In Celebration Of One Whole Year Of Blogging - Win A Gift From KT Miniatures!

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to those of you who have become new "Followers" to KT Miniatures Journal in the past few days.  It is hard to believe that I have now been "blogging" for an entire year, so how ironic it should be to suddenly discover that there are now over 100 of you who have kindly decided to follow the musings of KT Miniatures Journal!

Anyhow.....I am told by people who know about these things that it is blog etiquette to give away a little gift when one reaches each century of "Followers". So...it is with great pleasure to announce that in honour of this delightful world of blog etiquette, I will give away one of my handmade 1/12th scale set of five old books along with an aged 1930's children's book (seen here below) to the person who can give us the best answer to the following question............

"What do you like most about KT Miniatures website?"

If you are not familiar with my website, please go to http://www.ktminiatures.com/

Please leave your answer in the comments section below. The closing date will be April 10th and then on that day with the help of "Mr KT Miniatures" we will choose a winner - ie. the answer we like the best!  I will announce the winner on here as soon as humanly possible after that day and then will contact the winner by email.  It is open to absoutely everyone wherever or whoever you may be.

Good luck and am looking forward to hearing from you! 

Hazel's World Of Miniatures - New Little Miniature Museum!

 I would like to introduce you to a lovely lady called  Hazel Voice who I have corresponded with for quite a while now and who has just informed me of the wonderful news that she has at long last  fulfilled a dream of opening her own little miniature museum where she lives in South Africa.

Hazel opened the doors to "Hazels's World Of Miniatures" for the first time last Friday and is thrilled.

Hazel says, "After making and collecting miniatures for the last 20 odd years, I have ended up with quite a large collection. When I was given a collection of vintage miniatures, my dream of having a little miniature museum had to become a reality.

I sat on the idea for several years until I discovered KT Miniatures site and realized that my vintage miniatures are way too precious to be stuck in a cupboard.

I love the challenge of creating scenes in awkward spaces, hence most of my work is set in old mantle clock cases, hat and cigar boxes – in fact anything that is unusual.

 

I managed to persuade my husband into converting our little flatlet and the reality of ‘Hazel’s World of Miniatures’ now nestles in a sub tropical garden in Ramsgate on the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

On show is a collection of hand crafted miniature scenes in the 1/12th scale, displayed in old clock cases and an array of old and new boxes, miniature houses and street scenes. Also displayed are some very rare and beautiful vintage miniatures made by Tri-ang, Pit-a-Pat, Barrett & Son and the like."

To view is by appointment only. Telephone: +27 (0)83 447 9261 or Email: hazelvoice@iafrica.com

GPS: S 30 54 13 E 30 20 18

I am sure you will join me in wishing Hazel the very best of luck with her new venture and if anyone is lucky enough to either live or visit Hazel's part of the world, do go check out her museum.

SOME VERY SPECIAL OFFERS ON SELECTED VINTAGE DOLLS HOUSES - in celebration of Mothers Day!

In celebration of Mothers Day I am offering huge reductions off three vintage dolls houses that are currently up for sale.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR THIS RARE TRI-ANG C BUNGALOW - SAVE £55.00 - NOW ONLY£135.00 IF PURCHASED BETWEEN NOW & 2nd APRIL 2011.

Must be collected in person from me here in Thame, Oxfordshire by 2nd April and payment in cash on collection or paid online via Google Checkout before collection, in order for special offer price to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR THIS 1950s HOUSE  - SAVE £40.00  - NOW ONLY£120.00  IF PURCHASED BETWEEN NOW & 2nd APRIL 2011.

Must be collected in person from me here in Thame, Oxfordshire by 2nd April and payment in cash on collection or paid online via Google Checkout before collection, in order for special offer price to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR THIS 1950s OPEN PLAN GERMAN HOUSE - SAVE £30.00 - NOW ONLY£40.00 IF PURCHASED BETWEEN NOW & 2nd APRIL 2011.

Must be collected in person from me here in Thame, Oxfordshire by 2nd April and payment in cash on collection or paid online via Google Checkout before collection,  in order for special offer price to apply.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL INFO ABOUT THESE SPECIAL MOTHERS DAY OFFERS FROM KTMINIATURES!

Any item that is part of this special offer, if not sold by April 2nd, will be re-listed back up at original listed price .........so some real bargains to be had over the  next few days....not to be missed!

Circa 1930s Britains Rare Gnomes - what fine-looking chaps!

Ok...a few weeks back, I promised to bring you news of my efforts if I was successful in identifying some  old painted lead gnomes that came along with what I nicknamed "The Builders Collection".
"The Builders Collection" was a box of some fantastic old dolls house treasures, all from the 1930s and early wartime 1940s, found by a builder in an old loft that was being renovated. He had thought that the box was a pile of old rubbish and the whole lot had been destined for the skip until he spotted some "Pit-a-Pat" labels underneath various pieces of furniture; he gave me a ring and the rest is history....as they say!

On the lying down gnome I could just make out the remnants of some makers mark but sadly was illegible. So I had to embark on a bit of research. It did take some time but then I finally stumbled across this wonderful old Britains advert....and success.....discovered that they are in fact 1930s Britains lead painted gnomes and quite rare!!!

Not being a particular gnome lover, I have surprised myself how I have fallen in love with these rather fine-looking chaps. I am intrigued though...it says in the advert that these are for the pond or decorative purposes.  They are far too big a scale to be used with the Britains Lead Garden pieces which are 1/32 scale.... so am assuming that as the advert says, that these are meant to be used outside with "real life sized ponds"!?

The gnome lying down measures 2 1/2" in length and the sitting gnome measures 2" high.

They are solid lead so would stand up to the elements to a certain extent but would not recommend them for outside use these days as I understand that  these are now deemed quite rare and valuable.  Instead I would use them to adorn an old dolls house where scale does not matter. How fabulous these could look sitting outside the front of a dolls house or by the back door!

These are now up for sale on KT Miniatures - click on following link to view listing: Antique 1/12th General Page

Circa 1930s Large Glass Striped Vases

This afternoon I have just listed for sale these absolutely gorgeous antique glass striped vases. There are six of them which all came along wrapped up in a box and are believed to be old shop stock.

They are in excellent condition having never been played with, which in a way is quite sad, as all their long life they have been stuck away in a dusty old box totally unloved! It is quite rare to find old glassware in such wonderful unused condition.  

There are three colours -orange, green and red. I have to say though,  that although I have listed these for sale under the Antique 1/12th General section, these are most definitely not 1/12th scale but larger. They stand at just under 2" high and are 11/4" in diameter at their widest point.

I had been tempted to list them under the larger scale section on KT Miniatures but then decided that these could look fabulous in an antique dolls house where scale is irrelevant.