Almost finished!

It has been such lovely weather here, although a bit cold, that I've spent more time in the garden and on RL house things (such as preparing for a new settee and chairs in the sitting room) than on miniatures. The only exception being the Oriental style rug.

The main job of filling in the cream background is done! I then started on the edge and promptly forgot that I still have to do the stitching for the bamboo style edge. I had hoped to finish it this weekend, but I'll need a few more hours. 

The inner edge still has to be 'bambooed' and then I have to finish the edges and the back. Still, I'm quite happy with it.

This half term my sisters are visiting and we have planned to see Sissinghurst gardens and I hope to take them to Hever Castle as well, to show them the Tudor, Georgian and other miniatures in the permanent exhibition. Not sure if we will have enough time to do both, but I can try to show them what can be achieved in miniature (by top makers) and why it is such a fantastic hobby!

Happy mini-time,

Idske

Leather

Welcome to my new followers and an apology for having nothing to post about  for some time. Life's just getting in the way of making minis.  I'm experimenting with new tools, but I've only got a few pictures of how far I've got with learning to decorate leather.

I bought the 'preeg' set (I can't find a translation for this word so if anyone knows, please let me know: it is embossing set! see the comments below) of 20 metal stamps with all the other bits you need, at the Apeldoorn show in the Easter holiday as well as the very thin brown leather.

I've made a table top even though I'm not quite happy with it. The edge is too fussy and I can't decide on how to finish the sides of the table top. Still working on a better design, so I'm using this one to work on some gold or silver decoration around the edge of the leather.

Some of the paper patterns are scattered around. I had to try all of the different stamps (they probably have a different name, but I can't think of it) as well as some combinations. Not all of them look good together. The table top, that might or might not turn into a table, is made of mahogany and a boxwood string, ebonised string and tulipwood inlay.








I'll try the decorating out on the black leather, even though it is much coarser than the brown leather, we are talking 0.8mm thickness for the black leather and paperthin for the brown leather, less than 0.1mm.

The Fleur de Lys in gold on the triangular bit of leather were my first tries. Not quite sure of the pattern yet, but as the edge is quite fussy, it will be quite simple. The pattern is done on paper first, so that is the next step. If I had had the opportunity, I would have done a course with Tine Krijnen, who was kind enough to show me the basics at the show!

This is the set I bought at the show in Apeldoorn and the outside of the box on the right, very pretty I think.

In the meantime, I am working on some full size pieces at pottery class. As they are meant to be presents, I can't show them to you until about the end of May, assuming they can be fired by then!

Happy mini-time!

Idske

More pottery

I really haven't forgotten about posting, but sometimes life gets in the way and other things take over for a while. Nothing unpleasant, but there just wasn't any time left for minis. Weeeell, except for a visit to the show in Apeldoorn, where I bought some tools. A milling/drilling machine and a 'preeg' set from Tine Krijnen for tooling/decorating leather for books or a leather inset in a desk. I'm still experimenting and will post if and when I have something to show you!

In the meantime I have had a very productive run of making more pots!
This is what it looked like when I left the pottery class and I can tell you I was really pleased with the results, even though it doesn't look like much yet.

That still looks pretty messy, and as I filled the moulds again just before I left, these pots had to stay in the mould overnight.  After some serious cleaning up I now have these ready for the bisque firing.

With all the bits of clay coming off the moulds I made a few more plates, but they aren't out of the mould just yet.  The open bowl was originally the same as the one on the right of it, but on the edge of the pot it was too thin, and so I have the makings of a fruit bowl as well as the vase!  I'm still trying to decide whether to stay with blue and white or experiment a bit with other colours...

Happy mini-time!
Idske

Congratulations!

I never thought I'd have 61 entries (many twice for putting it on their own blog). Thank you for participating!

And the winner is Josje!

Please send me your details to idskeh @ gmail.com, so I can put the tiles in the post to you.

Thank you all for following my blog and entering the draw for the giveaway!

It won't be very long before I have another draw, either for one year on Blogger or for reaching 100 followers!

Happy mini-time,   Idske

Thank you Jonquil!

A few weeks ago I won Latchkey and Jonquil's giveaway and when I came back from visiting family in the Netherlands, I found a package in the post with a lovely card of a peony, my favourite flower and a little box with the cushion!  I will now have to make a new settee as the only one I have is my very first attempt at furniture making from about 20 years ago. It's in the banner photo above, but it's also a bit scruffy and that just isn't good enough!

Isn't it absolutely perfect?

Thank you Jonquil, it's just as beautiful as I imagined! Idske

PS: Tomorrow at 4pm my son will make the draw for my tiles giveaway, so you still have 

about 24 hours to enter your name! 

! GIVEAWAY !

I've been working on these tiles for about 2 months and finally after 3 firings I have enough of them! 

I had meant to do this when I passed the 50 followers about a month ago. 

So a bit late, but I hope you don't mind... 

They are earthenware tiles with under glaze hand painted decoration,

 after Dutch 17th century tiles.  

First there was a square of 9 tiles, but I think this will be easier to make into something!

Here are 15 tiles for one of you !

Rules: be a follower of this blog and leave a comment on this post.

If you put it on your side bar you will have 2 chances to win!

The draw is on 14th April 2013!

Good luck,  Idske

More tiles and my 'work space'

Is the blue better than in the previous post?

The tiles for the kitchen are all fired now and I really like them!  I've made another 10 or so of the corner tiles, just to have the choice of the best ones, as some of these are slightly too big. How much of a perfectionist will I allow myself to be?

Just to give an idea of the size 

I've also put some around the 2 flower baskets. Not quite sure what to do with these...

On several other blogs I've seen some fabulous work spaces. Mine is in the dining room and most of my supplies are in my grandmother's cupboard.  I like to work from a board that was originally meant to hold the wood lathe. It nice and heavy and doesn't move around with a cloth or place mat under it.  It could still be used for that, if only I could bring myself to tidy it all up.:))  The entire board fits under the cupboard and there is a small cupboard in the corner for the box shop.  I don't want to use power tools here so they have to stay in the kitchen, which isn't ideal as it's quite a task getting them out of their boxes and set up properly.

Although the dining room isn't a bad work space, I would love a room where I can have everything set up ready to use, including the table saw, scroll saw and lathe, space for glueing, drying, houses, roomboxes and anything else I could possibly think of!

Lola likes to sit in the middle of the table watching me just like this!
She's a seal point with blue eyes and has a very definite opinion on everything

Happy mini-time!