Edinburgh Emporium - a Giveaway

I've really been amazed and thrilled by the enthusiasm of you all for my little Emporium!  I have to say that while I was pleased with it, I was concerned that it might be just a bit too twee and parochial.

I have so enjoyed reading all your lovely comments that I would like to say "thank you" by way of a giveaway.

 

So...........the giveaway consists of a RL spurtle, a box of Edinburgh Rock and a mini spurtle for your mini kitchen.

 

 

All you have to do is be an existing follower and leave a comment.   The draw will take place on Friday, 10th May 2013.

 

Good luck everyone!

Edinburgh Emporium 4

I found, quite by chance, this little resin model of Edinburgh Castle.   It's not a true 12th scale miniature but I think it fits the space quite nicely.

The commissioned items, mentioned earlier,  are the two Tam O'Shanters and the umbrella.   These were made for me by Margaret, The Mini Milliner.
 

Another famous painting is Landseer's "Monarch of the Glen" - a very familiar Scottish work of art.

 

 

I also thought I would include a leather bound book entitled "Clans and Tartans of Scotland".   The tartan shown is Mackintosh.   My mum is a Mackintosh!

 

 

 

 

 

The chair was barewood, varnished then upholstered.   The Tam O'Shanter is the work of The Mini Milliner.

and last but not least - Mary, Queen of all she surveys!

 

 

So, here it is in it's entirety - The Edinburgh Emporium.   It's this little project that's kept me away from my other properties.   It was a fun project to do and an exercise in patience as I searched for suitable items only to discover that I had to make a lot of them and that's where the time went.   I hope you like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whisky in the bottles displayed below is the real thing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Edinburgh Emporium 3

I'd like you all to meet Sandy, the Emporium Piper.   He'll take you round the Emporium and show you some of the items.

First of all, we have some kilts.   These are available in the mini world but I thought I'd have a go at making my own.   The fur on the sporran is real!
 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a look round some  RL shops for ideas and came across skean dhu's. A skean dhu is a ceremonial dagger worn down the side of the sock when wearing a kilt. They aren't something that's made in miniature, as I discovered after spending ages online searching, and because I'd made up my mind that I was going to have them, I had to create my own.  

Another item that I was originally going to buy was a spurtle. I wanted a few of these then decided just to make them. A spurtle is a wooden stick used for stirring porridge - very good for avoiding lumps. Folklore has it that you stir your porridge with your right hand in a clockwise direction to keep away the Devil!

 

More items for the Emporium that had to be made were post cards, cushions, slippers and half a dozen quaichs. A quaich is a shallow Scottish drinking cup traditionally made from wood but the ceremonial quaichs are made of silver or pewter.

 

 

 We also have some little flags - Saltires on the left and Lion Rampant on the right.

 

 



This painting - The Reverend Robert Walker skating on Duddingston Loch by Sir Henry Raeburn (circa 1795) is a well recognised Scottish painting so I had to have one of those.

There is also a selection of shortbread and whisky cake.

I couldn't do this project and NOT include Rabbie Burns - Scotland's greatest poet

 

 

 

I've also included Scotland's worst poet - William McGonagall!

 

For the sweet tooth, there is some Edinburgh Rock - terribly bad for the teeth, but yummy!

There is also my Scottish take on the famous "Little Brown Bag" -

The "Wee Broon Bag"!

...............a selection of tinned goods -

 

 

and a sampling of our other National drink!

Edinburgh Emporium 2

While waiting on a couple of commissioned pieces, I thought I'd better start working on the outside. I couldn't make up my mind about the finish for this. My initial idea was paint, but what colours? Nothing sprang to mind so I moved on to stonework. Luckily I had enough compound in my stash to complete the building (two sides and the front).

 

 

I'm now sorting out the colours - talk about 50 Shades of Grey!!

Well, after a few days of adding, dabbing, stippling and dry brushing, I've now reached this point. The quoins are now darker and I think I'm happy with it.

 

 

 

 

It was difficult to see how either side matched but I think it's ok. Maybe a bit more tweaking?

These are the walls after aforementioned tweaking! I'm happy with this now and have stopped fiddling with it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The window and door have now been added. The door, window, frames and etched glass were all supplied with the kit

 



Some progress has been made with this over the past few days. The window now has a weathered railing and there is also a pavement outside. My initial thought was to have flagstone paper (the fibre glass sort) but I couldn't find a piece long enough to cover the area in one go so, after a delve into the stash, I came across some real flagstones left over from a previous project and I'm glad I did as they look so much better.  

More to follow!

More Butler's Pantry

Now that my little Emporium is finished I can get back to working on the bigger projects.

This is the inside of the door (fourth wall) and I've tried to decorate it with items that would fit with both the Laundry and the Butler's Pantry - if I was a small person standing inside looking towards it!

I still need to add a few more bits but I'm pleased with the way it looks at the moment.

The Edinburgh Emporium

When I started this blog it was, in the main, to chart the progress of my large property Netherton.   That was the "Stately" part.   I also wanted to show smaller projects so that when my other blogs featuring my other properties had reached their natural end, I could continue with the "Small".

 

The Edinburgh Emporium is one of those "Small" projects.

 

 

Some time ago I was given the opportunity of decorating a little shop.   Just a one room shop but with a fancy door and a laser-etched sign.    It is available from here:  Smaller Homes (small Shop Box) and measures 13 inches (340mm) wide by 13 inches (340mm) deep by 9 inches (230mm) high.

 

Initially I had decided this shop was going to be an Emporium - akin to a grocer's shop I remembered from my childhood.   (Old fashioned even then - the shop that is, not me!).   Dry goods on one side, cold meats, etc on the other, pillars and a black and white check floor.   Unfortunately, I was so small when going to this shop, that's all I could remember of it!   That meant it was back to the drawing board for a new approach.

I struggled with quite a few ideas until a friend came up with the idea of a Scottish shop.   Not the horrific tat that no self-respecting Scot would be seen dead with, no plastic piper dolls in Highland kit, no green fluffy Loch Ness monsters, (although the keyrings can produce some quite interesting items for the mini world!) but a more refined establishment selling goods of quality!

Anyway, the first thing I thought I'd do is add a bit of interest.

 

 

 

The arch is a left-over window frame from Hambleton Hall and I'm using foamboard to create additional walls.   I love that stuff!

 

 

 

I thought a step up would be quite interesting and I also liked the idea of "wrought iron" railings so I played with them for a bit.

 

A shelving unit was needed for display purposes so I had a go at making one as it had to be custom fit and a few steps were added.

The counter with the "marble" top was purchased as a plain wood unit and waxed and I changed the arch for a narrower one.

 

 

It was then papered with lining paper and painted a buttery yellow.   The floor is created from my all-time favourite iron on flooring and waxed with brush on, buff off wax and the archway created along with a little one to the right.   There will be lighting in those two spaces.  

 

 

 

A plaid curtain is added...........I'm not sure yet what this space will be used for but I'll think of something!

 

 

 

 

I also need to tidy up the edges of the little arch.