Create Your Own Miniature Paintings

A friend of mine told me about this new free software. Imagine the fun you can have creating your own miniature paintings for your dollhouse or room box. Using this software you can convert pictures of individuals, groups and objects into a variety of paintings. Check out the video below for a quick look at what you can do with Fotosketcher. Add a frame, and you have your own special finishing touch!




I've just starting "creating" with Fotosketcher myself and have been having lots of fun. You can visit Fotosketcher.com or fotosketcher.blogspot.com to learn more for yourself.

Micro Printing for Miniatures

I just used a hint I'd heard about some time ago and wanted to share.

Using your word processing program set your font to the smallest size typeface. Type your text. Highlight (or select) the text. Hold the Ctrl (PC) Command (Mac) key as you hit the left square bracket [ key five times. This creates the smallest typeset for use in tiny letters, books, greeting cards etc. that can be read with a magnifying glass.

If you want to use colors blue shows up better than red.

Pepita MT makes a nice script, which seems more readable than some of the other script fonts. But experiment to find the one you like best.

After I had typed the text, highlighted the text, and used the left square bracket [ key to make it smaller, I found could use the right square bracket key ] to make it larger and find the size that worked best for my use. The whole document was then set for the size font I chose. I used the zoom option (to 200%) to read and/or type more.

The IllumiKnife

Miniaturists are always on the look out for tools to make building and decorating dollhouses a little easier. I have found one such tool that will aid in trimming wallpaper around doors and windows in those dark tight spaces often found in dollhouse rooms.

As a dollhouse shop owner, I also do build and remodel dollhouses for customers. Occasionally, visitors to the shop will peak into my workshop and watch the process. Recently, I was approached by one of the designers of this tool after he noticed me struggling with a light and a knife trying to trim and remove excess wallpaper from a deep dark dollhouse room.

The Illumiknife is the perfect tool for precision cuts! This lighted utility craft knife features LED technology with a 40-year lamp life, uses industry standard blades, and lights with a touch (no switches or buttons). Made in the USA. Knife comes complete with one standard blade and 1 replaceable battery. Perfect for trimming wallpaper and getting into those hard to reach and see dollhouse corners where you need to make a clean cut!

I'm impressed with this tool, however, we have lost contact with the manufacturer and have been unable to find them for some time.  Should you locate the manufacturer, please let me know!