Answering your questions about the French facade

First of all thank you very much for your encouraging comments. I honestly didn't think you'd like the 'grubby' aspect of it so much.

There are a few questions in your comments, here are the answers one by one:

Glenda re "SHOP NAME" - no I don't have a name as yet, I'll be calling for help on that one soon!

Rudoo re "THE MAKER" - well actually that's me! The facade design is influenced by one of Lea Frisoni's buildings but it's not an exact copy. I am lucky to have a son who is very good at cutting straight lines (unlike me!) so he cut out the walls and floors according to my measurements. The shop front is purchased, as is a side door and a double hung side window (not shown here) but the opening facade windows were made by me. Making them was NOT a labour of love but I do like the freedom of not having to design around pre-made parts too much.

Caterina re WHAT KIND OF SHOP - it's an antiques and brocante shop, if you click here you get an idea of how it will look, but of course there will be lots more things 'for sale' later.

Piikko re ROOMS TO RENT - maybe we could come to an arrangment if you would be prepared to 'manage' the shop ;) (Don't tell anyone but I am secretly thinking about making a Pension to go next door, maybe that would be more suitable).

THE BALCONY RAILING is available from Dolls House Emporium online, or any of their stockists, click here to see it on their website. To get the bend in it I put the end into very hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes. I used a wooden block to bend it around at first but then I became impatient and just bent it (very) firmly by hand.

Thanks again for your kind remarks!!

French facade - finished!!

Well, almost... just a few final touches yet to do like attaching doorknobs, cleaning windows, adding the shop name ...

I'm not sure if I've over-done the dirt and grime, just a little :)

It certainly looks rather less pristine than it did in this pic posted last May

It's been a good project to work on recently when it's been too hot to work on pieces that need concentration and precision in measurement and putting together (although I must admit the French windows and doors fall into this category but most of those were completed a while ago) but it's way past time to tackle the 'bistro' style table and chair set that I promised Marie Jose way back in July - she must have entirely given up hope of ever receiving it by now. I might be slow but I do deliver ... eventually :)

Big Boys Build and Blog too!

Brazilian Fabiano Fausto Faucz is an amazing miniature builder/artist that I stumbled on today, my favourites of recently featured posts are the 'Rancho' and the abandoned building.

Click here to visit Fabiano's blog and see his other creations including a section of a 'Favela' (ghetto/slum) which is just full of incredible detail.

Further on the subject of clever 'boy builders' have you seen Paul Smith's blog Afan Valley Miniatures yet? Whether you fancy an authentic little 'outhouse' or a grand home Paul's your man.

Click here to visit Paul in the gorgeous Welsh valley he calls home and take a look around his blog.

Photo credits: Fabiano Faucz and Paul Smith

A small accomplishment

My time at the cottage in New Zealand was not nearly as productive as usual, but at least I am happy with the transformation of the cabinet I bought very cheaply on the New Zealand equivalent of eBay just before I left last year. The colour is a few shades darker than it shows in the photo (Resene 'Jasper').

It looks like it started life as a small cottage sideboard, along the way lost part of it's back and acquired a lot of bumps and bruises - most recently it was the drinks bar/workshop bench in a university student's garage - enough said! Now repurposed as bathroom/laundry storage it fits the spot perfectly...

This is how it looked before its makeover - stained and damaged top

and partially stripped front (sorry, this image is a little blurry)

The vintage wooden ladder that I bought last year hasn't been touched but I am at least happy to report that it has so far escaped being chopped up for firewood!

I had plans to launch into minis as soon as I got back to Sydney but having come from a predominantly cool and wet few weeks in the south of NZ to a heatwave in Sydney (35 today - expecting 39 on Friday) all plans are sidelined - trying to cool down is the priority! Spending tomorrow in the air-conditioned university library seems a pretty good option, classes start first week in March so a bit of preparation reading wouldn't be a bad idea - I could keep cool and feel virtuous at the same time :)

I didn't manage any blog reading time while I was in NZ but I hope to catchup slowly with at least some of the projects that you've been working on over the past few weeks. And I hope to have some progress on the front of the French brocante/apartment to show you before too long.

Lastly, a hearty welcome to those of you who have joined my blog over recent weeks :)

Happy holidays everyone!!

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season - may you be with the people you love most, sharing love and laughter aplenty. If you have a personal encounter with Santa I hope it's happier than mine was in 1953!

And thanks everyone for the fun and fellowship you've brought my way this year, let's do it all again in 2011!

(I'm off to the cottage in New Zealand for a month just after Christmas, no internet access there but I hope to catch up with blogs from time to time. Unlikely to post, but you never know.... )

Postscript - my big brother tells me that I totally refused to sit on Santa's lap unless he did - which he was none too happy about - considering himself far too 'grown up' (ha ha!!)

I LOVE my Easy Cutter

I was chatting to Glenda (Peppercorn Minis) this morning about the medieval tower she's making and we got to talking about cutting wood. Now, I'm the world's worst at cutting ANYTHING straight - those bread slicing machines at the bakery were invented for people like me! Give me a loaf of bread to slice and it'll end up looking wedge shaped in no time at all. I know it's all in the way you hold your wrist (they told me that about playing tennis too and I can't do that either!) but I don't have to worry about that since I got my Easy Cutter. It chomps through stripwood like a knife through butter, and it does it STRAIGHT - every time! And as you can see from the pic you can easily adjust the angle of the cut.

AND it's not expensive!! It currently retails in Australia for around $40. I bought mine online from Australian company Hobbytools here.

Midwest Products (in the USA) have a store locator on their website as well as online shopping or I guess you could Google the Easy Cutter in your country if you wanted to try to find a local supplier.

So if you're a woodworking tragic like me check this out because it could save you a lot of grief!

(This recommendation is my personal opinion, I haven't had any communication with either Hobbytools Australia or Midwest Products in relation to this recommendation.)

Photo credit: Hobbytools Australia

Congratulations to Maija and Caterina!

Congratulations to new Follower Maija (winner of the French set draw) and old friend Caterina (winner of the Vintage set draw). Can you both please send me an email (normabennett@hotmail.com) with your address so that I can send the packages to you next week. I hope you will enjoy these little pieces.

Thanks to everyone who entered this giveaway, and for all your nice comments. I wish all of you 'better luck next time' :)

And a big welcome to all the new Followers of my blog!

A "must see" blog if you love French style

This pretty pic is from French blog "Grange de charme" which I have just discovered thanks to Sandy at "My Shabby Streamside Studio" who told me about it yesterday. The subject of the lastest post on "Grange de charme" is Mercedes' ("Liberty Biberty") cute shabby cottage!

There are enough beautiful inspiring photos on "Grange de charme" to launch a thousand projects, click here for virtual transportation to French heaven :)

Blog birthday giveaway

This giveaway is closed
- it was drawn on 4 December 2010

My blog is 1 today!!

Let's have a party - the best kind of party - one where you get the gifts ;)

Just leave a comment and tell me WHICH SET you would prefer -

the French set with the French style 'burlap' cushions and shopping bag

OR

the Vintage set with the faded (but not quite as faded as they look in the picture!) tapestry style cushions and vintage mail

Drawn on Saturday 4 December (by the way, you must be a Follower to enter)
Draw procedure: A few of you haven't made a choice of which set you prefer (and I didn't make it clear either that I would do 2 draws, one for each set). SO I'm going to copy Marit's draw procedure, those of you who have indicated which set you prefer will each get 2 chances in the draw for that set, those who haven't indicated a preference will get 1 chance in each draw. (this postscript added 23 Nov)



Credit: The French 'burlap' style cushions are miniature versions of a 1:1 design by Michelle at Petite Coterie. Michelle generously gave me permission to reproduce her design in miniature (personal use only). Michelle has a link to her Etsy shop on her blog, be sure to drop by and take a look, she's got some gorgeous new designs.

Summer break here at last!

Yay! No more thinking about classes and assignments for three whole months *big smile*

It's been a challenging semester - I've really appreciated all your comments and emails over the last few weeks - thanks so much for your friendship and encouragement.

And a big welcome to new Followers, I didn't expect to see so many new faces popping up while my blog was inactive, nice to know that you visited and decided to stay around :)

I do have one little thing to show you. Towards the end of my mid-year break I started this little beach house daybed for Marit and I've worked on it now and then over the past few weeks.

It's now in her otherwise empty beach house which hopefully we can tempt her to work on soon because it's sure to be gorgeous.

Marit has some fabulous projects on her blog including a conservatory which I just love, just click here to visit her at Black Cat Cottage. She's a really talented miniaturist, a couple of examples are these tiny wooden candlesticks, etc and the truly amazing birdcage - complete with bird - which are pieces of hers that I'm so lucky to have.

I've got lots to catch up on, in both the 'real' world as well as minis, but I'll be back to post again soon because I want to share with you some lovely minis I've received during my blog break.