Thursday, December 31, 2015

Behind the scenes

Yesterday's christmas-themed scene started while I was editing the February issue of The tiny Times, which is themed 'For the love of miniatures'.

Although the submission deadline isn't until February 10, I know that it's always a bit of a struggle filling the February issue as people are more focused on end-of-year festivities that on writing about what their club and they have been working on recently.

So I figured it might be a good idea to have a couple of scenes ready to fill space, just in case (and besides, it's been two years since any of my miniature work has been published in the magazine!)

At this stage of the editing process I often have a temporary picture for the front cover of the issue: one that would be perfectly adequate if nothing is submitted that would work better, For this issue I decided that my Lucky Dip scene from April would do the job nicely: and if it ended up being the final cover, I could include a DIY project for making the dipped vases.
Front cover of the February 2016 issue of The tiny Times magazine.
I remembered last year's never-completed lounge for Seaside Shack, with its wall of heart art, and made a note to finish it off and photograph it just in case.

But before I got to that I noticed the pile of Lundby dolls' house furniture sets I'd been given, sitting on my spare office chair waiting for me to use them. Including the Småland Red LivingRoom Set (60.2081).
Box for a Lundby dolls' house living room set 60.2081
And it seemed like the perfect time to finally work some of the (3/4" scale) Lundby pieces into my usual (1/12" scale) scenes.
Contents of a Lundby dolls' house living room set 60.2081
From this set I chose the picture (of course) and the books (I always need more books). I want to try using the tables in a future scene as wall display shelves, so I put them aside. The sofa and cushion were also put aside as I'm not sure how I'll use them yet...
Modern dolls' house miniature Lundby love picture, round white rug and two books.
Also in the pile was a Småland White Bed (60.2062), given to me by a friend and set aside until I had a scene to use the heart-shaped cushions in.
Lundby dolls' house bedroom set 60.2062, in original packaging.
Modern dolls' house miniature Lundby love picture, round white rug, two books and two heart-shaped cushions.
I shopped the stash for other items that might work, including a christmas tree that's been loitering for ages and that I have no memory of acquiring, some scrapbooking paper given to me in a swap from my friend Sandra, and a Tiffany & Co bag from a swap with Phillip Nuveen, which picked up the teal in the love picture.
Selection of modern miniature dolls' house accessories in shades of pink, green and white.
By this stage I was feeling quite uncomfortable, partly because it's been almost two months since I've made a scene and partly because the whole feel of what I'm putting together is so not my usual style...

Then, just to add the discomfort, I decided that this would be the perfect scene to finally try and make a bath sofa for. I've only been wanting to make one in miniature for 20 years, since I used to sit in one at our local after-work drinking spot in Wellington.

Luckily, I have a couple of Chrysnbon bathroom kits set aside for just such an occasion.
Chrysnbon dolls' house miniature bathroom furniture kit F-230, with miniature bath held up in front.
Initially, I was trying to work out how to cut a curved line out of the front of it, but after some googling of pictures of bath sofas, I decided that it would be easier all round if I just cut straight across the front.

So, secure in the knowledge that I had a spare if I completely wrecked my first attempt, I attached a length of masking tape where I wanted to make the cut, drew a guide line onto it, help my breath and turned on the scroll saw.

And all was well!
Chrysnbon dolls' house miniature bath, with front cut off to make it into a sofa.
In the end I was a bit over the whole thing. There are a couple of things I should have tweaked, but all in all I'm happy with the results of my experiments: I discovered that Lundby works well in 1/12 scale (there are actually five Lundby items in the final scene), and I now have a miniature bath sofa, which crosses one more thing off my mini wish list!
Modern miniature dolls house scene with a Christmas tree, bathtub sofa and a 'love' picture on the wall and matching heart-shaped cushion on the sofa.

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Missing: mini mojo

Alas I seem to have peaked too early and my brain has gone into Christmas close-down mode (which is a little odd, as I don't do Christmas.)

The most I've achieved miniature-wise this week is convincing a friend who is in town for work that she doesn't want to take her hotel toiletries home for her Mum, but give them to me to make silver pots out of:
Four hotel toiletry bottles with shiny silver-coloured caps lined up on a desk.
(Perhaps part of the reason for the lack of mini mojo is that I cleared my HBS Creatin' Contest build off the dining table to make room to entertain said friend?)

Friday, December 04, 2015

Where did the week go?

Suddenly it's Friday: which means that I gave my public programme at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery today.

Lorraine from Fairy Meadow Miniatures brought me flowers of the best kind:
Woman in an art gallery holding a gift wrapped in paper printed with flowers.
 printed on paper
Hands holding a gift wrapped in paper printed with flowers.
 and wrapped around a miniature shed!
An unwrapped gift containing a dolls' house miniature shed.
(Which will be perfect between the back windows of my HBS Creating Contest build, to 'mask the noise leakage' between the studios, but really to hide the wiring stuff...)

And I completely fell down in the good-blogger stakes and forgot to take any photos, or ask any of my friends who attended to do so for me. So the only photo I have of the presentation is from the gallery's Facebook page...

Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Goulburn goodies

While I was in Goulburn on Friday, I made sure to visit Dimmey's, my favourite discount store there (I'm not linking to their website because they have an annoying auto-play ad which you can't stop).

I spent some time trawling through this large display of 49-cent placemats
Shelves full of placemats in a discount store.
and came away with a good number that I plan to use as flooring, wall covering and for screens.
Selection of placemants in black and white and gold.
Also new in the stash are these laser-cut beams for my HBS Creatin' Contest build pergola (thanks to JWT Dollshouses and Miniatures for the fabulous and speedy service).
Four laser-cut wooden beams laid out on the invoice.
 Speaking of the HBS Creatin' Contest build, I'm planning the front and staring more closely on the windows in my real house than I ever have, to see how they're made...
Reading glasses, metal ruler, calculator, pen and bowl of pasta on top of a piece of paper with a plan for a wall with windows.
And there's been lots and lots (and lots) of undercoating over the past week.

#HBSCreatinContest2015 

Monday, November 30, 2015

What's in the toybox? exhibition: video walkthrough

As promised, for those of you who can't make it in person:
(There is another work in the exhibition which I was asked not to photograph, for copyright reasons. Which was sad, as it was one of my favourites. But thanks to the power of the interwebs, you can see Kendal Murray's Produce Goose, On The Loose here, and more of her work here.)

And if you'd like to view the whole of the short film The traveller by Anna Glynn, you can do so here.
_________________________________________________________________________

27 November - 24 December 2015
An exhibition of works particularly for children but also suitable for adults in need of a little nostalgia in the lead up to Christmas.  From original book illustrations to colourful sculptures and hand-made wooden toys by local Goulburn Woodworkers, there's something  in the toybox to delight everybody.
Civic Centre, Bourke Street
Goulburn N.S.W.
Tel. 02 4823 4503

Open Monday - Friday 10 am – 5 pm,   Saturday 1 pm – 4 pm  (Closed Sunday and Public Holidays)

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Bloody exhausted

I've been to Goulburn Regional Art Gallery three times in the last three days. That's a 177 km (110 mile) round trip each time (probably more, if you take the train as I did yesterday).
Wall sign in a gallery that reads 'Imagine how small the humans must be to live in such a tiny place'.
 I even dressed up for the opening!
Woman in a gallery, holding  a glass of wine next to an exhibit and showing the tails on her coat.
Man looking at a miniature scene exhibited in a gallery.
Four-story dolls' house, on display in a gallery.
Miniature clay figure and dog, looking at a window space in a gallery exhibition.
Miniature clay figure, building a dog house out of bricks in a gallery, with a dog looking on.
But now I'm a little bit stuffed, and a little bit grumpy, as my phone doesn't seem to want to save the photos I think I've taken.

So I'll probably spend tomorrow's digital sabbath in bed, and tell you more about the opening and the exhibition on Monday...
_________________________________________________________________________
27 November - 24 December 2015
An exhibition of works particularly for children but also suitable for adults in need of a little nostalgia in the lead up to Christmas.  From original book illustrations to colourful sculptures and hand-made wooden toys by local Goulburn Woodworkers, there's something  in the toybox to delight everybody.
Civic Centre, Bourke Street
Goulburn N.S.W.
Tel. 02 4823 4503

Open Monday - Friday 10 am – 5 pm,   Saturday 1 pm – 4 pm  (Closed Sunday and Public Holidays)

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Bloody exhibitionist...

Woman standing next to a display caseWoman standing next to a display case in a gallery with two 1/12 scale miniature scenes in it" one a cafe, and one a holiday cottage. with two 1/12 scale miniature scenes in it" one a cafe, and one a holiday cottage.
 Yep, that's me. Posing next to my completed builds at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, in readiness for tomorrow night's opening of the What's in the toybox? exhibition.

But here's where it all started two and a half hours earlier, when I arrived after a one-hour drive from Canberra:
Table in a gallery in front of an empty display case. On the table are various cardboard walls and floors of miniature scenes.
I'd dropped my 'work*' off last Friday and knew at the time that I'd need to make another trip to put it all together before the opening.

Lovely Goulburn Regional Art Gallery had my plinth and perspex case in place, a table ready for me to work on, and...
View across a gallery during install, showing a table with a miniature scene being put together and various artworks in the background, mounted or still in packaging.
 AFTERNOON TEA!
A mug of tea and a plate of cakes and biscuits on a table with tools for a gallery install, including rubber gloves, a tape measure, an extension cord and something wrapped in bubble wrap marked 'fragile'.
(That was a bit special and unexpected. I now want to be in every exhibition they mount.)

At 3 pm I was a bit worried.
Various walls and floor of a miniature room, laid flat on a table in  a gallery, in front of an empty display cabinet.
Woman peering worriedly over the walls of a miniature scene.
 But soon was on a roll, recreating a version of something I'd made two years ago.
Woman posing happily in front of an empty dolls' house miniature cafe scene set up.
Here are some progress shots (because, even as a blogger on a deadline, you need to stop and take photographs, don't you?)
Woman in a gallery during install, marking something with a pencil on  a table in the middle of the gallery.
Woman in a gallery during install, pulling book tape of a roll  in the middle of the gallery.
 Tucked in my corner, things started to come together,
Dolls' house miniature scene on a table in a gallery during install, with gallery staff talking in the background.
Two dolls' house miniature scenes, being built on  a table in a gallery during install.
 while the gallery staff finished other parts of the exhibition in the background.
Dolls' house miniature scene, being built on  a table in a gallery during install. In the background, two gallery staff discuss placement of signage on the wall.
And then, just on closing time, I was done.
Modern dolls' house miniature cafe.
Woman peering through the door to the toilet in a modern dolls' house miniature cafe.
(And the lovely staff stayed five minutes late to help me load the pieces into my display case.)

(* Because it was my work, but it was a kitset work, not a completed work at that stage.)
_________________________________________________________________________

27 November - 24 December 2015
An exhibition of works particularly for children but also suitable for adults in need of a little nostalgia in the lead up to Christmas.  From original book illustrations to colourful sculptures and hand-made wooden toys by local Goulburn Woodworkers, there's something  in the toybox to delight everybody.
Civic Centre, Bourke Street
Goulburn N.S.W.
Tel. 02 4823 4503

Open Monday - Friday 10 am – 5 pm,   Saturday 1 pm – 4 pm  (Closed Sunday and Public Holidays)

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

More good mail

Just as I was starting to think that today's blog post would involve pictures of paint drying (and how exciting is that?), I checked the mail and found a package from Kitty and Kat Miniatures waiting for me. (How lucky am I? It's the second good mail day I've had in less than a week...)
Selection of small scrapbooking paper pages, miniature books and a wrapped parcel peeking out of a bubble bag.
The package was full of  goodness: some small scrapbooking sheets,
Selection of small scrapbooking paper pages and dolls' house miniature books, tinsel, pottery and accessories with a note on a table.
a selection of design books (made by Kat),
Selection of five modern dolls' house miniature books on design, one of which is being held between a finger and a thumb.
 a tiny gnome figure,
Tiny dolls' house miniature gnome ornament, being held between a finger and a thumb.
 and some lovely blue pottery.
Two pieces of dolls' house miniature pottery with blue glaze.
Also included were two packages of tinsel (also made by Kat), a magnifying glass, a letter A for my collection and a thumbtack wall piece.

Thanks Kat! I can't wait until I have the time and head space to start making scenes again so I can use some of these...

Monday, November 23, 2015

Porch post

After the weekend's trip to see Ann from Victorian Dollhouses, and extra roof beams ordered cut and in the mail to me (thanks to the amazing Karen at JWT Dollshouses and Miniatures), things are definitely looking up on my HBS Creatin' Contest build..
Dry fit of a dolls' house shed kit, with stained weatherboarding taped to the sides and pergola posts and struts taped in place.
 So much so that I ventured into the next step: building the pergolas for the sides.
Dry fit of a dolls' house shed kit, with stained weatherboarding taped to the sides and pergola posts and struts taped in place.
 The first trial is bodged together with bits from the kit that I don't think I'll be using, just to get an idea of size.
Dry fit of a dolls' house shed kit, with perspex and weatherboarding taped to the front and pergola posts and struts taped to the sides.
Ideally, I think the pergolas should be double the width, so my writers can sit outside when it's raining without getting wet, and even move their desk onto it on fine days, if they feel like a change of scene.*
Dry fit of a dolls' house shed kit, with stained weatherboarding taped in place and white sliding door frames fitted.
I also cut down the centre wall to fit and was most chuffed to find that my dodgy cutting isn't so obvious when the wall's in place.
Inside rear view of a dry fit of a dolls' house shed kit, with a central wall installed.
Inside front view of a dry fit of a dolls' house shed kit, with a central wall installed.
Speaking of chuffed, I returned from my weekly digital sabbath to find this in my inbox:
Etsy notice celebrating the first sale in my shop.
(*While looking at this picture of the sliding door frame installed without the doors, I suddenly saw a future version of the build with the pergolas covered in and turned into a tiny bathroom and kitchenette area. Oh dear. I'd better forget that idea as quickly as I thought of it...)

#HBSCreatinContest2015