Another Shopping Basket!

I've been working on this little number for a few days now - glad I finally got it finished so thought I would share it with you.

Shopping basket give-away - winner!

Hey everyone - this morning I used a random number generator to pick a winner - and of course it got it all wrong!!  I wanted everyone to be a winner - but unfortunately this would keep me weaving forever so I will go with the numbers as picked!  I say "numbers" because I have added another little basket as a consolation prize!!
Anyway - enough of this!  Announce the winners!

First out of the hat (so to speak) was -

NORMA!!

Second was -

ANA!

(yours will be a surprise!)

Ladies, please message me with your postal addresses so I can get the baskets posted on Monday!!

CONGRATULATIONS to both of you and I look forward to doing this all over again soon!

Another Market Hall Update............

Well, it's finally on it's base and work has started on the cobbling.......still more to be done as can be seen!

This wall took me a few days solid work to complete but I'm happy with the results.

Another view - and you can see the area that still needs cobbling, plus the door to be inserted.

Back view - ground floor market, first floor guild hall, top floor library/office....
floor still to be stained as are the stairs.

View of market area showing "goal"

Other view of market area.

It was hard getting a shot of the fireplace!

There's something about Christmas!

With Christmas approaching, all those lovely Christmas lights are appearing on shop shelves, and this year more than ever before, many of the lights are LEDs.  They are diffused which makes them useful for dollshouse lighting, and they are relatively cheap which makes them even better for dollshouse lighting.

Big W in Australia (a bit like Walmart in the States) has a string of 20 lamps with battery box and switch for about $2 or if you like doing it yourself and pulling things apart, and getting them back together so they work which is the trickier bit,  you can get a string of 200 for about $20. This includes a transformer, which is rated at 22 volts - too high for normal dollshouse work.

This is what comes for $2. Note:  This is cool white

Now come the penalty clauses - you need to be selective. The best LEDs I have found are about 5mm diameter cylinders with dished tops (not domed like normal LEDs), which helps to diffuse the light. Go for warm white which gives a pleasant colour similar to a normal light bulb.

Picture on left shows dished bulb. 

Picture on right shows warm white and cool white.

Cool white has a bluish tint to it, which is OK if you want a fluorescent lamp look.  If the packaging just says white, you could end up with anything, but most likely cool white.

If you are pulling things to bits, LEDs are more sensitive than normal light bulbs and tend to die if connected incorrectly. They need a DC supply of the correct voltage (not 12 volts)  and they need to be connected the right way round - long lead to positive.

If you need more information on how to connect them successfully, fell free to contact me.

Oooops!! Re give-away comments!

Tail between my legs here - after a major brain fart!!
I deleted my comments list - and if you asked me how I managed that, I would have to say - easy!!
However, I did have a print-out of names - so you will end up in the draw.
Audra, Terefer, Eliana, Drora's minimundo, Kikka, CSPoppets, Teresa Martinez, Roelie, NarinaNapertas, Ultsu, Linda Carswell, Hilsu, Lataina, Elga, Rosamargarita, Jennifer Rydell, Catherine
See what happens when you're as computer literate as I am???
Apologies!!

Look what arrived today............and a thank you give-away!

The post finally brought my long awaited treasures all the way from the UK.  In May this year I met with Collin Bird while attending the Kensington Dollshouse Festival where I ordered these two beauties!  Their final destination will, of course, be in Indianna Jones' house.  I am so ecstatic - they are just unbelievably beautiful.

........and a thank you give-away!!

I can hardly believe that I actually made it to a 100 followers!  Wow.....thank you all so much for your support and kind comments.  So you better keep those comments coming as.............

 

....everyone who comments on this post will have their name in a draw for this basket.

I choose Friday 18 November as the closing date - short and sweet!!

Good luck everyone!

A walk through the bush........

And this was a very pleasant discovery indeed.  So pretty - and I didn't even have to plant it.  This is a native cymbidium orchid which I discovered close to our bush house.

A Quick Update!

Lots of work being done here - but lots more to go too!!

From this.......................................

To this took 2 days, working from 6.30 in the morning until it was time to feed people their evening meal!!  I get very focused!

I needed to get that wall finished and behind me - I think you will understand what I'm saying here!

Work continues............................

I just couldn't resist it!!

People by Kim Murdock.

Tudor Market Hall Update!

It has  taken me a while to get this far - but at last this side wall is finished - apart from inserting the painted window panes.

Tomorrow I move on to the back and finish the surrounds of the "jail" door.

That leaves the very large wall at the other end of this view to work on and finally all the cobbles underneath the building which will be the market place.

Still a lot of work to be done - but it is starting to look as if it might turn out "OK"!!

More baskets.........

I managed to complete a couple of baskets over the weekend - in amongst putting the Tudor market halls together.  Thought I would show them here!

A bike basket!

An old style shopping basket with mustard X trim and beads to match! 

Now I can go back to claying with a clear conscience!

Tudor Market Hall ......and Welcome!

Wecome!
Before I go another step further  -  I must welcome new followers to my blog.  Thank you for dropping by and I hope you stay awhile!

Tudor Market Hall
I was lucky enough to be able to acquire this Rik Pierce kit - and talk about a jigsaw puzzle - but it has been a heap of fun and hard work!!  I am making 2 - one for a friend and one for myself and I'm working on them in tandem so it has kept me very busy - like one on a mission!!  The mission being getting it finished as soon as possible.

The jigsaw puzzle!!

My friend Leif literally saved my life by assisting with the distressing of all the wood needed for both kits.  A lot of work there - but it kept him busy for most of a weekend!!

The internal walls clayed and lightly painted.  Further aging later!!

See?  I did my exercises on this day - I picked up the weights off the floor and placed them carefully on the table.  They really come in handy for holding things in place!

Here it is taking shape - albeit slowly!

Here the beams and floors have been added.

Now I can continue to clay the outside - brickwork on all external walls.
The roof can then be added and I will put it on it's base and work on cobbling the market area.  Still a fair amount of work to be done!

I'll keep you posted!

A Cane based shopping basket.........

I have spent the last few days having fun with this little number!  It has been made for a friend and will be travelling across the world to its new home.

Here it is poor thing - in all its nakedness!  I just thought you might like to see some of the process!

Below are pics of the basket finished!

View showing finished basket front on with the dominant Godseye!

Side on view of basket for an idea of the shape!

View of basket showing detail of  handle.









I get a whole lot of enjoyment making my baskets and I hope I won't bore you all to death with them!
I am working on a little tutorial for a hanging basket to put on this blog so you can have a go at making something simple.  A little more on that later.

A Pair of Picnic Baskets.....and some orchids for colour!

These picnic baskets have taken me soooo long to complete!

They are made using cane which I have cut down and sanded and then soaked to shape into the formers.  I have also used cane for the stakes and the weaving material is 2 ply waxed linen thread.

These two baskets are basically made on similar formers but have been shaped differently with the stakes!  I had fun doing them both.

I couldn't resist adding the orchids below - they are so pretty!  I hope you enjoy!

Yet Another Project - Tudor Market Hall

This past weekend I drove to the Gold Coast and back (800km) to deliver the second Venice Canal House that I completed recently.  This has opened the door to starting yet another venture in the shape of Rik Pierce's Tudor Market Hall.

These are the bits that hopefully will be transformed - soon!!  I will keep a little diary on progress!

Progress Report on Tanglewood

The Hot Rods came to town.....

The Drag-ens Hot Rod Club based in Chipping Norton, Sydney, NSW held their Show & Shine Spectacular in Nambucca Heads over the weekend.

More than 400 hot rods filled the main street of Nambucca on Saturday morning.

Every size, style and colour imaginable!
My all-time favourites are always the ones that have been faithfully restored rather than "rodded".

The rain held off just long enough for the show - and it has been raining steadily every since!

T

A Beautiful Visitor!

While we were out clearing and working - look who came to call.  He is a carpet python - wonderful for keeping the vermin under control and excellent for keeping other more viscious snakes away!

Isn't he gorgeous?!

Having a break tomorrow so it will be back to work on Tanglewood!  I look forward to that.

No Mini-ing today - but went back to nature!!

Today I took time off from working on ANY of my many projects.  Instead, I spent time in the garden where I found yet another lovely orchid in bloom.

These are native cymbidiums - so pretty!

Below are snaps of our 28 acres of rainforest with a shack on it.  We are in the process of clearing area around the structure so we can have extensions done and then move in.  Yet another project for us - just a change from working in 1:12th scale!!  But this too will be fun!

A lot of work to be done here!!  But it will be the perfect place to create miniatures......can't wait!