New Year felicitations to all from Steampunk Shrunk Towers.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arborius Widdershins – alchemist, magician, man of letters and all-round white wizard.
Not exactly steampunk, I hear you say. Well no, perhaps not, but Mrs S has always had a keen interest in all things mystical and when I noted the range of magic books in her little library, I couldn’t resist accepting her invitation to come and stay for a while.
Obviously, in my line of work there is a need for solitude. Not easy to find here with that tinker chap thumping away on his workbench and all those ladies chattering away, so I asked if any of the towers were vacant.
Fortunately there is one that will be suitable. Rather small, perhaps, but my skills are such that I should have little difficulty applying the ‘tardisium’ spell to increase its inner dimensions. I’m sure I can persuade Mr Entwistle to make me a couple of pieces of suitable furniture. My needs are few.
Meanwhile, a charming young seer by the name of Daphne de Voire has agreed to allow me to use her desk during the night, while she is sleeping. Most agreeable.
All in all, I think I will enjoy my sojourn at this curious residence.
Professor Laszlo Erazmus here. Delighted to see you all again.
I am kept busy producing my holographic hand mirrors – a modest contribution to the 
However I did permit myself a brief respite to visit the photographic studio of one of our newest residents – Mr Harold Wallington. I’m sure you’ll agree that his photographic portrait (above) captures my likeness rather well and I would earnestly recommend his services should you wish to procure an image for yourself. Mr Wallington and his shop can be found at 
An amazingly small magic wand with a real crystal in the handle. It even comes in its own little gift box! Each is a one-off design and wands and boxes are all made inhouse. The wands measure between 1 and 1.5 inches.
Ye Book of Spells and Potions would make a very special present. Each page of this tiny, leather-bound book has been individually hand-distressed to make it look ancient. The cover has a metal trim and can be tied shut with the contrasting lace. (You can never be too careful with ancient spell books!) The spells and recipes can all be read with the aid of a magnifying glass or phone camera zoom. The book is 1.25 inches tall. 
A perfect gift for anyone who dabbles or dreams of dabbling in making steampunk oddities: A tinker’s shelf, complete with an array of tiny, but very useful, items. You’ll find a book, a bottle of something interesting, a box of odds and ends, a tool, along with a glue pot and brush. 
The holographic mirrors are always popular. You can buy them with a ring on the top, for using as a pendant or charm, or without one if you’d prefer to give it as a miniature for a dolls’ house or ornament. 
“So we’re furloughed?” asked Serge. “I didn’t even make it into the shop!”
Imagine our delight, then, when Molly hit upon the idea of opening her Literary Emporium to one of us each day. It is an exceedingly small establishment, so social distancing does not permit more than a single individual to enter the building at any time. Each of us has been issued with a card stamped with the dates for our visits and everyone is thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to peruse the many fascinating volumes available.
Only one thing marred our pleasure. Several upstanding and usually trustworthy members of our community mentioned catching glimpses of a tall, shadowy figure skulking around the Emporium. Rumours abounded as to the identity of this personage. This lockdown seems to make everyone a little jumpier than usual and some had claimed it was a creature conjured up by Dr Kopp, our resident mad scientist, who was recently seen taking an extreme interest in certain passages in the ancient 
“You there! Halt at once and reveal yourself!” I cried, in my most imperious tone, hoping earnestly that he wouldn’t misinterpret my hurried command.
It all started with tea. Hardly surprising – our little hive of fairly pointless but hugely enjoyable industry runs largely on tea most of the time. Not, I hasten to add, the sweetened, milk-infested mud-brown builders’ variety. We are partial to fascinating infusions – green, white, herbal – with 
More tea was imbibed, more empty boxes found, and interesting paint or paper applied to every surface. That clear plastic box in which the tea bags had arrived was pressed into service to make arched windows. Curtain rings, cocktail sticks, drinking straws and various beads were gathered. The extensive stash of adhesive tapes – metallic, decorative, double-sided – was raided. Gradually a rather wonky, rust-toned, multi-towered building emerged.
Far off, in a deep meandering gorge in the Archipelagonian mountains, are the caves where the Time Dragons nest.
Steampunk - Shrunk! 