Thursday, August 30, 2012

A Little Brown Bird

One of my favorite bands known as Brown Bird will be in town this Saturday. I am terribly disappointed that my Mr. and I cannot attend. I have to hear this band live someday and soon! Hopefully they'll return to the San Francisco Bay Area again. And then maybe I can get a picture with them--you know the one where the fan is all teeth and enthusiastic smile and the musicians are appreciative but their faint-smile expressions say "we're exhausted from rockin' your world"...or something like that.

Anyway, I know it's been awhile since I created a miniature scene. I guess it takes all kinds of emotions to get me playing/working in the wee structures. The above scene is inspired by my lament for the upcoming Brown Bird concert. I redecorated the Nomad Home as if a man lived there and happened to be a "pinch" of a Brown Bird fan. Smiles. I imagined a dude who considers himself "enviro friendly", likes simple living and appreciates modern design, basic materials and reclaimed pieces. I also made him a bit of a collector of cameras, odds and ends. Yes, I know he isn't real. This stuff helps me bring the scene to life. I know I'm not the only one who creates characters to guide dollhouse decorating. And I hope I'm not the only one who in the middle of making miniature picture frames and albums, etc. asks themselves "why am I doing this???" but continues to tinker along anyway. My oldest watched me print out several Brown Bird poster images and carefully wind them around a tiny screwdriver to give them the effect that little hands rolled them. After watching me wind the second one, they said in a matter-of-fact tone "you have an unusual hobby" and that made me laugh out loud. I reassured them that I'm the harmless crazy...most days.

What do you think of the woodworking bench as a kitchen island? I used one of the Palette-It coasters as a coffee table here. These are the ones made by Design Studio Labyrinth that I tweeted about a few weeks ago. They work well so far and I can use them as beds and platform floors and stages, etc. I used a Restoration Hardware "Glove" leather swatch on the wooden sofa. That simple strip of leather made the sofa instantly look better in the scene..or so I say.

The Goods: sofa is Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware; chair is PRD Miniatures; palette coffee table is Design Studio Labyrinth; lamp is Mattel and hobby store items; factory cart is unmarked; stump side table is Selecta; office chair is Reac; desk and matching credenza is Pepper (MitchyMooMiniatures); stools are brinca dada; kitchen unit is PRD Miniatures; woodworking bench is Sir Thomas Thumb; windmill is Town Square Miniatures; all accessories are Ray Storey (Thanks Pepper!), Reutter Porzellan, Bodo Hennig, MitchyMooMiniatures, Plan Toys, AG Minis, Re-Ment, Mighty World, LiLu by Zuri, Tim Holtz, K&Company, M2 Machines, and common craft and hobby store finds.

22 comments:

  1. I like the entire scene but in the real world wouldn't a wind turbine in the kitchen be a bit dangerous

    say your cooking some mac and cheese when the Mr and 2.5 come in without closing the door where a breeze is building then suddenly you are chopped to bits and they have to go out for pizza

    see pretty dangerous :)


    Love
    Marisa

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    1. Ha ha! Oh Marisa. Yeah, me and turbines and bells just don't work well together, ey? Chuckles! If it helps, it's supposed to be a non-working replica. Ha! I know it's a wild card but I do that I suppose. You crack me up! Luv back at ya, lady!

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  2. Love this. It has a masculine metro feel. I love the cart and the desk.

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    1. Thanks! Hmm...so the character development might have paid off here...maybe. Big smiles!

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  3. I develop very elaborate back stories for my scenes. I'm a little bit crazy and usually harmless as well. Luckily my daughter is still too young to judge (as long as I let her play with my toys).

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    1. Back stories rock. Yeah, my oldest gave me a "hug of pity" after making that statement. Ha! I took the hug and continued rolling miniature posters with a smile on my face. I just hope they don't go to school and tell their teacher about "Mommy and her rolling papers"---could prove disastrous.

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  4. I really had to laugh about the wind turbine in the kitchen. I love this miniature but mine is on TOP of the house not in the kitchen... lol
    Anyhow, love your scene. I'm all in for monochromatic.
    Christine

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    1. You know I can't resist throwing in a bit of humor. I'm glad you dig it.

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  5. Hi
    I like all the scene , especially all the details which makes it so interesting and real!I didn't stop looking for a very very long time.....
    Neomi

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    1. Thanks Neomi! I always hope people enjoy the little things in life. Ha! Smiles.

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  6. Dang, you don't half ass anything! I love how you take an idea and run with it. Sooo much to look at, I love all of the little details. Is that a drawer pull over the kitchen island? Love it, fabulous hanging pendant! Sorry you have to miss the show, I'll get you an autograph. :P JK

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    1. Thanks Megan. Oh my goodness---I so do the "half ass" thing from time to time. I'm not proud of that, but have to be real. Um, we'll call it a survival mechanism...ha ha! You got me with the autograph thing. I was like "what??"--good one. I'm nursing my wounds...
      ;)

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  7. This scene is so fabulous I almost don't have words for it. Amazing...well, yes, that's a word.

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  8. So many details! What awesomeness...and thanks for the backstory. You know I'm a big fan of those. Design Studio Labryrinth brings in a very witty aesthetic indeed. Those Palette-It coasters are at the top of my wish list now. And Tim Holtz products are great too. I've been trying to resist them because I want them ALL!

    Sorry you could attend the concert but nice tribute to the band.

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    1. Hey Studioseven!
      Thanks much. I am a Tim Holtz product hoarder--ha ha! I usually have to buy it online though because the local hobby store doesn't have enough stock variety. I pledge to see Brown Bird next year. It's just got to happen.

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  9. Wind turbine haters just gonna hate LOL =0)

    I could look at this scene for ages and still see something new. Loving the salt bag cushions. Cool use of the pallet. Seriously cool wall art. I really want to live here.

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    1. Oh Pepper! I just laughed and laughed at your turbine comment. I love it! I like to keep it interesting when I can and so I throw in "the odd". The salt bag pillow was a wink at the band's album called "Salt for Salt". And I'll make it a guest room if you ever come visit. :P

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  10. What a sweet scene -- love it! Deceivingly minimal, I say...lots of little details and twists (of paper and other things). I like the "next time" on the wall, too. I bet doing this scene helped to get you through the disappointment of not seeing the band...I've worked through such things this way and definitely talk to myself. My kids are now quite accustomed to my mini motivations, which have included strange trunk cargo and road trips! :)

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  11. Thanks lady callsmall!
    Building the scene was therapeutic, but on Saturday night, I got a little sad that it was 9PM and I wasn't at the show. Okay,okay, I'll cop to muttering to myself as well when building these scenes, but I do this when organizing the linen closet, cooking or...wow...I do this all the time. Ha! If your kids only knew how badly other folks would want to roll with you on these road trips, man.

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  12. Engaging, inspiring space; I'm definitely one for mixing it up but you beautifully combine things I would never have thought of.

    By the way, I think the cart against the wall is by Nantasy Fantasy ( http://nantasy-fantasy.com/miniatures/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=69 ) -- a perfect example of an unexpected element that works so well.

    Thanks for sharing . . .

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  13. Thanks very much, Fran
    I appreciate your comments. You can't see me but I'm sufficiently blushed over. Smiles! I do think these things all come together quite by accident and not by any skills of my own. Oh, yes, I think you are right about the Nantasy Fantasy. Thank you for that information. And I'm pleased to see that I got a good price on that cart--ha! I should have known it was this maker. They have a few more pieces that I need to add to my collection...

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