Friday 23 August 2013

A Spark of Inspiration! A Sweet Surprise and Some New Minifigures



I feel that I have been rather neglectful of my miniatures and my blog this year. A major project at work and redecoration at home have taken some of my spare time, but I really don't think there has been enough progress on the miniature front. Now that autumn will soon be spreading its russet mantel across the country, I feel it's time to settle down and crack on with things.

I have not done much at all to the 1:24th scale house project I started late last year, it's still in pieces and unpainted MDF! Truth is, I haven't felt very inspired by it, though I do intend to finish it, I just haven't had a passion to get on with it!

The pub still lacks a swinging sign and I need to make some plants for the front too. Of course the dreaded curtains have still to be done in the Georgian House too, though this should be much easier to do thanks to John of Merriman Park, who has given me his Pretty Pleater.

So, there's plenty to be getting on with. But wait!! What is this? A spark of inspiration? 

Yes! whilst rummaging in my local Oxfam I found a little soft toy, a dressed frog, or rather toad. Mr Toad, no less!!! And where does Mr Toad live?

Toad Hall!!!!




So, when I have got on with a few jobs I need to do, I will have a go at making my new friend a miniature Toad Hall. EH Shepard illustrated one of the Wind in The Willows books (the smaller of the two in the top photograph) there is a small illustration of Toad Hall, looking like a rambling old ancestral home. I want to recreate something akin to this, but pared down to capture the essence without taking up too much space. I'm thinking of a Great Hall, Minstrel's gallery, huge fire place, armour, ancestral portraits, a smaller parlour with a masculine edge, a bedroom and some other rooms, a jacobean staircase and much more besides. 

I have plenty of bits of furniture which have been removed from the Georgian House over the past few years, which I can put to use in Toad Hall (this includes, for those sharp eyed readers, the large chair that was in His Lordships bedroom!!)




I also happen to have some other pieces that were earmarked for a secret project I was going to do in January.  
You can see that it didn't get very far! I was going to create a gothic style room box for David as a surprise gift, and bought a few things to use in the project. 

However, in passing one day, David mentioned that he wasn't keen on room boxes, so the project got shelved without him even knowing about it! It had wondered what to do with the pieces I had bought already, but realised that they would be perfect for an Edwardian period home, so these miniatures will also find a place in Toad Hall!



Without getting too carried away, I have started collecting ideas that I might be able to use and recreate in miniature; there are postcards, books, cards and so on, I have even begun looking for miniature frog ornaments which might come in useful in the project!!!

I will let you know more when I have some more idea of the final look I want. I will also keep you updated in other little things that I have been doing on my other dolls houses.



And now for the Sweet Surprise in the title of this post. Yesterday, after an extremely long day at work, I arrived home to find a parcel waiting for me on the dining room table. I looked at it and wondered what it was, who had sent it? 'It's from Ilona', said David. How did he know? and how did Ilona get my address? I opened the package and read the pretty card that was enclosed; David and Ilona had been talking it seemed!! Inside the package were some beautiful miniature peonies, so delicate and wonderfully detailed! 



They looked perfect in the vases I had on the dressing table of the Georgian bedroom, I had to split the flowers between the two vases as the vase necks were so narrow that wouldn't fit into just one, but I think they look better in both vases anyway!


Thank you Ilona, for a beautiful gift and a wonderful surprise, yet again, I am amazed at the kindness shown by my Blogland friends!! 

I also received some miniature perfume bottles, which Jenny from The Swan Inn insisted on having!!




Whilst out shopping today I found these new Lego Minifigures. I knew that they were being launched soon, but thought it wasn't until September! Being a huge Lego Head, I spent quite a while squeezing the packets to try and find all the figures I liked best, though the box was almost empty!


You can see that I still managed to get quite a few!! My favourite is this traditional British Bobby (I'm a sucker for a man in uniform!! if only they still looked like this!!) complete with truncheon! 


I also love the Gingerbread Man and the Christmas Elf (who will go nicely with the Father Christmas Minifigure I get last year). I never collect the full set of each series of Minifigures, I prefer to just try and find the ones I like most. I've done quite well with this set already, but there are still one or two I would like, so I will be back to squeeze and poke the little packets again very soon! LOL!

26 comments:

  1. Your Toad Hall project sounds exciting, I can just imagine toad family portraits around the rooms. And what a lovely gift from Ilona the flowers look perfect in the room. Your leggo minifigures are 'interesting' (I am not a leggo head but would like to see how you use them).

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    1. Hi Margaret,

      Thanks for your comments. I think I might have fun making some ancestral toad portraits, though I am not the worlds greatest artist, perhaps I could sneak in a Picasso, that way when the eyes are all over the place and the mouth at an odd angle I can make it look deliberate!!

      Well, the Lego tends to stay on my book case, general bricks are stashed all over the house. I used to build houses with Lego before I discovered the dolls house scene!

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  2. Oh Wow! Yay! Toad Hall should make an Awesome project!!! (You know I think of my Tree House as distantly related to the Wind In The Willows!) I can't wait to see what you put together!
    As for the flowers from Ilona, she makes Gorgeous unbelievably perfect flowers!!! Lucky you! They look divine in those vases!!!
    And Lego people are a lot of fun... when I moved into my house I found one when I was digging the garden.... which I considered to be a good sign!!! They were the favorite toys of my boys!
    Surely now that you have John's "pretty pleater" we will be seeing perfect drapes soon? I can't wait!!! :)

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    1. Hi Betsy,

      Yes, I agree that your Tree House would fit in well in Wind in the Willows!! I might even be borrowing some ideas, I've certainly learnt a lot from everyones' posts!

      I think I will be keeping the flowers in the vases, they look just right there, I'm not sure how 'accurate' to the period peonies are, but I actually don't care!!

      Yes, curtains are coming!!!!

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  3. Toad Hall sounds like an exciting project. Can't wait to see more.

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    1. I've got a few other jobs that need doing, but Toad Hall should be off the ground soon I hope

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  4. I think Toad Hall will make a wonderful project. You already have some lovely pieces for it. It is always fun planning and hunting out pieces for a new project.

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    1. Thanks,

      I think it will be a fun project to do, I'll be letting you all know how it progresses!

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  5. Hi Andy! I love the furniture that you have on hand that you now have reserved for
    Toad Hall! There is so much available information on Wind in the Willows, that will help you to realize your project. The Peonies are just wonderful and you are so fortunate to have such a beautiful bouquet by Ilona, to grace your table with. What a 'fragrant' treat to come home to, after a long day at the office. Ahhhh flowers!
    Have fun with your lego!

    elizabeth

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    1. Hi Elizabeth,

      I have already been hunting for useful objects to use for Toad Hall, I found a few tiny frog ornaments I will be using somewhere. It's also going to be good to have somewhere for all my stray bits and pieces of furniture!!

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  6. Oh Andy, what a great project this will make! I loved The Wing in the Willows, especially the stop motion animated series from years ago, I have a video (has VHS dropped out of our vocabulary now?) and I used to watch it over and over, staring at Toad Hall - it looked like it loosely based on Blickling Hall or Hatfield.
    The furniture you have will look fantastic, especially those two beautiful chairs.
    What a pity about the room box, still, it must have been a relief to think you had saved yourself all that effort, and how great that you can incorporate some of the pieces into Toad Hall!!
    I can't wait to see more...
    X

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    1. Hi Simon,

      good to have you back.

      I remember those old Wind in the Willows shows too, and have fond memories of them, I don't remember much about Toad Hall from the show, but Have seen bits of it in clips on You tube. Yes, I was a bit sad about the room box, but I am pleased I can still use the things I bought for a good purpose!

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  7. Good morning Andy! Toad Hall??? Oh my, you instantly push on here a creative button for all kinds of ideas for this project by showing to us these books and these pictures for inspiration ;)!! It seems to be a fantastic project to me, I wish you lots of inspiration and ideas for this wonderful project. But you already can start with this furniture and other fantastic miniatures. That's exactly why my canal house is hidden behind curtains since 12 years now: no furniture yet :D!!
    I knew you're a Lego Head, I've seen more Lego on your blog before.
    Finally I am so happy that I found your address and I was happy that David was in the conspiracy. I now read he even didn't tell you there was a surprise coming your way, how nice of him! Otherwise you probably would have missed the prize that you won of my give away in June! The fact was I couldn't find your address in an other way, so please, don't blame David! It is an honor for me that you've put the peonies in such beautiful vases and placed them in your gorgeous Georgian house, thank you Andy!
    Jenny of The Swan Inn has a good taste: these perfume bottles are made of real Swarovski crystal beads, Andy ;)!
    I wish you both a great weekend. Hugs, Ilona

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    1. Hello Ilona

      I am pleased that you think the flowers look good in the Georgian bedroom, I had two vases I had been given by a friend for Christmas a while back, and it's nice to be able to put some beautiful flowers into them! I am so pleased to have the flowers too, and that you endeavored to find out where to send them to me!!

      The perfume bottles are lovely too, I like the little removable lids, and the atomizer is great too! I'm sure that Jenny will take good care of them!

      I will keep you all posted on Toad Hal progress, but as I said, there are many other little miniature jobs to be done first!

      hugs
      Andy xxx

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  8. Oh, PLEASE tell me you're going to have a little antique motorcar parked outside Toad Hall! Disneyland has an attraction called Storybook Land featuring miniature Disney film settings...there's a miniature Toad Hall, and sharp-eyed visitors often notice a tiny red Wolseley driving away from the Hall on a little paved path (Mole End is close by, too). I'm sure you have more than enough inspirational material already, but you can see Disney's miniature Toad Hall about halfway down this page: http://www.yesterland.com/mrtoad.html

    (I blame Storybook Land for my lifelong miniature passion. Can you tell?)

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    1. Thanks for the link you sent, There are elements on Disney's toad hall that I am thinking of using, and I'd definitely like to see an old car outside the house too!! ;o)

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  9. Dear Andy,
    Those nice peonies look great in that wonderful vase.
    I'm very curious about your Toad Hall. It looks like a great project. Where do you find all the energy to start all the projects.
    I love to follow your project.
    Hugs Dorien

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    1. Hi Dorien,

      I'm not sure if I have had that much energy this year, but the Toad Hall project has got me excited!!

      Pleased you like the flowers too!

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  10. Oh, I love your Toad Hall idea, I have always been fascinated by stories about animals living like humans :-)

    Your surprise gift from Ilona is wonderful, her flowers are just too beautiful for words!

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  11. Hi Andy,

    It looks like many of us bloggers, for one reason or another, have not been blogging very much this summer!

    I just LOVE Mr.Toad of Toad Hall--I can't wait to see this project! I love all of the Wind in the Willows characters. One of my favorite rides at Disneyland is "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride". It is in the "children's area" but as many, or more, grownups (most with no children) are always on line.

    What wonderful presents you received!

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  12. I don't know what kind of a store Oxfam is, but I like them for offering this lovely Mr. Toad and inspiring you to start this stunning project. Toad Hall - wow, I'll be here to see what you're doing! Your plans sound great - and speaking of great... congrats on receiving some of Ilona's perfect flowers. There's nothing this lady can't turn into a perfect miniature - and she's one of the lovliest persons in blogland. The peonies look fantastic the way you've arranged them. And I really like your new Lego figurines, the designers put a lot of love in these little fellows. My favourite is the Gingerbreadman, but Miss Robotine is a burner, too... ;O)

    Greetings
    Birgit

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  13. Hi Andy,
    great idea! I am already curious about what adventure you and mr. Toad will take us on!
    hugs,
    Gee

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  14. Hi Andy,
    great idea! I am already curious about what adventure you and mr. Toad will take us on!
    hugs,
    Gee

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  15. Hi Andy,
    great idea! I am already curious about what adventure you and mr. Toad will take us on!
    hugs,
    Gee

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  16. Hello Andy,
    I am so excited about Toad hall. you have some wonderful pieces already! This is going to be amazing!
    The peonies are wonderful. Ilona is incredibly talented. enjoy all your new miniatures.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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  17. Hi Andy!

    I LOVED The Wind in the Willows books and so naturally I am very excited for your new project! (I have been referring to the local bar I sometimes frequent upon rare occasion as Toad Hall, but for bitchy, not nostalgic reasons, lol). Those peonies are 2 die 4! Ilona is a magician!

    I hope that Pretty Pleater is not going to waste!

    Kiss Noise,
    John

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