Luscious Lempicka

The Sydney Show means only one thing to long-term readers of this blog: the unveiling of Div's latest creation*.

And this year's is a doozy. Introducing an interpretation of Tamar de Lempicka's studio on Rue Mechain circa 1930:

(The beady eyed amongst you might recognise Dolls' House Emporium's Malibu House in disguise...)

The entry

 leads into the lounge (see here through the front windows)

 in gorgeous Art Deco style (of course!)

 Across the hall on the ground level is a dining area, with kitchen behind.

Follow me up the stairs to the first floor, where we find a bar which overlooks the lounge atrium.

 (perfect for entertaining guests and clients).

 Across the hall is the office and library area:

 Moving up to the second floor, we find a lovely private deck area off the bedroom.

And what a bedroom it is! 

A modern bathroom is on the other side of the hall.

There's a tranquil garden on the roof level

just off Tamar's light-filled studio:

And that's the end of our tour of this amazing abode! 

(* 2012: A-frame 1970s house. 2011: Black and white Revell House. 2009: Rose Seidler House.)

One room, three ways

Here are some ideas of how the same day bed and rug can create three quite different moods when combined with other pieces from my Sydney stock:

Buzzing with lemon...

 Feeling French...

And fifties glam...

Not long to go now!

Testing, testing

 Obviously, I didn't manage to put together any trial settings before the weekend was over, which means I've now got the challenge of taking photos under artificial light.

The green room: I think this has a real 50s-style vibe to it.

 I dubbed this one Candyland, for obvious reasons.

And, finally, welcome to The Rainbow Room!

(Now do excuse me, I have rugs to knit...)

The Shopping Sherpa's Autumn 2013 colour range

(Makes me sound dead posh, doesn't it?)

These are the pouffe colours that I'll have at The Sydney Show (I'll have a couple of pieces from the ACTME show with me, tucked away. We'll call it the 'Summer 2013 colour range, shall we? If you ask nicely I can pull them out for you)

I have plans to show them in colour-story themed settings to give people ideas of how the different coloured rugs and pouffes and accessories can be mixed. Hopefully I'll get a chance to play with the idea later this weekend and will share the end results here.

Panic stations...

This time next week I'll be setting up my stall at The Sydney Show.

This time this week I'm having a little freak out at how much I have to do before then. But I keep telling myself I have all weekend and four nights next week to get everything finished.

Assuming I don't go to FASHFEST next week, that is...

Miniatures as art

(Picture: Fringe Arts press release)

Catching up on my blog reading this afternoon I came across this post by Jezze Prints.

Miniatures, art AND repurposed materials? I'm so there!

(The house was for sale on the local Gumtree. I wonder who bought it? And I wonder if any of the participants feel the urge to make other pieces for us to buy?)

I can knit a rainbow (reprise)

It would seem it's that time of the year again...

(This time it's a new colour range of knitted pouffes for The Sydney Show)

Small souvenirs (and sad about scale)

 While in Wellington I picked up these two fridge magnets from a shop in Cuba Street called Abstract Designs (they do lots of interesting laser-cut designs and I always pop in to see what they have that I could use for miniatures.)

I knew they'd go really well with some wrapping paper I bought ages ago from Pepe's Paperie and this afternoon, after clearing a corner of my worktable of stuff dumped there before the ACTME show, I threw up a trial scene:

(The table and pouffes in the foreground are show stock, supposedly hitting etsy sometime in the near future. Which could possibly be defined as 'after the May show')

And the tabletop at the back? From a set of coasters I picked up at an op shop some months back (which I thought would be perfect for a bar scene, if ever I did one), sitting on a free sample from the perspex people.

 And while we're on the subject of Abstract Designs, they had the most amazing modern table and chair set for sale. Alas, at a scale we suspect was plucked out of thin air.

I didn't buy them but begged the woman in the shop to get them scaled down so I could. And here's a photo of a set bought by a mini friend in Wellington with us lamenting (over lunch) at the lack of them in 1/12th scale:

A dolls' house at the Dowse

On my first afternoon in Wellington The Parental Units took me to the Dowse Art Museum to see one of my favourite Wellington bands play at their Big Day.

While we were waiting for them to start we took a wander around the Play exhibition and came across a Villa Sibi on display...

At the show

My favourite display at the ACTME show was Liz Dean's Recycled - an exhibition of modern art:

I thought the Redheads display in a matchbox was very clever (but forgot to note whose work it was)

and was amazed at the patience needed for Ann to hand wind these 1/12 scale crochet cottons:

I didn't buy much (I never do and this time I was holding onto my cash as I was heading overseas the next day)

A second shop counter ($8) so I can paint my other one white for the next version of my pop up shop, and three fabrics I plan to use for items for the May show ($9 total). A kitset potting bench which I suspected started life in a goodie bag ($3. Or was it $5?)

Worthy of close-ups:

 A distressed side table and plant ($3 for the lot),

 an industrial bench ($5),

 a set of mini buildings and things ($3 the lot),

 a Mary-Lou doll ($2),

 a selection of items needed on a cruise (beautifully packaged) ($2), and

an AMEA crate ($1).

Show time!

Thought you'd like to see a couple of pictures of my (half) stall all set up and ready to go for tomorrow's ACT Miniature Enthusiasts' Show. 

Fingers crossed!

Stuffed

That would be both me and the range of knitted pouffes I've just finished for my (half) stall at this weekend's mini show.

Market-bound

My Vistaprint stationery samples arrived today. They're looking good. I'm very excited!

A suitable souvenir?

While doing a little Googling for miniature suppliers before my upcoming trip to Wellington, I stumbled across this:

Contemporary Dolls House by Poadie on Felt. Am a wee bit tempted to order one as a souvenir...