MINIATURES FOR DOLLHOUSE AND MODEL HORSE COLLECTORS HANDMADE BY GOLDEN UNICORN MINIATURES

3-D Equines With Soul, Personality, And Fire

2012-06-01T10:41:00.000-06:00

C.S.Richmond Studios was established in 2003 by Sandra Hottinger. She specializes in hand painted 3-D model horses with emphasis on producing the highest quality workmanship and detail possible.

Sandra has loved horses, painting, and drawing as far back as she can remember. When she was nine years old, she began her journey painting with oil colors but began her collection of Breyer horses at a younger age. Her first model horse repaint was in the mid 1980's , yet it wasn't until 2003 when she decided to repaint and customize Breyers full-time. A few years later, she began painting the artist sculpted resins which she says, " are so inspiring...full of fire and soul even unpainted. " From time to time, Sandra will repaint and or customize a Breyer or a Peter Stone horse but, for the majority of her creations, she prefers the resins.

Sandra's horses are hand painted in the mediums of the "old masters"..rich colorful oils. For fine details, such as hair, she uses acrylics. Most of her creations are 100% hand painted with oils only, and some are with oils and acrylics.

The layers of paints she applies can number from at least 4 to 7 in the creation of each project with that number depending on the look Sandra is trying to achieve as well as the color and or pattern she is painting. For reference, so she can achieve as much realism as is possible, Sandra uses photos of live horses, sometimes using two different photos of the same horse breed. Realism...just take a look at the eyes which are so expressive:

"It is so wonderful for me to be able to combine my love of horses with my love of painting. I am very thankful each day for my gift of creating color on these sculptures. There is a quote I read years ago that I can identify with : 'you never have to work a day in your life if you have a job you love'...so true!"

Visit Sandra's blog: http://www.csrichmondstudios.blogspot.com/

and her website: http://www.csrichmondstudios.webs.com/
Her horses are for sale on the following sites:
MH$P: http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/
Auction Barn: http://myauctionbarn.com/index.php

Thank You!

2012-05-27T11:14:00.001-06:00

A Tale Of A Miniature Book Maker

2012-05-25T17:10:00.002-06:00

In the world of miniatures, is there anything

more satisfying than achieving realism?

Pat Carlson's handmade miniature books are the real thing...made without the use of a press, printed in her studio on acid-free fine papers using high quality archival inks...

each page is individually cut by hand...all binding is hand-sewn...each book is treated with a special art fixative to ensure it will retain color and vibrancy beyond a life-time. They are printed on both sides of the page. Most are hard-cover bound using traditional stitched bookbinding techniques, and most are readable; several include illustrations.

Many of Pat's books are adapted reproductions of full-sized volumes that are very old, and a few are creations from her own imagination with original covers and hand-colored illustrations. The majority are 1:12 scale (other sizes are also available), and are designed to be displayed either open or closed.

In her own words, " I have been making miniature books since the early 1990's. It all started when my husband bought me a dollhouse kit. What a happy day! One of the rooms was a library and, well...I needed books! I haven't been able to stop making them after all these years...it's a passion and I'm constantly in search of new books to create. I am proud and humbled to say that my work has been published in American Miniaturist and Dollshouse World magazines."

Pat's miniature books are available on her website: http://patcarlsonminiatures.com They are also available via her shops on Etsy, eBay, and CDHM.

Topics include (but are not limited to) Art, Alphabet, Animals and Nature, Children's stories, Cookbooks, Fairy Tales, books in other languages, History, Journals and Diaries, One of A Kind, Poetry, Sports, Victorian and Witch/Wizard books.

(P.S. I met Pat many years ago through CDHM. She is a very special lady who has a very special place in my heart.)

The Fantasy Art of Aleah Klay

2012-05-19T17:35:00.000-06:00

Many years ago, I met Aleah through the CDHM forum. Not only is she a friend, she has a great sense of humor...

she is also a very talented miniaturist.

Aleah hand-sculpts her fantastic animals and Art Dolls from Polymer clay. She then applies faux fur and/or paint over her clay creation. Next comes costuming and accessories. Some of her animals have wings; some are riding in toy vehicles; some are dragging a wee teddy bear behind them; all are posed which adds to each animal's character.

In her words, "I guess I have a wild imagination. A love of childhood things, story book illustrations, and fantasy are at the heart of my works. Each miniature takes on its own personality and has a unique story to tell. Each one is innocent. The stories are unwritten, leaving interpretation in the minds of the viewer. My hope is to bring a small bit of joy and happiness to those who view them."

Some of Aleah's Art Dolls border on the dark side.

My all-time favorite (and, will always be) of her dolls is "The Last Painting". It speaks volumes.

To view more of Aleah's art, go to her blog: http://aleahklay.blogspot.com/and her CDHM studio: http://www.cdhm.org/user/aleahklay_animals

Coming Up - Featured Artisans

2012-05-17T17:31:00.002-06:00

Soon to be released posts on this blog, once per week or every other week, will feature a fellow Miniaturist, or an Art Doll Artist, or a Model Horse Customizer/Prop Maker. Stay tuned!

Dollhouses For Kids Battling Cancer

2012-05-13T14:00:00.002-06:00

Ann started Dollhouses For Kids Battling Cancer in late 2006. Her daughter was interning at a hospital in New Jersey on the pediatric cancer ward, and she suggested that the kids might like playing with a dollhouse while having their chemo. Ann and her daughter donated the first house and the kids loved it so Ann decided to keep going. She built dollhouses and her daughter gave them to the doctors to give as gifts from them to the kids as they started or finished their chemo.

Since then, Ann has been donating 90% of the houses to kids with cancer and the rest to fund raisers benefiting children with serious health issues. Many other organizations have asked for help so Ann has built a few dollhouses that have special meaning, such as for Juvenile Diabetes (her daughter has been a type 1 diabetic for 10 years so it is a cause dear to her), and Autism (her granddaughter is severely autistic). She may have donated outside of the kids with cancer but all her dollhouses are still for kids with serious health problems.

Ann gets some very generous help from many people and places. Penelope, who owns The Magical Dollhouse Company, has a page on her website for people to donate dollhouses at a discounted price. Greenleaf Dollhouses pays for the shipping of those houses to Ann so the customer does not get charged for that. HBS/Miniatures.com has recently set up to help Ann by allowing people to buy gift certificates on their website. HBS holds them until Ann needs something, then she orders and it is paid by those gift certificates. If there are no donations, Ann personally buys the houses, furniture etc. Her mom died in 2008 and she loved DFKBC, so the little bit of money her mom was able to leave to Ann is mainly for the kids and their houses.

In Ann's words, "I love doing this and hope I never have to stop. I just finished the 207th dollhouse and am starting on the next. All the houses are donated to children through Pediatric Oncology Wards, Ronald McDonald House, Bereavement Centers, fund raisers and at Christmas to the "Suffern PBA/DARE Annual Holiday Toy Drive"

WOW! 207 dollhouses, all built by Ann and given by her to a good cause.

Please consider donating to Ann's project. You can contact her via email at Dollhouse4kids@aol.com or visit her Facebook page and leave her a message through there. Or, via The Magical Dollhouse Company, Greenleaf Dollhouses, and HBS. Do you have some unwanted/stored/handmade miniatures you can send to Ann? Contact her first by email or via her Facebook page, and make sure those items are suitable for young children. She can use everything...furniture, carpeting, flooring, wallpaper, paint, animals, dolls, plants, accessories, etc.

These are so cool!

In The Works

2012-05-09T16:20:00.001-06:00

Stay tuned for a post about a very special lady and what she does for children who have cancer. I think of her as the "Dollhouse Angel".

Happy Mom's Day!

2012-05-08T16:10:00.001-06:00

Revamping This Blog

2012-05-06T12:23:00.000-06:00

I am one of the World's worst bloggers. I either forget I have a blog, or I have a real bad case of writer's block. Actually it's a combination of both.

My writing is either funky or technical. It's the in between style of writing which eludes me and takes forever to write. That's when I encounter writer's block at every turn. Like now. So, I decided to revamp this blog by giving it a fresher look which I hope you will enjoy looking at (and reading when I eventually write something).

That said, I leave my readers in suspense wondering at the fate of my pen...errrrrrrrrrrrrr...my keyboard.

Traditional Model Horse Jump With Floral Props

2012-04-30T14:19:00.000-06:00

This custom order Traditional scale (1/9) model horse jump was handmade by Xavie Augenblick. I gave it the finishing touch of flowers and vines which closely resemble the ones in the pic of the life-sized jump.

It is owned by Susan Hargrove, and is shown with her Grand Prix OF Jumper, LaBelle.

Below is a collage of sorts showing the jump's floral work by me from start to finish:

Where I'm At Now

2012-04-30T13:47:00.000-06:00

Finally, I am back home but still recouperating from my fall and leg injuries, and having to use a walker plus being forbidden to climb stairs leaves me with no way to get at my supplies. So, all mini making will be on hold for some time yet even though my fingers and hands are wanting to make them. My shops and custom order book will remain closed until I'm able to move/walk without the aid of a walker. That could be several more months.

A big THANK YOU! to those of you who are still following my (somewhat neglected) blog. I'm not much of a writer, so I do very much appreciate your continued support.

Spring Has Sprung! Time To Garden!

2012-04-12T15:15:00.000-06:00

By using one's imagination can a faux garden almost become real? A garden where the plants are made from clay, paper, silk, and/or resin? Where the plants and soil have no "smell"?

Imagine...you are planning on transplanting various potted vegetables into a garden plot. You have tilled the soil which feels soft when you hold some in your hands and crumbles easily as you return it to the ground. You dig the holes in which to transplant your favorite veges.

So far you have five neatly lined rows of plants; only one row to finish but you decide to take a short break. You hang your hat on the handle of the spade shovel and go inside your house for something refreshing to drink. You return to the garden, finish the last row, clear off all the empty pots and tools, grab the hose, turn on the water faucet. You give your plants and the garden soil a good watering.

Standing at the edge, you admire your small garden and take a deep breath. You savor the rich, earthy smell of the wet soil and the fresh, green smell of the wet plants. Then, while patting yourself on the back for a job well-done, you realize you forgot to buy cages for your Beefsteak Tomato plants :D

Where I Have Been

2012-01-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Have been away from this blog for a while due to a bad fall which injured both my legs. Am currently in rehab trying to learn how to re-stand and re-walk, so have no access to any of my supplies with which to make my dollhouse florals and model horse props. And, do not have access to my desk-top where all my pics are stored.

Am hoping (planning) on being back to 'normal' and my home by nlt first week of March. Sooner would be nicer tho :). Sooooooooo...any new minis will have to wait until after I get home but won't be making any right away either since by the time I get home I'll be looking forward to standing/walking/moving/dancing with joy rather than sitting 7/8 of every day (my arse is rather numb anway lol).

I really appreciate all of you who have lingered as a follower. Thank you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Many, many thanks from my heart to those of you who, over the years, have followed my blog and continue to.

May your cornucopia be abundantly filled with all your dreams and wishes.

A MINI HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO YOU!

2011-10-30T12:44:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

(ONE OF MY 1/12 SCALE MINIATURE BAT WINGED SKELETONS

WITH A GOURD HAT SITTING ON A PUMPKIN)

2011-09-10T22:14:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I posted in here. Now that the weather is cooling down and almost all the (real) yard/garden is almost ready for the colder months, I'll begin mini making again! Probably next month tho since some of the (real) house also needs 'winterizing' :)

A BIG Thank You! to all of my patient followers - you all ROCK!!

2011-05-15T16:20:00.000-06:00

Have been busy with custom orders, plus my Dad passed away a couple weeks ago and I've been dealing with everyday life stuff.

Thank you to all of you who continue to follow this much neglected blog. Eventually I'll have some new pics to post.

Update Re Golden Unicorn Miniatures Etsy Shop

2011-03-14T11:34:00.000-06:00

To all my customers, friends, and family...

If any one of you have been getting spam emails from Etsy, I want you to be aware that it is THEY and not me who is sending them. Accept my apology if you have received any.

As soon as I became aware that Etsy was publicly making all private information available, I opted-out of their idiotic wannabe social network but I'm not sure if my opt-out was quick enough. All my once favorite sellers have been deleted, and no one is in a "circle" via my shop.

My Etsy store will remain on 'vacation mode' indefinitely.

Thank you.

My Etsy Shop

2011-01-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

Due to Etsy's massive invasion of all their sellers' privacy, my shop there will remain on 'vacation mode' until Etsy returns to being a selling site rather than a wannabe social site. Who knows how long that will be? Your guess is as good as mine.

The Language of Trees

2011-01-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

I love trees, and when I saw the following blog post and read the accompanying lovely poem by my friend, Esmaa, I wanted to share it with you:

The Language of Trees

by Esmaa Self

Deep in the forest

and high on the hill,

trees have voice.

If you would hear their speech,

if you would learn their words,

you will venture far from mankind.

You will learn to pick out the childlike pop, the joy...

the wail, the crackling moans of standing timber.

Eventually you will learn to walk in silence.

If you would know the language of trees,

you will walk very far in silence.

Visit Esmaa's interesting and informative blogs:

Homeostatis

Middleground Farm

Thank you, Esmaa, for letting me share your wonderful poem

Model Horses and Their Scales

2011-01-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

What is a model horse?

Model horses or toy horses are scale replicas of real horses and are highly collectible. Most model horses are in the 1:9 scale (such as Breyer Traditionals and Stone Horses) while others are no bigger than mice, such as Breyer Stablemates and Stone Chips.

What are the model horse scales?

*Traditional Series: Approximately 12"L x 9"H - Scaled to 1/9th scale
*Classics Series: Approximately 9"L x 6"H - Scaled to 1/12th scale
*Paddock Pals: Approximately 6"L x 5"H - Scaled to 1/24th scale
*Stablemates Series: Approximately 4"L x 3"H - Scaled to 1/32nd scale
*Mini Whinnies: Approximately 1.5"L x 1.5"H - Scaled to 1/64th scale

2011-01-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

Four days into the new year and 'life' is still getting in the way of my making new miniatures and re-opening my Etsy shop. One of these days soon...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-12-31T13:56:00.000-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Wishing you a fantastic 2011!

May it be overflowing all year through with

Happiness, Good Health, Peace, Prosperity,

and Success in all your endeavors.

A Unicorn's Musings

2010-12-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a unicorn (from Latin unus 'one' and cornu 'horn'), and am called a 'mythological creature'. Though the modern popular image of me is sometimes that of a horse differing only in the horn on its forehead, my traditional body also has a billy-goat beard, a lion's tail, and cloven hooves. Marianna Mayer observed in The Unicorn and the Lake that, "The unicorn is the only fabulous beast that does not seem to have been conceived out of human fears. In even the earliest references he (I'm a 'she'!) is fierce yet good, selfless yet solitary, but always mysteriously beautiful. (S)He could be captured only by unfair means, and his (her) single horn was said to neutralize poison."

Contrary to popular belief, you won't find unicorns in Greek mythology, but rather in accounts of natural history, for Greek writers of natural history were convinced unicorns were real (of course we are!). They found us in India, a distant and fabulous realm for we unicorns. The earliest description is from Ctesias who described us as wild asses (I prefer the horse description, thank you!), fleet of foot (definitely!), having a horn a cubit and a half in length (some are two cubits) and colored white, red and black. Aristotle mentions two one-horned animals, the oryx and the so-called "Indian ass". Strabo says that in the Caucasus there were one-horned horses with stag-like heads (much nicer description).

Cosmas Indicopleustes, a merchant of Alexandria, who lived in the 6th century and made a voyage to India, states, from report, that "it is impossible to take this ferocious beast alive; and that all its strength lies in its horn. When it finds itself pursued and in danger of capture, it throws itself from a precipice, and turns so aptly in falling, that it receives all the shock upon the horn, and so escapes safe and sound." (very true!)

Medieval knowledge of we unicorns stemmed from biblical and ancient sources, and we were variously represented as a kind of wild ass, goat, or horse.

The predecessor of the medieval bestiary, compiled in Late Antiquity and known as Physiologus, popularized an elaborate allegory in which a unicorn, trapped by a maiden representing the Virgin Mary, stood for the Incarnation. We unicorns also figured in courtly terms: for some 13th century French authors, the lover is attracted to his lady as the unicorn is to the virgin. We also acquired more orthodox secular meanings such as being emblematic of chaste love and faithful marriage.

Back in time, we unicorns, or rather our horns, were coveted by royals who feared poisoning and many times would only drink from goblets made of "unicorn horn". Thus, sadly, hunting we unicorns became a popular 'sport'. One traditional method of hunting unicorns involved entrapment by a virgin. In one of his notebooks Leonardo da Vinci wrote: "The unicorn, through its intemperance and not knowing how to control itself, for the love it bears to fair maidens forgets its ferocity and wildness; and laying aside all fear it will go up to a seated damsel and go to sleep in her lap, and thus the hunters take it." (stupid males! - those were the times I was grateful to be a female). Hunts for an actual animal as the basis of the unicorn myth, accepting the conception of writers in Antiquity that it really existed (of course we do!) somewhere at the edge of the known earth, have added a further layer of mythologizing about we unicorns.

Do we unicorns really exist? If you believe, yes, we do!

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn with my apologies to the article's author for my taking liberties with his/her writing.

Merry Christmas!! Happy Yule!!

2010-12-18T09:21:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Yule!!

Seasons Greetings!!

Wishing You and Yours...

Peace, Harmony, and Joy