Once the momentum kicks in to stay focused to work on the miniature, it’s a breeze all the way, a situation I had forgotten the past year when I derailed from crafting to do other things instead. It is nice when there are no hiccups or lengthy pauses to hinder the pace.
So, in less than two weeks, minus a few days of non-crafting, DIY project number 26 is now a complete piece and ready to join the others in the Ikea display cabinet. I hope I can find a place for it!
DIY project number 26With the light on!
Number 26 is another bookshop that I seem to like; there are now three books-related sets that I have done – two bookshops and a study. There were challenges, of course, but they are nothing when one stays focused.
I will take a break for a few days before deciding which miniature to work on next for DIY project number 27.
It’s a Monday, a public holiday, and a rainy day. The weekend has stretched yet again to a three-day, with today being a replacement public holiday.
It is perfect for a sleep-in with the cool weather and doing nothing, and the thought of working on my miniature pales to the lure of the sofa. The Weather app is showing a rainy day until this evening. Going out feels like a hassle with the wet condition. So it looks like staying put is best.
Feeling inspired that I finally completed the last miniature, I started on the next one immediately, project number 26. It should not take so long since I have to be home to continue my road to recovery from my medical issues.
DIY project #26!
I have yet to play golf, so it’s a matter of allocating enough time to the project daily. Then there will be progress. I find these DIY miniature sizes more enjoyable to do. Also, the completed set does not take up much space in the IKEA display cabinet. Nice!
Finally, DIY project number 25 is a wrap! It took me six months, the longest ever, to complete a miniature set. And I had forgotten the sense of satisfaction and achievement upon completion because I had neglected my craft work for so long. So it’s nice to feel this positivity and accomplishment.
I should get back into doing my miniatures more this year. Last year, I was so busy with other activities and travel, and there was hardly any time for my hobbies. I did no carving, minimal felting, and only occasional miniature work.
My sweet little Jam ShopDetails of the shop
Perhaps this year, the priority is to focus on these activities again and have an enjoyable time.
I had a follow-up appointment at the hospital last Friday, and all are fine with me now. Phew. I only have to continue my meds, and the road to recovery is clear.
Technically, I’m not supposed to drive or go for long car journeys nor exert myself yet, i.e., no golf for a while. So I’m staying put, not going anywhere to usher in the Lunar New Year of the Water Rabbit.
And to keep myself busy, I have decided to finish up the DIY miniature that has been sitting on my table for months, a wise decision to minimize my dependency on my iPad Mini constantly.
There’s progress, and I should be able to display this with the rest of the completed sets. Yay. However, I’m wondering whether I should immediately jump into the next one – DIY project #26. Hmm. We shall see.
My DIY miniature has not progressed, but in line with the Christmas spirit, I am helping M2 to build a Gingerbread house! And it’s not easy, I tell you.
The humidity has contributed to the structure becoming soft when exposed to the air. So the first attempt failed. Sigh.
We will attempt again today and hopefully will fare better. Otherwise, the Gingerbread house will join my current DIY miniature as an incomplete project.
It just hit me that it is December already! Oh, my goodness. 2022 is coming to an end soon. With less than a month left, there is still much to do to fill up the days with memories.
December is a constant battle with the weather when it comes to doing the laundry. Will the sun peek out for a bit? Will it rain non-stop? The laundry does not have that sun-soaked smell during this time of the year.
December is also a month to get my Christmas shopping going! And so far, I’m on track. Yay. And yes, the home Christmas decorations are out, and it’s just the finishing touches here and there.
Being the last month of the year, December is also a time to wrap up things that started at the beginning of the year. Specifically, my DIY miniature, sitting at my station, collecting dust. I have not crafted so many this year, and it would be nice to finish up this last one.
December is a time for reflection on the year that passed. I am thankful for the good times and have stored away the good memories. I hope the remainder of the month will give me several more last hurrahs to cherish.
Besides my golf game struggle, my DIY miniature crafting has also struggled over the past few months. I have not sat down at my little workstation for so long, and my last project has stalled to the moon and never came back! Hahaha.
It would be nice to finish it up and not leave the set incomplete and collecting dust. I have gone so far with crafting miniatures for the past three years already. And this being DIY project #25, it would be great to wrap it up before the year ends.
Sometimes weather plays a role in determining the outcome of a holiday outing is a success or not. It drizzled yesterday morning, but we were unfazed by it. I was clever enough to pack an umbrella, and it came in handy!
Tempting displays caught our eye!
We had another pastry breakfast to start our day. Luckily, the rain was light, and I did not need to open the umbrella. But when I had to, it was cold. Brr. I had to wear my gloves.
Pastries and sandwich for breakfast
We passed St Paul’s Cathedral and headed towards the Millennium Bridge to check out Tate Museum. The timing was perfect as we spent two hours indoors, staying warm and out of the drizzling conditions.
St. Paul’s Cathedral Uber Boat anyone?
There were many interesting art pieces on display. However, two works caught our eye, not so much for their visual impact but for the lack of it instead. What qualifies these two non-visuals as art, displayed at Tate Modern? The concept? The process? They were blank canvases, for goodness sake! It baffled us to no end.
This is art? Or is this art?Two embossed circles and dots make this art?
After Tate, we headed to Starbucks for a quick bite and cold coffee to refuel our energy. We passed Amazon Fresh and trodded on toward the Shard for a picture opportunity and discovered the Borough Market in that area. What a pleasant discovery!
Our hotel room is small but sufficient. The beds are comfortable, and that first night, tiredness kicked in after a simple souvlaki dinner. We were all knocked out!
Greek beer and souvlaki for dinner
Refreshed after a good night’s sleep, we were ready to explore the next day. It was eight degrees Celsius when we stepped out of the building. In moments like this, the face masks were handy to keep our nose and cheeks warm!
The day started with a pastry and coffee breakfast. The cinnamon pretzel choice was the biggest we have seen. As big as the face, the pretzel alone could feed us all! We sat outside on the walkway of the pastry shop, and that was nice. The fat pigeon was watching us the whole time!
We took the Tube to the Bank of England to exchange some old currency notes, no longer accepted as legal tender, for new ones. It would be wise to do this unless you want to keep them as souvenirs.
But the line was very long, and the Security Officer suggested we do this at the Post Office around the corner if our amount was not in abundance. It was good advice, for we got this done in less than ten minutes instead of waiting an hour and a half.
After settling this, we headed to King’s Cross to see the iconic Platform 9 3/4. And what a crowd there was for the famous Harry Potter scene! We decided to skip the queue and still managed to snap a decent picture from the side.
The platform and queue, and the gift shop
It was a sunny day, so we kept our activities outdoors. The next stop was Coal Drops Yard before meeting an old friend for lunch. So good to see him after all these years!
We parted ways after the pleasant meal, and we continued with our adventure. At our friend’s suggestion, we thought getting on a Hop On Hop Off open-topped double-decker bus was excellent to take in all the sights. But it was already 2.00pm, and there may not be enough time. The sun sets around 4.30pm!
We decided to go indoors instead and headed over to The British Museum. We spent time in the museum until the closing hour, oohing and aahing over relics and artifacts. But if given a choice, I’d rather ooh and aah over paintings than headless and armless stone figurines and stone relics missing noses and head gears, you know?
Angieneering 
Remarks