A new studio

Sometimes, when you least expect it, the universe offers opportunities that are too good to pass up.

Like this studio space (that you might recognise), which I was able to rent at a very reasonable price.

 And this reclaim some of my home for actually living in,

 not storing stuff and creating in!

(Work cabinets $10 each from the Victorian Dollhouses stall at the ACT Miniature and Dollhouse Show. Most other bits of treasure from Wendy Benson's boxes of bits at the same show: total price $5.40. Tools, paint and worktable: model's own...)

Time for a break

With encouragement from my readers to finish the other side of Bluebird Cafe, I decided to continue work on the scene. You know, instead of tidying the studio like I'd planned to do.

*Ahem*

So I returned to the original story of the build (and also returned the build to its original location: after I finished taking the last lot of photos, with a lovely shot of Wellington Harbour from the top of Mount Victoria out the window, I woke up at 3 am with my inner critic gently reminding me that if I was redoing Buzz Bar Cafe it was kind of INTERESTING that it had also suddenly moved from downtown Canberra to on top of a hill in Wellington. Even though we're now sister cities, that's kind of impossible.)

*Sigh*

I did a test-run.

Remember the photo I took during that Sunday when I almost tied myself in creative knots? I liked the use of the embossed wall, but knew it wouldn't work where I'd tested it (mainly, if truth be known, because then I'd have to cut a piece and that would limit my future options for the paper sheet). But the same paper, painted silver had worked really well previously.

So I moved the paper to the other side of the cafe, and it looked right.I decided that perhaps the new owners, after painting the existing shelving white, shifted them* up onto the wall.

And added some random tiles they'd picked up cheaply to give the shelves interest: thank you, Kaisercraft, for bringing out the Ubud Dreams range of papers, with the perfect tiles just when I needed them...

(It feels like I've now mixed that holiday house kitchen from 2015 into the inspiration mix...)

Below the now wall shelves are a row of 'new' (erm... ALLBIDS find?) stainless steel benches (actually 2014 Sydney Show finds, which have turned up on the blog several times before now).

Where someone is busy making delicious things to sell to the customers...

(*It's a test, which is why there's only one so far...)

At the show...

I've just finished loading the photos I took (and that passed muster) from last weekend's ACT Miniature and Dollhouse Fair onto FLICKR.

Yay! One more thing marked off the (seemingly never-ending) list.

Showing my colours

 I'm still working through the aftermath of Saturday's miniature show: but this year I'm doing things differently.

Instead of what feels like my usual habit of racing home afterwards, dumping the contents of my car onto the middle of the lounge floor, and then spending Saturday evening and most of Sunday hunched over my computer working on doing stock reconciliation, order documentation, photo downloading, correcting and blogging (plus, until this year, loading the photos into the space I'd reserved in The tiny Times's May working document), I stopped.

 Took a deep breath. Stretched, and poured a glass of wine.

Then spent Saturday evening opening the bags of goodies I bought at the show and creating flatlays. Partly for you, but mainly for me: so I could get to know my new treasures*, and put them away properly ready for use.

It was quite lovely.

While you're waiting to see the photos I took of the exhibits that caught my eye, you might like to listen to the piece that ABC 666 aired about the club yesterday...

(*Although a few are for miniature gifts. Of course!)

Viva la miniature show!

This afternoon it was all systems go setting up the displays and stalls for tomorrow's ACTME Miniature Fair and Dollhouse Show. And catching up with mini friends from near and far.

Plus the best bit: getting a sneak peek at what's going to be for sale on the stalls

and what's included in the displays...

The theme for this year's show is 'Viva la France' and I was taken by the cafe scene above, which uses a french-cafe-themed plate as a background to an outdoor cafe scene set up on a tea tray. (I was informed that the waiter is Manuel from Fawlty Towers.Which I find a little confusing. Did he moved to France?)

I put this flat lay together in honour of the show's theme:

(Unable to get to the show tomorrow and keen on getting your mitts on some of my clearance stock? Contact me (see left-hand column) and I'm sure we can work something out...)

Sale time

I'm in the midst of preparing for this weekend's ACTME Miniature Fair and Dollhouse Show: my only show for this year.

And I'm feeling a clearance sale coming on. How's this for starters?

Perspex tables

Side: were $7.50 Coffee: were $10 Now $5

Hall: were $15 Dining: were $20 Now $10

Hand-knitted ‘faux-kati’ rugs

Small: were $15  Medium: were $20  Large: were $30 All sizes now $10

Hand-knitted pouffes

were $10 Now $5

Stag heads

were $7.50 Now $5

Frames, storage boxes, notice boards

were $2 Now 50 cents

Beads, cushions, plant pots, tiles    

were $1 Now 50 cents

I'll also have some seconds, including these damaged stag heads for $1 each (no one will notice once you hang a hat on it!):

ACT Miniature Enthusiasts 2017 Miniature Fair and Dollhouse Show

Saturday 25 March 2017

10.00 am to 4.00 pm

Weston Creek Community Centre, Parkinson Street, Weston ACT (next to Cooleman Court)

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

Monday's making (mostly made up)

I finished the cushions (sort of, they still need to be stitched up after stuffing).

I completed the squabs for the benches (well, not quite. I only finished one set and they're taped together at the back where you can't see). 

And the Bluebird Cafe is done.

 (You know, unless you zoom out and notice all the bits that most definitely aren't done.

Or, indeed, wait long enough and watch the 'done' bits slowly undo and the whole thing trash itself).

Maybe today I'll actually really finish it?

Sunday: in the studio

You may be pleased to know that I have dug out various surfaces around the house, and not just by piling the bits into a plastic tub and setting it aside out of the way...

Indeed, I've actually made some progress. Those blue chairs, for instance: now much shorter

(and without stickers)

I continued to fight with possible decorating options, none of which felt quite right,

until I gave up in disgust and headed off for a break to read the latest issue of Uppercase. And check out Instagram.

Where this hit my feed (you can see it here, if you're not an Instagrammer)*, and I realised I had been overthinking the whole thing (as usual). And so, back in the studio, this mock-up made much more sense with the whole story of the build, which really was about a cheap and cheerful make over.

Which lead to deciding that I needed to add squabs to the existing benches,

with some cushions for added comfort... 

(*Emily Hartley-Skudder, a recent discovery for me, is a fellow Kiwi who creates scenes in miniature and then makes oil paintings of them. Visit her website to see more of her work, read an article about her, or watch a video about her work (or her time living and working in New York).)

Saturday: strange couplings

The latest Alex Asch exhibition opened at Beaver Galleries on Thursday night. I decided not to go to the opening (apart from all the people that would be there, I was concerned that I might have a glass or two of bubbles then accidentally buy something...).

Instead I popped in this morning: first for breakfast at The Palette Cafe, them for a mooch around the exhibition (where, in true Canberra style, I bumped into my tutor from my CIT design course!)

Good thing I don't have tons of money (or, indeed, space), as I lusted after almost everything in the exhibition.

 But most particularly this piece, 

with its miniature gallery containing a Rosalie Gascoigne homage inside (the concept of one of my favourite Canberra artists referencing another of my favourite Canberra artists, in miniature, delights me greatly).

And this piece, which takes up much less room and would fit in with my decor perfectly...

 But, with my wallet tucked safely in my bag, I finally left and came home to create my own bit of distressing, at a much more affordable price:

Finish it off Friday: the four-day weekend edition

Take one four-day weekend.

Add no plans.

Mix with a splash of forecast rain,

Slowly beat in a messy work table*,

 a messy work bench,

and sprinkle with good intentions left in limbo

and (I hope) you have the perfect recipe for success...

(*Yes, those are covers for my 2017 calendars. Still awaiting delivery of matchboxes from the other side of the world...)

Feeling cagey

You saw it on the blog here. (And here).

Another $2.80 find from Daiso. I picked up two as I thought the bases would make great miniature side tables.

I didn't even consider the tops. Until early Saturday morning,when my inspiration helped me picture them as awesome (over-sized) miniature light shades...

 And, suddenly, what I thought was a great bargain is an even greater bargain.

(Plus I feel the need to visit Daiso again very soon...)