Jane Harrop - On a small scale....

I received two packages today.  The first was thirty (yes thirty) LED lights which I'll tell you about when I come to tackle them.  The other was this wonderful kit from Jane Harrop.

It arrives in a ziplock bag and plastic box

I wouldn't normally take you through every inch of a kit but I wanted to show you just how perfect her work is.  Firstly the nicely packaged whole.

The (proper glossy) photo on the front isn't just 'window dressing'.

the finished project

Anything you see here will be in the kit and this is the best reference for you all the way through so you can aim to get the finished deal.

'greetings card'

The card goes on to detail what you'll need and gives you an introduction to the kit as a whole.

paper items

There was an envelope containing the paper items you will use to dress the work area.  You could even use the paper to paper the walls, cover the floor and roof tile your mini mini house.  As always there are some preparation instructions for you before you just dive in.  She is all about good prep and working slowly and carefully and finishing properly.

worksheets

The heart of any kit is the instructions; these are just the very best.  They are concise but clear and have a ton of pictures so you can compare your work to her's as you go along.  They are even on separate sheets of paper so if you want to attack the accessories first you don't have to hunt out the 'part that applies' to them.

real size clues

This, for me, is almost an essential in any kit: a piece of paper with real size drawings of all those bits of wood.  I use it it in two ways; firstly I lay out all the pieces to check they are all there and then, of course, I use it to identify the piece I need for each step of the build.

Cut out pieces ready to assemble

Again everything is packaged in appropriate groups and clearly labelled, no guesswork needed.  Take a second to look at the exquisite teeny windows in the dolls house kit. Remember that is a 144th.

tools included

She also includes a right angle jig and some fine grade sandpaper.

The eagle-eyed reader might have spotted there was no work table.  No error on Jane's part. I didn't want one as I am trying to replicate my own work room which means making an Ikea corner table and trolley for these things to go on.

There are great vendors out there who come close and even, maybe, match this quality and detail but certainly not all and people like Jane Harrop define the standard needed.