Workshops to finish, the stem truck

Monday , a week ago, we started a workshop of Sylvia.
I had some trouble with the instruction. But on the end of two hours work this was my result.
The truck cabin was ready. Later I found out that I did made a mistake with the front of the truck.

At the bottom of the picture you can see how the stem truck should be.

A few days later I did finish the truck. Here you see the stem truck together with some other toys I already made.
Next monday we will go and make a plant. I have already gathered all the materials I need for this workshop. Maybe I'll make the plant in half-scale. We'll see.

Krin

Nostalgic Toys (july & september)

The workshop theme of 2013 was Toys. There are four themes that are not ready. Today I worked on the themes for july and september.
For the September theme: Games

This is a copy of  a 'real authentic' Marker Brothers Ping Pong-set. It is an early 1900's game. I made them for a swap and also one for the toy shop.

There are several games. The chessboard and all the boxes on the floor are gifts.





July theme:Children's Books

For this theme I  bought and made some books I loved to read. And ofcourse I made the Circus book. Every Toy-shop has to have things with a Circus theme.

Two themes go. A bear workshop from Marjo and Children and Christmas.
No idea yet when I'm going to make these.
Krin

A Productive mini day

Finally a day with my craft friend Marie-Louise. We did not work on the same project together this time.
I want to work on my projects that are not finished yet.  And I can assure you there are quite a lot of them over here. As the camel I'm started in june. Well ................., as I already did write earlier, I with needle and thread. It will never be my favorite.
But .......... tadaa

Camel is ready.
The pattern of the camel comes from Elles Leenders.

Also with the Dutch Online Mini Club we had a mini craft appointment. Luckily that was later in the evening so I could just give my fingers rest after all that stuff with needle and thread.
For the toy theme we agreed to make a kind of a rag doll.
Mmmmmmmm ........ So again working with needle and thread. This time it was much easier, and I actually got the doll finished the same-day.

My toy project will not be  a toy shop but an attic where a collection of old toys is collected. With old toys I think of toys untill the 1950s. No modern toys but really nostalgic old toys.

I forgot to make a photo of the table Marie-Louise is making. She wants to see if there is interest to sell the side tables made ​​by her.

What will I going to finish now?
Krin

Nostalgic Toys (may)

May theme: Preschool Toys

A bit late. May is already over. In this month we would make preschool toys. Unfortunately I only had time to make one bear so far. The total length of this bear is 3 cm. It was quite some fiddly work.

The bits and pieces that you see on the picture below should ultimately be a camel. Whether this will succeed?


Krin

Nostalgic Toys (april)

April theme: Pinocchio Workshop

Years ago I made my own Pinocchio from a few beads and a small piece of wood.
Frequently I was asked if I wanted to make a workshop of this little fellow. Finally I did. Special for the members of the OnlineMiniClub I am a member of.

I gave a workshop at the beginning of this month. The preparation of a workshop is a lot of work. However it is fun to do. I even made two kinds of kits for this workshop.

One kit with only the materials. All the work you have to do. From sawing the body parts till sanding the cap in a good model.
The other kit was a prepaired kit. You only had to sand and paint before putting the parts together.
Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of all the 26 packets that were ready to be sent. But I did make a picture of the preparation work.
The Pinocchio at the right I made in Februari after a picture I saw on the internet. I do think that I am not ready yet with this little fellow.

Krin

a Folding Dollhouse

I wonder When that temperatures will gets higher here in Holland. It is still very fresh. The temperature is around freezing point. But with wind force 5 it feels much colder.
Great weather to be busy with mini. Close to the window. So I can see all the birds in the garden. We do feed them in winter time. And it looks like the birds do appreciate that.

When I did find on the internet prints and a work description of the McLoughlin's Folding Dollhouse I directly knew that I would make this dollhouse. And why not make one in half scale.
                                 
The original folding dollhouse is made late 1890s.

Looking for the walkthrough to make the Folding Dollhouse I found a nice book also on the same blog. Thank you Elizabeth for sharing these, and a lot of other, projects with us.
                                
This book is called McLoughlin Circus Procession. Its originality is arounde late 1870s / early 1880s.

I'll keep an eye on her blog. She writes there will come a job description on how to make German Cardboard Easter Eggs. Youth Sentiment for me. I can still remember that we had one as a child. Unfortunately they no longer exist.

Krin

Nostalgic Toys (march)

March theme: a Music Toy

I knew directly that I wood make a Drum. Last year I already downloaded an instruction.
Here you find a great instruction for making some nice children drums. Including some nice printables to brigthen the Drum.

I do remember that my younger brother had a Xylophone when he was little. That I wanted to have also in the shop. I made one with some wood and some aluminium from a tea light candle.

Two pictures of how the base is built up. Is used masking tape to keep the wooden frame on its place.

Last week the mailman brought me another instrument. Paula was so sweet to make a recorder for me. Since a while she is the proud owner of a lathe. I think she has talent for the lathe. Thanks again Paula for this wonderfull instrument.

Krin

A guest

Today we had a guest dog in the house. At that moment, I prefer to stay near the dogs. To do this I took a workshop which I started some time ago to the living room. This way I can enjoy doing some mini and also watch the dogs.

Manu, the guest dog.

Sam, our dog. What is he doing?

Sam loves 'forest tea'. Rainwater that has accumulated in root cavities. Yesterday he found some 'forest tea' that was not frozen anymore. Yummy!!!!

The theater is a print that is found here.
In the same period that I found this print we did make this theater in our OnLineMiniGroup. Unfortunately I did not finish it then. Today I did.

I made a system on which you can connect the figurants for the play. Cutting out all those figurants was a fiddly job.

                                     
Look at those musicians. They are happy that they can dance finally.

And when the play is ready all the figurants will be cleared away in the tray.

Krin

Nostalgic Toys

February theme: Girl Toys

The closet on the picture I made ​​because I do not know where and how I will display ​​the toys I have made. On this way I can enjoy the toys I already made. Furthermore, to prevent that toys will break when I would keep them in a box.
There still have to be some copper doorfittings made.


The bucket and the monkey are gifts. All other things you see I made myself. Maby I will make some furniture for the dollshouse.
The Pinocchio I made after a picture I saw on the internet.

Krin

Planes

This was a workshop of Sylvia from Lutjeboudel. I do have more of her workshops. They all fit into the toyshop.

Krin

Trains, trains and more trains

The results of a weekend cutting, painting and gluing.

In the foreground you see the half-scale train tracks. This has yet to be glued together. With the electrical wire I will make
the overlying guide rails​​.

Krin

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

The plans this year with the Onliminiclub is to work with a theme.

The theme this year is: Nostalgic Toys.

Instead of making each month the same workshop we are going to make toys by theme. Every month there will be a different theme. Using this theme you make toys at your own idea.

Who wants a little grander setting could also make a closet, corner or shop to display all the toys in.

Last week Henneke send me some cittungs she did cut with her Silhouette Cameo Cutter out of paper.
I could not resist to start directy with making the train track wich was in the enveloppe.

I started painting the tracks first. Than I did glue some rails, very small iron strips, on the paper. So the tracks where ready than. After that I made a locomotive and some wagons. There still has to be made a box where it all fits in.

The Planes and Automibiles will be made later this year.
First I will make some more trains.
Krin