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Dollhouse Minis: http://joannesminis.blogspot.com


18” Dolls: http://joannes18dolls.blogspot.com/


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Sunday, January 13, 2013

Hot Cocoa and Coffee for the Dollhouse


This week I admit I waited until the last minute to make my video. Normally I record my videos early in the week to upload on Sunday. This time I have been so busy that it was way too easy to procrastinate on video making. Hopefully I still was able to make an informative video for you to enjoy.

I find that to make beverages of any kind I usually use some kind of paint. If the beverage is clear then I usually use some kind of glass paint and if it is opaque I use a craft paint. There are a couple of secrets to success in making beverages this way. By far the most important to pick the right color. If you are in doubt do a sample and compare it to the real thing. It is much better to make a mistake on a work tile than in a container that you now need to clean out in order to use a better color. The second rule is to work in thin layers. The thinner you layer your paint the less of a divot will for in the top. I was trying to hurry on the video so I actually used thicker layers than I normally would have. You can see the divot at the top of the cups. It is easy to fix, just add tiny drops of paint (with a toothpick) to fill in until it dries level. When you are using craft paint you will need to add a coat of clear (satin finish) coat to the top, craft paint dries matte and you do need some shine.

In the video I promised a story of a mistake I made a few years ago. I have been making mini beverages the way I show in this video for many years but I had watched a Youtube video on making hot cocoa using polymer clay. I thought it was good idea and shortly after watching that video I got a custom order for some hot cocoa in 1/6th scale. (Barbie size) The lady that ordered it was going to ship me her mugs that she had custom made for her scene. They were beautiful when they came and a joy to work with. Since I had watched this video on a new way to make the cocoa I decided to try it out on a different set of 1/6th scale mugs that I had on hand. I was so glad that I tried it on my own mugs because as the clay baked it split of my mugs all the way up the side. If I had done that to customer's mug it would have been a big problem. So the moral of this is, when you find a new technique for doing something try the process out before you commit to using an expensive mini! 






 

3 comments:

  1. Dear Joanne,
    Thanks for sharing again. I love your videos ! Your explanation is very clear.
    Hugs Dorien

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Joanne, Another good tutorial and a good story too! Thanks for sharing your knowledge, talents and "mini' experiences.
    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, Joanne. I love your videos and always appreciate your tips!

    ReplyDelete