It May Be November, But How About A Spot Of Miniature Gardening?

Now that the weather has turned considerably colder (well here in the UK it has), how about a bit of  miniature gardening? Either alongside your old dolls house or as a stand alone miniature scene. 

1930s-1950s Britains Lead Garden

 Many of us who collect antique or vintage dolls houses do not bother about scale and just collect what we like even if it means mixing up different scale items to stand next to each other. Including these smaller 1/32 scale garden pieces, to use with our 1/16th, 1/12th or even larger scale dolls houses.  

Recently put up for sale on KT Miniatures is this antique Britains lead garden set. And at the time of writing this, it is still currently up for sale...as are all other items featured in this blog post. 

All the components that you see here are being sold as one complete set. 

So you can arrange the layout as you wish and have great fun in doing so. With so many components, you have a whole variety of options on layout. 

There are six grass squares and 26 lead crazy paving slabs. 

There are also these two lead corner flower beds and accompanying lead flowers as seen above. The flowers simply slot into the holes in the flower bed. 

Also included is a tiny lead lawnmower and lead sundial. 

The lawnmower has a removable grass box. 

There is one set of lead steps and two separate rockery pieces which can be arranged in various ways. 

The dog may not be Britains but I have included him with this garden. There are also two long balustrade walls and two balustrade corner posts. 

This little set is currently up for sale, please click on the following link for full details:

ktminiatures.com/project/c1930s-1950s-britains-lead-garden-set-89-00/

There are other lead garden bits by Britains as well as other manufacturers currently up for sale separately on KT Miniatures Garden Page...

Two Britains Lead Flower Pots & Plants

These are so tiny and would look fabulous in a dolls house. 

The flowers slot into the hole of each pot. Not sure what the plants are meant to be...possibly geraniums?

Three Britains Lead Sunflowers & Earth Mounds

There are three highly sought after sunflowers that each have a tiny mound of earth which they slot into. 

Hence, once slotted in place, each sunflower stands freely. These could look great standing in front or around the back of your dolls house. They are being sold as a set of three. 

Three Britains Lead Hens & Rabbit

These three Britains lead hens are little beauties and could look fab wandering around the outside of your dolls house. The lead rabbit is of unknown make but is also rather lovely. 

Vintage John Hill & Co. Lead Table

Although around 1/32 scale, this vintage John Hill & Co lead table could have a variety of uses within a dolls house, and not just the garden. 

The table has a lovely embossed patterned top, could possibly make a cool occasional table or even a stool in an old dolls house. 

All miniature animals up for sale on KT Miniatures can be found within the Garden Page...

Such as these antique Czech glass animal charms.....they are simply lovely! These specific ones are believed to date from around the 1920s/30s. 

Blue Glass Rabbit - fully intact with diamante eyes, and metal collar with bead. 

Turquoise Glass Dog - with both diamante eyes and metal colour - I think it is meant to be a pug dog?

Lucky Black Cat - missing one of his eyes but still has metal collar and bead. 

Everything above and lots more, can currently be found on the following page:

ktminiatures.com/garden/

Dolls Houses Past & Present E-zine Is Back As A Quarterly!

 Fab News!!!

The Dolls Houses Past & Present online magazine is back!

From its conception in 2009 it appeared regularly as a quarterly, its first editor being Wendy Gater, the second editor  Anna-Maria, and then Australian editor Rebecca Green who took over in 2011. The magazine (as well as the website) quickly gained a wonderful reputation and became highly regarded in the world of miniatures and dolls houses, with every new issue eagerly awaited. Sadly since 2016, issues dwindled down to about once a year for various reasons, including major technical problems with the old website, resulting in a mammoth fundraising effort to raise funds for a brand-new website…with volunteers helping to shift thousands of files of archive photos over from the old website to the new. This all has taken time, but the result is quite remarkable seeing as the website is non profit making and run purely by volunteers. 

Rebecca has taken a step back from the website due to health reasons, therefore, it is brilliant news to hear that  admin. member Zoe Handy, has kindly volunteered to take over the role of editor and bring the magazine back as a quarterly publication once again.

So, if you are a fan of dolls houses (antique, vintage or not so old)  then why not go take a look at the brand-new September 2021 issue, where you will find many pages of fascinating topics, all dolls house related. Contributors in the September issue come from all over including Germany, US, New Zealand and the UK.

Click on the following link to view:

https://www.dollshousespastandpresent.co.uk/Magazine/Issue-33-September-2021

Dolls Houses Past & Present have galleries and databases of antique, vintage and not so old dolls houses, plus a forum where people can chat away with like minded people, and much more!

https://www.dollshousespastandpresent.co.uk/

Some Little Antique German Tin Treasures!

 Some rather lovely little antique German tin gems have just gone up for sale on KT Miniatures website.

Rare German Tin Bath With Overhead Shower

These tin bathroom items are becoming increasingly hard to find these days, so how fabulous is this!

Here is an antique German tin bath with overhead shower and cistern. 

It is quite pretty too. On each side of the bath there is a red and brown lithographed boat pattern, plus along the base edge it is painted blue. The rest of the base and back have been overpainted at some time during its long life in a dark cream paint, and although a bit patchy I think it just adds to the shabby chic charm. 

Over the top of the bath there is a fixed cistern with hole in the top and a gold painted metal overhead shower. 

At the base of the cistern is a metal tap that has a moveable handle. I can't help but wonder that if water is poured into the top of the cistern, with the aid of the tap, the water may pour into the bath? I hasten to add, I have not tried it...and perhaps will leave that to the new owner to try:)

Underneath it is marked GERMANY. I suspect this dates from around the 1920s/30s?

Antique German Tin Toilet, Including Cistern & Toilet Roll

This is rather magnificent too...an antique German tin toilet that has a toilet roll and chain that one can pull! 

I bet many of the the little previous owners of this have had great fun playing with it. 

The fixed toilet seat has been lithographed in a yellow and brown design to represent wood. The base has been overpainted in a very pale pink.

Ok, there is some paint loss and aging, plus there has also been some slight overpainting on the top and bottom of the back in pink but this has not lost any of its charm. 

 I suspect that this is also German and originates from around the 1920s/30ss era.

Both of these lovely items are now currently up for sale on KT Miniatures website at the time of writing this post, their details can be found here:

https://ktminiatures.com/bathroom/

Old German Tin Pushchair

This gorgeous little German tin pushchair is currently up for sale on KT Miniatures in the "Nursery" section. 

It has a delightful blue and white floral lithographed design around the sides. 

It has a metal handle and four tin spoked wheels. The interior has a moulded criss-cross patterned base and backrest.

It comes with a lace edged pillow and a fabric base cushion. This would make a lovely addition to your old dolls house nursery. More details can be found on the following link:

https://ktminiatures.com/nursery/

 

Celia Thomas

KT Miniatures

KT Miniatures Is Back Open For Business!

 Hi Everyone

Am pleased to say that after two weeks of being completely flattened by Covid, KT Miniatures is now back open for business once again.

My apologies for the delay in any outstanding orders but thank you for your patience and understanding. I am slowly working through my inbox this morning to contact those of you who have been waiting patiently. 

In my naivety of being double vaccinated, I assumed that if I caught Covid it would be just a mild infection....but how wrong I was! It seems that it is the Delta variant I caught and it is a real nasty thing. 

I still have no sense of smell, a weird change in sense of taste, and am left with a hacking cough which I cannot shake off. But at least the fevers and breathlessness have now ceased, it was quite scary. I am very thankful that I have been double jabbed because otherwise I would have been in big trouble. 

So please be careful out there and still take precautions, just because you are double jabbed does not mean that you will not get Covid...and although you may not end up in hospital it is still a horrible thing to have. 

Celia

KT Miniatures

KT MINIATURES CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

 Unfortunately I have had to close due to Covid illness.  

As from today I am closed for business for at least 10 days.

Apologies for the delay in any outstanding orders, I will give them priority as soon as I am able to do so. 
Celia
KT Miniatures