Doorways to where?

Its 9.40pm and its still 32.1 degrees sitting at my desk, another day of over 43 with another due tomorrow to look forward to. This has slowed me down a bit in the workshop as it's just not practical to work here when it gets too warm, as glues dry to fast and timber doesn't behave itself.

However this update is that the entrance has been papered and painted and all of the door architrave's have been machined and some fitted, I have gone with a standard Craftsman design that has some nice character to it. All the woodwork is machined from Pacific Kauri and stained to a colour I've made up with alcohol stains, I am keeping the timber a bit lighter so that when the rooms are enclosed and not as much light on them the woodwork doesn't look too dark.The skirting has not been fitted as yet, and the wall colour is nothing like the photo as it was taken under fluorescent lighting. But that is the correct colour on the wood work.

Until next time..........

Yours in miniatures

Warren

Califoria Bungalow - Staircase and Colours

As mentioned last post I was working on the staircase, it has now been stained and temporarily fitted to the structure. It was assembled from Kauri over an mdf structure. Obviously this confirms there is a second story in the house 😉 or what they call a 1 1/2 story Bungalow.

I have also spoken with the future owner from Tasmania who has allowed me to share that her name is Rosie, so this is officially now called the Rose House as I like to name my buildings. This has also created the need to put roses into the design somewhere, 1 thing leads to another, have already got it pictured in my mind 😌 where and how that will work, (a Hint) if anyone remembers a Parlor room box I had at Sydney a couple of years ago, Hmmmmm Roses.

The next discussion was about colours, so I sent her a link to a suitable period paint chart  www.californiapaints.com   and asked her to respond.

I love the greens, blues and reds in the last three rows (everything except the purple, which I really dislike), with the colours in the fourth and fifth rows to balance things out a bit so it’s not too lairy, if that makes sense.  The greens and blues in row seven are probably my favourite colours from the chart. I’m not so keen on the top half of the palette (the pinks and mustards).

then 12 hours later

I've been thinking (constantly!) about the paint chart and am coming round on the pinks. I remembered I bought, years ago, a bedding set that I wanted to put in my dream house I was one day going to have. (it's Coming) I went digging in my stash and found it! it actually has pink as a tr

im, which I like.

Now I have a colour range that Rosie likes and I'm also happy with, I can start to create an Interior design. Until next time.......

Yours in miniatures

Warren

2017 and hopefully better than 16

Hello all,

What a year, sorry that my postings disappeared for most of the year. Life got in the way and even though some good things happened, it was a tough year. Hopefully this year will be a lot better.

So to help keep me going I'm going to try and keep going with my blog, I have just started the construction of a 12th scale 1920s California Bungalow for a lady in Tasmania. The drawings were done last year and I plan (need) to have it ready for the Sydney Miniatures and Doll's House Fair over the weekend of 6-7th May at the Netball Centre at Olympic Park. However to keep it a surprise for the owner I am only sending her teaser photos as an entree so that she gets to unveil and enjoy the finished house ready for her to move in and make a home. I will continue sending her the Teasers before posting anything here.

The first teaser is the living room floor boards, the whole ground floor has been laid using individual boards with nail holes a scale 18inches apart to represent the floor joists below. This was a technique that I taught in a workshop at the AMEA Christmas meeting using wood veneer. Each board is cut to a length divisible by a scale 18inches and then glued down so that all joins would be on a joist, the nail holes are done again along the joist lines which give a very realistic look, The boards have only been stained at this point and will be sealed and waxed later. If you click on the photo to open the large version you can see what I'm talking about.

Apart from her choice of a California Bungalow and after some discussions over a few years, she has left the the choice of which design and details to me as part of the commission. I have chosen the design for the house and will be deciding most of the details, so in reality she has no more idea of what I'm creating than you guys. I will be sending her oblique options from time to time for some input but she will never be quite sure where I'll be using those options. I'll be sending her the link to this blog and if she approves I'll be able to say who she is and maybe some other details.

I have just assembled the staircase and will stain it tomorrow and maybe a photo shortly.

Sorry to keep you all in suspense 😈, well actually I'm not 😛, the journey and the house will well be worth it.

Yours in miniatures

Warren

2016 and Life go's on

Happy New Year, February already and life go's on and I keep forgetting to write about what I'm up too, so here go's finally!!!!.

I have been designing a 1930s Queenslander house kit based on a house my wife and I spotted when we where in Brisbane last year. I had been asked to do a Queenslander as a workshop for the Linnwood House workshop over the ANZAC weekend of April 23rd - 25th, which is the weekend before the Sydney Dollhouse and Miniatures Fair in May at Homebush. Because I had already sold quite a number of the 1920s Queenslander kit I didn't want to teach that so created the 1930s version instead, which is in the next architectural style, being what the call an asymmetrical design.

The workshop is almost completely booked out and to assist over the weekend I have Elizabeth Barnes and Adelaide Cann learning the assembly and finishing with me to assist in teaching, as well as my wife Elizabeth and Marilyn Pride to assist on the Monday when we will be doing landscaping. It should be a great weekend and I have people coming from all over Australia as well as New Zealand to do it. Elizabeth and Adelaide are now looking at doing new 1/48 kitchen and furniture kits to dress out the house.

I will be supplying 4 paint selections from the period as well as 1 of 3 random interior wallpaper schemes in the kit. We have decided that the Instructions will be mailed out to participants a week before the workshop so people will be able to have a jump start on the weekend.

I have also been working on a series of other 1/48th houses and buildings including an Art Deco single story house with attached garage, not the promised house, but a new one, as well as a Spanish revival mission house, an Art Deco petrol station and a small restaurant with car park and drive thru. These will be on display as part of a larger display of street scenes at the May show.  I have also created roads and foot paths that connect to the front of the houses and will populate these with cars and people. The pair of Fire vehicles now have working flashing lights and I really am tempted to set fire to a house to park them in front of. O well, maybe not today ?

As well as the above I've started on pieces to use to hopefully attain Artisan status through the IGMA. http://www.igma.org/    I am going for recognition in small scale structures and have to supply 3 structure pieces for consideration by the middle of April, which should be interesting. I am working on a pair of the same houses at the moment, but with some variation in execution, and will send off 1 of the 2 as well as a couple of other pieces. I have basically decided on the 2nd and 3rd pieces but I will leave details of these until after they have been considered by the committee in late April. I am taking what I do and giving them a twist forward. I look forward to showing you what I've done in May.

Until next time, hopefully not so far away.

yours in miniatures

Warren

Embassy Theatre workshop

 Class of 2015

We got started but we didn't quite get finished, but we will.

 

The Australian Miniatures Enthusiasts Association Convention over the October long weekend has been and gone and everyone seemed to have a mostly great time. Me, well I had my first miniature workshop as a tutor, It was a bit more intense than I had expected and we didn't get as much finished as I planned before hand, but considering the complexity of the project everyone seemed happy with what was learned and what we got done. A group of 4 are going to come up to my workshop a little later in the year to finish off.

The top photo shows the exteriors but the interiors were also mostly assembled and in the process of being decorated and wallpapered and not ready to fit inside the exterior as we were packing up when we took these photos. 

yours in miniatures

Warren

Airbnb commercial

I know its been a while so firstly a video of a commercial for Airbnb that I had the pleasure to work on. All projects of this nature are made by a team of people but I was offered the job of creating the miniature sets for each of the 8 levels and then to replicate 36 models for each level. I spent 5 weeks of long days creating all the scenes plus the scenes that also weren't used. That's life in this business.

I've also attached a 4 minute video of behind the scenes which helps to show off the model better.

Please enjoy.

Warren

A Quick Post

Just a quick post to let every one know that I've been swamped under with miniature work for a new commercial that is very interesting and exciting set in a miniatures world. I can't talk about it at the moment as I need to get back to work but in a few weeks I'll be able to talk about and show you all something pretty special.

Yours in miniatures

Warren

Queenslander Lighting kits now available for order

The components have now arrived for the lighting kits for the 1/48th 1920s Queenslander kit. they are now listered in the shop for delivery starting next Monday 8th June. Their are 2 versions available,

Kit QL1 includes all components (replacement ceiling, 7 warm white Led's, wire, battery box with switch and battery and instructions for you to assemble, soldering required for $20+ postage.
1/48th 1920s Queenslander lighting kit. QL1

Kit QL2 includes all components pre-soldered for $30+ postage.
1/48th 1920s Queenslander lighting kit pre soldered, QL2

yours in miniatures

Queenslander kit parts missing

It has been bought to my attention that the rear doors are missing from the latest batch of Queenslander kits that were sold primarily at the Sydney show, If you purchased 1 of these please let me know with your postal address and I will post a replacement set out to you.

Because I am a 1 man band, sometimes these things happen and I'm sorry if it slows you down but as with all my kits, if you have a problem let me know and we'll resolve it.

Yours in miniatures