Jane's attic update LIV: A little go-cart.

Hi all! Here's another addition to Jane's attic: a 1:12 scale go-cart which I got as a kit.
Even though I followed the basic building instructions faithfully, I decided to apply some changes of my own, in order to make it look more according to my taste.

One of the main differences with the original kit was replacing the paper artwork which came with it with the image of a vintage red car painted on the side panels, and a number 3 on the back panel, just to give it that extra 'racing' look. 

The weathering was also done 'my' way, with the purpose of giving the cart some history of its own. After all, this little go-cart saw a lot of action in its heyday, and its 'battle scars' (the wear and tear) should be evident at first glance!

The measurements of the cart are approx. 7x4x2 cm, or 2,75x1,57x0.78 inches.

Below image: some basic padding was also added to the seat of the cart, just to make the kids feel a little bit more comfortable during the ride. It's not fixed, so it can be removed if need be.

I hope you enjoyed this pictorial 'walk-around'! I think the little cart looks the part, so I'm pretty happy with it!

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© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

The arrival of 19-1803.

Today saw the arrival of a vintage clockwork locomotive which I saved from the scrap heap. Constructed by Karl Bub Nürnberg (KBN) somewhere in the 1930s, and missing many of its parts, the loc was offered up for sale to serve as a spares source for other locs - a practice that in the aviation world is referred to as 'cannibalism'.

Of course I couldn't let the poor loc be further reduced to scrap, so I decided to buy it and keep it 'as is' for display purposes or use in a future project.

I think she looks beautiful in all its rusted imperfection, industrial to the core, sehr Deutsch, and totally at home in my collection of old, dilapidated toy trains and steam engines! I gave her the name "Glück", and assigned to her serial no 19-1803. I wish her a happy life!

The above and below images show the missing front of the smoke box.

The clockwork misses most of its parts. To make this old lady run again, I'd have to replace the entire unit. It's possible, but I'll leave her like this for now. Less is more, remember...?

The 'KBN' letters stamped below the cab stand for Karl Bub Nürnberg, Germany.

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© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic residents sneak preview: Little Victoria.

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:16 KJV.

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© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic update No LIII: a very special doll.

Last week I was at a miniatures fair in the city of Arnhem, The Netherlands, organized by DollsHouse Nederland in a truly exceptional venue: a gothic church in the city center! Below are some pictures of the scene.

The whole fair was an incredible gathering of magnificent artists showing skills that made one feel very humble indeed! The level of expertise was stunning, and the items displayed jaw-dropping. 

One of these artists was Mrs Victoria Heredia Guerbós, a miniaturist and sculptress from Málaga, Spain. I would actually add 'magician' to her titles, because the miniature dolls she makes look as if made by magic! I bought one of these tiny little wonders for Jane's attic. Below are some pictures of it for you to enjoy.

The doll is made in exquisite detail, everything about it is just right! She has five fingers on each hand, her legs can move, and she even has tiny beads for eyes, which were painted green. The doll's clothes are made of antique fabric for that extra authentic look. And to put things into perspective, you should know that she's just 2,5 cm tall!!! That's 0,98 inches!!! As I said: magic!

The doll even came with her own cardboard box. She didn't have a name, but I will call her 'Victoria' to honor the wonderful lady that created her.

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© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic update No LII: attaching frames to the walls.

Jane's attic holds many old portraits and enigmatic paintings hanging from its aging walls, sitting on the dusty floor, or the dilapidated sofa! These are interesting enough to be reviewed in a separate blog, but the purpose of this one is to discuss the way they are attached to the attic walls.

Most dolls house builders use some sort of adhesive wax or paste to fix frames to walls. That is a quick and effective way of doing things, and what's more, the paste is more or less removable. However, despite the advantages, this is not my preferred method. For starters, I like to work on the back of the frames as much as on the front, even though the back is hidden from view for obvious reasons. I don't mind that the extra details will become invisible; to me it's enough to know that they're there! Hence, if I put so much effort in making a frame look like a frame, then hanging it like one comes only naturally!

I feel that hanging the frames on the walls in the same way real ones are done, adds that extra bit of realism to my work. To achieve this, I attach a metal cord or loop to the back of the frame, and hang it from a metal hook stuck into the wall. By doing this, the upper part of the frame comes a bit off the wall, adding depth, specially when shadows and lights come into play. This is something that cannot be achieved by fixing the frames with adhesive paste (ok, it can be done, but it looks very ugly!). True, it's a lot of additional work, but I think the result is worth the effort!

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Thanks for visiting, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.