News! News! (and commission update)

Happy New Year Littlest Sweet Shoppers!

Apologies for being absent for a while now. If you have been following me on social media you might notice that I am still around - just not blogging as much. In fact I'm not sure how many people will actually read this entry but I'm still going to write some big news today.

First of all, there is going to be a new website! I have accepted the fact that blogging is now passé and this blog-based website is a bit 90s. I am currently creating a new website which is modern with a simple and better layout. The past years I have been pulling my hair out because editing my menu (pages) through blogger has been hell. The new website won't have any written entries but there will still be a link to this original blog. This blogger web address will revert to the original but you should be notified of the changes if you subscribe to updates. I will give more information when the changeover is complete but bear with me for a while since it's still a mammoth task to create a whole new website from scratch. To date I have over 3000 photos alone on this current blog and I'm linking them back to the new website one-by-one. I'm hoping to finish by end of this month.

This also means that I am no longer updating the pages with new items as I have already started shifting them to the new blog. Eventually when the new website takes over, I will also remove all of the pages from this blog so there is less clutter, redundancies and a more streamlined price structure.

Secondly, Littlest Sweet Shop is moving to a new address! Not me personally but there will be a new diorama for the 1:6 scale world. I love the original Littlest Sweet Shop in blue but just like this blog - it's old and made from cheap foam board so I knew that one day I will have to upgrade it. I'm not a diorama maker so this task has been handled by a very talented Korean artist. It will be revealed hopefully before this summer. 

Apart from web-editing, commissions, Etsy orders and being a housewife, everything is still pretty much the same. My Etsy sales have been great but it means I have less time to develop new miniatures or record YouTube video tutorials. I try to prioritise what's important now and blogging does not seem to gain me any traffic or new readers. However it is still my main outlet to talk about my commissions and anything interesting about running this miniature shop. 

Recently I made a commission for someone who makes shadow boxes. She wanted specifically these 2 boxes in 1:12 scale so they are only half an inch wide! Usually I'm nervous about making prints in 1:12 scale but these turned out better than expected and the client was pleased. I'm glad that it will be arranged into a personalised shadow box for someone.

1:12 scale box of candy

Only half an inch wide!

Kokomi with a box of Hot Tamales

Kokomi-chan with a Jelly Belly gift box

Other than that, I'm currently doing another 1:12 scale commission whilst balancing life! I put a lot of hard work in the last 8 years and since this hobby is always evolving, I'm still trying to catch up. Thank you to all of my supporters and loyal clients, I promise there are bigger and better things to come.

Bye!

Halloween at Littlest Sweet Shop

Happy Halloween Littlest Sweet Shoppers!

This year I made some Jack o'lanterns which are actually hollow and you can also learn how to make it on our YouTube channel. But of course you can always order them from our Dollhouse Minis menu and they come in any shape, size and even design!

Littlest Sweet Shop Jack o'lanterns

These miniature pumpkins make perfect decoration on the 1:12 scale dollhouse entrance

Kokomi-chan (1:12 scale) with a Jack o'lantern

There are also normal pumpkins which haven't been carved in our Fruits and Veg menu. Also available in any shape or size (and various colours too). 

Littlest Sweet Shop pumpkins

That's all for now. Hope you are having a great Halloween. Harumi is dressed as a nurse this year and we had a Halloween party in the dollhouse. She collected so much candy and insisted on counting them before bed.  

Halloween party at the dollhouse

Mix your miniatures with our own selection of hand-made models

Harumi managed to collect mostly Littlest Sweet Shop candy

Happy Halloween!

Commission Update(s)

Hello Littlest Sweet Shoppers

I did a few commissions this month and here are some of the highlights.

This one is rather special since I developed everything including the cup artwork. The tropical punch Slurpee was always my favourite from 7-Eleven so it was fun recreating it. The crushed ice looks real and wet! Pictures taken with other 1:6 scale Littlest Sweet Shop products. I'm also making more Slurpees in different colours to list on Etsy.  

1:6 scale 7-Eleven purchases. Slurpee is the tastiest beverage to cool you down always!

Vacuum-formed cup lid. Paper cup.

The next Littlest Sweet Shopper ordered a variety of fruits and cereal.

Oranges, peeled oranges, an apple and a bowl of cereal

The order included a small bowl of cereal (Fruit Loops) and a spoonful of cereal with milk as well. The bowl was also hand-made using clay and the spoon is a vintage Sindy miniature. It wasn't supposed to be in 1:6 scale but slightly smaller.

Very small bowl of milk with Fruit Loops. 

Maya is obviously too big to model the bowl of cereal with milk! However she was the only one available at that time. Look how dainty the spoon looks like in her hands.

Client also requested milk with the cereal on a spoon.

Last but not least an order of oranges in various styles. This is one of our best-selling fruits of all time and I'm glad many dolls get to enjoy it. 

Commissioned various styles of oranges

That's all for this evening. I'm currently working hard to stock up new items on Etsy so make sure you be the first to know once they go live! Each item is one of a kind so if they sell out, it might not be restocked! There will also be a special Halloween Youtube tutorial that I hope to upload before Halloween itself even though I'm very busy right now. I only have one commission to do before I go to Paris for holiday and hope to debut more new items soon.

Bye!

New in! Twinkies and Haagen Dazs ice cream

Good evening Littlest Sweet Shoppers!

Just a quick update before August arrives. I have to admit I haven't done much this month because I was entertaining guests for 2 weeks. However I managed to make some Twinkies and new ice cream tub design and they are all now listed in our Etsy store. 

I'm collecting the Zuru Mini Brands and really love the Twinkies box so I decided to make the Twinkies to fill up those boxes! For non-Americans, Twinkies is a soft sponge cake injected with cream filling. This makes it a tasty snack and I also made some packaged in clear plastic just like the original. The packaged Twinkies are great for picnics and lunch-boxes and now available to commission from the Groceries menu.

Packaged Twinkies

Light sponge cakes with a creamy filling

Light sponge with a creamy and light centre

Perfectly made to scale to 1:6 scale dolls and the Zuru Mini Brands box

I had a client requesting the ice cream tub inspired by Haagen Dazs in 1:12 scale. I made some extra ones in 1:6 scale to sell on Etsy. They also come with ice cream pre-packaged inside with swirls of dulce de leche. The print came out better than I expected in this tiny scale.

Littlest Sweet Shop's handmade ice cream tubs in 1:6 scale

1:6 scale and 1:12 scale ice cream tub size comparison. The smaller scaled ice cream makes a good mini ice cream cup in 1:6 scale.

1:6 scale features realistic ice cream inside

Kokomi-chan with 1:12 scale tub of ice cream

Dulce de leche ice cream in 1:12 scale as per client's request

1:12 scale ice cream tub

OK that's all for now. Wish I could say there are more upcoming items but unfortunately I'm busy house-sitting next week and will only return in mid-August. I will be uploading a new video when I'm away but I'm keeping the Etsy store open so you should still be able to buy your dolls a tasty treat!

Bye!

CMW Workshops

Greetings Littlest Sweet Shoppers!

I'm pleased to announce that I will be conducting 2 workshops on October 19th and 20th this year at the 2019 CMW (Cotswold Miniatures Workshops) in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England.

Places are limited so please visit https://www.cmwminiaturesworkshops.co.uk to view the available courses and book online. On Saturday you will learn how to make 9 jars of lollipops for your miniature sweet shop and on Sunday you can learn how to make signature Littlest Sweet Shop Gingerbread House just in time for Christmas! Both courses are in traditional 1:12 miniature scale.

On Sunday you will learn how to make 1:12 scale Gingerbread Houses which is the perfect centrepiece for your Christmas miniature scene. The cookie base measures 3cm in diameter and everything is included for you to decorate your own magical piece. I will be supplying lots of miniature candy, chocolate, cookies and biscuits for you to create your dream house. I will even make pole candy in your choice of colours on Saturday. Just let me know what is your colour theme when you book the class.

Traditional Gingerbread House and Rainbow Gingerbread House

Lace edging and other details. Green and red Christmas colours

Chocolate window at the back

Colourful rainbow candy and detail. All houses come with chimneys

Snowflake and chocolate window at the back.

On Saturday you will learn how to make our famous lollipops in 9 different colour combinations! I will even demonstrate how to make simple sweets to fill up the jars so you can also open your own miniature sweet shop at home. There will be demonstrations on making pole candy, bonbons, gumballs, chocolate balls, and marshmallow. 

1:12 scale lollipops

1:12 scale lollipops in jars

1:12 scale lollipops with bonbons in jars

1:12 scale lollipops with pole candy in jars

This annual event will be a great retreat for dollshouse and miniatures enthusiasts from all over the country. There is no other event like it in the UK so if you always wanted to try to make your own miniatures - this is your chance! You will also meet other miniature fans and making new friends. I hope to see you there.

Bye!

Commission update - 1:12 miniatures and food from TV's Breaking Bad

Good morning Littlest Sweet Shoppers!

Our first commission is from a returning customer from America who wanted even more 1:12 miniatures! This time she ordered even more more frozen yogurt, half-eaten Crème brûlée from the Etsy shop, another Littlest Fast Food tray with onion rings, a Neapolitan ice cream sandwich, bear lollies and a pack of Lebkuchen.

1:12 miniatures commission

1:12 scale onion rings

1:12 scale selection of frozen treats

Super tiny 1:12 scale ice cream sandwich

Kokomi-chan with a Neapolitan ice cream sandwich in 1:12 scale

Once again we made 1:12 frozen yogurt using graphic requested by the client. Chocolate yogurt with pastel sprinkles and Vanilla yogurt with chocolate sprinkles

Like all of our products, everything is made to scale even for 1:12 doll size Kokomi-chan

Selection of packaged items

XS size Bear Lollipops fits 1:12 scale

1:12 scale Lebkuchen sealed in a pack

Another commission was from an English Littlest Sweet Shopper who wanted me to make some food featured in the series Breaking Bad and cheese nachos. These items are also already available for you to order.

Original artwork was designed for Breaking Bad food

That's all folks! I'm not doing any commissions now which means I can concentrate in getting more new stock into Littlest Sweet Shop as well as our Etsy store. I've uploaded another tutorial on the YouTube channel and will be developing a new collection for April. It's been ages since I have some extra free time in my hands so I also want some quiet play time with my toys which have been ignored for months now! I hope you visit us in a week's time or so to check out some new items in store.

Bye!

Commission Update - 1:12 scale fast food

Good evening Littlest Sweet Shoppers!

A short entry today about a recent commission for a Littlest Sweet Shopper in America. She really wanted Littlest Fast Food in 1:12 scale so I thought I'd give it a try. They are usually available only in 1:6 scale since I'm not confident my printer can produce high quality print at a smaller scale than one-sixth.

Luckily they turned out great even though I had to simplify the design of the Chicken Burger box and Fries box. The frozen yogurt had the label from her local yogurt shop so almost everything was bespoke. I am so happy that the new client loves them and here are the miniatures that I made for her.

1:12 scale strawberry yogurt with pastel sprinkles. Cup made with client's preferred logo

1:12 scale Curly Fries, Chicken Burger and tray

1:12 scale. Custom plastic lid for the yogurt

Made perfectly to scale

Kokomi-chan with a Frozen Yogurt made for 1:12 scale Picco Neemo size

Littlest Fast Food's signature packaging in 1:12 scale

1:12 scale chicken burger doesn't come with cheese. Little container of dipping sauce optional

1:12 scale Curly Fries

Kokomi-chan's quick lunch

1:12 scale 3D printed tray

1:12 scale Littlest Fast Food

That's all for now. I currently have 2 commissions to complete and many little projects on the side so I am kinda busy (again!) to take photos of the new Gingerbread Houses! I have an upcoming workshop in October so I am currently working on the course plan while trying to produce another YouTube tutorial.....................PHEW!

I do hope to see you again for another new update this month so please stick around ;)

Bye!