Jessica Jane of Petite House

Jessica makes the sweetest tiny clay houses and if you haven't seen them, there's really no way I could even describe them AND give them justice - so just please head on over to her shop. Which is more than likely sold out, so please be sure to check out her sold items to fully appreciate her work!

Step 1: "Creating new life" ~ One evening as I was washing a glass jar, the idea popped into my head to recycle it and make it into a dwelling! Imagine myself, washing dishes, and a light bulb lighting up right above my head with special sounds effects. That's exactly how it happened. I already had a cupboard full of glass jars just waiting to be created into dwellings and given a new life.

Step 2: "Inspiration" ~ I was really inspired by my childhood memories and being fascinated with small things. Dollhouses, polly pockets, Christmas villages, etc. Being a Sagittarius, I have Peter Pan syndrome, so it's not hard for me to pretend I'm a kid again and wonder what I would be fascinated with. Although these dwellings are not for little children, they are for everyone else who has Peter Pan syndrome as well.

Step 3: "Building" ~ This is where the fun beings. *sarcasm* Rolling up over 100 tiny balls of clay is probably as fun as cleaning the shower. I mold, sculpt, cut, and stick everything into place. I usually stare at it for a while, and fix or add anything that might be needed. (approx 1 1/2 - 2 hours)


Step 4: "Baking" ~ Place everything on a pan and put it in the oven for amount of time needed and let cool. Warning: Not as fun as watching shrinky dinks. Takes approximately 15-20 minutes to bake, and about 1 hour to cool. (approx 1 hour )

Step 5: "Paint, Paint, Paint" ~This is my favorite part. I love to some up with the color palettes for the dwellings. In this particular dwelling I was thinking soft and pretty. I imagine a family of squirrels living inside having tea parties and baking pies. ( Approx 1 hour )

Step 6: "Finishing Touches" ~ Sometimes I will highlight certain spots with glossy varnish. The glossy varnish brings the color out more and makes it pop. If I add mushrooms by the doors, I add glossy varnish to them so they pop with color. I mainly use a matte finish spray to seal these. ( 5 minutes plus drying time)

Step 7: "Photo session" ~ I am still trying to improve my photography of the dwellings. I always wait until daylight to photograph them and then I go crop and edit anything needed. This usually takes an hour for me. I play around with ideas and I am still learning!

Step 8: "Putting it on the market" ~ Listing an item usually takes 10 minutes, unless I am coming up with a story to go along with the item.

Step 9: "Saying Goodbye" ~ Saying goodbye is always the hardest. I feel like I am saying goodbye to my baby when I ship off a piece. But, it's a really rewarding feeling knowing that someone out there appreciates my work and will cherish it for many years.

Thanks Jess!!