Indoor Gardening - the miniature greenhouse

The weather has turned decidedly chilly and damp and now our clocks have changed so that Autumn has really arrived - and maybe winter. It's curtailing outside gardening so it's time to move inside and pick up my miniatures again and make a start on the little greenhouse I mentioned before.

The fact that it has been abandoned in garages and sheds for the last couple of decades means, to my delight, that it has acquired a genuine patina of age so a minimum of 'distressing' will be necessary I think.
I've glazed the windows using acrylic packaging material and hung the doors.

We used a little old glass and brass terrarium for the inspiration and measurements and this had a mirrored back wall, which obviously won't work now. Back in the day I had different plans and my clever other half who built it for me also cut a mirror for the back.....I can't decide if I can use it for something else, or if I should just bin it.....

Anyway the lean-to greenhouse needs an old stone wall so I cut pieces of mountboard and polystyrene pizza packaging to shape and glued them together. Using a paper shaping tool it's quick and easy to 'sculpt' a stone wall which will take acrylic paint really well. I gave it a light stone base colour then gradually built up paint layers in various tones - it might get another tweaking later.
I would really have liked to cut and glue card to the wooden floor for flagstones, but there's just not enough clearance on the doors and there was no way I was going to mess with them! I think the painted flags look O.K.ish, but again nothing is finished until it's finished!!

So there we go...I've made a start. Although I've got shelf supports and shelves I'm avoiding doing anything with them until I have enough plants to go on them and I can see where to fix them to the wall  - this may take a while.
Actually this will take ages I expect!! I am determined to make a good number of plants of my own from scratch, although I'll no doubt be tempted by Georgie Steeds's (The Miniature Garden Centre) great paper kits and have once again already succumbed to another fabulous plant from Jan Southerton, The Flower Lady.

Georgie and Jan can be confident that I'm NO competition.
Jan was at a new fair in Burford last weekend organised by Little Priory Fairs. They are also hosting The Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair on February 17th 2018  - I wish them well.

Thank you for looking
Robin

Treasures from Miniatura

Visiting a Dolls House and Miniatures Fair is always exciting isn't?  It's the thought of the as yet unseen treaures and the inspiration provided by exceptional artists ....and a little retail therapy is always fun!

Miniatura at Birmingham NEC a couple of weekends ago did all of the above.  In the last blog I featured the lovely Begonia Rex plant created by Jan Southerton, The Flower Lady and now I'll show you the other little treasures I purchased.  All the items are 1/12th scale.

Karen Cunningham's stand was a feast and it was difficult to choose just a few toys I suddenly decided I needed for for a project that has been only an idea up to now...... the little vehicles are by Klaas Schultz.

I actually went to the show with only two small purchases planned - some shelf  brackets for the greenhouse and a beautiful stoneware bottle from Elisabeth Causeret I'd seen at KDF but stupidly didn't buy. I was SO pleased to see her there and chose a splendid lidded cook pot to go with the bottle which has a wonderful textured glaze just like the full size version in my home. Both will be for an aged old dresser when I get around to it.

Victoria Fasken's work enchants me every time I see it and I'm completely blown away by her exquisite and delicate painting.
The decorated 'china' looks completely authentic, the detail she achieves is unsurpassed - the longer we looked and chatted the more I was drawn to this perfect little bowl - no I don't need it. But I just have to have it!!!
 

It's the unexpected treasure or the light bulb moment inspired by the artistry of top miniaturists that makes such shows special and hopefully encourages new miniature makers to be the very best they can and not settle for O.K.

Thank you for looking
Robin

Back in the Workshop

As I've mentioned before we've been having a clear up, and miniature items and supplies that are longer needed now that we've retired have been found new homes, or put to one side for 'another day'.
Buried in the workshop was the beginnings of the small greenhouse that my clever other half made many years ago.

It doesn't look very exciting at the moment, but there are doors somewhere which is something and I'm planning....
It also has a mirrored back which doesn't work for my ideas now - but I won't throw it away - you never know!

Last weekend a friend and I headed for Miniatura and I definitely had the greenhouse in mind so bought rather nice Victorian-style shelf supports and a simply gorgeous Begonia Rex from Jan, The Flower Lady to start me off.

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That wasn't the limit of my spending and I'll take some pictures and show you another time. It was a lovely outing - such fun to have time to catch up with old friends and admire their wonderful work.  It was, I must say, made more exciting by news of the arrival of my friend Celia's new Grandson - much happiness all round.

My clever other half has in fact been back in the workshop restoring a full-size chair.  We love chairs...have restored lots...have toooooo many...and still can't resist them. We don't need ANY more.

Long story....short version....
Local pub is closing down and changing hands.......and chucking out 'stuff'.... old, old pub chair.

How can he resist????

And here it is. Isn't it lovely??
Needless to say it has swiftly found a new home with a member of the family.

Thank you for looking
Robin