A Witchy Pair

The Fair on Monday was both very enjoyable and successful - so many thanks to everyone who came along and said hello!  It was so nice to jump in the car and drive a whole 1/2  mile to the venue......what a change!! It was also lovely to catch up with old friends - all events in this town seem to have a very welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.
But now - to the witches........

I'm not sure what happened to our summer this year but now autumn is just around the corner so it seems timely to introduce a couple of witches all ready for Halloween. Both are fully poseable and individually sculpted so if you're tempted to create a witchy scene and would like one of these witches or more details of how to commission one, please do email me. Contact details on the right bar.

Heggety is a 1/12th scale witch with flowing natural wool used for her hair, and vintage fabric for her clothing. I was going to give her a traditional hat, but couldn't bear to cover her tresses. A little down at heel to be sure but with her tame frog she's ready for magic.

Esme is just a little witch...a 1/48th scale little witch... still fully poseable and individually sculpted, at least she's still got her hat on and is relying on her magic crystal to work her spells.

Late summer flowers are such a treat - rich vibrant colours and folliage to cheer us up before the weather turns miserable. This is just a simple bunch of single dahlias and bronze fennel in a favourite glass jug.

Another treat was to see my good friend Celia Thomas pop into the fair to say hello to friends.
As many of you will know Celia has been sampling the delights of The NHS for a couple of months now so it was especially good to see her and welcome news that KT Miniatures is open for business again - albeit in a limited way for a little while longer. Welcome back Celia!
As my partner in Nostalgia in Miniature Workshops she's just put up our latest workshop news on her Blog/Journal - so rather than repeat it all - do pop along and catch up with her there too. 

Thanks for looking.
Robin  

Sporting Heroes ..and Other 1/24th Scale Characters

Sport is never very high on my agenda I must admit - watching or taking part  - although I spent many wet cold hours on the sidelines at boys football matches 'in the old days'. It does mean I know what a pair of miniature football boots should look like though!
So as a complete change, and wanting to produce a few new and fun characters to take to the Dolly's Daydreams Dolls House and Miniature Fair in Thame at The Leisure Centre on Bank Holiday Monday - 27th August, I thought I'd make a couple of sportsman.

I badgered my other half into making me a nice bat for the cricketer - definitely a weekend cricketer only, this chap. I also think the footballer plays for a Sunday league rather than the Premier.......as you can see
from the close-up he wears the number 9 shirt (must be a striker) and has studs on his boots. The old-fashioned leather ball was just easier to make than one with all those hexagons!!

If I'd had some more figures to spare I'd have gone on to rugby and golf players..... but there's always a next time and a 1/24th tennis racquet might be an interesting challenge....

I'm not sure what the vicar said to the window cleaner...there has to be a joke in there somewhere!

Another couple of my little lady shoppers...Mavis and Ethel, putting the world to rights!

And finally......this is my Nasturtium Eureka moment folks. If you read the blog earlier in the year you'll know I planned to copy an idea I'd seen, and plant up a couple of baked bean cans with nasturtiums.
They almost pegged out just after planting, in the short-lived baking hot week or two, then nearly drowned in the long rainy weeks, but now they're beginning to look great and the cans are nicely rusty.

Thanks for looking.
Robin  

And Some More In 1/48th Scale....

I fetched out the tripod for my camera and took pictures of more 1/48th dolls - should have done that before - and also Farthing Stores a little village shop in the same scale.

I thought I should take at least one photograph with the famous match stick to give an idea of scale - but to be very exact she's just 1 3/8" tall. All the dolls are fully poseable.

This little old lady is even shorter and wears a tiny ribbon-trimmed cap and shawl in vintage lace.

If you follow the blog or have seen these little people at a fair, you'll know that most have been costumed very simply - chaps in jumpers and trousers and ladies in short knee-length skirts, cardigans or jumpers. In response to many requests, and when I have a little more time to work on a group I am making some more detailed costumes. This little group shows some of these, including a rare child.  All will go on sale first at the fair on 27th August here in Thame.

Also being shown at the fair for the first time is Farthing Stores a tiny one-roomed village shop in 1/48th scale. As you can see in the last photograph the thatched roof just lifts off and the back is open to allow easy access. The bow-fronted window is just ready to be laid out with goods and there's room for a counter and shop shelves which we also make.  You can see these if you click on the 1/48th scale List in the side bar here.

The old stone walls support an old fashoned rambler rose and the thatched roof is mossy with age. Adding depth and tone to the walls, the moss and lichen to the thatch and the plants, is almost the best bit for me and it's always hard to actually stop fiddling.

An old brass bell hangs on a spring on the door and I'm sure all the shoppers get a warm welcome when they push it open. I've really enjoyed working on the shop - just wish there was time to finish another before the fair.

Thank you for looking.

Robin  

New For The Nursery In 1/48th Scale

After some time working in other scales at our respective work benches, we've been concentrating on new items in 1/48th scale and I'm delighted to able to show you our first nursery pieces.

With a 'Thanks to Jen' who inspired us to make the first one, first is a tiny rocking cradle which is simple enough to fit into a variety of settings through the centuries. 
The wooden rocking horse is my favourite even though my heart sank when I first saw it in it's basic form ready to be painted and titivated. Fiendishly fiddly!!
Well a nursery does need children and although these don't really feature on my 'list' of characters in this scale I've made a couple of little girls.  Sorry about the quality of the photograph - you get the general idea -click on the image for a larger version.

The items pictured, along with some more little characters and a tiny shop will go on sale first at our next fair which is a Dolly's Daydreams Fair held on August Bank Holiday Monday - 27th - at Thame Leisure Centre.
we're looking forward to it very much and also catching up with old friends.
After the fair, the remaining new items and dolls will go into stock for sale.

When I've taken some more photographs of other pieces  (hopefully better than this one) I'll put them up on the blog.

Last week we had some sun and I had a happy day in the garden digging up a bit more lawn....less lawn, more flowers!! Now of course it's raining again which has at least ensured I finished the dolls.
One photograph in the blog doesn't seem much -  so there has to be room for a flower!!

This is a Cleome - fabulously pink and whirly. Love it! I grew them from seed so I'm very chuffed - I do just wish I'd planted them out in the borders instead of big pots but if you remember it rained and rained and rained so there was no chance at the right time.

Thank you for looking.

Robin