Little Framed Scenes To Hang On The Nursery Wall...

Now that I have rather a lot more time on my hands than usual (like many of us at the moment), I thought I would dig out some photos of something that I put together last Christmas for my two baby granddaughters.  I hope you find them inspiring and maybe the images could kick start ideas of your own. You don't have to use fancy glazed frames like I did, instead you could use something more simple like an old chocolate box or tin turned on its side, and fill with all sorts of bits and bobs you have around your house, maybe some with special sentimental attachment, along with some of your own handmade efforts perhaps? 

It all came about when my eldest son asked if I could make his little daughter something to hang on her nursery wall for Christmas.  I love a challenge so of course I agreed and well...as I had two baby granddaughters, I had to make one for each of them...didn't I?  

These are the little boxes in mid construction...I made them up as I went along and added more over a period of time. 

I literally started with a basic notion of making something special using a mixture of vintage and new pieces. Gradually the ideas started flowing and the concept began to grow. Above you can see the boxes in mid construction and I simply kept adding more and more over time. Then at last I decided they were finished. You can see the results below. 

Both of the box frames with opening glazed frontage, came from "THE RANGE", really crazily cheap! They were lightweight and had a reasonable depth. 

The green floral backing paper was left-over paper from an old workshop project, and I built up a montage of printed images from the internet including one of a little girl sitting at a table reading to her dollies (from an old book illustration), plus various images of vintage paper dolls with cut out clothes printed onto card, and a vintage cut-out pram. 

The boxes had the same background but although they were filled with similar items, they were not completely identical.  I created the names on the computer and edged the nameplates with wooden flowers extracted from a cheap old mobile from a charity shop...plus each little ladybird seen on the top left of each box were old buttons from my old mate Robin's button jar (apparently they were originally on her sons dressing gown)!

The large fluffy rabbits were modern purchases and I made them dresses from vintage pink trimming that I have kept for years which have a lot of sentimental attachment (my late next door neighbour was a dressmaker and she gave it to me over 20 years ago - I knew it would come in useful one day). 

 

The rabbits' necklaces were made from an old necklace that belonged to the babies' great grandmother. The crown and the tiara (old broken jewellery) belonged to the babies great great grandmother. 

The antique bisque dolls with hand knitted dresses were from my own personal collection, the vintage cotton reels, wooden houses plus duck and wooden doll were car boot sale finds. The little bears, pig and giraffe dressed in exquisite clothes, were purchased from Shoebutton Bears - I succumbed when I saw them at the Christmas Kensington Dolls House Festival.

 I absolutely loved making these little boxes, so very different from my usual "KT Miniatures"  tiny scenes. On the back of each I fixed a description of the contents, and sincerely hope that my granddaughters will love and treasure these for years to come, and maybe even add to the contents over time. 
Celia 
PS. If I can get some photos sorted, I will show you what I made my grandsons for Christmas...let's just say they involved dinosaurs!

So Now KT Miniatures Is Closed For The Moment...Scary Times!

Ok, after last night's announcement, the UK is now more or less in a kind of lockdown. 

 It was not unexpected and now KT Miniatures has had to close its creaky little door just for the moment.With regards to all outstanding current orders, I have now contacted all those customers that would be affected.

My daughter has come back here for a short while, which I am pleased about as she is in a high risk health bracket...so consequently I've been worrying sick about her. It is good to be able to keep an eye on her and have her closer. She is now able to work from here, plus it is nice to have someone to talk to. For those of you out there who are in lockdown all on your own, my heart goes out to you...but do stay in touch. The world of miniatures can be so therapeutic at times like these.

Now that I have so much time on my hands, I am planning to catch up on various miniature projects that need attending to, which should keep me busy for the moment. I will show you one or two of them on here, if all goes to plan. 

Meanwhile I would just to like wish you all the very best of luck, stay safe from this dreaded Coronavirus, and let's hope for happier times.

 Don't forget to keep washing those hands!

Stay safe and healthy everyone.

Celia X

KT Miniatures Is Still Open But For UK Customers Only At The Moment...

A notice for all KT Miniatures customers outside of the UK.

I am really sorry but due to the worsening Coronavirus outbreak, I am no longer able to send parcels to my  overseas customers, as I simply cannot guarantee them getting through to you. After a conversation with the Royal Mail yesterday, they are still accepting overseas parcels but warned there would be delays of an unknown time span...and the situation is changing daily.

For customers in the UK, please note that I am still open for business. 

Please note that I am still open for business to all UK customers and will remain open for as long as I possibly can. If Royal Mail deliveries cease then I will have to close the little doors on KT Miniatures until the crisis is over.

On a personal note...

I do not know about anyone else, but am finding this situation terrifying on so many levels. I feel that we are beginning to live in an alternative universe...life is so surreal and bizarre already. Supermarket shelves stripped bare of basic stuff almost as soon as they are stocked...I have been trying to get paracetamol for days to no avail, and am attempting to be imaginative with my cooking with the bits that I have. You have no idea how excited I got when I finally got my hands on a tin of tomatoes the other day and a packet of loo rolls...yes, life has come down to this.

But good news...yay,  a sister in law up north has managed to get two boxes of paracetamol and is posting them to me. And although this emergency is bringing out the worst in human nature in some ways, I am going to try to focus on the positive bits, where my neighbours and many others are offering to help each other, if needed. And in some cases, the need is already here.

One of my sons, his wife and two young children are on 14 days of isolation, as it looks like daughter in law may have the virus. (She cannot be tested so there is always a chance that it may just be a bad winter virus that is showing similar symptoms - although she has been poorly). I am on daily shopping trips on their behalf but am in a surreal situation that I have to ring them that I am coming, son keeps a look out...I then leave shopping on doorstep and take several steps back whilst we have the briefest of conversations through his slightly open door.

How is everyone getting on with social distancing? All I can say is thank you God for phones and emails! 

I loved the videos on our news the other day of the Italians singing outside to their neighbours whilst they are in lock-down, that gave me goosebumps. But my neighbours will be pleased to know that I will not be attempting the same, as they will probably want to kill me if I attempted to sing to them:) My voice is not great. During a family Whats-app chat last night, we were bemoaning that even the Eurovision Song Contest has been cancelled, and that we are now going to miss some brilliant entries...(when we say "brilliant", we mean hilarious). My daughter and nieces were sending me YouTube links of some of the many entries,  I particularly liked the Ukrainian song and sent my own replicated version to them all. Now my daughter in law wants to know how she can download my version and use it as her alarm clock sound. I am taking it as a complement 😄

As to the forthcoming weeks, look on the bright side, you will probably have so much time on your hands that you may even be able to have a bash at all those miniature projects that you have possibly not touched for a very long time. Do keep in touch, I would  still love to hear from you.

Celia 

Latest New Stock- Just A Sample Of Some Items That Have Gone Up For Sale This Afternoon...

c1997 Baby Doll 

UPDATE: this has now been identified as a Jane Davies doll. Thank you to the lovely lady who identified this!

Early 1900s German Red Striped Vase

Early 1900s Green Glass Goblets

Vintage Pink Painted Tea Set

c1930s Taylor & Barrett Lead Painted Joint Of Meat

1990s Tim Sheppard Of Lilliput Press Bible With Brass Clip

Antique Red Painted Jug - Probably German

Vintage Style Beaded Footstool

UPDATE: this has been identified as being made by Joan Gibson in the 1980s.

Unusual Vintage Fabric & Wire Dolls - as seen above and below.

These can be seen on 

https://ktminiatures.com/

Thanks for stopping by.

Celia

Some Rare German Miniature Beauties!

Some rare German miniatures went up for sale on KT Miniatures website a couple of days ago now, all being part of a very special personal collection of someone who had been well known in the miniature world. I will highlight some of the more rare pieces below...most flew off the shelves as soon as they went up for sale. However there are still one or two pieces available. 

Erhard & Sohne Miniatures

This music stand and triple shade lamp are early 1900s Erhard & Sohne pieces, the like of which rarely come along. 

The music stand I have never handled before and I honestly thought it was a reproduction, because it looked so shiny and brand new! Quite incredible. 

The white and pink glass shades are so pretty, but how on earth did they survive in young hands for over 100 years, they are so delicate and fragile!

Rare German MiniatureTables/Stands

Here are three quite unusual and rare tables. 

The maker of this table is unknown but the soft metal gilt coloured legs and lower shelf, leads me to think it is of German origin. 

Judging by the style, I am surmising that this is from the late 1800s/early 1900s. 

I am not sure what kind of stone the tabletop is made out of, but it has a yellow/beige tinge and very similar to marble. 

This highly decorative table is believed to date from the late 1800s/early 1900s and I have never seen the like before. 

The legs are similar to some of the German F.W.Gerlach pieces. 

But the metal embossed tabletop with fixed green glass, is so unusual. Very decorative in an over the top way...fabulous!

Now this is an intriguing soft metal piece, in a gilt finish. I am 100% sure that is was made by F.W.Gerlach as the legs are identical to one of their plant stands. But what is this...a table or plant stand?

The embossed decorative detail on the table top, plus the legs are very much in the art nouveau style. I would date this probably early 1900s. As you can see, there is some gilt loss. 

It has a shelf underneath...what a wonderfully strange piece this is? 

These wooden pieces of furniture with lithographed paper covering are instantly recognisable...also of German origin, from c1885. 

The cabinet has an opening door with original wooden handle. 

The illustration is mainly floral...but just look at that clock surrounded by angels!

There is one round table with a floral tabletop design.

Plus a fluted oval table with a floral tabletop design. 

These German balloon back chairs are believed to date from around the 1870s.

The wooden chair backs have been given a faux-grained effect finish.

The dark stained bulbous legs are so distinctively recognisable from that period. 

And then there is this magnificent art nouveau table mirror, with a female statuette draped down the left of the mirror. 

This is delightful and in such brilliant condition. It was made by F.W.Gerlach and appears in their 1924 catalogue. 

A really nice touch is the CHARLES MORRELL of BURLINGTON ARCADE label on the back, the famous old toy shop in London. 

These and many more can be found on KT Miniatures website:
https://ktminiatures.com/