Sunday 26 May 2013

The best-laid schemes......

...o' mice an' men, as the Burns quote has it, gang aft agley....

Well, my plans have ganged agley this week, and hence those of the Maximilian Mouse Troupe too, since without me their saga cannot continue to unfold at the moment.   You will remember that the piggies have been left in a very uncomfortable situation..... 

As I write this, I should have been belting along the Autobahn from Bonn to Bavorov but sadly I am stuck in the UK till next Thursday (I hope not beyond that) waiting for a small medical investigation.   In one way it's nice to have gained some unexpected days with nothing planned, and time for the grandchildren, but it's also very frustrating when the official opening of Small Worlds is looming and there are still things to be done.

(Cue digression:  Good heavens, I googled "Images for Bavorov" and what did I find included but some photos of chaos in Small Worlds?   I can think of better photos to attract people to us!)

However there is no help for the enforced delay and so I am passing the time by sorting books (yet again!) and writing this and some magazine articles.   From the October issue I shall be having a small column in DollsHouse and Miniature Scene, telling the same story as in this blog.   My sister-in-law with the skilful sewing fingers, Mette Breminer, already writes for the same magazine, and the September issue will carry a short article about her visit to Small Worlds last month.

The other article I have promised to write is for the on-line magazine of the website Dolls Houses Past and Present - a wonderful resource for collectors and anyone just interested in dollshouses and miniatures.   Well worth trawling.....

In the comments to my last post, Andrea of the fertile imagination, and Noreen, ganged up on me with yet another suggestion of what I might make next - I quote:  How about a tiny museum, filled with people looking at tinier dolls' houses?........Love Andrea's idea of a miniature museum, but wondered if the visitors there might be mice looking at houses with human inhabitants.........OH! Noreen - I love that idea. The watched becoming the watchers...




I don't know how tiny they think my fingers are! I commented that I had already made one teeny, tiny dollshouse, including furniture, and that was quite enough, thank you very much......



Seriously though, I do love it when people make suggestions.   The problem is that in the field of miniatures I am completely unable to resist taking up the challenge, however impossible it may seem.....so watch this space!   But not just yet I think, there is still much to do in Small Worlds before that.

I think we have solved the problem of lighting some of the dollshouses, something which the Open Day
made clear we needed to think about more carefully - more on that when I am back in Bavorov.   I am also taking back with me some acetate sheet which we think will work well to cover those houses which are a bit too accessible to tiny fingers.   Although I have to say we were deeply impressed with how well Czech children behave, looking but not touching.   I am very much looking forward to preparing the Children's Corner as soon as I get back, where they will be able to touch to their hearts' content.

A picture-light post this time but normal service will, I hope, be resumed next week - I'm off to the airport now to collect Butterfly who has been doing her other job in Norway for 3 days.   I can imagine she will head straight upstairs to start crafting as soon as she gets back - her fingers must be twitching!

Thank you for following me on this journey - do please keep the suggestions coming.  I do very much enjoy your comments.


8 comments:

  1. Hope all goes well with the investigations - thanks for keeping us up to date...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hope all goes well for you Cestina both with the investigation and the opening of the wonderful exhibition.

    Love Chrissie xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hope all goes well and you are not delayed beyond Thursday. Do keep us posted.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope so too - but not to worry, if all else fails I will arrange access for you to Small Worlds :-)

      (Ooh look, I've just discovered there is a bus from Vodnany to Bavorov at 4.00pm that connects with yours from CB....)

      Delete
  4. I too hope all turns out okay, sending good wishes to you.
    Tinier houses brilliant idea, and your fingers hold magic in them I think. I wish we could get those magazines in Ontario, they would be wonderful to read, I'm sure I could get them in Toronto, need a care though:(. The acetate sounds like a brilliant idea. Good luck with th opening and your health,can't wait for your next post, I have been loving the journey into all things small.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah those piggies are looking rather fed up out there, We can almost hear their incessant knocking from here as it grows ever louder.

    We do love your mini adventures, it's a great substitute for having our own doll's house.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just a quick note to say all was well with the scan and I hope to leave tonight or on a day ferry tomorrow....Official Opening on 15th June back on schedule :-)

    Thank you for all the good wishes

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the update...glad you are in good health!

    ReplyDelete