Category: Inspiration

Colors

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protoypes_021717

It’s late, and the light is incandescent, but here is the first offering of 1:12 scale modern office accessories. There is a horizontal file holder, a vertical file or magazine holder, a cache pot (which means a useful container to catch all the loose things), a rubbish bin/trash can, and coordinating-colored file folders. The horizontal file holder can also be combined to form a two-level multi-purpose holder of things. The first colorway is orange, yellow and gray. Available over at MMS+S real soon!

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Scarlett has embraced the warmth and cubby holes of my husband’s music studio, at least in the evenings when he is home. For incomprehensible to me reasons, the noise does not bother her. She bites guitar strings and scales bass traps. And only occasionally chews wires. She’s such a good buddy cat.

Toto2 Prototype, First Article

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Rounding out +Sundry baskets, here is the final Toto2 basket prototype. There are at least two handle styles possible, and I played with the idea of basket hardware.

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I improved the proportions from the first Toto, and experimented with lid types.

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Here is the first article. It’s Minwax Golden Oak stain and W&N Promarker Marsh Green.

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Tomorrow, light and electricity permitting, I’ll be able to photograph the instructions and shop listings. There’s a big windy storm blowing in, and with the ground already saturated… Everything will be alright.

Diversion

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boxtop

I am waiting on a system update, and my husband brought this home last night. As a maker, I am in awe of Bandai kits.

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This is a snap-together model, no glue or paint required. Perfect, if a wee bit intimidating. But having my very own highly articulated 1:12 scale classic stormtrooper? Must do.

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My thoughtful husband also brought me some pro sprue nippers — I know, he’s a keeper. And although the directions are in Japanese, they are very well laid out with photographs and numbered parts and steps.

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Yikes! I am in violation of international law!

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System still updating, so I assembled the head. Adorable. The parts snap together almost seamlessly, and the level of detail is extraordinary.

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First computer restart on the update, and here is the shapely torso. The head swivels and moves back and forth.

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Head, torso and… crotch? The internal articulation assemblies are particularly interesting, and again, the level of detail! Those tiny black buttons extend beyond the armor the merest fraction. Very tactile.

Sadly, I mean finally, my computer has finished its task and I must return to work. To be continued…

Boxen

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scene

Gee golly gosh oh man golly, does taking something to market take some time? Answer: yes. Not complaining; I want to get it right as right as I can make it can be.

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Up in the MMS+S shop today are three cardboard box kits. Three sizes of boxen, each the epitome of scale fidelity and utility. If you didn’t know you needed these before, well, it will soon become apparent.

I’m pretty much over my basket weaving overload aversion, and am looking forward to bringing the mildly-redesigned Toto basket into production. Priority: next.

Thank you, thank you all for your support and interest. You make a difference.

New +Sundries

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ff_godzilla2

We’ve been engrossed in producing things around here, and the studio is a mess. Piles of papers and things on every surface. The answer is miniature file folders, in many colors, including classic manila.

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They’re available now over at MMS+S, part of a new line of miniature office supplies.

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The precut folders are packaged in a “kit” of a dozen 13 — all you do is fold on the score line :) They will also be available packaged in a custom box, (which will also also be available as a kit) along with some other boxes and sundries. Because good studios and offices need them, to be tidy studios and offices.

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Figuring out box design dimensions, assembly, and cut and score lines. Getting more proficient at drawing in ways that translate well to SVG. Really appreciate the scoring tool feature of the Cricut machine.

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Model building, instruction writing, label design, photography and kitting are all in various stages of completion. (For the Toto basket, too! And delightful hen-and-chicks succulents.) I am closing my eyes and tapping my heels together three times. And thinking to myself …

Basket Kit Listed

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close_up

The first woven paper basket kit is up on Modern Miniature Succulents + Sundries! Starting with a pre-cut kit takes all the tedium out of miniature basket weaving.

(Vocabulary enrichment moment: When looking for a nicer word than ‘tedium’, I encountered longueur, and this reflection by Francine Prose:
“I find myself using this word more often than I probably should, to describe those boring stretches of a novel or play during which your attention drifts … I would probably use it even more frequently were it not so difficult to spell. What I like is how the sound of it suggests a combination of languor and length — the languor produced by something that is unduly long — though I have learned that its derivation has to do with length rather than lassitude.”)

I stuck with tedium. Anyway, some outtakes from the instructions:

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Just color, weave and glue :)

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Voilà!

Lime Spice, Liners, Soon, Stretch

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Last night, I thought this color combination was a really good idea. Note my test markers in the lower right corner… I rejected better colors for the jolt of lime. Tsk. But all is not wasted. I refined the Toto basket handle assembly, and experimented with interior/exterior color differences.

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Which led me to this, this morning. I’ve been holding onto this fabulous piece of wrapping paper for some years, creases, tape and all. With the sticky mats of the Cricut machine, I sacrificed precision of placement for precision of cutting.

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Perfectionist me was disappointed, but do it me did something.

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Basket liners! I don’t know why I thought the wrapping paper offcut would make a good photo background, but here you can mostly see three of the round lidded baskets, stained golden oak, dark walnut and cherry, with their new bling liners. I quite like the contrast between understated exterior and patterned inside. And, as a technique! I encourage you to explore.

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The new basket kits require larger packaging, which necessitates a different form for the instructions and mailer. Here is a ’neak preview of the thing. The weather forecast is for clear skies tomorrow, so I’m hoping to finish the instructions photography then. And then, then, actually list them in the shop!

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Finally, of course, Scarlett. I’ve shown remarkable restraint in not posting multi-daily photos of her adorableness. At almost seven months old, she’s approaching cat teenhood. The best thing to have happened to the harmony of our multi-species family is her access to the great outdoors. She still torments the two older cat boys relentlessly, but a lot of her alpha ways are absorbed in bug-and-other hunting and exploration. And she’s still got that crazy striped lemur tail.

Machine Love, Sundry Basket

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I first learned weaving paper strips to make perfect miniature baskets from Jane Harrop. I’ve used her technique quite a bit for all manner of woven containers. I’m no stranger to precise measuring and cutting of things, but the Cricut machine is ideal for streamlining and automating the process, namely the precise measuring and cutting. I draw the lines in Illustrator, and export as a SVG. Here you see a 1/16-inch (1.6 mm) layout of base and weavers. Perfectly cut by a happy machine.

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Beginning weaving. This is for a finished height of 1.5 inches (38 mm) which translates to 18 inches (46 cm), a substantial-sized basket. On a 1.5-inch (38 cm) base, that’s a lot of weaving of black paper, late at night, on the first day of the new year.

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Slow progress, though I enjoy the process. This height (or width) of basket requires tacking down the weavers every three or so, to maintain integrity. It gets gluey.

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Come next morning, I’ve rethought my premise. All black is challenging to work with in the best of light. Also, black cardstock as a medium is very monochrome and flat as a believable basket. And the starting height requires *far* too much time weaving for a prototype or proof of concept. So I redrew the base to half the height, and cut a new pattern from white cardstock. I used an ebony Minwax touchup marker to stain the base, which lends a more organic color to the paper. I was about to stain the weavers, when, hey! that looks cool!

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I’ve once again lost the light, but I think you can see how appealing this black-and-white woven tub is! More importantly, having the tedious measuring and cutting work reduced in producing such a thing — whether round, oblong, square or oval, handled or no — in whatever color suits your purpose, because *you* decide… might this be a thing for you? I’m going to put a basic kit in the shop which will accommodate up to a 1.25-inch round bottom, a 1/16-inch weaving base and more than adequate weavers. I’ll gladly draw to your specifications, as well. It will take me a few more days, but check it out and let me know!

MMS+S Signage

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sign_fail_4x5

I continue to explore what works and what does not on the Cricut Explore Air 2. I’ve not yet moved beyond cardstock. I wanted to make signage for the courtyard set. This is my first attempt at cutting a sign 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) square. Lessons learned.

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I scaled up to almost four inches, and it cut beautifully.

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Here is the sign, 23 picas square, released from the sticky mat. I glued a nice piece of translucent plastic salvaged from Japanese rice cracker packaging to the back, and cut lengths of 1/4-inch basswood for the top and bottom.

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The finished sign. At least for now.