Thursday 17 June 2010

Day 160-168- Embroiderer's Room & The Making Of


Brrrrrrr, what a cold, cold night it is here. 

This morning  I was taking pictures of the Embroiderer's Room to the music of a surprising thunderstorm. I braved the rain and went to work late only to find out that many were stranded in various flash floods all over Singapore.  But now, I am safely home, all bundled up in my batik blanket, listening to the crickets and frogs while uploading my 1st motion picture and feeling pleasantly chilly.I hope the music I picked for this post put you in the same mood too.

May I begin this post by showing you the one picture that was my inspiration for this room. It is the photograph of an ari embroiderer in his corner. The caption reads " An ari embroiderer at work; the reed mat, hookah and kangri (a wicker container for smouldering coals) near him are ubiquitous elements  of the local material culture." This picture guided me every step of the way in the making of this room and decided for me what must be built.

The Making Of....
Ubiquitous Elements


These are the first things I created for this room. Right after I made the wooden box of cards for Ira, I decided to make a bigger version (1" wide by 5/8" high) as a toolbox for my embroiderer. Due to its larger size. I am able to have carved sides all round.  The smaller ones are metal boxes which I painted. 


That same night, I made what must appear to some of you to be my favourite subject matter, THE Hookah. Unlike the rest, this one I really love. Standing tall and proud at 2 1/8" high and spanning 1 1/2" from the tip of the pipe to the base, I place it right in front of the room for my easy viewing. I made this one in no time.


On the other hand, it was a week later before I was satisfied with the distressing of  the spinning wheels. You might have read about it in my last post and then read about how I then spent the rest of last  last Friday making the embroidered dancing shoes. As you can tell from their name, I made these shoes for this room. And then I built the shelves for them.


These shelves were made with ice cream sticks and beads. I cannot cut the stick  any shorter for each holds exactly 6 pairs, end to end. I made the front wavy so that the tip of each shoe could be placed in between two half moons. As you can see, there was a lot of chiselling. I put the shelves against this wooden bench for comparison  as I painted the sticks to simulate its colour. 


I thought the half moons and  the beads completed the Indian look and when they were placed against the wall with fake log supports and the tool boxes snuggly tucked underneath,  I dare say they looked like they had been on those walls forever.


But nothing prepared me for this sight when I put the shoes on the shelves.  I hope you don't think me gloating but I actually clapped and gave it a standing ovation! Never mind that I could not be sitting while arranging the shoes.  Much as I love THE Hookah, I think these shoes are what give the Embroiderer's room that certain je ne sais quoi.  By now, my small Afghan rug and the "reed" mat are already on the floor.


Time for tea but not before I invented this portable  charcoal stove. There is no originality in the concept of course,  as we Chinese have been using portable charcoal stove for eon but this one boasts certain unique features like er.....Never mind the features, I  bet you haven't seen one like this!?


The kettle is a plastic piece that I distressed. I even broke the handle (unintentionally) to make it look 10 years older. The metal cups of chai and masala tea are the only artisan's work that I have used in this whole setting. They were made by Cindy who gave them to me as an anniversary present. I also aged the fancy tray and made a rug pillow which I didn't use in the end.


Here is a box of  ari needles also known as awls also known as "tambour" hooks, without which our embroiderer would not have been able to make the dancing shoes. These tools are homemade lovingly with beads and the prickly part of thumb tacks broken with a cutter. Don't try that without eye protection please! All the above I did during last last weekend


2 days later, we did a rousing performance at the concert hall of  The Esplanade, kind of like the Carnegie Hall (ya right) equivalent of Singapore. Although there was no standing ovation for our performance,  the audience did get on their feet to dance to a 90's disco medley performed by Ms Rahima Rahim, a rock singer turned grandma and Ann Hussein, a talentime winner turned singing coach. Truly legendary!


This is the last ubiquitous element, the kangri, really a  portable heater. I don't think I have ever been more enchanted by a gadget. A wicker basket made to carry clay pots of smouldering coals, one keeps warm by slipping a kangri underneath the pheran (long loose gown) he or she wears. Kangri are dowry items in Kashmir. I give this invention 5 stars for its simplicity, economy, effectiveness, portability and beauty. I hope you notice that all my portable gadgets have smouldering coals in them, including THE Hookah.

We are almost there, save for the following  finishing touches which I completed last night.


I replaced the rug pillow with this 2 that I made from sample fabric, picked because they looked like dyed bamboo. I used foam for the inside which I strongly recommend for its dentability. You will see later how the pillows sink in nicely where they are supposed to. I also added a milk jug with a cork coaster for cover.


I put tools like 3 pairs of  scissors, some knives and a spindle inside the tool box. There is also a piece of unfinished embroidery on the table.


Finally, here is the pièce de résistance, the before picture, of course. It took me about 3-4 hours to complete making this hurricane lamp work because it involved soldering loose wires but I am pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. 

And so, ladies and gentlemen,  with that, we conclude The Making of "The Embroidery Room".  But don't leave yet!

May I  now present, for the first time and never before shown,  my 1st motion picture. It is dedicated to my very talented friend, Rosanna, who will enjoy her own debut at SIMP this weekend. I hope you will enjoy the movie. 

62 comments:

The Old Maid said...

I loooooooooooooooooooove it!!!!! I love it all! Because of your beautiful works I want more for this poor office I am struggeling with ;)Well maybe not struggeling... You made so many great things in such a short time!I couldn't even choose one thing I like most..boxes?Hookha? Shelves? All these tiny detiles? All of them are fab! I love the motion picture - especiall the way it ends with all lights off:) I wanted to write I hated at least one thing....the storm that is...but then again I am reading your blog and writing here for such a long time that the storm changed into this rain with the cicades and ... I like this part of the "music" very much too!:)

rosanna said...

STANDING OVATION HERE IN GENOA !!!!! we all bow to the great artisan, artist, inventor and,most important of all, FRIEND ! Matteo and I enjoied every single second of the post, the movie and the storm. Alas W is out for business but he will look at everything as soon as he comes back.
I cannot say what I love best...may the shelves, or the boxes.... but my heart was already chained at the pic of the embroidering gentleman.
Susan, you are beyond words. And you claim you have never done any bricolage before minis; I cannot believe it anymore. You must have a degree in carpentry, painting and construction. As soon as I'll be there I'll have to touch everything to believe it's true. Thank you very much my dear, Rosanna + M + W

Merry Jingle said...

It's just SO fabulous, I love the shelves with the shoes, appalause from here :)

TreeFeathers said...

Wow, Sans, I don't even know where to start - so many wonderful details! I love all of it - your fabulous little boxes and aged shelves, the hookah, the coal burners, the lantern, the spinning wheel - and of course, the SHOES! They're beautiful! You really outdid yourself.

- Grace

Eva said...

I agree with everybody Wonderful post and movie. I love the rain sound and to see all the room, with the shoes and so many details.
I love, love, love the wooden boxes too. I have some very similar in real size.
Un beso and have a nice wenesday my friend

Glenda said...

Sans, I am speechless with admiration - I bow to you!!!
Standing ovations, please!!!

xxx Glenda

Flora said...

Sans ... You did an amazing job and I am sure will remain in the history of dollhouses! Everything you create is not just a figment of your capable hands, but comes from your heart! I can not even imagine how to implement any of the wonderful things made by you ... I am content to admire your work and feel happy :-)

Daydreamer said...

Sans! I am utterly enchanted! I want to live there in that beautiful lovingly arranged place...I LOVE the tea kettle on the burner....I WANT one of those HERE in my life! And the shoes of course could not be more perfectly displayed! And those tiny boxes! I LOVE tiny boxes....You are a magician and the thunderstorm is ...well, ELECTRIFYING! (My cat jumped when the thunder started!):) And the "Movie" is just the crowning joy! How else could we see the flickering light of that perfect lantern! Oh I am in love with the whole thing! What more can I say? Thank You Sans!

Sans! said...

I don't think I have ever re-read my comments as many times as I have now. You 8 girls really really made me smile so big that one end of my mouth is now in Malaysia :).

I will be back to talk some more, rushing for a meeting!

sagrario said...

¡Dios mio! que gran trabajo ,me encanta esta habitacion ,tan llena de detalles, la linterna me ha impactado y disfruto mucho leyendo las historias que acompañan tus obras,gracias por acercarme a esta cultura de la que desconocia casi todo,saludos

Sans! said...

Thank you, my dear dear Ewa :). There's something really gratifying about getting the nods from your peers :).

I still remember when I first started blogging about my hobby, it took me a month before I started making something.

I seriously think I have improved because of the work I see being done by fellow miniaturists and the wonderful suggestions/ tutorials made on blogs. They just pushed me to better my work, you know? Or when people post what they have done, even when they may not work out well or there is some unexpected results, that's when I learnt the most. Things like your scenic water post with the whirlpool? :)! That's a really a helpful post which spun off a few more in blogland on resin, scenic water etc. That's what I call a good post, Ewa :)

And I am really happy you like my movie -haha-although I know the light is bad, I didn't hold the camera steadily enough (you didn't get sea sick?) and OMG, the pictures are sooooo blurry! I tried to put music to the movie but it was taking too long! LOL.

Sans! said...

O yes, about the thunderstorm music, as I was saying in my post, it was raining cats and dogs when I was taking pictures and with the sound of the rolling thunder and the cold winds, I thought it really added the right atmosphere for the room.

If you look at the picture of the ari embroiderer (o yes, Rosanna,I so love this photo) with the kangri and how his toes curled up in his socks, you can tell that where he was, it must have been cold. :).

It had been like a stove here in Singapore with heat enough to fry an egg on your forehead! Until yesterday. And of course, they give you so much, we have floods :).

Like you, Ewa, I prefer the sound of light rain and cicadas instead of a thunderstorm :).

Sans! said...

Rosannnna! Just came back from your blog. You all packed for SIMP? Don't forget to bring your cosies !!! hehe

We have all come such a way, haven't we? I still remember how I 1st saw your beautiful yellow box you made for a friend in early 2009 ?? March I think. :). And now you are exhibiting at SIMP! WOW!

You are such a FLATTERER!!! :) Dearie, its very easy for people to see where I was just a year ago. You know those goblets? Well, they have crumbled and become beads again because of the wrong glue used.LOL

I owe all my improvements to you guys. You know me, I am so thick-skinned I just kept on posting all my work, disastrous or otherwise and my darling friends here not only didn't tell me they sucked, they gave me the encouragement when I did something good and suggestions when I failed. I am becoming quite good at reading between the lines ..haha!

As the ad in Virginia Slims say "You have come a long way baby" and I think I have come some way.I didn't use to be able to throw away things that I had made but now I think I can :). LOL

Is Matteo realllllllly liking this?? I can't imagine , my dear that he would like it! I showed my niece the setting before the hurricane lamp and she very politely told me "I am not used to this kind of display" ..hehe :). I love her for being honest :)But even I wasn't happy with it when it was the rug pillow. And without the lamp and all the other things just scattering around the floor, it wasn't much of a display.

I hope Matteo will still like it when I have Ro's boy around the house:):). He is called "Moorthy" :) all resemblance purely coincidence. What do you think Matteo? Of the name? Should I change it?

Sans! said...

Ira,I am blowing my showbiz kisses your way :):) LOL. Thank you for yur kind compliments. In my apron with dirty fingers, I am now doing the royal wave !

Sans! said...

Thank you Grace :):). Now you too have been here since my early days :) haven't you? So I know exactly what you mean when you say I have outdone myself :):). I must agree with you ..haha! Just kidding but I do only want to put what I am satisfied with in this house. Work by me I mean. No more compromising. :)

This may mean I can't finish the other 4 rooms + the exterior in 5 weeks!Arghhh!

Sans! said...

Eva, thank you!! It is no longer Wednesday here but Thursday, 5.33pm now and I am waiting to walk about 2km to meet my friends for dinner :):). We are having Vietnamese noodle! :)

I see you have been so busy creating beautiful things. I am very happy for you that you are doing well with your sale!

The boxes are really easy to construct. I am sure you can do them with your eyes close and one hand tied behind your back. You will need Chinese fans though and ice cream sticks. Just cut the sides of the boxes to size, leaving the top then glue them together for the box shape. After that cut the filigree parts of the Chinese fan to size and glue each side with them. Pick a really nice filigree part for the top of the box and use paper hinges to glue them to one side of the box. No sweat, no blood, no tears! Easy! :)

I have seen Jorge cut filigree work with paper. I think it is Jorge , if you can remember who made the Moroccan screen. It is very effective as well.

Sans! said...

Glenda, I am passing you the loud hailer in case not enough people can hear you when you order " standing ovations, please" :):)LOL!

You are the sweetest and as always, you warm my heart! Thank you and please remember that I am queuing for that spare room . I promise I won't overstay the welcome..hehe!

Sans! said...

Flora, you have just paid me the highest compliment ever! One I am afraid is way too kind & generous! To be in the history of dollhouses! But what a dream! :):)

A friend of mine always say "Dreaming is free and not a crime, so dream and dream big if you must!" LOL

Flora, I am putting my last dollar here to bet that you can and will create the way you want to. I have seen your work. You are way ahead . Have you seen what I used to do?? :)

Of the 10,000 hours I have to put in, I still have 9500 hours. Long way to go :). And yes, that and a lot, a lot of heart :):).

I hope you will always be here to plod on with me and me over at your blog with you. I do so love to read your comments.

Sans! said...

Hi Betsy, I am now sitting at this restaurant called the Va Va Voom waiting for my fashionably late friends :).

About this kettle, it took me a while to decide on this one. I wanted a tribal samovar, if there is such a thing. :). Was wondering if i can make one..hehe

By the way, I am very much a shoe person in real life. More than a bag person :). And I know exactly how I want my shoes displayed but could never afford it.So this is like a fantasy wardrobe for me ..lol.

And I LOVE frightening cats..mwahhahaha! I do that to mine, Xerxes all the time with a evil laugh afterwards. I wonder if you all saw my finger in the "movie" switching off the last light.

I am so grateful to have met you, dear Betsy! All those kind and wonderful words ! :) A Big Big THANK YOU!

Oh, how nice, one of my late friend's here :). 15 mins!!!!

Pubdoll said...

I agree with all the above comments! Standing ovations, place in doll's house history and all. Your work is so special and noone does anything remotely similar to you! I love everything here, but since I love to electrify things myself, my favourite is perhaps the lamp. You did a great work wiring and aging it! It's hadrly recognizable!
And in preparations for my trip to Paris and SIMP I bought two pair of shoes, suitable for walking a lot, this week. But perhaps I should rather have come to your embroider, he really does fabulous work!

I see Dale is going to Singapore, I trust she will come and visit you as well?

Meli Abellán said...

Sans, thanks for the lovely movie!!! And thanks also for your wonderful stories, which I'm learning a lot!! I will join the standing ovation too!!! You are amazing Sans!!!
Congratulations for being so talented and for making us have a good time when we visit your blog.
Mini hugs,
Meli

Ara said...

Holy cow Sans! YOu have outdone yourself. Everything is perfection! And the fact that you made the lamp WORK??? You blow my mind!! I don't even think my brain would know where to begin on that one. But I think every single piece is just so enchanting! And thank you for the movie as well.... Its great to be able to look in and around in a way that still pictures cannot. Love it!!! Can't wait to see more and more work by you!!! hugs, ara

Susanne said...

Dear Sans
The pictures take my breath away. Those small metal boxes, the shelves, the pipe and everything. Fantastic!
Love, Susanne

Unknown said...

!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's raining heavily and the thunder is frightening me here on your blog! please don't short out my laptop!!!!!!!!!!!

and omg. everything looks sooooooooooo gooodddd, the lighting really ties everything together....OMG TEACH ME HOW TO SOLDER T_T

AHHHHHH next week next week AHHHH!!!!!!

*tries to get a grip on self*

Sans! said...

I am so happy Sagrario that you find something interesting here. Although I live very near to Little India,the Indian culture , crafts and customs are so diverse that I still get fascinated every time I research a different area. I am not ashame to admit that I am more in love with this culture than my own ..lol :)

Thank you for your great compliments and for being here .

Estoy tan feliz que Sagrario encuentras algo interesante. Aunque vivo muy cerca de Little India, la cultura indígena, artesanías y costumbres son tan diversas que todavía me fascina cada vez que la investigación un área diferente. No estoy ashame que admitir que estoy más enamorado de esta cultura que la mía .. lol:)

Gracias por su grandes elogios y por estar aquí.

Sans! said...

Helene, I am setting a date with you in 2012 for Paris SIMP & Norway, maybe Spain! :):) Since you won't come to the mountains, Mohamed shall have to come to you! Hehe, I think I got the proverb upside down!

Dale will be here midnight, Tuesday and she is staying with me :):). For almost 10 days. She is the 1st amongst you to be sleeping in my craft room :) I hope the noise in that busy room won't disturb her :). Poor girl, she must be so worried about the mossies. I am making her wear weird insect repellent bracelets and anklets. They look like telephone wires ..haha :)

I had a near mishap this morning, Helene when I was running and a tree branch fell barely a meter away from me. I was just thinking, shikes, if anything should happen to me, does anyone at home know how to let you guys know? hehe! So I might as well assign some task to you, Helene. Be sure to send My Movie to Warner, Universal, HBO etc etc ok? See if they are interested? ;p

Seriously though, I use to think I do such different things as well, I mean, the audacity of building an Indian palace with all the intricate carvings etc etc when I know almost nothing about working with my hands!

With this house however, if you dissect the work, every single piece is really quite similar to what many others do.Right? Shabby, rusty, baskets, rugs and lamps. Not too much rust here though, I kept thinking my dolls would get tetanus infection drinking or eating from rusty cutlery! LOL

Do you really need 2 pairs of shoes just for SIMP, dearie? (sounding very Trond-like? hehe). Yes, my embroiderer's shoes are great for walking but the beads may be slightly prickly. They are pretty though. Should I make a pair of Karl? ;)

Sans! said...

Arghhhh, I mean "for Karl"!

Sans! said...

*Hands out and clapping while accepting the congratulations, then waves at Meli :).

Your adoration is undeserved but MOST welcome :):), Meli. I was just commenting on Glenda's post about how I sometimes feel like I am living in a hippie commune in the flower power 60's when in blogland because there is sooooo much luv here! I will sooo be a hippie if I was born 1 decade earlier. The feeling when you love and are loved is soooooooo goooooood :). I must sound like I am high on something. Yea, high on friendships :).

Thank you for loving it here, Meli.

Sans! said...

"Holy cow, you make the lamp work"? so says the woman who can make a miniature chair recline! Holy cow back to you, Ara! :):) You , my dear are the amazing one! Luckily your brain is not the size of your capabilities, Ara, or you won't fit through any doors. Of course , you will be able to make the lamp work.
I am so dying for someone to ask me how. Hehe.

Sans! said...

Susanne, you must be writing from Tuscany. Let me tell you how much I love that place. I own a book about Tuscany since the 90s :). Another place to visit before I die destination :).

Thank you for stopping by and sending me such sweet words. Love and kisses back to you :).

Sans! said...

Cindy, you crazy funny girl! 1st word I said out loud when reading comments "Xiao ah! hahaha" When you are here, I will hook up my laptop to the surround sound stereo and we will have like, really realistic thunder and lighting in the room. I hope you bring your laptop and we will see if still works after visiting my blog. It's almost like gaming!

Of course, I will teach you to solder. With my vast experience of 1 day (yes, I finally learn how only when I make this lamp), I am sure you can learn a lot. But first, you must do 100 pushups, 200 situps and lots of weight training, ok? It is very like the Karate Kid. O yes, you must also make me dinner. O~O <---master's face with wrinkles between eyes

rosanna said...

Sans, I don't know if I enjoy more your posts or your commments on comments. You always make me laugh. But I'm a bit worried too at the thought othe "weird electric wires bracelets/anklets"that Dale is gonna wear. Shall we wear them too? packs are now ready , shirts ironed and an umbrella is safely hidden in my bag; alas there is a bad weather forecast in Paris. I shant be able to wear my new fancy, dainty shoes which I bought for the occasion....I'll stick to sneakers :o( I'm afraid about forgetting something vital.... Did I switch off the light ?!
BTW I have one my first buying at Simp (giggle) by email, a friend will keep a bit aside for me. I'' show it to you as soon as I'll be back home. Hugs Rosanna

Sans! said...

My dear Rosanna, you must be in Paris by now. I hope you have a balena of a time!

Fear not, my dear, the mossies netting are up! Although the picture of you and W wearing these bright red wires (they are from Daiso) around your wrists and ankles could win you both a place in the book called "The Big Bento Box of Unuseless Japanese Invention." You know Daiso even sell a pee bag in case you need to pee badly in a car? I suspect it's for men only.

I bet you forgot to bring the cashier machine like FaiZ asked you to. He is right, you know, the machine would occupy so much of the table space that you need not worry about your cosies not filling up the stall.

Can't wait for you to come back and show all your purchases . We shan't tell W.

Unknown said...

woah. i trade you the physical work out for like, eternal gratitude or summat can??? warraos, i practiced soldering over 4 sessions with 3 different soldering irons and have kosong to show for it :(

i'll skip the surround sound also. pls don't record my snoring for your next 'feature film' hor. :X

Patty said...

what an amazing site this is!! I love everything that you have made. I am standing up and bowing with everyone else!!! I LOVE all things India too.

Sans! said...

Cindy dear, zero results? You know why? You didn't do your sit ups and push ups lah ! Must watch more kung fu movie, you :). Because you know the masters never come straight to the point.

Did you exercise patience when you are soldering because the iron takes a while to heat. And Babe, did you use the solder wire? ;p

Sans! said...

Patty!! :) I am a true blue Indophile where decor and craft is concerned. Not crazy about "ghee", which they used a lot in their food. Next to Mandarin, Hindi or Tamil must be the hardest language to learn :). But otherwise, yea, lover of almost all thing India, me :).

So very flattered and such high compliments from an artist :). Thank you!

I see you make babies ;p . Really love em :). Sooooooooo cute!

Norma Bennett said...

Oh my god Sans... I thought that you had something special going on over here so I wanted to wait until I had a little time to look properly rather than just rush by - well I've looked and looked but I'll still have to come back. I am truly amazed, every element is spectacular, the little flicker bulb in the lantern a stroke of genius because it brings an extra element of 'reality' - it's all pure magic and you should be heart bursting proud of it!!! I'll be back again to look more for sure. Right now I have to go make minis for Ira ;)

Sans! said...

Norma, how glorious it is to wake up to your words :). I am really very pleased with the hurricane lamp. We still use those here , with kerosene as fuel and it was important for me that the light must flicker. Pure luck that I found the gadget for this little trick. :).

I am busy too with Ira's gifts except they are the ones she gave me. :) I am adapting many of them for this tribal house :). Working on them made me love her work more and more.

Ascension said...

Sans, enhorabuena!!!
Ademas de ser una artista miniaturista eres una gran narradora de historias, es un placer siempre visitar tu blog y hoy con video, genial!!!
Me han encantado las cajitas, las estanterias con los zapatos te han quedado geniales, el calentador de agua esta perfecto, los punzones para bordar no podian haber quedado mas reales, el farol me ha enamorado.........un gran y precioso trabajo.
Un cuento hecho realidad (hasta con el sonido)jejejeje
besitos ascension

Sans! said...

Abrazos y besos para ti, la Ascensión!

Me alegra que te guste el vídeo y el sonido de los truenos:).Sé que te gustan cosas que dan miedo. La próxima vez, voy a tratar de tener una mano salir de la computadora para mostrarle mis minis .. jejeje! Entonces tal vez usted puede oler también! Jajajaja

Estoy tan feliz de verte aquí, la Ascensión! Muchas gracias!

My Realitty said...

Incredible detail.Beautiful.The rain is perfect and how the light glows alone in the dark at the end of the movie is magical. Thanks CM

Sans! said...

Thank you Carol :). The flower power girl in me just love the rain . That and candles or any lone light that flickers :).

Ingrid said...

Full admiration I have seen your blog, just brilliant. The way everything is changing, very clever. Thank you to follow my blog, I am a regular customer of yours. I can not wait to see the sequel.
much love Ingrid

Pan said...

That is incredible. I love all the details. Will have to come back to take it all in. Beautiful work.

Sans! said...

Ingrid, I think you have a really pretty blog :) . Little Emma is absolutely adorable. She should be happy I am not near her or I will just want to pinch her cheeks the whole day! :)

Thank you for being so kind and generous with your compliments. I have loads to learn and a lot to do before this house is presentable. :)

Sans! said...

Hi Pan, the next time you come by, I will brew some tea or coffee and have your favourite sweets out :).

I am glad for this blog, because everything remains the same no matter when you come back. Yesterday, I had to re-solder my lamp because the wire came loose. It was embarrassing for me because I was in the middle of showing it off to Cindy, Dale and Asuka, fellow miniaturists. Tsk!Tsk!

No such problem in blogland! LOL

Tallulah Belle said...

Hey you

I am as fashionably late as your dinner friends :-) I did spot this a while back but saw that I needed to read it properly and take it all in.

Sweetie you have a standing ovation from me as well....can you hear me clapping too.

I have to say of ALL the things you've done and which I love this is my absolute favorite room. I ADORE it....every little bit of it. Even better than Tallulah's flower stall :-)

I love all the shoes and seeing them on the shelves like that....just perfect.

Other than that I can't really pick out anything else as a favorite as I love it all. And it is all of it that makes this so wonderful. The shoes, the shelves, the hookah, the rug...all of it is just so right.

I remember you telling me about the little boxes but I've never been able to find a fan to make any. I'd love to make some planters from a fan.


Your movie is great...have to say I'd forgotten about the sound and y speakers were turned right up and it scared the life out of me lol.

Do you not have any footage of your concert...that I'd love to see :-)

Sans! said...

Hehe, Jayne :). I am suffering a tummy ache sitting here reading your wonderful comments. May have to rush to the loo soon!

I did the last post till 3 am and then woke up at 7am so feeling a little pooped (in more ways than one!)

Thank you for being so so so supportive always. This house is built with love and I am always happy when someone else tells me it's turning out alright :).

Show me the planter box you want to build. These fans are filmsy and cannot withstand much weight. I may be popping to Chinatown. Let me see if I can find any. One fan can make many many boxes :):).

The video is on my facebook..hehehe :). You have a FB ac?

Katie said...

Oh Susan! I just love all the little things you're making! Love the shelfs for the shoes, those are perfect...Love th enew style hookah.....gonna have to show that to the bf when he gets back from paintballing! And those boxes are perfect! The big ones and the little ones!!

;)
Katie

Sans! said...

Katie :). I think I finally made a real Indian hookah instead of the early "Turkish" ones . I am so happy to have found the picture of the old embroiderer (1st pic) and saw what a traditional Indian hookah looked like :).

I am very happy I got a nod from you :). It means a lot to me.

Marion said...

Sans, I am lost for words. I'll come back when I've found some..... ;-) My jaw has also dropped way, way low......

JDayMinis said...

I left a message here last week but it must not have arrived, I'm sorry, I must not have had my password set up at that time. Your video is fabulous, the light dimming is amazing, what a great atmosphere it gives, perfect. You are an electrician too!! I love the boxes, they look so real. I recognize the embroidered carpet the man in your inspiration photo is working on and we had one years ago, the background was mohair or goat hair felt I believe. Everything is Fabulous!
Jean♥

dalesdreams said...

While your pictures are all always very good, nothig can compare to seeing it all in person, lah! ;)

I love the shelves of shoes and the little boxes (amazed at the smallness of them) the lit latern is the best. :)

Sans! said...

O Marion, you have me smiling from ear to ear and now I have locked jaw.LOL. If we stand side by side, what a sight we will be, you with the drop jaw and me with my Joker jaws.

Next time I make a movie called "2 Jaws"..hehe

Sans! said...

Thank you so much, Jean :). Thrilled that you like the "special effects" haha :). I thought that would be a good way to show off the flickering light of the hurricane lamp :). It really is mesmerising to watch.

The picture of the old man is from a chapter on Kashmiri craft. You know they have the pashmina goats there which is where the Pashmina wool is derived. The material he was working on are likely wool fiber, as you have pointed out. I love them but they are very delicate and tear easily especially since I used them as floor mats :). I think mostly they are used as pillow cases? They itch though ..haha :)

Sans! said...

O Dale, I can't get over the fact that you have travelled so far and wide to be here. I wish I am a better host but these unforeseen circumstances...sigh :(.

I am sitting here next to Tasha, my niece, waiting for you to come home to tell me how your 2nd last day here has been :).

Maybe tomorrow we go have a really nice dinner after my nieces and nephew leave? hehe, fancy conversing here in my comment box even when you are here in Singapore :)

Daydreamer said...

Hi Sans, Just me again....reading all the way through the above comments! I will ask the question I was too dumb-struck to ask before but realize I MUST have the answer to (I want to learn to make some flickering lights for my castle dollhouse)... so here it is ...HOW did you make that perfect tiny hurricane lamp?!! Please explain it in detail! It really is extrordinary! You are so inspiring! I hope you are feeling better...:)

Sans! said...

Querida Flor, estoy muy feliz de recibir elogios como de usted. He admirado su trabajo de manera similar en gran medida! También quiero felicitar a usted!

Sans! said...

Haha Betsy, I was wondering maybe it was so obvious no one wanted to find out how I did it.

It's really easy :). I used electric candles. Have you seen them before? If not, go check out what they look like here: http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/lhpinbo/product-detailbqonHJQjqxRl/China-LED-Tea-Light-Smart-Candle-Electric-Candle.html

Mine really look like a tea light. The button is below so you turn it on and off by pressing the candle. You may be able to buy it at a dollar store as I have read it in some blogs (see here: http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2009/08/craft-project-pixie-hollow-in-jar.html)

I cut a hole at the top of the "tea light" so I could take out the bulb. As you can see, I use a "straw" flat tray for a tabletop. I have cut a hole in the tray for the bulb and wire to come through. I then place the bulb inside the lamp and use a plastic piece for the "glass" This piece was dirtied so much you can't see the bulb clearly so that kind of hide the wire too. The tea light is then placed at the bottom as a base for the table.

Even up close, you can't really tell how this is done unless you hold it. It is neat because all I have to do is press the tray to turn the lights on or off :). If you need more pics etc, just email me. I will show you. :)

Tallulah Belle said...

Oh dear…not Dehli Belly - I hope you feel better now.

I’d not planned on any specific planter to be honest…just thought the fretwork of the fans would make a very pretty one :-)

I do have FB….didn’t think you went on there much. I think we are friends already though. I don’t’ get on there that often.


Love how you made the lantern.....I used those lights when I made a flickering wizards staff for a dollmaker.

Sans! said...

I don't like FB much either, Jayne :), thought it was too open to the world. Ironical since I am pretty open here. Somehow though, you kind of feel only friends read your comments although that's not true of course.

The trouble with the fretwork on the Chinese fans are that they are quite "big". :) So your planter box will be big and I know your work is quite detailed. When I pass by the souvenir stall in Chinatown, I will buy you one :) or maybe just send you a couple of "slates" from my existing one for sampling.

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