Getting technical

I was going to make some more articles besides the bread and needed small pieces of wood and dowel.  As I still want to hang on to all my fingers, and the normal size push sticks won't do for this kind of work, I decided I wanted to make a sliding table for my table saw first.  Full size push sticks are too big for the small pieces I need and making them any smaller is no good, because they become as flimsy as match sticks.  In my files on my computer I had a copy of an article in an earlier dolls house magazine which described how to go about it.  It was distributed in our online miniature group a long time ago and I knew it would come in handy one day...  The instructions were very clear, hence easy to follow.

The following pictures show you what I am talking about:

I have marked the place where the saw blade appears through the front very clearly so that I won't put any fingers across that area

I also needed to mark the 'front' since the sliding parts fit only one way on the table saw

Here I am cutting a piece of dowel.  It's so much easier if you slide the table across instead of the pieces of wood you want to cut.

So, that out of the way I could get on with my job.  Again I needed the help from our online group, because I was in need of printies.  They had to be authentic and in Dutch as well.  We're a great group of friends, longstanding I might add, and help is always near.  I received the prints in no time and thus I could make "beschuiten" and "ontbijtkoek": two kinds of bakery items that almost every Dutch person has grown up with. 

The easiest way was to have the right size of wood and dowel to cover with the paper wrappers and this is what I produced:

"Ontbijtkoek" and "Beschuit"

The roll of rusks is of a smaller size then they are nowadays, because the delivery cart is from way back as well.  You don't see them on the streets any more, nor have we seen them for nearly fifty years if I remember well.  So, now my cart is full and all I am waiting for is the hinges to finish it all off.

The hinges is all I am waiting for now

In the comments on my last posting Rosamargarita reminded me of a trick that I had quite forgotten: to use clear wood glue and saw dust to fill and repair the little hole in the lid.  I have already thanked her and have tried to make the repairs.  I don't know for sure if it worked until I have re-varnished the lid, but will let you know how I went.

Then it's time to welcome a new follower yet again. :-)  This time it's someone I know very well: Wilma from the Netherlands and although she doesn't have a blog I do know she has a website: Wilmatuurtjes.  It's in Dutch only, but I am sure you won't need words when you see the pictures.  And of course a warm welcome to you too ,Wilma.

That's all for now.  I guess my next update will be when the hinges arrive.  I might have said that in my last posting, but that's all I am waiting for right now.  See you then.

M(B)aking bread

Did I make bread, or was it baking bread? :-)  I guess a bit of both.  It depends on how you look at it....

I did make some bread, although it had stopped raining ages ago.  Remember it was raining last time I placed an update and I was looking forward to get some work done?

I got done much, much more, but not all mini.  Life goes on, real life that is, and there's always things that get in the way.  However, I made some bread and bread rolls of different varieties:

Bread and bread rolls

Usually I work with Fimo or some other polymer clay to do this kind of work, but I didn't have the right colours.  So, instead I opened a packet of Crayola which I had had for ages, but never yet used.  It's an airdrying clay, but very light and it feels like foam.  It is quite easy to work with and for the bread it had a real nice texture.  It's white, so I had to get my paint out.  I'm quite happy with the result.

I then put on two grips and a sort of locking system on the lid:

Lock and grips

Oh oh, the picture shows my mistake big way!  I just started drilling a little hole for the nail when I realised I had my measurements wrong.  I can hardly see it normally, but the picture is too clear....  Will have to think about a solution, because this project is going into a competition and I don't want to spoil it with just one hole in the wrong place. :-(

Filled up with bread and bread rolls and even a cloth to cover the bread in the baskets

Nearly done now.  I am only waiting for some hinges that have to come all the way from the UK.  I needed three different sorts and I missed two of those.  So, it's putting the lid on with hinges and then I can also put hinges on the lid for the smaller box.  When that's done I can glue it against the big one and I'm done.  So, see you in about a week perhaps?

Then back to my followers.  Again I can welcome two people, one of whom has a fairly new blog, but one with lots and lots of pictures of her work, and of the other one I can detect a blog, but you're both very welcome as a follower:

Doortje from the Netherlands at rdoortjesminis and Carolina Leonardo. 

See you all next time. Bye for now.

Still working....

Not much new to show though, since I have been to the Dollshouse Club yesterday.  I can't do more spray painting, because it's raining, so I'll show you the pictures of the completed boxes and handle bar.  All I need to do now is wait for the correct hinges (I am short of one pair) and then I can finish off the wooden parts.  I am also thinking of buying new hinges for the smaller box.  I do have a pair that'll fit, but they are not the nice triangular hinges that are used for the original.  Well, in the end you'll find out what I have decided upon. :-)

Ready to be assembled

The 'stay' is not correctly placed, but tha's because I have not fixed any hinges yet

I guess the next step is making lots of bread and rusks before I can go back to my florist....

Since I welcomed a large number of new followers the other day (22 to be precise) I discovered two more.  So, a warm welcome to

Paky from Spain at Paquicheli's blog and Gleise, who doesn't appear to have one.  If you do, please let me know and I will tell the world. :-)

See you next time with a new update when the rain has stopped.

Nearly finished

Although we both have been working hard today, I haven't much to show for it.  It was repetitive work mostly for me: sanding, staining, sanding, painting, more sanding, more painting........pfff.....  However, I am happy with the results so far.

Hubbie has been working on the bike part of course.  More soldering for him, but his part is as good as finished.  I have spray-painted the parts and with a bit of luck we can start assembling tomorrow.

The first coat done, although you can't see much yet

Sanding in between coats of stain

One of the holders for the steering bar

The bike parts after a coat of spray paint

 I also would like to thank my followers for the nice comments.  Hobbying I do for myself, the blog is there to share with you about my hobby, so it's nice to see that people are interested.  I have noticed too that I have so many more followers than before I went on my three-month holiday.  I have to welcome you all together and do so today, because I lack the time to list so many in one go.  Of course I am interested in all your blogs too, but will go and have a look when I have a few spare moments.  I also have to wait till next month, because I have already reached my limit with my provider and all this is going to cost me...! :-(

So, a warm welcome to all my new followers and be assured I am interested in your blogs as well.  I will get to it, I promise. :-)

For now, that's it.  Tomorrow it's our monthly meeting day at the Brisbane Miniatures club and I have to prepare the workshop tonight.  I don't think I'll be able to work on the project, but you'll see me again soon enough (I hope)....

Bye for now.

More work on the latest project

Just a quick update on the bread delivery cart.  Yes, we've been working hard today (after we'd both done the boring household chores!)  Frank kept cutting and soldering and burning his fingers (and saying a few words I pretended not to hear), and I kept cutting, and sawing and sanding and nearly (very nearly) also said a word I shouldn't have.... ;-)

And here are the results:

sanding the little box



on the table saw cutting through the sides (partially) to produce a lidded box



cutting the lid off the box

the lid and box separated

if you're a perfectionist like me you see a little mistake

just a different view

the big and small boxes together

the side insets to keep the lid in place

the inserts glued in and the metal stay fixed in place

the bike being soldered together to hold the box

the front wheels attached temporarily

just wanted to see what it's going to look like....

And that's it for today.  I am going to sit in front of the box.  You know which one...........

Bye for now

A new project

I am taking a short break from my work on the florist's and have started on a project I have been planning to do since the year 2000!  It's an old fashioned bread delivery cart from one of the miniature magazines I subscribe to:

Can you see it?  It's the one at the bottom in the centre.  The magazine was published just as I was holidaying oversees with my brother and SIL.  The latter lost her father when she was young and he was a baker who used to deliver his own bread in a similar cart to this.  She's got a picture of him with his cart on the wall and I thought this would make a nice present.  So, 11 years later, I have finally started!

Luckily I'd bought the bikes that I needed at the time.  They were sold at a special shop where goods from third world countries are sold and they are no longer available.  Lucky I got them back then.

My other half, better at soldering then I am, promised to help me out and he is taking care of the bikes:

They both had to be cut in half, because I need two wheels for the front.  The other half of one of them is being modified to be used with the box.  I think the other incomplete half will have to go to a shed sometime in the future....

In the meantime I have started on the big box and the small one that will be attached to it.  The top of the big one that will contain the bread, is drying now with very sophisticated clamps:

The smaller one, which is meant to keep 'beschuiten' (rusks in English) is also drying, but I could fit that one in my glue jig:

So, there's not much to be seen yet, but at least I have made a start.  Will keep you posted.

Bye for now.

Back home again

I've been home for a week now and still getting over the jet lag and all the excitement that the three months away overseas have brought me.  I had a fantastic time if not 'the time of my life', because I don't think this will ever occur again: 2 Miniature Fairs, a number of workshops and meeting with so many like minded friends.  As I said before, I still feel very privileged that I have been able to do this.

However, back to everyday life, which means: miniatures (what else?).

I had not yet shown you a number of gifts and I have to make the promise good that I would do that as soon as I would be home.

These are the gifts that I hadn't taken a picture of before.  There are 'new' and 'old' ones.  Let me explain.  The email group has on and off has a yearly get-together and a number of items were given to the few people that live overseas.  So, since I was able to pick them up myself this time I did so with great pleasure.  Other items were given to me while visiting here and there, but I wasn't always able to take a picture.  There might even be more coming, because I had to send on two parcels in the mail, which hopefully will arrive soon.  If there's anything else I should show you I will.  Oh well, there is something else, but I am not telling you..... yet.

Next I have also spent some time on actual miniature making.  Amongst other things I have bought a number of workshop kits to present to people of our club.  I don't always have the time to think of something new, nor am I of the creative type to do so, so I was happy to find this alternative.

I have started on two of them.  Yes, I know there are some more interesting workshops waiting to be finished, but I have started on these so as to have something ready for the next few meetings.  I have to put a kit together before I present the workshop, because I want to know what we're supposed to be doing. ;-)

Here goes.  Number 1 is something I have been wanting to make for quite a while now: a lever arch folder:

This kit was designed and put together by Tine Krijnen of whom I have bought a number of book making kits before.  I love them all and they are among my prized possessions. 

The next one is a more country themed kit: a chicken in a kind of framed shadow box.  I am hoping to start on a country shop when my florist is finished, so this is a good start:

It's a bit difficult to see in the picture, but there is a chicken behind the wire and some straw and a few eggs.  It looks lovely in real life.  This kit was designed and put together by Anneke van der Sande.

And by now it's time for me to have lunch, so I wish you all the best and till next time.