Lady Georgiana....Apple Pips..... A Tiny Treasure....

Although I enjoy all my dollmaking - from sculpting a characterful face to choosing fabrics and creating the costuming -  every now and again a special challenge is offered to me. Lady Georgiana has been one of those lovely challenges!

She has now arrived at her new home, and this rather grand lady 'of a certain age' has taken her place in the music salon with her equally grand companions, where they are no doubt eyeing the fashion statement each is making!

The Georgian era offers such a wealth of styles to choose from and ladies fashions were increasingly influenced by France. She has chosen the Saque back style in a fine cotton floral print, trimmed with ribbons and lace, ensuring that while her obvious assets are very much on show, even though she's not young, the decorum of the day dictated that her elbows must be covered!

I so loved making her hat - it's a rare chance to be able to go over the top with feathers and ribbons and her hairstyle was a particular challenge.  Although I'd seen the hedgehog hairstyle in famous portraits it took some digging to discover how it was actually created at the time, so it was fun to follow the instructions to the letter - in miniature!

So Blog friends.....what do you know about antique/vintage dolls house furniture made from apple pips???
A friend has inherited this wonderful unusual furniture made from apple pips and would love to know more about it if any of you can help us here.

We know that apple pips and other seeds have been used in small items of jewelry and I have a small purse and coaster/mat that are pretty old. Despite best efforts, we can't find anything quite like this so if anyone can tell me more, I'd love to hear from you.

I'm beside myself with joy that my incredibly talented friend Deb Jackson has made me an exquisite 'Triang Inspired' teeny weeny vintage dolls house.
The work is quite breathtakingly detailed so I hope the pictures give you some idea of just how tiny and beautiful it is. And - hold your breath - lift a microscopic hook and eye catch and it opens to reveal fully decorated rooms. A future heirloom!

Deb's work is highly sought after and the little houses don't come along too often - go to her website and enjoy her varied miniature treasures. www.debjacksondesigns.com/

Thank you for looking
Robin

Scenes From The Herb Garden....And Frogs...

I am itching to show you a picture of my latest 1/12th lady - but until she's arrived in her new home, it's only fair for her new custodian to see her first. SO - I thought some snapshots of the herb garden and a frog or two, might be interesting.


Further to my last blog in which I mentioned that our next Nostalgia in Miniature Workshop - 'Down the Little Old Herb Garden Path' is on 27th September at Bicester Avenue Garden Centre  (a really easy venue to get to just off Junction 9 of M40) - I've a few more pictures to tempt anyone wondering whether to have a creative day out....

I think you'd agee - this is 'traditional' - and just a touch nostalgic.

If you love gardens and plants and would like the opportunity to create some lovely herb plants in a nostalgic setting,  using a variety of materials and very different techniques in a friendly atmosphere, just take a look.

Lungworts - or  'Jerusalem Cowslips'

A lovely rustic gate with a rusty old bolt catch.

A Victorian rope tile edging to the weathered path and herbs spilling over

And for full details click here for our website with a Booking Form - and details of a Group Discount if you are a small party of friends who fancy a day our with a little retail therapy thrown in. Booking will close in a week or two so do get in touch soon as there are only a few places left.

Now for the frogs!! I am having to accomodate a spare frig' in my conservatory (long and boring story... don't ask...) so in an effort to try and ignore it I thought at least I could make the top interesting!

I am rather partial to ceramic frogs and such and also lumps of interesting wood/tree root/fungi....seemed an idea to bring them all together.

This is my Cumbrian toad on a big hunk of tree fungus

Definitely an exotic I think

What do you think?

Thank you for looking
Robin