Exciting News!

Sorry I haven't updated for a while. I have been rather busy! I am very excited to announce that I am the new owner of   The Craft Pack Company
I recently bought the company from my dear friend Emma Eilbeck who decided to step down for personal reasons, those of you who know Emma will know why. Emma's husband John has kidney failure and has to have dialysis 3 times per week. Emma is about to donate one of her own kidneys to John....what a woman....now that is cimmittment and love for your husband. Emma didn't think it was good for the company to close for 3 months prior to and following the operation. It wouldn't be good for her health either to try to get back to work too soon. So after lots of deliberation and discussion between us about the future of Craft Pack I offered to buy it and Emma agreed because she wanted to sell to someone she knew would take it forward in the way she always intended. I am so excited. I hope you all tell friends in the miniatures world as I could do with a little support as I re-open the web site for business tomorrow!!!! The Craft Pack Company has a trade section so those of you in the business can register for trade discount, there is a huge product range, from miniatures kits to craft materials. I will also be adding new ones over the comming weeks when I get to grips with a new web site admin system.
There is a Craft Pack Company Blog but I don't have access to it at the moment, once I do I will update it and you might want to follow me there too as I will be letting people know about new developments and new kits etc as they are produced.
Bye for now xx

What a mild and sunny day it's been here in Cheltenham. I've had a busy day today, though don't feel as though I've achieved much....
I did manage to list quite a few of my Porcelain Doll Molds on my eBay account though, I have around 400 and have decided to sell quite a few of them in order to make space for some new ones.
I'm just updating my blog before I watch my weekly TV programme 'The Apprentice' that and period drama's are about all I get to watch on TV these days. I'm enjoying Downton Abbey at the moment and love the costumes.....I am so looking forward to Larkrise to Candleford returning in the New Year....for many of us miniaturists period drama's are food for the soul and offer oodles of inspiration to set the creative juices flowing!
Check out my listings on eBay here: The Dolls House Store - eBay
These are just a couple of the molds I am selling:


Started off with a :( ended the day with a :)

My baby (car) has gone to the hospital (garage) to be operated on after a naughty man hurt her (colleague bumped her in the car park at work)! I am jinxed...this is the second time I have had my car bumped at work in 5 years! Now I am driving a shed of a car loaned to me by the insurance.....hey ho.....at least I am mobile :)

My son had a rehearsal tonight for a tallent agency and they loved his monologue based on 'knowhere boy' particularly his Liverpudlian accent for the role, they even asked him to sing which was an extra improvisation so they must have been interested in him....good thing he can sing too ;) I never fail to be amazed by his tallent......one day....mm....James Bond eat your heart out...LOL!

No new miniatures completed today, just a few more added to my web site as I have been working in the clinic.....now I am off for a whole week....so will be creating and sorting all week......yipee!!

Sundays are a Funny Old Day

I woke up to brilliant sunshine this morning, what a blessing! Though I was slow getting going I managed to catch up on quite a few jobs. Not least of which sorting out my stock and making space.

I'm in the process of tidying and reorganising my store/work room for a new adventure.....watch this space!!

These are some of the miniatures I made recently that have sold but I am open to commissions for similar, bespoke items. Clearing out and reorganising does clear the mind too I find and leaves space for more creativity.....don't you think??

Have a good week and let us hope there is more beautiful sunshine this week and beyond.....I love the Autumn, this and the Spring are my favourite times of the year....one makes way and the other is the start of new beginings!

I really enjoy making miniature wedding cakes like these, though they take quite some time to make it is so rewarding to see the end result.

This was the matching wedding bouquet for the cake above.

This was a commission for a lady in the USA who was doing a wedding display in a miniature church. I made a flower basket, Mother of the bride corsage, button holes, alter display and bridesmaids posy. I made a matching bridal bouquet but lost the images!!!

Half-term school holidays.....time to relax......I think not!
I have lots of miniature projects on the go and here are a few things I have managed to make in between work and social commitments this week. I really enjoy being creative! 

What a Day!

I have been busy making miniatures this evening for a commission. I've also been dressing one of my dolls and unpacking some new stuff to list on my web site. I have also had some lovely chats on the telephone, that kind of make up for the horrid day I had a work!! :((
Thanks particulalry to Emma for the chat and her positive attitude, she doesn't know how much that meant!

Lovely Day

What a lovely sunny autumn day it's been, went out exploring our beautiful Cotswold countryside with Gary in the Eos with the top down, exhilarating! Went to Burford garden centre and bought my yearly Christmas tree decoration which has become something of a tradition over the years, each one has a special meaning. Ooooh I love Christmas!

Came home and watched the cube....now down to some work on miniatures :) because I'm working all day tomorrow in the clinic.

This Lady's work is absolutely amazing

Click on this link to take a look at these stunning creations
PGM Sculpting: Home

This is what I have made so far in the kiln

I've just produced some doll kits having got my kiln up and running for only the second time this year! I also made some manequinn's too. I'm not sure the porcelain slip agrees with me though as there is silicone in it and I seem to be intollerant to it, so I have to wear gloves, mask and apron....I felt like I was operating rather than pouring moulds and making porcelain dolls!

                                                               Male Torso Manequinn

Full Skirted Lady Manequinn

Narrow Bottom Full Manequinn

Lady Torso Manequinn

Some of my recent work

Wreath Cross

                                      Handmade by Lorraine Cooper of Lorraine Miniatures

Floral Arrangements

These are some of the floral arrangemnents I have recently created. I am happy to make these to order

Exclusively from Lorraine Miniatures

Dolls House Miniatures Store | Lorraine Dolls House Miniatures

Dolls House Miniatures Store Lorraine Dolls House Miniatures

Just learninng

I'm just learning how to blog folks so any tips would be most welcome. I also want to creat a better design for my blog but don't yet know how to! There are some really great looking blogs out there with lots of interesting information on them. I'm having a great time looking around but it is time consuming....time not being something I have much of at the moments I might add.

Miniatura

Visited Miniatura yesterday (Sunday 3rd October 2010) It isn't what it used to be. I felt quite sad. Perhaps it is the economy and the fact that a budget is looming....perhaps it is the fact that the ticket line was telling people last week that tickets where sold out when in fact that was not true and people where actually able to buy them on the door for both days! That's not good for exhibitors who paid a lot of money for a stand or for visitors who where put off thinking they wouldn't get in so didn't bother to make the journey! I spoke to lots of exhibitors who said their sales where down from previous years and they may not exhibit there again next year...how very sad. However, I had some lovely chats with some wonderful people who I greatly admire. Liz from PMP, Margaret from Delph, Jenny from Heidi Ott, Debie who was helping Mary Williams, Angie Scarr and many more wonderful artisans. Well, I had a lovely time and spent farrrrr too much money!! For me the lack of pushing and shoving due ot the fewer people there was refreshing though not so good for the people who had put some much work into preparing their artistic creations for the show.