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Monday, October 3, 2011

OMG! I'm FAMOUS!

It's true that I haven't been at this whole miniatures thing very long.  But imagine my surprise and utter bewilderment at being plucked from relative obscurity and thrown into the center-stage of Miniaturist Limelight! You may be asking yourselves, Gentle Reader, "Oh hell, no, what the @#$ is she going on about now?" and so, I will tell you:  Merriman Park just got a major shout-out from none other than Whitledge-Burgess!

Do you understand what this means?  It's like you're a member of the corps de ballet and all of a sudden they cast you in the lead role...You guys, I'm like, The Black Swan!  

I've been on Cloud-9 all the live-long day!  Even at my job today at the Department Store where I work in Display, nothing and I mean nothing could get me down!   Even knowing that Simon was yucking it up, touring the Stately Homes of England (whilst yours truly was slogging through the hum-drum ennui of making sure all gazillion opera-chairs from our Major Fashion Event  this weekend were properly sent back to the rental company), couldn't get me down).

Whitledge-Burgess is now offering a selection of their gorgeous room-box settings in kit form!  Read All About It in their latest newsletter:

http://whitledgeburgess.com/studio/index.php?main_page=page&id=3


In other news, I made a 'test run' of trying to carve a curlicue finial for my stair railing.  I haven't carved anything in years, unless you count the Thanksgiving turkey.  My Grandpa once gave me a 'whittling  knife' when I was a boy and I totally scared my parents because I developed a certain penchant for carving miniature pagan idols from sticks!  (I was really into Easter Island at the time --don't judge me)!


This was just a test-run!  I need to glue up some stock to match the thickness of the railing.  But I spent only approximately fifteen or twenty minutes with this practice piece of wood and a kitchen paring knife so I think I'm golden.  I really think that I can do this!  I suppose there is some high-tech tool that I should have used, (but don't own), that would work better.  If you guys saw the few, primitive tools I own you would either laugh, or cry!

18 comments:

El caballero Metabólico said...[Reply]

Wow!!! Merriman Park in Whitledge Burgess, this is fantastic!!! Congratulations John! Of course it's normal to have so wonderful! It is also true what they say in the article, your writing is very funny! I super love it! Congratulations again, John!! You deserve it! A big hug from Sevilla!

El caballero Metabólico said...[Reply]

I forgot, the closing of the rail is very, very horrible!!! Sorry ... Although to be done with a kitchen knife can say that's great!!! I encourage you to repeat it with a better tool. Mini hugs!!!

Simon said...[Reply]

John! I'm so excited for you!! Well done, you deserve every bit of recognition and more.
I love the hand rail, very delicate work. Enjoy this moment in the spotlight - the first of many, I'm sure.
Congrats, Si

Irene said...[Reply]

Congratulations on your "mention" and good luck with the handrail. At least whittling is not an alien exercise - I'm sure the techniques will come back to you.

Giac said...[Reply]

Good morning John,
Congratulations! I felt the exact same way when I saw my link on wWhitledge-Burgess. You might bew new to the hobby, but I think this says a lot about the quality of your design skills and of your work. enjoy every minute!
Giac

CLMT said...[Reply]

CONGRATULATIONS! I can well imagine how wonderful this is for you!
This will make sure that you never abandon Merriman Park and that you see it through to it's glorious finish!

I, for one, don't want to miss that.

Andy said...[Reply]

May I add my congratulations to all the others John, what fantastic news!! and well deserved! If you'd ever seen my sorry attempt at carving, you would be thrilled with what you have created there!! lol!

John said...[Reply]

Thank you so much, everyone! Your comments, advice & encouragement mean the world to me!

Karin Corbin said...[Reply]

Congrats!

Are you telling us that you don't even own an Exacta knife? How could that possibly be? What about a set of needle files? Santa certainly needs to be informed of your desperate situation.

Simon said...[Reply]

Hey John, random question: Are you going to have a kitchen in Merriman Park? I love the idea of rows of copper pots and pans but can't help thinking I'd rather use the space for another room!?!?

John said...[Reply]

Hi Simon,

No, I don't have room for a kitchen! I thought about doing a 'raised basement' rather like Andy's house, in which to house a kitchen but in my case the proportions wouldn't look right. Lately, I've been toying with the idea of one-story wings or 'dependencies,' on either side of the house: kitchen in one, conservatory in the other, terraces on top accessed by second floor rooms. But it would be a rather tight fit on the wall on which MP is displayed! Cheers!

Karin: I DO have an Exacto knife! (Somewhere). I think there's even new blades...it didn't occur to me to use it. I'll have to put the needle files on the ever-growing list!

Heather said...[Reply]

Congrats! Super exciting news!

Simon said...[Reply]

Hi John, I can't open your recent post re Pondering. I just get a mesage saying the page i no longer available. Did you delete it? Just checking in case I am now having more issues with my blog LOL. Don't worry about publishing this post as its only a quickie. Oh, and very picture by the way. It's so nice to put faces to the blogs. And yes, we should arrange a global miniature meeting at a winery!

Garden of Miniatures said...[Reply]

Congrats,but you really deserve it.I'm looking at your work since a while and it is fantastic what you are doing. I love the rail,just because you have done it with a kitchen knife ;-)!So I am curious for what will we see if you use special tools ! Jeannette

jeffry said...[Reply]

congratulations John....that's wonderfull news. and how does it feel to be "famous"? Your house is really looking wonderfull looking forward to see more of it here.
Thanks for shareing,

John said...[Reply]

Jeffry, I am wicked embarrassed you, of all people, caught me using a kitchen knife to carve the stair banister!!! (I found some better tools in the garage, today).

jeffry said...[Reply]

Hi John, glad to see that you've found some better tools in the garage. Looking forward to see your next carving piece. By the way can't you use the tool that you've used makeing the bricks on your outside wall?

John said...[Reply]

I found a whole set of small gouges, Jeffry! The one I used to etch the bricks is now pretty dull. I'm afraid to try sharpening it because I'll for sure 'flunk it up!'