New Computer, New Beginnings But New Problems!

These past few days has brought a serious sense of humour failure in this household! Amazing what chaos a computer dying on us can bring!!

After my lovely old computer packed up completely at the weekend and subsequently KT Miniatures grinding to a halt, I suddenly found myself having to dash out and purchase a new one. 

But of course it has Windows 8 and some of my trusty old software that I have happily used for several years beforehand is no longer compatible. So, for the past few days there have been several trips to a very well known computer store (am not even going to start working out the cost just yet as I will need a stiff drink or two before I add it all up).  Plus much time has been spent trying to make sense of the pictorial instructions on random bits of paper that come with it all, as well as the huge instruction manuals.... and my IT director (aka Mr KT Miniatures) has had to drop everything and endeavour to hook everything up, retrieve lost files and generally try and restore calm here once more.

Now, it is all finally set up and I have to  get to grips with it all.  Am slowly learning my way around this new computer and new software...I kid you not, it took us 5 minutes at the beginning to work out how to switch the monitor on! Then it took us several minutes to work out how to switch the actual computer off properly....(it has the facility of being a touch screen but I'm afraid I have to use a mouse...am very set in my ways)!

So hooray....am pleased to say that KT Miniatures is back up and running again (albeit rather cautiously) and hopefully by tomorrow, I can start listing more vintage stock again.
Celia

Oh Dear....New Year Computer Gremlins Already Struck!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Unfortunately KT Miniatures website is completely stuck out in cyberspace at the moment. My main computer has died well and truly this afternoon....to be honest, it is not a surprise as it had been sent to the naughty corner at least twice since I opened on Thursday!!! The noises it was making have been rather strange and it had kept freezing....prompting some choice expletives from my vocabulary, I can tell you! Yesterday, I attempted once again to  list some stock on the Dol-Toi page, from Marion Osborne's collection but after nearly 2-3 hours of battling, all I managed was to get about 5 items up. Oddly, the Dol-Toi page looked fine when viewed in Explorer but all weird when viewed in Firefox.....????? But then I am reliably informed by my IT Director (aka Mr KT Miniatures) that that was a separate problem and nothing to do with the mechanics of my computer dying. Oh I wish I was technically minded!!

And today, even though I had tried being nice to my big computer-I was resigned to the fact that other than the blue message that says FATAL ERROR right across the page....and then a load of gobbledy goo, was as much as I was going to get from it. Now, I can't even get that -it is well and truly beyond help.

So dear folks....KT Miniatures is now going to have to take a few days break whilst a new computer is purchased and I do battle trying to recover lost files, etc.

 I have this little laptop so, unless this decides to come out in sympathy too with his big brother, then I can still communicate by email. If you have outstanding orders with me, then unfortunately I am not going to be able to type invoices etc. as the printer is connected to the now defunct computer....sorry. Also, the website will have to remain static until I can hook up the necessary software to a new computer. If your order process is going to be delayed, I will be in touch. 
Apologies again.
Celia

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM KT MINIATURES ....And Let's Start With A Customer Creation!

I hope you've had a fantastic time over the Christmas and New Year holiday season...I certainly did. But now it's time to get back into the swing of things and KT Miniatures is open for business once more.

Can't quite believe that I'm embarking on my 17th year of trading as KT Miniatures....it's been quite some journey since I began back in January 1997 and hope that I can continue for a long time yet. 

Have high hopes for this year as already there are some exciting projects lined up for 2013 plus of course there is the impending Thame Dolls House & Miniatures Fair at which I will be attending....but more about that another day. 

WW1 Sweet Shop By Linda Holmes

Meanwhile, to kick off this first posting for 2013....I am delighted to tell you about an inspiring project that has been created by Linda Holmes of Dorset, a talented customer of mine, who already has her 1940s Co-operative featured on KT Miniatures Customer Gallery. She'd been telling me about this WW1 sweet shop project that she'd been working on for a while now ....and just before Christmas emailed me through some photos.

The project has been inspired by her grandparents and Linda has incorporated them into the shop characters. She has dressed the dolls herself and created some of the fixtures and fittings including many of the sweets in jars and boxes.

Linda tells me that she has tried to keep the sweets as authentic as possible, most of which are made from Fimo. I particularly love the "abandoned babies" which apparently jelly babies were once known for (I didn't know that) .......and very cleverly the liquorice sticks were made out of roots from Linda's garden!

The soldier doll who is "Grandad" was bought at the Lyndhurst fair several years ago from an artisan who called him "my handsome man". He met Linda's "Grandma" at a dance when he was home on leave from the mounted artillery and whisked her off her feet – how romantic is that!

You would never have guessed that the aristocratic lady shop customer was bought at a car boot sale and was a sad one legged thing with no clothes when Linda first set eyes on her. However she has breathed new life into her and has been dressed accordingly, having been inspired by Cora of Downton Abbey.

I think you will agree that Linda has produced something rather special with her creations!! To see the full details of this project, please click on the following link:

http://www.ktminiatures.com/WW1_Sweet_Shop

 I hope to embark on listing more vintage items onto KT Miniatures website over the next few days and also get down to some serious creating very shortly, so do watch this space!

A Few Personal Arty Bits & A Merry Christmas From KT Miniatures

Well....as 2012 draws to an end, KT Miniatures is now well and truly closed for the festive season. 

However.....I had a final pre-Christmas flash of creative activity and completely indulged myself in making some family presents. To briefly explain....whilst mooching in a charity shop the other day I came across a couple of wooden chests that had glazed lids decorated with random "sewing bits". A bit naff but a flash of inspiration hit me and I felt confident that with some tweaking these would make ideal Christmas presents.

I also came across a couple more little boxes, greatly reduced in price in a well known high street store....unfortunately one had the word "Keys" and the other "Coins" embossed on the front. But again I felt confident that I could do something with them....and I picked them up for a a snip.

And this was the result!!

This has been filled with some of my handmade books, a Victorian doll's head, vintage plaster food, a vintage lead duck, vintage wooden teacup and saucer plus some scaled down replicas of '30s school posters.

This was filled with one of my biblical prints, chocolate box filled with WW1 letters, cards etc, a felt hat, a Victorian doll's head, some 1930s lead Britains flowers, a lucky Victorian black cat, some of my handmade books plus a vintage silk garland.

Both of these had a heart shaped window glazed with real glass....so I simply chiselled out the wooden backing, removed the sewing bits and pieces, lined the backing with antique wallpaper then filled with a mixture of some of my handmade miniatures and antique/vintage pieces. The exterior was embellished with china buttons as well as ordinary buttons.

The exteriors have been lined with antique wallpaper and lace.

This smaller box is destined for a niece. It was given a thick cardboard backing, covered in lace then filled with broken bits of her grandmother and great grandmother's jewellery. 

The lid was edged with antique lace and inside covered in a mixture of antique wallpaper, felt and lace. The wording at the front was disguised by a printed card with the soon to be recipient's name and adorned with vintage silk garland and more lace.....total indulgence!

 This one has also been given a cardboard backing covered in some of my antique wallpaper and simply filled with china buttons plus a tiny bit of antique lace. The embossed wording on the front was cunningly covered with buttons!

I had great fun "playing" with these and hope that the recipients like them too!!!

 
As the caption above from my vintage Children's Dictionary says......
"Xmas is a season of joy. Children hang up their stockings and have jolly parties."

I hope you all have a joyous Xmas and lots of jolly parties!!!

So without further ado, I would like to wish you all
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM KT MINIATURES!

I will be opening again on January 3rd (not the 2nd as originally planned).
Have a brilliant time everyone.
CeliaXX

Still Time To Order From KT Miniatures!

For UK customers there is still  just time to sneak that last minute order in for Christmas delivery. However I strongly recommend Special Delivery now in order to guarantee it getting to you for the big day! I do have some lovely old dolls houses available so there is still time to order and collect from me here in Thame, Oxfordshire (close to the M40). However please ring or email first to check availability and arrange a mutually agreed time.

 THIS IS JUST A REMINDER THAT KT MINIATURES WILL BE CLOSING ON WEDNESDAY 19th DECEMBER AND OPENING AGAIN ON JANUARY 2nd 2013.
 Celia

PS. The gorgeous image immediately above is part of a vintage educational teaching card. To keep the children amused....why not get them to answer the questions!!! You will have to click on the image below to enlarge in order to read the writing...unless you have bionic eyesight!!!!!