After a fine trip to see the masterpiece Museum of Natural History in New York, we came back inspired and will have a diorama party this weekend.  Meanwhile, here’s some photos of our work in progress.  The Museum consists of an array of animal dioramas, which are guarded her by our mascot Mr. Dog, from his plush guard station, and 6 leather suitcases which are currently arranged on our worktable.

The museum itself is housed in 6 leather suitcases—-here is the mineral and shell case on the left, and the miniature laboratory on the right.

The minerals and shells now have a starring selenite crystal column that is illuminated and changes colors!

Selenite crystals are magical, a variety of gypsum rock, and can be illuminated in interesting ways—they can look like hilltop castles.

Here’s the mineral and shell case without the lighted selenium on, and below, the mineral and shell specimen case.

 

  

And in the laboratory we have just gotten in some new miniature glass, including beakers, more test tubes and a retort, which is a fascinating bottle for distilling that looks like this:

Here is the bird valise, awaiting the new nests we’re making!

And here is our astronomer’s study, which is also the miniature library.

We have added a small new feature to the science study library—it is in the tiny wooden box below, with a quarter to show you the size.  And inside:  a tiny brass microscope!

  

And here’s the miniature herbarium, with all the little books of scientific illustrations.

 

On a recent walk, we discovered so many lovely colorful flowers still blooming in autumn

and here they are pressed and preserved in our Herbarium thanks to the microwave flower press which takes only 45 seconds!

         

          

The butterfly and insect case room is still in progress—the larger butterfly display is being done, but we recently finished a small specimen cabinet of moths to match the butterfly cabinet.

 

The moth cabinet contains some gorgeous moths, and the butterfly cabinet a colorful array.

  

Thanks for stopping by!