The Website is Back

Just a quickie to say that the Coombe Crafts website - which had temporarily floated off - is back up and running!
Phew...that's alright then.

For those of you that love flowers too - this is my latest Cymbidium Orchid to open - gorgeous!!
Thanks for continuing to look.
Robin

Tall ships and Dolls

The ships look wonderful tied up in Charlestown harbour don't they? The largest, 'Kaskelot', was used as ' The Charlotte Rhodes' in The Onedin Line, I think.


A mini-jaunt for a whiff of ozone was on our list - although it was a little cold for paddling - before we returned home after the lovely Lostwithiel Fair on Sunday.
Huge thanks to Jenny and her helpers - wonderful food as well - for another well organized, well attended and very special fair with a great atmosphere. It was super to meet up again with old friends and we thoroughly enjoyed ourseves.


The little shepherd was one of the new 1/24th characters who made the trip to Cornwall and stayed - so a lovely new home for him and his animals!

Celia Thomas, KT Miniatures, has created another wonderful 1930s shop, full-to-bursting with goods and the atmosphere of the period. The 1/12th shopkeeper and his customer pictured next were created especially for this and once again it was a great commission from a special friend. As she has mentioned on her blog, this is a second shop....and so a second couple. The beauty of handcrafted miniatures is that every single one is unique, and often we are able to work with friends and colleagues to create something very special, so our customers never have a copy always an original piece.


I think the shopkeeper looks a little unsteady on his feet in my picture - must have been at the cooking sherry! He looks great in his shop on Celia's blog though!!

It will be a few days yet I think before my website resurfaces..... and it sounds as if I'm not the only one with gremlins - let's hope they all sort out soon. Meanwhile it's back to the workshop - The Thame Fair isn't far off.

Thanks for looking
Robin

Catching up.....

The Gremlins have grabbed my website........so at the moment Coombe Crafts website is floating around the ether until it is restored, by a kind soul with 'ability' - not me, of course.


Apologies to anyone who was planning to have a browse, it will be back asap, which probably means a few days. In the meantime, do email me if you have queries or would like more information.

Huge thanks to lovely Celia Thomas, KT Miniatures who flagged up the demise of said site on our return yesterday from Cornwall. I'll tell you all about that later on, when I'm a little more alert. In the meantime for a special treat go to her blog and see the wonderful 1930s shop she has created.

Thanks for looking
Robin

Newsy Blog Time

I've had some super photographs from lovely friends....

As a maker, I pop dolls in the post to their new owners and get some lovely responses - but to get photographs of them in situ, in imaginative settings or beautifully created houses is a treat.

The following were kindly sent to me from the West Country and you may remember the 1/24th dolls that are featured.
My thanks for being able to reproduce the pictures to share here



Jasper's Miniature Fair held in November in Tiverton also fund-raised for Devon Air Ambulance Trust and this super little shop with its young proprietor was one of the fabulous donations created especially for that.

Exeter Dolls House and Miniatures Club held a Christmas competition for the members and the following are two stunning entries!!

I happen to know that the fisherman, who seems to have hooked a disappointing catch, has another life in a beautiful Gamekeeper's cottage created by his owner.....a great new fishing rod, and an atmospheric stream...anything is possible!



The little carpenter now has a workshop, which is a darn sight tidier than the one hereabouts... and a tiny mouse clearly has his own home in the skirting board as well.




And talking of the West Country - only a week to go to The East Cornwall Dolls House and Miniatures Fair at Lostwithiel on Sunday 23rd January - we're so looking forward to it, and catching up with old friends as well...including the Devon contingent! Tony Knott, Simply Silver and Victoria Fasken will be there too, as well as other top flight makers from 'down south'.

I know Julie Bennett may be a familiar name to some of you, but now I've finally tracked her down and seen pictures of her lovely hand-built houses in 1/12th and 1/24th scale - what a treat! Although she has been making and selling her delightful houses for some time she is just starting to attend fairs as well - rush over and have a look.

Congratulations to KT Miniatures who celebrate their 15th year of trading - it is fast becoming THE place to go for 1930s and 1940s dolls house miniatures both vintage and original, unique handcrafted items. Celia has created an incredible Recommended Resource for the period, which she has just made available on her website - a huge thank you for that Celia!

Thanks for looking.
Robin

Witch was an indulgence....

Sorry about the blog's title...I just couldn't resist it!

You know how a little idea sits somewhere at the back of your mind, and gradually evolves and grows...and then JUST the right bits and pieces begin to appear as if by magic......well it was a bit like that.

I should really have been finishing an order or concentrating on 1/24th dolls needed for the two upcoming fairs - but I thought a bit of New Year's indulgence could be excused before I really got going again, so decided to let my little witch out!



It all started back in the autumn when I pulled up an old poppy root in the garden, and it just shouted 'TREE' at me. It happily dried out and just looked better and better. Some great grass mat which has a super woven backing instead of the paper variety was bought at a November fair and looked as if it would mold beautifully over lumps and bumps - which it does - and a woodland garden of some sort was beginning to 'emerge'.

Finally a less than perfect 1/48th sculpt looked more like a witch than a cheery old lady....and so the witch was born and all the pieces came together!
I have to admit that dressing her was a 'challenge' to say the least - and the crooked pointed hat a nightmare - but worth it. So at last I could begin, and for the last few days I've been happily putting it all together, creating a 'landscape' and equiping her cave home with drying herbs and pots and potions and of course her broom - it's taken far too long, but I've enjoyed every minute!






The photographs present the usual problem - 1/48th scale is tricky to capture well. Please try to imagine that she's about as tall as a matchstick to the top of her hat - and that the inside of her cave looks better in real life. I just need to price her now and I think she deserves a name, then perhaps she'll find a new home with someone who will enjoy her as much as I have.

Thank you for looking - and a warm welcome to new followers.
Robin

New Beginnings

First things first......A VERY Happy New Year to you all...here's to a creative 2011!



It's a new year so it is tempting to consider making a few New Year's Resolutions......but I know that it would be self deluding.......I won't.

I took an early Christmas break so a combination of orders still on the table and really missing working on the miniatures saw me back 'working' in a leisurely fashion a few days ago. However, this leisurely pace has to stop as we have The Lostwithiel Fair down in Cornwall in only three weeks, followed far too quickly by The Thame Fair!!

I hope very much that you'll enjoy the blog in 2011 and thank you for joining me again.
Robin

A Miniature Display for Christmas

It's time to wish everyone who has taken the time to pop in, or follow or leave me lovely comments, A MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

I'd also like to say a very big THANK YOU for just reading the blog and hope you've found it interesting.
Another big THANK YOU to very special chums, who encouraged and dragged me kicking and screaming into blogland and helped when I got stuck.
I've enjoyed so much of my 5 months or so of blogging; learned a lot from so many talented bloggers and been inspired by them too.


I'm a miniaturist without a dolls house - which usually surprises people, who know that I do collect the work of other makers. So....... I thought you might like to see how I display them, mostly in the old typesetting trays I love.


You'll see that there are also pretty antique brooches, buttons and badges as well as tiny toys, shells and the little keepsakes that we all have squirrelled away.
I 'bashed' a small but tatty cabinet for a few more, and another for my collection of butterfly brooches - I love butterflies!



It was tricky hanging over the bannisters trying in vain to get all of this one in the picture!




I hope you've enjoyed the pictures...... and as always......thanks for looking.
Robin

A Friendly Plug or Two

We all meet - or know - special people. I'd like you to meet two friends of mine......

I've known Carole for twenty years...maybe more ......since our craft days, when she'd temporarily put her artist's pencils to one side to grow wonderful plants and herbs which she distilled into fabulous lotions, potions and candles etc. before 'green' and 'organic' were invented. Oh...and she ran marathons in her spare time ....... this was when we were fighting the government of the time to convince them that Miniatures were NOT toys, and should not be subject to the new regulations. Good job we all won.......

I'm delighted to hear that she's picked up her artist's tools again and has launched ORIGINAL ART. For a very reasonable rate she can turn that favourite photograph of a very special person (or pet) into a beautiful pencil portrait ready to frame.



With apologies, because my scanner is playing up and doesn't do it justice, but what a great drawing of Bono......however, my favourite is a sketch of sweet little pooch, next to me as I write this post.
For further details you can contact her - Carole Alison Foord Ollis - on Wildflowers@live.co.uk
or phone her - 01249 816566

Jenny is another special friend............ for a good few years too. Along with her friend Cathy - both incredibly talented miniature artisans - she organizes the fantastic East Cornwall Dolls House and Miniatures Fair at Lostwithiel. We have been fortunate enough to have had a stand regularly and love it. Everyone loves it! It has an amazing reputation for a small/medium fair and attracts artisans from all over the U.K. alongside the talented makers of the south west, who often don't receive the acclaim they deserve, and draws visitors from all over Cornwall, Devon and beyond.
It's a very special fair which raises funds for The Doubletrees Special School - come if you can!!

The Fair is at Lostwithiel Community Centre (A390 Liskeard - Truro) on Sunday 23rd January
from 11.00 - 4.00 - Enquiries to Jenny 01726 815626 or Cathy 01726 882830

........10 days to Santa....are you ready???

Robin
p.s. Cornwall in January is SUPER!

1/12th, 1/24th and 1/48th - the Christmas Rush

Granted they're not a festive bunch.....but now to write the Christmas cards.

It's always busy around this time of year isn't it? ...........and with a lot of little people all bound for new homes this week, there was a sense of relief to have got there! It's also rather nice that my last 'batch' are on their way to lovely, established customers. So, thank you folks, have a lovely Christmas!



We're in the 1930's, and another dashing racing driver, with his elegant companion - glamorous and exciting days! These characters are in 1/24th scale.



Back up the scales to 1/12th. He's an old fashioned carter, a little on the scruffy and weather-beaten side, but then he's got a bit of a trek to the frozen north where his horse and cart are waiting.



And finally...it's those little tiny folks again...1/48th scale......heading west!

I have some catching up to do - but welcome to recent new followers - thank you all for looking.
Robin

Best Wishes...and commiserations

Huge best wishes for anyone attending KDF this weekend - I hope you travel safely and have a great show. To those who are snow-bound and can't make it - buckets of sympathy.

Everyone works so hard to prepare for an event like KDF and the disappointment in having to cancel is immense........talking of an 'event'...what are the weather men on about.....we are apparently having a 'severe weather event'!! It's SNOW people!!!

Sandra Morris is one of those stuck in a deep drift, so with true grit she has transported her KDF stand to her website. If you hoped to see her in London - or just love her dolls dolls, pullalongs and other amazing miniatures, (or haven't seen them yet) whizz over to her blog and read all about it. There are fantastic new items, special offers, weekend only bargains and giveaways - phew busy, busy!

I just spotted Mary Williams' incredibly beautiful Edwardian lady dressed in an exquisite green and black silk creation, and envy the lady who finds her under the Christmas tree.

It's been a hectic week, and although we've had less snow than most, it's just as slippery, and the pavements just as hard as I found out to my cost yesterday. I have been doing my best to fulfill all Christmas orders and finish the promised Breast Cancer Campaign Raffle donation for The Thame Fair in February. You may remember the tiny 1/48th little girl I pictured a few blogs ago. She does now have a Mum and Grandad and I've handed them over to Celia Thomas of KT Miniatures who is coordinating the raffle. You can see them if you visit Celia - she's already showing a good number of the donated items on her website (just follow the links) and they really are fantastic. Apart from having her usual super items for sale over there, she has some truly lovely giveaway printies of really old Christmas cards.
Talking of The Thame Fair.......Sandra is running a great workshop in conjunction with it - all the details are on the Fair website.......and our Town Crier has a posh new outfit!

And finally, as they say, I have now got a technical thingy back so I can play with photos again, and hope to get some up here again in a day or two, when 'it' and I are compatible!!