Midnight at the Mausoleum

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It was a dark and stormy night… Well, actually, it was a day in late September, and one of the most dangerous storms in recent history was headed our way. In an effort to keep myself busy and somewhat distracted from Hurricane Ian barreling towards us, I decided that my ghost girl (purchased earlier this year from artist, author and musician Slade Templeton) needed a place to haunt. I had purchased the metal cemetery tray from Michaels when their Halloween merch first arrived in hopes of eventually making a graveyard scene. It seemed my ghost girl was destined to haunt a graveyard, and so Midnight at the Mausoleum was born. In a haze of hurricane-induced anxiety (we were beyond fortunate to avoid damage, just lots of rain and wind), I scratch built the entire mausoleum in a day and a half and then proceeded to create the rest of the scene around it.

Miniature graveyard diorama by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.

I created everything, with the exception of the shovel, the tray itself, and the ghost, from scratch. For the stained glass windows, I used Gallery Glass paint on acetate. Flickering lights inside the mausoleum added a lot to the overall ambiance and highlighted the dirty, dusty windows in a creepy way.

The tree is a wire armature covered with paper clay. The ravens are sculpted from polymer clay, then flocked and feathered. The mausoleum and headstones are all made from foamcore. I used an assortment of products from Woodland Scenics and AK Interactive for the terrain and weathering effects, respectively.

I really hope you enjoy my spooky little scene! Don’t miss the video below – and be sure to turn the volume up, because the sound effects and music are half the fun!

Music by SoulProdMusic from Pixabay
3D printed glowing ghost in miniature cemetery scene by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
Stained glass windows in miniature mausoleum model by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
Hand sculpted one inch scale raven in a tree by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
Scratch built miniature mausoleum by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
1:12 scale graveyard with freshly dug grave and mausoleum by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
A tiny stained glass window in a mausoleum model diorama by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
A spooky ghost and headstones in a graveyard diorama by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
A dollhouse miniature raven perched atop a gravestone by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
An aged old door on a miniature mausoleum by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
Weathered old gravestones made from foamcore by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.
Dust and dirt obscure a stained glass window in this 1:12 scale graveyard scene by Erika Pitera, The Petite Provisions Co.

A million thanks to my wonderful and talented husband, Tom, for helping me bring this scene to life on video!

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Happy Halloween!

Fall at Magnolia Hollow

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Yesterday, I shared the grand opening of Magnolia Hollow and took you on a tour of the exterior of the shop. Today, let’s head inside and see the fall collection now available!

This beautiful autumn table is the first thing we see when we enter Magnolia Hollow. That stunningly eye-catching maple tree bonsai kit is from Moonflower Miniatures. I painted a terra cotta pot in black and white and love how it turned out as a centerpiece.

The pretty square lantern and pedestal candle holder are from Giulia’s Miniatures. I made the chargers, the leaf napkin rings, the marble coasters, the little velvet pumpkins and the pumpkin salt and pepper shakers. I also decorated all of the plates.

Now, let’s browse the main shelf! Starting at the top is a beautiful autumnal garland by Tiny Naturals Gift Shop! Next, I just couldn’t resist making gnomes for the shop. I have little decorative gnomes in my house, and I thought tiny versions would be adorable.

I made the light fixtures myself with a combination of bell bead caps, styrene rods, beads, assorted jewelry findings, and LED lights from Evan Designs. I was so pleased that they turned out the way I envisioned!

I’ve noticed that tabletop signs have been really popular the past few years in stores like Joann and Michaels, so I put my Cricut Maker to work, using the print and cut feature. I made the plate holders that way, too.

I went a little nuts making candles, but they were SO much fun! They’re all poured wax, so they actually can be lit! I made more plates and decorated the canisters, as well. The white and gold marble cheeseboards and coasters are one of my favorite details! I made them all from polymer clay with actual gold leaf. I used my Cricut to cut the cheese knives out, as well.

I thought a greeting card display would be cute, and I’m so glad I thought to include it.

I made the blanket ladder with these cozy flannel blankets (with more folded and stacked on the bottom shelf). I also hand sewed all the decorative pillows.

More velvet pumpkins and some really pretty cloth napkin sets, too!

I made more decorative leaf napkin rings in silver and gold.

I’m also a huge fan of tiered trays, so I decided to include one here with some cute details like a bead garland, pumpkins, some signs, a canister, a pinecone and a candle.

Extra little signs for tiered trays, plus some decorative mugs.

More velvet pumpkins! Can you tell that I’m really into them?

I hope you enjoyed this journey into Magnolia Hollow for fall! Stay tuned for the winter collection, coming soon!

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Grand Opening of Magnolia Hollow

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I’m so excited to announce the grand opening of Magnolia Hollow! When I first saw this fabulous shop kit from The Curated Farmhouse, I immediately imagined a seasonal home decor store and since fall is my favorite season, I thought it was the perfect time to get started. Next, I got to work on the store’s branding and design. I chose one of my favorite flowers, the magnolia, as the motif for the design, and I love the soft, muted neutral shades that go with it.

So, let’s go on a little tour of the exterior of the shop today!

But first, what grand opening would be complete without balloons and a ribbon cutting ceremony?

That beautiful autumn wreath on the front door is by Tiny Naturals Gift Shop, and the adorable door mat and insert is from My Mini Front Porch.

I made the marigolds from a kit from Moonflower Miniatures, and the amazing hanging planters came from My Mini Front Porch, too. I love the pop of color they brought to the exterior.

This shelf was part of the shop kit, and it’s a great way to display some additional products outside. I made the trucks from ornaments I got at Hobby Lobby. I designed all the labels, signage, packaging and tea towels myself. I used actual agate slices to make the serving trays, and beads to make the fragrance diffusers. The candle warmer on the top shelf actually lights up, too!

I sculpted the pumpkins for the trucks from polymer clay, and I used dried flowers, as well. The beautiful little potted mums came from Mimi’s Mini Boutique Co.

This little standing display was also included with the shop kit, and I thought it would be the perfect place to display all those little impulse buys: soaps, scent sachets, magazines, potpourri, etc.

I love cinnamon pine cones, so I used tiny little alder cones to make my own packages of them.

I designed the Magnolia Hollow Living magazines and the calendars, as well. I also made tiny little pumpkins from polymer clay in mesh bags as vase filler. And let’s not forget the bags of potpourri!

I even made little branded shopping bags, because… why not?

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the outside of Magnolia Hollow! Stay tuned for a look at everything inside!

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