Saturday 29 February 2020
Friday 28 February 2020
Leap Day Sale....!
Every four years, for some arcane reason to do with syncing our calendar with the Earth's revolutions round the sun, we have an extra day in February. This started in 1752, when we apparently 'lost' 11 days from September, when we adopted the Gregorian calendar.
It's one thing to lose the odd day, but to lose an entire chunk of 11 seems blatantly careless. I also have a problem with adding a day to February, which usually rejoices in being the shortest month which is obviously A Good Thing. If we're going to have an extra day, let's have it in the summer rather than the dreary fag-end of winter.
However, since we do have a whole extra day, by dint of dark magic or whatever, it seems only right that I should mark it by doing something a bit out of the ordinary. Which is why, at the stroke of midnight (GMT) on 29 February (this coming Saturday) there will be a muffled *whoosh* and the price of every item on the Tower House Dolls website will be magically reduced, some by up to 50%. Reduced prices will appear right across the site but in a Cinderella-styley, will revert back to normal after 24 hours.
I've been busy on the website for the past week, deleting sold listings, tidying up, and scheduling sale prices for each and every item. It's been a bit of a mission and I may have inadvertently missed the odd one or two but if that's the case I'll be able to see them on Saturday morning and sort them out.
Also on Saturday, Small Dog will be drawing the name of the winner of my Bunting & Bows giveaway, so if you haven't yet done the Like/Comment/Share thing yet, click on the link above.
Good luck!
Sneak preview.....
In my last post I promised a sneak preview of some of the new toy dolls I've been making, based on images of original vintage dolls and costumes.
Some of them have been a real challenge.... trying to recreate the level of detail in an original doll measuring 28 inches or more, in a tiny doll measuring just 1 3/4 inches is never straightforward, and I've often had to think outside the box. However that's what I really enjoy about creating microdolls, even when the process sometimes has me tearing my hair out!
These dolls, and others, will be making their way onto the website in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, watch out for my 24 hour Leap Day Sale tomorrow.... more information in the next post!
Some of them have been a real challenge.... trying to recreate the level of detail in an original doll measuring 28 inches or more, in a tiny doll measuring just 1 3/4 inches is never straightforward, and I've often had to think outside the box. However that's what I really enjoy about creating microdolls, even when the process sometimes has me tearing my hair out!
These dolls, and others, will be making their way onto the website in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, watch out for my 24 hour Leap Day Sale tomorrow.... more information in the next post!
Sunday 16 February 2020
In transition......
For many years, January and February have been a time for me to wind down after the hectic pre-Christmas sales and work on new projects, as well as planning work stuff for the coming months. This year is no different, except it's more of a transition period than before.
As well as my new venture, I'm also restructuring and reshaping my core business, and trying to work out the best way forward. I've spent hours this weekend, tidying up the back end of the THD website. Predictably it's just like my workroom.... full of stuff lying around, no system or order and badly in need of a thorough re-organisation.
Defunct listings, broken links, assorted images with no home to go to.... in short it's a bit of a mess.
So I've been giving it a metaphorical good going over with a wire brush and Dettol.... deleting empty categories, clearing out sold listings, going through image archives and generally having a thorough declutter.
With just short of two weeks left this month, I'm aiming to add a few more items to my downsizing sale then list some of my new little dolls, based on original antique doll costumes. They're really rather lovely, even if I do say so myself.
I'll be starting to photograph them over the next few days and will post some sneak previews here first, so watch this space....
As well as my new venture, I'm also restructuring and reshaping my core business, and trying to work out the best way forward. I've spent hours this weekend, tidying up the back end of the THD website. Predictably it's just like my workroom.... full of stuff lying around, no system or order and badly in need of a thorough re-organisation.
Defunct listings, broken links, assorted images with no home to go to.... in short it's a bit of a mess.
So I've been giving it a metaphorical good going over with a wire brush and Dettol.... deleting empty categories, clearing out sold listings, going through image archives and generally having a thorough declutter.
With just short of two weeks left this month, I'm aiming to add a few more items to my downsizing sale then list some of my new little dolls, based on original antique doll costumes. They're really rather lovely, even if I do say so myself.
I'll be starting to photograph them over the next few days and will post some sneak previews here first, so watch this space....
Sunday 9 February 2020
Thinking aloud.....
Thanks to everyone who took the time to contact/message/email me following my 'New Venture' post yesterday. It's much appreciated.
As well as wishing me luck in my new Bunting & Bows venture, most of you asked if I was giving up micro dollmaking, or planning to close Tower House Dolls.
The answer to both of those questions is no. At least for the time being.
Over the past few years I have been gradually downsizing.... sloughing off parts of the business that I no longer wished to continue.
One-to-one and group teaching, one day workshops, kit design and production, toys and games.... to the point now where I'm finally back at the core of what I enjoy doing most.... designing and creating miniature toy dolls.
Very special tiny wee dolls for doll's house dolls. A scale within a scale.
Challenging? Absolutely
Enjoyable? Mostly
Rewarding? Definitely!
For the remainder of my dollmaking career, (which began almost 31 years ago), I will be concentrating on making beautiful, one-of-a-kind tiny dolls. Over the next few months I'll be restructuring the Tower House Dolls website and listing the gorgeous little dolls I've been quietly creating over the course of the past year.... all inspired by wonderful vintage dolls from my Pinterest boards.
I do relish a challenge, so if you'd like to see me recreate a particular doll in micro-miniature please feel free to browse my boards and select a costume. This would not constitute an order or commission, purely a bit of fun.
I have several Pinterest boards where Ihoard collect antique doll images:
Inspirational Toy Dolls
Miniature Costumes & Accessories
Mignonette Dolls
So........ let's play 😉
As well as wishing me luck in my new Bunting & Bows venture, most of you asked if I was giving up micro dollmaking, or planning to close Tower House Dolls.
The answer to both of those questions is no. At least for the time being.
Over the past few years I have been gradually downsizing.... sloughing off parts of the business that I no longer wished to continue.
One-to-one and group teaching, one day workshops, kit design and production, toys and games.... to the point now where I'm finally back at the core of what I enjoy doing most.... designing and creating miniature toy dolls.
Very special tiny wee dolls for doll's house dolls. A scale within a scale.
Challenging? Absolutely
Enjoyable? Mostly
Rewarding? Definitely!
For the remainder of my dollmaking career, (which began almost 31 years ago), I will be concentrating on making beautiful, one-of-a-kind tiny dolls. Over the next few months I'll be restructuring the Tower House Dolls website and listing the gorgeous little dolls I've been quietly creating over the course of the past year.... all inspired by wonderful vintage dolls from my Pinterest boards.
I do relish a challenge, so if you'd like to see me recreate a particular doll in micro-miniature please feel free to browse my boards and select a costume. This would not constitute an order or commission, purely a bit of fun.
I have several Pinterest boards where I
Inspirational Toy Dolls
Miniature Costumes & Accessories
Mignonette Dolls
So........ let's play 😉
Saturday 8 February 2020
New venture.....
I've been hinting at a new venture in the offing for a while now. To be honest, even though I'd been thinking about it for ages, I didn't know if I'd have either the time or the energy to get it off the ground. Enthusiasm for a project can only get you so far.
Also I have a long, distinguished history of doing this....
So I've been a bit cagey about saying much, just in case it didn't come off. However, against all the odds, and despite having been ill TWICE since January, requiring a total of 10 days 'off work' to recuperate, I have done it.
Honestly, nobody is more surprised than me!
Here's the thing.... I've started a new small business. It's very small. Practically invisible at the moment, which is why I need your help.
My new venture is the quirkily titled Bunting & Bows.
Look..... I have business cards and labels and everything!
There's lots more information on my new blog.....https://buntingandbows.blogspot.com/
There are only two posts there at the moment but it will give you the lowdown.
I also have a Bunting & Bows Facebook page... HERE where there is currently a giveaway to win a one-off string of vintage style bunting.
Last, but not least, I have listed the first of hopefully many more lovely buntings (is that the plural of bunting????) in my new Folksy shop.... HERE.
Just a few to start with but I'm aiming to add new buntings each week.
So, could I ask a favour of you lovely blog readers? Could you visit my Folksy shop and 'Favourite' it. (see below) You don't have to buy anything (honestly) but the more I'm 'Favourited', the more visibility I'll get. I don't really understand how it works.... algorithms, or arcane dark magic or something. Anyway, if you do that I'd be very grateful.
And if you enter the FB giveaway, good luck! As an additional incentive, Small Dog has been persuaded to come out of retirement to draw the winning name on Leap Day, 29th February.
What could possibly go wrong..... 😉
Also I have a long, distinguished history of doing this....
So I've been a bit cagey about saying much, just in case it didn't come off. However, against all the odds, and despite having been ill TWICE since January, requiring a total of 10 days 'off work' to recuperate, I have done it.
Honestly, nobody is more surprised than me!
Here's the thing.... I've started a new small business. It's very small. Practically invisible at the moment, which is why I need your help.
My new venture is the quirkily titled Bunting & Bows.
Look..... I have business cards and labels and everything!
There's lots more information on my new blog.....https://buntingandbows.blogspot.com/
There are only two posts there at the moment but it will give you the lowdown.
I also have a Bunting & Bows Facebook page... HERE where there is currently a giveaway to win a one-off string of vintage style bunting.
Last, but not least, I have listed the first of hopefully many more lovely buntings (is that the plural of bunting????) in my new Folksy shop.... HERE.
Just a few to start with but I'm aiming to add new buntings each week.
So, could I ask a favour of you lovely blog readers? Could you visit my Folksy shop and 'Favourite' it. (see below) You don't have to buy anything (honestly) but the more I'm 'Favourited', the more visibility I'll get. I don't really understand how it works.... algorithms, or arcane dark magic or something. Anyway, if you do that I'd be very grateful.
And if you enter the FB giveaway, good luck! As an additional incentive, Small Dog has been persuaded to come out of retirement to draw the winning name on Leap Day, 29th February.
What could possibly go wrong..... 😉
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