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A Summer Day - A Modern Urban Patio Scene with miniatures.com

Welcome to summer! Working with Hobby Builders Supply (HBS) and miniatures.com, I was asked to put together a summer scene using an assortment of products from miniatures.com. Given the lack of sunshine in my area at present, how could I say no to the prospect of making some mini summer sunshine?!

I didn't have a modern urban patio backdrop available, so I decided to start from scratch. I made my own tile flooring and lay it in a herringbone pattern. I then made concrete walls using wall spackle and paint. And no summer is complete without a pool, so I made one of those too! I will post in the near future about how I built this set.

I hope this inspires you to see what just a few items can look like if you want to make your own outdoor scene. I made just a few modifications (paint, scissors and glue!) and created a few items to round out the scene.

If you're in the mood for even more summer outdoor fun, visit Kristine at Paper Doll Miniatures, who is also working with miniatures.com. Her stunning Backyard Patio Retreat is gorgeous and a inspirational. We've both had a long, cold, snowy winter, so making our summer retreats has been a lot of fun.

The Lounger

I can imagine a movie star lounging high above the city on this Wicker Lounger away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. The "Rattan" Table/Stool would be the ideal place for a wine spritzer (gotta watch the carbs!).

I sewed the linen pillows and the towels are made from baby wash clothes.

Behold the beautiful hedge! I was so impressed with the "Squeeze Me" Evergreen Hedge 3" x 24" that I built a concrete-effect planter box and a trellis set to showcase it. It provides lots of privacy. And yes, since its foam based you can squeeze it kind of like a stress ball!

The Dining Table

The 5 pc Wicker High-Top Dining Set looks and feels like wicker, though its resin. I went and added some linen cushions to make it softer to sit on.

No table awaiting a BBQ is without condiments! I took elements from several miniatures.com sets and set my table (see the shopping list below).

The Fireplace

I know you've all seen the fireplace before! I posted about how I transformed the plain MDF Outdoor Brick Fireplace into a painted brick and concrete beauty. If you jump over to my Instagram page you can check out the flickering fire video using Battery Operated Flickering Fireplace LED Set.

Sitting on the ledge of the fireplace are the packaged "Supermarket" Steaks waiting to go onto the Charcoal Grill and its "Start the Grill!" Set. On the other side is the White Floral Watering Can that I painted gloss black.

The Bar

It ain't a party unless you have chilled drinks for all of your guests! The bar features the Modern Ice Bucket and the Classic Cocktail Shaker. Chilling, is some milk for the kids and some soda for the adults.

I added my own touches with the planters, the bar and the art.

The Landscape

I took one of the 6" Large Evergreen Tree and trimmed it! Yup, just shaved it down with some scissors to make it a bit more narrow. The great thing about these foam based trees and shrubs is that its green all the way through, so trimming doesn't result in bare, non-green spots!

I used some of the Autumn Foliage Mat to make the little yellow/orange flowers peeking out in my pot. The mat can be used as a good sized sheet or cut down to meet your needs.

The pool is no more then 4mm of Magic Water. I simply painted the base of the pool blue and poured 2 coats of Magic Water over top. The result is a glossy water-like finish.

There you have it! A fun, modern urban patio scene perched high above the city. I'm thankful for the opportunity to work with Hobby Builders Supply and miniatures.com to place some of their beautiful pieces in my mini scenes and make them shine. And if modern isn't your thing, they have lots of more traditional options for your patio or porch.