Monday, August 25, 2014

Captured at the craft show

The Canberra Craft and Quilt Fair was on again this weekend and Cider Teak and I made the time to visit on Saturday afternoon.

I had high hopes, based on the haul I picked up last year but ended up feeling quite disappointed. I'm not sure if that was because I didn't have the excitement of being a first-time visitor or if there were less stalls (it certainly felt like it was smaller: and there definitely less stalls selling beads).

Not to say I came home empty handed:
Selection of craft items including scrapbooking paper, fabric, washi tape, charms and a book.
I loved this paisley-daisy embossed scrapbooking paper so much I bought two packs (at $5 a pack). I think it would work well as a modern-style anaglypta in a cafe or bar.
Scrapbooking paper embossed with a paisley and daisy pattern.
A bag of these teeny tiny bulldog clips cost me $2. I'm not sure if I'll use them in real life or as giant clips in a miniature scene.
A hand holding a very small bulldog clip.
 And I think this fabric would make great cushions for Margell School ($6.50 for a piece 53 cm long: that's a lot of cushions!)
Close up of linen fabric printed with old french advertising in blue and red.
Close up of linen fabric printed with old french advertising in blue and red.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Second-hand success

Celia and I have had a great weekend at Margell School, and very good luck finding bargains to add to the decor. So we're celebrating our success with a dinner of wine and Celia-made pizza, with herbs from my newly-bought window herb box.
Dolls house miniature kitchen benchtop with a glass of wine and ingredients for pizza set out.
Celia's been working on some editing this afternoon, while I finished rearranging the place to fit my new furniture. I now have a bed!
Dolls house miniature study area with a laptop on the desk. In the background is a bed and a sitting area.
 And a day bed/ sofa with drawers underneath to store bedding!
Dolls house miniature holiday cottage view from a sitting area, past a day bed and through to a kitchen area.
While I was on a roll, I picked up this table for the lounge area
Dolls house miniature sitting area with a 1950s-style reading chair and a small shabby coffee table with a vase of daisies on it.
and a few more games to add to the pile for rainy days.
Dolls house miniatrie bookcase with a stack of game boxes on the bottom shelf.
Finally, and rather unexpectedly, I found the perfect cupboard to go next to the entrance for storing clothes,  linen and towels, and cleaning supplies.
Dolls house miniature holiday cottage, view of study area and kitchen. On the back wall are two bookcases and a cupboard.
The whole lot came to $500 including delivery. A good use of my tax return, I thought...

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Soup(er) Saturday

Interior of a miniature holiday home with a suitcase in one corner and a table set with two bowls of soup and glasses of wine, and a loaf of crusty bread in the other.
A weekend at Margell School is well overdue so I headed down this morning with my friend Celia, who has been having just as crazy a time as I have recently.

 Celia finds cooking relaxing so offered to make us an early lunch once we arrived,
Dolls house miniature table set with two bowls of soup and glasses of wine, and a loaf of crusty bread
using the 'thank you for having me stay' present she brought with her: a bright red toaster oven/ hotplate combo.
Red dolls house miniature toaster oven with a saucepan on top of it.
'Because no one can cook properly using just a microwave' she declared as she set it up for me.

This afternoon we're off to scour the op shops and junk shops for a couple of divans or day bed frames. Because we've decided we're both too old to be sleeping on the floor (especially in the middle of winter!) and it would be nice to have enough seating for visitors.

A number one hit

As part of a recent work project I bought a range of very cheap and colourful stationery, and yesterday I brought home the bits that weren't used. Including this set of bright number paper clips.
Packet of colourful wire number paperclips with a pair of pliers.
As I was deciding what to do with them this morning, inspiration struck. So while breakfast was cooking I pulled out my trusty pliers and made this for Margell School:
Red wire number one with a hook at the bottom, holding a miniature lantern and umbrella.
A number hook is the perfect spot to hang the things you might need for a trip to the toilet block, right?

Monday, August 18, 2014

The tiny Times: some work and some play!

The August issue of The tiny Times is finished, printed and delivered (well, to Australian-based members anyway*).
Laptop and mug of tea, with two issues of The tiny Times and a bar of Whittaker's hundreds and thousands chocolate next to it.
And my mind turns to the next issue. Based on some of the very cool miniatures I saw on display at the May Sydney show, I convinced my Editor to make the theme of the November issue 'Out of the ordinary'.

I also convinced her that our next Editorial Retreat needs to be in The Blue Mountains so we can drop in to visit Lewis and Marilyn's studio.

Continuing on the theme, I showered and dressed on Sunday morning just gone to visit The Old Bus Depot Markets in Kingston where I tried not to be a complete fan girl in front of Marisa and David from Suitcase Dollhouse.
Suitcase Dollhouse owners Marisa and David next to their banner at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Kingston.
You understand why now?
The Suitcase Dollhouse stall at the Old Bus Depot Markets at Kingston, with owners Marisa and David next to their banner.
(And possibly even more when I mention that Marisa made the stop-motion animation Tegan the Vegan, which I had a wee rave about a few months ago).

 I own one of their fabulous National Library matchbox buildings,
Suitcase Dollhouse 'National Library in a matchbox' displayed in a home setting.
and have an invite to visit their studio!

(*Want to subscribe? AMEA membership includes four magazines a year and costs just $A35 for the first year for Australian addresses and $A45 for international addresses. After that it's just $A25 and $A35 a year.)

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Minis in Melbourne Part 5 (The miscellaneous miniature sightings)

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of my photos of random miniature-related sightings around Melbourne:

1. A scale model of an opal mine, in the window of a shop just down from where I was staying.
Scale model of an opal mine in a shop window.
Scale model of an opal mine in a shop window.
2. A dolls house I spotted in the Ralph Lauren children's clothes department of David Jones, spotted as I was heading for the loo.
Dolls' house displayed in a children's wear department.
Dolls' house displayed in a children's wear department.
3. In the NGV International's gift shop, porcelain stacking tableware by Allessandro Zambelli for Seletti.
Porcelain stacking plates in the shape of a house on display in a shop.
Porcelain stacking plates in the shape of a house on display in a shop.
Porcelain stacking plates in the shape of a house on display in a shop.
4. Also in the gift shop (My collection development policy told me I had to buy a copy of this book).
The book 'The house as contemporary art' on display in a shop.
5. On display at the NGV International: 'In praise of dialectics' by Renee Magritte,
René Magritte's painting 'In praise of dialectics' on display.
6. Miniature tea service (1795) by Caughley Porcelain Manufacture,
Miniature tea set on display in a museum, on a miniature antique table
Miniature tea set on display in a museum, on a miniature antique table with a full-sized antique chandelier above.
7. and Rustic cottage (1745) Meissen Porcelain Factory.
Porcelain rustic cottage model on display.
8. Finally, a friend took me for a walk along St Kilda seafront where there is a series of scale models of the planets of the solar system, set out at the correct (scale) distance from each other. Here's my friend trying to eat Earth:
Man pretending to eat a scale model of the earth, on a plinth in a park.
 and admiring the scale model of the sun.
Miniature scale model of the sun, with a man standing behind.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Minis in Melbourne Part 4 (The Mailbox)

I've known about the Mailbox art space (previously Mailbox 141) for some time and have meant to find time to visit it on my last few trips to Melbourne. But never did.

So imagine my embarrassment when I discovered, on this visit, that it was situated in the lobby of a building I've photographed the front of on previous visits because of its button and needle sign (Tessuti is in the same building).
Front entrance of 141 Flinders Lane in Melbourne.
The gallery is situated in the vintage mailboxes in the lobby of the building and is open for viewing during business hours.
View of the Mailbox art space from the entrance of 141 Flinders Lane.
View of the Mailbox art space from the lobby of 141 Flinders Lane.
The current exhibition is Happiness Comix NY.
Close-up view of the Mailbox art space in the lobby of 141 Flinders Lane.
And each piece fits into a space not much more than 17 cm high.
One of the exhibition spaces at the Mailbox art space, with a ruler showing its size.
The miniaturist in me loved the way different artists used their boxes:
One of the pieces from Mailbox art space's exhibition 'Happiness Comix NY'.
One of the pieces from Mailbox art space's exhibition 'Happiness Comix NY'.
One of the pieces from Mailbox art space's exhibition 'Happiness Comix NY'.
One of the pieces from Mailbox art space's exhibition 'Happiness Comix NY'.
One of the pieces from Mailbox art space's exhibition 'Happiness Comix NY'.
One of the pieces from Mailbox art space's exhibition 'Happiness Comix NY'.
and I shot this video so you could share its glory:

(I'm just sad that The Dolls House Gallery closed before I had the chance to see it and that Hand Held Gallery is no more...)

Monday, August 11, 2014

Minis in Melbourne Part 3 (The magic)

My Melbourne-based friend and I decided to check out the Queen Victoria night markets on my first night in town. And there, right in the very middle, we stumbled across this:
Puppeteer putting on a show in a red box labelled "the curator tiniest show on earth"
How could we resist checking it out with a name like "the curator, tiniest show on earth'? 
Puppeteer putting on a show in a red box labelled "the curator tiniest show on earth"
Minute exhibit is created and performed by Lana Schwarcz. 
Puppeteer putting on a show in a red box labelled "the curator tiniest show on earth"
I told her she made my whole trip to Melbourne worthwhile.

Saturday, August 09, 2014

Minis in Melbourne Part 2 (The shopping)

Melbourne is known as Australia's shopping destination. And I certainly did some shopping, just not the sort that most visitors do.

On my first day I went to visit The Doll House in its new location in Mont Albert.
Shopping streetscape in Mont Albert, Melbourne.
It's a short stroll from the station and a just down the road from two op shops: the perfect location, in my book!
Building containing The Doll House shop.
Kerrie, the owner, tells me that she's only been in the new location for a month
Shop front of The Doll House in Mont Albert.
but it looks pretty settled.
Interior view of The Doll House in Mont Albert.
I spent an enjoyable hour or so perusing the shelves of stock
View of The Doll House in Mont Albert from the rear of the shop.
Display of dolls' house building components at The Doll House in Mont Albert.
Display of dolls' houses for sale at The Doll House in Mont Albert.
before making my choices:
A selection of dolls' house miniatures purchased from The Doll House in Mont Albert.
You can see that Switchboard Cafe had already inspired me to buy a shopfront
Dolls' house wooden shopfront component.
plus some glasses.
Twelve miniature drinking glasses stacked on the window ledge of a wooden dolls' house shopfront component.
And I picked up a few things for Margell Public School as well.
Selection of dolls' house miniatures purchased from The Dolls' House in Mont Albert.
During my trip I made a few more mini purchases, from non-traditional sources.

I picked up this silicon clockfor $7.50 from the half-price bin at the Canberra airport newsagents:
Small black silicon clock.
and a couple of storage units and a neck towel to make towels for Margell from Daiso ($2.80 each).
Two opaque plastic storage containers and a blue neck scarf from Daiso.

Keeping to the Japanese theme, I found this perspex display case at Muji ($39.95), which will be great for shows.
Muji display box with ruler next to it.
While visiting Melbourne Style on the hunt for a tea towel to add to my collection, I picked up some alphabet magnets ($10), gift cards ($7.50 a pack) and a greeting card ($6) to decorate future scenes.
Cards and magnets from Melbourne Style.
And, finally, at Melbourne airport bought a cheap bracelet with penguin charms on it ($19.95) to mark my visit to the penguins at St Kilda: two charms will be used for stitch markers and the other is to go in a scene.
Small jewelled penguin charm, balanced on the end of a finger.