Feeling smug about my Smeg!

I mentioned yesterday that I'd been spray painting a few more things than just the Lori fridge, and today I finished them.

The most exciting is another fridge: my new Smeg!

I've been wanting a black fridge for a while, and had been lusting after the Lundby fridge, except I couldn't justify the price, especially for something that's slightly smaller than it should be.

So when I spotted a 1/12 scale kitchen kit which included a suitable fridge, at a much cheaper price than the Lundby fridge, I decided it would make an excellent birthday treat to myself.

Also on the spray paint trolley were some bathroom fittings for a future build, and various other accessories that got a makeover.

And when I brought them all back upstairs this afternoon, I realised I may have just accidentally created a miniature Harvey Norman showroom!

What's cooking?

 A trip to Kaisercraft earlier in the week lead to some new papers from their discounted ranges being added to my stash, two of which called to become the start of a modern kitchen with tiled floor and Corian terrazo benchtop.

It's not a quick build, as I'm putting together the benchtop and cupboards, and also spray painting one of my Lori fridges from its original brown.

But that's OK, I've still got almost two days leave before I return to work, so I have the time.

And while I wait for glue to dry, I've pulled out some accessories I think might work for the look I'm going for,

and made a mosaic splashback with tiles given to me by Sandra.

(Which I'm now thinking won't quite work with the rest of the pieces I have chosen, so may have to be tucked away for another scene...)

Since I had the spray paint out, I've also painted a number of other things that have been waiting patiently for my attention: and have a couple more scenes percolating away while I finish this one...

Screen time

Way back at the beginning of 2017, I bought some laser-cut bookmarks, intending to turn them into a screen when I got around to buying some hinges.

This week I got fed up with seeing them in my stash of things to make, and decided to go for the blog-ready approach with the help of some duct tape. 

The other night at 3am my helpful brain suggested it would fit well in an art-deco inspired room, which would mean I could (finally) also use the IKEA Christmas lights I bought in December 2019, and also one of the feves I bought myself as a birthday treat.

The leopard-print carpet, last seen in 2011, was an unexpected addition, and moved the scene into more of an Elle-Decor modern take on art deco.

May be minis...

 At the beginning of the month I had hoped to find space to focus on miniatures a bit more, and had toyed with the idea of setting myself another mini challenge, like Daily Dolls' House December.

I even had a name lined up: 'May be minis'.

But then reason prevailed and I decided that that way lay almost certain failure and disappointment. So instead I embraced the May mini makers challenge on Instagram, telling myself it was perfectly acceptable to reuse old photos, and hoping that once my homeversary and birthday leave rolled around I might find myself spending more time in the studio (even though it's on the dark and cold side of the flat...)

And so I am. And yesterday I not only created a brand new scene for the daily theme of 'on the shelf', but also made some minis and photographed them for a theme later in the week.

Using, happily, a number of gifts from blog buddies, friends, and fellow miniaturists, including Mod Pod Miniatures, Kitty and Kat Miniatures, Sandra and Minis by Twinmum plus some birthday treats I bought myself.

Something small is coming (and something small is going!)

 Things are moving for next month's miniature exhibition at Como House, Melbourne.

The official media release arrived in my inbox:

at almost the exact same time as a large truck arrived outside my flat,

and a lovely man carefully packed up the Kaleidoscope House,

loaded it onto the truck,

before driving away.

Exhibition details are as follows:

Doll house: Miniature worlds of wonder

4 June to 29 August 2021

Como House and Garden, Corner Williams Road and Lechlade Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria 3141.

Sunday got-it-done day

 This week saw the arrival of my early birthday treat to myself: a box of Whittaker's chocolate goodies from Kiwi Corner Dairy, who thoughtfully arranged a 20% off discount just when I was planning to order: meaning delivery was free (and super-speedy!).

Of course, before I got stuck into finishing that damned sofa today, I got a bit sidetracked...

But finish it I did (even though by the time I did so I'd lost the light for a decent photo).

Which is probably just as well, otherwise I may have been tempted to make a 1/12 scale DHL carton to complete the madness!

An evening in the ensuite...

 Between the work I'm doing collecting, inventorying and packing bits for the National Trust Victoria exhibition, the fact that work has settled down to pre-2020 madness so I have some brainspace left at the end of each evening, plus the fact that last weekend was the Sydney miniatures fair (to which I did not go) miniatures has returned to the front of my mind.

Add to that today's theme for the May mini makers challenge on Instagram, which is 'What I did today', and I had the perfect kick in the pants to pull out my half-finished sofa from January and try and make some progress. In my ensuite.

Yes, some people work on their minis in their kitchen, and various other rooms in the house, but I'm not sure how many work in their bathrooms. I usually do my ironing in here because of the good access to a power point, and it also gets excellent evening light: very useful as the evenings set in.

So the ensuite it is.

Now I just have to remember where I was with it...

A visitor and a trip

 In a turn-up for the books, I currently have my old Kaleidoscope House sitting in my garage.

(I never mentioned here that I sold it, come to think of it: but it was in that crazy time just after I'd bought this place and realised it wasn't going to fit anywhere here, which was very sad. Luckily a friend had always said she'd buy it off me if I ever decided to sell, so it's been living with her ever since, just one suburb down the hill from here).

No, I haven't magically found room for it (alas): rather National Trust Victoria is working on an exhibition at Como House in Melbourne (which looks like a dolls' house!) running from June to August this year (pandemic allowing: and also nicely timed to fit around the VAME show, assuming that goes ahead).

Details are still sketchy at this stage, but I've been told it will cover miniatures across many realms: from their history in Australia to creators, and more virtual approaches like games and social media, and I know that James from Victorian Dollhouses is currently building a Melbourne terrace house for it.

They contacted me asking if it was possible to have the Kaleidoscope House in it. Friend and I both said yes, which means that today I'm hunting down and pulling out the furniture from the various spots I stashed it, and having a wee mope.

Tomorrow I'll be creating an inventory of it all, trying to work out what it's worth for insurance purposes (very hard when many pieces are either one-of-a-kind, or well out of production), and packing it all up.

We're also in discussion on another way I might be involved. Stay tuned for more details...