My Workspace... Chocolate Cake Preps

Haven't heard from me in a while?! I've been quite busy since Halloween getting all ready for Christmas. I hope you caught my recent post about my roast goose (here) which is actually being listed on Etsy tomorrow afternoon PST.

Before I get too Christmassy I thought I'd share some non-holiday miniatures. Over the past couple of days I have been making chocolate cakes decorated with cherries on rustic waxed prep boards. Here's a glimpse at them in the making. These are mostly as 'thank yous' to editors and such (I've been featured in magazines a few times lately). I made 6 so will offer one or two for sale as well. The design won't be repeated, so as usual, feel free to email me directly to request that I put one aside for you if you like. :)

Only 2 more weeks in New Zealand and then I fly off to the UK for a few weeks, and then back to the US in early Dec.... so start to make a mental note now - my online Hummingbird Miniatures shop will be closed for a bit whilst I am traveling and you may like to purchase things sooner than later if you're keen to have something in time for Christmas.

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Happy Halloween 2012!

Wishing everyone a Happy Halloween! Hope you all have fabulous plans for tonight and fabulous costumes.
As many of you know, I am living in New Zealand for a few months (leaving next month on November 20th) so we're a day and a half ahead of you in America, and 12 hours ahead of the UK. I've already celebrated Halloween dressed as a pirate wench at a Weta Halloween party!




Thank you to those of you that used the exclusive Halloween coupon code advertised in The Dolls' House Magazine this month. Hope you enjoyed your 25% off coupon. And thank you to all that used the other coupon code issued here on this blog (see past post about it here). Glad to see so many of you used this 25% off code also. :)

Don't miss all the Christmas treats coming very soon to this blog and of course to my Hummingbird Miniatures online shop...

PS Did you know you can browse all the different Hummingbird Miniatures seasonal and holiday ranges by clicking here?

Roast Goose for a Dickensian Christmas!

It's not too early to start thinking about Christmas is it? Hope not because I have plenty to share!

At Christmastime in London, what did Scrooge feast his eyes on when led into the home of his employee Bob Cratchit? Amidst the "merry sound of scales", the rattle of canisters and the "blended scents of tea and coffee", Scrooge saw raisins "so plentiful and rare," sticks of cinnamon "so long and straight", candied fruits "caked and spotted with molten sugar as to make the coldest lookers-on feel faint", figs "moist and pulpy", French plums "blushed in modest tartness from their highly decorated boxes" and finally he said;

"There never was such a goose. Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness were the themes of universal admiration."

I myself grew up in a mediaeval village in England, and Christmas was old fashioned, traditional and I loved it! I thought back to my favourite Christmases as a child and created a traditional roast goose with blood orange and crab apples. It is featured in the Dec issue of UK magazine 'Dolls House Miniatures Scene' (out next month).

Roast Christmas Goose with Blood Orange, Crab Apples, Cranberries and greens in one inch scale. A one of a kind piece which will not be repeated. The dish is fine bone china with a 22k gold pattern.

Slice of Halloween Cake?!

Who has a sweet tooth this spooky season?!
This is a slice of chocolate Halloween cake with mint frosting and it's served up with a stripy Halloween candy cane on a spider web party plate. The cake has a tiny bite taken out of it. One inch scale and handmade by me of course.

I decided not to create a Halloween range as such for Hummingbird Miniatures this year (2012) for a variety of reasons - which are...

1 - I'm crazy busy making my first short film (details here),
2 - I am volunteering at Weta Workshop whilst I am staying here in New Zealand,
3 - I have been busily creating quite a spooky Halloween 2012 Range for my other miniature brand (blog here, shop here),
4 - I have been working on a Christmas Range since July,
and finally...
5 - I still have so much lovely stock from last year and I don't want more miniatures to add to what I already have to take on the plane as carry-on when I fly back to the UK next month, and into the US this Dec!!

So, enjoy this one and only new Hummingbird Miniatures contribution to Halloween 2012! I made 4 - they're super cute and detailed and I'm actually listing them at my online Hummingbird Miniatures shop here for only $10 each - so get them before they go. :)

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25% off this Spooky Season!

Guess what?! With spooky time upon us and Halloween 2012 only weeks away.... I have a coupon code for you with a whopping 25% discount!

This great offer applies ONLY to Halloween products. This means you can use it for...

Halloween cakes (there's 3 varieties),
spooky eclairs,
trick or treat donuts,
Halloween cookies,
Halloween religieuse pastries,
Halloween profiteroles,
chocolate bats,
candy ghosts,
decor glitter pumpkins,
and anything else I may list which is described as a Halloween item!

Just hop over to my online Hummingbird Miniatures shop and click to buy your items and then enter the coupoin code 'SPOOKY12' before you click to pay and 25% will be deducted from everything except postage.
Please do not use the coupon to buy non-Halloween items. :)

This coupon is valid for the entirity of this weekend and expires on Sunday night at midnight PST.

Happy shopping!

My Workspace - Birthday Prep Boards

I've been so mad busy making these new designs that I am reallllllllly behind in photographing them. So I thought I'd at least share some works-in-progress so you'll know what to expect in store in the coming weeks.

Hummingbird Miniatures is gearing towards prep boards quite a bit lately - I've been making jam prep boards, cake prep boards, birthday prep boards, pie prep boards.... all sorts! I've also been making ever so many new design prep boards over at Pixie - take a look here.
Hope you like the new designs. Stay tuned for more designs and for better photos. :) They'll be available at my online store soon.

And look what else I have to share.... (last picture!) I went to my local art store for more wood today (I hand-make all my own wooden prep board bases) and got a tad lost down some street I didn't know here in Wellington, New Zealand. Well I found this tiny brilliant fabric shop with so many patterns perfect for miniatures. It's great because it's just what I've been needing so I can finally finish off some of my NEW Furniture Range which will be available at both stores. I've been focusing on furniture for months - all my designs, no pre-bought furniture bases... coming soon!

Don't forget.... there's a competition running over on my other blog. Take 2 minutes to enter for your chance to win a free miniature. It closes in less than a week.

Over the Rainbow

I love outdoor summer parties! Growing up in the countryside of England, we had a big garden surrounded by fields and our back lawn was quite big. My younger sister Stephanie has her birthday in July so each year my mum would throw a summer birthday party for her and it was wonderful because we'd have a barbecue outside, sometimes a marquee would be erected with a live band inside, balloons, and often a massive bouncy castle (or as Americans would say - 'bouncy house') as well. I loved it! 

Whether your birthday is a summery one (or a winter one like mine), have a piece of cake from my new Birthday Cake Range (available in store soon) and enjoy the last of the summer days.

This cake is white frosting on chocolate with rainbow confetti and very detailed tiny rainbow candles. One inch scale and handmade by me of course.

Caroline xXx

P.S. Important news.... there's a competition running over on my other blog. Take 2 minutes to enter for your chance to win a free miniature.

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