'ambition is a dream with a V8 engine' - Elvis Presley

a little engine-inspiration to title this post :D. So, it's time to let you know what I'm making with my not-so-V8-micro-engine ;). I actually gave a hint about it in the blogtitle of my previous post, 'blending crafts'. Now I've given away that hint it's probably not hard to guess anymore: it's a blender! And the photo might have given you some idea too ;).

the setup with the parts I have so far. At least it already looks like a blender ;)

I e-mailed Leo Reinders, a Dutch miniature glassblower (Arnhem fair), last year some photo's and measurements to make

blending crafts

hi there, thanks so much for stopping by. I thought it might be nice to get my ass back here a bit sooner than last time ;). For my newest project I needed help from another miniaturist, because it involves a glass part. I'm willing to try new things and make myself somehow figure out how to make something and the way I want, but attempting to blow a glass miniaturepart didn't seem like the best idea to begin with 😉 let alone being able to make it in a way that would be halfway decent. Sometimes you just need to ask a professional right? But I will try something new for it myself. Not nearly as impressive as blowing glass - or at all - but something I look forward to doing.

the micromotor at the top is what I'll use, the other one is the one I used for my fan

what this new project will be?

I made a 1:12 scale working tablefan with tiny working switch!

hi everyone, I'm so happy to say I got the tiny switch to work!!! So finally a succesful fan-tastic challenge, yay!

of course you have to see a miniature like this in action so I made a video of it: enjoy!

don't ask me how I did it though. A while ago (after lots of trying, exploring unused parts of my brain and trying some more) I had reluctantly

Murphy's law and serious test in patience..

didn't plan any update before finished because I've been at the verge of that since my last post (since before actually), but feel like it with what happened today, again. I was literally finishing the working switch a couple of times over the past 2 months when something happened that brought me back quite a number of steps of the fan itself. Then today it fell on the floor, because the wires got stuck in my sleeve when I tried to comfort my cat who was in a bit of distress (she has dimentia). I didn't notice until it fell. Doesn't sound too bad and thought I could fix that quite easily despite the delicacy of the thin metal I used and not easy to handle either. But wasn't too worried, just kind of annoyed. It didn't go how I thought or expected however and might mean I need to make several parts again...

here's the last photo's before that happened:

how it looked before it went wrong the last of several times

making miniatures I'm used to challenges, like we all are. Comes with the territory right? They're fine and part of the fun, no matter

fan-tastic challenge - almost done..

I finished my fan, yay! I just didn't get it to work with the switch, yet.. Little tricky that is, haha! I did get it more or less, just not how it should be. Meaning I have to press the connection with tweezers while holding the fan upside down ;). But I really want to show the fan finished, just without a working switch for now.

 

 the tiny switch (the black and above it is the switch, the rest is what's inside the base):

fan-tastic challenge

hi my lovely people, long time no see, hope you're doing well! I'm able to enjoy the small but for me big joys of life the past 5 months again which is (like last year) the reason miniatures have had to take a back seat even more than ususal. But that doesn't mean it's of my radar! Thanks for your patience and for me not falling of yours ;), I truly appreciate you being here.

I wanted to wait until finished, but too excited about it, so I'd like to show where I am with the latest

a tiny white world..

hi there! later than planned with the first Christmasday already more than halfway over (yes I know, the Netherlands is the only country - or one of the few countries - that have 2 Christmasdays :D) I'd like to share with you this miniature working snowglobe I made.

snow definitely not being a likelihood any time soon in the Netherlands, this Christmas I'll just enjoy the tiny white world within this snowglobe 😁. And a little video to go with it.

sugarsweet

I made this working sugar pourer! Well to be exact: I made the spout. From tealightmetal and it's of course the part which basically makes it one :D. The rest is a glass miniature-perfumebottle* & a closed metal jewelerypart (endcap) that I made a hole in for the spout to go through. It can actually 'pour' the sugar (with a little help by tapping the bottle), the 'sugar' being regular white sand I've grinded to get it very fine. It's so fine, that to the naked eye it looks like powder, but as you can see in the photo on the right, they're still 'sugar'chrystals. Just very tiny and - probably - about the right size for miniature.

and as I've done with my other working miniatures, I've made a video of it being used! I have so much fun making those :D.

video of working tissuebox

like last post I have another oldie for you that I made a little video of. So you can see it can actually be used!

besides some music - starts after a while - it also has some sound, so make sure your volume is on/open :D. I hope you'll like it, enjoy!

 

video: one time handcream in 99 seconds

do you like video's of working miniatures? I have one for you of the handcreamtube I once made (here's the original post). The reason I called it 'one-time-handcream' was because when you would use it on your big humanhands, the amount in the tube would just be enough for one time only :).

although it's nothing spectacular (or new in regard to the miniature, already 3 years old), I think it's fun. I hope you like it too. Enjoy!

the status of a mini-laptop ;)

nope, didn't forget about, or gave up on it. Are you kidding me? I love this project, albeit a nervewrecking one ;).

I recently realized I've never made a setup with the laptopparts so far, which are the parts that have been ready for a few years now, but so here it is. And although it's all loose and (especially the bottompart) needs some important things besides glueing it all together, it gives a nice idea. Of course this is the off-view, the laptop will have a normal screen that you've seen before for when it's lit. This is an insert for a dark screen, we have to keep it realistic right? :D

tutorial of working Roman blinds - it's much easier than you think!

how about some working Roman blinds in your roombox, house or whatever project?

don't worry, it's much easier than a quick look at all the steps might suggest. And yes, I'm talking about working Roman blinds, they are very easy, just trust me ;) Don't believe me? Oh well, then you go on and grab all the needed stuff, make them and see for yourself ! It's fine with me for you to admit I was right when you're done :D

windowscene with a fun detail

hi there again my dear minifriends, I hope you are doing well. I've got some positive news (I'm now confident it's not just an occasional-upswing): I'm doing better finally! Some treatments I started, one months ago, another one last week, are definitely kicking in. Meaning I've - mostly - got more (muscle)strength, air (!) and energy and I feel a little bit human again! And so I've put another little scene together the past week, just because I could :D. This time using my mdf-corner with the window in the windowopening it came with (I've always just stuck a 'wallpaper' and fireplace in front of it ;). Nope, unfortunately not my view (although mine is great too!), just a printed one, nice hey?

watch & be humbled (not by me - obviously :D)

I like to share something miniaturewise with you that astounded me, something truly amazing:

"one-of-a-kind masterpiece by artist Paul Gentile. A fully-functional replica of the stunning

1903 Steinway White House grand piano" - Steinway

source: Forbes.com

tutorial real writing pencil

Hi y'all, just like to mention a tutorial that has been in my Tutorial, Tips & Trics II section since February and maybe you like. And maybe gives you a nice reason to go into the summery outdoors to find the key-ingredient if you like having a goal. Or you might find it in an old stash of dried flowers like I did. Anyway, if you like it, enjoy making it!

a journey of a thousand miles...

... begins with a single step - Lao Tzu, Chinese Philosopher, 604 - 531 bc

well, a thousand miles this is, my ever so challenging mini-laptop, I've been able to work on a bit the past few weeks! Meaning that I could finally proceed on the lighting again. In my head I've known for months what to do, but in ones head connections don't come loose all the time and once connected lights don't stay dark for unclear reasons either :).

a challenge is a challenge is a challenge...

my mother, boyfriend and some others have shaken their heads more than once laughing and think I'm crazy to want to make something in a way that makes it way too difficult or seems impossible.

well, I think that sometimes too ;) And yesterday was one of those times.

not even doing anything with wiring itself I got myself another laptop wiring challenge yesterday.

let there be light!

thanks for your supporting comments on my lightingpickle and confidence it will be resolved.
I'm happy to tell you that I wíll be able to solve it, relatively easy even. The photo is with a quickly restored - but not yet permanent - connection.

one-time handcream

last week finally able to do some minor steps on my mini-laptop, which is fun. But it will take a lot more of those steps to finish, so I wanted to make something inbetween. Something I had been wanting to try for quite some time now: a tube of my favorite handcream that I got from a friend once (it's bigger than most tubes of handcream, about 17cm long (about 6,7 inches), the mini-one 1,4cm (approx. 0,4 inches)).

why 'one-time handcream'?
well, it's not just a miniature version of a tube of handcream... Nope, I wanted to make it as real as possible, so the cap is coming of and it contains the real stuff which can be squeezed out! How fun is that?

started making miniature laptop

my next project is a miniature laptop, after my own. I want it with a light, but even the smallest bulbs were to big (screen would have to be twice as thick with them, which I found unacceptable!), but then I found tiny bulbs, 0,75 mm (!) that would just be right. I'm very curious on how realistic I will be able to make it, but I have some ideas that might bring me close. Just some parts I made to start with, mostly from my beloved thin black plastic that comes with sandwichmeats.