"Easter?" I hear you cry - but on Cestina's blog it still seems to be Christmas. How can that be? Quite simply the real world, with its political shenanigans and Brexit brouhaha of the past months, has so distracted and dismayed me that I have been unable to find any consolation at all in the world of miniatures.
However even my despair, committed European that I am, at what is happening, cannot override my shame at having a Christmas blog post still showing when Easter is very definitely upon us!
Particularly as I already had all the photos poised for the next post...
So even though I find it hard to write about Small Worlds when I am in the UK here goes, with apologies for my neglect.
I do have here in England a very handy display dolls house - about 4 foot long by 2.5 foot high.
Its usefulness lies in the fact that it is only 10 inches deep so can sit at the back of a coffee table in my bedroom and provide a temporary home for miniatures acquired during my time in the UK.And what a rich haul it has been this year. Not just the things I have picked up in charity shops, something we sadly lack in the Czech Republic, but the very generous Christmas and birthday gifts I got from Rose-next-door and Jo who looks after her so well.
This is a somewhat photo-heavy post since it mostly consists of showing off many of the items either given or acquired. They won't of course be staying here, with one or two exceptions. Everything will find a home in due course in the Small Worlds Museum. If all goes according to plan I should be heading back there mid-May, with the museum opening on Saturday 15th June.
Pretty well all the furniture in Eclectic Manor, apart from the bathroom and the 3 Raine's Take a Seat chairs, has come from Rose and Jo.
So starting, as one should, in the entrance hall, you can see a small bookshelf and an oak desk and chair....
Moving along to the kitchen......
.... you will find one of two little dolls who arrived, courtesy of Riny Tromp, from the Netherlands. Her companion is up in one of the bedrooms. Thank you Riny!
The Peter Fagan cat pieces, of which I now have a fair number, are all charity shop or ebay finds. The crocheted rug is by Jo, and the maid comes from her and Rose.....
....as does pretty well everything in the little scullery next door ....
In the first floor drawing room is a grand piano and chair plus a fireplace......
...and two Raine's Take a Seat chairs. I have a large collection of these, as many of you will know by now. It irks me that they are slightly out of scale, too small by just a fraction, in the same way as it irks me that the fashion models, also by Raine and shortly to be seen upstairs, are slightly too large for 12th scale. I still use them though. The Christmas tree is handmade by my sister-in-law Mette.
Next door you will find the nursery, most of the items here are charity shop finds, including the puppet show.
I was delighted to come across this as I have quite a substantial collection of Czech string puppets which also live in my bedroom here in the UK. I am on the lookout for a proper theatre for them....tiny clowns at the front are by Butterfly made a great many years ago now.
Beneath the roof, the spare bedroom has Jo and Rose beds and pillows, scented no less....
....and the second doll from Holland; nice that she has a dressing table , courtesy of J&R, to preen herself in front of....The rug is by Jo.
The bathroom houses the first of the headless models which I found in a local hospice shop. These Raine's fashion figures will probably join others in Gosthwaites underwear and corsetry department.
Flat out in the main bedroom is the man of the house. I think he must have been out on the town last night since he is clearly dreaming about very tall, headless women. Poor man....
They too may find themselves in Gosthwaites Department Store
So much for their Christmas presents to me. But I still had a birthday to come - 77 on the 20th of January. I was definitely not expecting what happened when I went round to Rose's for tea and cake!
This innocent carrier contained four pretty boxes which when opened revealed seventy-seven tiny wrapped presents! (Well about 65 tiny ones actually since the biggest boxes had a few rather larger items ...
Can you imagine how long it takes to wrap up and seal 77 presents? A true labour of love by Jo, (under Rose's guidance of course...)
I can tell you that it also takes ages and ages to open them all again! And although I had planned to set everything out and take photos of each and every item I am afraid that you will have to be content with a glimpse into the boxes.....
You will certainly meet everything once it arrives in Small Worlds.
Thank you Rose and Jo for such wonderful surprises!
In the meantime, apologies again for leaving so long a gap between posts and all best wishes for a very happy Easter break. The sun is shining through the window onto me as I write - so much so that I can barely see the screen. I wish you as much sunshine in the days to come and hope to be with you again soon from the Czech Republic.
PS Butterfly has just sent me a link to a wonderful blog post by a regular visitor to my blog - Helen of Stamping by H. This is to her other blog Photos by H and as I commented there, has brought back wonderful memories for me of Kew Gardens - visit it for an Easter treat!
