Kodak. An original edition

Kodak. Who were they? What did they make? A blast-from-the-past, I must say. This tinybuilding is from long before digital cameras. This is from the days of rolls [literally] of film being wound over the sprockets of your Nikon or Leica. At least, you hoped they wound over the sprockets. Many a great shot was lost because it didn't quite happen.

This tinybuilding is one of James' early ones. It has collected, over years of disrespect and bad storage, a wonderful patina of scuffs and scratches. But, it perseveres, proudly carrying on the illustrious, almost forgotten name of Kodak.

You can see how James had a different approach to conceiving and making his tinybuildings. He sometimes pasted pieces on instead of cutting out; he used *alien* materials like the door made from an index card. His imagination was free and glorious--not restricted by banal things like placement of windows and doors. From this boxy, slapped together thing he could envision a piece of architecture. I'm still envious....

c. 1977

Mas. New York City

Mas [French farmhouse] is a restaurant in the West Village with wonderful ambiance. It has been designed to portray its namesake with admirable restraint. No kitsch. No hype. Small space beautifully used. Has just enough dark wood, reminiscent of barn beams, to make the point; but doesn't hit you over the head with 'rustic'. A New York interpretation of a farmhouse- maybe wearing Prada, as *they* say.

The food is wonderful. We have had several family celebrations here, and are happy every time we return.

This tinybuilding is [I've said this several times before, I know...] one of my favorites. I love that the blades of grass encouraged the random openings in the facade. Think of them as worn out barn siding...holes in the side of the structure where the cows can peek in or out. Where the chickens can escape. Where the kids can sneak away to play instead of milking those cows.

But, on the other side of the tinybuilding is * the truth*. This is a farmhouse, with orderly windows; but, what? no door?! hahaha. This is the only tinybuilding without a door. Love it!!!

The Mas farmhouse/barn is about 1-1/2" tall. It is as wonderful as it is mainly due to the exquisite business card it is made from. Beautiful paper and printing and unusual, almost square size/proportion. Really conducive to a special no-door tinybuilding. Hooray!

c. 2006

Cafe Lettus. San Francisco

This is a restaurant that personifies *everyday* San Francisco at its most down-to-earth [pun intended]. It serves food made with organic, locally grown ingredients, with an emphasis on freshness. This is the kind of restaurant you wish were in *your* neighborhood when you are craving a really good salad, and can't think of anyplace that can fill that need.

The graphics of the card are very well suited to the place. Slightly too 'corporate', but still refreshing. [heehee] I did not try to make a tinybuilding that would match the actual place, but did consider the layout of the card in forming the facades and roof. I like the window pattern and the cute little roof over the front door. Maybe this is a tall farmhouse on an organic farm somewhere in California....tall [ about 1-1/4 inch] and skinny, for the farmer and his wife in that painting...

c. 2006

Whitman's. An original edition

This is one of the very earliest tinybuildings, made by James a long, long time ago. Must have been in 1975 or so. No way of knowing, really.

This little structure is about 1-1/4 inches tall.

As I've mentioned, these tinybuildings were originally made as part of a Christmas *village* and for tree decorations. One of our family traditions was to put small boxes of Whitman's candy in the kids' stockings. So, that box would have been handy when James first hit on the idea of making miniature houses and stores and small-town buildings. This is exactly how the whole concept of the tinybuildings is supposed to work.

When I hold this one in my hand, I can conjure up many Christmases when we were all together, with piles of wrapping paper, kids in pjs so excited they couldn't sit still, cats hiding under the trash, too many presents for just two kids, special breakfasts of Dutch baby pancakes- joy all around.

I love that this one is worn and shows its age. Don't we all?!

I've tried to replicate these earliest Whitman buildings, but, sadly these candy boxes are now made of flimsy, slick, photo-printed paper....not at all a rewarding process.

So, this may be the very most favorite. I wish it were still in my collection; but I know it has a good, appreciative home where it lives now.

c. 1975

Prune. New York City

This is one of the best restaurants in NYC, in the USA....Tiny place in the East Village, owned by a woman chef whose childhood nickname was Prune. Excellent food, very vibrant, comfortable atmosphere. Always crowded and hectic, but somehow you don't mind people jostling your elbow getting to their table or gazing at the food on your plate while they look over the menu.

The restaurant is in the ground floor of one of the ubiquitous apartment buildings that border all the sidewalks in Manhattan. I don't know it there is really a skylight on the back side of the roof, but it seemed like there oughta be. Maybe because Prune somehow makes you think of a Parisian bistro/brasserie...might be the tall skinny windows and the old mirrors and woodwork inside.

They have a great Sunday brunch; and the roasted fish on the dinner menu is melt-in-your-mouth good. Always interesting side dishes.

c. 2005

Morimoto. Philadelphia

I love this tinybuilding! I am proud of how much it resembles the actual restaurant. Go to the morimoto link and see what I mean. It was difficult to build....curved roof/ceiling...tiny benches...This, obviously, took several business cards, breaking one of the 'rules'; but, it's worth it to have the name down each side and the address between the 'slots' in the back wall.


In the restaurant one of the designer's 'gimmicks' is to have the plastic furniture units change colors through embedded colored lights. I decided not to try that.....kinda tacky, anyway...

Sushi here is outstanding. Beautifully presented, of course. And imaginative.

c. 2002

Frame Eleven. New York City and Zurich

This tinybuilding was made from a couple business cards for Darko Karas' motion graphics company in NYC. Darko is Jane's partner-in-crime-and-love.

I tried to do the card's graphics justice by placing and cutting the windows and doors in this tinybuilding at interesting locations and with unusual compositions-for windows, at least...I let the lines on the card dictate the positions and sizes of the cuts. Nice, huh?

c. 2006

Toblerone Swiss Chalet. New York City

This is another tinybuilding from Jane's SDOTY Party- the one with the Swiss theme- for party favors.

Cute little cabin in a snow-filled valley, waiting for the skiers to return for rosti and schuemli pfluemli. They can sit on the front deck and put their feet up on the railing....Then maybe some chocolate for dessert....

I love this little cabin...Makes me very happy to look at it.

c. 2005

Lupa. New York City

Lupa is one of Mario Batali's restaurants. My favorite, in fact. It has the feel of a 'neighborhood hangout' place, but with very good food. Not unlike Delfina in San Francisco [although, Delfina's food is even better I think].

It is particularly pleasant to eat at the bar, even with all the foot traffic and bustle. The energy level is great. Pasta, yummy roasted artichokes, Prosecco....We have had lots of good meals there. Makes you feel like a New York Insider to be there, somehow.

The actual building is not shaped like this Lupa 'diner'. But the atmosphere and attitude is sorta Italian Diner, I thought. Hence-the Lupa Diner.

c. 2002

International Orange Spa. San Francisco

Since the IO Spa is an interior space in a nondescript building, I made an 'interpretive', spa-like tinybuilding, using the graphics of the card to shape the structure. This is a case where the card definitely does the space justice. Just looking at it makes me more relaxed....

The interior of the spa is similar to the tinybuilding: white curving walls and slotted display areas and windows.

I especially had fun 'twisting' the logotype around the structure. I think it is rather Zen-like, whatever that means....

I did use multiple cards here, because I wanted the IO flag on top, leading you to a wonderful, relaxing and rejuvenating spa experience.

c. 2006

Delfina. San Francisco

Let me tell you about the most wonderful 'food street' in San Francisco...maybe even in the U.S. - Eighteenth Street, between Guerrero and Dolores, in the Mission district...This is foodie heaven. On the corner is Tartine Bakery. Next to it it Delfina Pizzeria, an annex to Delfina. and next to that is Bi-Rite Market, a small, family-owned market with everything you could want to prepare a wonderful meal. A little farther up the street, and across, is Bi-Rite Creamery...unimaginably good ice cream in very imaginative flavors.

So, walking less than a block, you can have brunch, a very special pizza, shop for dinner or make a reservation at Delfina, then hop just the block for an ice cream cone to carry around the block as you try to walk off the pounds. You will have had some of the best meals ever! No exaggeration.

This particular tinybuilding is my granddaughter's. She had dinner there when she was about two weeks old. She was very well behaved and charmed all the staff and customers. Her parents also have a Delfina in their collection because it is a very special place to them. They got engaged there, had their rehearsal dinner there, and have celebrated many other times of there lives together there.

Delfina is about 3/4 inch square. The shape is somehow reminiscent of Tuscan farm outbuildings I saw there some years back. The *real* Delfina Restaurant was originally inspired by a small well-respected restaurant of the same name somewhere in Tuscany. We tried to eat there on our travels, but it was vacation season and the owners and chef had fled to wherever Italians go when they just can't stand one more American.

If you find yourself in San Francisco, go to Delfina and order the tomato-sauced pasta. So simple and so delicious.

c. 2007

Universal Cafe. San Francisco

This is the most recent tinybuilding in my granddaughter's collection. She has, at 4 months, already dined there at least twice.

This is one of the rare situations where the graphics of the restaurant's business card do not do the restaurant justice. The design, service and food and wine at Universal Cafe are much more sophisticated than this ugly card. I mean, why the red and blue; and why that nasty distorted star?

So, I had a rather hard time convincing myself to make a structure from it. If the restaurant didn't have such a presence in the SFO family's lives, I would never have bothered. My response was to make a little visual joke: the shape of the tinybuilding is reminiscent of a church - the Universal church. hahaha.

But here it is. The Universal 'church' is about 1-1/2 inch tall.

c. 2007

Toblerone Ski Lodge. Switzerland

Speaking of Switzerland, this rather crass construction is one-of-many made for Jane's 'Shortest-Day-of -the-Year Party a couple years ago. The party theme was 'Swiss', with raclette as the main course. Jane asked me to make party favors for the guests - a challenge to make a dozen quickly.

Christina asked her Mom to send Swiss packaging so I could have authentic materials to work with. However, I was forced to buy a couple of Toblerone chocolate bars, just to be sure I had enough cardstock. You know how it is - anything for your kids...

I'm planning to re-collect and photograph the favors...perhaps we can have a 'Longest-Day-of-the-Year' Party this summer, and have a reunion of people, food and tinybuildings. I'm ready...how about you, Jane?

This tinybuilding is one of the larger ones: about 1-1/2 inch cube. I researched online to find photos of swiss ski cabins/cottages, then copied their design, including the balconies, roof pitch, overhangs, window spacing....Got to be as accurate as possible at 1-1/2 inch and working with cardboard....

c. 2005

Hiltl Cottages. Zurich

These tiny cottages, with steep roofs to shed the snow in ski season, are made from business cards of a great vegetarian restaurant, an institution, in Zurich. Jane and I ate there with Christina Ruegg's brother and his now-wife, a couple years ago. I wish there were such a place in Atlanta or even NYC or SFO.

Like the Toblerone tinybuilding, they were made for Jane's SDOTY Party.

The tinybuildings are *tiny* - about 1/2 inch square, and 3/4 inch tall. Because they're so small, I made two of them so they could protect each other....

As a 'thank you' for introducing us to this wonderful food place, I made
Christina's brother a replica of the Hiltl building. It is the most complex tinybuilding I've ever made. I'm hoping to get photos of it from him, because the ones I had were lost in an earlier computer meltdown.

c. 2005