For August, we asked you to send in a picture or two of your favorite summer themed miniature. Beaches, playgrounds, tree houses, lemonade stands, carnivals ... whatever you've got that brings to mind the Good Ol' Summertime!
This month's sample entry comes from Julie Stuckmeyer. Julie shows off her Beach Scene. It started off with KitKat Miniatures' "Mermaid Beach Cottage". Then came the Tiki Bar for NAME Day. At that point, she didn't want to do two "beachy" scenes so she decided to combine them. Then, she thought they looked lonely and bought Karen Benson's "On Island Time" shop, the Seashell Shack, several kits from Mini Cousins, and more beach goodies with contributions from over 10 different miniaturists.
Then, according to Julie, "I panicked. Ack. This was too big to ever finish. Then came Create's Year Long Challenge. The rest, as they say, is history. I do much better with a challenge."
______________________________________________________________
From Judy Jazdzyk:
This is an antique phone desk that I will use to stage miniatures. A co-worker, Carol, and I went to the Florida Keys for an event. I made the "dolls" and the trees and added some beach decorations!
______________________________________________________________
From Jackie Browder:
This is the Tiki Bar from a previous NAME event.
______________________________________________________________
From Cindy Bottasso:
Here's a Martha’s vineyard house complete with an outdoor shower. After visiting the area for the first time during our NAME convention this year, I realize I've got to add a themed garden and so much more!!
______________________________________________________________
From Lena Tovey:
Beach fun 🏝️
______________________________________________________________
From Diana DeWalt:
This is my "Caribbean" beach project. It was based on a Debbie Young project.
______________________________________________________________
From Elizabeth Lubera:
“Cape May Memories” was started in 1993 in Orlando, FL as part of a class done by Pam Junk for the annual NAME convention. The original project consisted of two houses (1 yellow and 1 blue) with a gazebo and greenhouse in between. While the project was begun at the convention, the additional work required two years for completion.
Elizabeth was hard at work on this project in February of 1994 when her first grandchild, Sarah Kawsky (now Burns) was born. This coordination inspired the proud great-grandmother to create a miniature associated with the birth of each of her six subsequent grandchildren. The name “Cape May Memories” and the Late Victorian style of the structures was inspired by a real American resort town: Cape May, New Jersey, sometimes referred to as “the town that time forgot” given the number of historic (and restored) 19th century homes located there.
Cape May is associated with many fond summer memories for Elizabeth and her family, as it was the site of many treasured family vacations. Cape May is imbued with a Victorian atmosphere – not only in the architecture of its houses but in traditions such as afternoon tea, which is best taken (in Liz’s opinion) after a day spent sunbathing on the beach and swimming in the ocean.
______________________________________________________________
From Lesia Lennex:
Here is a summertime pie stand!
______________________________________________________________
From Mary Johnson:
Here are two of my favorite mini-reminders of summer. A boy’s view of the sea.
This a 1/144 scale picnic inside a one inch basket. It was a hospitality room project hosted by Pat Brown and (I think) Jersey Shores Miniature club. I love time in Hospitality Room when at convention!
______________________________________________________________
From Cat Wingler:
This was one of my all time favorite projects.
______________________________________________________________
From Paula Francis:
Here is my idea of a perfect summer day with my hubby. I'm never too old to soak up the sun and enjoy a Pina Colada with palm trees swaying in the breeze, and listening to Margaritaville in the background.
______________________________________________________________
From Betty Turmon:
______________________________________________________________
From Kim Hood:
A little something I made for my friend after she returned from Hawaii. 1/48" scale in a watch dome.
______________________________________________________________
From Paula Sklodowski:
I’ve had this dive gear for 30+ years. Bought it when I was diving back then and put it away. It finally found a home outside the beach cottage I built last summer. It makes me smile every time I look at it. Thanks to the Create Team for the monthly challenges. Even when I don’t submit anything, I look to see what others are doing.
______________________________________________________________
From Cindy McDaniel:
The deck swing was a class I helped teach at AIM event. The gazebo and the greenhouse was taught by Donna from Donna's Dollhouse and the back porch I won in a raffle. The fencing is made out of popsicle sticks.
______________________________________________________________
From Pam Junk:
Here is my 4th of July firecracker house made with a Pringles can.
The top floor inside is a bunny laying on his back enjoying the fireworks in a dark night's sky.
______________________________________________________________
From Dori Allard:
This is a Mermaid Hideaway with an Octopus Garden! The lighthouse is from Seaside Miniatures, the greenhouse is from Petworth, the wicker is from Cheryle Hubbard, most of the furniture is from Raptoor, the teeny lobster traps are from PNW Miniatures, and many of the accessories are from Quarter Source.
Such a fun project!
______________________________________________________________
From Leslie Starker:
This is the 1:48 scale centerpiece I received at the 2012 Region N-3 Houseparty in Portland, Oregon. The centerpiece committee created them in all four seasons and every participant got one! I finished the interior and added the playful octopus😊
______________________________________________________________
From Grace Mlynowski:
______________________________________________________________
From Connie Sauve:
My project is 1/144” scale. It’s actually called “In the Good Ol’ Summertime”! The house is by Pat Russo. I made the gazebo and all the landscaping.
______________________________________________________________
From Suzanne Larson Tamburo:
When Shawn Betterley retired from the Name board, Robin and he invited friends to a Lobsterfest at their home. They made this cute little shack as gifts. Lucky us! I had a vision and In 2020, I finally got round tuit. I expanded the building base to make into a dock and added the pilings and water. I’m happy with the outcome!
______________________________________________________________
From Margaret Gordus:
BBQ in back yard
______________________________________________________________
From Joyce Kwok:
This is a treehouse built from a kit from Petworth Miniatures.
______________________________________________________________
From Cara McKinney:
______________________________________________________________
From Jean (Rusty) Smith:
I built this from the kit for the 2015 QC Convention. It was a marvelous convention and I had great fun taking part and building it.
______________________________________________________________
From Ruth Goodger:
Summertime at the beach. The kit is from KitKat minis.
______________________________________________________________
From Jene Bondi:
This is a kit from Kit Kat Miniatures. It reminds me what happens to me each time I go to the beach. While I don't surf, every time I go in the ocean there is always a shark next to me. Not one of my friends will go in the water with me. I wonder why.......
______________________________________________________________
This project was started by the late Linda Groesch and finished by Tammy Witthaus after her death. It was begun at the QC (Quarter Connection) Convention 2015 which was titled: "QC Mini Escape: Getting Away From it All"
______________________________________________________________
From Jane Holbrook:
Here’s one of the first things I made, Charlotte’s Web. Fern spent her summer talking to Wilber and Charlotte by the pig pen. Notice Templeton in the feed trough and Charlotte near her web. The writing is the first page of the book. I was inspired by an article in the NAME Gazette where a club’s members had done something similar.
______________________________________________________________
From Claudia Heckart:
Pictured here is the yard beside the office of CJ's Mountain Retreat. It's the 4th of July and all the guests are getting together for a celebration; it's also the resort owners' anniversary. 1:12 scale.
______________________________________________________________
From Laurel Fant:
I made the front porch for the miniatures.com/Hobby Builders Supply 2022 competition. Fourth of July decorations include a lemonade cart and fireworks made from Mini Cousins kits and additional fireworks from a kit by Dragonfly International. Other items were purchased at shows or Mini Mansions Dollhouse & Miniature Shop in Owensboro, KY.
______________________________________________________________
From Tammy Witthaus:
My 1/4” scale BBQ scene in a miniature BBQ grill from a Debbie Young kit.
______________________________________________________________
From Vicki Scidmore:
This is my little beach house, ready for a summer of surfing. The house and furniture were round tables at a convention. Check out the teeny Vespa!
______________________________________________________________
From Mae Karoli:
This is a ½” beach cottage that I made as a club project way back in 1996. I used a layer of wood putty under the sand to give it some dimension. I purchased the manufactured sofa, made the fireplace and bed from scratch, and purchased kits for the other furnishings.
______________________________________________________________
From Laura Miller:
This miniature I made for a NAME Summer Fun challenge years ago is entitled "Summer Fun"
______________________________________________________________
From Janie Kocman:
What is "summer" without a picnic? I accumulated the necessary minis to fill a fold-out "room box", combining all to make a picnic scene. With the exception of the condiments and "snack" packages, all items were club projects.
The box is cloth-covered foam board--also a Tri-M club project.
______________________________________________________________
From Sue Ostheimer:
This is a box I made with a "Summer Porch" scene. There are pictures in the background so the porch can look out on a water view with sailboat, a sunset (dimmable lights face the background so I can tone down the "outside" brightness, but I have lights for the "inside" that stay bright), a beach view, and a lawn with water beyond. I photographed all of the background pictures on Martha's Vineyard. The scene is set with a lobster dinner and drinks for dinner al fresco on the porch!
______________________________________________________________
From Suzie Aguilar:
I am sharing a project I just completed as an exhibit for the NAME Convention in Cape Cod, August 2023. It was inspired by the pop-up stand kits from Mini Cousins (which I personalized a bit). The Snack Hut is an altered NAME Day tiki hut kit from a few years back. The hut is stocked with Janet Smith’s Fair Foods from the 2015 NAME Houseparty in Madison (with help from Jane and Preble). It was a fun project to complete where many items from my stash finally found a home. The cute dolls are by Pat Hamilton and are just the perfect ’people’ to complete the vignette!
______________________________________________________________
From Carol J. Shea:
My son-in-law is the bar-b-que person in the family. They build a new patio behind their house and this was a 'patio warming' gift for him. The 'dome' was originally used as gift card holder.
______________________________________________________________
From Jackie Williams:
Tiki Bar Name Day scene with my Dolls the Darlings.
The dolls were gotten in a shop on vacation to St. Simons Island, GA some years ago and the coolers were swap items from that time. It resides on a shelf in a bathroom at my home.
______________________________________________________________
From Catherine Hawkins:
Back yard barbeque on the Fourth of July. Brickwork is from sheets of Housework plastic bricks. Picnic table was made from basswood using a pattern found in Nutshell News (years ago!). Most of the food was made from polymer clay. Cats are painted metal miniatures. Potted plants are made from paper. Shrubbery and grass are model railroad landscaping material. Plates under the burgers are cap liners out of soft drink bottles. Bean pot is a painted bottle cap. Crab feast on right hand side was made at a Maryland State Day (when I lived in Maryland). Labels were printed from computer. Pickle and ketchup jars are wood. Graphic for charcoal bag was cut from a coupon.
______________________________________________________________
From Kathy Koons:
This is my "Fun in the Sun" project that combined the NAME Day Tiki bar from 2021 and the Quarter Connection's Winter Free Project 2021-2022. The deck is from MiniMinutia and was colored with Copic pens. There are kits from Kit Kat Miniatures, Blackthorn Miniatures, Mini Decor & More, and others.
______________________________________________________________
From Sherry Rollins:
______________________________________________________________
From: Judie Dresser:
This is my daughter at the beach in Hawaii.
