31 December 2020

And I'm done.

May the best of this year be the worst of next, and may all your problems be tiny ones...

P 30m

Recycling this image from back in August because it's still very relevant (in fact as I type this I realise I've not been further than the top of the drive for over a week!), and means I have the whole day to try and sort out the complete disaster zone that is my studio and library after this year's challenge, and before the new year.

Day 29: a bit of end-of-year baking...

 Time for some end-of-year baking, and a solution to a number of Lori and MiWorld pieces that are just a tad over scale: use them all together, and no one will notice!

Thanks to Mod Pod Miniatures for the MiWorld cupcakes and the nail art jar of 'sprinkles'!

Mental trickery on day 28

Today's theme picture had pretty much been set from the beginning, as I bought myself a David Frazer wood engraving as a flat-warming present, which just happened to include the number 28 in it:

After I finished yesterday's scene, I printed a version out (much larger than life scale-wise, as that was the only way the number would be seen in the miniature version), and figured I'd just need to smash together either a shelfie or a miniature version on the photo above to hit the target.

Alas, my brain had other ideas. You see, yesterday was traditionally Vacuum under things day: that one day a year where I make sure I vacuum under the fridge. The sofa. The lounge rug (the bed gets done twice a year, but one of those is also on Vacuum under things day). And by the time I'd finished making the scene, tidying away afterwards and doing the usual basic housework, no vacuuming was achieved.

I consoled myself that I still had plenty of time to catch up, and it was a self-imposed tradition anyway so it could be done between new year and back to work.

But this morning, as I drank my morning cup of tea, my devious sneaky weasel-like brain suggested I finally make the miniature version of my sofa to add to the scene: something I've been vaguely wanting to do since I recreated my (now gone) dining room sideboard in miniature back in 2008, and especially after I saw Mitchymoo Miniatures' instructions for making a sofa back in 2011.

There were a few problems to start with. Mitchymoo Miniature's instructions suggest I use a garden kneeler to make the cushions. Which would be fine in normal times, but at the moment I don't think it's worth heading out into the world just to buy padding for a miniature sofa. I also thought I had some balsa wood that could be used for the frame but after much burrowing through boxes in the workshop, came up empty-handed. Once again, I could scuttle down the hill to Bunnings for supplies but it's not worth it.

The good news is I found a roll of foam stuff I'd bought for landscaping on my never-completed HBS Creatin' Contest 2015 entry, which I hoped would work for the cushions.

Luckily, Mitchymoo suggested foam board as an alternative for the sofa, and I knew I had some of that in the studio, as I picked up two packs of mat board and foam core offcuts from our local framing store last year. I just had to find the fabric I bought for just this project...

But first, I needed to measure the sofa. And this is where the depth of my brain's devious sneaky weaselness because clear. Because to measure the sofa, I needed to shift it out. And if it was out anyway, then I may as well vacuum under it, vacuum it and flip the cushions. And to move it out I needed to move the rug. So it made sense to just vacuum under there too...

So I vacuumed. And measured. And calculated. Made a pattern. And turned my fabric tub upside down (so much for tidying up the library!)

cut some bits out

and then noticed something strange about the backs of the offcuts.

Blow me down, they had adhesive backings: perfect for what I needed!

So I peeled enough back to stick the layers together, making sure that I kept one unpeeled on the top (or outside, for the arms),

then glued the pieces together, and measured and cut the squab pieces out of my roll of foam (flattening them under a pile of books to straighten them out after I was done).

While I waited for glue to dry and foam to flatten, I pulled out a selection of miniature 'sofa feet' I have tucked away to try and decide which will work best (I prefer the square ones as they are most similar to what I have, but they're too tall, so it may have to be the short domed ones. No need to decide just yet...)

Then I cut the fabric pieces to size, and pulled out the ironing board and iron and steamed the wrinkles out of the pieces,

before switching to my Clover mini iron to fuse the edges (alas I have no idea where my sheets of fusible webbing ended up in the shift, and again wasn't going to head out just to get some. Instead I remembered I has some dodgy IKEA stuff that I'd used to take up my curtains when I moved in and used that instead. Which was a pain in the butt, but free).

The double-sided tape situation was a bit dire as the only decent stuff I have on hand is 3 mm wide. So I got creative and used a mix of that, and glue to hold the edging down on top of it.

By this stage it was becoming clear that there wasn't going to be a completed sofa in my scene today, even if I stayed up until just before midnight to get it done (which I wasn't prepared to do as that would lead to dumb mistakes).

So in the spirit of Day 2, I'm going with the 'here's a photo of the accessories I've picked out for the Who lives here game (easy because it's me!) and I'll finish the rest some other day...' approach.

And now I have to go and put the lounge back together before I make dinner...

Day 27: surprises

Today was another of those days where the scene I ended up with wasn't anything like I thought it would be: but better.

It started, as usual, looking through the selection of images I'd pulled from my '27' search. This montage seemed the most hopeful, so I printed it out (along with a few other choices just in case, since I had the room on the piece of photo paper I was using).

In my frame drawer I found a frame that fitted perfectly. First step achieved!

Still with no real idea of where things were heading, I laid the framed image on my cutting map, and started going through my stash of unused items, looking for things that 'clicked', and, as always. collecting way more than I would end up using.

As usual, as I sorted through, a theme started to appear, between the time I noted that the blue and white teapot Miggs gave me on my last visit worded well colour-wise with the montage and when the framed Love me love my cat embroidery Judy Foster gave me quite some time ago jumped out at me.

It would seem that Grandma has a craft room.

Which is full of various mismatched furniture, often inherited from other parts of the house over the years, and treasures she's made or collected.

I'm particularly pleased that the $2 chair I bought from the 2016 NZAME convention decided it wanted to live here (as did the step I picked up for the same prices at the same time).

And the carpet? It's an anti-skid carpet square I picked up for $2.80 at Daiso, wondering if I'd ever use it but figuring for that price it would be better to have it just in case: again, I'm pretty pleased I finally used it.

Finally, after I took and edited al the photos of the room, I realised that the sewing table hid the contents of the shelving under the window, And if you're anything like me you enjoy poring over the details of other people's studios (even if they are imaginary!). So here's an unblocked view:

Boxing day

It's a big scene today: that kicked off with a cushion I made from a stenciled '26' I found on my Google wanderings and printed onto fabric.

What pleases me most about the scene is I managed to fit in a number of items that have been lurking in stash for rather a long time: my AG Minis loft windows. The spacies machine I bought in an op shop in Goulburn back in 2016 (with a new joystick). The acapulco chairs from Speckle and Haze (2018: not blogged). The Daiso trolley from my trip to New Zealand last Easter (ditto). And my IKEAesque storage drawers from Dollshous3bydesign around the same time (ditto ditto). And the San Francisco magnet was one of a couple attached to the side of my tambour when I moved desk several years ago: I kept it for six months in case the owner returned and then claimed it as abandoned, knowing that one day I'd work a scene around it,

 

There are also several gifts from blogging buddies that I managed to include (yay!)

And here's the $2.80 Daiso trolley, with the handle pulled off and a top made from a sample piece of perspex I picked up for free from Plastic Creations way back in 2010:

That's the thing about stash: it often takes a while for things to find the right scene...

Twenty five years

This scene was inspired by an image I found during my '25' search, of a record of 25 beloved carols of Christmas.

I pictured the sort of person who might own such a record, and decided that they would be quite old, and probably be the sort of person who might own both my maroon armchair, and also the beautiful oak table friend Miggs gave me on my last trip to New Zealand (an added twist: we were just video chatting, and she pointed out that she made the table 25 years ago, at a time in our lives when we flatted together. Which makes the chair the same age!)

And so yesterday I spent some time making the record cover, and to save paper when printing, added a few traditional Christmas cards and a box of Scorched Almonds (the sort of treat my chap would think appropriate for Christmas day...)

For a wee while I contemplated if it was my sailor from last year, and how much of a pain in the arse it would be to recreate that scene just to add the festive items for this year (too much, I decided).

So I realised that it was another elderly chap who lived alone.

The final pieces of the puzzle fell into place when I was perusing my stash for things to hang on the wall, and came across this double heart picture frame that came with a bag of treasure from our tip shop several years ago, and which I thought at the time I'd struggle to use.

And the name of the scene came to me.

He's a widower. Lives alone, and it's Christmas day.

What I'm not sure about is if the '25 years' refers to how long since his wife died, or how long they were married.

And, finally, speaking of twenty five years, here's me back then in our dining room. Miggs and I would often look at each other, ask if we planned to have anyone for dinner anytime that week, and if not, take the dining table over with our dolls' house projects.

And if you look carefully, you'll see the very same stereo system in the lounge of the dolls' house!

Day 24: Throwback Thursday

This serendipitous photo from the 2016 NZ Association of Miniature Enthusiasts' convention fits the bill for today nicely: 

It was a fun convention. You can read my posts about it here.

23rd of December

It's that time of the year when things are winding down, the end of the year and a summer break is squarely in sight for most people (if not already started!), and I've pulled up the drawbridge until all the madness is over.

So I figured today needed a serene pre-Christmas scene.

(With, of course, the now-mandatory number included...)

Catch 22

In a nice change from this time last year, it's been a lovely cool week: mainly because it's been overcast and/or raining for the past few days.

Which is brilliant for keeping the temperature down to a level I can cope with, and for keeping the plants alive, but not so good for getting my washing done and dried, or for good light for photographing miniature scenes.

Luckily I have a photo from the archives that I can use today, but not one that brings back good memories.

I was applying for a job I didn't want, with a manager whose behaviour I didn't like, but financially didn't feel I had much choice.

I got the job, and then made sure that I was financially no longer in that position (and, in fact, four years (and many transfers) later, quit and supported myself for around 9 months while I recovered).

Day twenty one

Chinese Ginsengs & Herbs co, Chinatown, Sydney 2018, from Urban Decay, an exhibition of miniature buildings created by artist Joshua Smith that I visited on a day trip to Sydney last year.

Four 'N Twenty pies

There's an iconic Australian pie brand called Four 'N Twenty: which was fortunate for today's scene.

Not that I've ever eaten one: or been to the footy, where they are usually eaten. Obviously I'm not a rooly trooly Aussie!

Day nineteen: and a day off...

I had all the plans in the world to produce a scene today around the concept of the book 1984.

But I'm feeling a wee bit flat and lacking in creativity, so instead here's a photo I took of a framed one-twelfth-scale plinth and work from the Call of the Small exhibition I curated for Craft ACT back in 2010:

and a link so you can read all about the exhibition, if you so desire. While I flop back on the sofa for an afternoon's magazine reading.

Explosive eighteen

It was last night that I started to realise the folly of my plan for this year's Daily Dolls' House December challenge: in previous years I could spend several days working on (and blogging) a scene, but this year I have to come up with something new every day, unless I have a photo I can recycle from a previous post.

I had a late night last night working on another project, and so a slow start to today.

Every time I reminded myself I had a scene to do, I gulped and pretended I hadn't heard myself: until just after 3 pm, when the nagging and the stress because too much and I decided to go with the lowest common denominator among the pictures I'd saved from some frenzied googling.

So with much inner encouragement ('Go on, slam something together and then it'll be done for the day and you can finally relax!'), I came up with a picnic for one, based on some scrapbooking paper I'd pulled out days ago, just in case,

and with a suitably trashy, but perfectly-themed, book.

(I just hope the 'explosive' doesn't refer to the after effects of eating cheese that may have been sitting out in the sun for too long!)

Seventeen magazine

 I discovered Seventeen magazine, and bought my very first issue (the very fat August 1979 'back to school' issue) for a whopping $2.50 (a fortnight's pocket money) back in December 1979 at the age of 13 and a half.

The fact I remember all this shows what an impact that purchase had on me (although had I not bought it, and cemented my love of magazines, I would have saved rather a lot of money since then!)

So it was pretty much a done deal that today's post would include a Seventeen magazine in some way. Originally I thought I might update my childhood bedroom to my early teens, but when I found a stash of very vintage covers, plans changed.

I narrowed the many choices down to a set of six, in red white and blue and with a theme of stripes, and then the rest of the scene came together quickly.

A rummage through the scrapbooking paper stash unearthed a piece of stripy paper I thought would work as a feature wall.

I added a Lundby sofa (last spotted back in 2018), a dead-stock perspex hall table (last used as a sneeze guard in Buzzbar Cafe) as a desk, and a desk chair from the 2016 NZAME convention (dodgy covering artfully disguised by a handknitted lace shawl!) 

Flowers in a jug from the local tip shop, and a stripy 'tissue box' bead complete the desk, which is set up for a bit of writing, both analogue and digital.

Sixteen candles

Today was one of those holiday days that rather got away from me, and it wasn't until after 5pm that I realised I needed to make the scene I had prepared for, or revert to the back-up plan I had tucked away from 2017.

So it's a wee bit rough and ready...

(especially if you look at it closely

or, indeed, from a distance!)

But, as the saying goes, done is better than perfect.

And is it just me that now has Depeche Mode stuck in their head?

15th of December

 The day, and the scene a year ago, that inspired this year's version of the Daily Dolls' House December challenge.

The fourteen day detox

 A quick one today after the two-day effort to complete yesterday's scene:

The thing I'm enjoying about this version of the challenge is that some days I have no idea what the scene will be, start to panic as I continue search google images for a leaping off point: but once I have it , things just fall into place.

Sunday afternoon at the beach house

 First Sunday of my break, and I'm thinking of holiday houses again. Travelling in my imagination is definitely much safer (and cheaper!) at the moment, and something I seem to do regularly at this time of the year.

And before you ask, yes, there is a 13 in the scene: in fact it was one of the things that inspired the whole thing, as I was propped up in bed yesterday morning searching through image search for suitable 13 inspiration.

The other piece of inspiration was a fashion picture in the January 2021 Australian marie claire (my special beginning-of-holiday treat to myself that I was reading in bed in between image searches).

I really liked the old-holiday-house by the beach vibe, and decided it was worth getting out of bed, showered, and dressed in order to head down to visit James at Victorian Dollhouses to buy some white wood french doors and windows to have a go at staining.

Which meant when I got home I headed down to my workshop to work on something for the first time since I moved in. Which was a bit of a milestone.

This morning I was up and out of bed bright and early to finish off the staining (and varnishing) and then made my biggest scene in a while. Which included a courtyard with a pergola which can be seen through my beautiful, completed french doors.

And a touch of artificial sun, as the studio in this flat faces the opposite direction to my one in my last flat, so I can't borrow the real thing without moving everything to the other side of the flat: which is just too much extra effort.

Apart from being pleased with how the doors came out, I'm also pleased that I've used a number of bits and pieces from stash that have been waiting to be used for a while.

For example: the rug covering the sofa is from MitchyMoo Miniatures (I used it last year as well...). Pieces in the bookcase came from Kitty and Kat Miniatures in our last swap, from my friend Miggs, and from Whirlwind Designs during my last visit to New Zealand. Kat also supplied the canoe and palm in the courtyard, and the dream catcher and elephant on the wall. The Mako my day artwork has been waiting patiently for a scene since I picked it up in Wanganui in 2016, the piece next to it from Rotorua on the same trip, The large floor vase and the palm tree posters were from various Canberra shows. The end table by the sofa is from an op shopping trip during last year's challenge, as is the fence in the courtyard. And the rug?  Dead stock from when I used to have a stall at miniature shows here and in Sydney.

And now I'm a wee bit exhausted. And already worrying about how I'm going to pull another scene out of my brain tomorrow, especially as my studio is in desperate need of a tidy-up after today's effort...