Circling the Magic

I remembered the wonderful word 'Widdershins' - archaic and magical and associated with witches - and thought it was a great 'title' for this trio of witches climbing and circling the magical spiral branches.  Then I looked it up and realised that is meant anticlockwise, against the sun......Whoops, they're all going the other way!

As you can see I've settled for the rather less exciting 'Circling the Magic'....I just knew someone would spot the bloomer.  The idea for the little group came to me many months ago when I found the super bleached root that had grown naturally in this brilliant circlar manner. Finally I got around to making the 1/48th scale witches and their tame raven and set it all on a grassy mound. Of course the witches each carry a  magic crystal or metal sphere as they climb to begin their ritual.......maybe it's a spell for an early Spring and lovely Summer?

Like 'Hollow-tree'  pictured on my previous Blog, this is also a 'one and only' (after all how many cicular bleached roots can I find?) and will be for sale on our Coombe Crafts stand at the exciting and prestigious, artisan only Thame Dolls House and Miniatures Fair, here in Thame on Saturday 23rd February.
Click on the link for all the Fair details including the full list of artisans, fabulous Raffle and Sales Table raising funds once more for Breast Cancer Campaign.

Celia Thomas is collecting up an amazing array of the generously donated Raffle prizes and features them on her  KTMiniatures Blog as they come in - a tiny exquisite Tower House doll by Sandra Morris and a beautiful watercolour by Dave Williams of Harvington Miniatures are just two of the latest.

Phew....just finished some new characters in 1/24th scale....1/12th next week....only two weeks till Fair day!

For the gardeners amongst us - a lovely patch of Hellebores surrounded by the marbled leaves of cyclamen and arum.

Thank you for looking.
Robin

Hollow-tree....and Signs of Spring

Apparently we're halfway through Winter, or to put it more optimistically...halfway to Spring. In a break from dressing some new characters I had a wander round my garden this morning in the sun - yes just for a bit, real sun.

I had hoped to find a few snowdrops to pick, but it seemed a shame, so I left them to open and took the camera instead to capture a few spring pictures.

The Viburnum Bonantense looks and smells wonderful and I've Hellebores in  many different shades about to open properly.

Sadly the slugs have also sensed fresh flowers about and they've ravaged patches of the delicate Iris Reticulata Katharine Hodgkin - my absolute favourite - I felt quite murderous....don't slugs EVER sleep?
I've also found some beautiful toadstools, which I find very fascinating.

The toadstool picture leads me neatly on to Hollow-tree, which is a quirky cross between a naturalistic piece in 1/12th scale and if you turn it around it's a 1/48th scale dwelling......I can't really call it a cottage can I?

Along with a couple of new 1/48th scale cottages, Hollow-tree was one of the new miniatures I completed while I was waiting for my wrist to be strong enough for sculpting in the weeks around Christmas. 
I've been dithering about keeping it as it is a 'one and only', but I've decided it will go on our Coombe Crafts stand at The Thame Dolls House and Miniature Fair later in the month. Creating something like this that reflects my love of nature and wild things has given me huge pleasure and I'd like to do more when there is time......never enough is there?

The old hollow tree is mossy and crumbling...a woodpecker is pecking away at the bark and a squirrel runs down from a branch to see what the rabbits are up to. The soft green bank and ferns shelter little violets and ivy is beginning to take over - all in 1/12th scale. Inside the hollow trunk I've created two tiny rooms and a look-out linked by a fixed ladder and a 'rope' ladder made from twigs.  While I think my 1/48th characters would feel very at home living there, I can also imagine it being home to a family of little animals or fairy folk.
If you click on the images you'll see more detail. 

Thank you for looking and for kind comments, and a warm welcome to new Followers over the last few weeks.
Robin

Reminding Me Of 'The Borrowers'.......

Did you read The Borrowers by Mary Norton when you were younger -  the lovely adventures of a tiny 4inch tall family who lived in the walls and between the floors of an old house and 'borrowed' useful things from the 'human beans' who lived there?  I loved the stories and read them to my children.

Pod, Homily and Arrietty had to overcome all sorts of threats to survive - one being the family cat, who would have loved nothing better than to gobble them up!! I was reminded of the stories this morning when I sat down at my bench to get back to work on my 1/24th scale characters. It looked very much as I'd left it last night, although I couldn't find one of my favourite sculpting tools, actually just an old knitting needle.
Worse, was that a newly dressed gent had gone missing too.......right on cue, Sam our lovely black cat wandered up, dived under the bench to have another play with the knitting needle and harrass the unusual mouse in the red check shirt! No he's not very bright......fortunately the little gent is unharmed. Phew!

Talking of books - Larkrise to Candleford is another favourite - and this lovely Victorian print, shabby frame and all, reminds me of those villages, which actually aren't many miles from where I live. The picture hung on my Grandparents' wall, was relegated to their attic and retrieved decades later to hang on ours. For a few years it's been on another family wall and now, in need of a little TLC it has come home again....just need to find a spare bit of wall - not easy in our house...

Thank you for looking
Robin

We've Been Planting Flowers in the Snow!!

What could be better when the snow is thick on the ground than thinking about spring and summer, warm nostalgic days bathed in sunshine...and a spot of miniature gardening....

Wearing our Nostalgia in Miniature hats, Celia and I have been doing just that, clothing our miniature arbour in flowering, climbing plants and working on our shabby chic furniture that will set the scene for this gentle and atmospheric little vignette of earlier times.

We live in the same town and enjoy our private 'workshops' as we create and refine our projects and fantasize about future ones...however...snow has stopped play, so the arbour is at my house, and the furniture 'up the road'! It'll be a few days until we can reunite the two, add accessories and take some more photos.
 So - click quickly onto Celia's KTMiniature Blog for the furniture pictures and updates and onto our Nostalgia in Miniature website for all the details of how to book for the latest workshop.  It isn't until April 7th...and it is at the wonderful, prestigious Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire but over half the places are already filled.

It occurs to me as I sort out the pictures to use, just how versatile we try and make our projects and how exciting it is to see how each one evolves, bearing the very individual touches of its maker, when we get the the actual workshops.  All our projects are designed to be suitable and as much fun for the very new miniaturist as for the more experienced......not to mention the fact that we are a friendly bunch.

Light bulb moment......wouldn't this dainty arbour be a perfect setting for a bridal scene?

So - it's snowing again and I can imagine our non-U.K. friends chuckling at our preoccupation with it, and the (annual) inability of the Brits to cope.....still is looks beautiful (we don't have to drive anywhere for a few days) and seems to bring out the cheeriest side of folks.
Our family were brought up in a hilly village so the first hint of snow gets them very excited and sends them all out making snowmen and sledging (they let their children join in too).

One left us this message as he dropped in with his daughter to see if she could have our snow and roll it up the road in a LARGE ball (don't go there...) but her Uncle had already turned it into half a snow man........ and the lawn had reappeared....

In the meantime!!!!!!!!!! In readiness for Thame Fair - at last, and not as many as hoped yet - 1/48th characters....moving on, 1/24th are next.....

Thank you for looking
Robin

....Works in Progress

I must admit that I am rather fond of photos that make it look as if I'm working.....well I am, and it also saves a heck of a lot of time setting up and staging when time is short..... so, herewith, works in progress!


With the back end of last year being just a bit disastrous, we're ploughing away trying to catch up with stock (we have a fair towards to end of Feb.) and also fulfill orders for REALLY patient customers.

The carpentry half of Coombe Crafts has been driven in from the workshop (shed) by the extreme cold and has taken up residence in our conservatory - handy for the kettle and a good deal warmer!!
This lovely 1/48th scale four-poster bed is nearly ready for a polish.

Meanwhile I've been concentrating for the last week on tiny dolls in the same scale - they're needed for both the fair and the aforesaid patient customers.....

And...with my Nostalgia in Miniature hat on, I'm having fun with climbing plants and Arbours - or do I mean Pergolas -  while Celia is immersed in shabby chic pre-war garden furniture. Our pictures will be up on the blog as soon as we've put it all together. We still have some places on our next Workshop at the wonderful Waterperry Gardens on Sunday 7th April.  All the details are on our website.  

Thank you for looking - and welcome to new Followers, who I can see are really talented ladies. I'll catch up with Blogs 'anon'.
Robin

Back to Work.... first a tiny cottage.....

During the Christmas and New Year break - having filled up on chocolate and abandoned the T.V. as mostly not for me - I had fun catching up on my mini cottage building.  There never seems much time for this sadly so I classify them  as 'me time' projects.

You probably won't be too surprised to see that it's another little 1/48th scale round house inspired by the Trist houses in Veryan in Cornwall, which I love. It's probably the most 'authentic' of the ones I have made as it features a cross on the roof just like originals when they were built.  Rev. Trist the Vicar who organised their building was  making a statement to anyone tempted to stray from his church as well as having them contructed in the round form so the devil  had no corners to hide in!  Well...so the legend goes.

St. Issey - 1/48th scale cottage

The cottage has a lift-off thatched roof for ease of access and the two rooms measure approximately 5ins. high - the roof adds about 3 ins.  Please email me if you'd like further details. I'm afraid as this one does incorporate some natural dried plant material it is only for sale in U.K. and will be on our stand at The Thame Fair in February unless it is sold before.

St. Issey - Interior

It's chilly and wet outside in the garden so it's cheery to see my orchids opening in the conseratory. This one is very glamorous I think. Now it's back to the 'day job' and I'm working on dolls again.

Thank you for looking
Robin

Welcome to 2013!!

TO WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

May I wish you all, everything that you wish for yorselves....happiness, good health, peace - and maybe a little prosperity too.

In 2012 we had some highs and lovely times, but rather too many difficult days - so many friends had just such a year too -  so my wish, and for you all too,  are for peaceful and happy days - even boring will be fine!!

Thank you for popping in last year - I hope you'll pop in again in this New Year.
Very best wishes
Robin 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE !!!

It's that nostalgic, sentimental, joyous time of trimming the tree, baking the mince pies, nativity plays and  carols and remembering old friends and those we miss.....

I'd like to thank everyone who has been kind enough to pop in and follow my ramblings this year, my lovely, lovely customers and the fabulous ladies that have given us such enjoyment and support at our workshops.

If there are children around, the magic of Christmas is very special...somehow it never quite seems the same when Father Christmas is forgotten and becomes a childhood fairy tale....
We all look back at the passing year and hope for 'better things'. Like many, many others, this has been a year of mixed blessings and some tough times for us. For those who will not have the Christmas they would have wanted....hopeful thoughts for some peace and kindness in your lives in the coming year.

Very best wishes to you and yours. ......and I do thank you for looking.......

Robin 

We Have Wheels!!

Every now again lovely commissions come our way, which for one reason or another, require the talents of more than one miniature maker........

If you've been following my ramblings this year you'll perhaps remember the extended 1/12th family I created for Susan in Australia - a lovely lady loaded with talents of her own....not to mention her ability to paint a 'character' in words so that creating her 'family' became more of a pleasure than 'work'.

Although he was delivered many weeks ago, one of those characters has remained under wraps until now - because he needed transport. To be precise he needed a a wheelchair - way beyond my capabilities (even when dreaming).  However Susan knew just the lady to ask and now Gill has delivered the most wonderful wheelchair and it is perfect for 'Graff'. Wonderful!!

So we've all been unveiling.....do take a look at the pictures on Susan's Blog, and also check out her wonderful mini-crochet, and even more pictures of the wonderful wheelchair on Gill's and her amazing prams and other super miniatures.  My thanks to Susan for the photograhs I've used here.

I've now managed to take a half way reasonable photograph of the remaining 1/48th characters completed recently. It's quite a mixed bunch, and like all my dolls, these are individually sculpted and are fully poseable.

Thanks for Looking
Robin 

Back to the Little People

I had this plan - one of several that have fallen by the pre-Christmas wayside - to sculpt and create a  HUGE batch of the tiny people in 1/48th scale.  Dismally failed!!! Not enough hours in the day are there right now?

I did manage to finish just a few little folk  before the wrist/hand decided to inflict pain again. These have now gone, or are on their way to new homes, courtesy I hope of the P.O.who must be making a fortune out of us 'small' makers.....30gm costs anything from 90p to £2.70 depending how fat the packet is!!! Grrr!!

I reckon these two cheery folk are off to face some wintry weather to judge by the big woolies, 'ats'n gloves!

Missus looks a bit peeved - probably all down to the less than brilliant photo I've taken of her, or the fact that she's got to help her hubby shift those sacks of flour!!

There will be more to show...but it's too dark now for even a reasonable chance at photographing them. At the best of times I don't think 1/48th scale photographs well, as no detail should be viewed larger than life size.  Never mind - if you'd like to see them for real come along to The Thames Dolls House and Miniature Fair on Saturday 23rd February, at The Leisure Centre, Thame, Oxfordshire.  It's always a fabulous, artisan only fair, and we love it.
All the details are on the website together with pictures from the makers and all the wonderful raffle prizes that are already coming in to raise funds for Breast Cancer Campaign.

And finally...I can't be the only one who hangs onto ancient/kitsch/naff/plain fun,  Christmas decorations........here's one of my string of illuminated sheep........

 

Welcome also to new Followers - hope you enjoy both the miniatures and my ramblings.
Thanks for looking
Robin