So Many Reasons To Stay In Bed

 

It was a massively lazy three-day weekend (Thank you, Dr. King!). I have four unfinished scenes because I didn't have the energy to work on them. Can I blame it on working parent syndrome? I'm going to anyway! Chuckles. Typically on the weekend, I'll push miniatures around for ten to fifteen minutes, take some photos and share. Unfortunately, every time I got an opportunity to push tiny furniture around this weekend, I would go lay on the bed or the couch. What a lazy lima bean, ey? I actually woke up briefly on Monday at 5:00AM and smiled because I didn't have to get up for work. All that said, I think you get the quick scene above. I'll try to be less lazy next weekend.

Something tells me that I may get some inquiries about the art in this scene. I'm uncertain of the artist(s). I want to credit appropriately for this image so if anyone has any information, please share...

UPDATE---I'm getting quite a lot of emails asking about the model, so if you know his identity, please help there too...

UPDATE 2---Wow. I guess I don't get out much because several several folks claim the model above to be a man by the name of Victor Ross (?). Who would have thought that this gentleman would have such an avid following?---even in Brazil, Australia and the UK? Smiles. However, still no ID on the photographer. Maybe Mr. Ross will tell me. Shrug. I'll dig into some research later this evening...

The Goods: Bed is brinca dada, pillows are MiniModernistas; all accessories are JUN Planning, Playmobil, Lundby, Leslie Frick, Character Options and Re-Ment.

Hello Edward...Have We Met Before?

 

 

To quote Mini Dork, "Edward is the new Emerson". True Dat. Edward House is the third production run of the Emerson House but to avoid some confusion, brinca dada gave this dollhouse a new name. What's new about this beautiful and fun structure besides the name? Well, the manufacturer for starters. Brinca dada says to expect a higher level of quality like that currently seen with the Dylan House and the soon-to-be-released Bennett House. There are a few tweaks with this latest version of Tim Boyle's design. Those " tweaks" include the color scheme as seen in the renderings above and the fact that solar panels and fireplaces are no longer a part of the design. 

Well, he's still a pretty house even with his makeover. I like the new color palette with the walnut wood grain, the new brick and the addition of more white interior walls to light up the place. I'm very curious to see how it looks in person...

Images: brinca dada

For The Dog That Chases Its Tail Will Be Dizzy

 

 

Yeah. I'm totally quoting George Clinton's Atomic Dog in the title of this post. It's fitting for the above image and because I've been feeling just like that = running and running and very busy but not really getting anywhere. It seems as though my list of "to-do's" grows longer every time I check off an item. Ever feel like that? Ahh well...

So...how did the above scene get started? I found this dog-shaped memo/photo/card-holder at CB2. When I spotted it, I immediately thought it would be cool as a statue/chair/toy in a kid's room--sort of along the lines of Eero Aarnio's Magis Puppy. The box that this item came in shows that there is a horse and bear version which I hope to obtain. OooBee Dee Do...the land of repurpose. Chuckles!

The Goods: Twin beds are brinca dada; desk is brinca dada; chair is Re-Ment; side tables are building blocks; Munny-esqe lamps are a keychain find; dog statue is a CB2 find; large art is Rex Ray; all other accessories are AG Minis, Playmobil, JUN Planning, DCWV, Lundby, Mattel and Haba.

All Aflutter About Winging It

 

I'm terrible at experimenting with color. I prefer to stay with the safety of earth tones, neutral patterns and natural elements. So I decided to take a small sidestep away from my comfort zone and create the scene above. I couldn't quite part from natural elements. I started with the "ode to entomology" brought on by some stickers from a standard craft store and then blindly selected some scrapbook paper (seen as the rug here) to base the color scheme. I admit that when I opened my eyes and saw the apple green and pink, I uttered some choice words that I won't reiterate here because I don't want to be responsible for corrupting the modern miniature community's virgin eyes and ears...

After getting my "ladylike" together,  I dug through my collection of miniature pillows and found two patterned beauties. Some shuffling through a few drawers revealed that I had forgotten all about this sofa. More shuffling through drawers revealed that I had also forgotten all about this coffee table with the apple green smile. A trip to the Reac closet and BAM--there's your pink, baby! Chuckles. The end result is not particularly to my liking but what's weird is I think the final arrangement might actually be okay...well...or something. Ha!

The Goods: Sofa is an ebay find; Egg Chair is Reac; coffee table is PRD; console table is DHE; all accessories are DCWV, JUN Planning, K&Company, 7Gypsies, Minimodernistas, Bozart Toys, PRD, Mattel, and random but common hobby store finds.

Capturing A Home Theater Without Stealing A Scene

It is quite tricky trying to photograph scenes in the Emerson House. I love all of the glazing but it becomes my nemesis when trying to capture images of miniature scenes. In an effort to keep my ugly face from being reflected in the windows and/or my workspace from being the scene's backdrop, I've purchased some polycarbonate panels from TAP Plastics to take the edge off.

So far, the panels have proven to be a decent choice. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the textured panel makes it look like rain outside of the mini scene. I'm still exploring the best way to marry camera angles and lighting so that I don't intrude upon my own photos. I've tried the "hide behind this" and "hide under that" but I never seem to quite master it. Sigh. I really should take a photography class...maybe get some proper equipment...

Anywhoo...what's going on in the scene above? It's supposed to be a study or den that was transformed into a small home theater. I tried to give it a masculine flavor and sprinkle it with vintage seasoning...stir and shrug.

The Goods: Sofa is PRD; Credenza/bookshelf is PRD; Ottoman is MiniModernistas; Home Theater Screen is made from a photo and My Realitty's gift of wood samples; Floor lamp is Character Options; Beautiful Plants are from MiniDork; Wall Art and Rug are Tim Holtz; All accessories are Lundby, Re-Ment, AG Minis, X10NY, random ebay finds, and common items from hobby stores.

Logo Fails And A Pizza My Mind

This pizza establishment probably gets more customers looking to use the restroom than order a pizza. If you have no idea what I am talking about then take a good look at the logo. My Mr. and I had a good laugh over this design--which I'll admit was my poor idea. It seemed all good until I realized the "letter A" in the word Pizza tends to get lost. Outlining the pizza slice probably would have solved the problem, but I decided to leave it like this for my own amusement. I don't take myself too seriously, man.

What I do take seriously is the kinship we have in the community of modern miniature enthusiasts. Over the years, we have grown into a very supportive group of hobbyists who share ideas and resources. I've met so many great people who share this interest. It's a very collaborative community that encourages and inspires.

Unfortunately--and for quite some time, I've been receiving some mean-spirited emails and commentary from a few folks who want to horribly bash my fellow modern dollhouse bloggers or accuse them of stealing ideas or this or that from my blog. I thought these kinds of communications were at the worst when the NY Times article ran last year. And I thought these communications would end with the passing of the NY Times article. Sadly, these kinds of notes are still being sent my way and one was recently sent to a blogger friend. I wanted to make it known that I will not entertain nor respond to communications that take malicious aim at my fellow bloggers, collectors and enthusiasts. Frankly, I don't find it flattering to be complimented by someone who simultaneously insults other people enjoying this hobby. It's amazing the kind of craziness that people will try to bring to the table--no matter what the subject matter. So, in short:

Spiteful few = Stop your insanity.
Modern miniature blogger hommies = Ignore the spiteful few, continue to do your thing and keep pushing this modern hobby into the spotlight.

Hmm...In retrospect, this tangent might have painted modern miniature collectors in cult colors...Well, I promise we aren't shoveling out random dates that predict the end of the world. However, we might be predicting the end of a market inundated with Victorian and Tudor dollhouses...

And scene.

The Goods: Counters are by Accoutrements and brinca dada; sink is Lundby; shelving units are ebay finds; cooler is Delph Miniatures; pizza oven is brinca dada (nightstand); railings are Flick Trix; tables are MGA Entertainment; tulip chairs are REAC; all accessories are AG Minis, Mattel, Lundby, Mighty World, Re-ment, Megahouse, Kate Aspen, and random but common hobby store finds.

Who's Your dada?

Okay. Finally. A mini scene in the Emerson House by brinca dada. This was not supposed to be the first scene to debut in this structure, but the death of our color printer is keeping me from finishing the set-up I had originally intended to post. I did this condo scene quickly Sunday morning and it's not perfect but I enjoyed the challenge of working in a smaller scale. I've already started to tackle a third scene and have an idea for a fourth. The challenge is my stock supply which caters primarily to 1:12. We'll see what comes of this...

Oh!--and you'll notice that I altered the brinca dada kitchen sink. The original chunky sink fixture was not playing nice with "realism" and so I replaced it with an ELF Miniatures tap. It was very easy to remove with a gentle but firm tug and twist of the pliers. The original faucet popped off clean and the ELF tap fit like a glove.

The Goods: Sofa and lounge chair are brinca dada; coffee table is a cap from cologne; side table is Lundby; screen, colorful pillows and pendant lamp are Minimodernistas; dining table is AG Minis with a plexi top finish; dining chairs are brinca dada; kitchen units are brinca dada; all accessories are Lundby, Minimodernistas, ReMent, Mattel, and standard hobby store finds.

The Emerson: Now in Chocolate

Back in August, I had posted about receiving the Emerson House.The original kit I received had some damaged pieces and the follow-up replacement kit also had some damaged pieces so the good folks at Brinca Dada suggested that I wait for the second production run of the house. Well, it has finally arrived and I was pleasantly surprised to see that several improvements have been made to the kit, as well as the nice new chocolate delicious color. Granted, I know some of you may prefer the caramel finish for personal reasons and because it hides any bumps and dings better than a darker wood stain, but I am quite partial to this cocoa mood goin' on here. It's oh so swanky swanky! HA!

Anyway, the second production run improvements to the kit are in the overall packaging. The manufacturer has more carefully protected the plexi pieces with film and individual sleeves.The wood floors and walls are also sleeved. The placement of parts inside of the box is more thought out this time around. All the parts to build the structure are assembled like a puzzle and then sandwiched between styrofoam cushion walls. A few wood pieces in the new kit had some minor abrasions that where actually covered up by overlapping pieces. I only had one casualty in the new kit and it was a cracked piece of plexi known as 1M.

The instruction manual has changed and is easier to understand. They've included more images of the completed structure and have broken down the build into three stages: side 1, side 2 and then connecting the two sides together. I definitely need to mention that the parts are labeled this time around and so there's less time involved trying to match up pieces with the illustrations.

Due to the plexi fatality that I mentioned earlier, I was only able to build a portion of Side 1(which you see above). I do notice that the screws and parts line up better and that the loft portion is staying level so far. I have received some inquiries from other Emerson House owners who had concerns about the loft portion not staying plumb, etc. I'm not having that experience with this new version of the kit. I did assemble side 2 completely and only struggled with the sliding doors. Oh! and pay very close attention to steps 11 through 13, there's a part in step 13 that directs you to slide plexi piece 2I into a groove and there's no way you can do that without damaging pieces or untightening several screws, so you might want to slide 2I in during step 11 or 12.

Side 2 of the Emerson House looks pretty good assembled. I'm already trying out designs in the structure even though it isn't complete with side 1. You definitely can use some 1:12 pieces in the second half of the structure and it looks fine. I'm sure that 1:12 options increase in side 1 since it has a double height ceiling. And, of course, I'll be posting more pictures of this house as I finish building and start experimenting with the interior.

Might Be Drowning In Beautiful Fun

I received my Emerson Dollhouse by Brinca Dada today. For some reason, I wasn't expecting the house to arrive unassembled. I had imagined that the box would arrive as a fat cube with the magical structure wedged in with custom styrofoam. Well...that isn't the case. The box that arrived on my doorstep actually looks a lot like the box carton that I got my Kaleidoscope House in years ago from Bozart Toys.

When I opened it up, I whispered "Whoa" and just stared at the numerous pieces in the box. My little one sidled up to me, widened their eyes and said "That's a two-man job"...

I started going through the inventory but didn't get to finish because we have guests at our home. So far, no broken pieces but I do need to figure out how I'm going to protect the paper-covered portions of the house over time. Anybody got any ideas? Anyway, everyone knows I'm anxious to have at this little gem. I've got some plans for scenes in the structure but all of those things will have to wait until I can find time to assemble the house. I'll try to work on the house this weekend. I just need to find more time for...everything. There's a part of me that wants to beg Brinca Dada to bring me an assembled house in exchange for the unassembled one when I see them in September. Chuckles.

Speaking of September---most of you know and have written me about the DWR miniature modernism exhibit in San Francisco on September 16th (see News...and blah blah blah for details). I'm still trying to find time to fully prepare for that event, but I am looking forward to meeting people from the miniature blogdom in the 1:1 world...okay, okay and a little nervous too. I heard from Wes Christensen and he's going to try to come out and "kick it" that evening. Hope he does. I wish all the folks from around the globe could come out for the affair but we'll have to look into making that happen at a later date.

UPDATE: 8/14/10
Aww man...This build is not gonna happen for awhile. I finished going through the inventory this morning and didn't luck out as well as I had hoped. Looks like I'm gonna need some replacement parts...