NAME Day 2016: Bunk and Trundle Bed

On October 1, 2016, ten members of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Miniature Guild got together to build this year's "Bunk & Trundle Bed" 2016 NAME Day kits. Edna Perkins hosted the event and made sure everyone had everything they needed. Our club ordered the NAME Day kits from S&S Furniture Company in 1:12, 1:24, and 1:48. Many thanks to S&S for providing such great kits!

As optional add-ons, we could choose from a chest of drawers or a side table. The bunk bed sets came with mattresses and ladders. Here you can see the 1:12 and 1:48 kits that were put together by an OCBMG member in advance. Pre-built kits are fantastic for these events so everyone has a chance to see what the finished product "should" look like (although kit-bashing and wild creativity are entirely welcome and encouraged):

This is the 1:48 version of the beds, showing off the ladder:

It's really fun to watch people work on the same kit in different scales. These two members are working on 1:12 (left) and 1:48 (right):

And this member is working on 1:24. She's holding a Minwax Wood Finish Stain Marker. Many of us used the exact same stain color for our beds -- Early American. It was a very popular stain, indeed:

Lois Andres brought us some goodies as well -- chocolates and pretty, homemade pillows for the beds. Thank you, Lois!

Edna gifted everyone who came with the official NAME Day 2016 pin from the home office. Thank you so much, Edna. These little treats are so fun to receive:

See you again next year!

Nebraska State Day 2017: Sign Up Info

It's that time of year again -- time to sign up for Nebraska State Day! The 2017 project is "Grandma's Attic." It's the perfect project for all of those random minis you've been hoarding collecting for years. This builder found a place for old family treasures. I spy some relative photographs tucked between the rafters:

Or perhaps a stubborn critter has broken in to the attic? It could certainly be home to a family of raccoons. Maybe there could be a little hole in the siding here at the top?

And there's a window... Hmmm... Perhaps a ghostly figure lives up in the attic and can be seen on moonless nights peeking out of the window....?

So many possibilities! We invite you to come join in on the fun! Take a look at our previous Nebraska State Day events by clicking HERE.

Here are the details:

"Grandma's Attic"

24th Annual Nebraska State Day

September 16, 2017

8:30am to 4pm

Faith Presbyterian Church

8100 Giles Road

LaVista, NE 68127
You do NOT need to be a member of NAME
to participate in this event!

Registration: $75.00 (includes morning coffee, lunch, project, tote bag, souvenir gift, and more). This event is limited to 35 registrants, and the deadline for registration is August 15, 2017. Cancellation/refund no later than September 1, 2017.

Gift Exchange: Make 21 miniatures (all alike) that would go into the Attic (no kits or printies) and if you participate you will take home 21 gifts for your Attic. This is NOT mandatory, but it's a lot of fun -- you really don't want to miss out on it.

Make check payable to: Nebraska State Day
Mail to: Ada Vicars, 13412 Montclaire Drive, Omaha, NE 68144


For further information about Nebraska State Day 2017, please contact:

• Edna Bonney: embonney@abbnebraska.com or (402) 426-4624
• Lois Andres: jlalea1@cox.net or (402) 894-4824

You can also leave a comment here, and I will direct your questions to the proper people. Please let us know if you're interested in being a vendor (must be a registrant). It's always fun to be able to shop for your project immediately!

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On behalf of my fellow OCBMG members, I'd like to thank all of our fantastic State Day committee members for planning this special event. You do a great job, and I know this project will be as wonderful as always! THANK YOU!

Nebraska State Day 2016: Cozy Nook Event

On September 18, 2016, the Omaha-Council Bluffs Miniature Guild hosted the 23nd Annual Nebraska State Day. This year, the project was "Cozy Nook." We had 32 participants (plus committee members) from 7 states: Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, and Wisconsin. We also had two international guests this year from Canada and England. We know that it's a long journey for many of our participants, and we're so happy you took the time to come mini with us. Once again, our Nebraska State Day Committee really knocked it out of the park. Let's dive in to see the goodies!

As always, the committee members had everything perfectly sorted and arranged in individual fruit boxes. Below, you can see a strawberry box with the kit that was waiting for us at our tables. These kinds of boxes are fantastic for travel or transportation of delicate minis or builds. (TIP: Check with your local grocery store to see if they have any fruit shipping containers that they don't need or to see if they can start setting some aside for you):

The committee members used their fantastic imaginations to craft sample nooks for our guests to see. It's so helpful to be able to go look at the completed kits if you ever get stuck. (TIP: Take a LOT of photos of samples at mini shows or events so you can go back and look at the details later. How does the window go together?? Oh yes, I have a close-up picture! HOORAY!!):

One of our participants brought us a HAPPY NEBRASKA STATE DAY banner that we were proud to add to the display table:

More examples to admire:

It's always so fun to participate in a good raffle:

OCBMG would like to thank everyone who donated these wonderful miniatures to the raffle -- and offer congratulations to every lucky winner:

The room was buzzing with activity:

It was fun to walk around the room to see what everyone was making:

The committee members were always ready to help out. Here you can see Lois Andres demonstrating how to put together the peaked window area:

This year we had three vendors who provided many fun goodies to fill up the nooks. From right to left, we had Harlan Schleuter from Miniature World and Ron Chase from D-Tales Miniatures:

Marie Bound also had a table with a wide array of miniatures:

The committee provided a continental breakfast at the beginning of the day and a delicious pizza and salad lunch midway through. In the afternoon, we received snacks and drinks. Meanwhile, everyone was dutifully working on our kits:

The souvenir gift from the committee was a vegetable set made by Pat Richmond of Twin Heart. Included: celery, carrot, green onion, cabbage, tomato, green pepper, potato, and garlic. Pat's vegetables are incredibly realistic. You can even slice the cabbage open to see the mini leaves throughout the core. We also received a marble-topped bistro table set and a cardinal made by Barbara Meyer of mini-gems. All of Barbara's birds are always such a treat! We're so proud to have talented, miniature artisans there with us in spirit on our special day:

Each participant received a totebag with miniatures from OCBMG and Shoe Box Bunch members (We're so grateful to our sister group for contributing). Here are some examples of totebag gifts, including a window box and wall shelf to add to the nook:

More totebag items:

And even more totebag items:

Each year, we have an optional 21 Gift Exchange. You can make 21 gifts to exchange, and you'll get 20 items back. Here are some examples of exchange gifts:

More exchange gifts:

And even more exchange gifts:

So fun to see hand-crocheted minis up close:

Because of the way the exchange works, not everyone receives the same items, but at least 20 people received individualized stained glass window hangings from Sharon Hammell (IGMA) of Vancouver BC, Canada:

As we were walking out the door, a committee member handed us surprise brown paper bags filled with a bunch of minis and kits. WHEE!! Lots to work with here:

OCBMG would like to recognize and thank the Nebraska State Day Committee: Lois Andres, Edna Bonney, Del Faris, Georgia Gregg, Kathy Hall, Syd Hulla, Harlan Schleuter, and Ada Vicars. Thank you so much for your hard work, dedication, and generous spirits!!!! And extra special thanks to Ron Chase for donating so many of the raffle gifts this year!!

Want to know what we're going to make next year? We proudly present the Nebraska State Day 2017 project "Grandma's Attic":

Stay tuned to see more photos and get more information about Nebraska State Day 2017. I'll be sharing the details soon!! Remember, you don't have to be a NAME member or a member of our groups to participate -- everyone is welcome.

Thank you to everyone who came to mini with us!  

And a HUGE thank you again to the Faith Presbyterian Church for hosting our event! We'll see you next year!

Weeping Water Miniatures Display: Helen Burton

OCBMG member Helen Burton currently has some miniatures on display in Weeping Water, Nebraska. Helen joined OCBMG in 2015, but her love of miniatures began back in her childhood in Chicago. Helen fell in love with the Thorne Rooms and Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle. Who can blame her?

I asked Helen to tell us a bit about the miniatures in the window. She said the travel trailer was her first kit and was quite the challenge. The general store in the fish tank is a memory of a family store. The rest are simply fun ideas: a hat store in a hat box, and a library in a book:

Here is the information about where to see Helen's miniatures, which will be on display through the end of April:

Memory Lane Museum & Soda Fountain

215 W. Eldora

Weeping Water, NE 68463

For more information click HERE and HERE. 

Thank you to Helen for sharing your miniatures in this way!!

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Don't forget, OCBMG and the Shoe Box Bunch have an ongoing display at the LaVista Community Center all year long in 2016. For more information about that display, click HERE.

In Memory of Rita Minto

April 29, 1957–March 19, 2016

We are very sad to announce the passing of our dear friend and talented miniaturist, Rita Minto. Rita joined NAME, the Omaha-Council Bluffs Miniature Guild, and the Shoe Box Bunch all in 2013. Even though she was only with us for a few short years, Rita made her mark on both of our groups, and we all loved her deeply.

The photo above was taken at a general OCBMG meeting in 2014, and our group was blessed to have Rita's mother, Theta, visit us at that time. We saw Theta again last year and were also treated to many visits from Rita's daughter, Sonia. With Rita, it was truly a family affair. Many of us miniaturists know that not every relative understands getting bitten by the Miniature Bug, but Rita's family fully understands -- and graciously joined us in the fun. Let's take a look back at some of those wonderful memories...

Below is a picture of Rita from Nebraska State Day 2014. She is busily working on her Create A Shop kit:

Here is Rita at the NAME Day event for 2014 when we made the Cozy Corner. I sat next to Rita that day, and she kindly allowed me to copy off of her. There was much giggling and silliness at this table:

Here is a picture of Rita and her daughter from Nebraska State Day 2015, when we made the Screened-In Porch:

Even though this photo is taken from the back, I'm including it because it's the last picture I have of Rita, and I can tell that she's smiling, which makes me so happy. This is from the 2015 OCBMG Christmas party, and she was so vibrant and cheerful that day. Her colorful head scarf matches her colorful, fun personality:

Rita was always very generous with her beautiful gifts to club members. Here is a holiday topiary she gave us at the Christmas party in 2013:

The bottom of the mini has Rita's signature:

This holiday wreath is from the Christmas party in 2015 (made along with Rita's daughter), and the blanket is from Nebraska State Day 2013:

This is my favorite Rita Minto creation -- the beautiful garden decoration that she and her mother gave to us for Nebraska State Day 2015:

It's made to be staked in the ground as outdoor decor, but I haven't "planted" mine yet. You can see how magical it looks standing up here:

Rita also participated in our miniatures display back in 2014 with this lovely heart box:

As you can see, Rita participated in so many of our events, and we're incredibly glad that we were able to have that time with her. It will be difficult to not have her smiling face at our gatherings in the future, but we will hold onto our warm memories and treasure her miniature creations.

On behalf of OCBMG and the Shoe Box Bunch, thank you, Rita (and family), for being a part of of our world!!

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If you'd like to see Rita Minto's official obituary, click HERE.

2014–2015 OCBMG Awards

OCBMG is proud to announce that we won the NAME Blue Ribbon Club Award for 2014–2015, which is presented to charter clubs that contribute to their local communities and the miniature community at large. That "8" on the award indicates that our guild has won this award 8 times. We're happy to share our love of minis with the Greater Omaha and Council Bluffs areas!

We also have two members who won NAME's Ambassador's Award for Region A2 for 2014–2015: Edna Bonney and Lois Andres. Region A-2 includes the states of Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Here is information about the Regional Ambassador Award from NAME:

"The Regional Ambassador Award is given to one member within each Region for outstanding efforts in promoting NAME and the public awareness of miniatures and the miniature hobby."

Edna Bonney's award: 

Edna Bonney has been a member of NAME for 12 years. She joined OCBMG in 2004 and has held the following offices:

• Secretary: 2006–2008
• President: 2008–2010; 2015–Present
• Nebraska State Representative: 2012–Present
• Nebraska State Day Committee Member: 2013–Present 

Edna is always willing to step in and help us, which we're so grateful for. She has taught many interesting and challenging workshops over the years, and we appreciate all of the knowledge she shares with us. We're so proud of you, Edna! 

Lois Andres's award:

Lois Andres has been a member of NAME for 10 years. She joined OCBMG in 2006 and has held the following offices:

• Vice President: (previously)
• President: (previously)
• Nebraska State Day Committee Member: 2012–Present

We're obviously not entirely sure on the dates for Lois, but they don't really matter. What does matter is that Lois is a treasure to our guild. Her imagination and talent for minis is infectious, and her creations are inspiring and beautiful. We're very proud of you, too, Lois!

Both Edna and Lois are wonderful women, and they bring such light and joy to our guild. Please join us in congratulating them for winning these special awards!

On behalf of all of the members of OCBMG: Congrats Edna and Lois!! Thank you for working so hard on behalf of our guild, Region A-2, and NAME!