What A Lovely Day!

Even the weather was kind on Saturday - chilly but dry. A feature of the Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair is the friendly atmosphere and it was lovely to welcome old and new friends and have a little time to chat every now and again.  The charity stall in aid of Breast Cancer Now was ably managed by Market Town Miniatures our local club who also put on a superb display of their work.

Thank you to the many old friends who came by to say hello and to new friends who popped by to make themselves known - that was super and much appreciated. Lovely to see you all.

As I mentioned in the previous Blog, we have decided to stop making all furniture which is sad but inevitable I'm afraid as hands get less supple and eyes less sharp, so all items were reduced and many sold.
Once I've managed to sort myself and the stock out I'll make arrangements to list with revised prices on here first.  Should you have a noticed a specific item already - 1/24th or 1/48th - feel free to contact me anyway for availability and new price.

The one big drawback to being a standholder at a prestigious artisan fair is that there is so little time to look round at the amazing work on colleagues' stands - let alone make purchases......we never manage to see everything we'd like to I'm afraid. I'll just have to go to Kensington if I can......

However Teeny Weeny Teddies was really, really near to me - irresistible - so I did succumb to a bueautiful tiny silk bear.  I think all Dave's work is just perfect!  Someone else's work that is quite exquisite is Jan Southerton's - The Flower Lady. Her spring flowers were so sweet  - I added these beautiful 1/12th narcissus to my collection.  I also bought a dainty glass jug in 1/24th scale with with gorgeous yellow daffodils.

So - that's it for another year.  I'm sure many of you will be relieved if I get 'back to normal' on this Blog now.

Thanks to Felicity and Ron who organized the fair -  the amount raised for Breast Cancer Now has been announced  - a wonderful £3,142.04. Thank you all!

Thanks for looking
Robin

Vintage Toy 'Triang' Mangle - Toys and Children - Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair Saturday 27th February.

One of the great pleasures of working in miniature is creating something completely different.  Everything we make is always designed and handmade by us and inspired by real characters,  real furniture and real accessories - very often with a vintage slant.  We hope if you are coming along to The Thame Fair we hope you'll enjoy looking at our work.

The Little Vintage Toyshop Workshops last year, created and run  with my friend and Nostalgia in Miniature partner Celia Thomas of KTMiniatures gave us huge scope for designing and creating vintage toys which, to our delight, have been much admired. One of those was a 1/12th scale 1930s toy 'Triang' mangle, together with a tiny washboard and tub - we've never seen another in miniature. A super challenge to design and make and I hope you'll agree that it looks 'right'. I made just one extra and it will be on the Coombe Crafts Stand at The Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair together with a few other 'vintage' toys.

It occurs to me that although the mangle is a 1/12th scale toy - it would probably work well in a 'grown-up' 1/24th scullery!! Now there's a thought.

I never seem to have time to make enough 1/24th children - this time I've only managed three, but of course I'm always only too happy to take orders for them.  I also popped a couple of 'babies' into their high chairs - here again they'd work well as toys in a 1/24th scale nursery. I've also pictured the children with toys in the same scale - aged toy pram with dolly, and push along truck again with a dolly and a more up to date nursery toys group.

We had a giggle about District Nurses and our memories of them in Comments on the last Blog...so, yes I titivated 1/24th scale commercially made bike with the addition of a little basket and covered the saddle with a bit of old jumper for comfort. I'm sure Nurse would be happy to wobble about on it, and while I was at it, one for the delivery boy at 'Fletchers,' the local Grocer's shop.

Times they are-a-changing, and Coombe Crafts is making the biggest change for many years having decided to stop making our handmade 1/24th and 1/48th scale furniture -  we finished with 1/12th a year or so ago.  When we first made the 1/24th original pieces there was very little available in the U.K. and it was very much in response to our lovely customers.  The addition of 1/48 was much the same - however, my brilliant other half in the shed (Whoops - The Workshop) now has arthriticky hands (ahhhhh...)and means it's time to call it a day. 
I'm afraid no further commissions can be undertaken and all remaining stock will be reduced in price, first of all at the upcoming fair. Afterwards I'll spend time gradually listing remaining stock and post that first on our Blog.

Some of the 1/24th scale Furniture

1/24th Furniture and a few of the dolls

I know many of our lovely, lovely customers will be as sad as us and we do of course welcome enquires at any time regarding the items that we may still have in our boxes or lurking in the workshop.

1/48th scale - sorry, not a clever photograph - forgot about the mirror effect....

We're on Stand Number 37 at the far end of the main hall near the exit - with lots of other lovely artisans nearby.  For full details of the fair - click HERE.www.thamedollshousefair.co.uk
If you're coming to the fair,  do come and say 'hello' - and if you'd like to know more about our Nostalgia in Miniature Workshops, the latest project 'The Little 1900s German Style Shop' will be on either our stand or KTMiniatures (Celia Thomas) who is just next to us!!  We're both happy to tell you all about it. 
In addition, due to lack of storage space in our respectives homes we shall have a couple of original projects for sale - a tiny 1/24th scale Arbour and the 1/12th 'Let's Go Camping' project. Details and pictures of both are on our Nostalgia in Miniature Website

Thank you for looking
Robin

To Beard Or Not to Beard....That Is The Question.

We had a mini discussion about 'character' in miniature dolls after the last blog which featured 1/48th scale.  Since then I've been working on 1/24th characters and I do find they have minds of their own!!

Although all the dolls are created individually, I am inclined to sculp a 'batch' at a time - it's just easier that way when it comes to baking!!  I generally have a clear idea of some of the characters I will need, and then I let the clay dictate who else comes out, and new characters will appear.

So...Thame Fair in less than two weeks (Yikes)......I figured another old retired sailor  in 1/24th scale should be on the stand - he's a popular character and although each is a little different, 'he' has been around for ***years in a variety of scales.
Off I go - I think I've got the perfect head from my 'spare' batch - rosy cheeks, right height, right build.....so trousers on, old jumper on.....now for hair and beard before his old cap is attached.
BUT - he's got such a cheery face that the beard looks all wrong. My old sailors always have beards.....I call up expert advice....after considered study of the happy chappy it is decided! No beard! The first ever Coombe Crafts Old Sailor not to have a beard....O.K. so it's not exactly ground-breaking. LOL.

Another favourite is Meg the Pedlar lady - she hasn't been around for a while and has been such fun to create - not least filling her basket with ribbons and laces to sell at the fair and titivating her old black hat.

One of the other ladies heading for Thame Fair is our District Nurse with her trusty bag. Once I'd given her that rather severe grey 'perm', she demanded some spectacles.  I could hardly refuse. I'm sure a heart of gold beats beneath that sensible navy mac'.  Otherwise of course we will have a variety of other ladies and gents looking for lovely new homes.

Next time....small children......a replica vintage toy mangle, washtub and washboard....news of the small scales furniture sale.  Back to work then....

Thanks for looking
Robin

VERY TINY Posh frocks and braces....

Just back from a brief holiday  - not exactly perfect timing with a fair around the corner - but I have now almost finished the tiny posh frocks and little gents in shirts and braces.  So, we do now have a selection of teeny tiny 1/4th characters  for our COOMBE CRAFTS stand.

To go with the monks and Tudors pictured on the last blog with the little policeman, I've been dressing ladies and gents that will work well in a whole different variety of homes. 

Here are a few of the modern ladies in modern skirts and cardigans and the long frocks from an earlier period.
Gents, as I've mentioned before have far less exciting clobber, so although there are chaps in modern jumpers, the shirt sleeves and suit are very versatile.

All my character dolls - including these tiny ones are unique with individually sculpted faces and hands and are fully pose-able.  The little people in the tray are waiting for earrings and buttons etc - but they will be there!!

THE THAME DOLLS HOUSE AND MINIATURE FAIR is on 27th February at Thame Leisure Centre  - full details of all the artisans attending - with links to their websites and photographs of their work are now on the Fair Website - do take a look.  We hope to see you there - always a lovely day.

Thanks for looking
Robin

Technology!!! I'll Stick to Sculpting Little People

It won't come as any surprise to those of you who know me, that technology in its many forms is a total blind-spot for me.  I was very fazed by the sudden disappeareance of some Followers - until a lovely lady explained it all.
I'll stick to the matter in hand which is getting some 1/48th characters ready for the stand at The Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair on 27th February, here in Thame, Oxfordshire.
 
I'm hugely indebted to the talented Catherine at Kilmouski http://kilmouskiandme.blogspot.co.uk - for restoring my 'equilibrium'........I thought I must be just getting a bit boring... she explained why a number of us are seeing our Followers vanish! Take a look - much better than me trying to explain it.

Moving on rapidly - my head has been down working on some new 1/48th characters.  These do take a while as there are many steps in creating a life-like character with a unique sculpted face ( hate moulds) that is also fully pose-able.  Actually believe it or not they can take longer than a doll in 1/12th or 1/24th scale.
So, as a first for me in this scale here are a Tudor couple and a pair of monks!! The policeman is a character I do make occasionally - those helmets are such a pain!!!

None are taller than 1 1/2 inches but are really detailed nevertheless.  The monks have bare feet and sandals and as you can see the little policeman has both handcuffs and truncheon.
Next time I'll picture some of the others, including ladies and gents who will fit into many a 1/48th abode, both 'period' and 'modern'.  At the moment they all need some hair!
They will be for sale first on our Coombe Crafts stand at The Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair and it will be first come first served - sorry they can't be reserved. 

Thank you for looking
Robin

Doll-making.....Shop-fitting....Catching up.....

We're more than halfway through January ......panic.....a bad back has slowed me down...more panic.  So it's about now that the list-making  and 'prioritising' starts - given that we need 1/48th dolls for our Coombe Crafts stand at The Thame Fair,  and Celia and I (in workshop mode) are fitting out the 1/24th scale version of our latest elegant and faded 1900s German Style Shop.......and Booking is now OPEN!

Where to start????

Not the most exciting photograph in the world I have to admit but it's a nod to the fact that the newest 1/48th characters have heads at least - so we WILL have new ones at The Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair on 27th February.

Flyers are out - advertisements are in the magazines and we're looking forward to another lovely, friendly and successful fair.

Booking has now officially opened for our next workshop! We will be running this workshop twice in the Conference Room at Bicester Avenue Garden Centre (Oxfordshire - just off Jct 9 of M40), so you have a choice of two dates: Saturday 4th June 2016 or Saturday 2nd July 2016. We currently have spaces for both dates but they are limited, so please get in touch asap if you would like to come. Go to our Nostalgia in Miniature Workshops website for all the details.

Above you can see a glimpse of the 1/12th scale shop, but soon we hope to bring you photos of the 1/24th scale version. This shop can be any type you want it to be and is an extremely versatile 'emporium'.
So that you can see just how the little shops can be varied in decoration and style, we'll change the delicate pinks, ochres and greens to a different colour palette in the 1/24th scale version while keeping that fantastic floor. We have been  thinking just how many different kinds of shop this could be suitable for...lovely frock or hat shop, haberdashery is an obvious, but it would make a terrific general store, or bakers/cake shop, or flower shop or sweet shop...chemist...toyshop....

We'll be at The Thame Fair and are happy to have a chat about the workshop projects -and  by the way we will have two or three protoypes in both scales from earlier projects for sale and will also be supporting Breast Cancer Now.
More details another time.

Thanks for looking
Robin

HAPPY NEW YEAR - Time to Get Going!

I very much hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that this New Year will bring all you wish for yourselves. I have to admit that it's been a bit of an effort to get going again.......but I'll get there.  I don't know about the rest of you but the year starts with a lot of thinking and planning.

Apart from eating far too much....the break did allow for a bit of distraction and I had lots of fun filling my ancient set of wall shelves with precious bits and pieces.  In the dim and distant past we hauled them out of a shed and scraped off layers of cream and brown paint.

I've found room on the lower shelves for some miniatures - once apon a time the children in the 1920s photograph played with this wonderful dresser filled with the most beautiful glassware.  I must check with my chum Celia Thomas of KTMiniatures, (my go-to expert for vintage and antique miniatures as I'm sure many of you already know) that it's Victorian.

This last photograph features some items I've collected over the years - sadly I can't remember all the makers but most of the fabulous plants were made by Jan Southerton, The Flower Lady. The little old train and carved fish were finds at Car Boot Fairs for a few pennies.

Jan and Celia, along with ourselves will be among the forty miniature artisans at The Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair on 27th February at the Leisure Centre here in Thame, Oxfordshire.  It's definitely a date for the diary and we'll give you more details in due course. Of course it also means that I need to get a move on and make some interesting new items for our stand - that's the fun bit!!

It isn't generally known but NOSTALGIA IN MINIATURES WORKSHOPS - which is a joint undertaking with Celia - is mostly fuelled at our regular 'management meetings' and 'workshop project sessions' by cake, hot chocolate and cappucino!! It works for us ..... we've been busy preparing for our most versatile project yet - which we are again able to offer in a choice of 1/12th or 1/24th scales.

A glimpse of the 1/12th Scale  Early 1900s Little German Style Shop

We are delighted to announce that the 2016 workshops 'THE EARLY 1900s LITTLE GERMAN STYLE SHOP' will be open for Booking Online from 18th January - further details are on our website - just click HERE. Everyone who was on the Reserve List has already been contacted as a priority as promised - available places will be offered on a first come, first served basis at one of the two workshops which are on 4th June and 2nd July at Bicester Avenue Garden Centre.
Do feel free to contact either of us before booking is live if you wish - details on the website if you have any queries.

Thanks for looking - hope to see you again this year!!
Robin

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

In wishing you all a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS  I'd also like to say thank you for all the fun and friendship that the Blog has brought.  I've appreciated you popping in and so enjoyed all your comments and the chuckles we've shared. More than anything I've been informed, inspired and enthralled by wonderful blogs from every part of the miniature and craft world.

Thank you for looking - see you in 2016
Robin x

The Edie and Arthur Story......and School is Open

Have you been following the story of Edie and Arthur - a long distance penpal friendship that has only improved with time?

With huge thanks to Jenni who has kindly forwarded this lovely picture of Edie and Arthur - obviously they're going to make a very happy life together somewhere in Wales....I knew that pork pie she baked for him, and the fact that he sent her train fare, spoke volumes!
Incidentally she's pictured them on the balcony of a lovely 1910 house - nice, very nice!

Going down from 1/12th scale to 1/24th, the village school has a new schoolteacher - doesn't she look a friendly lady - the children are ready to make her very welcome.
Sorry the light wasn't too good when I took these pics.

I am sometimes asked which are the most challenging aspects of doll-making and would be interested in what others think.  Apart from sculpting 1/48th faces (a pretty obvious challenge) I think it's getting eyebrows in the right place and making socks and real leather shoes for 1/24th scale six year olds!

I've now finished making new dolls in the run up to Christmas - although I still have a reasonable stock so it's worth asking if you need an extra miniature Christmas present.
However - Celia  and I are both still busy and having fun working on prototypes for the new workshop next year. It's different again to anything we've offered before and we are SO enjoying ourselves.  Our Nostalgia In Miniature Workshops website has information about The Early 1990s Little German Style Shop and we'll be adding more details asap. It's a very versatile project and we're delighted to be offering it in both 1/12th and 1/24th scales. We do already have a Reserve list,  but it doesn't commit anyone to book at this early stage - so if you might be interested take a look.

Thanks for looking
Robin

Sam Oversees Miniature Operations

Sam, my large madcap cat really doesn't like much about miniatures - he's not allowed to play with the dolls since he mistook one for a mouse! It's really all been far too busy for him lately.......

As you can see he retreated in a sulk to the top of the kitchen cupboard, (where incidentally he rearranged my collection of enamelware) while we brought in all the boxes and stands after Haddenham and disrupted his snooze.

He was also less than impressed when I objected to him popping the bubble wrap and shredding the tissue paper I was using packing parcels! Thankfully the last parcel sent off has now arrived so I can show you what was in them! All the dolls are in 1/12th scale.

I hope the two couples aren't sharing the same house - I can't see the suited lady approving of shirt sleeves can you?  I wouldn't mind betting that she runs the W.I., the local choir and irons her husband's socks!

Now meet Edie who has moved to Wales to live with Arthur.  She was a touch offended when Jenni ordered her as a 'Mail Order Bride' - well, really!  After all she'd been writing to the man for years so it was about time he made an honest woman of her.  I think she's secretly thrilled as she's baked him a pork pie and I'm sure they'll be very happy. I do have it on authority that he is quietly delighted doing everything he can to please her,  while she is happily baking and dusting, singing as she goes.
I also think she was rather relieved to leave the muddle that is the Coombe Crafts workbench!

STOP PRESS:
Felicity and Ron who organised the Haddenham Dollshouse and Miniatures Exhibition tell me that £543.40 was raised to be shared jointly between the charities Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and Thames Valley Air Ambulance - a splendid amount for a small event on a rainy day - small is beautiful! Thanks to all who contributed.

Celia Thomas my KT Miniatures chum has a fabulous collection of antique and vintage miniatures about to go on sale. Titled the Oxford Collection, there is super back story.  The items, some rare, were rediscovered in the attic in an old house in Oxford  - a collection handed down by various generations of the family from mid/late 1800s to 1930s.
I've been lucky to see just two or three of the pieces - very exciting - and I'm sure if you love old, unique miniatures you'll want to take a look.  I've been drooling over a wonderful antique tinplate long-case clock - never seen anything like it!
Go to her website and enjoy!

Right, now I need to prize Sam off my seat so I can get back to work again.

Thanks for looking
Robin