Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop: Mother's Day
The same garden that is shown in the Mother’s Day chapter in the new Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop Book, 2 years later. That is an Abbott’s Pygmy Canada Hemlock with Dwarf London Pride below.

A short blog series on creating my latest book, Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop, due to be released at the end of the month. You can see my perspective as a new craft-author and I’ll show you some of the experiments that I had to go through to get the final projects. 

It was a bit of a shock to see it. It brought a tear to my eye just like the first book did. I couldn’t answer Steve’s question for fear that I would break out in tears if I started talking. Lol! My Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop book had arrived while I was in Chicago and I finally got to touch it and hold it in my hands. It is just beautiful! It’s bigger and thicker than the first book and to see all the projects all at once is still an awesome feeling. “Hey, that’s me! That’s my hand! Hey, that came out of my brain!” Lol!

(Click to enlarge the photos.)

Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop: Mother's Day
The Hanging Flower Vase is in the Mother’s Day projects – you can more than a have a “little” fun crafting with Mom on Mother’s Day! 
Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop: Mother's Day
Miniature flower arranging is demonstrated in the Mom’s Day chapter as well. I couldn’t replicate the same flowers that were in the book – it’s been too cold here in Seattle this spring and I got a different set of posies to play with!

You see, it was harder than I thought. When the acquisition editor, Juree Sondker, called from Timber Press and asked if I could do a project book for miniature gardeners, I said to myself, “Slam dunk. I can do this so easily! I do projects for my blog all the time…” And then Juree asked if I could get it done in 8 months instead of the full-year they usually give writers to work out a manuscript. “Yes.” I said.

Silly me.

Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop: Mother's Day
When you get your book, you can compare the photos. All the photos in the book were taken in 2015 – and the photo above was taken this week, May of 2017. The lovely Kate Baldwin did the “glory shots” in the book, I did all the project photos and filled in some of the big photos wherever needed. 

It was harder than I had ever thought for one or more of several reasons:

  1. The project was too simple.
  2. The project was too complicated.
  3. The materials were too hard to find for the average crafter.
  4. The project looked really stupid.
  5. The project needed way more research.
  6. The project just didn’t work out at the end.
  7. It was raining and I couldn’t take any project photos.
  8. It was too dark outside and I couldn’t take any project photos.
  9. It was too sunny and I couldn’t take any photos
  10. I forgot to include a much-needed-tool in the photo sequence.
  11. I included something that wasn’t needed in the photo sequence.
  12. I needed a reality pill.
  13. Or maybe a whole jar of them.
  14. Lol!

But, through all the whining and frustration-emails that I sent to Eve Goodman, the editor that I worked with on the book, all the good folks at Team Timber Press have really done a fantastic job of pulling it all together, from the photos to the meticulous editing, into one incredibly awesome book.

Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop: Mother's Day
Betcha can’t make just one!?! Different styles of hanging vases can be used for different occasions. Once you get all your materials out, you may as well make a few more for gifts too.

Honestly, if I saw this book in the bookstore, I would not waste my time looking at in the store, I would bring it home and savor the process of going through the pages and projects one by one. But, that’s just me. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the book!

Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop: Mother's Day
My favorite of the bunch. I used netting to make the texture on the outside of the vase (like the green vase above it.) I stained the whole vase afterward with Payne’s Gray acrylic paint. The bead is kept in place by winding the wire right up the top wire, and made to look like a tendril.

Reserved your copy today and you be one of the first to have yours in your hands too. As with the first book, we’re doing a limited, book-plated edition with the first 100 copies that we send out and there are only a few copies left. Order yours today here.

Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop: Mother's Day
A little Christmas vase. It was fun experiment with the different flowers you can make. I put wee berries in the center of this one. The variables are endless but just make sure it’s to scale so it looks good in your miniature garden.

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Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop: Mother's Day
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Gardening in Miniature Prop Shop
Now available for PRE-ORDER! The first edition of Gardening in Miniature sold out before the book was even launched! Reserve your copy TODAY!

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