An afternoon spent happily working with wood.
During my life I have had many jobs, many interests, and therefore metaphorically worn many hats; teacher, historian, dancer, writer, caterer, healer, as well as mother, wife, daughter, carer and so on. Another ‘hat’ I wore for twenty years was craft artisan and maker of miniatures for the collector’s market – in plain words a designer and maker of period doll’s houses and furniture.
We built houses, cottages and shops of all shapes and sizes, and produced Tudor and 18th and 19th Century country furniture in both 1/12th and 1/24th scale, along with all the soft furnishings and period accessories. My whole family was involved and we had huge fun doing it, travelling all over the U.K. and even on to mainland Europe to attend specialist fairs as well as posting orders out as far as the U.S. and Australia. We met many lovely people and had some great adventures.
The wheel turns and life changes and soon after the new millenium began I had to step away from it all due to illness and family commitments. But now, I have had what I think is a marvellous idea for a children’s story, which incorporates the making of a small basic doll’s house and furniture to go inside it. My life-long love affair with miniatures is back!
Yesterday, I stood in my local hardware store and just revelled in the smell and feel of all the new wood around me… the panels of plywood, the different shapes and sizes of the ready cut beading, the smooth feel of the grain… ALL that potential! WOW! My husband and I had gone to buy the wood to make a prototype of the model cottage which I want to feature in my next book, (much more about that after Christmas, suffice it to say that I have already begun writing it!)
Tiny seats and fireplaces – notice the £1 coin to give an idea of scale. There shall be further blogposts as to what I intend doing with them.
At one time, trips to our huge wood yard back in Lancashire used to be an almost weekly occurance for me, and the thought suddenly struck me that I haven’t done this once regular activity in well over fifteen years. I suddenly felt quite emotional – in a very happy sort of way. It is said that if you wait long enough, everything in life comes round again.
I have now had an idea of utilising my miniature-making skills to also produce Christmas decorations and gifts, so the world of 1/12th scale and 1/24th scale seems to be very much back in my life just now!
Watch this space for what I come up with and in the new year, news of my – as yet – embryonic story.
Wish me luck!
What an exciting venture! I can just imagine the joy you must feel to be making these delightful little items again, it’s so lovely to regain old skills. I wish you lots of luck and enjoyment.
Thank you, Kate, I am having a truly blessed and happy time! It is quite amazing that this past couple of years, all the many varied threads of my life are being drawn together and unified.