Fancy Creating Something A Bit Different In Miniature?

 Well...I am running two separate workshops on the weekend of the 7th & 8th of September, at the Thame Barns Centre which is situated at the historical end of the market town of Thame, Oxfordshire. The headings of the workshops are perhaps a little misleading, as the projects we will be tackling are far more versatile than the titles suggest, as I will explain further below.

AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS, STILL SOME SPACES!

“MINIATURE VINTAGE STYLE FRENCH ÉPICERIE WORKSHOP”

SATURDAY 7th SEPTEMBER

9.30am – 4.30pm

£145.00 For Saturday Workshop Only

Made from various materials including some recycled items, this is being offered in the first instance as a vintage style épicerie, based on an old miniature French toy épicerie. Measures approx.13 1/4″ wide (to end of handle) x 5″ deep x 11 1/2″ high (to top of sign), so small enough to sit on a shelf or cupboard top. Scale is what I call a slightly "exaggerated 1/12th scale".

Project includes pre-cut main body pieces - simply glue together. Glue, paint and all necessary materials are provided as part of the kit, along with instructions. There is an optional moveable fabric canopy, opening lower drawers, numerous upper display shelves, choice of two genuine designs of vintage wallpaper for backing, vintage style paper for flooring, vintage style scales, plus all kinds of relevant vintage French cans & packaging (could be useful for your dolls house pantry if you did not want to make an épicerie)…plus more. As the drawers are optional you may decide to have just one or two, and perhaps leave some of the lower spaces for additional display space. 

However, this project can easily be adapted into various other themed shops. To kick start some inspiration I have illustrated some other ideas below...

 

Antique Shop

Toy Shop

Clock Shop

Or how about a patisserie, butchers, general stores, haberdashery, etc. In fact the options are vast!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS

"Miniature Vintage Style Air Dry Clay Food Workshop"

Sunday 8th September 10.00am - 1.00pm

£48 For Sunday Morning Workshop Only

Why not come to both Saturday & Sunday workshops for £175.00, & make a weekend of it.

Made from air dry clay, we will be making food items inspired by the wonderful vintage Kaybot & German plaster food many of us would have had in our own childhood dolls house. Have a go at making vintage style food items, and learn how to use various techniques to colour the food in acrylic paint, and in some cases pastels. Please note that air dry clay is nothing like polymer clay that has to be baked to harden, which a lot of the miniature food that you see these days is made from. Air dry clay is water based, and as the water evaporates when exposed to air it dries hard.

VARIOUS CAKES & DESSERTS    

VARIOUS FRUIT & VEGETABLES

If you did not want to make food items for an épicerie, why not make miniature food items for a different kind of shop, or for your old dolls house pantry or kitchen? I have an array of cutters, paints and implements for you to use on the day, and ideas to take inspiration from. As part of your kit you will be given a packet of air dry clay and set of instructions to help you reach your full potential. Create all kinds of wonderful cakes, bread, flans, pies, fruit, vegetables, etc., in fact your options are endless.

Anyone Remember Blancmange Or Milk Jelly From Your Childhood?

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS

Here at KT Miniatures I have been running workshops for many years now and all are welcome, no matter whether you are an advanced crafter or an absolute beginner. Emphasis is aimed at helping you enjoy learning new techniques in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, simply work at your own pace. If you fancy coming to either of these workshops or perhaps both, then please do get in touch asap as places are limited. Please note that I no longer have a landline phone, only a mobile, so if I am not able to answer please do leave a voicemail message.

Why not make a weekend of it? Thame is a quaint market town with an array of historical buildings, restaurants, cafes, and even a museum. It is situated a few miles from Oxford where there are many places of interest to see, including Blenheim Palace. In the other direction just a few miles away is Waddesdon Manor. Plus Thame is particularly famous for being a frequent location for filming the long running TV programme... Midsomer Murders!

 Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries, I hope you can come.

STILL SOMES SPACES AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS, BOOKING CLOSING SOON THOUGH SO DO PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME!

Regards

Celia

KT Miniatures Phone - 07711500345 (please leave voicemail message)

Email: info@ktminiatures.com

Website: ktminiatures.com

TWO BRAND NEW KT MINIATURES WORKSHOPS FOR 7th & 8th SEPTEMBER - BOOKING NOW OPEN!

 SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 7th 2024

9.30AM - 4.30PM

THAME BARNS CENTRE, CHURCH RD, THAME, OXFORDSHIRE. OX9 3AJ

MINIATURE VINTAGE STYLE FRENCH ÉPICERIE WORKSHOP

£145.00 FOR SATURDAY ONLY

OR

£175.00 FOR BOTH SATURDAY & SUNDAY MORNING WORKSHOPS

Come and join us for a whole day in the beautiful surroundings of the small barn at the Barns Centre in the historic Oxfordshire market town of Thame, and create a miniature vintage style French épicerie (grocery store). It has a movable fabric canopy, opening drawers, several upper shelves, genuine vintage wallpaper backing (choice of two styles), old style clock, scales, crates & various vintage style packaging. 

The main carcass is made from 3mm grey board and will be pre-cut as part of your kit, complete with materials (including some surprising recycled materials) to make all that you see in the photo above. Plus part of the kit will be a booklet of instructions, so that you can complete your project at home. NB. If you would like to make this project into a different type of shop other than an épicerie, then this can easily be adapted to suit.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8th 2024
10.00AM - 1.00PM

MINIATURE VINTAGE STYLE AIR DRY CLAY FOOD WORKSHOP

£48.00 FOR SUNDAY MORNING ONLY

Come and join us for a 3 hour morning creative session in the beautiful surroundings of the small barn at the Barns Centre in the historic Oxfordshire market town of Thame. Learn how to create convincing vintage style miniature food from air-dry clay, based on the lovely vintage plaster food that many of us had in our own childhood dolls houses. For those of you who will be making an épicerie project the day before, you can make a whole array of food items to fill your shop. If you are just coming for the morning, you can choose to make various food items for your own project or vintage dolls house. Once you learn the basic techniques, you will be able to make all kinds of food items to your own design. Part of your kit will be a block of air dry clay and instructions, plus I will provide on the day all kinds of cutters, tools, paints, pastels & glue for you to experiment with.

SPACES ARE LIMITED SO PLEASE DO GET IN TOUCH ASAP IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. 

For further details see https://ktminiatures.com/workshops/
Celia Thomas- KT Miniatures
info@ktminiatures.com
07711500345

See this brief video made on my phone of both workshop projects combined. I'm afraid the video is rather amateurish but at least it illustrates how the fabric canopy can move via the side handle, which is difficult to portray in photos alone.

Celia

ktminiatures.com

Unusual Collection Of Pre-loved Artisan Dolls House Items Just Gone Up For Sale!

It has been a while since my last post on here...apologies, but I have not been around for most of April, so May has begun with a flourish of activity as I catch up on everything. 

An unusual collection of pre-loved artisan dolls house items have recently come in. The son-in-law of the previous owner tells me that much of the collection was purchased from the well known Singing Tree Dolls House Shop during the late 1980s/early 1990s, and the family very much wants the collection to go to good homes, where they will continue to be appreciated.

Joan Ince & Den Young Chairs

Ellen Rose & Headley Holgate Decorative Shelf

Colin & Yvonne Roberson Child's Bed, Decorative Occasional Table & Toy Dumpy Pram

First up, can I please say a "thank you" to the lovely ladies and gents who came along last Sunday to the Haddenham Fair, I so enjoyed our various chats! Several items from this collection that were highlighted in last week's  KT Miniatures Newsletter (seen above) were actually sold at the fair, however  at the time of writing this blog,  the bed, chairs and shelf are still available, plus below you can see some of the other newly listed items from the same collection. 

Dennis Jenvey Walnut Nightstand c1986

This stunning little walnut cupboard, I am led to believe is a nightstand. I am not an expert on the various types of wood, but the grain on this piece of furniture is just exquisite – the photos just do not do this justice!

 Not only does it have the embossed initials of DJ, but also has the signature of Dennis Jenvey and dated 1986.  The back is nicely shaped, so too the sides, with two upper shelves and two lower opening drawers that have tiny brass handles. This has been made by a master craftsman and is truly wonderful.

Dresser With Silk Door Panels By M A Chandler 1988

This wonderful piece of furniture is a first for me, I have not handled anything quite like it before.

It is in 1/16th scale, signed & dated M A Chandler 1988 and is another piece that was believed to have been purchased from The Singing Tree Dolls House Shop

Unusually it has what appears to be green silk panels in the lower doors. How lovely is that!

Den Young Windsor Chair Signed & Dated 1987

Here is a rather lovely wooden Windsor chair signed underneath by Den Young and dated 1987, who was a well renowned master craftsman. I have been told that he retired some years ago. 

This is a beautifully crafted piece of furniture with a delicately spindled back and arms, exquisitely constructed just like a real-life size Windsor chair. The legs have also been attractively turned. It was made as a collector’s item and not meant as a toy, even back in 1987, so it has never been played with as such to my knowledge, but there is some considerable wear to the staining, including some scuffing, which gives it a well-used and quite aged appearance -hence this would sit quite comfortably and realistically in an antique dolls house as well as a more modern house.

Stunning Embroidered Miniature Framed Sampler - signed AMC dated 1976

Here is a truly beautiful and exquisitely embroidered sampler, with the tiniest of stitches on a very finely threaded fabric and in a lovely wooden frame. I am not an expert on wood, but this frame has a lovely grain and colour to it…could it be walnut maybe? 

On the back it is signed AMC and dated 1976. I have not been able to discover who the artisan was but if anyone out there could shed some light on this, I would love to hear from you. There is a little hanging loop on the back. 

This would look amazing in both an antique dolls house, as well as a more modern dolls house. Fabulous item!

These are just a few of the lovely miniatures from the collection. To see more, please go to:

 KT Miniatures. 

Last Week's "Old Style Kitchen" Workshops.

We had great fun making furniture & accessories based on an "Old Style Kitchen" theme, at last Saturday's workshops in Thame.  Thank you to everyone who came - I look forward to seeing photos of your completed creations. Also sending our good wishes to Lindsey, who sadly went down with Covid two days before so not able to come. I do hope you are feeling better Lindsey!

MORNING WORKSHOP

Morning Workshop - Old Style Kitchen Project

Everyone had a choice to make their items in either 1/12th or 1/16th scales. 

Replica Ranges In Both Scales Based On Old German Style Toy Range. 

 

The ranges were made from card and mountboard, there was a choice of various colours with which to paint them. 

Utensil Racks & Jugs Made Out Of Card & Packaging. 

The items in this workshop project were mostly made from grey cardboard, mountboard, card, plus some recycled materials. 

Effective vintage style towels for the  racks were made from a strip of old cotton fabric that had been edged with red or blue pen stripes. 

Aerial Photo Of Morning Workshop Creations In Both Scales

As everyone was so engrossed in the actual construction of the kitchen items and thrilled with what they were making,  it was jointly decided to wait until the last hour of the afternoon and paint the items made in both workshops all in one go. 

AFTERNOON WORKSHOP

Afternoon Workshop - Old Style Kitchen Project

The afternoon workshop items were also offered in either 1/12th or 1/16th scales. 

Antique Style Sink Made From Card & Cardboard, Based On A British Made Tin Sink Seen In A 1920s Dolls House I Once Owned

These items were also mostly made from grey cardboard, mountboard, card, paint, plus other recycled materials including lollipop sticks and salvaged taps from old dolls house furniture. 

Antique German Marklin Style Rack & Tins Made From Card

Scaled Down Replicas Of Old German Dresser From My Own Collection,
Simply Made From Cardboard & Mountboard. 

Aerial Photo Of Afternoon Workshop Creations In Both Scales

I had intended to take photos of all our projects as they progressed throughout the day, but time simply flew and I totally forgot to take any, until almost at the end of the day. I ended up only taking four, and out of those, only these two came out...oops, sorry ladies!

News of KT Miniatures' next workshop which I am aiming to run on a Saturday in October, will be coming shortly. Places are limited to only 6 people, so if you would like to come, please don't hesitate to get in touch and put your name on the "Workshop Reserve List".

If you click on the following link, you can see more photos on the March Workshop Albums:

https://ktminiatures.com/workshops/