A job here, a hob there

Been meaning to do ‘something’ about a display above the bolts of fabric

Monstrous large pattern catalogues with a messy drapery of fabrics

all set out as part of the haberdashery and other goods department.

and I’ve managed to more or less hack back the wonky roofline so can now insert a perspex sheet!

Next up, fix that wonky lighting and think about dressing the exterior of the box (or not) and then return to the left and right large displays.  Another day another mini bit.

 

 

If at first

This gallery contains 3 photos.

The obvious answer …

er, do the job in front of you?

Not done anything on the half finished shop project since around May 7^th and then only dribs and drabs.  Decided that before I tried to wind up a little umph to start a new idea based on I’m not sure what, I needed to squeeze out a dollop of it first to tidy away whatever was lying around of the unfinished shop departments box.

Good idea, I thought; shows willingness to go back to mini-ing without committing self too far then I could sit about and think some more.  That is until I really took a look at how much was lying around on every surface available, floor included.  (Zoe, feel free to attest to how messy it is!).

The excuse for the mayhem is as follows.
This ‘set it all out’ behaviour has become my general practice once I reach the second half of any project because that’s when I start to see where it’s probably heading and I can start to work out how various bits might need  to be dressed and finished.  Thus I gather around me small boxes of goodies that can be quickly picked through so I can make choice at a moments notice when crucial points have been reached and I don’t have to go searching any further than the nearest work surface.

Unfortunately that does mean that, at the end of the build, it leaves loads of small boxes to be sorted for the remaining goodies to go back in their more or less rightful homes – until the next time the half time whistle is sounded on a suitable project.

So the workroom is once more betwixt and between:  half finished project taking up most of the work table (and tools) surrounded by lots of little containers and lids acting as trays covered in possibilities to rummage through for the end of story.

There’s no way out of this other than through, is there?

So no new build at the mo, I suspect.  Don’t know how far I’m going to get but I’ve got to rev up once more for the store displays etc and dig in where it was ‘dumped’ in order to have the elbow room for moving on.

Ain’t that the story of life?

Just the little things

So far …

Lying around were the bits for the roll of wrapping paper.
The cutting bar is somewhat wiggly, but it’s probably as old as me by now!
It now needs a string dispenser

Next up

The question of whether to close off the back of the the display windows, as I seem to remember they always were, has been bugging me.  Decided that, as the store is meant to be viewed more or less adequately whether closed fronted or open, then it would be wiser not close the back fully, thereby leaving some view of the inner workings of the store viewable through the display.

Stepping out on the Town – slightly 3D fabric print

She stands in front of her chum in brown and they/re both squashed together on one side of the window

Closer look at the semi 3D figure set in the beginnings of a Springtime Display

Diary notes of what to do next – or not

Might try a bit of ribbon at her waist to represent that bow(?).  Still have to sort out a sort of fabric and jewellery clump I think to finish off the right side, and the whole base wants is covering completed.  The odd flower etc to add possibly.

Got so cold faffing around this morning goodness knows what I’ve glued adequately at all.  Concerned the glues used may stain the fabric sooner than I’d like, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Floundering Merrily Round the Imagination

In a somewhat sloppy and disorganised manner I’m trying to gee myself up and put a project together that will distract me from winter blues and my total inability to make my peace with that deep room box project that’s hanging around and generally cluttering my work table.

Stray thoughts:

1)  Use one of the many 1:12 cupboards lying about in drawers as a world of its own, either turning each shelf area into a furnished room or improbable display

I stared at the cupboards for about a week
then I stared some more
and realised it was going to cost lots (which isn’t on)
and I’m not able to make things as small as would be needed

2)  Went on to kicking the dust around and staring at spiders in their homes until I ‘bethunk’ myself of the mis-bought items (sadly there are too many) which (usually) I had thought were sold as 1:12 and ‘slightly larger’ and turned out to be nearer 1:10 or 1:8.

Amongst this half-dozen (or so) is a fireplace bought originally to go into a Book Nook but too big for that.

Delicately made and finished but a little too big for the house I was building at the time

Size and try out of a Morris wallpaper but probably would be better with paneling for lower half of wall
The white ‘thing’ represents an overmantel – essential for The Borrowers as a family called Overmantel used to live there

 It’s beautifully made and far more delicately built than I could possibly achieve, so thought about making it a little corner in a nice shallow room box (cf store) so as to get away from that unfinished department store box and refresh my mini-ing palate.

2a)  Began imagining big fireplace and little people. Yes, I started thinking about The Borrowers.

Progress?:

Didn’t know the Borrowers personally as sadly, never took to them, so needed to study the characters and the scenes imagined by the book cover designers.

Found a very, very useful site called The Grade Saver which has a whole study guide on the subject including themes, symbols etc.  Who could ask for more?

Perceived problems so far:

• If using this delightful fireplace there’s a return to the question of how small can I make anything including figures?  No less than 3” (7 cms) probably
• Won’t work with this fireplace after all
  – briefly thought of making a perspective view
  • i.e. viewer would be square on to the Borrowers below floor section but the room above would narrow into the distance as though diminishing above (bit Dr Caligari shaped)

What passes for common sense around here prevailed and so, if Borrowing, will need to put the lovely fireplace back into its box once more and build part of a much bigger universe above the Borrowers’ home

So?

• Not using much if any already bought items
• Hiding from what I don’t want to do

Achieved :

• Possible decisions (temporary?)
• Have a rough image in ‘mind’ of what the scene might be
• Concentrate on the world below floor
• Compromise on scale and go smallish (3 – 4 inch folk) and HUGE above so only show part of a fireplace etc
• Have distracted self from yucky weather by thinking it through

Why below floor?

I believe these little folk may also have gone between the walls which would give a very pleasing stacked set of rooms almost a block of flats, but the scenes as described and as portrayed all seem to be Victorian/Edwardian-ish.  Sadly my semi-factual brain couldn’t cope with the idea of double leaf walls for housing at that time as walls likely to be one brick thick.  I suppose they could live behind paneling between the support slats???

Floundnering a little and deeply sad for the imagination and all the possibilities but it does help make a possible decision for the simpler underfloor 🙂

However, as have already been mentioned above, I could go for the no longer resident Overmantels and have a neat scene of them popping out from behind a huge mirror and going about their business.  Must bear that in mind when get stuck – again.

Finally

Has a firmish decision been reached?  Possibly.

Has this anything to do with dollshouses and mini-ing? Well …  certainly the preparation of small things is intended but it is never going to look even vaguely like a house.  Let’s go with calling the proposed item a room box containing an imaginary world inspired by a series of novels and just stick with that, until the idea falls over completely.

It certainly provides the prospect of hours of mini fiddling as the winter ticks by.