Michael Sue's Tips: A Happy Pumpkin & Easy Dressing

HOW TO CARVE A PUMPKIN

In the good old days we could get Styrofoam balls that were not fire retardant. You could encase the ball in oven bake clay and the the ball would shrink as you baked the clay. Not now! The silly thing grows and cracks the pumpkin. Ugh! So now it's not as easy but still doable.

Here's what to do:

1. Wad up tissues or toilet paper and wrap your clay around it. Pumpkins come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so keep that in mind. Do not use paper towels. I did that once and couldn't get it out later without breaking it all up.

2. With the back of your craft knife press in the lines. Now, remember that pumpkins don't have perfect sections, so make them a little irregular.

3. Cut the top as you would a real pumpkin. Cut an eye or a mouth out or whatever suits your fancy.

4. Bake as per instructions on the package. Cool.

5. Run the whole thing under water, or soak in a bowl of water. The tissue will shrink up to nothing and you'll be able to just pull all that out, leaving you with a perfectly carved Jack-o-Lantern.

6. The rest is up to you. You could use as is, with a little light in it maybe. Or put it on miniature newspapers, to look like you're in the process of carving it.

7. If you decide to make a carving scene, here are a few things that might help you:

     A. Sesame seeds make great pumpkin seeds.

     B. The stringy pulp can be made with tatting threads or natural fibers in the right colors. Mix it up with some white glue and sprinkle on some seeds. Great!

     C. Stick a knife in the eye, lay a big spoon on the paper and you've got a cute as the devil Jack-o-Lantern.

     D. Don't forget the stem! I used to use the tops of hot peppers and they still work, but tear off some of the base since it really is a little big. Cherry tomato tops work really well. You do get some funny looks in the produce department when you're pulling them off, but the next guy won't want them anyway. If you're not that adventurous, you could buy the whole thing. You won't be sorry.



EASIER THAN STOVE-TOP RECIPE

You'll need:

1. A roasting pan or other container of your choice

2. A cereal such as Grape-Nuts, and some spices for color

3. White glue

Instructions:

Mix the cereal and spices together.  Add a little of the glue and then fill your pan.

Voila! There's your dressing! I've had mine for at least 20 years and haven't had any insect or other problems with it. You'll get a lot of "How did you do that?" It's absolutely the easiest pan of dressing I've ever made.

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy

It's summertime! Ms Peggie's Place has lots of cool ways to make your hot weather project fun and refreshing. We've got barbecues and the foods to go with them, wading pools and accessories and gardening supplies. Are you producing a July Fourth extravaganza? Let us help you with that, too.

The barbecues are realistic and beautifully designed and we have several, ranging in size from the largest, with a brick facade, to a kettle model which would be perfect in a compact area or beach scene.  Remember to check out our food platters and loose vegetables to add even more realism to that grill. There's raw as well as cooked food. You'll find a platter with ground meat, franks and the most realistic looking kebab all prepped to be cooked.

And of course, the quintessential hamburger patty, broiled to perfection and complete with a realistic enough looking dollop of ketchup to make H. J. Heinz weep.

                                  

Our beverages will quench any thirst, from a tempting pitcher of iced tea to the more adult drinks apropos for assembling a celebratory Bloody Mary, and most any other combinations you desire. Desserts abound, from gooey concoctions to fruit.

Our furniture collection will inspire you to find just the right spot for any food favorite. Our four-seat glider, outfitted in a blue and white stripe, presents the perfect backdrop for any backyard activity. Our lawn furniture collection also includes some delightful wickers. 

While the adults are relaxing the kids will splash in their own wading pools. There are several, all in lollipop colors, and come complete with a beach ball. There's also a great tote bag and mat set, perhaps for the supervising adult.

In our dry Southern California climate, real fireworks are often banned, but anything goes in the environment we create with our imagination. Miniature firecrackers and sparklers are available to make your project pop to life. Integrate them with Independence Day party fare for a spectacular display. We have a red, white and blue table setting as well as a snazzy punch bowl designed to show off the highlights of this patriotic holiday.

Please wander through our flower arrangements for just the right landscape accent. Our selections range from potted plants such as coleus to small bushes and even a vegetable garden. You might consider placing that vegetable garden within easy access to the barbecue for a dinner on demand. There are seed packets and a handsome seed display as well as a gardening box containing produce, flower pots, gardening books and a shovel.

We hope you'll drop by the shop. We have lots more to share with you and look forward to learning about your projects. We welcome your comments and wish you a good summer!

Michael Sue Nanos
Proprietor

Michael Sue's Tips: Watermelon on Ice is nice!

Here's a fun accent for your summertime party.

1. Paint a whole pecan with green acrylic paint.

2. Dry brush yellowish stripes on top.

3. Spray paint a tub with silver. Note: I have used short plastic cups; I've also cut down Dixie cups.

4. Glue in clear decorative fill or the fine tumbled glass pieces used for flower arranging. These make great ice.

5. Push your watermelon down into the ice and you are done! Some wine bottles, soda cans, beer cans, etc. are cute as well.

Tip: When making foods from clay or anything else, have the real McCoy in front of you to match color. Your mind's eye is never as accurate as your own eyes.

A Crib for Wendy, a Model T Pram and Mom's Day!

Mother's Day is approaching and this will be Wendy's first. Recently, her mother and grandmother came into Ms Peggie's Place in search of a miniature crib and dresser to give Wendy as a shower gift. Neither of them were miniaturists, but thought this would be a novel way to hint to Wendy of the special life sized gifts that were on their way. They later told us of Wendy's delight and the smiles the miniatures brought to the shower guests. Perhaps one day Wendy will furnish a room box with this gift and we'll be glad to help her.

Since most of the folks who visit Ms Peggie's Place are not searching for shower gifts but furnishing miniature nurseries, we do have a nice selection of baby needs from cradles and cribs, to carriages, changing tables and high chairs, as well as the accessories found in a typical baby's room, most in 1:12 scale. For those thinking ahead, we even have the Houseworks expectant mom doll, Joy.

Baby's sleeping arrangements include a handsome modern look dark wood cradle as well as a more traditional wicker bassinet trimmed in white and pink. There are the standard cribs, both simple and decorated, along with those a bit different, such as one model in white wrought iron. Changing tables are available to match or contrast as well as a cute hook arrangement for clothing.

Beautiful spring weather means outdoor trips and Ms Peggie's Place has prams and carriages including a sensational handmade one made to look like a Model T! For the baby ready to stretch her legs we have a sweet, highly detailed walker. There is also a wonderful hobby horse with an extra long mane and tail who looks like he just stepped down from an old fashioned merry-go-round, and a fine stick horse showing a lot of attitude!

 

The high chairs are beautiful and as the other items, come in a variety of styles, some with cushions for comfort. We also have food. And toys!  And when little ones are done sleeping, eating and riding the hobby horse there are pull toys to keep them occupied.

You'll find a number of  finely detailed miniatures of young children in the shop, in resin and other materials, and you'll certainly see one to capture your imagination. We are excited about our nursery collection and look forward to your visit. A special nursery display will be at the front of the store in May to commemorate mothers and babies and provide some ideas for celebrating them.

We hope to see you soon!

Michael Sue Nanos
Proprietor

Michael Sue's Tips: How to Create a Faux Braided Rug

A regular braided rug will have a solid color center, multicolor blended body and a couple of rows around the outside edge of a darker color. 

Materials for braided rugs

1" scale uses single strand of worsted weight yarn or 3 strands of 6 ply each of DMC embroidery floss braided together.

1/2" scale uses single strand of any one of these: baby weight yarn, sport weight, or fingering yarn. Or, braid 3 strands of 3 ply each from the DMC embroidery floss.

1/4" scale uses 1 strand of DMC Pearl Cotton (a 2 ply twisted floss) or 3 strands of 1 ply from the DMC embroidery floss.

(DMC floss is 6 ply)

(DMC Pearl Cotton is 2 ply twisted thread)

A good white glue is Aleene's Tacky. Some white glues will yellow after a year or so, even to the point of turning brown.

Instructions

To do an oval braided rug just a few calculations are needed.

1. Cut an oval to your desired size  from ultra lightweight iron-on interfacing.
2. Mark the center with a pencil on the sticky side.
3. Measure from the center point to the outside edge of the narrowest diameter.
4. Mark the same distance in from each end.
5. Draw a light line down the center from each mark. This gives you your start line.
6. Calculating done. That was simple!
7. The rest is up to you. Color, material, design;   the technique is always the same.
8. Tack down your braid with just a dot of good white glue here and there as you wind the braid around and around the start line.
9. After the rug is all filled up, permanently iron the backing onto your braiding. This will flatten it up and give you a great bond.

Art, from Olszewski to Renoir, and lots more!

We've got Olszewskis!  Robert William Olszewski is an American artist whose miniature sculptures are internationally famous. With a solid creative background as a painter and an art teacher, Olszewski's first serious sculptures were created for the his daughter's dollhouse many years ago. Under license from such companies as Walt Disney and Ettore "Ted" DeGrazia, Olszewski creates art in 12:1 scale as well as others.

Exquisitely detailed and beautifully painted, we carry a selection of his creations as produced by Goebel Miniatures. (Incidentally, the name is pronounced ol-shes-ski.) You'll find "Picking Apples" from his Four Seasons Collection, as well as Hummel's "Little Fiddler"  and "Cinderella," (both from M.I. Hummel Kinderway), also "The Pianist" from his Musical Study Collection, and "American Beauty" from his Womens' Collection, along with "Spring Robin" from his Miniature Wildlife Collection. They are all a delight and each would add a wonderful accent to your project. (Though photos do not do them justice, you will get an idea of their uniqueness by the few we've posted here, as well as on our blog, Mspeggiesplace.com and on our Facebook page, Ms Peggies Place.) You simply must see them for yourself. They are quite extraordinary.

Artwork contributes dimension to a house, whether a life sized one or a miniature. At Ms. Peggie's Place we can't help you with your own home, but if you are decorating a dollhouse or room box or other miniature project you will find a good selection of prints, paintings and other accessories in the store. You will discover Grant Wood's "American Gothic", the famous picture of the farmer and his daughter outside their farmhouse, a selection of dancers by Edgar Degas and a print of Claude Monet's son on his tricycle. We have "The Milkmaid" by Johannes Vermeer as well as "Nude Woman Bather" by Pierre Auguste Renoir.

In addition to our good quality prints, we also carry original oil paintings in the store. We have framed prints of "ancestors" suitable for a side table, as well as more casual selections.

Though most of our art is framed, you might prefer a different presentation, or perhaps you need a frame for something you've created. If so, we can show you a number of frames in different sizes and finishes.

Finally, with Easter coming we have an array of accessories guaranteed to add a burst of spring to your project. From tiny eggs to giggling rabbits our collection can't be beat!

We hope to see you soon!

Michael Sue Nanos, Proprietor 

Michael Sue's Tips: Turn a Picture into an Oil Painting

How to turn a picture into an oil painting

1. Using a glue stick, mount a picture from a magazine, or a color copy of something else, onto watercolor paper.

2. Brush on two coats of "Modge Podge." Let dry.

3. With a small brush apply small amounts of art gel medium (found in the fine arts section of your favorite crafts store). Apply in little curved strokes (mimicking the full sized strokes of a real oil painting). It will take many coats to get a great look. Each coat must dry completely. It's much easier to do lots of pictures at the same time.

4. Once you have the look you're after, give  the project one light coat of "Modge Podge Gloss." Oil paintings have a gloss to them.

Here's my suggestion to make things easier: Find your frame first. it's much easier to make your picture fit your frame than the other way around!