Monday, March 31, 2008

It's Official!

I did it!!Canberra Museum and Gallery, Cabinets of Curiosities Series.

My dollshouse collection will be on display from Saturday October 4th 2008 (Labour Weekend) until Monday January 26th 2009 (Australia Day Weekend)

EEEEEEEEEEK! (*insert much jumping up and down and screaming with glee*)

Modern miniatures on Monday

Check out the talent of Vanessa Tiegs on her blog Miniarcs:

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Second Hand Sunday

Taph and I did a bit of a frugalling frenzy yesterday and here's what I picked up for $27.90:* Stainless steel cake stand: $3. Someone else had actually got to this first and it was sitting on the counter waiting for them while they shopped. But they changed their mind and came racing up to hand it to me as they knew I had been eyeing it up. Do I need another cake stand? Errr, no. But I'm sure I could eBay it if I ever decide I don't have room for it anymore...
* 6 knitting pattern books for my mother: $4.50. Partly as an appeasement for shopping her stash when I visited but also as I know she (shock horror!) buys them new at much greater cost.
*2 brand new, stickers still attached, cream plastic knitting needle holders: 40 cents for both. Happy happy!
* Two china shell dishes: $1.00 total. Salvos Phillip was having a 50 cent bric a brac sale. At the original price of $3.50 each they would have stayed right where I found them. But for 50 cents they came home with me.
* Hummel style figurines: $2 the pair. Very cute (see below) and heading for a swap.
* Letter A dish, also 50 cents from the Salvos sale. The E was missing and I re-donated the T immediately.

* Set of pewter dishes and things: $2.50. Princess B collects Pewter. She might not like these but at this price I'm happy for her to re donate if that's the case.
* Two books: $3.
* Johnson Bros milk jug and sugar bowl set: $5. A gift for a friend.
* 3 brand new vintage tea towels to add to Princess B's collection: $6 total.

See what I mean about cute? I think I'll trot off and do some ironing now!

Saturday evening 8pm


There's only so much you can do without light. I made the bed. I let the cat out. I folded and put away some laundry (quite a challenge when the laundry is black and there's not much light) I let the cat in. Then I decided the only thing left to do was play with my camera...

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Big news at the miniature show!

I'm feeling most perplexed that it's that time of year again. Here's my round up of what caught my eye at this year's ACTME Miniature Show today:

My fave was a very cool greenhouse display. Sorry, forgot to write down who made it...One-twelfth scale miniature green house with a man in a hand-knitted jumper working inside and a dog watching from the doorway.Taph and I got to fondle some of m1k1's silk knitting in person. We were in awe:Speaking of knitting, I thought this family rather sweet. All were looking for new homes at Del Murphy's stallas was this old dear with her shopping trolley:Alas I also forgot to write down who made this amazing smaller scale (1/24th?) set of brick row houses which were on display:but did make sure to take note of the new talent I found at the Brindabella Miniatures stall (alas, their web presence seems to have disappeared since last year):Lucy makes a range of brilliant birds and animals. This magpie was around 1 inch tall and very realistic!

Speaking of realistic, look what I found at the Victorian Dollhouse stall:Also spotted there (and this is the big news) was almost the full range of the REAC 1/12th scale design classic chairs. At extremely good prices (*insert waggling eyebrows here*). My Voice of Frugal Reason allowed me just one choice but I ignored it and replaced my broken Eames stool plus bought a second Aluminium Group chair which I know exactly where to use.

James at Victorian Dollhouse hasn't loaded the range to his website yet but if you'd like to hassle him to hurry him up then feel free to email him and tell him I sent you.(I don't think he's realised quite what he's in for...)

The Office

It's weird working in an office with other people. Or maybe I just work in a weird office...

Yesterday morning a colleague and I played patty cake. As you do.

And in the afternoon I had this conversation with Finance Boy who sits next to me:

FB: (Out of the blue) "Would you like to see my bank account?"
TSS: (Looking perplexed) Is that some kind of Accountant mating call I don't know about?"
(titters from behind us where everyone else sits)

So we all huddled round to look at FB's bank account. Which has a whopping 9 cents in it.

TSS: "It's very small, isn't it?"
Other Officemate: "Yeah, but it's not important how big it is it's what he does with it..."

At which stage we all fell round in fits of laughter.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

If you don't Janome by now...

And in the blogging "Ask and you shall receive" basket: look what was delivered to my door today by m1k1: Who not only just happened to have a spare overlocker but also just happened to be making the trip from Sydney to Canberra today.

Life is weird sometimes. I won't try to understand, but instead just enjoy whatever forces were at work who made this happen...

Thanks m1k1!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Wanted to adopt

Do you have (or know anyone who has) a 4 thread overlocker which is surplus to requirements and looking for a new home?

I returned from New Zealand convinced that the one thing missing from my life was an overlocker and, although I'm happy to buy new (even though the only Bernina dealer I know of in town is a most unwelcoming place which I'd really rather not visit) I figured there might be a pre-loved one out there somewhere willing to relocate to Chateau TSS.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

New Kiwi craft publication

I went to Craft 2.0 at The New Dowse on Saturday and discovered World Sweet World, a fab new craft magazine published out of Wellington.

Not only is it full of interesting reads and cool projects but it's obviously been thoughtfully designed: small enough to slip in your bag, with a lovely strokeable matt cover and (am I the only person that notices such things?) it smells great!

I'm very excited and look forward to seeing the next issue (and some sort of subscription offer for those of us not able to pick a copy up locally).

Monday, March 24, 2008

Just realised, you might want to see the finished product!

(Trying to create a suitably fashionable photo shoot for my completed hoodie... Not sure it quite worked!)

You shall have a fishy, on a littly dishy....

Saturday morning saw us up bright and early and heading round to Eastbourne to buy dinner.

Here's how it works:

Check the board for what's available then line up til it's your turn.Chose your fish (freshly caught)then wait while it's filleted for you:(It would seem Tracy chose Flying Fish for dinner)
It was all pretty exciting for someone who lives in a land-locked city!

Friday, March 21, 2008

I'm trying to work out...

...how I can buy this as a souvenir and get it home to Canberra.

Oddly enough, I bought this book for $4 from an op shop on my second day in the country. I should have taken it as a sign...

What's happening?

Thursday was blissfully laid back with the highlights being a trip to The Warehouse to load up on Kiwi music and the hiring of a Singstar for the evening.

Good Friday continued along the same vein with a late start, a wonderful home-cooked brunch and then I settled in to watch Eagle vs Shark (quirky local fun):
 
while a backgammon tournament took place out the back (with fresh grapes off the vine and local Supreme coffee for snacks)
There was a bush walk
up to the top of Horokiwi to admire the view (while trying not to be blown off the top of the hill!)
(which made Topsy the dog very very happy)
then fish and chips with a bottle of bubbles, the Kiwi tradition of Shortland Street and suddenly it's evening again. And Scrumpy time!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

A day off.

Not much is going to happen round here today (I'm still in my PJs perusing Tracy and Nick's CD collection and contemplating a trip to The Warehouse to buy some NZ music. But since that would entail having a shower and getting dressed even that probably won't happen)

So you might like to go look at the new photos I uploaded to Flickr this morning. I'll add tags and descriptions over the next day or two...

In which I run out of zip

Yesterday was my last day interning. I was full of hope. I was also full of snot. And tired to boot.



Luckily I had this above the machine as a reminder:
And a little help from Miggs with the really fiddly finishing bits when I ran out of time because I had arranged an early evening date with my favorite almost-ten-year-old:
who considers the perfect date burning through $30 on games at Time Zone and devouring one of the chocolate bars he "won" before eating a large KFC meal and finishing off the experience with a huge ice cream from Kaffee Eis. Gulp. I'm so pleased I'm just the honorary Auntie so I didn't have to deal with the resulting sugar rush!

Instead I took myself off on a much less sugar-laden date to The St James Theatre (which I've decided is the nicest smelling theatre I've ever been to as they floors are wooden and obviously recently oiled...)
where I saw The New Zealand Ballet's performance of Red. Which, unfortunately I almost fell asleep during because of the (very expensive) drugs I'd taken to keep my nose from running during the performance.

It was a beautiful ballet in a beautiful theatre. I'm glad I made the effort to go. And stay awake.

Oh, and the hoodie? Finished. Beautiful. No photos of the finished object yet. You'll have to be patient...

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Cutting edge...

Today I learnt how to cut a pattern from my block (or at least sound like I know how to!)Then cut it out in lovely soft merino knit and start sewing it together:
I managed up to cuffs before being told to go home. Next up is inserting the zip and apparently I don't want to do that for the first time when I'm tired and sniffly...

Oh and "our" webpage was launched today which was almost as exciting. Miggs would be very happy if you went and visted it so she can check if her stat counter works!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Sunday dresses

I've definitely caught up on my culture today (and even accidentally went to something that was part of the International Festival of the Arts!)

First stop was The New Dowse in Lower Hutt, which I've not been to since they've extended (and added the "New" to their title).
I saw the most amazing exhibition, A Costura do Invisivel (Sewing the Invisible) which were paper dresses made by Brazilian designer Jum Nakao.
Brilliant!

They also had some pieces from the Dyson/ Issey Miyake collaboration, The Wind:

Saturday was:

A spot of op shopping (of course!)
Yummy lunch at Sweet Mother's Kitchen (Tracy tells me last time she was here she was sitting next to Brett McKenzie. Alas no such luck this time but I did admire the knitted tea cosies they had for sale...)
Dinner with the Parental Units and the Grandparental Unit at Shish Mahal which meant hugs (and a gift) from the owners and a wonderful spread of the  most delicious Indian food (as usual)
Then finally there was Turkish tea and book discussions with the Grandparental Unit back at the Youth Hostel where she's staying while attending the Writers and Readers Week.