Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair

Everything is on track for a great fair in February. We have been a bit pre-occupied with arranging Felicity's mothers (92) funeral and monitoring her father (96) who fell and broke his hip a few days after her death. Not an easy time, but it is good to have things to do to take our minds off some of the other issues.

Details of the workshops will be on the website soon. We have some exciting workshops lined up and hope many of you will enjoy them. They will be in Princess Risborough Community Centre on Sunday 21st April. There is lots of free parking 100 metres away plus disabled parking outside the venue. The registration fee includes tea, coffee and biscuits throughout the day, and a buffet lunch. All the workshops will be geared to producing something by the end of the day and learning useful techniques and skills to use in the future.

Leaflets and Things

Welcome to the beginning of Autumn, that time you move in from the garden to your mini-space/workshop to start your mini madness once again. Checking back it seems like forever since our last blog. We have just returned from the Algarve, a nice change from the hustle and bustle of family stuff that seems to take up so much time.

Anyway back to business. The leaflets for Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair are printed and will be going out shortly. We have also been looking at developing the programme booklet and wondered if any of you would like to place an advertisement in it. The pages are A5 and are diveded up into half, quarter and eigth sizes. Or you can have a whole page. We are stll discussing viable costs/prices with the printer, but expect a half page to cost between £40 - £50 including some help setting it up. If you are interested or have ideas or thoughts about this please let us know.

Thame and Beyond

We have been out of ciculation for a few weeks, Spain, grandchildren, hours on the beach and round and round the campsite on a little bike. But in those quiet times when they are sleeping it allows time for thought. We have decided to move the workshops away from the Sunday after the show to another Sunday, possibly in March or April. The difficulty we are having deciding on the date is because we are trying to avoid clashing with other events.

Our current ideas are that the Artisans leading the workshops also have a selling table, which means a bigger venue than the Thame Town Hall, but we have a local place in mind.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions for a date(s) please let us know.

Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair is on track and we have some of your favourite Artisans booked as well as some new ones. Check out the website. This is going to be another quality show.

The Longest Day Will Soon Be Here

It does not seem like a month ago that we posted the last blog and it has probably rained every one of those days, at least it feels like it has. Hope you have found the website more user friendly, we have tried to improve some of the features to make it more accessible

There are some new standholders for 2013, but the quality still remains. We are determined to bring you only the best Artisans and hope that you will enjoy them too. Please check them out so you can start your wish list for Thame Dollshouse and Miniatures Fair 2013. Maybe a delayed Christmas present or a treat to cheer yourself up, or just a treat.

The grandchildren are beckoning, and Lisa not yet one, does not know she will have a dollshouse before she is much older (nor do her parents, and that will be a challenge in their apartment). At least the rain is warmer in Spain.

Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair 2013

The next Thame Dollshouse and Miniatures Fair will be held on 23rd February 2013, in Thame Leisure Centre.  This event will again be a fabulous opportunity to meet, and purchase from, some of the UK's finest miniatures artisans. Those already booked are now listed on the website www.thamedollshousefair.co.uk , so have a look, and keep checking as more will be added as bookings are received.

Kensington Dollshouse Festival

We had a very nice day at Kensington on Sunday. It was good to catch up with many of the standholders who are coming to Thame and to get their feedback on the current fairs. We also took advantage of the situation to check out other standholders who we may want to invite in the future. There was certainly some excellent and high quality work for sale.

We have been thinking hard about whether or not to continue to run workshops on the Sunday after the fair. After listening to possible tutors and students we have decided to run a workshop day in April, if we can find a suitable venue. This will be instead of the workshops we previously arranged in Thame and will offer a wider range of one day and half day workshops.

Further details will be posted on the workshops page of the website once we have researched this fully. In the meantime if you have any ideas or suggestions that may help us in our quest, please let us know.

The website will be going live in a few weeks.

Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair

In the time it has taken for us to deal with the dogs' broken toe, broken in three places. A visit to Manchester where one of the parents was in hospital. A weeks holiday in Fuerteventura, where it was warm but windy,but great diving: There has been an excellent response from the traders for the 2013 fair.

Once again we will be bringing you the high quality artisans that this Thame Fair has become known for, and again we will be supporting the Breast Cancer Campaign.

Put Saturday 23rd February 2013 in your diary.

Workshops will be on Sunday 24th February 2013. (Details to come later in the year)

Miniature carpets

 Embroidering miniature carpets is what I enjoy most, and I've been able to get back to it recently. I work mainly on 22 count canvas, using stranded cotton.

I'm happy to take commissions, so if you'd like one just contact me to discuss designs and prices

Newbury Fair

We thought we would see what it was like to be a stand holder in a real fair. We have only really been part of charity and club events, but we have a wide range of stock so thought we would have a go. It was financially okay, we did not make a loss, but we got a good understanding of some of the pressures that traders are dealing with. Felicity spent the best part of a week trying out things on the decorating table I set up.  I just kept shifting things from one space to another and ended up thinking have we got enough stuff to sell. I guess that is what goes through your minds before every fair.

Altogether an interesting exercise and we hope it will give us more insight and  understanding about the pressures you are all under on a daily basis, and especially in the current economic climate.

We are just beginning to send out invitations to regular standholders for next years Thame Dollshouse& Miniatures Fair. Once these are returned we shall turn our attention filling any  gaps with those quality artisans who are out there. One thing we believe is that quality really does count and all the standholders at T D & M F have that quality.

Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair 2012

Tired but happy - a volunteer at the end of a successful day.

And that's it for this year! 

Watch out for news of more of the same next year, 

on Saturday 23rd February 2013

Thame Fair - workshops

On Sunday19th February, the day after the fair, there was a lot of activity at Thame Town Hall as people arrived for the workshops led by Jane Harrop, Mags Cassidy, and Malcolm Smith. A good day was had by all , with a very nice lunch, convivial company and excellent teaching packed with techniques, hints and tips.

Students with Jane made a 'potting bench, in 1/12th or 1/24th scale.

Those with Mags made cakesand sandwiches, and learnt all sorts of techniques for making  and presenting plates of food

Malcolm's students built a roomsetting,learning to use airdrying clay and brick impress moulds effectively.

Fundraising for Breast Cancer Campaign

The sales table was busy all day, and over £1600 was raised from this stand alone at Thame Fair this year. Thanks to all who donated items for sale on this table, and to the group of volunteers who were busy selling all day.

Over 35 raffle prizes were donated by standholders and other professional miniaturists. The raffle raised over £520.
Thank you to everyone who donated a prize, and who bought a ticket.

MTM (market Town Miniaturists) of Thame made most of the tombola prizes. Thanks to theitr efforts, and those that bought tickets, the tombola raised over £270.

The winning bid in the sealed bid auction , 'A Cold and Frosty Morning after the Night before......' scene created by Celia Thomas (KT Miniatures) and Robin Britton (Coombe Crafts)
was a tremendous £300

The Town Crier at Thame Fair.................

...........and Town Crier Doll, made by
 Robin Britton of Coombe Crafts,
a standholder at the fair

Fundraising for Breast Cancer Campaign at Thame fair

Breast Cancer Campaign fundraising at the Thame dollshouse and Miniatures Fair

After a couple of weeks sorting everything out and counting the money, we can now say that a fantastic total of more than £3200 was raised for Breast Cancer Campaign at the fair, including £ 289.61 collected at the street collection in Thame High Street. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who helped and contributed in whatever way.

Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair

Now the dust has settled and I can look back at the fair, I was up at 05.30 and out to work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, lying to 6.00 this morning. Well wasn't it a brilliant day? Quality oozed from the standholders, they could not help themselves. A fantastic display of artifacts and merchandise and enough variety to suit everyones taste. There were a couple of minor hiccups but I hope you did not notice. Next year will be as good if not better. Any thoughts you may have to improve the day please tell us. Sorry can't do anything about the parking. We think this may be the best year yet for our charity The Breast Cancer Campaign. Over £3000.00 raised by your generousity. The final total will be published here and on the fair website. Thank you for your support. The workshops on Sunday were also greatly enjoyed by those that took part. Lots of skills were learnt, and some very good miniatures were produced. Jane Harrop, Mags Cassidy and Malcolm Smith led the workshops. At one point in the afternoon I went in to announce tea was served and could not believe how quiet and concentrated the whole room was. Another very good day. Next years fair is on the 23rd February 2013. Put that date in your diary.

Two Weeks to Go To The Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair

Just to let you all know the standholders plan is almost ready to be put up. Some small changes from last year to take account of special requests and health concerns. The line up of standholders is impressive. A good mix of your favourite artisans with a few new faces added in. It is going to be a brilliant fair. So come along on the 18th February and enjoy the fair and help us to raise money for the Breast Cancer Campaign. There will be lots of opportunities for you to win things, take part in the charity events and spend your hard earned cash. Doors open at 10.00. Parking is free. Come a bit earlier and get a cup of coffee or tea at the snack bar.

ONE MONTH TO GO TO TDH&MF

We have had an odd couple of weeks, partly caused by the removal of my cata

racts. It was very strange having one good eye and one dodgy eye for a week. But, thanks to modern medicine I have a new pair of eyes and can see clearly now.

All the standholders are on the website so have a look at their photographs. The floor plan will be on in a couple of weeks. There are one or two changes, but in the main it remains similar to last year.

We have had a chinese gatehouse donated by a small group of minaturists keen to support the Breast Cancer Campaign. A superbly made and beautifully furnished "gatehouse". Come along on the day (Saturday 18th February) to have a go at winning this wonderful artifact and help raise money for our charity.

There are a few spaces still available for the Sunday Workshops, but please check with us before you book.

We look forward to seeing you all in February.

Thame Dollshouse & Miniatures Fair Sunday Workshops

Happy New Year to everyone. We trust you all have a prosperous and creative one despite the doom and gloom that is forecast.

Felicity and I were discussing how quiet everthing had gone, when suddenly as the festive season ends, people come out of hibernation and the phone and email starts to become active again with all sorts of enquiries and requests.

There are still a few spaces left on the workshops, but please check before booking as this situation is changing daily. Phone me on 07738 009795 for an update.

The Thame Town Hall is easily accessible, has good parking and is disabled friendly with a lift to the workshop floor.

A chance to learn some great techniques to take your hobby to a new level.