Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 20:44:36 -0700

Subject: [smallstuff] The 144 Nuremburg kitchen

Summer comes to England, with long dry days, swallows, cuckoos, 
bluebells and Rodney digging for victory in the vegetable patch  :O( 
Farewell little seedlings, hello deep hole (what, he's aiming for Australia for
crying out loud?) 

My hand is healed (hurrah) so I thought, I deserve a treat, and decided
to make up the Nuremburg kitchen printable Jean Day has on her site, 
especially as when I am mini-ing indoors, Rodney is outdoors - ah bliss,
ah peace, Earlier I had bought a 144 Nuremburg kitchen from Francis Armstrong 
.. hhmm, I'm thinking medley here, and when I printed off Jean Day's
kitchen via the Paint programme in Microsoft and the wall pattern fitted exactly
into a matchbox, I knew it was meant to be, 

I pasted wall and floor into a matchbox, and sealed them with Mod
Podge.  I used waste bits left over from a punch out house kit to make the body of
the stove, and glued the piccy of the stove front onto the stove body, mod
podged it, then added acrylic painted details.  Glued black card on top for the 
surface, and a bent flue pipe I had cut from a 144 pot bellied stove
bought in Holland.  Everything comes in useful in the end . :O) 

I edged the window piccy with very thin white painted wood strip, all
round, and glued royal blue tissue to it for curtains, then I glued the whole
ensemble into the left hand corner and the stove slightly off centre, both on the
back wall.. 

I made a tiny shelf which I glued on the right wall, and using snipped
up tiny plastic tubes which protect paint brushes to make glass bowls, and brass 
thingumijigs bought from Tee Pee crafts, filled the shelf with goodies. 

With a scrap of square shaped wood, I veneered it with the thin veneer
which one can occasionally find in cigar boxes, and used snipped off bits of
brass to indicate handles. Voila! a cupboard.  This was glued onto the left
hand wall. 

The bones of the kitchen done, I raided Francis' kit for all the little
pots, bowls, plates and pans, and now the kitchen is full and utterly
gorgeous.  I felt so smart she said modestly.  It took 3 days, 7 voles, 5 shrews and
2 fat mice which Rodney thought (wrongly) I obviously needed to keep me going, 
and all fitted in between working on the garden.  Great mini moment
finishing off that one.  Hurrah! 

Helen from York, England
 

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 16:25:23 -0700

Subject: [smallstuff]  AND it was all my fault

Today it has rained for the first time in weeks, so no gardening.  The
cats are indoors, sleeping, and I sat doing my new mini rug in the kitchen,
the world so peaceful, such bliss..

Rodney scampers into the room.  He gets bored when he has to stay
indoors, so was intent on mischief.  Idly I glance up, and sit numb with horror,
for between his huge ivory fangs was my matchbox Nuremburg kitchen.  How the
"£$£$% had he got hold of that?

Then I remembered -yesterday I had taken it to show some friends in a
fit of vain glory, and being an idle camel I hadn't replaced it in its display
case.  Oh silly, silly me.

'Oh do put it down' I whimpered.  Oh yeah like that was going to work.
Rodney has a mouth so soft and gentle he can carry butterflies unharmed
and unmarked (albeit somewhat freaked by the experience), and yet they can
also scrunch up little mousy bones - and matchboxes.  If I got up he'd think
I was chasing him (which, let's face it, I would be).. o what to do???

Beloved drifts in, sees what's up, and just ambles over to the fridge. 
Does the Man not Realise the State of Danger we are in??

Then all becomes clear.. the fresh turkey mince is piled on the saucer,
down on the floor it goes.  Rodney stops looking at me, spits out my kitchen
and races over to the saucer.  I swear I didn't know I could move so fast.
Phew!

The Nuremburg kitchen is unharmed in every way, not even any drool on
it, and I have been taught a sharp lesson - Get Tidy Now! or Suffer the
Consequences.  Yessir!

Helen from York, England

©Helen and Jean Day Miniatures 2002