The Railway Children

I've said it before...and I'll say it again...I have some LOVELY customers!!

One of my favourite books, T.V. serials and films is The Railway Children - personally I like the one with Dinah Sheridan as Mum and Jenny Agutter as Bobbie - but that's probably showing my age!
A while ago one of my favourite customers asked me to make her the children and Mother from The Railway Children, in 1/24th scale - what a treat!! Recently she very kindly she sent me a picture of the family in situ, and as you can see she has created a lovely authentic garden and picket fence in front of the cottage, where they can wave at the trains. I love it. She's a talented lady, is Pat!

So, with HUGE thanks to Pat for allowing me to reproduce her photograph ..........
here are The Railway Children.



And now, as they say, for something completely different.........
one of my favourite family of flowers, is the orchid...and this Cymbidium has just opened in my conservatory!
O.K. - this picture is one of self indulgence and has absolutely nothing to do with miniatures!


A kind soul pointed out that finding my website or email address, meant digging through 'About me'...... hopefully both are now more visible and obvious in the right column. Thank you - hope that helps.
R.

I Need to Make Some More Dolls......

We have a fair coming up at Letchworth on November 7th - and the stock of 1/24th dolls is looking somewhat slim ..... and I've been trying to make a 1/48th child.

As other makers know, there's this balancing act of working on commissions without keeping people waiting too long, trying to maintain some kind of reasonable stock and still finding time to try out new ideas and create new characters. At the moment I'm having trouble keeping all the balls in the air.......... but I have made a batch of 1/24th scale heads and hands today, so hope springs eternal, and all that!
In theory the stand should have a group rather like this picture, which was taken before the last show.


I've been having a fiddle to see how I fared making a 1/48th child doll, that was also poseable. This is the result - I'm not sure I shall be making any more! She was 'a fiddle'!!



I'm going to put her away now and make a Mum and Grandad to go with her later, which will be my donation to the Breast Cancer Campaign Raffle at The Thame Fair in February. I know there are some super prizes already donated and you can see them if you go to KT Miniatures where Celia Thomas is coordinating the Raffle. For details of the fair itself go to
www.thamedollshousefair.co.uk

And....if you have fallen for 1/48th scale, do nip over to Louise Win's blog and website and see her wonderful work! The detail is superb! At this point 'thank you' Louise for your kind mention.

As always - thanks for looking!

p.s. As a novice blogger this is my first attempt at making links that work! If they do, it's entirely due to Celia's kind lesson today!

1/48th Illustrated List........or 'Eureka'!

This is a bit of eureka moment for me.......

Well - O.K. that is a bit OTT - but a couple of very good friends of mine (you know who you are), not to mention one son and a DIL, will appreciate just what I mean.

In the right hand column - yippee - I've got a download - click there and I hope, I really hope, that up will come an Illustrated Price List of our 1/48th offerings!!

This has come about with a great deal of sweat and hand-holding, because as you will all have probably realised, I can do dolls, but technology is a whole different and scary ball-game for me!! I can't manage to update my own website - so this is my effort to keep Coombe Crafts up-to-date!

Having been dragged kicking and screaming into Blogland - I find I really enjoy it! I appreciate the 'following' of talented people, the comments, and the fun and wonder of looking at the work of others. So - thanks folks.

P.S. If there's a typo, I suppose I do want to know.....

The Little Carpenter.....and a 1/48th Dresser

I believe that this little chap - in 1/24th scale - is part of a secret project, so I won't give the game away too much.


One of our lovely customers knew just the carpenter she wanted and I was delighted to bring him to life for her; he has his pencils, ruler and polishing rag in his pockets and carries a chisel ready to get some work done. Clearly he needed a bench so the carpenter half of our team set to and built him a bench with vice and half-made furniture.


I thought you might like to see what the miniature carpenter is making ....when it's finished it will be one of these beautiful Macintosh chairs!



More tiny 1/48th pieces of furniture are coming out of our workshop and this set of shop shelves looks great as a dresser with dining room furniture which I'll picture another time. We (well not actually me, of course) make a 1/24th version and a shop counter and till, and there will be a 1/48th counter in due course.....or so I'm told!

It is lovely to see some more followers - a warm welcome to you all.

Yes it's a plug...well, two actually!

No apologies for an unashamed plug for The Thame Dolls House and Miniatures Fair......



The flyers are out already for this fabulous and prestigious fair held just once a year in Thame, and I'm totally thrilled that it features a picture of my Town Crier - you know the one - the one in the right hand column...in a muddle. He isn't just any Town Crier, in fact, but Anthony Church, Thame's real life Town Crier who will promote the fair throughout the day.
The flyer also illustrates the wonderful work of artisans Victoria Fasken, Mags Cassidy and Mary Williams - just three of over 40 of U.K.'s finest miniaturists who will have stands on February 19th 2011 at Thame Leisure Centre - and the Grand Raffle and sales table which will raise funds for Breast Cancer Campaign.
Ron and Felicity Holland are now organizing The Thame Dollshouse and Miniatures Fair, and the website, which they update regularly, is packed full of information about all the miniaturists attending and details of the four fantastic workshops. See www.thamedollshousefair.co.uk
We're looking forward to being at the fair once again...as everyone who attends says....it has such a buzz!

Here's the next plug folks.....
As a pretty regular visitor, I think Nottingham is a great city with a buzz too! So, if you are living in that neck of the woods or heading that way this weekend, I'm sure as creative people you'll be interested in a series of events called 'Creative October', which celebrate the work of so many designers, artists and makers based there. It's no surprise - and so appropriate - that it is launched this Sunday with a tea party - and the theme...Lace! Sounds super.
To find out all about this one and much more, go to
www.jcmiddlebrook.wordpress.com

And a 'thank you' for a superplug to - Jean Tuthill at A Romantic Country Home - wow Jean!! And four new followers....will catch up with you all later as I'm having 'one of those days'!
In answer to the question - 'do I sell my dolls?' - Oh yes. The website details and my email address is in the Contact box over there. Needless to say no website is up-to-date...do email me with any queries, using the bt email addy which is there.

A 1940s Nurse and her patient

Every so often I get a phone call from Celia Thomas of KT Miniatures to ask me to create a character for one of her inspirational room boxes.......very exciting!


This 1940s nurse and patient will form a small part of her wonderful new room box, which is a 1940s wartime hospital ward at Christmas time. Celia is showing her work in progress on her blog, and it's already amazingly detailed as the scene is being authentically recreated. It's a privilege to be a small part of this and I urge you to rush over to KT Miniatures, see the work so far and then enjoy the progress until Christmas day comes to the ward.


From 1/12th down to 1/24th scale again .....my real miniature garden in a big planter out in the garden forms a lovely backdrop, I think, for these little children. Many moons ago I combined my love of plants, miniatures and photography and made greeting cards - this fun picture makes me think I might have a look and see if I've got any card blanks left.




Before I forget - a warm welcome and thanks for following to Maria Jose and Lara - I've had a quick peep at your blogs - wow, super work - will be back, as they say..anon

Miniatura - and a very special present

As a visitor on Sunday - I had a lovely time!

Oh my word it did rain didn't it, although I'm not sure that was the reason for the down turn in visitor numbers. Usually I am on the other side of a stand so I did feel for my friends and colleagues who had the very highest standard of artistry and originality. I shall be sad, but very understanding if some do not continue to attend this show and it will be diminished if the number of high quality stands does reduce.

Too many fabulous things to mention individually...... I brought home some real treasures, and it was really super to catch up with so many friends.


This particular treasure was a gift from Mags Cassidy - Mags-nificent Miniatures - and is very special. Some years ago I also filled baskets with fruit and flowers, until others became so very much more expert than me and I decided to stick to dolls! My lovely and now, sadly late Mum, made my baskets for me. I passed some on the my chum Mags and happily she has been able to use them for her lovely work. This one she kept for me. Thanks Mags.



My two little 1/24th people in their night attire were on the Model Village Miniatures stand - trying out their beds and other furniture! I'm delighted to say that they went off to a new home with a smart new bed kit - thank you ladies.