Some new stuff........

......so new that I haven't even written the notes up!!  On new and more complicated items, I always work on what I call my "proto-type" and then I can get down to the nitty-gritty of counting rows and stakes!!  So here we go.........

This is a little hedgehog house - and I can hardly wait
because I have asked Annie Willis to make me a
hedgehog to inhabit it.  Well, maybe not in this one, but certainly in the next one I make.

I'm still working on the fine details - but I don't think
it's too bad for a first attempt.

I found a pic of a real size one on the internet and
thought it would be cool to make one.

A little rocking cradle.  I sized this one to hold Allie Beans little belly button babies and the design came out of my head!

As a proto-type I find that I need to make it just 2mm larger all round to give the baby just a tad more room once in it.

A new technique mastered while making this too!  I
used a 3 x 2 plaited border and am tickled pink with the result.  As you may (or may not) know, I do not glue borders on to my work.  All my borders are worked as in RL baskets (and I won't go into the details of how here) so I'm very pleased that I managed to master this one!!  I've been working on it long enough!

Back view

And that's my post for today.  Tomorrow - weather permitting, I will do the photography on the internals of the fisherman's cottage.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  Take care and mini hugs to you all.

My Fisherman's Cottage......

.....some of you may not have seen this before, so I thought I would share some pics with you.  Again, this was a Rik Pierce kit - the witches cottage.  But I prefer to do my own thing as a whole, and this is what I turned mine into.  Hope you enjoy!!

I added some fisherman's stuff too!!

I am currently multi-tasking - working on yet another paperclay project - and designing my wicker rocking cradle and a wicker hedgehog's home.  When these are finished I will have some show and tell!!

I hope you are all well and mini-ing hard out there in blog-land!  Whatever you are doing, have fun doing it!

The Great Mini Get-Together.........

.......and what a wonderful day it was!  Susan (minichrochetmad) and Sandra (Snippets from my Studio) called in for a cup of tea - lots of show and tell - and an exchange of gifts along the way.  And what a beautiful day it was too - sunny, warm - just perfect.

Little Belly Button Baby dressed in one of Susan's gorgeous outfits!  Isn't she the cutest?

Trying to show some of the detail - but it is so difficult to do justice to this lovely piece.

And here she is in her little moses basket, cuddling her teddy (also made by Susan)









And there is more!!

This layette is stunning - the petticoat which is worked into the garment is as gorgeous as the outer skirt.  The dress measures 52mm long, the bootees are 8mm long, the bonnet is 17mm x 18mm and the knickers are 18mm wide.

How do you do it Susan!









Get-togethers with fellow miniaturists are rare in our part of the world - I wish it could happen more often.  So it is indeed very special when we get the opportunity to talk minis.

Sandra's show and tell was her quarter scale house that she is working on - and I could kick myself because I didn't get my camera to take some pics.  The  quarter scale furniture she is putting together is also amazing - I would never have the patience!

Back at work again......

Now that the mad preparations for the show are all behind me, I can get back to doing what I love best......making baskets.

Here are a few I've just made...........

A  market basket

A stack of hampers

Square storage boxes

Left - worked with beads and a bound border

Right - finished with a commercial border and follow-on trac

I'm currentlly working on designs for a rocking cradle, a lidded shopping trolley to name a couple - and I'm so enjoying myself!  I haven't had a lot of time for designing new stuff for the last 6 months and it's so good to have the freedom to do that again

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

The Sydney Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair......

.....and I can hardly believe it's over for another year!  The whole weekend seems a blur now, so yes - it was very busy for us and me, myself, personally had an absolute blast - meeting old friends, making new ones and prowling the stalls whenever I could get away from our sales table.

Traders busily setting up in between hounding other traders for the pick of their crop!!

Peter is always my "patsy" as far as photo's are concerned!!  Here he is at our stand!!

Plants by Diane Cottrell - she has a large order to fulfill for my Venice Canal House rooftop garden!

Some Kim Murdock magic.  She also has a large order to get ready for me.  She's making Ezio for the Canal House as well as some other characters for Indianna Jones' house!  I'm very lucky!











I'm afraid photos are very limited - I didn't have Jessica with me this time - she was at home, sick with suspected whooping cough - so my photographer was missing in action!

As you can see from the photos - the show is not "huge" when compared to the likes of Miniatura or Kensington - but it is the largest in Australia.  It is held at Olympic Park in Sydney on the first weekend of May each year - the venue is great and parking is free.  There are also several miniature shows throughout the year held in other capital cities.

The dollshouse and miniatures hobby suffers badly in Australia because we don't have serious winters to keep us indoors for half a year!!

And that's it for another year!  I have come home armed and ready to work hard for another year!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Welcome to new followers............

I would like to welcome all new followers of my blog.  It is so gratifying to see that people find my work to be worth looking at and commenting on - thank you all so much.

We have had so much rain lately and here is the end result!!



All the frangipani are at their best at the present time  - so colourful!

The Hoya vine is also in full bloom - the scent is so sweet it reminds me of the scent of the sugar refinery that  we drive past occasionally!   Yummy!

Getting ready for the Sydney Miniatures Show....

I've been working steadily for the show - both on the market hall and making some more baskets.  I will take some photos of the completed market hall once it has been set up at the show - there will be much more room and perhaps some better lighting!!

In the meantime, here are some baskets that I've been working on recently in an attempt to up my inventory just a little.  I have been concentrating so much on the market hall that I've not had a lot of time to work on "new" things.  No matter, once the show is over, I can focus on my baskets again - and I really look forward to that!

To market-to market......

....well, nearly there now.  I just have to throw some straw and "stuff" on the ground and finish up making bread to pile on to the empty table and I shall call it done.

And now I must move on to the upper floors.  The mid level will be quite easy at it is the "meeting" room of the Guild and will be relatively neat and tidy!  The upper floor is the store room - so a lot more scope up there for a bit of mess etc.  Back to the drawing board!

And I must pause a moment to welcome new followers to my blog!  Thank you for stopping by and I really appreciate any comments you may care to make!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week.

Another Job Done..........

....but not by me!!  I commissioned Pete with this job.  Told him vaguely what I wanted by waving my hands around, and this is what I got.  I did have some input - with the paint brush, but that is all!  I consider myself to be lucky in that Pete is a great miniaturist - it sure helps!!

Now I am left with the job of filling it!  That should be fun too.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend - filled with family, friends and lots of chocolate!

Market hall resident!

I made my first attempt at flocking a sheep!  Not too bad, but I really feel that the Schleich sheep is just a tad large.  I shall have a go at a couple of lambs next and I might be happier with them, but mama sheep can maybe be tethered to the cart outside!  That way she won't take over the whole market area.  Shall have to wait and see once I have completed the cart.  So much to do, but it's all so different and I'm having fun.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Yet Another Diversion!

A random visit to a new art gallery which opened recently in our valley found me straying (yet again) from my carefully conceived programme.  The gallery is holding a competition for miniature art works no more than 300x300x300mm in 2D or 3D  – and Peter, who is always so encouraging and full of helpful ideas – suggested that I might like to enter said competition with a little room box.  And of course, it’s very hard for me to say “NO”……and here is the end result.

I must admit that I had a lot of fun with this.  The dresser has been re-hashed severely – doors replaced and varnish stripped as was the chair.  The table is one Peter makes and most of the “stuff” was “found” in my rummage box.  Food is by Jessica (my daughter) – so you could say we were all involved!

Tudor Market Hall - Construction complete, sort of...................

FINALLLY!!  That last 10% really did take the other 90% of the time!  But now I'm happy....sort of......because I've just decided to re-do the chimney.  But this is not a big job and will be done along side getting the internals done.  Now I can bore you all with copious pics, so take a deep breath and here goes!!

Front wall with access to both market area and first floor area.

This doorway provides access to the  first floor.  I still have to attach the hardware to the doors so they are not permanently installed as yet.

Side wall with diaper work.

Back view showing all levels.

Full side wall.

Lights were all made by Peter and he has installed his flicker unit so the candles flicker - but not in unison!!

The background lighting is provided by LED's imbedded behind beams or whatever else was available!

Market hall area - which I'm sure to have fun filling!

First floor Guild meeting room - the "formal" room!!

Top floor - which will be the general "store" room for the Guild Hall!

Now I'm left with the job of filling the 3 floors with life!  I have already started putting together some McQueenie Miniatures kits for the Guild area as that would be a little more upmarket than the other areas!  I wish I could have had the time to make my own furniture but on this occation, it was not to be.  It will probably take me a few weeks to get the "decorating" done - but it will definitely be going on display at the Sydney Miniature Show being held on May 5 and 6.

When the market hall is filled I will return it to the screen one last time!!  

A wonderful Sunday................

when an inpromptu call from Susan (Minichrochetmad) had us down by the waterside on a picnic lunch.  It has been a beautiful autumn's day - lovely (stiff!) breeze, plenty of sunshine all topped up with the company of dear friends.  Susan, you will talk to me again won't you - but here we all are!

And now I have something else so special to show you all.  I have been wanting one of the belly button babies for a long time now, and have finally found a source.  Haven't actually got one in my hot hands yet, but it's on the way.  That doesn't stop Susan though.  Look what she arrived with!  Isn't it the most beautiful piece of work ever?  I just love it............THANK YOU SUS!

I have been a good girl though......after lunch I came home and actually did some final bits and pieces on the Msarket Hall and now all the construction work is done and finished.  Tomorrow I shall take some photos and share them here.

A Pleasant Surprise!!!

Last week, Peter spent "a long weekend" in Sydney visiting family, spending time with a long time buddy playing with an old steam donkey engine and a couple of old miniature meccano electric motors from the 50's - generally having fun!!  Anyway - it must have been a brilliant long weekend because he came home with a present for me!
A "wet market" scene in miniature!  I think it's absolutely brilliant.  We plan to build a new home for it and make a few adjustments to the display....but that won't be happening in the next 6 months!!

Work continues on the Tudor Market Hall and I will add some photos of that project soon.  Lights will go in today and then the roof can be attached which will bring me to the end of the construction phase, which is sad because I have really enjoyed working on it.  I have started putting together some kits from McQueenie Miniatures which will sit quite nicely in this structure.  I will post again as soon as I have something to show!!
Have a wonderful week everyone!