Project Update on the New Black & White Goodies, Part 2

June 9, 2011

This has been sitting in my drafts for a while (heck, part 1 was posted in March!). It’s about time I finish up the part two the of Black and White furniture since part 3 and 4 is sitting on my desk right now and need to be written about too.

The picture above is the Squared Squared Bookcase x2, what I hoped to be the new flagship piece. Unfortunately, I don’t like it in acrylic, at all. It just looks too clunky for my tastes. This design will likely be made in wood by hand and later have a mold formed for resin casting… or something.

Next up is the smaller version of the x2, the Squared Squared Bookcase x1 (not the most elaborate naming convention, I know). Again, I am not too fond of it. The thickness of the material just doesn’t look convincing. There is a possibility that it may look alright if this piece is painted or made in wood in the same thickness (which is about 3mm, by the way), but that is for a future test.

Ah yes, the good ole’ RC bookcase. I mentioned in a previous post that the resin version will be retired and currently, it has been retired. I am trying to get it out of retirement though! This acrylic RC Bookcase version was a test to see how it looks in a different material. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to it’s resin counterpart. I am still working on it!

Above is the White Simplism side/end table/night stand Set. The Simplism series is all about simplicity (duh!), efficiency, and versatility. It comes with a lot of pieces that are multi-configurable for more than one look. I’m pleased at how well the first test run came out, though to be fair, the design and the parts are not complex, so I expected it to be such.

I’ve always liked the look of the Wall Leaning Bookcase. It was fun figuring out a way to design the bookcase in scale. It turned out alright, but the building process was much more troublesome than expected, especially in acrylic using plastic welding. The next prototypes have some significant changes.

The Wall Leaning Desk & Bookcase (or rather top shelf? I need to think of a better name) is one of my favorite of the batch. I just thought it would be cool to have a desk version of the WLBookcase and I was right. I’m also working on a long version of the WLBookcase with a desk on one side and bookcase on the other to be a true combo piece.

Of course I have to save my favorite for the last bit. I *heart* the Minimalist Dresser Drawers (series, yet unamed, if it belongs to one at all). It’s still a bit rough around the edges, but I do hope to have this made in wood instead of acrylic for easier finishing.

That’s it for part 2. I will probably consolidate part 3 and 4 and finish up with these posts. I’m getting rather bored working with acrylic and have been itching to do some wood working again. The glossiness and the bold contrast between the black and white acrylic is great for design, but a pain in the buns to photograph. They attract dust like magnets. There will still be some pieces made in acrylic, but I am trying to find the happy medium between in what works, what doesn’t, what people want, and what doesn’t cost a bazillion dollars to make!

Categories: AmazingMiniatures.comAmazingMiniatures.com > EtsyMiniature Accessories

12 Responses

The Shopping SherpaJune 13, 2011 at 11:59 pm
Poop! Was pretty much off line for the weekend and so missed buying the beautiful Minimalist Dresser Drawers. You’re planning to make more, right?
- AnnJune 14, 2011 at 10:43 pm
  Maybe. Or maybe in a kit form. We’ll see?
The Shopping SherpaJune 15, 2011 at 1:41 am
Wooden kit maybe? Would provide interesting options for paint/ stain/ raw…
- AnnJune 15, 2011 at 2:19 am
  Yeah, that’s the plan. I am looking into making it in bamboo. Hopefully I can send off the design files for that and the desk (it’s supposed to be a set, the drawers originally nest to the side of the desk) in the next batch. The problem is needing to make sales in order to have the money to afford the next prototype batches. Laser cutting is expensive!
The Shopping SherpaJune 15, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Why not set up some sort of subscription service? We send you money each month/ quarter and you send up the piece of the month/ quarter in return. It can either be a suprise or you could have a mailing list with an opt in or out for each piece…
- AnnJune 15, 2011 at 11:21 pm
  That sounds interesting like an interesting model. I may look into it. If anything, I am thinking about crowdsponsorship like indiegogo or kickstarter to have pre-orders of some sort. I’m actually working on a kit *gasp* (you’re the first to hear it) that is the big project that’s been taking up a bunch of time (plus work and freelancing projects). I’m just afraid that I may not get enough interest to get the project started on a larger scale like that since the miniatures community is so niche. We’ll see!
- AnnJune 15, 2011 at 11:22 pm
  But yea, the subscription thing might be a good model for testing new types of furniture pieces and designs.. thinking about it is getting me excited now.. !!
snowfernJune 19, 2011 at 6:42 pm
woah you know, it doesn’t look all that clunky to me. there are some real life models which are ‘bolder’, i think it would work as a STURDY shelf! 😛 i like the idea of the subscription thing too, i hope it works out for you ^ ^ (your minimalist drawer thing got me excited, i went to check it out and it’s SOLD already!!!! wahahhaa!)
- AnnJune 19, 2011 at 10:30 pm
  Yeah, a lot of people seem to really like the drawers. The wooden prototypes are coming in soonish, so we’ll see how they turn out.
PepperJune 20, 2011 at 12:17 pm
I’ve got to say you have my admiration for what you’re trying to achieve. Producing kits and such takes a great deal of time and effort on your part, a lot of money up front with the hopes that the idea will catch on. Very brave lady! I think TSS is onto something with the idea that your designs can be modified to suit with paints etc. I sometimes think you’re trying to please too many people with affordable/fast turn over items rather than enjoying your own creativity with one-off pieces. I love the chic simplicity of your acrylic pieces but can’t wait to see more of your designs =0)
- AnnJune 20, 2011 at 4:42 pm
  Thank you Pepper. I do enjoy the fact that people like and want my pieces. It’s a nice confidence booster. But I do agree with you. Sometimes I think I am trying to please too many people too. I love designing and making the minis, but managing the business side of things is the blah part of it all. I need to make some of the items 100 times because people want to buy it so I can have enough funds to make the stuff I like (that people may or may not like). It’s all a delicate balance that will skew to what needs to be done as opposed to what I want to do most of the time. Part of the boring side of making minis allows me to create and design something like an actual kit (without going bankrupt!). All extra money made from selling minis has been saved up for this latest project which has been the goal all along (for 9 months or so at least!). The sacrifices to get to this point has been worth it so far. The files have been sent to the fabber and I should be getting the first prototype in 2-3 weeks. So Excited! I do hope it works out as well. If not, then at least I can be satisfied with the fact that I finished the goal I have been trying to achieve for so long… and I will have a very one of a kind dollhouse. 😉 Lastly, I really appreciate you reminding me to slow down and smell the roses! Sometimes I go a little nuts and don’t notice until someone tells me so!
  - PepperJune 21, 2011 at 11:31 am
    OOoooo, one of a kind dollhouse. I am so intrigued. Good for you! Yup, do try to smell those roses. Before you know it you’ll be at the mercy of the buyers and working a production line. I had a chat with Elizabeth of Elf Miniatures a couple of months ago. She said she had so many new ideas she wanted to try but had so many orders to fulfill that the ideas were on the back burner. I felt quite sad about that. You just make sure you’re pleasing yourself some of the time too *nods adamantly* =0)

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