A Dolls House for my grand daughter Joana. She is now 7 years old and we live far from each other - about 300km between us. I think she is in a good age to get the "virus" of miniatures.

Two years ago I started collecting a dolls house. A weekly publication from Planeta de Agostinni - "Casa de Praia" (What means Beach House). The collection finished last December.

Since last two months I've been building and decorating it. All the miniatures inside belong to the collection and were sold with an instalment (fascicule). Of course I added a few details. Nothing special, only to compose the scenes here and there or to substitute some pieces I didn't like. 

It was the first time I did such a work and I was very curious to know the sensation. It's funny!

Not so easy to build, (some parts of the structure had not the exact cut) but now it's almost ready. Only the curtains are missing. (The ones of the collection are really bad!!!) I'll try to change them a little, and next week, I hope, it's finished.

The front pannel is too big and heavy and for openning without problems I have to reinforce the hinges. And that's all.

I need to start preparing my next show. Definitivly building dolls houses is not my favourite hobby! Within two years we'll speak about it again because I already started another collection from the same editor - The rustic house. It's for my other grand daughter Sofia. She is now 5 years old and is Joana's sister.

and some details of the interior

The living

The kitchen

The baby's room

The parent's room

The bathroom

The yard

I hope she likes...

Another team work!

This time, Gisela Silvestre and I, we adapted the design from a traditional Portuguese carpet. It's from Arraiolos a small and very beautiful village in the center-south of Portugal, internationally known by its famous tapestries.

Embroidered in a simple "petit point" once the typical Arraiolos stich is not valorised in a miniature work, the main field is deep green with tinny buttons surrounded by a frieze of delicate pink roses on a light cream background, following a classical design.

The result is "super". The work of Gisela is preciously perfect! I would love to have one, real scale, for my home. 

Bellow, some pictures of details

Global view

And some details

and that all your dreams come true!

with love, money, health and... miniatures!!!

Thanks to CRAZY.FRANKENSTEIN.COM for the lovely image

... for a special friend.

We (me and Ana Maria Morgado) wanted to offer one of our miniatures to a friend we have in common. We thought that a team work would result better and could be better apreciated. So, we decide to create something expressly for the situation.

I carved the frame which Ana Maria finished , she painted the lovely flowers (oil on canvas) and I built and finished the easel. 

We both had a great pleasure doing this special work. Friendship deserves all our care and has to be corresponded.  

A tea table inspired by oriental design, black teinted and hand painted

A flower table Art Nouveau style

Two birdcages, a decorative plate inspired by the portuguese pottery of Alcobaça, and a large vase hand painted, with dry natural flowers

A blue tray, hand painted and my own design

A rustic tray with hand painted tiles. My own design too.

After three weeks of a well deserved rest here I am again. I have no special news. By this time all of you know probably more about Tom Bishop Show than myself.  In spite of being there I didn't see too much. Me and Ana Maria Morgado presented the best work we could do. And we worked really hard.

During the show all exhibitors were very busy including us. We had to deal with the public  and at the same time we needed to surveil our table. There are people who insist on touching and holding the exposed items and we had to take care.

From time to time we needed to make a litle break for a tea or coffee. Two entire days in front of a table is too much and we were not used to that.

Saturday morning there were not so many people as last year I think, but my point of view this time was different. Last year I was on the public side.

I didn't take photos from other exhibitors. No time for that! In a flash the show was finished.

On Sunday, at lunch time and during the afternoon, we received the visit of some well known artists also presented in the show -  Pete Acquisto, Ron Hubble, among others. They came all with the same intention - to wellcome me and Ana Maria  and adding to this they encouraged us to go further. We heard the same enthousiastic words from Mr. Tom Bishop, from Madelva Fernadez  ( directress of MINIATURAS revue) as well as from lots of people from the anonymus public and of course from our customers. 

In the end I was very proud, very tired  and at the same time confused. Everything was so fast that I needed till today to put my mind in order. It was no doubt a very good experience, but from now on I have the doubble of the responsability. I must improve more and more. Thats for sure!

And here is our table.

Within a month, next 14th and 15th  November I'll be present at my first Miniatures Show as a dealer! It will be in Madrid at Tom Bishop's Show, a very well known show which means a great responsability. As much as I know, there will be 149 artists from many countries, included Portugal of course.

I'm preparing it since last year. From time to time, I think it is  boldness! As I've told before, I started this work recently.   I have a long practice, more than 30 years, with different artistic expressions, but miniatures need other skills. I tried to develop them, working hard every day.

I'll be there, side by side, with a great artist and a great friend too, with whom I have learned a lot during this time - Ana Maria Morgado. You can see her marvellous work in her blog 

http://www.am-ambientes-em-miniatura.blogs.sapo.pt

Each piece I'll present was built from scratch, inspired here and there by real pieces, carefully chosen. Sometimes the choice was difficult. There are undreds of masterpieces I'd like to try...

Now, is time to start thinking how to present them to the public. I must admit that it's not easy. I have to travel to a foreign country, carrying everything I remember that may be usefull or needed. I'm a little bit nervous about that... I want  that everything will be perfect. I hope I'll achieve it.

Here is my first trial. I hope  you like it.

 
Again another British "coup".
Because, according to everybody's judgment, they are accountable for the bird-cage trend - without birds in them - to have in one's home.
 
This must, undoubtedly have been, a craving to let nature in around you. In the beginning, these bird-cages were meant to stay outside.
 
In any case, what is absolutely certain,  is that these small hanging houses exude real poetry.
 
The one shown here is made of tainted wood, it has three turrets, and dates from early twentieth century.
 
 
This is the replica, in a 1/12 scale, of an original belonging in 1991 to a French Antique dealer, Marc Bouchetar, Marché Paul-Bert, published in number 448 of the magazine "Maison Française".

 paulbert.antiquites-en-france.com/