Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Leafing it to the last minute

And so I finish the year, and this year's Daily dolls' house December challenge.

Alas I haven't finished yesterday's kit, but I've opened it up, read the instructions (twice) and sorted out the pieces. Then I started carefully prising the stacks of leaves apart, holding my breath, and being paranoid that I'd accidentally sneeze and blow all the little teeny tiny leaves all over the place, causing me to spend next year trying to hunt them down (the instructions say there are at least 250 of the blighters in there...)
View through a desktop magnifier of a (badly stained hand, holding a miniature ivy leaf with a needle stuc into the side of the leaf. In the background are a set of instructions, several more miniature ivy leaves set out on a tray, and three miniature plant pots.
Today, in the list of yearly tasks, I repotted my work pot plants (and one from my bathroom) ready for another year. They're like hermit crabs, all moving up a size pot each year, and (not like hermit crabs) gradually all ending up in self-watering pots. Alas, it looks like Robert (Palmer: geddit?) is now so big, I may need a hand truck to get him from the car to my desk this next year...
Selection of potted plants grouped on a balcony fllor, next to a half-used bag of potting mix, a couple of empty pots and several stalks of spider-plant pups. In the background is a large pear made from old horseshoes.
But that doesn't explain the state of my hands in the first picture. After exactly a year of many excuses ('Too hot!' 'Too cold!' 'Too worried I'll balls it up!' 'Too difficult to schedule three to four times, exactly twelve hours apart...') I finally realised this morning that if I scheduled staining at 7:30 am and pm over the next couple of days, when the weather was coolish enough to safely stain,  I could possibly get these armchairs' wooden bits stained wenge before I went back to work for the year, and thus assembled, out of the workshop and into my lounge.

(Here they are in my shopping trolley on this day a year ago, when I snapped them up from ALDI for $30 each, marked down from $100, thinking I could try turning them into the frugal version of the IKEA Ekenäset. Which I'd actually bought two of just after I bought the flat, in that 'limited edition might miss out' frenzy, but knowing full well I had three years to return them if I changed my mind. Which I did and I did: partly because spending $600 on armchairs seemed ridiculous, but mainly because I quickly realised that the teaky-coloured wood didn't fit in with the wenge colour I had elsewhere in my lounge.)
Shopping trolley with two ALDI kitset armchairs stacked in it, with several more on the pallet behind it.
Anyway, that's a very long-winded way of saying that I finally plucked up the courage to not only deal with the scariest kit in the whole stash, but also two armchairs that have been sitting around in boxes in the workshop for a year.

So far the prognosis is not looking good, but I remind myself that first coats usually look like shit and to withhold judgement until the third (or fourth) coat is on. And if it's all a disaster, it was a cheap-enough one...

And on that note, I wish you a happy new year: may the best of this year be the worst of next, and may all your pleasures be tiny ones!

Monday, December 30, 2019

Make, do and mend Monday: the scariest kit in the whole stash...

I was out and about this morning: checking the post box, catching up with friends for brunch and popping into IKEA (where I was delighted to find just what I came for in the As Is corner, marked down by 30%. It would seem I not only have a Frugalling Fairy, but I have an As Is Assistant as well, and this is why I always enter IKEA through the exit!).

And since it's only three days until I head back to work for next year, I started on my list of yearly tasks.

So it wasn't until after 3 pm that my mind turned to today's blog post.

'It's Monday, so we can do a make, do and mend.' it suggested. 'Something quick, easy, take a picture of the completed item, up it goes, bang, done, head to the (newly vacuumed with washed cushions) sofa, recline for the afternoon and finish your book.'

'Go on...' it wheedled. 'Only two days of this year's Daily Dolls' House December challenge to go, and the only rule was to blog something miniature related...'

Alas, when I opened the drawer of small kits, I spotted this:
1/12 scale plant kit of ivy, with instructions, leaves, wires and a hand holding an empty terracotta plant pot.
The scariest kit in the whole stash. One that was bought for a house that I sold 23 years ago to pay to move my belongings from New Zealand to Australia.

And suddenly, it seemed like a jolly fine idea indeed to mark the end of Daily Dolls' House December 2019 by confronting my (miniature) demons, and actually having a crack

Who knows? It might turn out to actually be quite easy, and then I can feel like Grover in The monster at the end of this book.

(Either way, as I pointed out to a friend a few days ago about something else, it'll make good blog fodder...)

Sunday, December 29, 2019

The sailor's daughter

And so he did. And so she did.

Which meant I got to mock up the beginnings of the next scene in the space (that's why there's a kitchen cupboard on the roof...)
1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a kitchen, dining room and lounge in shades of white, teal, grey and light wood in a flat overlooking the sea.
The story is that when the sailor died, his daughter moved in: but not before getting rid of a lot of the 'old tat' in the place, and moving and modernising the kitchen (I probably need to think about getting another kitchen set as I use this one quite regularly).

She did keep the stove and fridge, which were still newish, and a number of pieces of her father's that she liked, and worked into the new scheme, such as her father's trunk, globe, model yacht and telescope, and the terrazzo floor...
1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a kitchen and lounge in shades of white, teal, grey and light wood in a flat overlooking the sea.
(The sofa that I'd pulled out to test my box-frame scene worked well here, paired with an Eames rocking chair from a box of goodies received from Elvira back in 2014, a rug gifted by Mitchymoo Miniatures in 2015 and cushions which I swear were also a gift but I can't find documented (although I suspect they were part of this package from Mini Dork...))

In the space where the old kitchen and (huge) table was, she added a set of industrial shelves, a tulip table (from my now-sold Kaleidoscope House.. *sniff*), some Tolix chairs, a small desk (from Mini Mod Pod), paired with a school chair (from my seaside shack), and a low sideboard (the repainted Europa sideboard from the next build after that).

1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a dining room in shades of white, teal, grey and light wood with a terazzo concrete floor.
(The lamp base is from a necklace picked up on a recent op shopping adventure, and the shade my trusty Irwin Interior Decorator Set, which I have used in many scenes over the years).

It pleased me greatly to add a new satchel for the sailor's daughter: like father, like daughter, obviously!

Now I'll let the whole thing sit for a while to mature, which will give me time to decide what I'm going to do about wall coverings, and if I like the sea-washed paper above the kitchen or need to try something bolder (or softer).

Plus decide if that wall cupboard needs to move down into the kitchen or not...
Detail of a 1/12 industrial shelving unit stacked with kithcenware in shares of teal, white, grey and light wood.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

This ship has sailed (The Saturday shelfie)

Back in August, I placed my Lori Ballet Studio on my desk, above my laptop, and in direct line of sight in the hope that it might cause enough inspiration to make me find time in my life for miniatures.

It worked (sort of, and much later than I'd hoped) but this week I've found that it's been sitting there taunting me as I sort out other parts of my life that were long neglected as I packed and moved last year.

'Bloody hell', I finally declared around 3pm.'It's Saturday. Do a quick shelfie of the kitchen. Blog it. Then you'll be done and dusted for the day and can go back to sorting out your files...'

So I did:
1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a kitchen bench with a fold-down toaster, chopping board and bowl of fruit on it. On the shelf above are two containers of tea, a cannister of sugar, a packet of Weet-Bix and a half-used jar of jam.
 (Of course, you know what happened next...)
1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a kitchen bench with a fold-down toaster, chopping board and bowl of fruit on it. Next to the sink is a glass, a scourer, a sponge and a bottle of washing-up liquid. On the shelf above are two containers of tea, a cannister of sugar, a packet of Weet-Bix, a half-used jar of jam, a jar of vegenite, a packet of Sao crackers and a packet of Lemon crisp biscuits, a box of barley sugars, a salt and pepper grinder, a tomato-shaped tomato sauce bottle, a jar of spaghetti and a cask of red wine.
 I finished the kitchen.
1/12 scale modern miniature vintage table with a plate of scrambled eggs, a knife and fork and a large mug of tea on it, In the background is a kitchen with a stove on which there is a kettle and a fry pan with an egg slice balanced on it.
 Then I finished the lounge.
1/12 scale modern miniature lounge scene with two mid-century modern armchairs in grey with dark stained arms and legs, an early twentieth century cupboard, a battered sea chest and afghan rug on the floor. On the wall is a framed picutre of a boat and an abstract landscape. On the windowsill is a globe, several piles of books, some shells, a telescope and a flat-screen TV.
 (Deciding that it's much easier for my sailor to live in the present day...)
1/12 scale modern miniature windowsill over looking the sea. On the windowsill is a globe, a flat-screen TV, a vintage telescope, several piles of books and a number of shells.
 And I think I'm done. 
1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a kitchen and lounge in a flat overlooking the sea.
(Although there's a small voice in my head suggesting that my sailor might be due to die, and then his daughter take over the space...)

Friday, December 27, 2019

Flashback Friday (it *is* Friday, isn't it?)

A couple of weeks ago I shared some photos of the bedroom of my Mickey apartment: the very first scene I'd created when I returned to the hobby in my 20s (and if you're new to the artform and feeling like you'll never be any good and so should just give up now: have a look at this photo I took just after I started as an adult...)

At the time I mentioned that I didn't have any electronic photos of the lounge/ kitchen area, and hadn't yet got my printer hooked up after moving a year ago. This has now been rectified, although I'm almost loathe to share the photos as they're so bad (and did momentarily consider recreating the scene to rephotograph, as I still have the rooms and the contents: wrapped up until I decide what to do with them in my much smaller home):
1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a lounge/ dining/ kitchen area in a 1980s-style apartment. The carpet is red, the kitchen floor black and white check, the walls white and the windowframes, blinds, sofa, coffee table and shelving unit black.
Let's go for a stroll down Memory Lane, shall we?

It's the late 1980s, so no internet as we now know it existed. (I worked in a scientific organisation and had recently been introduced to this 'thing' where you could leave messages on notice boards and other people THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD would reply: so yes, the internet existed but only for a very specific and rather small group of people but most certainly not for buying dolls' house miniatures).

I knew of two shops in Wellington that sold miniatures: one, the hobby shop where the Lido cafe now is (in what I didn't realise then was a lovely modernist building),that sold basically Chrysnbon, some wood, and not much else that was interesting for a miniaturist. The other was an odd little shop in the Regent cinema arcade on Manners Street: I remember poring over the contents of their sales counter wondering when I could afford the singer sewing machine set displayed there: even though it wasn't modern, it was still miniature.

Apart from the pieces I mention in my original post on this room, I made the Mickey Mouse triptych out of wrapping paper and cardboard, the Mickey Mouse wall clock out of Fimo and cardboard, and the speakers out of Balsa wood, paint and pantihose. The records are prints from the World Record Club catalogue (remember them?!), and I sewed the gingham cushions.

I was particularly proud of the yellow case I made out of Fimo: the first time I recreated something I owned myself.
1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a lounge in a 1980s-style apartment. The carpet is red,  the walls white and the windowframes, blinds, sofa, coffee table and shelving unit black. There is a Mickey Mouse triptych above the sofa, a walkman on the coffee table and a turntable and records in the shelving unit.
The rest of the contents were commercial pieces I picked up over months as I saved up enough to purchase my next 'must have' item.

Sadly, to this day, although I have lights in the room, they have never been hooked up to work...

Thursday, December 26, 2019

I scoped it out

So it took a while, but a good part of that was that (after I got the instructions clear in my head) the pieces were luxuriating in a egg-cup bath of vinegar for a day to make them look suitably aged.

Once that was complete, I did a little sanding and voila!
1/12 miniature scene of a windowsill overlooking the sea. On the windowsill is a metal globe, a stack of old books, a blue jug and an old telescope.
(OK, OK, it's only blog ready as I've not yet glued anything together, or made the lens. But if I'd not told you, you never would have noticed, right?)

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Christmas day plans...

...look a lot like this:
1/12 scale bed with white linen, and a box of chocolates, a copy of the The book of mini and a glass of sparking wine on it.
(Yes, it's another post where I get out of bed in order to make a scene of my bed so I can tell the world I'm not getting out of bed...) 

It's a Christmas-day tradition around here,
Collage of four photos of a bed with books, boxes of chocolates and (in two cases) glasses of sparking wine.
except for last year, which looked more like this (and makes me particularly appreciate my ability to return to tradition for this year):
Benchtop with a red, gold and green beer carton on top of it, opened, with a length of 'fragile' tape on the side. Next to the carton are two stacks of white plates, two ramekins, a glass of sparking wine, a pile of used packing paper and a can of oven cleaner.
I hope your day is just what you need it to be.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Procrastination by printer

So I made brunch, and read the kit instructions while I ate.

'Paint the aluminium strip gold'... (I didn't find one in the bag. This could be a problem.)

As I read I realised the absurdity of a technical editor reading a set of instructions, over brunch, during a holiday.
Burrito on a plate. Behind the plate is a set of instructions propped up by several fake succulents (including a knitted cacti: that no one will probably notice unless they read the alt text!)
Brunch finished, I took a deep breath and returned to the studio. Where I started at the kit bits for a while and then sprang into action...

...harvesting appropriate book and magazine covers (with magazines covering several decades as I still don't know when the scene is set), printing them off and gluing them to cardboard supports. And (finally!) making candles from some white glue sticks I picked up at Daiso (probably on this trip) and some black wire from the local discount store.
1/12 scale miniature candles and vintage sailing books and magazines, with various tools that made them in the foreground.
I did pick up the telescope kit pieces, rearrange them into groups, and decide that perhaps my sailor didn't need a stand for his telescope and could just have a hand one. I then realised that the sanding paper I needed to work on the pieces was through the flat, out the door, down the stairs, across the car park, and through the garage (which made me feel like a character in Bears in the night*) which just seemed like too much fuss to bother with right now.

Yup, still getting used to the 'new' set up. And am missing the extra three metres of floor space I had in my old studio, plus the space on top of my catalogue drawers as well. It's OK: part of the point of my time off work this summer was to get used to my new spaces, and work out how I can make them work best for me.

(*Which I only now realise is a Berenstain bears book, which makes me feel quite silly as I use the Berenstain bears as an analogy at work very regularly...)

Monday, December 23, 2019

Make do and mend Monday: watery thoughts

Yesterday, with the printer hooked up for the first time in over a year, I tested out making a view for my sailor. And what a difference it makes to his flat!
1/12 scale miniature living room scene with an antique cupboard, afghan rug and sea chest. The windows have a view over the sea, and on the windowsill stands a globe.
This morning, in the shower, I was ruminating on what today's blog post would be. The view, obviously (and that would hit the mark for a daily post), but since it was Monday, perhaps I should make something...

And my clever brain piped up (water... geddit?) and suggested that now the sailor has a view of the sea, perhaps he'd like a telescope to look at it. And reminded me that I had just the kit in stash (which I'd completely forgotten about until then, and have no idea where I got it from!). Clever brain also thought the sailor might like some shells, and perhaps now was a good time to use the ones I picked up almost three years ago?
1/12 scale brass telescope kit next to five small jars of tiny shells. A hand is picking up one of the jars.
So with a plan firmly in place, I unpacked the kit pieces and started reading the instructions. 'Paint the aluminium strip gold'. I look at the pieces of kit and can't see any aluminium strip.
Pieces of a 1/12 scale miniature kit laid out neatly on a small tray next to a pair of tweezers. Next to the tray is a set of instructions for the kit.
Perhaps I'll have brunch first and come back to this later?

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Market not-miniatures

It's the plant man's fault...

We have a chap at the local trash and treasure markets who sells ex-hire plants very cheaply. This time last year I bought a couple for the balcony after the cockatoos attached my favourite palm that I'd originally put out there (and quickly moved back inside). I figured at $20 each it was way cheaper (and more environmentally friendly) than buying fake plants, and so it wouldn't really matter too much if the cockies stripped them (which they did) and I needed to replace them (which I haven't yet).
Balcony with two large pot plants next to a mid-century modern wire sofa. On the sofa is a bright flowery cushion, a book and a plate.
This year I was thinking about having planter boxes along the inside of the balcony wall, in the hope that the cockies wouldn't see the plants from outside and so might leave them alone. And I knew the plant man occasionally had them. Last weekend I asked about them and he said he had some at home which he'd bring this week for me.

And so I woke bright and early this morning and trundled down the hill, only to find that he'd forgotten and left them at home.

So there I was. The temperature was cooler (huzzah!), I'd already paid my entry fee, and I needed to get my steps in for the day. What else was there to do but go for a wander?

For a total of $20 I bought a mouse mat (ignoring the fact I don't have a mouse). Two cupboard handles (with no handless cupboards), some super-duper looking clamps (tools are not miniatures, right?) and some lovely teak parquet floor lengths (I'm considering parquet for my no-longer-new place so a cheap test drive an excellent idea, don't you agree?)
Flat lay of some teak parquet floor pieces, two cupboard door handles with gold flanges, two large clamps, and a mouse mat in the design of a Turkish rug.
And was home in time for breakfast, after which I opened all the doors and windows in the place to let some cool air in and decided today was the perfect day to continue sorting the studio.

I may visit the sailor later this afternoon, especially now I've hooked up my printer so can make him a view. We'll see... (or should that be 'sea'?).

Saturday, December 21, 2019

It's so hot, my Blutack is melting...

but I managed to get things to stay put long enough to take some photos with yesterday's accessory choices in place:
1/12 scale miniature living room with mid-century modern arm chair next to an early 20th century cabinet. Above the chair are three sailing-related pictures.
 Yep, looking good...
1/12 scale modern miniature lounge scene with two mid-century modern armchairs in grey with dark stained arms and legs, an early twentieth century cupboard, a battered sea chest and afghan rug on the floor. On the wall is a framed picutre of a boat and an abstract landscape. On the windowsill is a globe.
 The one thing I still have to decide is what year this is set in.
1/12 scale miniature kitchen, On the stove is a kettle and a frying pan and fish slice. On the bench is an old-fashioned toaster, and on the shelf above it is a tin of Twinings tea, a tea jar and a box of Weetbix.
Is it now (hence the modern packet of Weet-Bix), and he lives with a mix of things that he has inherited or that he bought years ago and still work, or do I need to swap the Weet-Bix out for a vintage version of the box, which would mean perhaps the chairs and stove are new, and we're in the 50s or 60s?

Such are the things that keep a miniaturist awake at night (assuming the heat isn't already doing a good enough job of that...).

Friday, December 20, 2019

Tied up on the shore would you weary no more?

My sailor seems to be settling in, and I'm enjoying finding out who he is.

The scene is not yet finished, but I'm feeling pretty happy with where it's heading. He's old: been retired for years, and happily living the simple life by himself, in a small, slightly run-down flat with a view of the sea (which isn't there quite yet as I still haven't got my printer connected to my new network: and spent the time I planned to do it in today playing with my miniatures instead).
1/12 scale modern miniature lounge scene with two mid-century modern armchairs in grey with dark stained arms and legs, an early twentieth century cupboard, a battered sea chest and afghan rug on the floor. On the wall is a framed picutre of a boat and an abstract landscape. On the windowsill is a globe.
The kicking-off point was the original photo I took of the picture with one of the grey and brown armchairs I'd bought off eBay, and a stripy carpet sample:
Small framed watercolour of a boat propped up against the wall. In front of it is a piece of carpet tile and a 1/12 scale modern miniature armchair in greys and browns.
At that stage I truly thought that the resulting scene would end up being for a wealthy businessman who sails as a hobby.

But then I spied a roll of 'terrazzo' contact paper I picked up for 50 cents while op shopping several months ago, and through I'd see how that worked in the Lori ballet studio: which I'd placed right in my line of sight above my computer back in August in the hope it would kick-start some scene making (which obviously it didn't...)

The next surprise addition was an German cupboard from a job lot I bought back in 2013, and then things just took off (I love that moment!).

I'm nowhere near done yet, but I have the bones in place for now:
1/12 scale modern miniature scene of a single man's flat, with a simple kitchen on the left with a large vintage table and captain's chair, and a living room on the right with two mid-century modern armchairs, an antigue cupboard, battered sailor's chest and afghan rug.
which means I get to play my favourite miniature game with my accessories stash: 'Who lives here?'.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Moving (and melting) slowly

It's the first of three very hot days here in Canberra:
Three-day forecast showing high temperatures of 40, 38 and 42 degrees celcius, and smoke haze
(that's 104, 100.4 and 107.6 Fahrenheit for my so-inclined readers), and worryingly early to be hitting such heights.

And although my new place has much improved airflow (and therefore my studio is a much more bearable temperature) than in my old place, it still means I'm moving at a snail's pace. Which is fine. I'm on holiday after all.

It also means that any painting or staining becomes inadvisable.

So here are my (small) mini achievements today:

1. I made a frame,
Flat lay of a 1/12 scale miniature frame in a jig, next to a grey watercolour of a boat, on a piece of card, next to a 1/12 scale model yacht, round picture of a yacht and a blue and white lifebuoy.
and pulled out some pieces that I thought might go nicely with it in a scene. At this stage I'm calling it The Sailor, and have no idea if it's going to be just a shelfy or a full-on build. (Either way I now have some Big Country stuck in my head, which makes me very happy).

2. I went to the post office to check my mail, and discovered, to my delight, that the Christmas-day reading I ordered on a whim has arrived in record time!
Book titled The book of mini next to a container of rice pudding and blueberries.
(I just need to hide it from myself until Christmas day. Although the way this break is going, Christmas day may pass me by leaving me in blissful ignorance...)

In 'non-miniature' news, I popped into the op shop on the way home from the post office and found this brand-new candle holder for $2:

Metal candle holder with cut out sides, sitting on a dining table. Inside it is a chimney and candle wrapped in bubble wrap.
I'm sure it'll work wonderfully well on my balcony, and there's no reason at all to be googling how to remove spot welding (if that is, indeed, what's holding it together...), or looking at tin snips on the Bunnings website.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Sorting the stash

While looking for a miniature print to add to the framing pile this morning, I finally got frustrated enough with the 'I'll just pop this here for now' approach I took with supplies when I first moved in to declare today 'Sort out the stash' day.

Which meant plans for framing were out, and a quiet gentle day pulling out and emptying boxes and tubs, sorting the contents into piles, and then putting them away properly was in.

I love days like this, especially when I suspect the rest of the city is running round in the heat and smoke finishing up work or school for the year (or doing last-minute Christmas stuff in heaving malls) and I'm sitting on the sofa contemplating if this picture is 'medium' or 'large' or that patterned fabric is primarily blue or yellow.
Two sets of white cardboard storage drawers against a mushroom-brown wall. On top are two white box frames, one containing a 1/12 scale sofa, side table, art work and pot of catci, the other is empty. Next to the drawers is a white ring binder.
Normal transmission should recommence tomorrow...

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Feeling framed

Hanging sign with 'Victorian Dollhouses' written on it.
 This morning I visited our local dolls' house shop.

'What!' I hear you cry. 'But you stated quite categorically just two weeks ago that you 'most definitely do not need any more miniatures for quite some time'.

Does it help you if I said I made it no further than a metre inside, as James had kindly opened especially so I could pick up some picture framing?

You see, mine's still safely tucked away.... somewhere. And I figured that the fastest way to find it was to go buy some more, which would almost surely cause the existing stash to decide to come out of hiding.

I was given a selection of New Zealand art auction catalogues by a neighbour of my parents when I visited them over Easter this year,
Three art catalogues arranged on a table. The top one is open to show the range of dolls'-house-sized prints included inside.
 and found this tiny watercolour on an op-shopping adventure soon after:
Small framed watercolour of a boat propped up against the wall. In front of it is a piece of carpet tile and a 1/12 scale modern miniature armchair in greys and browns.
 So I feel some framing needs to happen in my near future.

(Which is actually oddly synchronistic as I just looked up the last framing blog post I did: and it was two years ago tomorrow!)
Flatlay of a cutting mat, with lengths of miniature framing, a hobby saw, mitre box and gluing jig with a picture of a boat inside it.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Sometimes things take their own sweet time to happen

Back in 2015 I submitted some pieces to ANCA's Spin exhibition of miniature wearable artworks, always planning to make one for myself if all the pieces sold (which they did!).

Almost a year later, I completed three commissioned pieces in the series. Not for me.

And then.... nothing. I had a fairly good excuse for a lot of that time ('Packing!', 'Shifting!', 'Unpacking!') but today, on the first real day of my summer break, I ran out of excuses and patience with myself.

(I may have threatened to 'throw the whole damned lot in the bin if you don't pull your finger out and actually start working on it TODAY!' It may have worked.)
Hand holding a miniature wooden box frame containing a wooden 'B' tile, and five light and dark brown books stacked inside. In the background is a cutting mat, retractable knife, rulerm container of miniature books and some pieces of cut books.
While looking for photos of previous boxes from the series, I came across this post, which caused my brain cells to spark, and me to turn around and stare in contemplation at the my work table, where my recent not-miniature op-shopped finds were sitting.

And wonder if my (full-sized) yet-to-be-hung library gallery wall could do with an addition. I came up with a quick test to check the concept:
White box frame containing a 1/12 scale modern miniature cream sofa, with a wooden table next to it. On the table is a potted cactus, and above it is a book-themed piece of assemblage art.
(and then wondered if I'm just going round and round in ever-decreasing circles...).

Sunday, December 15, 2019

(Almost) The half-way point...

...and the back of one of yesterday's op-shopped box frames called to me as it sat on my worktable.

So I decided to see what we could come up with (after spending 20 minutes or so having a wee unexpected nap on the sofa: I love the summer break!).

I'd spotted the gold and white striped Lundby lidded bowl in stash last week when rummaging for kitchenware for the asian market-stall scene, and had made a mental note that it could come in useful if I decided to make one of my 'I don't do Christmas, but...' scenes. Especially since Kat had sent me a couple of toning miniature table-top trees in her swap parcel.

It seemed like an easy solution for today's need for a quick blog post solution with little brain to set to the task.
1/12 scale modern miniature tabletop scene in cream and brown containing a tiny bottlebrush Christmas tree, a lidded bowl with gold and white stripes, wooden blocks with the numbers '1' and '5' on them, and an empty dollshouse.
I was particularly pleased when I spotted the number blocks I bought at the 2017 ACTME show, and thought to use them to show the date, and liked the idea of including an empty dolls' house (from Dollhousedesign) to signify the Daily Dolls' House December challenge.

(I'm now a bit concerned that I'll come to the conclusion that it's a brilliant idea to try and include the date and/ or a dolls' house in every post for the rest of the month!)
1/12 scale modern miniature tabletop scene in cream and brown containing a tiny bottlebrush Christmas tree, a lidded bowl with gold and white stripes, wooden blocks with the numbers '1' and '5' on them, and an empty dollshouse. Above it on the wall is a wallhanging that says 'Be bold or italic, never regular'
The banner is from JHD design, bought at the Wellington Underground markets, and I made the 'cut-glass' bottles from some edging I bought at Pete's Emporium, also in Wellington.
1/12 scale modern miniature cupboard-top scene in cream and brown containing a tiny bottlebrush Christmas tree, a lidded bowl with gold and white stripes, wooden blocks with the numbers '1' and '5' on them, and an empty dollshouse. Above it on the wall is a wallhanging that says 'Be bold or italic, never regular' and to the right, a black wooden chair with a cream fluffy heart-shaped cushion on it.
As for the rest of the scene: the low cupboard/ coffee table unit was in the same swap parcel from Kat.  The chair is by minisx2: last seen back in 2005. The basket is Rement. And the carpet square and heart-shaped cushion were both Daiso finds...

Saturday, December 14, 2019

I most certainly have not been buying miniatures at the op shop

Because, of course, I most definitely do not need any more miniatures for quite some time.

But I picked up this lovely bamboo placemat for $2.50 this morning, and must have accidentally dropped it here on the way to the dining room:
1/2 scale modern miniature asian cafe with a counter, drinks fridge, rustic fence with a bamboo plant in front of it and a metal table with a bowl of soup on it and wooden stool and a back pack in front of it.
(Silly me, I must still be exhausted from yesterday...)

Speaking of exhausted, I figured I needed this $2.50 fan to keep me cool as I work in the studio for the next few weeks. It has such lovely intricate fretwork on it, don't you think?
Hand holding a wooden fan.
 And perhaps next year I'll start wearing jewellery to work: in which case I thought this $5 brooch would be fun and quite appropriate.
Vintage-looking portrait brooch with a drawing of a cat in a crown and robe, smoking a cigarette.
 And these two $4.50 shadow boxes? Oh: I'm thinking about redecorating around here during the break, and thought perhaps a bit of colour would be nice for a change...
Two square white shadowbox fromes containing large maroon flowers.
See? No new miniatures whatsoever.

Friday, December 13, 2019

So. Very. Tired.

Work is (finally) done for the year, but decided to bite me in the bum as a farewell, so I had a crazy-busy morning and left completely exhausted.

I tried to come up with something to blog about, but my brain is on strike: instead, here's a link to a post from Daily Dolls' House December 2016 with a round-up of bed-related posts.

And a random bed-related photo:
1/12 scale modern miniature bed and bedside table, holding a vase of daisies, a diary and reading glasses and a glass of water.
(There. I blogged. Tick. Now I'm going to my (full-sized) bed. I may be some time...).