In which I accidentally create a Christmas-themed scene...

I only wanted to display the scrollwork side table that was made from a solar light cover (and idea I yoinked from Mad Missy Minis).

But, somehow, the scene that emerged has a decidedly festive bent. *Shrug*.

Actually, I'm quite pleased as it means I got to use the tinsel given to me by Kitty and Kat Miniatures this time last year, The strings of miniature Christmas lights (some deconstructed!) sent to me by Catherine earlier this year. And the 3D-printed wall art given to me by friend Sandra while I was in New Zealand last month.

Time taken (excluding painting time): 20 minutes.

Taking stock

(Card stock, that is...)

Last weekend I caught up with a friend who recently visited New York.

'I brought you back a little something' she said. And added, almost apologetically 'It's really quite small'.

After assuring her that I really REALLY liked small things, she handed me a card. Not just any card, but a card she bought at the Museum of Modern Art gift shop. A card that could be turned into a one-sixteenth scale Ercol butterfly chair! 

If this isn't a good example of what the phrase 'It's the thought that counts' really means, I don't know what is...

Last night curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the package. Read the instructions. Punched out the parts (super-easy, especially as little arrows were printed on the backing pointing to where the chair pieces were attached to the card.)

Then realised that there were bits on the backing that weren't explained in the instructions. And the picture in the instructions of how to glue the chair together was very small. And very confusing.

Luckily, this morning I noticed the words at the bottom of the instructions: 'Further assembly instructions: www.onetosixteen.com'.

I checked out the website and found full, clear and easy-to-follow instructions.

 And pretty quickly my flat pieces of card turned into a chair.

 They've thought of everything, as included in the package is a floor and background to display your finished piece in.

The only problem? I want some of the other models. And they're not sold in Australia. :-(

Life's a breeze (block)

Saturday morning saw another of my miniature 'holy grails' ticked off the list, with the arrival of this breeze-block wall, new to Tiny Bungalow's shop.

Hmmm.... perhaps it's time to finally finish off this scene?

Final photos

Believe it or not, there are still things about convention that I've not covered...

1. Convention dinner gifites

Always something to look forward to. We each got a copy of New Zealand's smallest history book (full printed inside, of course!)

and a teeny weeny model of a boy in a plane (by Jewel Lewis, based on a photo of one of her grandchildren)

There was a scavenger game, and everyone received a one-twelfth-scale chocolate fish as a prize.

2. Workshops

I was only booked in for one, the tea trolley by Alison Ede (the 1940s armchair by Inge Veale [PDF link] was full by the time I got my application in, sadly).

It was a quick build, even though my miniature-building skills were feeling quite rusty.

I didn't finish it as I wanted to paint it when I got home. Of course I'm still trying to decide if it should be black. Or white. Or stained... *sigh*

My workshop was held upstairs in the cafe building. Others were luckier with their location: their workshops were held in a hangar!

It was a great convention, and I'm already planning my trip to convention 2018 ('Shop 'til you drop') in Palmerston North.

Oh, and if you're not photoed out, I'm loading some more general pictures to my NZAME convention 2016 FLICKR folder.

Running away to Rotorua

A couple of fellow Australian miniaturists planned to spend the Sunday of the NZAME convention going on a road trip to Rotorua, and invited me along (especially after I happened to mention that I used to live there).

Suddenly I was the tour guide for the day: even when I explained that 'used to live there' was over 45 years ago...

So, after racking my brains for suitable activities, I started our day with a visit Te Puia, which would give us a Māori cultural experience at a marae, a walk through a geothermal valley so we could see geysers and mud pools, a visit to the Maori carving and weaving schools, and (if we were lucky) a glimpse of a live kiwi.

The last time I'd visited was way back in 1985, and I was looking forward to seeing it again.

First on our agenda was the marae visit and concert:

Followed by a guided tour down through the bush

to visit the geysers

We then stopped at the mud pools, where our guide explained how the mud is used:

We visited the kiwi house, but peer as we might into the darkened bush, there was no sign of our feathered friend...

Before we left Te Puia, we popped into the carving school to watch some students working on a carving,

and to the weaving school.

One of our group had said she'd like to visit the lake shore, so I took the chance to swing us by the old bath house building (now the Rotorua Museum).

We didn't have time to stay long, as we were due back in Tauranga for convention dinner. Before we left town, though, we drove along the lake front to Ohinemutu, and St Faith's Church (where I'd been baptised).

Alas, the church was already closed for the day, so we weren't able to go inside. Instead we wandered around the outside, admiring the architecture

(including the feature window of Jesus wearing a maori cloak. From inside the church it looks like he's walking on the lake...)

and the view across the lake.

Want to join me?

Finally, here's a video I took of some of the geothermal activity, showing how hot the water is:

No wonder that, when I lived in Rotorua when I was three, I refused to swim in the lake unless Dad had poured a bucket of water in it to cool it down first!