Happy New Year!

Wishing you all you wish yourselves.

A gift from Italy.

There was a lovely surprise in the post for me today - an envelope from Italy.

Blanche (Diario Vittoriano) so very kindly sent me these little towels for my Hambleton Hall bathroom

 

They are beautifully made and I am so pleased with them.   It was a lovely thing to do and I appreciate Blanche's kind gesture very much.

 

 

They are the exact width for the towel rail.

 

 

Can you see what lovely fabric they are made from?   Blanche has even embroidered HH on this one.

 

 

They have finished off the bathroom beautifully.    Thank you so much Blanche for your very kind gift.

The Bathroom

With the addition of all the little accessories for The Bathroom, I now have another completed room.   (Just one more to go and that's the interior of this property finished - what will I do with myself?)

I've shown this pic before but I thought I'd use it as a reminder and point out one or two things for you.   The room is narrow, measuring only 6.5" x 14" deep (16.5cms x 35.6cms).   The panelling was created using iron on flooring, with strips of skirting and dado rail and the paper was printed from Jennifers Printables.

I got even more adventurous and made my own flooring using the instructions in Lea Frisoni's book.   The little light fittings came from Art of Mini

 

So, on with the decor.   The cabinet was purchased from a fair (not Miniatura) and I added all the little contents.   The boxes were complementary kits received with an order.

 

 

 

Something was needed for the walls despite the paper being quite busy.   As they had no idea initially as to how a bathroom should look, the Victorians treated it like they would any other room in the house and filled it with stuff!

 

 

The shell pictures were made using some lovely tiny little shells I received as a gift from Fi   Thank you again Fi, they're just lovely and suit this room perfectly.

 

 

 

 

The bathroom suite I have had for quite some time.   It was already this colour and all I did was alter the toilet.   I think in time I will be changing the plant for a floral arrangement.   (In fact, I don't "think", I know I will be changing this!)

 

 

 

The chair came unfinished and has been tarted up a bit and the slippers were made by me following a little tutorial featured here

 

 

The table was put together with bits of balsa and covered.   The little items on display there were goodies brought back from Miniatura.

 

 

 

 

 

I must confess, I do like the next few pictures taken with the lights on.   I surprised myself with those ones!

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

The attic store room

Firstly, thank you all for the lovely comments you left regarding my purchases at Miniatura.   I admit it does look rather like I was shopping for Scotland but I enjoyed every minute of it and it's only twice a year!

Secondly, a very warm welcome to all new followers.   I'm very pleased to have you here and hope you like what you see.

I was hoping to show you all the bathroom first but would you believe it - there's a little something I still have to get.   Yes, even after all that shopping, I'm missing something!

So - the store room.   The only lighting in this room is the lamp at the back, on the table.     There's not really much more I can say about this room - it is what it is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of little goodies for the Hall

 

Did I do well at Miniatura?   Yes!

 

I'm always there are the very beginning when the doors open right to the bitter end!   I thought it was a bit quieter on the Sunday than usual and there were a few exhibitors missing but that did not hold me back.  

 

The table was a purchase for another property.   All the items here are destined for the bathroom with the exception of the lovely tea tray.   The little item to the right is a soap dish.

The detail on the fishing tackle box is just perfect, including all the little contents and the dressing table set is hand painted metal.

 

 

This is the final photo.   The item on the left, if it's not obvious, is a little jacket and scarf designed to be stuck on the wall!

I also bought some wood, lace and fabric - oh, and some findings, Ray - all to add to the ever growing stash.

 

 

Curtains and Coronets

 

It's taken me some time to decide on curtains for Mrs Admiral's bedroom as I couldn't find a pelmet style I liked but that has been resolved now.

 

 

I also decided the wall her bed was on was looking a bit bare and I didn't really want to cover it with pictures as the wallpaper is busy enough so while creating pelmets for the windows, I fashioned a little coronet for above the bed and attached some lace drapes.   I'd still like to add another two pictures to that wall but that will have to wait until this longed for visit to Miniatura at the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The canopy over the bed mirrors the pelmets at the windows and that's her room completed.

 

 

The final picture shows the whole width of that room including the fourth wall.   The "wall" is short for this room as there's a decorative strip to be added to the underside at the top of the house but in order to ease access to the rooms at this level, it hasn't been added yet.

 

 

 

Some little details

Work is still progressing on the attic/storeroom and, apart from the bits being made, there are quite a few accessories that had been purchased some time ago from various fairs with the result that this room is filling up much quicker than I anticipated.

 

The gun case and bag were purchased from The Luggage Lady (no website) and the cylindrical item on the right is a case for carrying walking sticks (made by me).

The gun case and bag are made in the softest leather and the detail is exceptional.   The set came with the gun.

This luggage was bought for me by my sister at a fair held years ago and I've been waiting on just the right place for it.  

 

 

The gentleman's top hat box (sitting alongside the croquet set I've already shown) was made for me by Margaret The Mini Milliner.   Initially it was in The Admiral's bedroom but couldn't really be seen to advantage so I've moved it to here and looks, I think, much better.

This is another item purchased from The Luggage Lady and again, the detailing is marvellous.   The little golf clubs are included.

 

Finally, a little corner shot.   Nothing is permanently fixed in the attic room yet and there are lots of other details to add but this is the progress so far.

Playing with wood.

I've been busy over the past few days making more bits for the attic store room.   First of all, a basic table - nothing too exciting there!

Some luggage racks - easy peasy

and (a first for me) a fireplace.   As this is for a room of no importance whatsoever it was created  from various bits and pieces of wood already in the stash and painted black.   It was afterwards, when it was just standing there, I thought perhaps something else could be done to it.

 

 

so, out came my favourite Humbrol Metalcote paint (I love this stuff and it comes in black too!)

 

 

 

A coat of this and a quick buff and the fireplace now looks like this.   It wont really be seen that well once in place but I'll know!

 



 

Anyone for Croquet?

I've done as much as I can with the bathroom.   All the furnishings and fittings are in place.   It just needs accessories but for those I'm having to wait for my trip to Miniatura at the end of the month.

 

I know I could purchase what I need online but the fun of choosing things face to face so to speak is going to be worth the wait.    There are very few fairs here so I tend to take full advantage on the occasions when I DO get to visit a fair.

 

So...........with that in mind, I've started working on my attic storage room.   This will be filled with luggage, sporting/games equipment and sundry other items that don't have a home or have seen better days.

 

This Jane Harrop kit was purchased some months ago with the storage room in mind.   It was a fun little kit to put together and I'm very satisfied with the end result.

 

How to Victorianise a low level toilet

The toilet in the bathroom of Hambleton Hall has a low level cistern with a daft little handle stuck on top - not very Victorian, I thought.

I decided to set about making a few simple changes by first of all cutting off the short "pipe" that joins the cistern to the toilet.   This was discarded.   The little handle was also removed and set aside.

 

 

A new "pipe was created using a kebab stick cut to the required height, painted gold and glued back in place.

 

Then, using black plastic fencing I looked for a section that would be suitable for brackets.

 

 

Two pieces were cut, painted gold and attached to the base of the unit.   My two are set back in order to line up with the top lip of the cistern.

 

 

Remember the daft little handle?   This was glued to a piece of chain at one end and the underside of the cistern at the other.

 

 

I now have a high level Victorian toilet.

 

 

 

 

Maximum effect, minimum effort!