SERVING DESSERT, FIRST

I enjoy making miniature foods

 I know that it is not something that I excel at, 
 but I still like doing it. 

( Okay, having made that disclaimer right up-front, 
I can now calmly proceed. )

This past month, I have been busy trying to get stuff ready for this June's, West Coast Miniature Show, but to break up the monotony of sorting through much of my neglected collection, I decided to stop and make a few new things, 
actually, what I mean is; 
I decided to waste a lot of time and muck about with some mini food"recipes", 
as well as,
 re-work some "left-over" food items which I had previously made, in an attempt to use them up.


For example this tea tray pictured below:

I made four of these tea trays using some recycled plastic china from a previous project. The foods were part of an experiment, how to make miniature foods without having to use fimo.   Don't get me wrong.  I have nothing at all against fimo, I just wish that fimo had nothing against me!!! 
I keep trying to sculpt with different polyclays and my success rate with them is more "amiss", than a hit.  
In short,.. I suck 
 I have better success with non-conventional components, to 
"shake and bake" with.
These sticky buns are made primarily with packing styrofoam, slathered with my own "secret recipe" for a rich-looking caramel sauce and double- stuffed with whipped cream. 
oh, and by the way, 
I LOVE whipped cream,
both eating it and making it  
and have several pre-mixed containers of it stored in my Studio E "pantry" 
The recipes vary and some turn out to be Very Good while others continue to morph into something ugly. 
Even so,
I do it because I enjoy experimenting with new mediums and you just never know when a little 
"Eureka" moment
may be waiting right around the corner  

Both the large tart and the small one on the tea tray are more examples of my non-fimo baked goods and both are sporting different blends of whipped cream toppers. The large tart is placed on top of a Janet Uyetake plate.
This pretty china is only some of what I purchased at the Seattle Show.  They are wafer thin and very romantic. 
( Funny, but I seem to buy a lot of floral and girly minis, which is totally at odds with my real life, which is generally more simple and streamlined )

I guess opposites attract

meanwhile
I had to include these Fabulous mini shoes in this post about food.
Aren't they wonderful? 

These pretty little cork and leather wedgies are a gift from Janine,  recently purchased when she attended the miniature show in Brisbane, Australia.  She bought Fats a pretty pair too!  You can see more of Janine's 
Brisbane Show haul on her blog
"MINWORKS"

dear me! I nearly forgot to ask....
Would you have time to stay for tea?

 Well, of course you don't have to but..... 

 Perhaps
 I could tempt you with dainty sugared violets on orange flavored cupcakes and a few tangy lemon bars? 
( fimo nail ornaments, Air dry clays, beads, chalk and assorted paints and glitter)

still not sure?

(You can think it over while I read my mail.)

How about trying a slice of home-made mile high raspberry cream pie?
 (made from air dry clay and assorted mixes of paint mediums.)
OR 

My latest kitchen creation of lemon custard cream cake; 
(made with air dry clay, and rich and creamy, pencil erasers)

Or how about a slice of double chocolate fudge layer cake, 
(made from dense plastic sponge and frosted with a thick mix of assorted paints and glazes?)

"What's that you say, you haven't had your dinner yet!?"

 then, here's the menu for a
 main course.

***
"Serving up the Main Course!"

I had so much fun making each one of these savory cheese boards.  I made 6 in total.
I was able to use up a number of my past experiments.
The breads formed a part of those previous experiments.  
Although I try to remember to write down what I do when I do it,  I will often keep adding to the basic recipe. Later, I will have forgotten what I did; and then I can't duplicate it.
 ( this is what's happened with this bread )
typical....  
"Hey, are you hungry yet?"
 let's see if any of these savory munchies, are able to 
tempt your mini taste buds

Could I interest you in sampling some open-faced sandwiches, made from ADC ( air dried clay), styrofoam, silica beads, seeds, erasers, paints and some of my rescued Fimo Fails; 
i.e.
the boiled egg (with real black pepper), 
dill pickle 
and thinnly sliced fimo tuna. 

Why not try some Big "juicy?" concord grapes, which have been kicking around in my collection for years. 
( they might even be raisins by now)
(seeds, erasers, styrofoam, dense plastic, and silica beads, paints, chalks and glues, make up this culinary composition.) 

Fatima's mouth-watering fimo sausage is a big feature on this rustic board along with my bread, cheese and jar of jelly 
and below is a jelly jar left-over from 
my very first blog tutorial;
"The Pony Bead Express"  ..... 
it's now famous! 

Isn't it amazing when you think of the origins of some of the strange  materials we use to make our miniatures out of? 
 Hopefully, they don't stay looking like what they came from, but rather like what they are suppose to represent.

I took some more photos so that you can have a good 
look-see at the individual cheese boards.
I am quite pleased with the way they all turned out.

Fatima's sausage slices, featured both on the open-faced cheese sandwich above and
on the cheese board below

These were lots of fun to make and I may eventually make some more, 
since I have a ton more 
Lots of past experiments still waiting patiently in the wings.
***

But just before you go, I would like to show you my very
 first purchase 
 at the Seattle Show.

It is a garden trug!

(the cabbage roses are mine)

I bought it;

But then, I lost it, 

and didn't even realize, that I had lost it, even when it was broadcast over the P.A., that a parcel was found and would the rightful owner come and claim it.  
I heard them say it, 
but I didn't think that I had lost anything, that is, not until much later that same Saturday evening after the show was over for the day.

"Hey!" 
"Where did I put that garden trug?"

WHAAAAAAA!!!!!
I've lost it!!!! 

then there I was Racing back down to the hotel lobby and hoping against hope, that it had been turned in. 
AND IT WAS!

God Bless the person who found it and then turned it in; 
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! 

And So....,

 I would like to extend a personal invitation
 to that very special person, 
to share in a cup of tea with me here in the garden.
See!,
 I have already set a comfy place just for you. 
 It's all ready 

 And, yes, I'm serving the Dessert, FIRST! :D

elizabeth