August thoughts

Regarding my miniature work this month is really frustrating so I thought that I would show you all some of the tiny purchases I recently made via Etsy and eBay and our local charity shop.

I also came across boxes of goodies and a LOT of baddies in my storage unit. Back from Scotland I had only one day before having to drive many miles to retrieve the last of my five storage units that had been there for over 12 years. Real life does have a tendency to get in the way of fun!

I am struggling with bronchitis and the news that I am going to have to move from my lovely house.

The veggie items below came from a charming Young woman in Porto Portugal called Cecilia on her Etsy store 'MiniCilocas'. She had made them from airclay and are exactly what I wanted for the country dining room. She does make to order and her prices are very good.

The table was painted for a project that I had to abandon but will perhaps use in Ramsay House.

A close up, you can imagine them full of fruit!

The tiny incredible temple building in bronze came from Moscow Russia, the jadeite temples I found in storage and will maybe go into the Chinoiserie bedroom if there is room !!! 

I bought these three vases for the tall one as they came in a group, it's very French Art Nouveau.

These two quite primitive jugs I found in the US via Etsy. The one on the left is quite big but in my hallway here I do have a giant jug filled with branches on which I have clipped fake birds.

The green vase via Etsy, the antique bronze, the cat and the ivory elephant came from storage.

This was also from storage, it's very 'Henry Moore'.

I have had these vases for 15 years, cannot remember where I found them.

The 'silver' serving dish came from AliExpress for about 1 dollar, I bought two, the twin jugs are cake favours via Etsy and the other things came from storage. The 'Frozen Charlotte ' doll is the smallest I have ever seen. The tiny sheep are adorable.

This is a pendant found in storage, maybe to be used as art work.

I found this mini snuff box in papier maché and the tiny ivory pill box ( 19 th century ) in an abandoned house in my home village when I was 11 years old ! They have survived these years of multiple moves and storage.

This is just plastic but they look quite good and as 'background' china they could work.

This super cute bathroom suite came from my local charity shop the other day for 3 euros. The bath and toilet look right but the sinks look a bit tall.

The other day I made a flower from a kit and it drove me mad it was so fiddly. It made me think that I could actually make the petals myself so I found these on AliExpress for a few euros. I can make many types of flowers with these. Geraniums, hydrangeas and Auriculas, my favorites.

We are suffering a heatwave here in France, it's quite unbearable. SO we chose this hot day to go out and pick some brambles and tomorrow I will make bramble Jelly by heating up the fruit with some water, then strain and boil with sugar before potting. Its the easiest thing to do and much preferable to bramble jam with all the seeds!

I found this chair in our local Junk shop. It is made from Ash and is probably eastern european and from the beginning of the century. It does look a bit 'cowboy saloon' but I must say that it is the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in! I will maybe paint and patinate it and make a nicer seat pillow from some vintage stuff. It was 90 euros which is way more that I usually pay for my 'junk' but as all my other chairs were either 5 euros or found in the street its a cool average!