New Year Resolutions




Here are some of the lovely things I got this Christmas - a Geisha figuirine by Veronique Cornish, a working (hurrah!) Art Nouveau mantle clock by Malcolm Hall and a book by Cockerina.  

I also made a resolution this year to make minis first whenever I had the urge to buy something!  

Here are a few small items I managed to make over the holidays; a paintbox, a silk thread box with thread and a family photo album.  I think I need to practice my bookbinding skills!




I had really wanted a black lacquered letter rack, but couldn't justify the price tag - so here is my own little version, painted with chinoiserie.  I made it out of mat board, and I highly recommend that medium for anyone like me who struugles with wood!   

This letter rack is destined for the parlour, where there is a slight Asian theme in details, a little homage to my early childhood in Hong Kong.  I painted the pagoda watercolour, and made a tiny notebook out of a scrap of leather.  

On the left are two handkerchiefs that I embroidered - I have to say that the stitches are about as tiny as I have ever managed to do!




Thank you so much for your lovely comments, they are truly appreciated.  I am slowly catching up with all of your blogs, so forgive me if I haven't commented in a while... as you can imagine, that is my other New Year's Resolution!



Jonquil

Comments

  1. :-).....Abbiamo alcune cose in comune....conservo anch'io nel mio archivio immagini la stampa decorativa che hai appiccicato sulla scatola di colori....o meglio, anche a me piace quella scatola dei colori a cui appartiene quella stampa.... Ed anch'io vorrei fare un album di foto per Bethany, a penso che Caterina sia molto ma molto più brava nel lavoro di legatoria. Sono belli i regali che ai ricevuto e è Minis che hai fatto da sola! Sono molto interessaa ai tuoi fazzoletti. Me ne servirebbero alcuni per Christabel! ;-)
    Ci sentiamo presto!
    P.S. Se le nozze erano o saranno le tue, non so, tanti tanti auguri, carissima!!! :-)

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    1. Grazie bella, sei così omaggioo! Amo i libri di Caterina, vorrei poter acquistare tutti;) ... e il matrimonio è alla fine di aprile ... non molto tempo per preparare: o

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    2. Ciao! Sono davvero interessata ad un paio di fazzolettini per Christabel, da mettere in un cassetto insieme alle sue lettere! Hai del tempo per me?

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  2. Hello Jonquil,
    Happy New Year. I am glad you took that resolution because your work is always so wonderful and unique. I love your presents and your chinoiserie is just lovely.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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    1. Thank you Giac - I must have been inspired by your lovely Chinoiserie tea room!

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  3. Hi Jonquil! You got some very beautiful miniature gifts for Christmas, wow, enjoy it all :D! I also love the work of Véronique Cornish, it is so delicate.
    You have made a few beautiful miniatures, they are well made! Your chinoiserie is great too, it must be wonderful to be able for converting some memories from your childhood into miniatures....now I also know why your English is so good ;)!!
    Regarding your resolution to leave comments on blogs: thank you for visiting my blog and leaving me a kind comment ;)!
    Bon soirée! Amitiés, Ilona

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    1. A little secret Ilona - my English is so good because I am British.... I have lived in France for 10 years now, but originally I come from Scotland!

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  4. Marvelous minis! Yes, if we worked when we want to buy, imagine all the things we would accomplish! :D I have that same clock.

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    1. True, although I would need another 24 hours in the day!

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  5. Oh, Jonquil, you are so lucky to have that Gorgeous clock! And the little pieces you have made are Perfect! Those embroidered hankies....!!!!! You set the bar Very Very high!!! But your house shows the beauty of your careful choices... everything to scale, refined, and thoughtfully chosen! It is Gorgeous!!!

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    1. Thank you so much! I have to say I was pretty cross eyed after making the handkerchiefs!

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  6. Jonquil, your own miniatures are just as beautiful as your bought ones, if not more so. If you asked me to choose what I would like most out of everything in this post, I would choose what you had made, honestly! (not meaning to insult the other artisans of course, I do think they are excellent too :D) You must make things more often. Very interested to see more of the Asian homage too. The childhood version of my dollshouse had a Japanese bedroom :) My own bedroom has a Japanese theme too. For no particular reason, other than I love Japanese things :D

    And I am also trying to catch up on blogs, since 9pm, it is now, very, very late :D Believe me, it is impossible to keep track of everyones blogs, and I think everyone understands and has this problem too! :D

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  7. Hello Jonquil! I love all of the wonders that you have shown but by far the most interesting to me and the most marvelous is the teeny tiny handkerchiefs that you have so painstakingly stitched. I am such a big fan of your needlework anyway, and to see that these little items which must be such a strain on the eyes done in so much detail, well it just boggles my mind and puts a Big Smile on my face! :D Your new years resolutions resonate with all of us and I would have to say that Your Own Work is Superb and I, like Sarah would choose it too! :))

    elizabeth

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    1. Thank you so much Elizabeth - I had to use two magnifiers for the handkerchiefs, and alothough super small, I think they really add a little extra dimension. And they're very important at this time of you, when everybody seems to have sniffles and sneezes!

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  8. Lovely gifts especially Cockerina's book, and amazing minis you have made too, love the chinoiserie letter rack in particular, and of course your tiny hankies.

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    1. Thank you Margaret - I love her books too, and have quite a long wish list!

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  9. Hi Jonquil
    First off, what a great job you did on the Chinese style letter rack! I love the colours you used, not to mention the tiny bits of paper and stationary.
    You were very luck over Christmas, lots of wonderful items that will all look right at home. I like how they all work together and nothing jars, if you know what I mean.
    Big hugs
    Si

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    1. Thank you Simon, I do know what you mean about jarring - they go toghether without fighting for attention... though I still have to stop bloody coordinating everything.... I just can't stop the blue!

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  10. Happy New Year Jonquil! You certainly chose some lovely items, especially the book and your own little minis are just the job. My eye immediately went to the little thread box and those handkerchiefs..............they are just marvellous. Even if, like you, I intend creating more bits myself, they wont be on a part with those little gems!

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    1. Thanks Irene... do you know the thread box was a five minute job - a piece of sandlewood fan and some threads I had on my desk... piece of cake!


      Am very much enoying your recent updates, can't wait to see the cobbler's room!

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  11. A very good resolution which will enable us to see more of your beautiful work. Beautiful minis in this post.
    Geneviève

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  12. Merci! j'espère d'être aussi productif en février, mais ce n'est pas sur!

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  13. Great resolution Jonquil! One which I should adopt as well...
    You have made some lovely miniatures. That letter rack is so wonderful, the handkerchiefs, and the little leather notebook!

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