Friday finds

Pay week. Friday. There was only one thing for it: head to see what was new (and cheap) at Typo!

I picked up a scrapbooking paper pack ($5) and magnetic photo frame ($2.50). I'm very tempted to go back and buy some more frames tomorrow, turn them into notice boards and sell them at the two miniature shows I'm hoping to have stalls at this year...

Unfinished

It was the sort of weekend where I went in with good intentions but spent most of it not really doing anything at all (except trying to catch up on much needed sleep. And, somehow, devouring the entirety of Downton Abbey season one in one sitting)

 

This scene-in-progress has been waiting for attention since Friday: it's loosely inspired by a picture blogged by Pia Jane Bijkerk quite a while back.

Except her scene is all very wintery and mine was supposed to be all rather summery. I thought the (as yet unused)  bed I bought at the Sydney show would be a perfect start, and planned to add light vintage summer sheets made from an old lace-edged hanky I had tucked away.

 

But do you think I could find it? Alas, no (and there's a chance I could have taken it to our work art group along with my other old lace bits and it was used by someone else). And so the empty bed remains waiting for me to come up with a Plan B (or just put it away).

 

The plastic sheep "footstool" arrived with a set of toy eggs I bought from Trash and Treasure for a friend. I don't have the heart to shift him yet.

A quick scene

I'm hot. And tired. And grumpy. And have been fighting off a headache for two days. Not the most creative of circumstances, really.

But I challenged myself to make a quick scene in lovely cool colours in the hope it would make me feel cooler (it didn't).

This scene was built around the globe. Which I spotted, attached to a necklace, on a rack of half price items at the department store across the road. 

A mini globe for $7.50? I can live with that...

Guerrilla dining

Every few months, when they're between exhibitions, the owners of the Editions Gallery organise a guerrilla dining event in the gallery.

 (Recognise the third revamp of this workbench?)

(Thanks to Shreeya for inspiring today's scene)

Editions

A new gallery just opened in town.

(Owned by the same folk who own Limited)

(Credits: Chair by In the Twelfth Scale, vintage table from eBay, rug made by me. 'Art' made from some bits found in a $2 bag of plastic toys from the op shop. Spray painted silver and black.)

Room with a view

I bought a new window from the dolls house shop last weekend and spent some time yesterday microwaving it and pulling off all the zhushy bits before undercoating it.

 You see, I'm after a more industrial look and I think this hacked version fits the bill rather nicely.

The view out the window is a shot of Grafton Gully in Auckland from Urbis magazine issue 69. And the frosted effect on the glass is the bottom of a packet of Buzz Bars that I've had tucked away just in case (the empty packet, not the Buzz Bars!), so it's a very Kiwi space.

I originally planned to paint the window matte black but now I'm not so sure...

(Perhaps I need to head back and buy a second one?)

Sweltering

Summer's definitely here. Today's forecast is for a top of 39 degrees (102.2 for my American readers) and it's already 29 (84.2).

So I made myself a cool, breezy garden corner to hang out in.

(Pity I don't have one of these in real life.

When the heat gets too much I head across the road to the beer fridge in the liquor store to cool down...)

I called this scene 'waiting'

But what for?

Is it an upmarket real estate agents? A hotel lobby? Or, maybe, a cosmetic surgery clinic?

Treasures from Typo

Back at work today after the summer break, and fortunate to have the use of a friend's basement car park (our current parking arrangements have my usual car park a good 10 minute walk away).

Which meant only one thing: a long lunch break, spent somewhere that I usually couldn't get to,

I chose the Typo factory outlet store, something I discovered late last year on a rare trip to DFO. Typo is one of my favorite stationery haunts and cheap Typo is a dream come true.

Today's haul: two sets of fridge magnets and two sets of laser cut plywood pieces. At $2 a set:

Enough inspiration for many scenes to come.

It wasn't until I got back to work that my poor wee brain started working properly and suggested I should have bought an extra set of the ones that they had a lot of. For a giveaway.

So, assuming that when I get back to Typo in the next day or so they still have extras, I'll give the first three sets away.

If you're interested, leave a comment telling me which set you'd like:

• The French set
• The love set
• The cloud set
• (Sorry, they only had one of the black and white set)

I'll draw the winners on Sunday night (Australian time). And will post anywhere in the world.

EDITED TO ADD: This giveaway is now closed: I bought enough sets to give all entrants the set(s) they wanted, so you're all winners! (If I don't have your postal address, please email it to me)

The Modern Miniatures FLICKR group gains its 1,000th member!

So I made a mosaic to celebrate:

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

1. Limited, 2. It's A Mini Christmas!, 3. In the mood for Christmas, 4. Another view of the kitchen, 5. Untitled, 6. Vintage Meets Modern, 7. creatin contest 2012 020, 8. PC040082cropped, 9. miniature bedroom, 10. 1/6 studio, 11. Quilted platform bed with Island collection, 12. Lately in the kitchen..., 13. Contemporary Ranch, 14. Kitchen Chaos, 2012, 15. A glamorous setting!, 16. Grab a Seat!, 17. Untitled, 18. modern diorama, 19. casa-053, 20. OOAK Diorama Shabby Roses (8), 21. New headboard 005, 22. MY Earliest Customs, 23. Group pics, 24. the desk lamp, 25. Tan Linen Sofa 4

For a limited time

Welcome to Limited: a new pop up shop of treasures, with stock changing completely every three months.

See something you love? Buy it now: most of our items are one of a kind vintage pieces and once they're gone, they're gone.

(We also have generous layby terms: ask our staff for details.)

(Details, as much as I can remember, on FLICKR)

Mini markets

 After yesterday's second hand success, this morning I was up bright and early and heading for the Trash and Treasure markets to see if I could continue my luck.

I came away with a set of six.... errr.... somethings which could be used as table bases ($5). A set of six large wooden trays (or small wooden coasters, depending on how you look at them) ($6). And, just as I left, I spotted a chap selling a selection of letters from cars ($1 each) who seemed amazed that I was buying them for my dolls house. He also had a limited sign ($5),

which I decided would be the perfect name for the pop up shop that the Starlight scene seems to have decided to morph into (still a work in progress):

(It was supposed to be a 2602 dinner party scene. Then a cafe. Maybe it will finally decide to become a cafe with a pop up shop. Now where do you think I'll find enough matching table bases and tops to use.... ;-) )

Op shop adventures

 I popped into the op shop today with my 'mini eyes' in, spent $15, and came out with this:

The coasters will be turned upside down and used as table tops. The napkin rings will be used as coffee table bases.
 
The bag of perspex bits (I have no idea what they might have been originally) will also become coffee table bases.

Or maybe modern art.
 
I'm particularly pleased with this set:

 The napkin rings can, once again, become coffee table bases. Or side tables. Or modern art. And the holder would make a great display coffee table if covered with a piece of perspex.

And when I get bored with that idea, I can screw the legs off and use them to make a cool modern sofa. Or bed. Or something...

(then take it off again)

I must admit, even though the sticker refill in my Xyron 250 said 'repositionable', I was a little concerned that I would be left with a mess of a desk when I tried taking the bird decal off.

As you can see, there was no need to worry.

Of course I'm now wanting to try the permanent refill to see if the sticker is less cloudy...

...put a bird on it*

Still looking for the table for the Starlight scene, I came across one of the perspex tables I had made for the May Sydney Show. And a piece of scrapbooking acetate I picked up months ago.

In a flash of brilliance, I ran a length of the acetate through my Xyron 250 sticker machine (upside down) and stuck it to the bottom of the table.

It reminds me of a cross between Jodie Cunningham's work for Call of the Small, and the IKEA Vika Glasholm table.

(It was only after I took the photo that I realised one of the feet is missing from my chair. It's that sort of day...)

(*In case you don't get the reference)

Starlight: a scene in progress

The inspiration:

Last month, at the Handmade market, I picked up a Newcastle Productions fridge magnet of the old Starlight drive in cinema sign (which used to live just a couple of kilometres up the road from me):

The intention:

To use up some of the pieces languishing in my 'new* bits to be used soon' drawers...

I begin picking out pieces that I think work with the colours of the magnet. At this stage I have no idea what the finished scene will be of, but the first two pieces out make me think of yet another studio scene (which is quite apt for 2602, the postcode in which the sign lived. And I live. And many other artists and creative people live.)

I keep digging:

And somewhere along the line the idea of a dining room emerges...

(Perhaps I could finally use the CB2 chairs I was sent by Claudia last year?)

The implementation:

Still playing, I start with the basics

then get sidetracked while hunting for my wooden dining table: perhaps it would be more 2602 to have a range of mismatched black chairs instead?

Still hunting, I come across two vintage armchairs. Perhaps I'm really making a cafe?

The interruption:

An hour after I start, I still don't know where my wooden dining table is (serves me right for not visiting the stash cupboard for six months!)

I give up for now, after finding the matching shelving until and arranging a few of the pieces I picked out in it.

(*Which are, for the most case, not very new at all anymore...)

Boxing Day breakfast

It may be a chilly grey summer's day in reality, but I can pretend I'm having Boxing Day breakfast at a lovely holiday house down the coast, can't I?

 This scene was inspired by the glass Greek fridge magnet given to me by a friend who was having a clear out.

(Details on FLICKR)

Out of practice

I thought today would be a good day to dip my toe back into the mini water.

Alas I hadn't realised how out of practice I've become. :-(

(The details:
Flooring: back of a vintage scrabble board. Wall: paiinted placemat.
Table: AG Minis sofa on its side. Chairs: from a set of plastic shot glasses I picked up at an op shop for $1. Lamp: AG Minis (upside down). Star garland: made from black cotton and silver stickers. Modern 'Christmas tree': top of a L'eau D'issey perfume bottle. Tray: Rement paint box lid. Jug, glasses and metal bowl: various shows)

Guess that means I'll be getting back into minis again, then...

I've just been offered a rooly trooly book deal. With a rooly trooly publisher (none of this self-publish nonsense*). And a rooly trooly advance**.

Am still in shock, as the possibility only came to light 74 hours ago.

Alas I suspect a lot of what I'm doing over the next three months mini-wise will be a wee bit secret squirrel, but I promise to share what I can.

(*Not that I'm meaning to put down self publishing. I think it's great)
(** Before you ask, not enough to quit my job and live the life of a disheveled writer)

(Sorry about the random non-miniatury photo: my first pair of reading glasses arrived yesterday and I was practicing looking all writerly)

How much do I love the 21st century?

See this plastic plant pot?

I made it. Not using a 3D printer, but with my own two hands and some Plastimake supplied by a workmate.

It's a bit rough but it was my first try at using this fabulous modelling compound which you soften with hot water then mould into shape before letting air dry*.

Our workplace art group is playing with it more on Thursday. I'l be sure to show you what other miniature uses I think up for it...

(*Even better, if you're not happy with the end result, just dunk it back into the hot water and use again for something else!)