Sunday, March 29, 2015

Friday, March 27, 2015

...followed by a crazy miniaturist's handbag reveal

I have felt my handbag getting more and more out of control over the past two days as I've dashed from place to place and stuffed various things into it.

Tonight I arrived home from setting up my stall at the ACT Miniature Enthusiasts Fair and Dollhouse Show and remembered that I'd been given a bar of chocolate. Could I find it in my bag? No.
Large pile of items from a handbag including keys, hankie, wallet, various cases, business cards, scrunched up pieces of paper and a dolls' house miniature knitted pouffe and rug.
There was only one thing to do: turn it upside down to empty it out completely and return it to some semblance of order.

And what did I find?
Large pile of items from a handbag including keys, hankie, wallet, various cases, business cards, scrunched up pieces of paper and a dolls' house miniature knitted pouffe and rug.
Yeah, that's not going to last me terribly long...

Finish it off Friday frenzy...


A selection of items laid out on a desk, including a dolls' house miniature radiator and two small tables, fabric printed with a coffee bag, a job advertisement, two rolls of coins, a Paypal Here device and tablet and a block of Lindt sea salt caramel chocolate.
(Clockwise from top left)

New side tables/stools arrived just in time for tomorrow's show. Coffee-sack fabric waiting to cover a bench for the cafe buildA job to apply for. Money stuff to sort out. Chocolate to eat. And a radiator to install.

I wonder which one should I start with?

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

In the miniaturist's kitchen

Kitchen bench with kettle, toaster and blender. In front is some miniature flooring, a pair of scissors, sandpaper, a paint brush and pot of paint and some paint samples.
I know I'm not the only one... :-)

(And no, the blender has not been used for paper mache. Yet.)

A testing time

While the second coat of varnish was drying on my cafe front this morning, I ducked out to run a couple of errands.

First stop was Officeworks, where I got my front window signs printed onto overhead projector plastic:
Modern dolls' house miniature window sign which says 'You've found our secret! Hideout cafe"
(A test that worked out beautifully and cheaply).

Then the hardware store to buy a test pot of paint. I'm checking if I can cover the front wall of the cafe with sandpaper and then paint it.
A sample iece of cardboard and a sample piece of sandpaper, both painted with cream paint, laid out to dry.
 I'm also checking out the two cans of granite paint I have to see which would look better for my foundation (once they're dry I'll also see if I can paint over it with the cream).
Two sample pieces of carboard, painted with different brands of concrete-looking paint.
Now I'm off to cut the floor to fit, and make a radiator...
Dolls' house miniature kitset radiator pieces on a miniature wooden floor.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

A cardboard cutout

Walls!
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe, half built with furniture arranged in a cardboard room.
Table and chairs,
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe, half built with mock up of a table and chairs set up.
bench seating, pillar and radiator,
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe, half built with mock up of a window seating and a radiator set up.
and a quiet corner.
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe, half built with mock up of a window seating and a corner chair set up.
The front (without a slope on the laneway):
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe, half built with the front added and tables and stools outside.
And again, with a slope:
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe, half built with the front added and tables and stools outside. The paving outside is on  a slope.
Which to chose?

On one hand, I like the idea of using the window sills as a ledge to support the table tops (possibly having them hinged so they can be put away at night. Which I couldn't do if I added a slope to the laneway:)
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe, half built, with a mock up of a sloping laneway outside and a large gap between the top of the stools and the table.
On the other hand, I suspect having the added detail of the slope will add an extra 'zing' to the look of the final piece...

I'll continue to mull the decision over while I work on some other things.

Monday, March 23, 2015

A decision (or two)

View of a modern dolls' house miniature cafe in progress, from the top.
Before I add the second coat of varnish to the shopfront, I need to decide on the interior measurements so I can cut the walls and floor to start working on while the varnish dries.

But first, I should decide if I want to include the gentle slope of the laneway outside my inspiration to my build, or leave it flat (and, I suspect much easier. But also more boring...)
View of Switchboard Cafe in Melbourne.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Another coat of varnish

Modern dolls' house miniature shopfront under renovation, showing papered-up windows and varnished door and walls.
While I was varnishing the inside of the shopfront, I figured I should try an extra coat on the front of the door to see how it looks.

And it looks better.

Dammit, now I have to give the whole thing a second coat.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

BIG KIDS: Tiny Worlds

Mosaic of images of and from Big Kids Magazine: Tiny Worlds edition showing various small houses included.
While I was waiting in line at the newsagents to pay my bill, I spotted this magazine in the kids' section: what caught my eye at first was that it seemed quite out of place in amongst all the pink and plastic.

What made me pick it up was the tag line:
Magazine with 'Issue 7 205: Tiny worlds' written on the cover, next to a mini hot cross bun on a saucer.
I was impressed. I have heard over and over again that our hobby is dying and children just aren't interested, so it was heartening to find a kid's art magazine focusing on tiny things.
Interior pages of Big Kids Magazine: Tiny Worlds edition showing children's work.
Especially tiny things made by kids.
Interior pages of Big Kids Magazine: Tiny Worlds edition showing children's work.
Interior pages of Big Kids Magazine: Tiny Worlds edition showing children's work.
Interior pages of Big Kids Magazine: Tiny Worlds edition showing children's work.
 (And tiny things kids can make!)
Instructions from a magazine for making tiny self portraits in matchboxes.
A collection of tiny houses made of wire wrapped with thread.

 Plus there's a pull-out poster. Always a good thing.
Pull-out poster from Big Kids Magazine, featuring a painting of a house.
.Well done all round, Big Kids Magazine.

Friday, March 20, 2015

In the 'better late than never' category

May I introduce the *ahem* Spring/Summer 2013 collection, in a range of bright, fun colours?
Advertisement showing the Spring/Summer 2013 range of modern dolls' house miniature items offered by The Shopping Sherpa: pouffes, storage boxes, posters and fluffy rugs.

If a more sophisticated look is more your thing, there's the new 2015 range which has a metallic, earthy undertone:
Advertisement showing the 2015 range of modern dolls' house miniature items offered by The Shopping Sherpa: pouffes, posters fluffy rugs and wire mesh vases.
Check out the range in person at the following shows:

ACT Miniature Enthusiasts Miniature Fair and Dollhouse Show
Saturday 28 March 2015 10 am - 4 pm
Weston Creek Community Centre. Parkinson St, Weston, Canberra.

Admission: Adults $6, Children aged 5-12 $3, Children under 5 free.

Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 May 2015 10.30 - 4.30 pm
Hall of Legends at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. Olympic Boulevard, Homebush, Sydney.
Time: 10.30am - 4.30pm

Admission : Adults $7, Children $3.

An attempt to justify breakfast out as 'research' (and make you not notice the lack of noticeable progress on my build)

I met friends at Ona cafe in Manuka for breakfast this morning, and took some reference photos for my own cafe build:
Black cafe table and chairs at Ona cafe, with red pepper grinder and green sugar bowl. The chair seat covers are made from coffee sacks.
(I like the pops of colour with the accessories, and the chair pad made from an old coffee sack)
Front of Ona cafe.
Ceiling of the awning of Ona cafe, painted black with potted ferns hanging from it.
(Black ceiling with hanging plants.)
Inside ceiling of Ona cafe, showing rough brick wall, black ceiling with trusses and a suspended ceiling with a pot plant on it.
(Distressed brick at the top of the wall, suspended ceiling with pot plants. And roof trusses.)

Thursday, March 19, 2015

A feeling of achievement

It was a bit scary yesterday afternoon as I taped up the windows of my storefront ready to... well, do something with it.

On one hand I was freaking out because I was worried that I would balls it up (but then I told myself it would all be part of the story and I could either fix it or put a rush order in for a replacement).

On the other I didn't quite know how to approach the finish on it. Coloured wax? (I was concerned the door handle wouldn't stick to it). The wood finishing cloths I bought for the TBAG box? (Too messy.) And then I spotted a tin of walnut-coloured varnish I've had for so long I have no idea where it came from.
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe under renovation, with builder's lunch on a stool outside the front door.
Now I have to decide if I like it with just one coat (for a more rustic look) or if I should dare to add a second and potentially regret the decision...
Dolls' house miniature builder's lunch on a cafe chair outside the front door of a cafe being renovated.
Meanwhile, I painted the first coats on my cafe chairs and stools (with similar trepidation). And am wondering if the copper was a bad idea. I'll reserve judgement (and a second coat of any of the colours) until the build is further progressed so I can see what works best.
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe under renovation, with tools on a ladder and a radio on the floor.
There's still a tonne of work to be done, so I'd better get back to it.

(Pity I don't have one of these to add to the scene...)

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

A slight change of direction

Yesterday afternoon I had several errands to do in the vicinity of the hobby shop, so dropped in for more spray paint (I swear it's like embroidery floss: no matter how many colours you have you never seem to have the right shade(s) for your latest project).

I'd pretty much decided on copper and black for the chair colours, but found myself drawn to a metallic green, with the idea of turning the black mesh into a vertical garden and using the green as a spot colour.  So a bag of greenery was added to my basket.
A bag of model railway bushes beside cans of copper and green metallic spray paint and three modern dolls' house miniature 3D printed cafe chairs.
On the way home the green kept niggling at my mind. Until I realised why: The Switchboard Cafe was mainly green, And I just happened to have a plan to recreate it (or something close) using the shopfront I bought from The Doll House when I was in Melbourne in August last year...

If I could pull this off I could finish off many Fridays at once!

So, here's the (new) rough plan:

Cafe chairs and small tables/benches/something along the laneway in the front.
Mock up of the front of a modern dolls' house miniature cafe, showing the shop front and several tables and unpainted cafe chairs.
I can still use the pallets on the wider wall inside: I'm thinking I can 'hang' the table off them and perhaps have shelves above. Unfortunately, this means that  the 'coffee' table will have to wait for another project.
View through a mock up of the front of a modern dolls' house miniature cafe showing a pallet wall and a table and cafe chairs.
The high stools can go along the window inside, with a narrow shelf to put the coffees on
Mock up of the front of a modern dolls' house miniature cafe, showing the shop front and several tables and unpainted cafe chairs.
and the narrow end of the space can have something comfy to lounge on.
View through a mock up of the front of a modern dolls' house miniature cafe showing a lounge chair and several cafe chairs.
 I think I'll call it 'Hideout'.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

A few additions

At the end of January I met a friend in town for a coffee. We went to a new place called Coffee Lab, where I snapped this picture for future mini inspiration:
Interior of Coffee Lab cafe, with walls lined with pallets.
(Mainly because I still hadn't worked out what I was going to do with the pallet coasters I'd picked up from Typo back in November and thought this would be interesting to try).

Yesterday I pulled the pallets out, used a handy ruler as a stand-in for a coffee counter and added some industrial-looking plastic pieces I'd picked up on my last trip to Daiso (I think they're supposed to go in a pot-plant pot to stop things falling out the bottom).
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe stools in front of a counter made from a ruler and miniature pallets.
The table I made in June last year seems to be the perfect fit, as does the round black Kinetic Patterns tealight holder I bought at Handmade Market last year (I'm not sure it's printed by Shapeways, but the designer is certainly on there).
Modern dolls' house miniature scene of a cafe, in unfinished state.
 Now I have to decide what colour(s) to paint the chairs and stools...
Modern dolls' house miniature scene of a cafe, in unfinished state.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Shapeways' 3D printed Miniature Houses Contest

As most of you are aware, Mini Dork is running a content with Shapeways to promote 3D printing in the miniature world.

I hadn't planned to enter (even though I have a good number of pieces from Shapeways) as I have many other priorities before the closing date, But with an unexpected week off work, I've decided making a scene is just what the doctor ordered.

The first step is digging out all my 3D-printed pieces...
Selection of modern dolls' house miniature 3D-printed cafe chairs and stools.
Modern dolls' house miniature 3D-printed cafe chair next to three 3D-printed tealight candle shades.
Modern dolls' house miniature 3D-printed cafe chair next to three 3D-printed stag head.