Craft show creativity

I know a number of people who attend the local Craft & Quilt Fair every year, but I've never been myself.

Until today, that is. Invited by a friend, I figured I'd go along, spend an hour or so there and wander back home.

How wrong was I? I arrived just after 10 am and left at 2.30 pm, bag bulging and mind reeling.

 I found many beads that would make great modern miniature light shades.

Each for prices measured in the 'X for $2' or 'X for $2.50' range.

(Good thing I managed to get out to Jaycar last week after the cluster lamp test, and explore the options for bulbs and power sources.)

These are, amazingly (in my mind at least) run off 1.5 volt AAA batteries.

I also found other miniature treasure tucked away here and there. The cloche base and cover were around $3 total. The Eiffel Tower charm, $1. The large plastic storage boxes, $1 each. And the bunting, window frame and telephone sign were part of the offerings from a company called Scrapmatts.

 I may have gone a little crazy there, but that's a story for another day...

The six minute scene

So, with it being the middle of winter and the light being crap and work being full-on I'm only really making scenes on the weekends.

But my acquisitions are backing up. And I'm feeling frustrated at my (perceived) lack of mini-time.

So I've been pondering the idea of (yet another) challenge: The six minute scene.

Let me explain: I grab inspiration from somewhere (my stash, something I've seen that day in real life, online or in a magazine.)

I have five minutes to create a scene. One minute to document it.

And that's it.

What do you think?

(Image from waaaaay back in 2008)

Dairy: done

It's a sunny winter Sunday afternoon. The studio's warm for the first time in weeks. And I've been trying to finish some stuff that's been hanging round on the work table for far too long.

This cardboard dairy, for instance. I've had the postcard it came from for years (possibly over a decade) and it's been sitting, half-finished, for months.

Now I just have to find the motivation to cut out and complete the bach and dunny from the same card...

Finally seeing the light

Sometimes it takes a while for me to get to things. Sometimes it takes so long, I've forgotten what my original inspiration was until I'm working on the project.

Today's experiment is a case in point. Many many months ago I picked up some IKEA battery lights at Trash and Treasure for $2, mainly for the shades that covered the bulbs:

 (Once I got home and tested the lights I discovered they were multi coloured. And flashed. The lights got passed on pretty quickly but the shades got stashed away)

I'd hoped that the shades fitted over the plain white IKEA Kallt lights I had, but no such luck. I was disappointed, as I'd hoped to experiment with making a set of cluster lights.

Today, as I was clearing space on my worktable to finish something (else) off that had been hanging round an embarrassingly long time, I rediscovered this set, bought at last year's Sydney show:

 and bingo! The shade fits over the bulb:

I plan to work on this idea further. I just need to finish that other thing off first.

(Oh, and the title of the post? Call of the Small was doing miniature cluster lights way back in July 2011)

Continuing tales of a yellow table

You'd think, after three rounds (and over a month) in the spotlight, that dratted yellow table would have had enough.

But no, it keeps calling to me with new ideas for scenes. And since I'm not sure I'm actually going to complete any of them, I figured it was time to do another inspiration round-up post.

Idea 4

I bought this card from Fiona Roderick at the June Handmade Market:

 and it made me think of a study belonging to an Ornithologist. Or perhaps a writer of books about birds. Or something.

The scene called for hessian-like walls. And some suitably bird-like accessories.

 And, at this stage, I think this idea could be a keeper.

(As an aside, I often trial my scenes sideways)

Idea 5

This one starts with a most unlike-me canvas that one of the assistants at Typo kept aside for me a while back. I walked into the shop and she said 'I'm glad you came in: I was about to write this off as it's been cut, but then I thought you could use it for a scene' So I bought it for $1.

 And thus the challenge was set. I think the yellow table could work quite well with the over-sized flowers on the canvas, but should the canvas be a wall...

 or the floor?

 (Perhaps it's time for Limited to have another makeover?)

I'll think a bit more and come back to this one...

Idea 6

I've been daydreaming about baches and holiday houses recently. I blame the book My Cool Shed, which I picked up cheap a while back (and the video I watched about Tove Jansson's life)

Then, this morning I watched a stop motion animation wedding video and spotted this:

 And suddenly thought 'I could make that! I've just been given some spare mat board bits and have some corrugated iron tucked away somewhere...' And, just like that, the bach shrank down to a garden shed concept with a desk for writing and a day bed for napping.

 Except, when I contacted the local dolls house shop to see if they had any pre-painted french doors, the answer was no and, since they were at a miniature railway show this weekend, going to buy the plain ones they did have would cost me $8 entry fee. So the shed-building was put off until next weekend (unless I decide to get very clever and make my own doors out of mat board, which may just happen)

The Shopping Sherpa skites (vlog test number 2)

I've mentioned the local Typo factory outlet a few times on my blog and have shared photos with my Facebook friends. This morning I ducked out there to pick up something I forgot to buy on yesterday's trip and decided it was time to share the sorts of treasures I find.

(For my overseas readers, Typo describes itself as a 'one stop concept store filled with supercool gift ideas, fashionable stationery, awesome room-bling and other irresistible products', and carries similar pieces to Modcloth)

These are old photos, but should give you an idea of the sort of things that can be found at the factory outlet:

The great thing about our local outlet is that it pulls the 'scratch and dent' stock in from shops throughout New South Wales. And regularly offers a 'fill a bag for $5' on these pieces. I'm very good at packing...

(I'm not so good at getting round to using things I find. Or making sure my head remains in frame. But that's why it's a test, isn't it?)

... in which Wendy is heard to say '1:15th? My arse it's 1:15th'

There was much excitement 'round these parts when it was announced that IKEA were creating a set of dolls house furniture including some of their classic pieces.

I facebooked IKEA last weekend to see when they'd be in stock in Australia and discovered they already were. And, luckily, a friend was in Sydney and planning a trip there.

So you can imagine my excitement when she dropped them over tonight. And the look on my face when I realised they're not 1:15 at all:

 (Wendy, in the land of giants...)

Having done some maths, it seems that they are 1:7.76 scale. Or thereabouts.

Anyone want to buy some (almost) Barbie-scale IKEA furniture? Silly me, ordered three sets based on the information I'd read,,,

Buzz Bar (Yellow table part 3A)

After making brunch, I decided to continue work on the cafe I started tinkering with this morning.

The first step was moving it across the room as it was feeling very cramped set up in the spot I usually use for making scenes. This gave me the opportunity to put flooring down and wall coverings up.

The left side of the build is still very much a work in progress, using a counter and table from my collection, wrapped in paper (I'd planned, at the very least to laminate the paper but forgot. And as the build continued I started to think the coffee bean paper is probably a mistake and should be replaced with some black corrugated card instead.)

I'm really enjoying being able to stretch out with the length of this space. And am ignoring the fact I haven't got the skirting boards in yet!

The menu I printed off the internet looks much better against the black walls and I like the shelving I've added along the wall underneath which is used as a juice station.

And the sneeze guard? One of my clear perspex hall tables turned on its side. Genius (If I say so myself).

An up-to-date toilet facility is through the door at the rear (which is currently without a door handle: whoops!)

 The right side of the cafe hasn't changed much since this morning's mock up. I plan to change the table legs and buy some black plastic shot glasses (like these) to use as stools, but these will do in the meantime. The feature wall is a design by local artist Kate Ward.

Doesn't it look like a nice relaxing spot to have a break from shopping

(or catch up on some work)? 

Outside I've created a scene using some street art I photographed in Braddon, not far from where one of my inspiration cafes is. Can you see it through the window?

Finally, here's the whole scene set up on my work bench. I think I'll leave it there for a while and tinker with it.

Creating a cafe (Yellow table part 3)

The recipe:

1. Take one yellow table,

one pinch of colour inspiration from lunch at The Blackbird Cafe in Sydney and one pinch of colour and layout inspiration from a recent breakfast at Lonsdale Street Roasters.

2. Mix gently and let settle for several weeks.

3. Add one day off, several coasters and stand-in pieces,

some temporary cardboard test walls,

a few random test accessories (and one eBay buying frenzy for glasses and cups, which is quite ridiculous as it will be several weeks before the package arrives and I want this completed NOW!)

 plus some temporary printouts of ideas for the walls.

4. And it looks like the beginnings of a recipe for success...

For Ysé

 A closeup of the top of the Crailsheimer box that came with my vintage German haul:

and the number on the side:

I'd had such huge plans to make a pile of scenes this weekend but I've had an exhausting week and instead spent all yesterday in bed reading design books and will be spending today cleaning the (full sized) house so it looks like someone cares lives here.

So....what was in the cupboard?

 Three pots of flowers!

And now I need to start on Yellow table three. And, possibly, four and five...

Testing, testing, testing...

A large carton of vintage German furniture I bought off eBay arrived yesterday morning.

My friend Kaet has been telling me I should start vlogging.

And Rebecca was keen to (virtually) share the opening of the carton.

And so I bring you TSS vlog test #1: Vintage German furniture unboxing:

(I didn't expect it to be so long. Perhaps I should rename it 'The Shopping Sherpa's Miniature Home'?)