Colonel Chris Hadfield

One of the speakers at STARFest was Colonel Chris Hadfield. 

Christmas before last, many of us received his book "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" . It's an incredible life guide book.

When I learned he was coming to the Arden Theatre, I picked up three tickets. On each for me, my daughter and son-in-law, Robert. Unfortunately, Robert was out of town with his job and Leanne had "family" related things to attend.

Joanne, Leslie and I went. I don't really know how to tell you what an incredible experience it was! I guess that the best I can say is that after an hour and a half, including a Q and A, it seemed liked 10 - 15 minutes!

We did get books signed.

To expedite things, library staff wrote dedication names on post-it notes in the books of those waiting in line AND took pictures as people spoke with the Colonel.

There were probably 300 people waiting in line to have books and/or tickets signed and yet Colonel Hadfield spoke individually with each person, signed whatever, and posed for a picture (or pictures). At one point, Zach, a grade 12 student, told Col. Hadfield he wasn't sure what he wanted to do post high school. Col. Hadfield stopped, said he didn't want to speak only privately to Zach, and said, "Go to your library or bookstore and see what you gravitate to: if it's the graphic arts, think about what interests you and how you can make a career from that: perhaps you can been an artist; maybe a film producer; ...

And Colonel Hadfield did it again at 7:00 p.m. that night....

Have to admit that I spent most of last night and today re-reading his book. What an inspiration!

This and that, all day workshop

I checked the Put and Take before it closed on September 30 and picked up this interesting piece which I think I can use as a Christmas tree in one of the pieces that Val gave me:

6 1/2" tall (Think maybe I can decorate it with the rhinestones in my stash) Although I think most of the people I would do a Christmas scene for would prefer something more traditional....

Spoke with my neighbour, Sue, the other day and she said she had a gift for me:

top of cap is 1 1/2" across

Isn't it an incredible gift?

Great day! 

About half the club met today (Saturday) to work on the lamp roombox kit that we bought from Grandpa's Dollhouse.

Sandra S came up with this great use of LEGO blogs to support the back and sides of the room box! Thanks, Sandra!

Just thought I'd show you how some of the kits came together!

Members felt they would wait until they got home to deal with the painting and adding the electrical lighting kit to the back of the room.

It was a GREAT day!

PERSONAL: Hope to get everything tidied up before I leave on Tuesday night for Ontario. Am going to hear Colonel Chris Hadfield speak at the Arden Theatre tomorrow! Don't know if I'll have a chance to blog from Ontario so I'll get back to you sometime in early November.

Bit of a catch up...

Oh, my, real life is attacking from all sides over the next week and a bit.

Have a STARFest  meeting tomorrow morning; a MEE club meeting Tuesday night; STARFest authors Wednesday and Friday; our all day workshop to assemble the lamp kits on Saturday and, on Sunday, goingwith friends to hear Colonel Chris Hadfield speak. Then will spend Tuesday night at DD Leanne's and head for Ontario on Wednesday; Hallowe'en with the grands on Saturday night and the miniature Show and Sale in Bowmanville on Sunday, November 1, then home again on  November 3.

Whew - get tired just typing it out!

Yesterday and today several members of MEE dropped by to pick up their lamp kits which will make a big difference in handling the rest of them. One of them, Cathy V., is returning to the club after a long absence. We had a lovely visit as she looked at what I've been doing while she was gone.

My friend from upstairs, Jeanne, came by with her sister and her sister's fiancee to show them my minis. It's always such a joy when appreciative people come to see them.

House is still pretty much tidy - except for the kitchen.

Have, however, set up the folding table in the living room again so I can work on my demo lamp kit for the all day workshop on Saturday. While Wayne and Liz from Grandpa's Dollhouse posted wonderful videos of step-by-step instructions on Youtube, I still need to do a print tutorial.

For now, all I've done is the sanding of the pieces:

But it's a start....

Canada Post

Thank you all for your support!

I don't know if it was the support of the employee at  the Shoppers' Drug Mart post office (who called the CP depot with my complaint when I picked up the original parcel) or, if I was lucky enough to get a CP employee who actually feels that he needs to do his job.

In any event, this afternoon, I got a call at the door from Canada Post. Told him I'd be right down. Took my cart down, met the mail person, picked up the boxes and took them home.

HOORAY!

A double duty thank you...

Tonight Val gave me a lovely box of chocolates as a thank you for the Christmas book vignette I made for her friend.

I doubt that it was intentional but the bag and the container will both make lovely containers for two more vignettes.

The bag is 8 1/2" wide x 7 1/2" high and 3" deep. I can cut a 'window' in the front, line it with foamcore and fill it with a nice little scene.

The inside measurements of the box itself  are 9 1/4" wide x 7 7/8" high and 2 5/8" deep.

I'm looking forward to doing something with them.

Canada Post....

I am SO angry with Canada Post. The delivery of our club's kits from Grandpa's Dollhouse arrived today!

This is what happened! As I posted to the Canada Post FB page:

I am beyond annoyed (can't/won't) say exactly how I feel for fear of being deleted. I live in a condo at 78A McKenney Avenue, St. Albert, AB. This afternoon as I was leaving the building, another resident told me that there was a Canada Post delivery notice on the door for me. I looked and, sure enough, it was there. I was home all day and did not get a call (surprise, surprise!). There were EIGHT "attempted delivery" notices! Another resident came down and said she had seen the CP vehicle come through the parking lot and had awaited a call. (Nothing!) 

This was an order that consisted of three 40 lb. boxes. I am 68 years old, do not drive, and it's .8 km to the nearest post office. I was home and could have accepted delivery in a couple minutes. Now I have to arrange for a ride and pick the parcels up..... 

This is SO typical of Canada Post and I'm fed up! I'm venting here because I know if I call "the number", I'll just get a (doubtful/maybe, if I'm lucky), "sorry" but definitely "there's nothing we can do about it". 

I do understand that in three or so weeks our condo will receive the 'package mail boxes' supplied by Canada Post which will supposedly relieve this problem but that doesn't help the residents of our condo now.

I am SO angry, tired and frustrated!

A different Thanksgiving - with just a tiny bit of minis thrown in

Minis
We had our Show and Sale de-briefing meeting Saturday morning. Things went very well. In order to keep the Sale going well, we need more and different dealers so if you know of anyone who might be interested in selling at our Show and Sale next year on Sunday, September 18, please let me know.

Thanksgiving
DD Leanne picked me up at my place about 5:30 and we drove to her place where we ordered in Chinese food then called DS Sean, DDIL Julie and the grandchildren. After a great telephone visit, we ate our dinner, watched some Netflix then went to bed.

Left Leanne's about 7:30 on Sunday for Calgary. Arrived at the Chinook Mall about 11. Checked it out and had some lunch then headed to CrossIron Mills where we walked miles. Leanne had hoped to find some "Dr. Who" items but had no luck at either location. She did, however, find a great top (we knew that because we both saw it and said "YES"!) and I got two pair of wonderfully comfortable shoes (something I NEVER find). Then headed back home and was in my place before 8 p.m.

It's a bit unconventional, I know, but days like this are special to Leanne and me. During the drive time, we talk about all the important things (including some that can be  uncomfortable, such as last wishes - going both ways).

Back to minis
Before I left, I didn't get all the minis that Marie had given me put away. Well, I didn't get it done tonight either BUT I did at least get them sorted and bagged. And I will get them on the bulletin boards soon.

Since I cleaned the workroom, I made the Christmas roombook for Valerie and the birdcage garden for Lorraine and Gary. And my workroom still looks great!

Want to keep it this way but don't think it's going to happen..............I get too involved with things!

Just like Christmas!!!

Marie and Robert arrived this afternoon and stopped by with Mom for a short visit. Brought me all manner of neat 'stuff'. Just when I had put everything away. LOL

First of all was a bag of Lego and a box of K'nex for Jonah.

Great bag of Lite Brite pegs for me. These are my favourites as they have the flat bottom. Although I've never seen the connected ones before.

Five packs of mini light adhesive clips; Two bags of snow powder; a bag of tile pieces.

Two sets of wine charms (one silver, one gold). The corkscrew is perfect but it's more 1:6 then 1:12. Goblets and wine bottles are good. 

Think these are meant to be place card holders but they'll make lovely picture frames.

Goblets and candle holder in the first row are WAY too big but the rest of the things have possibilities.

I'm the oldest of four girls. When I turned 60, the other three gave me a piggy bank containing sixty one dollar coins from each of them. (That $180 went toward my first trip to Camp Mini Ha Ha in Nova Scotia.) As each of them turned 60, the pig was passed on with the three un-birthday ladies each contributing $60. With my 70th looming (in a year and a half), Marie picked up a new pig for that decade. It will eventually be blinged out with Swarovsky crystals and signed by each of us in turn.

Some lovely notepaper and envelopes.

A few more brass pieces. Sorry the picture is so blurry but my battery died as it was being downloaded and can't take a new one until it's charged.

Off to a meeting at the library tonight, have a Show and Sale debriefing meeting tomorrow, spending Saturday night at Leanne's then we're heading to Calgary on Sunday - just for fun.

Oh, my!

Just received this wonderful note from Ella F.

The outside of the card reads: A simple act of kindness has a beauty all its own.

Inside is this note from Ella F.:

I am the person who won the Three Bear's House from the Leo Nickerson draw. I realy like the house and I'm so happy that you made the house.
I think you did a great job. Thank you for making the house.
Thank you,
from Ella F.

I'm truly blessed to hear from Ella. Thank you.

Finishing the garden bird cage

I took a strip of some carpet material and cut it to the width of the chairs and double the length: then coated it with glue and folded it against itself.

 Clamped it against the seat and the top

 Let the glue dry. then trimmed the top of the chair.

From the top:

 From the sides:

 I am SO pleased with it.

Slight detour....

So what else is new?

Marie and Rob will be here tomorrow so I decided to work on the bird cage garden for Lorraine and Gary (although I don't know if they'll be seeing them this weekend).

Have temporarily put away the kitchen roombox and furniture.

I'm using 1" thick builders foam for the base of the garden. The gadget on the right is a foam cutter that BIL Grahame gave me when he gave up his railroading setup. It's great for cutting through foam (the wire across the top heats up and slices through the foam) but the throat of the tool limits how far you can cut. And I don't hold it steadily enough for really straight cuts although the edge will be hidden so that's not a great problem. Between the tool and a serrated knife, I was able to cut a piece to fit in the bottom of the cage.

Grahame had also given me a LOT of railroad landscaping materials, including several different colours of turf. I combined four different colours in a Ziploc bag and mixed it thoroughly.

I covered the top and sides of the builder's foam with Weldbond glue and spread it evenly with a foam brush.

The mixed turf was then spread very thickly on the foam and left overnight so I would be sure the glue was dry.

All the excess was tapped off the foam

 and returned to the Ziploc bag.

Here the 'lawn' is in place.

I printed out a template of the lawn to help plan what I'm going to do.

I took the bird bath vignette from my 'house street and the circular plant holder with the geraniums from the "Petal Pusher Shop" and the furniture from the "Scoop or Two" (both from Little Fair on the Prairie).

I've added a fruit tray, pitcher and glasses to the table and roses in the upper left hand corner and green plants in the lower right hand corner.

I spoke to Marie and they won't be seeing Lorraine and Gary on this trip  so I don't have to have it finished by tomorrow.....but since it's so close, I'll finish it and have one more project completed.

I thought about covering the umbrella over the table but decided not to in order to keep the scene open and everything visible. Think I will put pads on the chairs, however.

In honour of their faith, I've added a statue of the Virgin Mary in one corner as they have one in their own garden.

This is unlike their own award-winning garden but I hope it will give them some pleasure.

I'll finish transferring everything to the cage and post pictures of the final work tomorrow.

Framing workshop, matboard

Our former chairperson, Tina, taught a workshop tonight on framing. She is a wonderful teacher!

We had earlier given her pictures, certificates, etc., that she resized for us in miniature. My choices were: (1) a picture of Vern and Sean on our first camping/fishing trip, (2) Vern as coach of Leanne's softball team, and (3) Vern's parents. In the upper right hand corner you can see the miniaturized copies of each picture. and in the lower right hand is the first frame I made.

And here is the framed picture.

I'll try to expand on the framing tomorrow.

MEE member, Sandra, announced that she had LOTS of matboard available to club members and, in fact, brought in a stack of it for us.

I picked up these:

The top piece is 19 1/2" x 8 1/2"

 Was pleased to have those pieces, then spotted this one:

This piece is 9 1/8" x 9 1/8". 

I think this piece will make a wonderful counter top and top for the island in the kitchen room.