MitchyMooMiniatures

The boys are back in town

2012-02-26T17:07:00.004+01:00

Over the last couple of weeks I received two gift parcels. One, a swap from the fabulous Snowfern Clover, the second, a gift from the just-as-fabulous Modern MC. I consider myself blessed. I've never met either of these Ladies and yet they are kind enough to make/buy things for me. My Husband often accuses me of being too optimistic...always thinking the best of people. He is Mr Cynical incarnate. I smiled, smug and reassured in my unswerving belief in the goodness of all people and showed him my gifts. Thank you both, to all of you lovely people out there who prove Mr Cynical wrong on a daily basis *grins*

One of the many gifts from Modern MC was a C2B chair. I decided to design a simple, symmetrical desk to compliment it

I don't know why but the chair made me think 'masculine' and was the inspiration for the rest of the room.

The artwork above the desk, (Alexander Calder), was another Modern MC gift and the inspiration behind the wire sculpture on the desk. I thought (wrongly), that wire sculpture in miniature would be easy. bwahaha! Easier said than done more like.

I was thinking 'rampant bull' when I started it. It ended up more 'playful and malnourished puppy' at the end.

I don't know why I thought black sofa = masculine either. Too much misspent youth in the company of motorcyclists wearing black leather I suppose. Ahhhh, the good ole days!

Amongst other things I asked Snowfern if she could make food that someone had started to eat. I like the idea that the homeowner is enjoying a good meal (unlike skinny puppy sculpture). I think...actually I know that the first item caused Snowfern a fair bit of trouble. But she persevered, bless her. Isn't it fabulous?

There's a scoop out of the custard and cream, (sorry my photography does not do it justice), which is so apt in my house. I HATE jelly with a passion and always eat the top two layers and leave the (ugh) jelly for someone else to dispose of. You can't really appreciate how finely Snowfern's work is without holding it in your hand.

I swear you imagine the smell of freshly baked cookies when you take these out of the packet.

Thank you so much Snowfern and Modern MC.

Have a great day
Pepper =0)

Credits: Throw cushions by Annina, Tennis bag by De Bezzzige Bijen , boots by Patrizia Santi, storage boxes by Moma store, blue bottle by Ray Storey, Hydranga kit by Templewood Miniatures, all other items made by me.

Modded to add

Thanks to Sandra for the question and reminding me that this blog is supposed to be a 'how to' *face plam*

So to make teeny elastic bands ~ get some coloured heat shrink tube, (some suppliers call it cable sleeving). It costs pennies.

Simply cut slices with a sharp craft knife/blade. Then you can chuck a few in a stationary container on a desk or put it around rolled paper =0)

Please let me know if there's anything else in my posts that you want a 'how to' on. I'm getting old...mind wanders...oo shiny stuff... =0)

Tools

2012-02-17T10:57:00.000+01:00

A few people have asked me about the tools I use and where I buy my materials so I'm going to try to cover the basics without sending anyone into a deep coma. I apologise in advance...there's no miniature goodness to be seen here.
If, like me, you became quickly disenchanted with what mainstream dollhouse suppliers laughably describe as scale miniatures, you may have decided to try your hand at making your own. Apart from the immense feeling of satisfaction you get from making something with your own hands, you also have the option of designing something unique and personal to your own style.

Okay so tools. The most expensive item I own is a Proxxon FET table saw.

If you don't intend to take this up as a serious hobby or sell your designs then this cost is going to be hard to justify. You're currently looking at £250 pounds upwards for the saw plus the cost of replacement blades (£20-£50). There are a few companies that specialise in table top saws, so shop around.
Hand saws are the cheaper alternative. This is a 'Gentlemen's' or hobbyist saw. The blade and teeth are much finer than a full size tenon saw.

Obviously the downside to the hand saw is that you will have to invest in a mitre block to cut any mitre angles.

Unfortunately the cut, no matter how careful you are, will never be as precise as that done by an electric saw.

I also have a bench pin and piercing saw to cut anything other than a straight edge

(such as the circular cut-out shape I made in these doors)

A set square is a must. Most, if not all of your work will involve 90° angles. This is an engineers set square, made of steel and is machined at a perfect right angle.

A good quality ruler is also a must. You will have seen this phrase countless times on countless blogs because it is critical to good work.'measure twice, cut once'
If you want to buy a digital micrometer as a measuring device, then fill your boots.

I've never used one since my eyesight and metal rule seem to be doing the job.

The following items I would suggest only if you are working with metal. These are jewellery pliers and needle files for bending and shaping metal. You can normally buy these as a set.

I use a push drill for making pilot holes for handles and hinges. Alternatively you can use a scalpel blade to hold the drill bit as is perfectly demonstrated by the lovely Otterine

Even though I have an electric rotary tool (dremmel is another brand name), I tend to use it more for metal polishing than anything else.

It's not a necessity. Don't get caught up in the 'I need this to make good miniatures' mentality. Sure, good tools do help but they can't replace technique and practise.

Apart from the items I've mentioned above there are smaller, expendable items that you may already have around the house. Tweezers, craft knife, wood glue, sandpaper, masking tape clamps...
Oo, yes clamps. I know people swear by these gluing jigs and they do the job perfectly well

It's personal preference...I use a selection of quick clamps for my work *shrugs* It's up to you

So that just about covers the basic tools.

Materials
As you may already know I'm a recycling maniac who tries to transform anything I can into miniature. Wood is about the only material that I have to buy and there is a distinct lack of outlets for the sort of wood you will need. Typical lumber yards don't finish the wood surface to a high standard. If you go down this avenue, prepare your self for a lot of sanding =0(

wood supplies is a UK based miniature wood supply specialist. Their wood is of an extremely high standard and perfectly finished. Problem is they only sell at miniature fairs or via post if you submit an order form.
Original Marquetry is another UK based wood supplier. Their wood sawn veneers (1mm-3mm) are exceptional. Great range of fine woods (pear/box/ebony/kingswood) and if your making something fancy, they also sell pre-prepared marquetry inlays
Knife scales are paired wood pieces used for making the handles of buck/hunting knives. I've included this because every so often you find unusual pieces in a thickness that could be used for miniature tables and worktops. The wood won't be finished very finely (normally just wood sawn without sanding) but they can make for interesting designs
4D modelshop also a UK based store. Model shops tend to stock only walnut, mahogany, Obeche, Bass, Spruce and Ply.

I realise that the suppliers listed are UK based. This is because I've had personal experience with them all and recommend them to anyone interested in buying wood for miniature furniture making. I'm sure similar companies exist in your respective countries...just a case of Googling =0)

Metal sheet, plastic, acrylic etc can be found in any number of hobby stores and online.

One last thing and I guarantee this will save you money. There is a well known phrase used where I live in the North East of England and that is 'Shy Bairns get nowt'! In other words, shy children don't get anything if they don't ask. Don't be afraid to ask for samples, off-cuts etc. I was recently chatting to a bespoke furniture maker about the cloth he used in his designs. Next day, two bags of fabric landed on my doorstep...excess fabric from the templates that the furniture maker used and fabric that was destined for the rubbish tip. Recycling at it's best =0)

Dull stuff over with, I promise some miniature eye candy very soon

Have a great day
Pepper =0)

Something new

2012-02-06T23:17:00.000+01:00

Today I had one of those days that threw up more questions than answers. Like, what happens to the prototype miniatures that furniture designers make?

Whilst perusing one of my favourite sources of inspiration I happened across an article about two modern furniture designers, Jurgen Laub and Markus Jehs. The first thing I notice from the article is the picture of of them both working on their designs in miniature. When the designs go to full scale production, do the models just sit on a shelf somewhere? Am I missing out on a secret auction site that only the insanely rich and famous are privy to or is this just me being overly optimistic about another avenue for buying modern miniatures? Inquiring minds need to know...

Elle Decoration used a mini room as an illustration this month. I actually squeeed a little, thinking that Elle were following trend, launching a modern miniature challenge that would inevitably attract more people to the hobby. Sadly the article wasn't at all miniature related.

Nevermind.

I managed to get a new idea from scribble to reality today. It's rare for me to make something in one go but this had niggled for so long that something had to give.

The cupboard is made from Rosewood with opaque plastic inserts to mimic frosted glass. The reason for the 'glass' is so you get a hint of what's contained within when the lights are on...

The doors don't open, purely to hide the led light strip and wiring (which is tucked against the top panel). However there's a false back that is removable so you can place something inside if you wanted to give it that 'display cabinet' type of look. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Even happier that it's finished and ticked off the 'attempt' list.

Have a great day/evening/morning *delete according to applicable time zone

Pepper =0)

2012-01-31T21:39:00.000+01:00

On the first of January 2012, heavily influenced by ~~several~~ a few celebratory New Year drinks, I made a list of what can only be described as optimistic resolutions.

1. Partake in a healthier life style ~ So far this has been accomplished by watching joggers from the comfort of my car and sympathising with them
2. Learn to use a camera properly ~ My best, soon-to-be-ex mate convinced me to join A photo a day for a year group on Flickr with the delusional idea that this would improve my limited ability. This seemed a good idea given that practice apparently makes perfect and that miniatures demand good photography in order to show them at their best. I offer my apologies to anyone who is privy to my photo stream. They tend not to be of miniatures =0/
3. Spend less time at work ~ I am committed to this resolution however my boss does not share my enthusiasm
4. Spend one hour a day catching up with everyone's blogs ~ Sooooo isn't happening
5. Last, but not least Make one miniature a week ~ this has been extended to include 'make or purchase a miniature a week' I am happy to say this is on schedule and after the Spring Miniatura, I should be three months ahead =D

So enough of broken resolutions.

This is part of a swap package for Snowfern It's okay, she's already seen it so no spoiler alert necessary. I still can't get to grips with the distortion you get with a camera lens, so the vertical parts always seem to bow even though they aren't. Dangnabbit! Any ideas?
There are two silver charm bracelet charms in the picture from my 'purchase a week' resolution. The link for the bracelet is easy enough to grind away but since the silver oxidizes over time, I'm expecting they will be a pain to keep clean.

My next 'purchase a week' was a scale replica building from Finch and Fouracre They have an Etsy shop if you follow the link. This building is a Scottish tenement and is perfectly formed. They're sent out flat and in kit form so you need to follow the included instructions to fold the aluminium into shape. So cute!

Last year, the fabulous Shopping Sherpa sent me a miniature knitted pouffe which I had long envied. Despite the fact that I do not speak fluent knit, I decided to try my hand at making one. I can just about knit...nothing so fancy as cable stitch you understand, but I thought it was doable. I knitted a rectangle, 24 rows long, 20 stitches wide with size 2 1/2 needles. I think the trick to these is stuffing them outwards so they look dumpy rather than cylindrical.

Lo and behold, in my long absence from blog land I discovered Margaret_Loves had not only started a blog but had also discovered a fabulous knitted pouffe of her own *yay*. Margaret_Loves is another cool modern miniature maker so have a mosey on over to her blog for some more mini eye candy.

Okay, short post but it's a start. I'll be playing catchup-blog tomorrow so get the kettle on, I'll bring the cookies =0)

Goodwill to all men...

2011-12-24T14:11:00.003+01:00

Wishing you all much love, peace and happiness for 2012

Credits: Foreground picture and knitted pouffe~Shopping Sherpa, rug and cushions~Annina, Miniio House (Thank you Modern MC)

Just a quickie

2011-12-20T21:08:00.000+01:00

This is just a quick post that may help anyone wanting to make IKEA style furniture. Recently, I finished a swap piece for the lovely Tam Toum She wanted the Ikea Stockholm Cabinet reproduced in 12th scale. After stalking my local IKEA store for an hour armed with a measuring tape, the staff persuaded me to leave ha! I'm one of those people who needs to know the far end of a fart before I can make anything. I want to open/close/disassemble/poke and prod something so that I know how the 1:1 scale version is put together. This may be old news for most, but IKEA have a site listing the assembly instructions for all of their furniture.

Once you have the overall size, you can pretty much gauge the size of each component. Plus it saves being escorted off the premises by their burly yet charming staff ;0) *kidding*

Anyway, this is the cabinet I made for Tam Toum

I'm sure she will post pictures of the other items I sent her via her blog Miniature Stuff, when she's completed her cool new project =0)

Til next time
Pepper x

ModFire

2011-12-18T22:22:00.000+01:00

Brandon Williams, the smarty-pants artist behind the gorgeous ModFire , has caused more than a little bit of a stir in the modern design world. News of his sleek fireplace has quickly filtered down the miniature grape vine thanks to the ever vigilant and style savvy Modern Mc
Unfortunately for us, these beautiful creations are only available to buy (via the link) in life-size proportions. Dangnabbit Brandon, say after me 'I must make 12th scale prototypes of everything I design in the future'! =0D

Well why shouldn't our mini homes be bang-up-to-date-slap-you-in-the-face-contemporary huh? I've made a tutorial on how to make your own 12th scale version. The following isn't the law on 'how to'. It's how I managed to replicate the ModFire but please feel free to put your stamp on the idea.

For the purpose of this tutorial I have made the ModFire out of 0.5mm aluminium sheet. There's no reason, no reason at all why you can't make this out of stiff card stock. The idea and technique are pretty much the same.

Start with one template. (click to open full size and then right clicky, save)

This is sized for 12th scale and should be printed out on the A4 setting (do not scale to fit media)

If you're making it out of card stock, print directly onto your chosen card. If you're making an aluminium type, you need to print out onto a stiff card, cut out the template and then transfer the image onto the aluminium sheet. Note there are two tabs on one side of the template. This is the overlap so that you can hold the cone shape in place with adhesive

The hole is pretty rough. I'm going to plead 'rushing like a mad woman' as an excuse but obviously you should take far more care of your own version =0/ The hole can be cut with a 3mm metal drill bit. Aluminium this thin is easily cut with a pair of scissors. It just takes a bit of patience and a little bit of sanding with 320 grit sandpaper to clean up the edges. Make sure you do all the prettying up whilst the sheet is flat. Once you've formed the shape, the edge cleaning etc becomes a veritable pain.

If you are intending to paint the ModFire (aluminium version), you need to gently scuff the surface so that the primer and paint stick. Paint has an aversion to holding onto smooth aluminium so 'keying' the surface gives the primer something to hold onto. Use a 320 grit sandpaper to scuff the surface.

Now the fun bit. Whether you are using aluminium or card stock, the principle is the same. Use a smooth tube to shape the material into a cone. If you have a ring sizer or similar, this will be a breeze. If not, the shape takes a bit of cajoling. Just keep rolling the aluminium in between hand and 'former' until the whole thing easily meets along the seam. When it's formed correctly, everything will line up perfectly. The two holes to the front and back of the ModFire will mirror each other. Its preferable to use a former slightly smaller than the circumference of the top of the ModFire. Keep rolling, rolling, rolling

When the seams meet erm...seamlessly =0} stick the tabs inside with a resin based glue (Araldite or similar) and clamp until it is dry. Yeah I know, I've used double sided sticky tape but hey, mad woman rushing and all that...

The fire basket is simply half of a plastic ball. (Ping pong or similar) Feed a ball into the base to check for size and then use a blob of blu-tack to hold it whilst you saw it in half

Clean the edge of the half of the ball with 320 grit sandpaper so it is smooth. If you're making a card version, you need to paint the ball half before you glue it into place, With the aluminium version, use the resin based glue to stick the half ball into the base of the ModFire. Take some time to make sure the ball is sitting evenly in place. Leave to set

For the aluminium version, give the whole thing an even coat of metal primer. Once dry, you can coat with your desired choice of paint.

TIP: when using spray paint, use multiple sweeping motions with the spray can and build up the layers. Don't try to cover it in one go. Chances are you'll get a run in the paint which is almost impossible to remove 0-o

Finished article

Til next time, have a great day
Pepper x

Bit of this and that

2011-11-14T20:57:00.000+01:00

This post is a little bitter~sweet =0/ You remember in my last post I mentioned that I had sorta pushed Modern MC into a swap? All was going well. The parcel left Ole Blighty on a dismal Wednesday morning and had landed in sunny US of A by Friday. Yay for express DHL. Long story short, the parcel and all its contents never made it to Modern MC, or did and was stolen by a decidedly nasty character. I don't seem to have much luck with couriers...Royal Mail are off my Christmas Card list after rattling the life out of a gift sent to Fragments Of Bean. Now this. (If only I could fashion a miniature holdall for a carrier pigeon my problems would be solved ha!)

To make matters worse, a fabulous gift arrived from Modern MC the following Wednesday *lip wibble*

I can't thank her enough for what I think is one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received. A 1/6th Miniio house and terrace!

I don't have any modern settings for the miniatures I make so this is like a blank canvass for me. Huge amounts of space and light, the potential for a second story, thus making it into 12th scale and it is the easiest thing I've ever put together. I.LOVE.IT!

So, initial disappointment aside, swap parcel number two is currently underway. I cannot accept that my dear friend will lose out. Nuh-hu *shakes head adamantly*

In between this and trying to get a swap made for Tam Toum, I've been looking at Christmas decorations and wondering how I can incorporate them into something miniature (don't we all?) This has got to be the easy-peasiest three-in-one lamp tutorial EVER.

Step 1: Take a bunch of Christmas baubles. Any shape, any size but they MUST be the plastic ones and not glass.

Step 2: Use a blob of blu-tack or similar to hold the bauble whilst cutting the end off (the end that has the wire/string), with a saw.Use some 320 grit sand paper to take off the rough edges.

Step 3: Get a piece of wire (preferably chromed). I used a piece of wire from an egg whisk that I bought for 50pence at the market (and promptly pulled to bits =0)

Bend the wire with flat nose pliers into a sorta 45 degree angle. The angle isn't hugely important at this stage.

Step 4: Bend the ends upright and then again so you have something similar to the picture below.

Step 5: For this table lamp, make a small hole in the back of the bauble, (for the light cable), and a few millimeters from either side (for the frame)

If the frame isn't quite wide enough to take the bauble then open up the angle of the frame to accommodate. Feed the wire through the hole in the back and ta-da...a directional table lamp.

Okay, so I said 'three-in-one' lamp. =0) If you want a pendant lamp, instead of making three holes, just make one hole at the back of the bauble and run the light cable through it

Ta-da again. Number two lamp.

If you want a snazzy floor standing lamp with one of those elegantly curved stands, make only one hole in the back of the bauble. Run the wire through and then feed it down some aluminium tubing (diameter dependent on the size of your wire) It helps to gently straighten the wire out before you try getting it through the tube. Once the wire is all the way through you can bend the tube over something round (a rolling pin or something like that) and it won't kink (because the wire is filling the vacant space inside)

Ta-dee-da-dee-da. Three in one lamp for less than a fiver. And the great thing about the Christmas baubles are they're cheap, come in a nation of colours and have a coating on them so they already look modern.

Before I go and just to give you a giggle, below is a very short stop motion animation I made ages ago in my miniature pub. It was one of those 'I want to see if I can do it' sorta things. Anyway. Given that 'Breaking Dawn' is just about to hit the screens in Ole Blighty AND because I was witness to a hilarious argument between an Edward Cullen (of Twilight fame) fan and a Spikey (of Buffy the vampire slayer fame) fan, I just had to do it.

Sorry the full screen version is a bit grainy. Must work on a high definition version.

Toodle pip for now. Have a great week wherever you are

Pepper =0)

Its been a funny old day

2011-11-04T19:27:00.000+01:00

I've had a productive day today. It started with the hand over of Mrs B's victorian-esque dollhouse.

In early July this year, Mrs B asked if I could decorate a dollhouse that she had bought a decade earlier for her two daughters. Having been given two blurry phone images of the house, I hadn't quite understood the task I was taking on.

The house had been built by a DIY-er, in MDF with nothing more than a handful of panel pins holding it together O-o Some of the window casements had been damaged, the doors split and all of the windows where covered in the horrible glue that comes from being held in place for many years with cellotape. I'm not sure whether it was Mrs B's heartfelt pleading for help or blind determination that kept me going. Probably a mixture of both

Fast forward three months and I'm pleased to say the house is finished...well decorated and ready for the new inhabitants to move into.

I decided to install a Chrysnbon bathroom kit and put in a few bits of furniture to give Mrs B an idea of what could be achieved with a little patience. After much hugging Mrs B reported that she was thrilled! *phew*

After waving goodbye to Chez B, I pondered what it is that I love so much about making miniatures for people. It's not for money...since I've never sold my work. Like anyone, I like to get a pat on the back for my efforts. But that isn't it exactly. I think it is the look on someone's face when they see what you've done for them. That almost childlike, post-Christmas excitement of receiving a thoughtful gift.

The second half of the day was spent eagerly tracking a parcel across the Atlantic towards America. A few months ago I ~~cajoled~~ persuaded the fabulous Modern MC into a swap. I adore her blog and the fact that she inspires me daily with her fabulously cool mini scenes. If you are unfortunate enough to have never stumbled across it, please click on the 'cool blogs to visit' links to the right of this post. There are some wonderfully talented people out there...Modern MC being one of them. I'm sure she will post pictures of the designs when the parcel arrives (God willing, in one piece)

I have one more 'swap' to make before I hang up my mini tools and get ready for the Holiday Season. Time flies doesn't it?

I'm taking a few days off from work now to potter around the countryside. Maybe head up to Scotland before the winter weather kicks in.

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, have a great weekend

*waves*
Pepper =0)

Swaps

2011-10-16T20:09:00.000+02:00

It was with a fair amount of excitement that I received a swap parcel from the fabulous Shopping Sherpa last week. Her ingenuity didn't disappoint. Amongst the coveted swap items, I received a knitted pouffe which I loved the first time I saw it.

I also received cushions (the 'who you callin' a fat quarter?' one makes me giggle), some gorgeous pictures, a mirrored table, beads, Flokati rugs, a food blender, books, two Scotty dogs, a shelf unit, stationary boxes, blue bunny and the smallest mini cooper car I have ever seen. Ha, that sounded like a contestant from the Generation Game.

I will endeavor to set scenes for all of the items over the coming months so you can see them all. A huge thank you to The Shopping Sherpa for her generous swap parcel =0D

Whilst browsing the WWW for anything miniaturish, I stumbled across Mike Doyle and his ingenious use of Lego Bricks.

Take a wander over to his blog for more fabulous structures. I just love how creepy the innocent childhood toy looks after Mike's makeover. Mowahahahahah!

Another stumbled-upon site I found after browsing for pinball machine images is Matica Papercraft Odd what Google throws at you! Matica released a number of mini items that you can print out and make. I love the replica foam finger gloves. Anyone making a miniature football (soccer) ground??

Before I get back to chores, a quick question for you. When you buy miniature furniture, do you expect it to replicate the full size item exactly? What I mean is, do you want all of the cupboards and draws to open?
Reason I ask, given the sway from complete dollhouses to scene setting, I wondered what mattered to miniature collectors. Sometimes I design a piece of furniture with cupboard doors/drawers and they are time consuming things to make and literally a pain in the butt to get right. I suppose it's the difference between paying pounds and hundreds of pounds for miniatures. Just wondering *shrugs*

Have a great week
Pepper =0)

Autumn Miniatura 2011

2011-09-25T20:27:00.001+02:00

Just returned from the Autumn Miniatura, in Birmingham, UK. Thought I'd post the few photographs I managed to take. I had the intention of photographing every stall I visited but as it was, I fell into a 'miniatures buying' frenzy and lost track. A lot of the sellers don't have web sites and only appear at fairs so I go armed with money, back-up money and my bank managers personal phone number =0)

Elisabeth Causeret had a wonderful display of her work. It was the first time I'd met her and what a wonderfully talented lady she is

I bought a number of items from her. Each one is exquisite in detail and perfectly scaled. This is a small selection from my purchases

Another miniaturist I was excited to see was Kim Selwood I've adored his work for many years so it was great to finally meet him and buy one of his items

I fell in love with the Batllo Chair as soon as I laid eyes on it. My first purchase at the fair =0D

Another miniaturist without a web site (or email) *rolls eyes* is Danny Shotton. I have spent the last two years collecting everything that he makes. If you love realism in your miniatures then Danny's creations are for you.

He is the first miniaturist to my knowledge, who has made working 12th scale scissors O.o He makes stainless steel kitchen knives, saws, chisels, thimbles...too many to list

I was great to see Elizabeth from Elf Miniatures again, though only briefly. As per usual her creations had gathered a crowd five deep =0)

Ray Storey is another favourite miniaturist of mine. He makes blown glass items and lighting that are just stunning.

I don't normally buy food items at fairs simply because some of my favourite sellers, (a small selection) Snowfern Clover , Oiseau deNim , Merry Gourmet have items readily available to buy on their sites. But I decided to buy a few items from Mags-nificent Miniatures because they looked so fantastically detailed

This little fella was made by the fabulous Bettina Kaminski

A cool bonsai tree from Ceynix Miniatures

I really liked this display that Sue Cook used to show off the architectural components she makes for miniature buildings. Many moons ago, my Husband asked me to make him a diorama so that he could display his collection of Buffy the Vampire Slayer figures (sorry dearest =0*) I bought quite a few of Sue's items at the fair with a view to start said diorama. I'm thinking graveyards, mausoleums, crypts...

I bought a great deal of wood, some tools which I am very excited about (is that sad?) and electrical components.

I hope that one day, the fair will have an equal measure of modern/contemporary and traditional items. Fabric is still sadly lacking the jump into the 21st century. There was a nation of tudor/georgian/victorian furniture =0( and only one seller that had any items if you wanted a modern store/pub/hairdressers in miniature. No doubt the growing number of modern miniature lovers will eventually drive the markets. Just hope it's in my lifetime..

Hope you've had a fabulous weekend. Til next time

Pepper =0)

Most boring jigsaw EVER!

2011-09-23T21:13:00.001+02:00

I have never in my life worked so hard and so fast on a dollhouse. Mrs B's Georgian/Victorian property is proving to be an oddity that, as a modern miniature lover, I can't quite get to grips with. Mrs B provided me with wallpaper that she liked...a mixture of elegance and girlie pink 0.o I think once finished, I may convince her to come over to the dark side *insert evil laughter here* and I may be commissioned to remove the wallpaper again and recover with something more modern =0)

The tedious jigsaw I refer to in the title of this post is parquet flooring. It is one of the few things I love about traditional English homes. Wood, in it's natural state, is something that in my humble opinion cannot be rivaled by modern surfaces. I decided to do two rooms with parquet because I want Mrs B to really love this house and in time, pass it down to her daughters for them to love. Parquet flooring is extremely simple. Anyone who can follow a knitting pattern (which I most certainly cannot) will find it a breeze. To prove that it isn't beyond anyone who does not own an electric saw, I have made it from wood veneer. Veneer is a very thin (normally 0.7mm thick) slice of wood that can be curved, sanded and cut with a craft knife.

This is Cherry veneer but you can get it in almost any wood. I used a ruler to mark out 5mm wide strips and scored them with a craft knife. Then I made a ruler mark every 20mm lengthwise. This saved me cutting individual pieces. I had a row of around fifteen at a time which made it easier. I won't lie, it is a process that takes a lot of patience. But if you want to give your traditional house the wow factor, then have a go. You will be so pleased that you did it yourself.

I did a template of the room with 1/16th birch ply wood and then marked the board in 15mm vertical stripes. This is herringbone pattern. Once you have the initial pieces set at a 45 degree angle, the rest just follow.

A couple of hundred or so tiles later, this is the floor. I used a 5mm strip of Magnolia to edge the floor. The gap is for the hearth of the fire...I didn't see the point of covering a section that wouldn't be seen *shrugs*

This is the floor 'rough' without any wax or sanding. Oo, a little tip I learned from a joiner many years ago. If you have a small gap between two pieces that you are gluing, sand the surface with a fine grit paper (in a circular motion) and before the glue dries. The dust from the sanding fills the gap and attaches to the glue...sort of like wood mortar. I promise, you won't see the join =0)

...after sanding, two layers of finishing wax and a coat of shellac.

...in it's new home =0). There are literally dozens of parquet patterns on the net for you to copy. I think I'll try a new pattern for the second room.

I wanted to show a distinction between the upper part of the house and the lower, servants quarters. I made flag stones by using 1/16th birch ply again and using a dremmel to score the shape of each individual stone.

This is the template I used

Just lay the pattern over the wood and press a pen/pencil along the lines so that you have an indent underneath. Then use the dremmel to score into the wood. Paint in your chosen flaggy-stone colour and ta-da.

The house lives temporarily at my workplace so that I can concentrate on modern miniatures at home. I have to say, despite my grumbles, that I've enjoyed doing something early 1900's.

Okay, I better get back to my latest project...some swap items for a dear friend =0) Oh and preparation for the three hour journey to the spring Miniatura.

Money, check, camera, check. Just need to set the alarm clock for 5.30am O_O

Have a great weekend all

Taggers revisited

2011-09-05T20:45:00.002+02:00

For Leftcoastmini =0)

...and for anyone else who wants to put a bit of Graffiti on their mini structures

First, download a screen capture application. I use Faststone Capture which pretty much will take a snap shot of anything that you can see on your computer screen. So for example, if there's a picture on the web that won't let you right-click-save, then this application will. The link takes you to their site...you can download the trial for free

Second, find a Graffiti Creator Site Type in the text and then play around until you get something you like. There's also a preset button on there that does the work for you

Once you have the finished Graffiti, open up your screen capture application. Since I use Faststone Capture I'll show you that. The Faststone buttons hover above everything on your screen but don't show up when you save it. Click on the icon circled in red, go to the graffiti you've designed and draw a square around it with the screen capture tool by holding your left mouse button down.

Another screen pops up with the image you just captured. Save the image to your computer. Now you can print it. I've printed the image on A5 paper, scaled to paper size. It comes out at 140mm x 60mm. If you want it smaller/larger, you need to scale it to suit.

Cut out the graffiti text, line it up against the building you want to tag =0P and draw around it with a pencil. This is so you can make it more realistic with paint splashes etc

You can flick paint onto the surface, let it drip...

If you remove the graffiti text, you should have something like this (only not so rushed)
When you're happy with how it looks, stick the graffiti text in place.

Ta-da! Graffiti without the shady characters perusing your miniature property armed with spray cans =0)

Pepper =0)

Back to the fun

2011-09-04T12:22:00.000+02:00

I think I can safely say that July and August have been a write-off for me in miniature terms. Work has interfered with any plans to do anything vaguely enjoyable and doesn't look like abating til at least the holidays. Never mind.

Things I've been up to...

A work colleague asked me to help her with a doll house that she bought over a decade ago. She humorously described it as 'almost complete' bwahaha. I can only presume she was under the influence. What she meant in actual fact, was that the building had been glued together...and that was it. No wallpaper, no lights, nothing!

Within a week of ~~being blackmailed into~~ agreeing to work on it, it appeared on my desk with instructions to make it a Georgian cum Victorian masterpiece *guh* not my cup of tea at all but hey, each to their own.So you want it for Christmas Mrs B? No problem...sleeping and eating are for wimps O.0

...and to a truly English institution. I tried my hand at making miniature plastic carrier bags. We're not quite as Eco friendly as other countries, despite the Government/shops pushing the greener option. So I thought I would do my bit, however small, and recycle =0P

Oh yes, the last of my small accomplishments. I finally got round to painting the exterior of my miniature Pub. After sinking a few wires into the wood, a touch of textured ceiling paint to make it look rendered, I finished it with a coat of white paint. No sooner had the paint dried then the damn taggers and bill posters appeared =0P

It still needs a lot of work. I made a huge rookie mistake when building the pub...I installed the staircase before I'd painted it *doh* In frustration I took a chisel to it and carefully pried it away from the wall. The replacement staircase arrived (same style, same manufacturer) and of course it wasn't the same blummin size! Why, oh why!!? Kit builds are looking more and more attractive of late.

To finish the month off I received some lovely gifts from GGSDolls and two fabulous phantom chairs from My Realitty Thank you both so much, the gifts were greatly appreciated =0*

Three weeks until the Autumn Miniatura. Just enough time to sweet talk the bank manager and bribe the Hubby =0)

Pepper

Credits: Dog-Annie Willis of Fine Design, Black and white crockery-Sally Meekins Ceramics, all others made/bought/found/swapped

Signed, sealed and delivered

2011-06-30T10:47:00.001+02:00

I'm happy to say that the last of the giveaway prizes are finished and making their merry way to their new owners. The lovely Tam Toum, who posts almost on a daily basis about anything miniature on the net, in magazines and on TV, chose a 12th scale desk as her prize. (I'm starting to see that blummin' desk in my dreams of late =0P). Instead of the dark blue of the original desk, Tam Toum wanted a light green middle drawer and I think her choice makes it look very bright and contemporary.

HBean wanted something in 1:6 scale to display her enormous collection of Re-Ment . She provided me with a photograph of a 1960's G-Plan Librenza 880, which she loved and together we came up with her preferred style and size.

This is the end result...

The wood is spruce, stained in dark oak, mixed with white Formica. The whole unit is 12 inches tall by 8 inches wide.

All of the drawers and cupboards are functional so HBean can spend hours storing and displaying her Re-Ment collection. It was great to have the opportunity to work in 1:16th, 1:12th and 1:6th scale for each of the giveaway winners. I primarily work in 1:12th scale so these projects blew the cobwebs off the mathematical side of the brain.

Thank you again to everyone who entered my first giveaway. No doubt I will be posting other goodies in need of a new homes so stay tuned.

Okay, I'm off now for a long weekend with a gang of my girlie friends. See you when I get back

Pepper =0)

Giveaway winner prizes

2011-06-19T18:09:00.000+02:00

Since my Hubby drew out the names from my first giveaway yesterday I've been itching to start making something for the winners. Pubdoll wanted a 16th scale replica of the office desk that I'd made so I decided to start with that (I do hope that you haven't changed your mind Helene or it will be literally back to the drawing board ha-ha) It would serve me right. I am cursed with impatience =0/
So this is the finished article.

...and next to my own 12th scale desk for reference

I hope you like what I've made for you =0)

I've also packaged up two three seat sofa's with cushions for

Neomig

and Anarniel

I'll be sending a third sofa to Lyssa when I get her addy =0)

This afternoon I'll start on the second of the custom made items for H Bean. (pictures to come)

Meanwhile, my own miniature pub is coming along well. After a few hours of head scratching and with a lot of help from mini friends, I made the attic ladders that I wanted to connect the second floor to the roof space. The mechanism itself wasn't too bad. I measured from the landing to the roof to get the length of the ladder then divided the measurement by three. This is so the ladder can fold up into the loft hatch when not in use. Typically...well typical of me I had done things back to front. The loft hatch needed to be bigger than originally estimated so with the tiled roof already done I had to balance it on its edge whilst cutting a larger hole into the ceiling. This episode follows a long list of 'I wish I'd done this before installing that' since starting the pub *sighs*

Anyway, the attic ladders are installed and working *phew*. Another item off the 'to do' list. Just the staircase, banister, stair carpet, wall painting, ceiling light..etc, etc to do =0P

I don't know why but this picture makes me giggle. I think it reminds me of the film 'Bruce Almighty' where God (Morgan Freeman) uses a clapper to turn the light on and off muwahahahaha. I LOVE that film!

Hope you're all having a great weekend
Pepper

Giveaway winners

2011-06-18T10:25:00.001+02:00

Thank you to all of you who took the time to enter my first giveaway.

First thing this morning over a cup of tea and toast, I asked my Hubby to draw out three winners and here are the results =0)

Congratulations Tam-toum, H.Bean and Pubdoll. So if you three ladies would like to email me at pepper03@hotmail.co.uk with a picture or an idea of what you want me to make then I'll get straight to it. Don't forget to include your preferred scale and postal address.

I have to admit I felt a little mean just giving three prizes away =0/ Over the last two weeks I've made a few more of my 12th scale sofa's

...so I asked hubby to draw out another three names =0D. Each of these three 'lucky dip' winners will receive a sofa with a set of modern cushions. The winners of the sofa's are...

Congratulations Anarniel, Neomig and Lyssa. If you would like to send me your address then I'll pop your prizes in the post.

Thank you again for entering the giveaway.

Have a great day
Pepper

Giveaway with a difference

2011-06-02T13:47:00.004+02:00

Since wandering into this wonderful world of miniature blogdom I've noticed there's sort of a convention when it comes to giveaways, year aniversary, 100th follower etc. Well I've decided I don't want to wait that long and b****er convention. This is a giveaway with a difference, and as a little thank you for the support and kindness I've had from you all.

So here's the deal. Anyone who wants to be entered into this giveaway just has to be a follower of this blog and say what they love about miniatures in the comments box below. The prize? Well...if I were to design something 12th scale it might go to someone who primarily has 3/4 scale. So, three winners will be randomly picked out and they get to decide what I make. This is your chance to let loose with the imagination and design your very own miniature.

My only stipulations are:

1) It must be a piece of furniture or lighting. No room boxes, fitted kitchens/bathrooms or complete houses =0/

2) I will make any size from 3/4" scale up to playscale (1:6)

3) Materials can be anything apart from precious metal/stone

Okay, if you want to enter you know what to do
Entries must be in by Friday 17th June 2011. The winners will be announced Saturday 18th June and have their designs completed and posted (worldwide) by 10th July 2011

Good luck =0)

MTA: Just a quick reiteration for anyone who is interested in the giveaway, you MUST be a follower and you just need to write a quick line about what you like about miniatures...any miniatures =0)

Take a seat - Part 2

2011-06-01T21:51:00.001+02:00

Okay, so now you have your sofa frame, this will take you through how I cover mine in fabric. Choose whatever fabric you like...try to make it a light weave otherwise you may have problems folding it.

For the sake of those who don't want to sew or don't have access to a sewing machine, I'm using wonderweb which is the stuff used to make hems in clothing. All you need is a hot iron to set it. If you want to sew the fabric, fill your boots. These tutorials are just how I like to make stuff and aren't meant as the definitive answer to miniature making =0)

To attach the fabric to the frame I'm using high tack double sided tape. This tape is the sort used to hold rugs to floors and I've never had a problem with the fabric coming loose. Use glue if you prefer, but make sure it doesn't seep through the fabric. Put the double-sided tape on either side of the arms and on the small edge of the back of the sofa. Stick your fabric to it and trim the overlapping edges with a sharp craft knife

If you're using the same dimensions I've used for the frame, you now need to cut two 24mm strips and one 160mm strip out of your fabric. They need to be at least 220mm long

Fold the two 24mm strips in half and rub across with your finger, then fold again so the edges meet.

The 'wonderweb' I have is 20mm wide so it's a perfect size for this tutorial. Cut it in half, place it in the middle of the strips and iron with a hot iron so that each edge is folded into the middle. This is going to hide the rough edges on the finished sofa

I've used a bulldog clip to hold one end on the ironing board. This gives you a free hand to hold the fabric whilst you iron

With the larger piece of material, you need to turn over 10mm at either edge. Use half (10mm) of the 'wonderweb' to make the seam

Now you should have three pieces of fabric with nice, neat edges

Stick some double sided tape around each of the arms on your frame. Make sure the tape doesn't hang over the sides...you're trying to achieve a clean look to the sofa. Start with the thinner strips underneath the sofa frame. Attach the fabric around the arm and trim the excess

Now for the larger piece of fabric. This is going to wrap from the bottom of the sofa, under the cushion, over the back and to the bottom again. Start at the front. Put double-sided tape across the length of the sofa but not over the fabric covering the arms (if that makes sense)

Now attach one end of the fabric till you have this (pictured below)

Put more double-sided tape along the edges so that it runs along the arms, up and over the back of the sofa and back to your original starting position. If you want the sofa back to look padded, you can put a rectangle of filler under the fabric to give it that effect. The filler I use is the stuff that goes into the middle of sleeping bags. You can use pretty much anything ~ folded tissue paper ~ cotton wool pads.

Once you've stuck the fabric all of the way around, trim any excess off.

I've covered the cushion with exactly the same method as the sofa frame. Use the tape to attach the fabric to the top and bottom, making sure you leave a little bit hanging over the edges

Depending on the thickness of the cushion, make a band that will cover the edges all the way around. Again, use 'wonderweb' or similar to get that clean edge. Use the double-sided tape to stick the band of fabric to the cushion, starting at the back (this is so you don't see the join in the fabric)

Almost done now =0) *Phew* Choose whatever 'feet' takes your fancy. You can use jewelry bead, wooden legs...anything. I've used round chrome beads to make the sofa look contemporary. Just glue them to the base of the sofa and you are finished.

This is my finished sofa.

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial and if you follow it to make your own design, send me a link to the picture. I would love to see what ideas you come up with

Til next time

Pepper =0)

Take a seat - Part 1

2011-05-30T17:44:00.003+02:00

Someone's just dropped me a line asking if I would mind doing a tutorial on how I made the chair in my blog title.
Of course I don't mind. If I can help, I will =0)

I'm going to do this tutorial in two parts ~ the frame and then the upholstery because I have a feeling this is going to be picture heavy and I don't want to give blogger an excuse to have a tizzy fit and delete the post *rolls eyes*

The sizes I'm giving you are for a 12th scale two seat sofa. If you want to make the chair too, just shorten the length of the base and back to suit. (i.e. half it)

First of all, I'm using 12mm and 6mm MDF. Use whatever is available to you to make the frame. Glued together bits of corrugated cardboard or foam board work just as well. The reason I'm using MDF is because it's sturdy, cheap and easy to work with. At my local hardware shop, the assistants will give you three free cuts in a sheet so if I'm making a few sofas I ask them to cut the sheet into a few 60mm and a 40mm deep strips. Then I can make three or four sofas at a time.

Okay, these are the sizes I've used

Click to enlarge

The base is 6mm thick MDF, the back and arms are 12mm MDF. I'm sure I don't have to tell you this but if you're cutting/sanding wood then PLEASE wear a face mask. You may not look or feel particularly sexy but neither does coughing up your lungs in years to come =0(

Just in case you're not familiar with getting a true 90 degree angle in your wood, invest in a steel set square. They're no more than a couple of pounds and will last your miniature making lifetime. Place the thicker part of the set square against a flat edge. You shouldn't be able to see daylight coming in between the wood and set square. Draw a line along the other (thinner) edge. This will give you a perfect 90 degree right angle

You will notice that the arms of the sofa are not square. This is so the back of the sofa will be reclined like in a life-sized model.

First, lay the arms of the sofa so that the angled edge is flat on your work surface. Place the back of the sofa in between, glue then clamp together until it dries


Click to enlarge

Notice the positioning of the arm and back. Make sure that both edges (against your work surface) are in line.


Click to enlarge

This is what you should have now. It looks a strange angle but this is the sofa laying on its back with its arms in the air. This ensures everything lines up =0)

Now, place the base of the sofa on your work surface, spread a little wood glue on the bottom of the arms and clamp together till dry

Looks more like a sofa now.

To finish off the frame we need to do a bit of sanding. One thing I always have in my tool box is a variety of sanding blocks with different grades of paper on them. This one in the picture is a child's building block (sorry Amelia, I promise to replace it) which has 30 grain and 320 grain stuck onto the surface with double sided sticky tape.

Use a sanding block to take the sharp corners off your frame. They don't have to be perfectly rounded, just a few sweeps with the paper to soften the edges.

On the back of the frame you'll notice that where the base and back meet, they are butted up squarely. Use a heavy grain sandpaper (30 grain) to smooth the base so that it is angled the same as the sofa back

Now for the seat cushion. I've tried all sorts of materials for this and found that I prefer foam. The type I use most often is the foam 'kneeling' pads that you buy for gardening. It's soft-ish but keeps it's shape. But you can use anything at hand...upholstery foam, cardboard...

Use a very sharp craft knife to cut the foam to the width of the sofa (which should be 140mm if my calculations are correct) Use a steel rule to cut against and keep your pinkies well away from the blade. Now the tricky bit *dramatic music playing in background* You need to cut the foam that is going against the back of the sofa, at an angle. This isn't an exact science. I normally tilt the knife a couple of millimeters which seems to do the job. If you don't do this you will have a gap at the back of your cushion =0/

Sorry the photo's are so naff. My old camera seems to be having a joke with me grrr

Now you can place the foam snug against the back, draw a line between the arms to get a nicely fitting cushion and cut across with your craft knife. If you want, you can make two single cushions by cutting the foam in half.

Okay, I'm going to get on with making the second part of this tutorial. There's little or no sewing involved, depending on your preference. If at this point you're wondering if it isn't easier to buy the damn thing then please take a look at some fabulous modern miniature furniture makers who have some sublimely beautiful work for sale Minimodernista , Annina and Elf Miniatures

Pepper =0)

Modern Wallpapers

2011-05-22T10:37:00.001+02:00

For the last two weeks I've been designing something new for a swap with The Shopping Sherpa What do you make for the girl who has just about everything miniature? The posting date has been set for the end of May which I'm sure TSS will stick to =0/ and had to be made from materials around the home. More on that later

In between sanding, gluing, soldering and cutting my finger twice *DOH* I've been pottering around the modern wallpaper sites and ~~pinching~~ borrowing images for miniature wallpapers. Have I mentioned that there just aren't enough modern/contemporary wallpapers~accessories~houses out there on the market? Once or twice I'm sure. So to save you having to source them I've put thumbnails of the designs below. Just click on them to get the full size (I've scaled them to A4 paper), save it to your computer and print on 'best'. The dpi is 300 so they should print well.

If anyone's interested in having a modern wallpaper resource, I'll put a folder into Google docs with a link and add to them as and when I find or design any.

Later

Pepper

Formica-ly a sample, now a table

2011-05-06T23:24:00.001+02:00

Work was pretty slow today so I managed to finish the office table I was constructing with Formica samples. I've set it in a sort of 'Ode to a miniaturist' type of scene. Some other miniaturist I would like to add because if I was mimicking my own work area there would be a lot more mess, two sorry looking cats covered in sawdust and a disgruntled Husband in the shot.

I eventually decided on embroidery pin heads for the handles. I sorta liked the blocks of uninterrupted colour over something silver. Any thoughts?

What else did I do today? *rubs chin thoughtfully* Oh yes, I paid my local DIY store a visit and found a couple of life size wallpaper samples that I could use for miniature scenes. Another freebie yay!. It's amazing how generous a store can be, allowing you to take a 12 inch sample of wallpaper, when they think you're going to spend a fortune (£30 a roll) to decorate a full size room. Well I didn't lie...technically...I did want to see how it would look in my room *grins*.

Hmm, the rest of the day I flicked through a fabulous blog Desire to Inspire which is brimming with photographs of modern/contemporary homes. If modern is your thing, drop in and take a look because there are several hundred pages of inspirational scenes to drool over. Apart from that, same old, same old =0)

Well, there's a tall glass of Southern Comfort, lemon and lime beckoning so I'm off. Ahhh heaven. A drink, a huge bar of chocolate and Mr Darcy on the TV.

Have a great weekend all
Pepper

Scene: 'Wallpaper' is Ikea place mat, hammer and scissors made by the amazing miniaturist~ Danny Shotton, rest of the props made by me

Something Old, Something New

2011-05-01T17:41:00.000+02:00

One of the things I love about my day job is the variety of broken items that inevitably find their way into my miniature 'to do' tray.
After months of nagging about the importance of re-cycling, (no matter how small a scale it is), my workmates now bring me an assortment of objects for perusal before taking them on to the rubbish skip. Our company are often sent samples...Formica, carpet tiles, flooring surfaces. Pretty much anything to do with building maintenance.

Over the weekend I've been busy recycling two hundred or so Formica samples into miniature.

The bathroom of my 12th scale pub was in dire need of some colour so the Formica was cut into 30mm squares and dry laid to see how it would look. I'm still pondering the layout and colour scheme *any thoughts?*

The next Formica project is a modern office table with drawers.

One of the great things about Formica or any factory prepared surface is the excellent finish you get to anything you make. I'm sure that anyone who has ever brush painted miniature furniture will agree that it's a pain in the proverbials. It takes a lot of preparation, sanding between coats and cursing to a large degree.
I still have the drawer fronts to sand and glue into place. Then there's the legs...oh and the drawer handles *guh* Always a problem to get modern miniature handles and one of those items that puzzles me enormously. Brass, in comparison to aluminium or steel, is expensive, tarnishes badly and is a pain to reproduce. I suppose miniature suppliers where thinking 'Victorian' and have never quite moved on.

I've just jotted 'resin handles from molds??' onto my ever expanding list of experiments.

Digressing here a little but does anyone else keep a jotter of notes/scenes they like/photos of furniture or is that just me? =0/

The final bit of rubbish~come~prospective~miniature to cross my desk was a knot of used domestic wire. Now I've always wanted to do a miniature garden. I've had a thing for the simplistic beauty of Oriental gardens for years and I've finally decided to pull my finger out and do one. I saw a mini tree making technique on You Tube somewhere. You basically twist wire to form trees. This is as far as I am ~ a sheet of model makers grass, a copper tree ready to be rendered with air dry clay and paint and an air dry clay patio circle which needs painting to make it look more realistic. I really need to sketch a layout before going any further and maybe Googling some Oriental garden designs. I'll keep you posted.

Before I go I need to ask for some help from the miniature community. The progress of the12th scale Pub has reached an impasse. To maintain a sense of realism I want to install a set of folding attic stairs and cannot find any detailed plans to copy from. The type I'm after is the sort that get stowed away into the attic space when not in use and then pulled down for access. I don't have the floor space to put in another staircase up to the attic so this is pretty much my only option. Any pointers would be HUGELY appreciated =0)

Til next time, have a great weekend,

Pepper

I've been framed!!!

2011-04-19T20:05:00.001+02:00

Pottering around bloggdom I found this fabulous idea here at Mini Modern courtesy of the inspirational Modern MC. She was experimenting with embossed scrap book paper in one of her scenes. The result, I'm sure you'll agree, looked extremely effective.

So it got me thinking...wallpaper made to look as if picture frames were hanging on the wall. In the end, and after scouring the net for suitable *non-copyrighted* images I came up with this. Not exactly what I was trying to achieve but meh, *shrugs* at least I didn't spend the hours making the actual frames.

Pepper =0)

Four Modern Chairs for under £10

2011-04-18T19:34:00.002+02:00

Okay, so I'm on a bit of a mini-making frenzy at the moment. Inspiration, like buses, tends to come all at once or not at all with me.

This is a really simple design that you can copy or put your own stamp on. Enjoy!

Things you'll need

A sheet of aluminium I bought mine here
Four BBQ skewers (round or square profile, doesn't matter which)
A steel rule
Heavy duty side cutters or a hacksaw
Two clamps (the ones in the picture are 'G' clamps but anything that can hold the work is fine)
Strong glue (such as two-part epoxy resin like araldite)
A strong work surface (I'm using an Ikea chopping board)

First ~ remove both ends of your BBQ skewer with either your side cutters or a hacksaw

Lay the skewer next to your steel rule and find the centre. You can mark your measurements with a biro pen...it will rub off no problem when you're finished. From the centre mark you need to measure 3/4 of an inch either side. From those measurements mark at 1 and1/2 inches either side. From those measurements mark another 1 and 1/2 inches. Rub out the initial centre mark.
You should now have five measurements of 1 and 1/2 inches.

Now here's the fun part. You need to clamp the
skewer firmly, by placing it under the steel rule and tightening the clamps over the steel rule and onto the chopping board. The steel rule will act as strong edge with which to achieve a 90 degree angle. Start at one of the marks closest to the centre of the skewer and align that mark with the edge of the steel rule. Carefully push upwards until you get a nice 'L' shape in the metal.

Do exactly the same thing from the opposite side.

This is what you ~~should~~ will have at this point.
=0)

Now..place your work flat onto the board and clamp it at the next two marks that you measured (1 and 1/2 inches along from the corners that you've just bent). Again, bend both parts of the skewer up to make a 90 degree 'L' shape.

This is what you'll have now

Okay, this is the last bends you need to make for the frame. Clamp your work as shown in the picture above, at the final two marks. Again, bend both ends of the skewer up into a nice 'L' angle.

When you're finished this is what you will have. Using your side cutters or hacksaw, measure and cut the excess off 1 1/2 inches from your last bends.

This is the leg frame of the chair

Now the seat. Measure and cut an 85mm x 45mm piece of the aluminium. You can use any type of aluminium..not necessarily the perforated type, as long as it's sturdy enough to hold it's shape. If you're using the perforated type, it's easy to cut along the holes with kitchen scissors. Use a piece of sandpaper or nail file to take the sharp edges off the metal (aluminium is soft but a shard of it in your skin hurts like a *@)£"%*)

Find the centre and, you guessed it, bend it up so that you're left with an 'L' shape. Use the steel rule as a guide to get a precise bend

Use the back of a tea spoon to gently push about 2mm at each end of the aluminium, over the edge of the steel rule. This technique is 'Burnishing'
Because the back of the spoon is polished it doesn't scratch or spoil the aluminium

*When I learned that technique from a teacher like a gazillion decades ago I thought when on earth am I going to need that in my adult life...he will be soooo smug now*

This is what you should have now. Using a little and I mean little amount of your glue, smear across the frame and set the seat into place. Keep it weighted down until it is set solidly

And this is the end product

I hope you enjoyed. Til next time,
Pepper =0)

Scene setting - Let there be light!

2011-04-17T13:47:00.004+02:00

One thing I think can totally make a miniature scene is the introduction of mood lighting. It's something that can bring in another element of realism to the picture but also gives the viewer the impression that someone lives there. I don't know about you but when I see a photograph of a room and all of the lights are off I think 'scene'. When the light is switched on, even if there's no one in view I think 'home'. So, if you've never wired your own lights and want to give it a go then this step-by-step tutorial is for you. Just making four or five pre-wired lights gives you the flexibility to change the look in a non permanent way. Each light can be threaded through the lamp of your choice and then dismantled when the fancy takes you.

This tutorial will take you through the basic tools required...

...to the finished article

Clickie here for PDF tutorial

Til next time,

Pepper =0)

An Introduction

2011-04-17T12:17:00.000+02:00

About two years ago, after scouring the internet and finding a distinct lack of choice, I decided to design and build my own 12th scale public house.

I had a very clear idea of what I wanted...an open plan bar area, the building had to split into three different levels so I could view it from the side and above. I suppose I could have hired a bespoke Dollhouse maker for the job but in the end I opted for the weekend project route. 'No problem' I thought 'buildings are just a series of boxes clumped together, I can do that'. I won't go into the torment of learning 'A' framing for the roof just yet, save to say that the learning curve went from horizontal to vertical in a matter of weeks.

I spent an obsessive amount of time shadowing the tradesmen I work with, absorbing every hint and tip they could give me (the words 'restraining order' came up on more than one occasion). But two years later I can say I built every square inch, installed every light, painted each and every windowsill of the pub on my own

Now the reason for this post and ultimately the impetus behind starting a blog did not come from building a 12th scale pub from scratch. The real nightmare came from trying to furnish the pub in two very different styles. The idea was the the pub belonged to a traditional brewery, which was leased out to a tenant *I have been accused of having a wildly vivid imagination*. So the pub area would have a jukebox, a fruit machine (slot machine *US), pool table etc. The upstairs would be kitted out in the relevant and modern furniture available to buy today (2011). This was the proverbial pain in the butt. I counted a handful of miniaturists who sold anything post Victorian and even fewer that embraced anything vaguely contemporary. This led me to one conclusion...I had to make everything myself.

So very long story short, this blog will be about my trials and tantrums making chairs, tables, a complete fitted kitchen, in fact anything you can think of. With each post I intend to make step-by-step tutorials on how to do it. I don't want to teach anyone to suck eggs ~ I hope you'll take (or leave) what you want to from them.

Til next time,

Pepper =0)