More French cupboard love

This well worn patina is just so gorgeous! I don't know if I can recreate it but I'm sure going to try.

and loving this old desk too

Images are from here via Karina Gentinetta

Thanks Sandy for posting about Karina including her story in the New York Times - it's definately worth taking the time to read it - it's guaranteed to lift your spirits. You can access it online here.

There's been some activity in the Brocante!

Emily has been scouring the flea markets of Paris and is beginning to stock the brocante at last.  There are more goodies to add, and no doubt rearranging and more rearranging, but you can at least take a peek at what's going on in there: 

Double left click the pics for an 'expanded' view.

I've got lots more beautiful pieces from clever blogger friends to go into the brocante and the upstairs apartment so there are lots of credits to come but for these pictures there are just two 'blog mates' to note

Rosanna: strawberry tray and sewing box

Jody: hydrangeas  (Jody's back blogging again - happy days!)

A credit must also go to Lidi Stroud, the picnic basket is one of her pieces.  Take a look at her website here. 

Everything else is either bought and painted/aged by me  (jug and basin stand yet to get the 'treatment')  or made by me. 

If you don't know about Emily and her 'new' Parisian brocante you can access her story here or go to the top of this page and click on the title "How Emily Came To Own a Parisian Brocante".  Settle in with a coffee and let me entertain you...

For Maria Jose ...

Maria Jose (marivigano) - this little table and chair set is YOURS - you have probably given up hope that I'd ever get it made but here it is and it'll be in the post tomorrow.  Thank you for waiting so patiently for so long :)

A little inspiration

Ooooh, aren't these twin cupboards gorgeous?  I just love the colour and the patina, they'd look great in mini size too don't you think? 

Picture source: Carol Leber  at  http://leberpr.com/blog/?p=1382 via Gypsy Purple at http://gypsypurple.blogspot.com/

How Emily came to own a Parisian Brocante

This story has moved to it's own page, please click on the title in the 'pages bar' above to access it.

My thanks to everyone who has read and commented on it :)  It's been fun to write, and it pleases me very much to know that you have had fun reading it.   As the Brocante takes shape perhaps we shall meet Emily again.

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!!)