You've got to have a dream...*

Thanks to my Co Editor for taking pity on me and providing me with express delivery of the sample version of November's tiny Times, I was able to do some dreaming (also thanks to my local newsagents):

 Because, as I've discovered before, if you put it out there it might just happen.

And I'm very happy to have not found any jarring errors on my first flick through. We did well.

(* if you don't have a dream. How you gonna have a dream come true?)

An unexpected discovery

My latest bus-reading book includes a discussion on dollhouse miniatures and 3D printing*. Good thing the bookmark I chose for it matched the theme...

On a vaguely related note, the November issue of The tiny Times went to the printer this morning and I'm itching to get back into some scene-making.

(*Read the excerpt here)

Distracted

It's been quite a week. I'm still trying to learn All The Things in my now-six-week-old job, and  get used to a new commuting routine as I take to the buses to escape rising parking prices at work. Plus I've been spending most of my evenings working on the November issue of The tiny Times (except for the last couple, after my modem died.)

No time for minis. Or so I thought.

On the way from the bus stop on Wednesday morning I spotted this on the footpath:

Which made me very happy as I'd been wondering what sort of tree they came from since August, when I discovered these under my bonnet when the NRMA visited Miss Daisy.

 And look! A whole tree of them, not two blocks from work!

I collected a handful, which I added to the pile of treasures heaped on my workbench waiting for me to make the time to sort it all out and return to some scene making.

Next weekend, maybe?

Slaving on Saturday

In what seems to have become a bit of a tradition around here, may I present this edition of The tiny Times' 'Test covers with chocolate' picture?

This issue is shaping up to be the best one yet. And we're ahead of schedule. I am feeling most smug.

(*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.)

Gray and gold

My new Xavier Pauchard bar stools and cafe stools from Shapeways—which arrived yesterday—go rather nicely with the wool I picked up to make mini pouffes with while I was in New Zealand...

I'm hoping to find some time this weekend to create a few scenes with these and my recent acquisitions...

Miniatures at the museum

On the way to the airport on my final day in Wellington, the Parental Units and I visited Ngā Toi | Arts Te Papa (and a few other places but they're not relevant for this post).

My final miniature sighting of the trip was the Duchamp Box in a valise (Boîte-en-valise) in their collection:

 (Look! A miniature urinal.)

(If I hadn't happened across it I would have blogged this photo in desperation:

Poppets yarn balls at Knit World Lower Hutt. Not miniature, but teeny, at least...)

Unexpected miniature finds

Perusing the junk mail that arrived in my parental units' letterbox yesterday I discovered a range of tiny groceries being offered by one of the supermarket chains:

 Not much use to me as they're large scale, and you also have to spend $40 to get one. But mini, none the less...

Later in the day my (evil) Parental Units stopped off at Archway Books on our way up to visit one of my uncles. I warn you: this place is dangerous for your wallet.

The first book I pulled off the shelf opened to a section on Hundertwasser's architectural models. It was a sign that it needed to come home with me (thank goodness that Qantas doesn't count 'reading for the journey' into its baggage allowance...)

A Saturday with Sandra

1. Miniatures at the markets:

Our first stop of the morning was The Wellington Underground Markets, primarily to visit the Blue Star Kiwi stall (I was intrigued after receiving gifts purchased from there by travelling friends.)

On the way we found these miniature necklaces at Whirlwind's stall:

and I succumbed to temptation...

The Blue Star Kiwi stall was popular (a heartening sign)

and full of very reasonably-priced miniatures.

(and rabbits)

And I succumbed to temptation...

So what did I pick up?

Free fliers from various stalls that I can turn into posters:

(Plus cards and a magnet that I bought for the same reason).

A terrarium from Whirlwind:

Food from Blue Star Kiwi:

2. Afternoon adventures:

I was fortunate enough to be in Wellington for the Weta 20th anniversary celebrations and we managed to go to two talks on their history at Te Papa,

Which included mention of their miniature work (which made us quite excited),

but also mention that it's a dying art, as it's being replaced by digital work (which made us quite depressed).

Fashion houses

I attended the World of Wearable Art show last night and was surprised to see two miniature buildings in the lineup:

Flock Frock by Philippa Stichbury

Gothic Habit by Lynn Christiansen.

Relevant reading

Much of my recent reading has been miniature themed, in one way or another.

First off the pile was a vitra catalogue which I picked up a couple of years ago for $2.99 from a Savers op shop in Melbourne, mainly because it had scale drawings of many design classics.

 (At that stage I still thought I might learn to design things for 3D printers and was rather excited...)

 On the train this weekend just passed, I finally cracked open a book that's been on my reading list since July (I don't 'do' fiction very often):

 I'm sure you've read it and would love to hear your opinion(s). I suspect anything I might say could be a spoiler.

I read this book on the trip back home (only nine months after I bought it!)

 Not a good choice for reading on the train, let me warn you. I guffawed several times, alarming the people around me. Once I read that the authors were based in New Zealand, the dry humour made more sense:

 I was disappointed when I finished this book, even though it didn't directly relate to dolls houses.

There is more travel in my future, and I've chosen this book to be my companion:

I'd love to know of any suggestions you have to add to my piles...

Getting a handle on it

(Rather boring) souvenirs from my trip away this weekend:

A selection of door handles from The Old Tythe Barn. I've been without door handles for a very long time, and keep forgetting to buy them when I'm at a mini show or shop. So when I remembered that I needed them while actually in a mini shop, I bought as many designs as possible.

And a stack of basswood from Hobbyco in Sydney. Something else that I've been meaning to buy for ages but no one else seems to stock it any more and I'm hardly ever in downtown Sydney to visit Hobbyco and plunder their selection.