Country Contrast

Alexandra Palace Fair Sunday October 23rd

2011-10-19T11:27:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to let you know that I will be at the Alexandra Palace, North London, show this Sunday, October 23rd, on stall 66. If you will be visiting, do stop by and say hello won't you? Must get back to making, as I am expecting this show to be very busy!

Bob

Latest items

2011-09-28T14:05:00.000+01:00

Miniatura last weekend was a very enjoyable show for me and it was a great pleasure to meet so many of my mail order customers there

I have 2 more shows left this year now - Alexandra Palace London on October 23rd and Kensington Festival, London on December 3rd. Just time to replenish my stocks before the first one!

Some new items recently added to my range are these Fruit or jam tarts. The fruit tarts have fruit slices in the bottom, with jelly and topped with cream They come on a quality glass cakestand and a doiley. £4.95 each
Also new are some little white oblong dishes filled with cooked vegetables - potatoes or a carrot & pea mixture. I am frequently asked for these, so here they are! They would look good with my large cooked turkey on a platter, ready for Christmas.

I have also done a new selection of filled preparation tables, which I will add to the site as soon as I can.

Will post again when they are all in the store,

Bob

Counting down to Miniatura

2011-09-15T13:22:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to remind everyone that I will be at the Miniatura Show on September 24 & 25th at the NEC Birmingham England, on Stand W33. www.miniatura.co.uk
I'll have all my new items available for you to see. I love doing this show and meeting so many of my customers. Maybe I'll see you there?
Back to work now!
Bob

Time flies!!

2011-08-04T19:36:00.000+01:00

I couldn't believe it was so long since I last blogged.... time flies - or am I getting old? I've had a busy time over the last few months with work done on our house and then we had a lovely trip to Las Vegas in the USA for 3 weeks. We had a lovely rest - the weather was so hot, in fact there was a heatwave across America, with nearly 4000 temperature records broken while we were there, that we couldn't spend too much time walking round outdoors - it was a matter of a dash from the air conditioned hotel to the air conditioned car to the air conditioned restaurant/shop or whatever! Managed to keep up with e mails while we were away and keep customers informed. Came back to a large backlog of orders which are now all shipped. So it's now back to normal - including the 'normal' british summer! Rain.... thunder....cold... you know how it is! Floods about 30 miles away from us just yesterday...

I am beginning to prepare for the busy Autumn season with Miniatura Show coming up at the end of September. Are any of you planning to visit?

I have added a few new things to my range recently.

Two new items for the miniature Dairy - a UK hand made butter churn on stand, (£22) which really turns, and a little pair of wooden butter pats (£2.50) - they would have had several pairs of these in the dairy or kitchen for shaping the butter.

Storage barrels with lids and labels for the large kitchen, larder or store room. - available in FLOUR, SALT, SUGAR and OATS, £6.95 each

Finally for now, a traditional blue lined cardboard basket filled with fresh 'dirty' field mushrooms.... £4.50.

Hope you are all enjoying the Summer (or Winter!) wherever you are.

Bob

New items for April

2011-04-12T19:00:00.000+01:00

Time has really flown since Miniatura, and we had such a good show there that I've been kept busy replenishing stocks ready for Kensington Dolls House Festival in May.
A selection of my enamel ware had been featured in the April issue of Dolls House & Miniature Scene magazine in an article about 1940's miniatures, which it seems had prompted customers to come to Miniatura with lists of enamel ware items they wanted.

As well as making more stocks of my usual items I have also added some new ones this month.

The photo shows a 'Ewbank' style carpet sweeper, (£12) a bucket of water with cloth and 'puddle' (£4.50) bucket of coal (£4.50) oval platter of roast partridge with vegetables (£7.00) and round platter of 3 roast partridge displayed a la Mrs Beeton,simply on a bed of greens (£6.00). All available now.

Back to potato making now! Empty buckets waiting to be filled.

Bob

Miniatura NEC Birmingham this weekend

2011-03-17T08:08:00.000Z

Just a quick post to say that I am on stand W30 at Miniatura at the NEC Birmingham this weekend and will be happy to see any Blog readers - do say hello. I have been really busy making stock, and am just about ready to go now. If you have never been before it's well worth the journey - it's the biggest Miniatures show in the world! Open Saturday and Sunday, check details on http://www.miniatura.co.uk/.

Hope to see you there.
Bob

Website restored!

2011-02-25T19:41:00.000Z

Thanks to my brilliant hard working tech guy friend Chris my new look website is up and running again. It still needs a few tweaks here and there but my on line store is once again open for business! Now that's all done it's time to get my 'head down' stocking up for Miniatura in three weeks time. http://www.miniatura.co.uk/

Website problems

2011-02-16T21:25:00.000Z

I have been really lucky with my website since it was set up 6 years ago and only had minor problems with it. But just over a week ago that all changed. The host company had a major problem and are having to install new servers... which I now find won't support the On line store software I was using. There's no way round it but to have a new store programme installed and move over all my products currently available. A massive job but underway. Because it has been 'off' for a while people are worrying I have gone out of business. I HAVE NOT!!
If you know anyone who uses my site - http://www.countrycontrast.co.uk/ or can pass the message on, I will be up and running again as soon as possible and can only send my apologies to anyone who has been inconvenienced by this problem which was out of my control.

Many thanks

Bob

Kensington Dollshouse Festival

2010-12-03T16:20:00.000Z

Just a short post, mainly to let my customers know that I will not be at the Kensington Show tomorrow as planned. The pain I have had for the last 6 weeks is not getting any better, despite me taking medication and having physiotherapy. A big show like Kensington involves a lot of standing, carrying and walking, all of which are difficult for me at present. So reluctantly I have decided to cancel my place there. I will really miss it as we love doing this show, and especially meeting many of my lovely customers. We should be back fit and well for the summer show in may 2011, which one friend said cheerily 'will be here before we know it........' All I can see at present is this dreadful snow we've got and no end forecast yet! Brrrrrr.....

Update from Arnhem

2010-11-23T21:55:00.000Z

My last post was before I went to Holland to the Arnhem show and I know I promised photos. I thought I'd just explain why none have arrived on the Blog. A couple of days before I went I was pulling up dead plants in the garden and thought I'd pulled a muscle in my thigh, but thought the pain would be short lived. I set off for Arnhem but the pain was bad... and unfortunately I had a really difficult few days with it. I couldn't stand or walk more than a few feet without being in excrutiating pain. Doreen my wife wanted us to pack up and come home early, but I didn't want to let the organiser down. I was taking strong painkillers but nothing seemed to work. On our return to the UK I went straight to see my doctor who said it was sciatica. It's been really awful. It's only just starting to subside now. The upshot of this is that I couldn't do anything at all on the stall at the show - Doreen had to do all the setting up, selling etc, and look after me and so neither of us could leave the stall to wander round and take photographs. I was so relieved when I got back on British soil and I knew I could get to my doctor! The show itself was lovely and I met lots of my mail order customers from Holland, France and Germany. It was great to put faces to names.

Doreen did take a couple of photos from the ferry which we like and will share with you.

This was the unusual cloud formation just as we were driving the car onto the ship. Reminded me of a rack of lamb...

This was the sunset while we were waiting to sail about 3 hours later. We loved it (Pardon the grubby window glass!!)

We did have a lovely evening on the ship sharing a drink and a chat with other miniaturists on their way to the show - including Pat Kay, Julie and John from Nostalgia, Aidy and Ros from Lilyelf Miniatures and Helena of Solway Miniatures.

Arnhem Show, Holland, October 29th-31st

2010-10-18T16:55:00.000+01:00

I have a busy week ahead with preparations and making stock for the big Dolls House Show in Arnhem on October 29-31. We went to the show at the same time last year and really enjoyed it. It was wonderful to meet many of our European customers - and put faces to names! If ever you get the chance to visit this show, you must do. It's huge and there's an amazing range to choose from. We also look forward to spending the evening on the ferry with other UK sellers going overnight from Hull to Rotterdam. If any of you will visiting the fair, please come and say hello. Hope to get some photos for when we come back.

Cleveland Miniaturia Show

2010-10-11T16:59:00.000+01:00

My wife Doreen was browsing on Facebook tody and spotted some photos of the recent Cleveland, USA show, posted by Deb of Dollhouse Junction. Imagine my surprise when on one of the pics we saw a whole selection of my work - it's on our friend Anna's sales table. Deb says she took the photo because the food was so amazing - thank you Deb, and I am using it here with her permission. My food and enamelware is right at the front of the picture.

Deb runs Dollhouse Junction in Pennsylvania - http://www.dollhousejunction.com/ Thanks Deb!

Ready for Miniatura

2010-09-22T15:24:00.000+01:00

Miniatura at the NEC Birmingham, UK is fast approaching - October 2nd & 3rd. If you haven't been it's a fabulous show, and well worth making the effort to visit. I have been busy topping up my stocks ready for the show, and am just about ready! I will be on Stand W13 - if you get there do stop by and say hello.
I have just got in stock some gorgeous new furniture in an oak finish, which will have an airing at the show.

I have two sizes of dresser, - shown is the three drawer one, there is also a two drawer version - wall shelves, corner shelf unit and by then should have a matching kitchen table. The maker is a meticulous worker and I am delighted to add these to my range.

Back to work! Cream tea trays are calling!!!

A blast from the past

2010-09-19T17:40:00.000+01:00

I have spent this weekend sorting through some boxes of stuff which have been in the garage for eons. Found this photo of me and my band on stage over 20 years ago. There was me in the cowboy hat - what else? Dot on bass guitar, Dave on rhythm and Mick on lead guitar and I just can't remember the drummers name. Oh dear!!

I still love playing and singing and do so regularly but in a more informal way. I guess Country Music is in my blood. Many say I sound just like Johnny Cash which is a great compliment as he is my idol! One of the great moments of my life was when I was able to visit Nashville, find Johnny Cash's grave up in Hendersonville, and leave some flowers and a message there.

Real or not???

2010-07-30T11:00:00.000+01:00

It's taken as read that when we make our miniatures, we strive to make them as realistic as we can.

Over the years I have had many calls and e mails about things on my site, usually telling me my measurements are wrong and where I have inches or centimetres it should be feet. Car wash people often ring about the clothes wringers! A man with a chain of Pizza shops wanted me to supply him with my hams in bulk - at £4 each for a whole one! People doing country kitchens want to know how long their bread will keep in the food safe........

Yesterday I had another e mail from a Mr Gomez in Ecuador........ offering to supply me with Shrimp, Tuna, Tilapia etc in any quantity and packed to my requirements! I don't think I'll answer him, but it certainly made me laugh, brightening a very dull miserable day here.

I suppose you can feel you have achieved your aim when you get back handed compliments like this!

Now where is that bread mix.....................??? Real or not????

Bob

Back in circulation!

2010-07-16T16:09:00.001+01:00

Apologies to all for the long delay since I posted on this Blog. Last time was before we went on holiday to Las Vegas. We had a wonderful time there. Seems so long ago now but time has flown. Both Doreen and I found it hard to get back into work mode after our wonderful trip, and finally decided to have a few days away in our motor home last week (Doctor's orders - honest!). We went down to lovely Ross on Wye in Herefordshire - we go there as often as we can as we love the area and the park we stay on. The break has done us both good and I have been busy since we got back making more stock items to replace what I sold at the Kensington festival before our holiday.

My sister and husband live in Somerset on the Devon/Somerset border and while we were in Ross we went down to visit them - about 100 miles drive through the beautiful Wye valley and across the impressive Severn Bridge. We just had the day with them, but had to find time for a yummy West Country cream tea - fresh scone, home made jam and clotted cream. Here we are enjoying a million calories each!

Here's my calorie free version of the real thing!

I promise it won't take me so long to post in future. Take care everyone

Las Vegas here we come!

2010-05-24T10:03:00.000+01:00

Well, we have a busy day today tying up ends of jobs and packing for our trip tomorrow to sunny Las Vegas. We so need a rest - and a time away from the phone and packing orders. We are not really gamblers, but I like a little 'flutter' - but only on the 1cent slot machines. High roller, me!!! We are intending to do some travelling out from there, probably San Diego, maybe Los Angeles. Not sure yet. We are taking a laptop with us so may just add to the Blog while we are away! For my English friends, hope you are enjoying this lovely weather. We booked this trip to get away from the cold damp British Spring, and look what it's done now!!! Can't win....
Will be in touch whenever.
Bob

Post Kensington!

2010-05-19T20:38:00.002+01:00

Thanks to everyone for their good wishes for a successful show. We got home late on Sunday night, absolutely shattered, and could hardly walk...... but what a great show we had. We really enjoyed ourselves, meeting with other exhibitor friends and some of our website customers and Blog followers. We found each day of the show was a bit quieter than usual for customers, but this worked to advantage as people could get in to our stand and spend longer looking. We ran out of quite a few items, even though we had good stocks. Some things we had were one off things, and we seem to have spent this week recreating them for customers who had seen them and missed them at the show. We thought we were going to have a restful week this week!!

It was lovely to see our friend Nikki Rowe at her first show, and glad we could help out with advice and suggestions - and a last minute dash to the nearest bank on Kensington High Street for change for her! We were right across the hall from her but could just keep our eye on her from a distance.

Here I am, putting the finishing touches to my stand just before opening time on Friday.

We managed a little walk around Kensington High Street, and found a number of estate agents. Looking in their windows, we drooled over the houses and flats available in the area. A mere £17 million for a terraced house - peanuts, eh?? Our favourite was a 5 bedroom 5 bathroom apartment to rent - the price tag? £15,000 a week. It was furnished for that price, and available on a long let!! Oh how the other half live!!!!

We are now getting ready for a holiday to America, where we are guaranteed a restful time...... we hope! Wonder where the volcanic ash cloud is at the moment??!!!

Bob

Ready for Kensington

2010-05-09T10:03:00.000+01:00

I have just finished this little tudor filled table ready for Kensington and thought you might like to see it. It contains items suitable for a middle class Tudor home. I just have to add a mouse on it somewhere - people always seem to notice these straight away no matter where I hide them!

Rested and busy again - Kensington Show coming up!

2010-05-05T14:54:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since I blogged - the reason being that we managed to get a few days away last week in our motorhome. Went down to Ross on Wye in beautiful Herefordshire. Managed to make ourselves do very little indeed! Good to recharge though. On our return we had the usual pile of orders waiting to be packed and sent, but have caught up now. Time now to check and replenish stock for the forthcoming Kensington Dolls House Festival on May 14th-16th. We love doing this show, even though it is very hard work for three days. A killer on the feet and back!!! But it's worth it to meet so many lovely customers and we have made many good friends there. It's always nice to put a face to a name we've been posting parcels to. We are looking forward to seeing some followers there both as exhibitors and visitors. Our stand is in the Great Hall on the right hand wall.

This is a new item I have done for Kensington. It's a hand made (not by me - I am not the basket maker!) three tier basket set, filled with a selection of hand made vegetables. I am really pleased with it. Quite unusual I thought.

One of the proudest moments of my life

2010-04-10T13:15:00.000+01:00

I know this isn't miniatures related but I just had to share with you one of the best moments in my life. As a lifelong Country Music fan, I was lucky enough to finally get to Nashville in 2007 and on a visit to the Ryman Theatre - the home of Country Music! - I was allowed to sing on the stage where all my music heroes have sung before. I was in heaven!

Welcome

2010-04-10T09:46:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my new Blog. I'll be keeping you all posted about what's happening here at Country Contrast - new items, fairs I'm at and other snippets of information I hope you'll find interesting. I am new to this so hope you'll bear with me till I find my way around!