2014 St Louis NAME National Convention--the Hotel

Hello everyone.

It has been a long time since I posted anything. Wasn't sure anyone was even reading my posts, but was pleasantly surprised to find that a few more people were interested enough to sign up for the posts. Thank you to all new subscribers!

The 2014 NAME National Convention in St Louis has been GRRREAT!!!!

So here is my 1st post on this very busy week. We start with the hotel--the Marriott at St Louis Airport. I'm not even sure where the airport is, as I drove to the convention hotel site instead of flying, and I have not really heard the rumble of planes taking off overhead, if that kind of thing bothers you. 

Here is my hotel room with the standard double queen bed. The hotel was recently renovated and it's like stepping into the pages of a Crate & Barrel, West Elm or Pottery Barn catalog, which is to say the hotel's decor is retro modern with streamlined modern furniture in neutral shades of gray, taupe, chocolate brown, ecru and splashes of bright color. 

The beds are comfortable with crisp, white, cotton sheets, goose-down comforters, goose-down pillows (you get 6 pillows per bed).

The flat screen TV looks small, but it's actually 42-50" large. You get the standard cable stations with one station for HBO. The little cabinet below the TV hides a little fridge. The bottled water is not free, and unfortunately, there is no personal coffee maker with complimentary tea or coffee packets.

They do have a Starbucks in the lobby area, which I visited daily in the morning and noon for caffeination and sandwiches. 

Sandwiches are pretty decent size and include choices of ham, turkey, chicken breast (not often) and roast beef, for $5.

The brownies are very good---thick, gooey, rich, chocolate with toasted pecan on top or rich chocolate frosting, and average $4.

The coffee is typical Starbucks-ridiculously expensive, but the ladies behind the register are nice.

 I just wanted to show more of the modern decor in the hotel ambience. I liked the little leather stool/bench as a catch-all for luggage, purses, and a full-length mirror to inspect yourself before heading out the door.

 Here is a little sitting area with those mid-century chairs. There's not much of a view out the window unless you're lucky enough to look out onto the pool, which is very stylish and nice.

Here is some art work hanging on my bedroom wall. In the public restrooms of the lobby, they have hanging black and white portrait size photos of movie stars like Audrey Hepburn, Robert Wagner and other celebrities boarding a plane or in an airport lobby.

Here is my nightstand. The furniture in the room is ALL open shelving. There are no chest of DRAWERS. In the closet, you have a little space for hanging your clothes and 4 open shelves for your clothes. It's minimalism. Good to not accidentally leave behind items in drawers, but housekeeping and any guests will be able to see what your underwear looks like. There's a small lock in the closet to safeguard your valuables.

Right below the lamps are 2 electrical outlets for essentials like charging your cell phone and laptop and 2 on/off switches for the lamp. I found that really convenient.

I didn't include pictures of the bathroom--pictures just too hard to get right. Bathroom is tight, but there are granite countertops and either marble floors or ceramic tiles that look like marble. It's nice.

Funny thing--housekeeping will only leave you one roll of toilet paper. I ran out one night and called about it to front desk. They were very polite, apologized, and when I left my room that morning there was a roll of paper outside my door. BUT when I came back later after housekeeping had tidied up my room, there were no EXTRA roll of toilet paper. I just found that really odd. I can understand conservation measures, but being stingy on toilet paper, at a hotel no less? Really!

I thought maybe it was just me, but during one of my theme luncheons, another lady at the table brought up the exact same issue--so...you've been warned.

Poor Man's Photo Box--Photo Tutorial

      Tools/supplies: ILLUSTRATION BOARD (custom frame/art supply section of craft stores), quilting ruler (preferred) or ruler, pencil, Xacto knife with sharp blade, CARPET TAPE 1.5” wide

Illustration Board is used because it is thicker and RIGID like wood (except you can use Xacto knife to cut, and it is acid free to boot). You can use mat board, but it is too floppy to my taste.

Template for cutting the photobox (boxes labeled #1, 2, 3,5). Not to scale. Ignore Box #6,4

       Draw the template onto illustration board, on the side you do not want showing (with all the writing on it), including the dash lines. A square quilting ruler as shown is easiest because lines are level as you draw. For a 16 x 20” board, you can make a 6” box using the template above the picture. 

The picture illustrates the lines for making an 8” box from 16 x 20 board. For bigger boxes, you will need 32 x 40" illustration board.

     Use your Xacto knife to cut as follows: DASHED lines get cut into but not through the board, NON-DASHED LINES get cut through full thickness of board. You should be able to bend the sides where there are dashed lines. You may have to make MULTIPLE passes to fully cut through the board.

      Seal the sides of the box with CARPET TAPE (basically industrial strength double sided tape). 

      The finished box will have 3 sides & a bottom, but no top or front.

 6” and 8” photo box nested in each other, both used 16x20 illustration board.

       Now you can place your miniature items into the box and take pictures. The box gives you a nice clean background on all 3 sides. I chose white so that if you print the picture, you won’t waste a lot of ink on background color.

     If you want a colored background, just add colored paper or fabric into the box and voila!

Completed projects day 5

 A quarter scale winter/Xmas vignette completed in 2012

This project was the brainchild of Gayle Clausen for the OKC Mini Club

I used to drive 3 hrs once a month to attend the OKC mini club meetings, conveniently held on Saturdays

They felt bad for me, so they gave me the name of a lady in a miniature club in my own town, and they (OKC) haven't seen me since.

 The doll armature and faces were made by Gayle Clausen and she taught the club how to dress QS dolls---it's easier than you think

 A quarter scale Christmas Baking vignette

From a kit by Janet Smith of Desert Minis, originally Harvest Time Kitchen

The doll is by Gayle Clausen--I had her make a Ms Santa Claus and she added all sorts of wonderful details

I made most of the accessories using Joann Swanson's 1" scale instructions for Xmas Baking vignette, but scaled down to QS

Then I decorated the outside of the roombox too to make it more Christmas-y and make it more of a house than just a plain roombox 

 The other side of the roombox

 QS Lady's Shop Vignette completed 2012
From a kit by Suzanne Herget
All the shop items (hats, jewelry, purses, hanging dress, shopping bags, hat boxes, picture frames, shop catalogue, flower arrangement) are items I made or received from QS Swap group run by Ginger Anderson

I decorated the outside of the roombox too

  

 A quarter scale Lady's Boutique with a purse frame

From Tom Bishop Chicago International 2010 class with Sally Manwell, completed in 2012

 I made the chandelier following instructions from a JAR-JAF booklet

The lady trying on the hat was included with the class workshop

The lady shopkeeper I won because I had the lucky pink pencil in my bag of supplies in class

 We learned to make hats and purses seen on the left

The cameo is something extra I added from my stash

The flower pot I got from a QS swap

The tray of perfumes on the 2 tables I made

Everything else you see was part of the class/kit wkshop

You can get the "purse" frame in enamel red from Hobby Lobby and ask Sally Manwell to make you the shop interior and roombox structure kits

Completed projects day 4

QS Upstairs Craft Room front view

I actually completed this in 2012

Kit from Luci Hanson of Cascade Miniatures

 I tried to make this look as much like my kitchen in real life, using items provided by the kit, except my real house kitchen doesn't have those signs on top of the cabinets

I do most of my miniatures in the breakfast nook off the kitchen and family room where the flat screen TV resides

 I had Gayle Clausen make the doll of me and a little boy sitting on my lap while I do minis because he loved to see what I was up to

The Yorkie is from Barbara Meyers. We have a Yorkie (boy)

 That bookshelf is way neater than my actual cabinets

 I got as far as wallpapering that house pictured, but no furniture, which about the same as my real dollhouses LOL

 A bakery inside a paper cupcake, quarter scale

 Interior view of the cupcake Bakery

This was my table exchange gift at Charlotte's NAME National Convention

The lady who received it didn't seem particularly impressed or excited to receive it.

 Quarter scale Bliss Roombox, roundtables from Charlotte's 2012 NAME National Convention

The roombox kit is from Susan Farnik

The bed, dresser and armoire kits are from Jean Scribner

The umbrella stand, houseplant are table gifts from Charlotte National Convention

The rest of accessories I made or received from swaps through QS swap group 

 I used a fabric quilt purchased from Debbie Young for the bed instead of from the kit

The slippers are from Fern Rouleau

Side table from Jennifer Berkeley

 Side view of the roombox

 Back view of roombox

Other side of the roombox

Completed Projects Day3

 Pam Junk's English cottages doll's dollhouses in 2 scales (the 1"/HS is pictured)

Following pictures show the front and then the back view

You just have to stain or paint the interior, glue the cottage graphic to front & glue the house pieces together

 This shows the 2 scales of the houses

Each kit makes TWO houses

Get them while you can---Pam is retiring them

 The following are Pam Junk's English Shops. The shop "boxes" vary considerably in size compared to the Carpenter Gothic House kits. Each kit comes with material to complete interior/furniture

Not a kit, but a witch's hat I bought from Shelly Norris

It has Fimo formed roses, wire flowers, and ruched silk ribbon band 

Side view of the hat