Teacups and Saucers

I had bought a mob of these ages ago but it was only just this afternoon I worked out what to do with them. They were so much fun to do. I will be putting them up in my Etsy shop tonight.

Baskets and Mail

I had a go at some mini mail this weekend. I was blessed to find double sided vintage postcards on the net. I will put some up at a later date. Already had a selection of some lovely old photos. Found some vintage letters and envelopes as well. Gave it all a dirty wash after it was printed to scunge it up. Working out how envelopes fold got me thinking. They need a better box but this little printie one will do for now. I have some exquisite mini mail from Looking Glass Miniatures. Jennifer's work is amazing. But they are too good to be stuffed in a tacky old box that sits in a grotty old cupboard. They will be sitting elegantly in a gold letter holder on the antique sideboard downstairs, fitting for such mini stationery finery. This lot of mine will be in that tacky box in the grotty cupboard in the upstairs attic bedroom.

This isn't the basket I had in mind for my mini sewing kit. This was much easier and I kind of just made it up as I went along. The brain was working in this direction and who am I to stop a fully functioning brain!! I didn't use fabric for the liner just printed out a small pattern on paper.

The weather is insanely warm today. Here in far north Queensland we don't do winter. We have a prolonged warm Spring which is our Winter and then bam on October the temperature goes up by about 8 degrees or so into the thirties. Then all summer we sit in our air conditioned abodes while we wait for a cyclone or two and put everything up on bricks. The Big Wet! That lasts for four to five months. It's just gone over very uncomfortable and fans are now on the highest setting which is devasting for mini work. I'll try again this evening.

Good day to you all!!

Thatcham Moving Along.

Amazing it is that something as small as my little house can take so much to 'fill' up. The kitchen was easy. Kitchens especially old ones have lots of lovely interesting things to put in them. In fact I had to pull up the reins there as I was filling it up so much that no little person in their right mind would work under such claustrophobic conditions. The lounge is a struggle however. My own house if full of bits n bobs picked up haphazardly from years travelled but when you have to make them to put in a house it a little bit more awkward. So I'm still working on the downstairs. Basics covered but it the little things that make a house a home that are eluding me. The little table still needs a finish and lots of plump cushions of course. My sewing machine sits glaring at me from across the room. We are currently on speaking terms only. It knows it's too fancy for me and I just don't treat it the way it feels I should. That is why the curtains are for the time being made out of paper. The kitchen needs a rag rug I think. Whipped up the little sewing basket, took hours! The basket is still a work in progress but I used this one for now. I'm making a lidded one. Well I'm having a go at making one anyway. But it is school holidays here in Queensland so I'm off to the bush for a week. See you then!!


Yes this photo is terrible. I used my Iphone which had just had it's third drop in water for the week. Remarkably it still works.

A Warm Kitchen

Told the kids to look after themselves on the weekend, I had a kitchen to do. They did for the most part. I haven't done much to my little house for quite some time. The boys took in turns to get sick and Etsy orders to fill. As well as other general life stuff that gets in the way. But the majority of that was all settled and I sat down and finally put all the bits n pieces I've been hoarding into some use. This side of the kitchen is done for the most part. Need to add a few things here and there. Hanging bunches of herbs, more utensils, tea towels and fire wood. Stuff. The other side will now get my attention. A pretty shelf over the table and a little cupboard to go behind the door for all of Mrs. Thatcham's pots and bowls. It is so nice to see it finally come together. Canned food is just lengths of dowel cut painted silver and printed out labels gluesticked on. The jars of preserves are filled with clear silicone with a drop or two of food colouring and then polymer clay slices pushed in with a toothpick. The muslin tops were off an old quilt. The cotton had worn down so much into lovely soft muslin. Squares lightly glued on the top then very fine gauge wire around to hold. Then trim off the muslin. Had a go at ageing enamel canisters. Now where as scary as I thought.

Looking through the net on how women cooked with open fires I discovered all sorts of cast iron 'technology'. One of which was a swinging plate to cook on directly or to put pots on. I made one up from carboard cirlces glue together to for the plate. Electrical cable bent and glue to another smaller cardboard plate that would be glued to the brickwork. All glued together and painted black it works a treat.

Miniature Children's Books

I loved making these! Although it took days to redo every page in Photoshop and line it all up and make it all fit, print them out and then put them together!! But I loved doing them. I have done over twenty or so and I'll put them up when I can in my shop. All children's books from in and around the turn of the last century. Every page is printed and some you can read without a magnifying glass. Some of the books have sleeves while others are fixed . The illustrations in some them are so beautiful. Can't beat books.

More Lovely Little Plates

I love this design. My new favourite.I haven't been able to get much work done. Both my boys have been ill for the last two weeks plus I have had a few orders to fill. But I did get some plates done last night. I found some lovely smaller plates and I am now doing some settings. I love this one below. A child's birthday plate. Also a cake stand that was so accepting of a decal that I kept checking it for I was sure I had done something wrong!
These are all available in my Etsy shop.

Beautiful Tiny Butterflies

I came across these most beautiful dainty butterflies quite by accident surfing the net. I knew I had to have some. Julia Cissell is the artist and her work is beyond words. She has an Etsy shop called God's Flying Flowers which is currently undergoing a renovation. I bought four of her tiny masterpieces. Do be so very careful when the parcel arrives. She ships them in little lidded containers all lovingly padded but a breath of air can make them vanish. I pull them out for to show people and use tweezers. When I have finally completed Warm Thatchum and have the acrylic case made up only then will these little beauties come out. I so wouldn't want to lose one! They are so beautiful.