Day 36-The Fabulous Blog Award

FABBY BLOG AWARD! I think that's what it is called. I LOVE IT! Thank you, Mercedes of Liberty Biberty who lives in New Zealand, a country where every scene is picture perfect. Mercedes is a popular blogger and miniaturist. She makes things for children who have declared that she is a better craftsman than Santa Claus. I love her blog and is honoured that she thinks I am worthy of this gift from her.

Please accept these Peacock Peonies from the palace in gratitude.

This is how Mercedes describes me : San who has to be the most ambitious miniaturist around building, furnishing and people-ing a Maharajah's Palace.

I am afraid it is less of an ambition and more like an obsession. So listing my 5 addictions is easy:

Numero Uno Addiction:

My Maharajah's Palace- the dollhouse and all its related mini. To illustrate, I have increased the population of the palace over the last weekend to 49 and here's 45 of them having a party at Sumaiya's house (the other 4 are still with her) :

Addiction No. 2

My Maharajah's Palace-the Blog and all related activities including photoshoots, installing new blog gadgets and researching for posts

3rd Addiction :

Books, Books, Books, even making mini ones- I probably have close to 1000 books at home and already made 53 mini ones (finished the MOMA series over the weekend whilst populating the palace, see top "shelf" of chocolate box, the rest are from Queen Anne and will eventually be trashed)

Adiccion 4:

Indian culture, art and architecture so much so I have to trot down to Little India at least once a month to soak it all in. I am right now sitting on this beautiful quilted bed cover I bought from India (yes I work on my bed a lot)


Last but definitely not least, any weight loss programme. At this moment, it is 30 burpees everyday and running hopefully three times a week soon. This set of gym equipment can be bought for USD7.99. Just click on pic to find out where.

Much as I am horribly addicted to all the above, I will give them up in a heartbeat for the people I love ..ok, not exactly a heartbeat but close.

I hope to take some time to pass all 5 awards (like how I did with the Blog Award) but the 1st award I hope to pass to is

1. Daisy Capri from Brazil who has 5 blogs, one of which showcase a series of colonial shophouses which I adore. Her blog is largely written in Portuguese so I am guessing that she is part of a group of miniaturists involved in this shophouse project. I really recommend you visit the Picassa album of these absolutely quaint and marvellous shops. The detailed work of these very talented miniaturists, including Daisy and her tea-pots will surely charm your socks off.



2. The Creagers have me bowled over and over again with their abilities to breathe life and personality (and yes, I can almost hear their dolls whisper) into mere lumps of clay and transform them into exquisite works of art. How can anyone not want a piece of Creager Creation after browsing their galleries, I don't know. Even better, Jodi Creager, "a woman of several art forms"-self titled, whom I have communicated over 1 "comment" is a warm, "pee-in-your-pants" funny and down to earth person. Read her blog and you will find that she, who had been named by Louis Armstrong, will have you gasping for more.



3. iTkUpiLLi is a multi-media Finnish artist (she humbly labels herself as a "wannabe" but I say, "no more Jann, no more") who now lives in LA. as a housewife. I found 8 of her blogs (excluding her Flickr album) but she may have more. All, and I mean all her blogs are a sight for sore eyes. At once whimsical but bold, her art is daintily and most pleasingly macarbe with a place for almost everyone, even my Indian palace. And if you check out her Cute and Cool Blog Stuff For You, (a deceptively and most understatedly named blog), you will find a haven of free and wondrous labour of love for the sharing. The beautiful blog accesorries on my blog here? Her work! Need I say more? Visit her blog, check out her art and then sing her praises for she deserves every bit of it.



4. Casey of Casey's Minis is an artisan I recently (like just NOW) discovered although I have seen this name popped up ever so often. And now I know why..I am so enthralled with her work that I am giving her 2 awards just for sheer talent, creativity and mastery of almost every aspect of miniature building PLUS she's a big fan of Gilmore Girls. Her blog is one that I can visit over and over again, read the same post probably more than twice and admire her artistry hundred times over. The bonus (understatement) is Casey's generosity for there are at least 60 posts on tutorials so that she can "pass along what I can to others that want to make their own miniatures". Casey lives in Tucson USA and for a few years, was restoring antique miniatures for Pat Arnell of the Mini Time Machine Museum in Tucson until she ran out of space! This is a blog I will return to again and again or am I sounding like a broken record already.



5. Constance Muller is a designer. I am a little overwhelmed having just returned from her blog . It is at once whimsical, heartfelt and beautiful. Through her blog, you can visit her gallery of the dreamiest and most enchanting dolls which Constance handmade into little handbags. I used to collect handbags in a big way until now when every dollar I have, I spend 1st on dollhouse and its paraphernalias. Her dolls though may be the exceptions. Boutique Rochambeau describes her "Floralinas" as follows: "When Constance was a little girl growing up in San Francisco, a neighbor gave her an Italian purse in the shape of a doll. She has remained under its magical spell ever since--the childhood gift became the inspiration for her line of Floralina Handbags, Tree toppers, Tea cozies and Doll's. She makes each whimsical little lady by hand and gives each a romantic name." Don't you just love her dolls? I do, completely.