Tiny Buttons

Please forgive a short post about something other than miniatures that I made. This is so I test my blog again to see if things are working properly now. I have had several emails from people that are not able to get to this page and some who cannot get into the comments area. Mostly from people that are using Internet Explorer. Firefox works better at the moment. My next post will be about a miniature piece.

I have been collecting antique metal buttons for a long time. I love them! I have them classed by size and color in glass jars. These are all solid brass ones about 1/4 inch wide. I used some black glass ones for this project as well.

I hate it when old buttons get their shanks cut off for jewelry or other uses. So I decided to crochet gold metallic elastic thread for a band. Then just sewed on the buttons to make a cuff bracelet.

1: 144 Scale French Townhouse

This is a new French townhouse kit that I just finished by Keith Bougourd. He has once again done an absolutely beautiful job interpreting a 1: 1 design into 1: 144 scale. He tells me he will start offering the kit for sale in March, 2012. www.small-time.com/

Several months ago I wrote to Keith and asked him when we could expect a new 1: 144 scale house kit. He wrote back and told me he was looking in books for a new Georgian design. I was excited because I loved working on his last 1:44 scale kit.

I spent the next three nights scouring the Internet looking for something that might tempt him... but I was looking at French townhouses. I thought if I could find one that could be constructed basically the same way as his last kit was, he might like the idea of a French house. I was looking for one that would open from the front and was full of architectural charm. Finally, I found something I thought he might like and lend it self to his 'style use' of building materials and construction (he uses wood and photo etched brass). It was the end wing of a hotel, Chateaubriand in Saint-Malo France. I knew if he liked it....Keith had the skill, talent and the vision to make it into a townhouse.


He was so nice during the process! He sent me his drawings and several pictures while he was developing the kit. I was thrilled to bits he shared this with me.

Thank you so much Keith!!!!!!! I am sure you are aware of how much I LOVE the house!!!

Keith also knows I enjoy making changes to kits to make them my own. That is part of the fun putting together kits. For this house I cut up tiny elements of brass findings using a jewelers saw. I wanted to add three dimensional architectural additions to the windows and capitals. Added to those elements were a few 1/2 mm no hole beads. I found an art nouveau brass fence in my local model train shop and used it on the house, just for something different. The townhouse has a closed attic room. Because I was adding LED lights to the other three floors, I cut sections out of the roof so that light would shine through the windows on the fourth floor.

Here is the French Townhouse assembled and finished by Keith. Lovely, just as it is!

Free Cat!!! ;-)

Kilmouski....Ready for shipping! Having been caught sleeping on one of my white sofas this morning. He knows better too. When I caught him he ran up stairs to hide.

Sorry for the delay.... Just a short post, while I wait for the post office to sort out a missing piece to finish my project.

A Christmas Card For You

There is still a bit of wrapping to do. Like this beautiful sweater and cap that was hand knit by Sharon Vries. chrystalsdesigns.blogspot.com/

I am afraid I have not had the chance to make the sort of ornaments I wanted to this year, except for a snowman. The others are very old ones I have had for (gasp) many years. They are all on straight wires of various lengths, that have hooks on the ends. Which is great because it means I can pull them all off and change the ornaments as new ones are made. I think I would like to move away from the traditional red and green next year.

BTW...I am very pleased with the string of 26 LED chip lights I used on the tree, made by modeltrainsoftware.com/ They are a bit fiddly to put on the tree but I remember the old style being rather time consuming too.

I am waiting for a drill bit to come in the mail which is all that is keeping me from finishing that 'certain promised something'. It will be my next post.

May your days be merry and bright...Happy Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I have been using my IPad because my laptop is in the hospital. I am afraid I cannot up load any photos here using it.

The good news is ..... I have been working on something I think you will love. Stay tuned.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Catherine XXX

The Garden

While I am busy working on several projects (both 1: 1 and 1: 12 scale) I didn't want you to think I had forgotten my blog.

What could be more charming then a beautiful garden shed. It would be a great project in miniature that could even be set in a book shelf when finished. It might add a subtle source of light and interest to a 1: 1 room. I am thinking about LEDs and the coming option of using a transformer instead of batteries.

I have a file of pictures I saved for years out of magazines of garden sheds. I don't have a scanner so I can't show you those. The newly built ones I love most, use old doors and windows purchased from salvage yards. Those can be very chic or slightly quirky. I like them because they don't have that prefab 'new' feeling about them when they are finished, like some of these do.

Garden sheds are close to my heart because I remember the summer my dad built one in our garden. I was about four years old then. It took him all summer, I was convinced I helped him build it. We went to the hardware store every week to get something 'we' needed to build it. The building was quite elaborate. It had a covered front porch, interior closet, electricity, a brick fire place and screens on the windows. It was big enough that he put bunk beds inside. So my sister and I could 'sleep out' on summer nights. I was so sad when we moved two years later and had to leave it behind. I know there is one in my future be it 1: 1 or 1: 12 scale.

Transformer Coming For The LED Lights

The string of 26 warm white LEDs I ordered from Evan Designs has arrived. http:///www.modeltrainsoftware.com/mi.html I know I am going to love these because the wires and chips can be well hidden in the branches of the Christmas tree. The only time they will really be visible is when they are turned on. I was also very happy with the strength of the emitting light. Considering they are all going to be on a small tree.

Before I ordered I phoned and spoke to Dave. I wanted to ask him about a transformer for them. GOOD NEWS!!! He told me that he had that issue sorted out with a 3 volt transformer and would have them in stock in a couple of weeks!!!! He said he would email me when he got them in and that this transformer would not get warm where it is plugged into the wall. This is great because I don't want to be using up so many batteries to have the lights on every day for a couple of weeks for Christmas.

I am very glad I chose these. Plus I can think of several other ways to use these chip lights. You can also get a string of 12 LEDs from him.