Next step, working from my "blueprint" below...

     I cut two pieces of recycled package cardboard... one for the larger plaza and one for the smaller gazebo.

     Next, I textured the plaza terrain with sand (see my "recipe" below). 

     Then I decided to add texture  to resemble pavers to the plaza. My secret? GLUE! Using regular old Elmer's, I "drew" oblong pavers in a staggered pattern, letting it dry, then building it up again until I had thick-looking slabs. Then  I painted them gray using acrylic paint... a light scrape/scrub with a lighter gray and it really took on a great look. Finally, a little white "mortar" between them, using off-white acrylic paint.
Cobblestones on the gazebo platform?  Same thing... fat plops of glue, dry/repeat unti you have thick stones, then paint. 

     Here are the gazebo foundation works... they're two tops to little gift boxes. The larger one will be mounted on top of the smaller one, so that the littler one can serve as a lifted foundation.  I'm not gluing anything yet because I have a lot of decisions to make first.  The upper box-top will face up so that I can use the sides for support as I construct the gazebo's sides and eventually the top.  This is only the most basic idea for a foundation and floor.  What am I gonna do about stairs?  Carve some styrofoam? Stack some little blocks?  Sculpie? Folded cardboard? 

A Guided Imagery Idea

     My last entry was about some basic plans for the plaza and gazebo, but I also reflected on some past miniature techniques, textures,  and structures.  In the tumbleweeds photograph, something caught my eye... the bucket and water spigot on the back of the cycle shop building.  It instantly took me back to a little imagery experience which I'd like to share.

     Some guided imagery "journeys' can be very structured, some very lengthy, some very much related to specific challenges...
     But some can be quick, focused, and aimed at a brief, refreshing and calming moment.
     May I show you one that I used not long ago?

     Here is the back door and  bucket from the bike shop.  I'll share a few notes about how I fabricated the items later...

     But first, I ask you to join me.  I was in a waiting room (in real life)... I guessed  I only had a few moments, but I needed to relax and be refreshed.  The room was dreary, filled with tired-looking people, and just smelled stale.

     I closed my eyes and stepped out of the creaky back door of the bike shop, turning to my left and smiling as I see the familiar bucket.  It's a warm day, not TOO warm, but still, I'm yearning for a refresher.  I squat in front of the bucket, reach for the spigot, and fill the bucket full. I plunge my hands into the chilly, fresh water and savor the cool splash.  The sky is reflected in a blue jumble on the water's surface as I swirl it, enjoying that special smell that pure rural well water has, especially out West, in my experience.  I swipe the water up to my elbows and then flick a few drops onto my neck.  Invigorated, I stand and allow the water to dry, leaving a few happy chill bumps on my forearms.  I feel ready for anything.  I rise to my full height, take a deep breath and count some blessings.       Before long, I was called to my appointment.

     Here's how I made the bucket and spigot.  The spigot is a few circles and a toothpick, glued together nd painted with acrylics.  The wheel on top took a little more work, but it's still just drawing.  See the drop of water?  Clear Elmer's glue... same thing for the water in the bucket.  The bucket is a bottle cap turned upside down.  I painted the top black and then doused it to overflowing with the clear glue!

     I hope you enjoyed!

The Plaza and gazebo

     I'm starting from the beginning here... the basic layout.   I drew it with a basic "Paint" app, but you could use pencil and paper just as easily.  Or maybe you're good with figures in your head!
     Next move... there are various surfaces I'm considering... some I've tried before, some I haven't.
     Sand (acrylic paint, accented with actual sand, and library paste) is the "go-to" surface for my dusty little Western town.  It unites the different buildings, along with rocks, sparse grasses,  and the occasional tumbleweed.
     I used tar (gray acrylic paint and water-based school glue) outside the Lone Star Cycles "cabin".  I used big tiles (paper cut outs, paint and glue) for the Galeria Gila "gallery" walkway and floor,  AND the bike shop floor.   Rugs are thrown here and there (pencils and paint on cardboard, cut and shaped and sometimes fringed).  No wooden floors yet.
     I have yet to experiment with brick, cobblestones, pavers, fieldstones, pavement... marble is probably a little fancy for my frontier town.
     I'm planning  on the standard sand for the terrain.  Then I'm thinking of figuring out a way to make pavers for the plaza, and cobblestones for the gazebo platform.  And maybe the gazebo will be made of wood.
      By the way... guess how I made the tumbleweeds.  Dust-bunnies (made of... dust... plus stray hairs shed by my little red mutt).   Now you know I spend time making miniatures when I should be sweeping!  I grabbed a big "bunny", shampooed and dried it, then divided it into appropriately sized pieces...  then rubbed them into spherical shapes in my palms, hair-sprayed 'em, and placed them into the fence of the bike shop.

     As I show you the steps of  research, construction, furnishing. etc., of my miniatures, I will also share some suggestions about techniques which can be used to enhance the mindful enjoyment/meditation associated with them... individually and as a group.  These will include such practices as visualization, guided imagery, relaxation, affirmations, and more.   These (and additional) tactics can be customized to make the most of your miniature-mindfulness experiences.

    Yes, that's "my town", on my dining room table.  There's the Galeria, the bike shop, the teepee... I'm currently working on a Town Plaza/Gazebo.  Bigger and better photographs of the three buildings are in previous posts... below is just a 'group shot'.

    I'm a portrait and nontraditional ethnic artist. I love to draw and paint and sculpt. I have recently gotten more active in the world of miniature-making, and it's among the most soothing, engaging, and satisfying pursuits I have.
     My first post (wayyy below) explains the rationale and method behind my premise that miniatures can play an important part in exploring mindfulness, and enhancing mental health in general, and how it might work for you!

     Please feel free to share your own experiences, or provide questions/comments... or just join me in my town for a while.
     Thanks for reading and looking.

"The Chukka"
(A Choctaw Native American dwelling... authentically and meticulously researched and duplicated, right down to the foods, symbols, designs, furnishings...)

"Lone Star Cycles"

(The bike shop)

You'll find parts, tires, tools, signage, apparel, posters... and a Chihuahua on the front porch.  Its food, water, and bed is next door in the gallery...

"Galeria Gila"

(The Art Gallery)

There are miniatures of my work in there!

You can also find tiny art supplies, a hummingbird feeder, a tortoise, a money-desk, a back porch cot with a serape and sombrero, a swamp cooler, water collection barrel, porch orchid, and a lot more.

         DOLLHOUSE MINIATURES AND MINDFULNESS
     (Or - How meditation and miniatures helped me become a                                      more centered person)

Introduction
     As a psychologist, I used "mindfulness" training in my practice.  For me,  mindfulness is the  conscious focusing of  thought on the present, while integrating awareness of total being, including the past and the future.  I have made use of various tactics to accomplish this... meditation, visualization, breathing exercises, etc.  
     Here's a new one!  I will tell you how I construct miniature structures, and use them to achieve a novel state of mindfulness.

Meaningful Miniatures
     I'm a portrait and nontraditional ethnic artist.  I love to draw and paint and sculpt.
     But I have an artistic pursuit that doesn't really fit into any of those categories, yet it is among the most soothing, engaging and satisfying pursuits I have.
     I make miniature houses, businesses and other structures.  But there's more to it than that!  Let me begin to explain...
     In the past, I have made, then sold or given away many such miniatures. Examples include a vintage teddy bear shop for a bear collector, a one-room schoolhouse for a teacher, a hardware shop for a hardware vendor.  You get the idea --- meaningful, special little places for special people.

My Personal Miniatures
     I have just begun a set of miniatures for myself.  For lack of a better term, I'm calling it "Gail Town" (my first name).   It is special to me in that I'm building a tangible little world to aid in shoring up and sheltering my private mental world.  I use a lot of meditation and visualization in my daily life, especially as I manage symptoms and treatments of a couple of very challenging diseases I have.   So far among my miniatures in Gail Town, I have chosen to include a Gallery for my art, a bicycle shop for my cycle-crazy husband, and a Choctaw chukka (Native American dwelling) as an homage to my heritage.  Currently, I'm constructing a Town Plaza.  My miniatures are set Out West in a vintage time gone by.  I just like that, but you can set your stage anywhere and anytime you like.
     I enjoy constructing Gail Town at home, and then I enjoy it, in my mind, as I wander and go about my duties and appointments.  How, exactly?
     As I'm lying in an MRI machine trying to relax, I wander a favorite area in the gallery, admiring my paintings. and planning new ones.  As I'm riding in a car towards a stressful meeting (I no longer drive) I close my eyes and visit the bike shop, whie steadying my business sense.  As I meditate on Native American symbolism in pursuit of hope and strength, I sit cross-legged in the Choctaw chukka, seeking peace and beauty, even in chaos and decay. If I feel like lifting a few glasses of wine with my dear friend Marie, I'll invite her to the Plaza (when I finish it)!
     Thus, with "miniature mindfulness", I achieve a happy, comfortable mindfulness... merging past heritage/experience, present peacefulness, and future transcendence.  Traveling and enjoying my miniatures (in my mind) helps me integrate and accept past, present, and future.  I can be at peace.
  I enjoy putting a lot of tedious effort into my miniatures.  For me, it's pure relaxation.  I make furniture out of clay, miniatures of my actual paintings and sculptures, little animals, cardboard and styrofoam walls.  I also love using 'found objects' to re-purpose: a tiny fuse is re-worked into a hummingbird feeder --- a bottle cap becomes a bowl --- twigs become shrubs and trees --- I'm always keeping my eyes open for re-purposeable miniature furnishings and landscaping.
     I'll add a note about authenticity and detail.  I also enjoy researching my miniatures.  For example, in the Choctaw Chukka,  I modeled traditional foods, bottles, symbol-hides, basket patterns, types of herbs collected and dried, even internal teepee design.   The Internet makes it easy, and I find it strengthens my visualizing and meditating amongst my miniature creations.  If that sounds like fun to you, you could do something similar.  And speaking of YOU and MINIATURES...

Your Miniature(s)?
     You could do a miniature  all from scratch, as I do, making everything from clay, paper, and painting or sculpting every little element.  Or, if your skill/time/vision isn't there, you could buy and construct dollhouse stuff from the hobby store.  It could take the shape of a diorama, a pre-fabricated dollhouse, or an all-original construction like mine.  The point is to establish and enjoy a little private space and place just for you.  Building miniatures is hands on and therapeutic, like occupational therapy. 
     Your miniature could be any combination of pre-fab and scratch-made.
     Those of you who have dabbled in miniatures before will know that the most common scale (in pre-fab miniatures) is 1:12 (one inch to one foot).  I discovered that my miniatures seem to fall in the 1:24 (a half inch to one foot) scale... easily found in pre-fabs, too.  I love the tiny look, plus it's space-saving.
     What miniature (or town) would YOU want to make?  Something that is dear to you, something that brings to life an important  pursuit, something that focuses your love of something or someone, someplace that celebrates your hobby,  your passion, or your faith.  You'll enjoy the actual construction, and then later you'll treasure and savor the private contemplation of your miniature mental retreat.

The Future
     What's my next miniature in Gail Town?  I don't know yet!
     I've taken over the diningroom table for Gail Town.  It could just as easily be a bureau top  in a guest bedroom, a shelf in laundry room, a card-table in a basement... you get the idea.

     Annnnnnnd... that's how dollhouse miniatures can help develop mindfulness!

I PLAN TO UPLOAD PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE THREE BUILDINGS IN GAIL TOWN SO FAR... THE GALLERY. THE CYCLE SHOP, AND THE TEEPEE. 
NEXT, I'M BUILDING A PLAZA/GAZEBO.  I HOPE TO SHOW THE STEPWISE JOURNEY OF CONSTRUCTION AND  MINDFULNESS ENHANCEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHS AND COMMENTS. 
STAY TUNED!