'Cabin Fever' Secret Book finished

It took quite a while to do all the little bits to go inside Cabin Fever.  These pieces are very tiny! They are 1:160 scale, which is very, very tiny indeed.  I feel all thumbs when doing them.  I have mentioned before how much I love my very pointy tweezers - well, they are even more essential for this scale.  You just cannot do it with your fingers.  In fact you can't even hold most of them with your fingers - you have to use tweezers.


Here are the little pieces in front of the book 'room', and you can see by the ruler in front of it just how little it all is.

Here are the 'rooms' with all the pieces in place.  Don't you love the detail?  This is just so typical of Robin Betterley products.  The artwork is superb and the detail is fantastic. There are cushions on the sofa, a throw on the chair.  The lamp has a moose on it, there's a playing board on the coffee table and the fishing creel has three fishing rods beside it.  Upstairs there is an armoire, bed and blanket chest.  The bed and armoire have tiny trees on the tops - such delicate detail.

Here is a closer view of the room, hope it shows things slightly more clearly.  I think I had the camera on the wrong setting.  I was trying out the indoor setting, but they don't seem as clear and sharp as usual.

Can you see the tiny little trees on the bedposts and the wardrobe?  And can you see the detail of the lamp on the ground floor?  And the fishing creel? 


It took all evening to make the bedroom furniture, and I did the living room today.  So I don't think I will be doing an entire book each night.  

Waiting for the stain pens....

Well actually I am wondering whether they have been confiscated by Customs.  But I have asked our nephew to post off all the parcels/padded envelopes addressed to me in a postal box, up to me here.  Hopefully he might not have recognised it for what it is.  If they have arrived I can go ahead and stain the flooring for The Avalon.  If they haven't, I will have to paint it. 


Meanwhile I have been keeping busy at night time, doing some secret books.  I had several that I hadn't made up yet.  In fact I had only made up the first one: Birchwood.  I've posted about it before, but here it is again.

I've also made up the bookcase.  I did it in a dark brown rather than the black that the model was done in and I really like the effect, especially with the 'distressing' that I did by sanding the edges etc. 

But the poor Birchwood secret book sure did look lonely sitting on there all by itself :)

So I packed the rest of the book kits that I've bought so far, and brought them with me.  This last week I brought them out and have been working on them; the first couple of nights I assembled most of the book interiors and covers, one by one and put each in a disposable food container with the label so I'd remember which one it was.  The next night I finished the last couple and started painting them with two coats of paint, which I mixed to fit with the colour of the artwork.  The fourth night that was completed and the ceiling inside was done with light ivory.


Here they are in process

I know I could have done them one by one, but I enjoyed doing it this way.  Then I went through and did the artwork on the cover and the interiors.

So here is each one, showing the covers and the interiors.

And here they are sitting on the bookshelf, keeping 'Birchwood' company.  I'm sure it feels much happier now :)

Jennifer, this part is because you asked on your blog how people managed to work in small areas.  Well, I actually have a large area to work on compared to my usual area of 2' x 18". folding table, where I have to store my supplies on the lounge beside me - and consequently get into a huge mess.  But if Nathan isn't sleeping in the caravan I can set up on the table. When he does he uses the long bench next to the table so I can't use it.  But here is a view of the table at the moment:

And beside me on the long bench I have the Avalon that I am working on (it's in the box under the second basket of paints with the baby wipes on top).  Since I took this photo I have put it into a plastic tub but it is still in the same place, with the basket of paints and bits on it.  And on the back of the couch I have a smaller basket with other tools in it.

For the secret books I obviously still have the interiors to fill.  You saw the detail of the Birchwood book, and the others have as much detail too.  Here is the contents of one of them:

And finally, the whole exterior needs a coat of 'dirty varnish'.  So there's quite a bit to still do on them.  I will show you how I go as I finish each one.


I also have a very tiny one, which I received as a Christmas gift from the Betterleys.  I haven't done that one yet.  I don't 'do' Halloween so I won't be buying that one.  That leaves about four more secret books to get now, until/unless they release more.

Trying a different tack.....

Will it help get my mojo back?

When a family crisis of any kind hits, it certainly brings true priorities to the fore.  I have always found comfort in miniatures during times of stress but have to admit that at the moment I am struggling to keep my mind set on anything.  I am of course very concerned about our daughter Kirsten.  Hodgkin's lymphoma is one of the more successful cancers as far as treatment goes.  But when one has four young children to care for and has to undergo the far from pleasant process of any of the treatments it is difficult to put it mildly - not only physically but coping with the emotional issues on her side and the childrens' side as well.  I am naturally ready to hop in the car and go with the caravan to stay for an indefinite period to assist as much as possible as soon as she gives the word and have told her so.  She will let me know once we have a path of treatment mapped out from the doctors.

Then there is my mother who is in a Nursing Home.  I have felt so guilty ever since she had to move into there.  My husband and brother vetoed the idea of my nursing her here at home because I physically am unable to do it - her needs are too high and I have problems of my own.  But still the guilt persists, and her resentment persists too.  Her mind is sharp as a tack but her body is failing fast.  At the moment I am trying to visit her daily to get her on her feet with Peter's help, in order to improve her ability to stand and mobility.  For someone with a bad back this is taking a toll.  But the nursing staff are no longer able to do it because of OH&S and the only other alternative is a full lifter and she would no longer be able to use the toilet - this has implications that involve loss of dignity, total loss of any remaining mobility and independence, and of course everything that goes with that.  This is totally distressing for me as well as my mother.  And she is lashing out at everyone in her anxiety and frustration.

I have in fact lost my mojo regarding minis and when I try to find solace I end up just dithering.  And I find myself unable to participate in the groups at the moment, though I am still receiving emails and scanning some, doing my best to answer a few.  The other day I had a massage (I was a 'little tense' - wonder why???).  I have one every fortnight and believe me, they help!  Not relaxing though.  Gary is a 6'2" soccer player and he shows no mercy - gives me what my muscles need, not what I think I want vbg!  I always come home feeling spaced out and exhausted but it does really help.  After I recover! 

In the morning before I went I dug out the kit for the Secret Book that had arrived a couple of days prior.  I fiddled around a lot and it took me a long time - all morning in fact - but I did get the book and the cover assembled and painted before I left after lunch for my appointment.  These are the approximate size of a box of matches and are Robin Betterley's new release (www.robinbetterley.com).  There are 13 in the series, and a bookcase that holds 12 of them and has a display stand to go on top to hold the 13th, open for display.  Here is the exterior - sorry the photo of the spine isn't very clear, I need to take another photo.

Front cover

Back cover

And here is the interior.  First, showing the 'drawer' or secret book sliding out of the cover:

Then the two in the palm of my hands to show the size - it's very hard taking a photo with one hand and holding things with the other vbg.

Here's another view of the overall interior totally removed from the cover, in the palm of my hand:

And here is a close-up of the detail in the ground floor:

And the 1st floor:

As usual with anything from the Betterleys, all artwork and every little detail was supplied and the kit was beautifully presented.  The only things one need to supply are glue and paint.  As you can see above I didn't do a terribly good job of trimming the label on the lower side of the ribbon reel table - fortunately it doesn't show in real life.  My scissors just wouldn't trim any closer.  And after everything was glued into place I realised that I hadn't put in the pretty little rug that was supposed to go on the floor upstairs. But there is so much there that I don't think it is missed.  I will of course save it to use somewhere else.

It took me all afternoon and evening up until midnight or later to finish it off, but I was determined to do so.  I am reasonably pleased with the result but not totally.  It was more a matter of doing it to try and get inspired again rather than doing it because I was inspired.

I also dug out the Birchwood packs that I have received.  There is a hold-up of some kind with the 6th one, the last of the first series, but I have the rest.  I am wondering whether it will help if I start doing this series.  I know I am in the middle of so many Petite Properties things, and I have several other things from Debbie Young and also from Karen Benson, but perhaps a complete change of theme will get that old mojo back again.

Keep posted and we will see!