Author Archives: - IGMA Artisan Robin Brady-Boxwell

About - IGMA Artisan Robin Brady-Boxwell

Crown Jewel Miniatures by IGMA Artisan Robin Brady-Boxwell. Fine 1:12 scale dollhouse miniatures in ultimate realism! My blog is a compendium of new art, announcements, and advice on creating miniature food for the dollhouse and 1:12th scale shops, stores and scenes.

An Earthquake In Bob’s House!

EARTHQUAKE! I never thought we would ever experience an earthquake here in Connecticut but today proved to be a real eye opener. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake (epicenter in New Jersey) shook our house along with everything in it, including Bob’s … Continue reading

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To Season Or Not To Season… That Is The Question!

Season. It encompasses heavenly aromas of herbs and spices coming from the kitchen, snow or balmy weather and also experience or age but when it comes to dollhouses, the spices in our mortar and pestles are fake, inclement weather is … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – Adding DNA To Your Dollhouse?

You finally reach the stage where your tribute dollhouse is “ready”.  The lighting, wallpaper and furniture is done and you’re at the stage where it’s time to accessorize.  You add the basics, of course… groceries, linens, toiletries, etc… but what … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – A 19th Century Sea Captain Cruises Into Bob’s House!

Selecting artwork to display inside the dollhouse has never been much of an issue with me. I simply selected ready-made, framed pieces sold online and in dollhouse shops that matched the theme or decor of the room. That was until … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – Building Kitchen Shelves With Bars To Hang Utensils

Changing furniture sometimes requires modifications to the room and when I received Oliver Clarke’s amazing OOAK stove I knew something had to be done. The Roper stove I removed offered a lot of display space. What to do? I considered … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – A Bathroom Mirror Install!

Who would have thought the mirror would be the hardest thing to find for the bathroom in Bob’s House? With the fixtures in, the custom cabinet complete (see my earlier post) and the hamper modified, it was time to for … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – The Stove That Was Meant To Be

Have you ever searched and searched and searched for something for so long you lost hope of ever finding it? I have coveted a vintage, 1940’s style double-door oven for MANY years. I looked in dollhouse shops, scoured the internet, … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – Laying A Simple Brick Hearth For The Fireplace

With my flooring installed it was time to turn my attention to the fireplaces. I had two Braxton Payne fireplaces in my stash. Both were painted to resemble wood and had brick detail. I chose the larger of the two … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – A Special Crochet Afghan For The Dollhouse

Needlework is a labor of love and every stitch tells a story. For my father, the story was a colorful crochet afghan with black borders, made by his mother, with love. He treasured it as he treasured her and when … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – Realistic Miniature Shiplap & Beadboard

As mentioned in my original post on Bob’s House, the shiplap walls for the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom proved to be quite a challenge! I needed beadboard for the bathroom and shiplap for Bob’s room and the kitchen. I ordered … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – Chalk Paint for Dollhouse Wicker & Kitbashing a Toiletry Cabinet For the Bathroom!

Today I worked on the bathroom in Bob’s House. It’s mostly all soft magnolia white, except for the hint of black in the penny tiles and the steel blue vines on the wallpaper so I’m painting a few things to … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – Closets & Wardrobes

So your dollhouse or roombox is built and wired and you’ve finished the ceiling, walls and floors. You have a few pieces of furniture and some nice accessories in hand too. What’s next? Closets! Before you start furnishing the room … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – Kitchen Stone Wall & Stenciled Floor

The kitchen of Bob’s House turned out to be the most labor intensive aspect of the entire project. In my last post, I shared with you how I almost forgot to add the pantry and had to rip out a … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – Wiring & Adding A Kitchen Pantry

Wiring can be daunting but once you begin, it all falls into place and before you know it you’ve got lights and it’s brilliant, you feel like a genius!  Ok, but how to get there?  If you’re an aspiring mini … Continue reading

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Bob’s House – A Tribute In 1:12th Scale

Losing a parent is never easy. Last year I lost my precious father, an amazing man whom I was extremely close to. In the last years of his storied life, he shared more and more about his childhood, growing up … Continue reading

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HELP WANTED

WANTED: Cleaning enthusiast to dust, sweep, mop and organize potting shed. Must be of diminutive stature, good with flowers and plants and above all must respect squirrels and frogs. Only well qualified applicants need apply. Payment will be a basket … Continue reading

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A Picture FEEDS A Thousand Words

I don’t recall when this photo was taken, but this is photo pretty much sums up What the Crown Jewel Imaginarium© looks like after a long spree of creativity. My art amasses on the tiles atop my bench, ready to … Continue reading

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From Dollhouse Food To Crochet?

A few years ago my aging father lamented the loss of a granny square afghan his late mother had made. Over the years he lost track of it and was sad not to have it. I knew absolutely nothing about … Continue reading

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Hurricane Henri

Due to impending Hurricane Henri, there may be a delay in shipping orders. Thank you in advance for your kind patience. Stay safe, mini friends! ♥ Robin ©Copyright 2021 Crown Jewel Miniatures. All rights reserved. IGMA Artisan Robin Brady-Boxwell CrownJewelMiniatures.com

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Name Your Coffee!

Q: What’s In A Name? A: Coffee! Shop Crown_Jewel_Miniatures eBay for yours! Coffee, cup o’ joe, java, espresso, cappuccino… call it what you will but it’s a nice hot cup of yummy and I’m serving it to you in tiny … Continue reading

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Code Of Conduct Befitting An Artisit – IGMA.org

The International Guild Of Miniature Artisans has a Code of Conduct I believe everyone should review and ascribe to. Member or not, it is often how we conduct ourselves that leaves a lasting impression. Making your impressions positive ones is … Continue reading

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Crown Jewel Miniatures In The “World’s Most Expensive Dollhouse”?

Photo by Zak DeZon/Bloomberg Seek And You Shall Find… and What A Find! I’m stunned! I used Google to search for a “dollhouse castle clock” and stumbled upon my dream dollhouse. It’s a castle, of course. “Astolat Castle” is named … Continue reading

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My First Attempts At Mini Tupperware

Tupperware is quite handy for those times when you feel like throwing out your food another day.” LOL Tupperware! It’s iconic and as I continue to work on my vintage kitchen roombox (a replica of my Grandmother’s kitchen), I decided … Continue reading

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Bells Of Ireland, Flowers For Good Luck!

The bells of Ireland, a happy addition to any bouquet! I love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day every year. It’s a huge holiday in our family, so when I came across this lovely kit in Georgie Steeds’ Etsy shop, I grabbed … Continue reading

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New Flowers & Tomato Plants For The Crown Jewel Farm!

“Happiness held is the seed. Happiness shared is the flower.” – John Harrigan The Crown Jewel Farm is a work in progress. You’ve had a peek at Farmer Jewel’s truck full of produce and my mini pumpkin patch. Last week … Continue reading

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Crown Jewel Farm

“I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world” – George Washington The Crown Jewel Farm doesn’t have an emperor but it does have a squirrel! Kerri Pajutee has created magic once again and this tiny … Continue reading

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Rags To Riches – What’s Hiding In Your Miniature Stash?

“The hidden treasure that lies in plain sight!” Collecting miniatures is such a lovely pastime and for those of us who have been avid collecters for decades it can lead to two very important considerations… downsizing and insuring our collections. … Continue reading

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A Bushel Of Farm Fresh Vegetables… And Baskets Of Appreciation!

“Good food grows on a farm but good friends grow in your heart” -Me Kathleen Holmes has a rare talent for fine curating when it comes to her dollhouse and miniature scenes. With her help, I was able to find … Continue reading

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Calling All Dollhouse Miniaturists & Collectors! Surf’s Up!

“Log on and surf the world of miniatures!” Connecting with fellow miniature enthusiasts online is easier now than ever before. Instagram reveals a parade of tiny creations, Facebook keeps us current on who-is-making-what and various show schedules and we trade … Continue reading

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Vintage Dollhouse Chandelier Kits

“I guess like most people I’m a bargain-hunter. I love a bargain. I found out there’s two prices on everything. There’s the Rodeo Drive price and there’s the same merchandise down the street.” -Liberace Snowy, housebound weekends are great inspiration … Continue reading

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Easter Dinner In The Dollhouse

A Strong Family Has Well Worn Seats At The Dinner Table Where will your dollhouse family be this year come April 21st? If they’re gathering around your mini dining room table, a hyper-realistic Easter dinner will set the scene for … Continue reading

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Chestnuts In A… Popcorn Popper?

“There is probably a smell of roasted chestnuts and other good comfortable things all the time, for we are telling Winter Stories – Ghost Stories, or more shame for us – round the Christmas fire; and we have never stirred, … Continue reading

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Cover & Feature Article in Artisans In Miniature iMag!

Cover To Cover, It’s Magic In Miniature! Exciting news! Artisans In Miniature “Harvest & Halloween” iMag issue 68 is out and guess who has the cover and a feature article? As always the entire issue of the iMag is beautifully … Continue reading

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Autumn Apple Pie

Apples, Cinnamon, Buttery, Flaky Pie Crust… It must be fall! We think of apple pie as all-American but you may be surprised to learn that the first recipe for apple pie goes back to 1381 England. Geoffrey Chaucer’s written recipe … Continue reading

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Introducing Dracula’s Pastry Cupboard©, the 2018 edition of the Crown Jewel Miniatures Annual Halloween series!

Dracula’s Pastry Cupboard© is the eighth in the series, as shown in Issue #68 of Artisans In Miniature. This is a one of a kind and is now available via my Etsy shop just in time for the Halloween holiday. … Continue reading

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My 2018 Custom Order List Is Closed

Closing The 2018 Custom Order List Early Due to family commitments, my custom order list is now closed for the year, effective immediately. Typically the list is open from January through October but this year I need to cut it … Continue reading

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A Day In The Life Of a 1:12 Food Miniaturist…

What’s Cookie Dough Without A Cookie Cutter? Not much, if you ask me, so when I made two batches of autumn sugar cookies for a pair of prep board scenes, I rolled out the dough nice and thin, keeping it … Continue reading

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A Basket Of Summer Berries On Your Dollhouse Porch

Grab some flour and sugar and let’s make something berry delicious! We have a bumper crop of summer berries here in New England and they’re on their way from the mini farm to your dollhouse table! Take a handful of … Continue reading

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Rooting For Karen Fuller of K&J Metalworks

Sometimes it’s not about the miniatures, it’s about being a miniature family. Sometimes we need someone simply to be there. Not to fix or do anything in particular. Just to let us know we are supported and cared for. Over … Continue reading

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Losing Miniature Collector Magazine

Farewell Miniature Collector Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess what is seen during the moment. Miniature Collector was poetry in small scale and to coin one of their featured titles, … Continue reading

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Society Ladies’ Lunch… Pearls & Crimson Lipstick Required.

Keep calm and eat shrimp! One society maven leaned over her chardonnay and whispered to the other a startling confession: “Darling, I’m on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it.” A simple shrimp salad seems to be … Continue reading

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Take-Out Food in 1:12th Scale

Grilled Pita Sandwiches, Tacos & Stuffed Clams! Taco ’bout awesome! It’s summer time and folks are traveling, spending time outdoors & some are leaving their offices to visit food trucks on their lunch break. Whatever keeps your mini people busy … Continue reading

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Thanksgiving Morning In The Kitchen

Just Like Mom & Grandma Used To Make! Home kitchens are usually busy but never more bustling than on Thanksgiving morning. Mom, Grandma, Aunt Mabel… or Dad and Uncle Bob… the names change from kitchen to kitchen and are just … Continue reading

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Pine Cones, Autumn Leaves and… Cheese

Cheese, wine and friends have one thing in common, they’re all better when they’re old. Pine cones are lovely when paired with leaves, and leaves are lovely when paired with… Did you guess what I did with the leaves shown … Continue reading

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Autumn Is A Second Spring When Every Leaf Is A Flower

The rustling of the leaves is like a low hymn to nature. As mentioned in my last post, accessories are often created in the Crown Jewel Miniatures Imaginarium to display my 1:12th food art. I have been on the hunt … Continue reading

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Crown Jewel Cutting Boards

A Peek Inside In The Crown Jewel Miniatures Imaginarium “Necessity can be the springboard to success!” Julia Child once said “Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all”, and that’s how I feel … Continue reading

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Fall Harvest On The Crown Jewel Farm

What’s Cooking In The Crown Jewel Miniatures Imaginarium? “Not make miniature food every day? You must be out of your gourd!” It’s true, I’m always making something. Every day presents new possibilities and I love carrying my morning coffee into … Continue reading

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See What’s Cooking Today In The Crown Jewel Imaginarium!

An Apple A Day… Crisp fall apples! These mini Granny Smith’s and MacIntosh have not been baked or sealed yet, so the color will lighten up after baking, but here’s a peek at my tile this morning… Robin ♥ ©Copyright … Continue reading

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Frequently Asked Questions

Insight Into The Crown Jewel Miniatures Imaginarium… What brand of chalk pastels do you use and why? I have a few favorites and the one thing they all have in common is intense pigment and permanent colors that do not … Continue reading

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My Custom Order List

Happy Autumn Mini Friends! The leaves have just begun to turn here in New England and though the days are still very warm, I’m looking forward to crisp air and a breathtaking kaleidoscope of autumn color, fall is gorgeous! If … Continue reading

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