KDF and Kits.

So  - you'll gather from the title that I've been working on kits....with time off for good behaviour (?)  and a lovely visit to Kensington Dolls House Fair last Saturday - as always it was a real treat.  Work continues apace on kits for workshops - so no sculpting, unless you count baby dolls for the toyshop.

Kensington is always an opportunity to see great artists and artisans and this show was no exception.
I couldn't resist an exquisite little doll by Victoria Heredia Guerbos from Spain who also had the tiniest perfect little angels and plants.

Apart from purchasing supplies it was good to catch up with old friends who were all showing and selling wonderful examples of their work.
Deb Jackson had some wonderful new unique creations in 144th scale - this is her French Haberdashery Shop.

Trigger Pond were in their usual place with their finely detailed period houses  - each time I see them I notice another quirky little detail I hadn't noticed before.
Amongst the great dolls on show, Jain Squires (Giddy Kipper) and Julie Cambell both had fabulous new original characters, although by the time I arrived their stands had lots of gaps.
So many other stands stood out, I wish there was room to mention them all.  Thanks to all the traders - hope you had a good weekend.

In workshop news  - I really mean kits - we're getting there!

We're also  running a club workshop in July which will be lots of fun.  Prototypes completed. Phew!

And maybe just another quick look at Cornwall........

The inspiring Eden Project

Thank you for looking
Robin

Glorious Cornwall ....but I didn't get to paddle!

Just back from a lovely week in Cornwall. Cornwall is always lovely, whatever the weather and whatever the time of year, but this time it was WET!! So - some miniature news and holiday pics coming up folks!!

I abandoned Celia my friend and partner in Nostalgia in Miniature Workshops leaving her to work on kits for our next workshops 'The Little Vintage Toyshop'- the first of which are in June - and see the second part of  'Let's Go Camping' go to print in Dolls House and Miniature Scene Magazine which will be in the June Issue,out soon.
This 'How To' feature has a real flavour of the 'Swallows and Amazons' and Enid Blyton books we enjoyed as children and brings back memories of camping on the 'lawn' in a friend's back garden.  Well done Celia - I've brought you back a bar of chocolate. Chuckle!!  It's a fun project suitable for all abilities and a very versatile scene.
Click on the pics. if you'd like a bigger one .

So sorry no dolls for a bit - it's kit time!! Once I've emptied the Inbox on my laptop I'm concentrating on toys and will shortly start counting tiny wheels, bits of card and dolls (in  my dreams as well) ....there are hundreds of tiny pieces.......between us we have created over 30 unique toys to make, from really simple nurse's outfit and pirate hat to pull along dogs and a toy 'triang' mangle and wash tub.

Before I went away we had a quick trip to our favourite bluebell woods. Badbury Hill is a magical place just outside the small Oxfordshire market town of Faringdon and I've been going there to see the bluebells since I was a small child. Beautiful as ever and spreading throughout the wood - which is managed by the National Trust - the sun came out and the delicate scent filled the air.

I tend to take lots of photos, so bear with me, my holiday pics. might well fill the next blog or two until I get back to sculpting. As I said - it rained - real heavy wet stuff, proper Cornish torrents, so I didn't get to paddle and we didn't spend as much time in Padstow for 'Obby 'Oss on May Day as planned, on account of not wanting pneumonia! All the years we lived near the town, May Day was dry and warm - often blazing hot - that'll teach us to move!

This is the 'Wee 'Oss - the children participate as well as the adults who follow the Blue or Red 'Oss through the town with 50 strong accordian and drum bands.

In the centre of the town is this enormous Maypole - the whole place is decorated with tree branches and bunches of wild flowers - it looks wonderful!

One of our favourite places further up the north coast is the village of Boscastle which some of you may remember was devastated in the horrific floods of 2004. Thankfully it was rebuilt and reclaimed and is again looking beautiful and thriving and we visited after a lovely jaunt across Bodmin Moor. We walked through the Valency Valley alongside the river that had swollen and rushed through to the sea causing such catastrophic damage. It looked peaceful and pretty again and we walked along the path, walked many decades before, by the author Thomas Hardy and his Emma.

The habour - low tide - looking towards the village

Towards the Atlantic

The Valency Valley

I'm rambling on now looking back at my photographs........think I'd best leave The Eden Project and Trebah for another time!!

Thank you for looking
Robin