Pehr's Clockwork Menagerie
26 September 2013
I'll let you in to a bit of a secret...I am one of those 'collectors' that gets a bit obsessive.
I have a deep love for clockwork creatures. Not any creatures, but those ones that are 'in need of TLC' or 'Not working'. I tend not to pay too much, so I'm only interested in rescuing.
Each of these creatures has a story about how I found them, and where they are from. Not just that, but most of these toys are made during the 1950s in countries that were occupied after the war such as Germany and Japan. The craftsmanship is amazing, and I suppose it was considered a safe way of keeping countries capable of producing world class fighter planes and ammunitions etc, was to make them produce clockwork toys instead. Whatever, I don't know too much about it but I think these toys have bought generations of fun and amazement which is nothing to be sniffed at all. This Scotty dog was made in American Occupied Germany, the bear is also made in Germany.
We found this little penguin (?) at Kempton Park market, it had one foot fallen off, but it does a funny squirmy motion and its beak opens and closes as if begging for a fish. I have glued its foot back on today after having him for a year! I don't know where this little chap is from but I noticed it has the same eyes as...
...this lovely elephant. She is made in Japan in the 1950s and cost me just a few pounds. It was advertised as 'not working, no key' so I thought I'd offer her a home.
She is missing one ear, one eye and a tail. When I opened the packet (from ebay) I heard the creak of the mechanism which gave me hope that she might actually work. I found a key from another toy that fit, and when I wound it up, she moved her head and waggled her ears as if just waking up from 40 odd years asleep. I was so excited, its embarrassing. So I dug out my sewing machine oil and put a few dabs inside and now she's quite energetic and even walks and sways her head all the time.
small things like this make me so happy.
So now I am thinking to make a replacement ear because she seems to really want to flap them.
My collection is growing, and I am thinking to put them in a glass cabinet for our little'un. She loves watching them and starts growling like the bear!
One day, I'm hoping to make films of them all in action but I haven't got enough space on my memory card at the moment. I have found this film of the bear which I posted about ages ago...
*Of course I am not going to let her play with them until she is older. I feel sad that I have to state the obvious, but there you go.
an amazing thing happened
24 September 2013
Yes, can you believe it? We can't. After 10 years of building our business, with all its uncertantity, worry and hard work, we finally did it. We bought our own pile of bricks!
It's quite some feeling. To leave behind the world of renting. To be able to plan our future and plant things in the garden, hang pictures and put up shelves. Oh yes indeedo.
Of course it's more for her than us, so only right that she should take the key from the Estate Agents.
and take the first steps inside.
she was in awe of everything, and so much space to run about too!
and even a big shed at the bottom of the garden.
I showed her, her new room...
only joking of course, thats the broom cupboard.
we camped in the living room for a few nights whilst we painted the whole house. Its currently Magnolia, and we are in the 'Brilliant White' camp if you know what I mean.
The next morning we spotted a big squishy rabbit in the garden.
and then we went out for lunch...
we past by a wedding being held at this massive Mill house, with stunning flowers over the door...
then it was back to the painting.
a nice spot for a nap.
and then off to hunt down a huge kitchen table at the vintage yard.
and then back to London.
We'll be moving to the Isle of Wight soon, with our furniture and everything. Until then its packing, packing and more packing which I hate. So much sorting out of things...I can't wait until we are settled in and can concentrate on a certain someones First Birthday!
Wish us luck!
upside-down raindrops
18 September 2013
I bought an old trunk at the last Antiques fair we went to. It was pretty ropey, it cost £35 I think. I'd already painted it off-white, and I decided to wall paper the inside of it with this vintage paper.
Its a bit OTT I guess, but I always love it when you see an old grubby box in a flea market and when you open it, its lined in some snazzy paper, that someone took the time and trouble to do.
So I'm not really sure what to put in it. I was thinking maybe a dressing up box for the Littley?
...well, it looks like its a home for her toys already.
a while ago, I made these cushions. I had about 4o minutes of free time, and with a grizzly toddler in one ear, they inevitably came out all wrong! The shapes were all wobbly, and the raindrops upside down etc...
Anyways, I do love my grizzly toddler, who seems to take special interest in the things I make that go wrong. Maybe she doesn't understand what looks 'right' or maybe she just feels a bit of sympathy for me.
Whatever the reason, they avoided the bin just because she liked them.
In other news, we are still waiting to finish our workshop renovation. Basically its all done, but we need the maintenance man for the workshop block, to fit a new sink in the new workshop part. Because we use some nasty chemicals and mucky polishing clay when we make jewellery, we need another sink with the kiddo around an all. So he still hasn't done it and we can't put back all the furniture until its finished, therefore I cant take the photos to show you all.
:: blows big raspberries ::
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
