Both Sides of the Lamp Post

New Camera for Taking Pictures of Miniatures

2012-01-24T16:01:00.001-06:00

Just got this camera yesterday and have been playing with it. Here are a couple examples of pictures of miniatures that I took using the supermacro mode. No tripod needed - the antishake/stablization system worked perfectly!

Olympus Stylus 7040 Camera

I got it for $129 from Amazon, ordered Fri and arrived Mon with free shipping!

Miniatures made by Nantasy Fantasy

China by Christopher Whitford, peonies by Michele Carter, pottery plate by Jane Graber, pottery vase by Joni Heitz, table by Bob Carlisle.

It also takes excellent pictures of full size things...

Albert

Maria

Panoramic shots...

And special effects... the camera took this line drawing in line drawing mode. I did no editing at at, except a slight crop.

It also does HD video clips with sound!

Miniature Tea Cozy

2012-01-20T15:14:00.003-06:00

Just finished putting together a tea cozy after stitching it twice. The lesson here is to double check the count of your gauze, as it may not be the size it's labeled to be! After stitching the front, and being unable to find a backing fabric that was the right color and thickness, I decided to stitch a back. I quickly stitched it up, but when I went to sew the front to the back, they were different sizes! Well, since the back was larger than the front, I experimented thinking I might be able to trim the excess off the back. Nope. Then in the process of ripping out the stitching, I cut both the front and the back. Sooooo, back to the drawing board, stitching both pieces on the same piece of gauze. One important note - since silk gauze is not exactly even weave, it is important to orient front and back in the same direction (parallel rather than perpendicular to each other).

Here is the finished tea cozy. The back is plain yellow with the scalloped blue border at the bottom. The blue splotch above the border on the back is really my initials. I can't get a good picture to save my life - my camera used to take wonderful mini pics, but it's become crotchety in its old age. If anyone has suggestions for a new camera, I'm interested! This one is a Fugi Fine Pix, and won't work with Windows 7, another reason to get a new one. Downloading pics onto my old slow desktop and transferring to the new laptop is not worth the effort for such poor results.

The tea cozy, when stitched on 48 count silk gauze, is a perfect fit for a Christopher Whitford 1:12 scale teapot. This one is the Blue Net Lomonosov pattern. It also works well on the slightly smaller pottery teapot I have that was made by Jane Graber. Her tea pot is about the same height, but smaller around.

More on my Dick Van Dyke Show house

2012-01-14T20:29:00.007-06:00

Last fall I received this wonderful painting done by Karry Johnson for my Petrie house. She is a joy to work with and did an amazing job! I have two color still photos taken during rehearsals, and Karry used those to choose the colors. The painting was not shown in those color photos, but she took colors from the rest of the room to coordinate. The painting measures 2 inches by 3.75 inches. Now to frame it.... http://www.karryjohnson.com/

Wise Words from Keeper of the Fire

2012-01-08T15:08:00.002-06:00

Eileen Campbell-Reed was one of my teaching assistants at Vanderbilt who is now a leader in academia and a fine example of ministry. She has an exceptional talent for blogging, and this is a post from her archives that is directed to women considering a vocation in ordained ministry, but there is much practical advise here for anyone who is concerned with living well. Click on the 'advice' tag of the blog if you're interested in reading follow-up posts that flesh out each of the numbered pieces of advice.

Wise Words from Keeper of the Fire

Thank you, Eileen!

October AIM magazine out

2011-10-03T19:05:00.000-05:00

Aim Imag Issue 38 October 2011

Life goes on.... Nashville 3 Blind Mice Show

2011-09-22T22:02:00.040-05:00

It's hard to believe that so much time has slipped by since the last time I blogged. It's been a sad year - my mother died suddenly on Feb. 16, and my dad's health has been up and down. We have managed a few happy times in between the sad ones. As he puts it, we've been "motoring about the countryside" in his convertible, and we've been able to spend some happy times with his brother and family. I also adopted a new baby named Albert - what a terror he can be, but so sweet too! He teases the other cats mercilessly and has been known to wrap himself around the dog's hind leg. Rosie doesn't even try to shake him off. I was able to attend the Three Blind Mice Miniature Show here in Nashville and came home with several treasures. It was a well-attended show, so I'm hopeful it will return to Nashville next year. A few pictures....

Maria in her newly found hiding place

Baby Albert

Albert - He thinks my leather recliner is his.

1:12 scale Roger Gutheil chair - another treasure from the miniature show

What I'm Reading

2011-01-21T01:47:00.000-06:00

My sister asked for Merry Hall for Christmas, so I gave it to her and borrowed it to read. ;-) Beverley Nichols has written many books, and this the first of his second trilogy - am I confusing you? Anyway, it's hilarious. It's set in post WWII England, and is the story of his experiences restoring the garden of an old estate he's just purchased. I've ordered books 2 and 3 for myself...

The other book I've just finished is Jeanne M. Dams' latest Dorothy Martin mystery. These are set in England in the present day. She is also working on a series of Hilda Johansson mysteries, set in South Bend, IN around the turn of the twentieth century.

A New Car!

2011-01-20T22:52:00.000-06:00

This is my newest toy! A 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air in a beautiful turquoise blue. It's 1:12 scale and came from the Danbury Mint. I haven't had the courage to try putting the top up yet - I'm so afraid I'll break it! I'll take some better pictures in a day or two, in the daylight, but here I'm trying to show off the lights that actually work. The headlights switch from high to low beams with a dimmer switch on the floor. Pressing the brake pedal turns on the brake lights - what a concept! :-)

Maysville Guild Study Program

2010-11-17T14:05:00.003-06:00

In Oct. I attended the IGMA's guild study program in Maysville, KY. It was held at the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center which houses the Kathleen Savage Browning Miniatures Collection. I can't begin to describe the amazing exhibits and the wonderfully warm hospitality offered by Kaye Browning and the museum staff. The class I took was taught by William (Bill) Robertson - a 1:12 scale tiger maple chest of drawers, about 5 inches tall. The biggest challenge was the hand cut dovetails. Bill is a born teacher and an unbelievably talented artisan!

On the last night, we were invited to dinner at the home of Kaye Browning. These are views from her back yard.

Maysville is the hometown of Rosemary Clooney and a great place to see a wide variety of historic architecture. This is a shot of one of the flood wall murals, taken from the parking lot of the French Quarter Inn where I stayed.

A blog post to lift your spirits!

2010-04-23T18:49:00.000-05:00

I just had to share this beautiful post from one of my favorite bloggers....

Peace

Christ and the Torn Temple Curtain

2010-04-02T17:47:00.003-05:00

In case anyone's interested, here's the link to my article on the Good Friday religion page of the Herald-Citizen in Cookeville, TN. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention that the temple curtain tears from top to bottom at the time of Jesus' death, but I had never heard anything about what that might mean. So I looked it up, and found it to be quite significant. Hope you find it as interesting as I did.

Easter blessings to all, Missy

Addendum: Thanks to Sharon for letting me know the link has expired. :-) I've added the text of the article below. And Sharon, your comment is very interesting - I never thought of the ladder problem, and it wasn't in any of the commentaries I read.

The Way Through the Curtain
For Christians, the central event of God’s work of salvation is the atoning work of Christ on the cross. The meaning of the English word atonement is easy to see by dividing the word into its parts: at-one-ment. It means at one with. In our Christian faith, atonement speaks of the reconciliation between God and the fallen creation, especially between God and sinful human beings. Reconciliation with God leads to reconciliation with ourselves, with our communities, and with the world.

Throughout the Bible, the images of atonement threaten to overwhelm us by their sheer abundance. One of the images that is seldom given much attention is the rending of the temple veil brought about by Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45). To understand the significance of the torn veil, we must go back to the meaning of the temple in Jewish society. The temple, in its most basic sense, symbolizes the dwelling place of God. The temple also symbolizes the center of the cosmos, the meeting place between heaven and earth. As a symbol of creation, the temple evokes the Garden of Eden or paradise. Because the temple represented the dwelling place of God on earth, it was a symbol of holiness. Unlike a synagogue or church, the inside of the temple itself was not a place of public worship. On the inside was located the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. The curtain or veil protected the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies from common view. Only the high priest could go beyond the veil, and only on the Day of Atonement. Understanding this symbolism, we can see that the tearing of the curtain opens the way for us into the very presence of God.

In The Epistle to the Hebrews, the author compares Jesus to the “great high priest over the house of God” (10:21) and the torn curtain to Jesus’ own flesh (10:20). In other words, Jesus is both priest and sacrifice. As God Incarnate, Jesus is the ultimate Great High Priest. As God With Us, fully human but without sin, Jesus is the ultimate and perfect sacrifice. Christ, the great high priest, replaces the curtain of the temple with his own broken flesh. Through his broken flesh, sinful humanity is allowed to stream through the gap between humanity and divinity, into the very presence of God, reconciled to God forever. Humanity is now at one with God.

The author of Hebrews goes on to explain what it means for us to be reconciled with God. In Hebrews 10:22-24, we are called to faith, hope, and love. Because Jesus has opened the way through his flesh into God’s inner sanctuary, we can approach God “with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” We can “hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering,” and “we are to provoke one another to love and good deeds.”

Finally, we are reminded not to neglect the assembly of the saints (see Hebrews 10:25). In setting us at one with God, Christ’s work of atonement also sets us at one with self and neighbor. At the foot of the cross on Good Friday, we find that we are not alone. We are surrounded by witnesses who not only give glory to God, but also encourage each other. For the author of Hebrews, the cross is not simply a matter of personal salvation. In the cross, we are all made one in Christ – one with God, one with self, and one with neighbor, a divine wholeness for all of eternity.

More Dollhouse Progress Pictures

2010-03-13T15:20:00.002-06:00

Here's the latest...stairs taken out of the old version and temporarily in place in the new one. The stairs will be modified a bit, but mostly used as is.

More House Construction

2010-03-07T23:00:00.000-06:00

I've spent the last couple days cutting more 2X4s - under the supervision of the cat, of course. I've even added a few floor joists. Now to see if the stairs will come out of the first version of the basement to be used in the new one....

This is the back section of the house. There will also be a middle section and a front section.

New Baby Girl

2010-02-22T19:08:00.000-06:00

Today's the day for packages to arrive! This darling little baby girl, just under 2 inches tall, came today. She will be needing some clothes, since the outfit I have won't fit over her head or legs. I'll have to wrap her in a blanket for now. I do have a cradle for her if I can find it.... She was made by Alicia Singleton of AllieBeanDolls. She's beautiful in pictures, but even seeing her in person, I can't believe how delicate and perfect she is!

Dick Van Dyke Dollhouse

2010-02-22T16:18:00.001-06:00

I just got some new minis in the mail from Grandma Holly's House. What lightening fast service she provides!!! She had only 2 of these chairs, but she's ordered 2 more for me. They are made by Reac and are absolutely perfectly scaled for 1:12. Since there's no table to go with the chairs, I'll have to figure out how to make one.

This is a 1:12 scale replica of the Dick Van Dyke Show set which I started building about 10 years ago. Since then, I've moved twice, so not much has been done. I was also given some color pictures of the kitchen and living room since this decorating was done, so I'll be re-decorating in more authentic colors. I've also become a little better in the woodworking dept since I built this, so most of this will be re-done. This will give you an idea of what I'm working for though....

The actual colors in the kitchen were grey, aqua, and pink, with a green rug on the floor. I have some full size wallpaper from the 1960s that I reduced to miniature. It actually has all those colors in it, and I'm going to use it on the wall to the right of the table and chairs.

Above is a temporary display in which I used the kitchen wallpaper - just so you can see what it will look like. The cannisters and percolater will eventually go in the Dick Van Dyke house. The counter will go in the other dollhouse shown in earlier posts.

George the Miniguy: S-c-r-o-o-g-e!!

2010-02-22T14:33:00.000-06:00

This is one of the neatest mini rooms I've seen! Check out the glowing ghost! Lots of wonderful detail.

George the Miniguy: S-c-r-o-o-g-e!!

Rug Stitching Progress

2010-02-20T00:32:00.001-06:00

I've made a new start on some petitpoint, and have gotten lots of stitching done during the Olympics. The odd thing is that I haven't made any mistakes during the Olympics, but when the late news comes on, I'm doomed! The colors aren't showing up very well in the photo, but at least it gives a general idea. This is done on 48 ct silk gauze using Hand Dyed Fibers.

Back wall almost finished!

2010-02-03T23:11:00.001-06:00

I spent today cutting tiny pieces of wood. Not as relaxing as tiny stitches, but more visible progress. :-) There are just a few more pieces to cut, and I'll be ready to start the side walls. I'll also have to see if I can get the basement stairs out of the first house without damaging them. Fingers crossed that they'll fit with this new wall. With luck, the stair landing will be the right height for the door. (I did measure, but my measurements have been known to be wrong, as you can see by the original placement of the door, and the patch in the wall.)

Of course the real basement was poured concrete. I'll cover the studs in the basement and make it look like concrete. The door shown here is not the one that will be used - I'm just using this one for sizing purposes.

Petitpoint Pillow from Elizabeth Bradley designs

2010-02-01T15:36:00.004-06:00

A fellow miniaturist asked about Elizabeth Bradley designs that would work for stitching in miniature, so I thought I'd put up a picture of one of her designs that I stitched. It was one of my first petitpoint pieces that I stitched before I started designing my own. It's done on 48 ct silk gauze and has been made into a cushion suitable for placing on a dollhouse sofa or chair. The design is 50 X 50 stitches, and the pillow measures approximately 1 inch square, floral on the front and geometric on the back. I don't know why the second picture looks green!

Back to the dollhouse - Finally!

2010-01-31T17:36:00.006-06:00

I started this dollhouse about 7 or 8 years ago. Between getting overwhelmed with the complicated roof lines and 3 separate floors, and two moves, the house has had little attention. The house is a 1:12 scale (1 inch = 1 foot) replica of the house my great aunt and uncle lived in until they sold it around 1973. The house is still in existance at the corner of 37th and Burleigh, in Milwaukee, WI. I was able to take photos there from the outside before I began the construction process, supplementing photos I have from visits there. Since this is a replica of a real house, it does not have the typical open back that most doll houses in the US have. This makes it a challenge to make the interior accessible for decorating and viewing. Initially I planned to have each floor lift off in layers, but they are very heavy and tend to twist a bit when lifted up. The back room addition is at a different level, and I couldn't figure out how to make it easily separate from the kitchen/basement wall. Ceiling fixtures were also a problem if each floor lifted off. So here are the pictures of my first attempt. (Pictures of my solution to these problems later.) Actually, I guess the first pictures should be of the original house.

Below, I'm the one in the red shorts. The others are my mother, my great aunt, my grandmother, and my little sister. This must have been taken around 1968.

Below are my great aunt and uncle during construction of the new back room.

(With the first inhabitant, a furry little waif found under a dumpster at the mall. His name is Bing.)

This little room (above) will be the bathroom that was added in the basement. My mother remembers painting the walls herself when she was there visiting.

The little black cat in the pictures above is Schatzi.

My aunt designed this door herself. The shelves on each side will hold her collection of Dresden dancers and Hummels. The opening will have double French doors.

So - here's the beginning of the new version just started this week. I plan to stick build it (with studs and wall board, like a real house) which will make it much lighter weight. I'm going to make vertical sections instead of horizontal sections. There will be 3 main sections - front, middle, and back. I'll use the little back mudroom as it is, and there will also be a closed in front porch that will be a separate piece. I'll be re-using most of the interior parts such as the stairs, door, and basement bathroom, so I'm not really starting from scratch. Here's the new back wall in progress.

My next task is to cut the verticle studs and drill holes in them for the electrical wire, and then glue them all in place. The exterior sheathing is something I found at the art store called "museum board." It's very sturdy and archival quality, so it won't disintegrate over time. (I hope!) It's about 1/8" thick and can be cut with several passes of a utility knife. I had originally thought I would use 1/8" micro plywood, but that would have been very expensive and harder to cut. The interior wall board will be made of taskboard. I think I got the 1/32" thickness, but I don't remember for sure.

The big snow of 2010

2010-01-31T14:22:00.002-06:00

The first big snow in Nashville, TN in 6 years! We got about 7" here with 1/4" of ice on the top. Rosie skated all the way to the bottom of the big drop-off at the back of my yard this morning without even breaking through the crust. She was one surprised dog!

And it was good

2010-01-16T16:10:00.002-06:00

Recently I re-read an old book by Madeleine L'Engle. It's titled And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings. The book is a series of reflections on the book of Genesis, and it was the perfect way to start the new year. The season of Epiphany in the church calendar begins on Jan. 6, traditionally the day the wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus. The season of epiphany lasts for six Sundays, ending with the celebration of the Transfiguration of our Lord and followed by the season of Lent.

The word "epiphany" could be translated into common language as "a light-bulb moment" or an "ah-ha!" moment. During the season of Epiphany, the church's emphasis is on revelatory moments; times when the people see things as they have not seen them before. One of the reasons I so like Madeleine L'Engles' writing is that she always challenges me to see or think of things in ways that are different from ways I've seen them before. My new understandings are not just different, but fuller and richer, and my new understandings invariably stimulate my mind and heart to ask more questions and to think more deeply.

Missy

Haiti disaster relief

2010-01-15T23:15:00.000-06:00

If you're wondering where to donate, this is my recommendation. Of course, where you donate doesn't matter as much as whether you donate! :-)
United Church of Christ Haiti relief

Thanks! Missy

Daily joys

2009-11-17T23:19:00.004-06:00

I don't have much to add today - was out of town yesterday for a meeting and dinner with my mother. In the midst of daily mundane life, however, there are always the little joys, and animal lovers might enjoy these pictures of my dog and my cat on their daily walk together. Rosie needs her leash to stay on track, but Schatzi almost always comes along, alternately leading, following, and rolling over in the midst of those dangerous doggie feet!

Leading:

Following, sort of:

Living dangerously!

Here's to our furry friends!

Beginnings

2009-11-15T18:43:00.001-06:00

Hello! To be honest, I never thought blogging was something I would ever do. I'm just beginning to learn how, and it's taken me 2 days to get this far. My intention is not to make the intimacies of my life public, but to share the things that enrich my life with the hope of enriching other lives.

The title of this blog was inspired by a book by C.S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. In addition to the series of Narnia books, Lewis wrote many books over his lifetime. As a young man, he was not sure of his own beliefs, but he eventually became one of the most respected Christian apologists of the 20th century. His book, Surprised by Joy, is my personal favorite of those intended for adults. The movie inspired by the later years of his life, Shadowlands, with Debra Winger and Anthony Hopkins, is one of my favorites. I was first introduced many years ago to Lewis' writings by a reference in a sermon to the following quote from the final page of The Last Battle, Book #7 of the Chronicles of Narnia series:

"All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

To me, this is a beautiful and hopeful allegory of life and death, and one that has influenced me for many years.

Missy