The Shopping Sherpa: Throwback Thursday: Let's go outside

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Throwback Thursday: Let's go outside

It's taken a couple of weeks, but finally, here's my round up of miniature gardens, balconies and patios. I made the executive decision to include scenes made by other people as well as my own (but am sticking to my decision to include only domestic spaces, not communal or wild spaces).

First up, from the 2007 ACT Miniature Enthusiasts' show is this scene which still makes me laugh when I see it (I believe it was by Mandy Bates: can someone let me know if I'm remembering incorrectly?)

One-twelfth scale miniature scene of a man inside a house with a beer in his hand watching a football match on TV. Outside the ranch sliders in the garden, three gnomes are lined up sitting on mushrooms, watching the match through the glass.

A couple of months later I shared how I'd made an old project of mine: city and beach balcony scenes created in two matching IKEA box frames (sadly now long discontinued...)

Two one-twelfth scale modern miniature balcony scenes in box frames. On the left is a city balcony, with sprayed concrete walls and floor and a corrugated iron balcony wall. On the balcony is a folding wooden chair with a laptop on it. On the floor is a cordless phone, a mug and a stovetop espresso jug. On the beach balcony is a white director's chair with a woven hat on the back, a magazine on the seat, and a pair of jandals and a glass on the floor. The balcony overlooks the sea and some cabbage trees.

A one-twelfth scale modern miniature beach balcony scene in a box frame On balcony is a white director's chair with a woven hat on the back, a magazine on the seat, and a pair of jandals and a glass on the floor. The balcony overlooks the sea and some cabbage trees.

A one-twelfth scale modern miniature city balcony scene in a box frame with sprayed concrete walls and floor and a corrugated iron balcony wall. On the balcony is a folding wooden chair with a laptop on it. On the floor is a cordless phone, a mug and a stovetop espresso jug.

Back at the ACT Miniature Enthusiasts' show the following year, I was taken by this greenhouse created by Ann Dowdall (wife of James of Victorian Dollhouses):

One-twelfth scale miniature green house with a man in a hand-knitted jumper working inside and a dog watching from the doorway.

In 2009 I went to Melbourne, and to ACMI's Setting the scene exhibition. Where I took some sneaky against-the-rules photos (and a video) of the model of Villa Arpel from the film Mon Oncle. (I still feel bad about that... but not bad enough to take them down. :-/)

Model of a modernist villa from the film 'Mon Oncle' with a garden containing a pond with a fish fountain in the middle.

Speaking of films, the next year while visiting Wellington I was invited to visit the film set (in miniature, of course) for the New Zealand movie Second-hand wedding:

One-twelfth scale miniature scene of garage-sale items outside a garage.

One-twelfth scale miniature scene of a yellow Mini van in a garden. It's back doors are open with two cardboard cartons on the ground next to it.

In 2012 I was lucky enough to hunt down and buy a Brio 1960s bungalow, one of my 'holy grails'. And had a party to mark the occasion.

Patio at night, with a table covered in bottles and glasses, surrounded by mis-matched chairs.

Another 'holy grail' was marked off the list in 2013 (no party this time, just lots of ice cream...)

Vintage dolls' house patio with stonework pillars and paving, and planter box full of plants. On the paving is a set of white outdoor table and chairs.

Here's a mid-century modern patio scene I started making in 2014, based on some wonderful pieces sent to me by Mod Pod miniatures in a very generous swap parcel at the beginning of that year.

Aerial view of a one-twelfth scale modern miniature paved patio area with a mid-century modern sofa and a Jens Rison webbed chair and various accessories.

Alas I never finished the scene, as after finishing a miniature version of a La Gardo Tackett garden sculpture

One-twelfth scale mid-century modern garden sculpture made of a stack of white-painted angular beads.

I got flumoxed by working out how to bash standard french doors into mid-century modern ones. (In fact, I found one of the doors on my boxing-day clean up...) We'll add that to the list of things not finished and move on, shall we?

Five month later I celebrated my 9th blogiversary with a party at Margell Public School. And what a party it was!

One-twelfth scale miniature school house exterior with a bunting strung across the verandha spelling out 'blogiversary'. Chairs and a table are set up outside the school, while on the veranda is a guitar, a ukulele, a bottle fo wine and a wine glass.

One-twelfth scale miniature veranda scene with a school chair holding a recorder next to a guitar and on a bench next to that a bottle of wine, a stack of sheet music and a ukulele.

Early-morning shot of a one-twelfth scale model school veranda, with a broken railing, a table with an empty plate, and a school chair with an empty wine glass on its seat.

Early-morning shot of a one-twelfth scale model school veranda, with a school chair with an empty wine glass on its seat and a bench with a toppled glass on it and an empty wine bottle under it.

And later the same year there was a different veranda, this time on the HBS Creatin' Content 2015 build (which ended up on top of the fridge for a couple of years until I resurrected it recently...

Dry fit of a dolls' house shed kit, with stained weatherboarding taped to the sides and pergola posts and struts taped in place.

In January last year I did my annual complain about the summer heat,

One-twelfth scale modern miniature paved patio with a Jen Rison webbed chair, a side table and patio umbrella. On the side table is a potted plant, a fan, a pair of sun glasses and a glass of water. On the chair is a magazine.

using pieces from earlier builds mixed in with Lundby pieces that worked well in 1/12 scale.

It was a quiet year blog-wise as I dedicated my brainspace to settling into a new job, but Spring saw me trying to kick-start my mini obsession with this scene (inspired by a swap parcel from Kitty & Kat Miniatures):