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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The carpenter is busy

I am so glad that I have taken some time out this week to do some mini work.  At least I can keep going and  that way I don't loose my creative 'thread'...

I have called in the carpenter to build me a workbench with shelving and I need a sink, built in, in the corner. This room upstairs is going to be the work room where the bouquets are being prepared for sale and all the other work is done.  Downstairs is only going to be the sales area.  The shop is rather small and the florist will just have to keep fit by climbing the stairs all day. :-)

First I wanted light upstairs, so I have found a lamp shade that I have made some years ago.  It is a simple beaded shade with little roses worked in.  The lamp will have to be easily removed in case I need a new bulb, so I used an old plastic plug that I can plug in into the ceiling contacts easily.  I shouldn't have had the wires exposed, but something had gone wrong and the contacts had to be replaced.  As I couldn't lift the roof we had to find another way, but it's working fine now (temporarily):


Tomorrow the electrician will fit the wires properly so that I can turn on the lights upstairs and downstairs.  I have also put in windows and treated them to look like old glass as I did with my witch's cottage:



As you can see again in the pictures, the building is not straight and I am working with difficult angles.  However, it's a learning curve and part of the fun.  The shelving underneath the workbench was a challenge, but worked out okay in the end:






I wasn't going to make a cabinet with drawers and doors.  Shelving seemed a lot simpler and I like the idea of putting some baskets in with stuff, so this is sort of what it's going to look like.

As a florist needs a wet area with a sink I have fixed one in the other corner, where there is less room.  It's where you enter the floor via the stairs.  I generally draw my plans and cut them out of paper to see if it works, so here's the new sink in stages:





Now I am looking for some pewter items that I know I've bought some time ago.  I do have secateurs and a tap, but they need to be painted.  That's the next job.  The drainpipe is going to be painted grey and will be fixed underneath the sink, but will be in full view.  Upstairs is not a luxury kitchen!  I have found a chain with tiny links, but need to find some black rubber or similar to make a plug for the sink.  If I can't find rubber then polymer clay will be a solution.  Let's just wait and see what's going to happen.

Next is filling the room with all the necessities, like wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors, a bin and everything else I can think of.  Anybody with good ideas just leave me a message in the comments... :-)

See you next time

Sunday, November 11, 2012

A rusty old chair

Again it's been a while.  Nearly eight months to be precise, but... I haven't forgotten my florist.  It's just that right now we are travelling a lot and while away from home I can't do much.  (My other blog: Marion's Miniatures, deals with our last trip and a visit to a small dolls house show with some pictures.)  Sometimes I take my miniature knitting, but that's about all.  However, being home for three weeks between two overseas trips I have been able to manage to get a workshop ready for the Brisbane club and also a rusty old chair for my florist.

For a while I have had my eyes on a workshop in one of my Dutch mini magazines, but since I am not very good at soldering I have been putting it off, until today!  Another reason was the wire.  I couldn't get the right thickness and when I did it was on a roll, which makes it a lot more difficult to handle, but....... here it is:


The seat of the chair has been taken out and replaced with a kind of wire basket.  The chair can be decorated according to the season and since I've just returned from the US it's been decorated with autumn in mind and thus pumpkins, of which we must have seen hundreds!!!  But it was great and autumn has again become my favourite season (in my mind, because where I live we don't quite experience autumn).

The chair was first treated with primer and than with rust from a 'scenic rust' kit.  It's every body's guess what will be next on my list, but I'll have lots of time to think about it, because I'll be away till mid January.  No Christmas decorations in my florist yet..... ;-)

I have noticed that my list of followers has grown again.  Welcome to all newcomers.  When I am back home again with more time on my hands, I will dive into it, have a look at your blogs, where possible, and welcome you all properly.

See you again in the new year.