaky pastry. Inspired by a Japanese craft book, this is quite a challenge as the flaky texture is hard to simulate. Hence I only did one piece (it's sold but I welcome custom order). Hope you enjoy looking at it!

PS: I'm off for a short holiday! Stress from work has caused my eye to twitch non-stop for the past week but the twitching has miraculously disappeared today.

Some biscuits & marshmallows

2009-05-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

When I was busy with my exams, I was also busy blogging and watching Korean drama (20 episodes in 3 days). However, now that exams are over, I didn't accomplish much (2 episodes in 30 days). Don't ask me where all my time went! I do enjoy moments like daydreaming on my train ride to work instead of reading my notes. ^_^

I had a coke bottles giveaway and will be contacting the winner very soon. I would like to give a very warm welcome to new followers on my blog and thank those who comment on my Flickr photos. I feel really happy when you like my miniature food!

I practiced making a box and the first photo shows work-in-progress. I'm beginning to love such work-in-progress pictures and may do a tutorial soon.

The smaller biscuits ended up as vanilla cream sandwiched biscuits in a pink box while the bigger ones ended up as fruit tartlets.

And I learnt how to make MARSHMALLOWS! It is not difficult actually. I enjoyed twisting the clay. Twist it tighter and you can make lollipops.

~Have a great weekend!~

www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Free Mini Coke Bottles for you!

2009-05-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

There is this extra coke bottles collection set that I would like to give away! This is part of the Singapore's 7-11 convenience store miniature series set and is no longer available for sale. They are made of high quality plastic and the tallest is about 1.25" in height. Oooooppss.. looks like I am describing some item for sale!

All my current followers on the blog would have one chance of winning this.
To participate, you can either:
1) Follow my blog OR
2) Heart my Etsy shop (and let me have your username)

Easy!

I don't know if these little bottles are attractive enough for a good response. Let's have a go anyway! The deadline is 23 May (next Saturday). Good luck!

And I finally done up a banner for my Etsy shop. This thing is just so difficult to do! You can see how small they limit the upload size 760 x 100 pixels.. lol

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com
www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com

Donuts n upcoming freebie

2009-05-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

I had wanted to work part time so that I can have more personal time and slow down my pace of life. I'm tired of the ratrace but on the other hand, I love the money from the ratrace. Anyway, few companies are willing to hire on a part-time basis unless there is a very good reason. Is wanting more personal time a good reason? 0_0

I've not had much time to make new items... here are some new donuts made from some leftover clay. I also made some marshmallows which I will feature in my next post. I would also be having a giveaway soon so do look out for it!

ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Kawaii Ice Cream

2009-05-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a Japanese ice cream with fresh mangoes and tri-coloured mochi balls (I don't know the actual name) that you see in many Japanese desserts. The vanilla swirl is shaped using an eyebrow tweezer. It would be easier if I had a piping tool! Is this dessert popular in your country or have you not seen it before?

And a couple of other stuff I added to my Etsy shop...

www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Pringles!

2009-04-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Exams are over!

I simply enjoy the first few days after exams. Just do nothing!

I know mini potato chip cans are not-so-new idea (I think Re-ment has one) but I love trying out printables. So here is a can of Pringles! I added some chips on my own. Nothing fanciful ... simple things can make me happy. Hopefully I can work on some miniatures this weekend. Cheers!

www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

And I start selling miniature supplies! If response is good, I may add more variety.

Sweet Cookies

2009-04-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

I'm studying for my exam which is only a few days away. It takes forever to qualify as an actuary. And when you qualify, some people ask "What's that? What's actuary?" In short, actuaries manage risk and analyse numbers. Well, I'm still trying to manage the slower-than-expected sales on Etsy recently!

When I am not looking at numbers, I use the other side of my brain to make mini food! Presenting some little cookies on a silver tray...

And here is an earlier shot which I didn't manage to put up.

www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Miniature Sliced Cakes II

2009-04-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I reorganized my Flickr album - to view, click on the link on the upper left corner of this page. This makes it easier to view all my photos on miniatures. I'm not exactly a website savvy person but I must learn to link those photos in my blog. Let's wait till the exams are over!

Another thing I want to improve is probably my photography skills. Frankly, I only use the macro function to capture all my miniature shots. I do admire those who take great photographs. However, one of my friends suggested that photos shouldn't be too nice as buyers may be disappointed when the actual product doesn't look as great as the photo. The photo should just show what the miniature looks like in real life. Any thoughts?

Here are some mini sliced cakes. I took these photos at 2am before going to bed. Good or bad lighting? I really can't tell. But I can tell you I love these little cakes!

My Etsy: ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
Contact: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Sushi

2009-04-10T01:02:00.000-07:00

I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I forbidded myself from making any new miniatures this month in order to concentrate on my exams. It's just sooooo hard... but I have to hang on! Nonetheless, I still surf the net a lot looking for inspiration and admiring other miniaturists' work. I also bought 2 craft books and if they arrive, I know I will be flipping through them instead of my study notes. :P

Meanwhile I hope you enjoy the platter of miniature sushi in 1:12 scale. I'm not sure what kinds of sushi are sold overseas but I love making the crabsticks and salmon eggs. I specially bought black paint for the seaweed! Now I got to think of other uses of black paint ^_^

My Etsy shop: www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Macaroons Attack!

2009-04-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Yes... taking a break from my studies so here I am.

My husband just came back from Paris and guess what he brought back - French Macaroons! Oh I am sooooo excited. I had mentioned to him that I love looking at macaroons and making them as miniatures but I have never tasted them before. How lucky of me to sink my first bite into these - airflown from France!!! They really taste very very very very good!! I love the chocolate and strawberry. Ok I'm hooked! I hope the ones they sell in Singapore taste as good as these.

The photo below shows the life-sized macaroons and the miniature version.

Close-up of mini version in almost the same colours. Where's the pink though?

And in pastel shades! (Macaroons from France seem to be darker in colour than the ones sold here ^_^)

My Shop: www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
My Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Fruit waffles

2009-04-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

Exhausted from work and exams are just around the corner. Feeling nervous oredi! I'll take a break tonight (hence posting on my blog) and start working hard tomorrow!

This is the second waffles preparation board I've made but this time there are lots of different fruits. In real life, I like waffles with vanilla ice cream and nothing else - I'm such a plain and simple, and some say boring person... :D

Some new miniatures in the pipeline.. cakes, sushi and more desserts... do come back for more! Have a very good April!

Miniature strawberry chocolate cake

2009-03-24T06:38:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

My last post for the month of March. Recently I've come across a saying - "Applauses fade away, trophies collect dust, winners are soon forgotten" It should remind us not to get lost in the pursuit of achievement or in the ratrace.

Back to the topic! My first attempt at miniature cake. I lined the cake with wholesome strawberries and decorated the centre with strawberry slices. I love the way it turned out so if it doesn't sell, I'll save it for myself and Twinkle (my Puki)! ^O^

Available at my Etsy store
Contact me at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Birthday Treats

2009-03-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

It is my birthday tomorrow and there is every reason to be happy!

I made some fruit cupcakes to celebrate! I just love the colours and the cream. This was a custom request by a really sweet customer. Hopes she likes it as much as I do.

How about some different kind of cupcakes? Pink hearts with lemon slice and silver sprinkles - you can call it love cupcakes! These go with the mango ice cream for an extra sweet treat! You can tell that I am very excited with all the exclamation marks!!!

Cupcakes are very popular. I'll make more when exams are over by end of April. I have been quite productive last weekend and should have enough miniatures to last through the next one and a half month! Time to concentrate on my studies ^o^

Meanwhile, happy birthday to my dearest friends - Sabrina and Jeff!!

Twinkle twinkle little star

2009-03-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

I know I've updated my blog not too long ago, but I just can't wait to show you my little girl!

She's got a name now - Twinkle! My mum had suggested Twinkie, but I thought Twinkle sounds good! My husband calls her quek quek cos she loves duckies - just check out her shirt and toy pet. She loves food especially sweet treats!

I made those cupcakes and ice cream. I'll do a close-up on the cupcakes soon. I'm also very excited to have followers on my blog! A big thank you! Please bear with me as my rate of production is really slow due to my job commitment.

Have a sweet weekend ahead! ^_^

Making Teddy Bear cookies

2009-03-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

Need something to cheer myself up today, so let's make some teddy bear cookies!

The chocolate and original flavors have already been done. So let's get down to those with pink icing! Sprinkle some sugar crystals if you have a sweet tooth.

This is the only one set available - it's very tiring shaping those little bears!
Available at www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
Email ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Donuts & Pong

2009-03-05T04:53:00.000-08:00

I love the month of March. Peak period at work is coming to an end and I can finally get down to my studies and of course work on a couple of custom orders.

Miniature donuts are fun and easy to make:
1) Roll a small ball of clay (shade of brown)
2) Press it down slightly
3) Roll an even smaller ball of clay (any colour you like!) and press it flat
4) Put it on top of the brown clay and try to "stick" them together. Do it gently!
5) Use a toothpick and poke a hole through the centre
6) You get a mini donut!

This time however, I worked with "liquid" clay to create an icing effect for the topping. Icing goes well with little sprinkles! The end result looks like this. I think I'll use less sprinkles next time.

If you follow the steps above, you would get these colorful glazed donuts. Which style do you prefer?

And meet my girl! Puki Pong from Fairyland. I have yet to name her! I love her happy face. The clothes are from spampy.eaph.com/spampystuff.htm

She is trying to show you her underwear! She's so adorable, just what I need to perk me up when I'm studying! (She is standing in front of my stack of boring actuarial notes). I'll feed her with my mini food soon. :)

Contact me at ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Miniature Slice Cakes

2009-03-01T05:21:00.000-08:00

Cakes! My first attempt at sliced cakes and I decided to make them colourful!

This was a lot of hard work! I had to do the base layer first followed by separate layers of pink, yellow and purple. I couldn't put the layers on top of each other and then slice them because I wanted the middle layer to have a creamy effect. And working with air dry clay means that I have to get things right the first time - when the clay dries, it would be hard to reshape it.

Here is the final presentation of the cakes. Hope you like them!

Email: ilovelittlethings@gmail.com
www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com

Waffles & Crepes

2009-02-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

February is really a busy time at work. I haven't got time to work on miniatures. At my leisurely rate of production, I am already very glad to have business at my Etsy shop! I have 78 sales so far and I'm pushing for 100! Those who are reading my blog, you are welcome to contribute to the target!

No time... so I made some simple waffles. I loved the way the round waffle turned out, considering I didn't use a waffle maker at all! The little square ones are from my earlier creations.

I made these for a crepe shop, which serves dessert crepes (left) and savoury crepes (right). The designs are exclusive to the shop as they are taken from the menu. If I owned a real crepe shop , I would have a display cabinet featuring all sorts of miniature crepes. Hmm.. I think I still enjoy making the miniature version more. :)

www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Miniature Butter Cookies

2009-02-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

I made this a couple of months back and was contemplating if I should sell it off. In the end I couldn't bear with it! (Ok.. In the end I sold it! *Sob*) This is in 1:12 scale and made with air dry clay.

I love butter cookies in real life too. Somehow only this brand tastes good to me. My favourite are those with sugar topping, especially the one with three holes. Just yummy!

Breakfast set with bread rolls

2009-02-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

Busy ... busy... really busy this month as it is the peak period at work.

Since I had some excess eggs and sausages, I made a breakfast set, this time with some bread rolls and apples. I ordered some materials and waiting for them to arrive. Can't wait to work on something new! Some of my work is in the process of drying... that is probably one problem with air dry clay but I'm too poor to buy an oven so polymer clay is out.

I love this photo with bright blue background. And I FINALLY figured out how to add labels to a photo. All I had to do was to zoom the picture to 100% so that I can insert text. I always use 25% and wonder why the text box can't be used... stupid me..

Valentine's Day is coming! Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com
ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Miniature Japanese Fish Waffles

2009-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

How about some Fish Waffles (known as taiyaki in Japanese) to kick off the month of February?
These are entirely handmade. I'm not a fan of fish waffles but I love the way they look and enjoy watching how they are made in Japanese department stores.

I've cut one of the waffles and filled the inside with chocolate sauce (because I am not a fan of red bean filling either)! Chocolate and cheese are my favourite.

Relative size of the waffles compared to a pen. These are in 1:6 scale suitable for Blythe sized dolls and comparable to Re-ment size.

The miniature fish waffles are available for sale at my Etsy store www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com.
Only US$5 for the entire set! If you like other fillings other than chocolate, drop me an email for custom order - ilovelittlethings@gmail.com

Miniature Ritz Crackers

2009-01-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

Presenting Ritz crackers with a very real Ritz box! It took quite a bit of work to ensure that there are 7 holes on both sides of the cracker but it was really fun working on them. There is also a cup of hot chocolate in a cute piggy mug. Available for sale at my Etsy store.

Recently I've been invited to join The Mini Food Blog as an author. I feel very honoured! There are so many things to learn from other miniature artisans. Just check out the website http://theminifoodblog.blogspot.com and you will find all sorts of miniature food.

Chinese New Year is 2 days away. Here's wishing everyone Gong Xi Fa Cai! My top three wishes:
1. Good health to myself and my family
2. Pass at least 1 actuarial exam (which leaves me with just 1 paper!)
3. Get more inspiration for my miniature food!

MIniature Burger Preparation

2009-01-13T09:40:00.000-08:00

I just purchased a Puki Pong Pong (see previous post) and can't wait for it to come! My house is in a total mess... many miniature projects waiting to start, miniature collections all over the place, study notes lying on the sofa... really hope to clear up the stuff before Pong Pong arrives. Hmmm, I should think of a proper name for Pong Pong.

January will be a busy month, especially with Chinese New Year just round the corner. Nevertheless, we still need to eat. So do our dolls! Ok.. for those who don't collect dolls, I'm sure you would want some miniature food! ^_^

I created this burger preparatory scene. Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber slices and cheese served on delicious soft buns. I love the meat platter - I developed a new technique to get this texture but it is taking a longer time to dry. When it is done, it will be available at www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com, selling for US$25 including shipping. Very reasonable if you check out other prep boards on Etsy/Ebay!

Puki Puki

2009-01-02T04:39:00.001-08:00

Recently I found some very cute photos on flickr.

I like this one where the girl on the right seems lost in the conversation.

Awwww... doesn't she look soooooo adorable in the shades??

These photos were uploaded by Linda Gavin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jusum

This was taken by another miniature artisan Stephanie from France. I'm in love with the one behind (in the white square). I think I'm going to get one for myself.

If you like them (these are puki puki) too, you can find them at dollfairyland.com/
Cheers!

MIniature Waffles & Gummy Bear Sweets

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

The first 4 months of 2009 is going to be very busy for me and I may have less time to make miniatures since I want to qualify in 2009! Well... I know this is mission impossible (a more realistic aim would be 2010) but I can always give it a shot! Nevertheless I promise to keep my Etsy shop going. ^_^

I made this dollhouse miniature waffles preparation board with banana and fresh cream. I love the idea of preparation board although it takes more effort since you have to "design" the entire concept. You also need tools such as miniature rolling pins, bowls & plates, cutlery etc and it is hard to find these miniatures in Singapore!

I would also like to feature a canister of miniature gummy bear sweets cos they just look soooo adorable. For other miniatures, please visit www.ilovelittlethings.etsy.com. Other enquiries, please send an email to ilovelittlethings@gmail.com