We are delighted to announce we are now on Twitter,
to follow us there either follow this link
or click on the Twitter box above.
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Friday, 23 July 2010
Meet our Members - Lesley's Gardens
Lesley's Gardens
by Lesley Shepherd
I'm a garden designer and educator and began making miniature plants to illustrate gardening principles to my design and horticulture students. The miniature containers and gardens were popular as gifts for shut ins or friends who were gardeners. Eventually I combined my experience with scale miniatures to produce accurately detailed plants and simplified plant kits for people who wanted to create special gardens or conservatory plantings for their miniature scenes in scales of 1:12, 1:24 and 1:48th, with occasional commissions in 1:6.
My background in design means I often work with historical recreations, and I use my knowledge to create miniature plantings that accurately reflect seasons and historical periods. I pride myself on producing miniature plants which can be identified as individual named and historic varieties, with accurate leaf, petal and often stamen details. All of my miniature plants transmit light through their petals and leaves the same way their living counterparts do, with parts in the closest possible scales to the originals, both in thickness and size. I'm happiest creating gardens or planted containers, but as a trained florist I often use my skills to create various period floral displays in my own containers as well as those of other artisans.
A background in museum work means I make all of my plants with wire, artist's papers, watercolors and acrylics, and archival glues that are suited to long term display and storage. I produce my own line of stoneware and some resin pots for miniature plants in the scales of 1:12, 1:24 and 1:48. These are based on planters that are either historic, or currently available to the horticultural trade in the sizes I reproduce accurately in miniature scales. The larger 1:12 stoneware planters can be used to grown tiny bonsai or other dwarfed living plants.
In recent years I've begun to offer simple plant kits of coloured paper parts, as well as laser kits of parts designed to be custom coloured by miniaturists to suit their particular garden style. I enjoy teaching classes on making miniature plants and the line of kits has developed in response to requests from students who love the accurate colours and growth they can reproduce in miniature.
In my 'other' miniature career I write the miniatures site at http://miniatures.about.com for About.com Inc. a division of the New York Times. I've also written several articles on making miniature plants for past issues of The Doll's House Magazine.
You can see my work at local fairs in the Pacific Northwest of North America, or at the Kensington Dolls House Festival.
Meet our Members - NoaMiniatures
NoaMiniatures
by Naomi Machida
My miniature hobby began several years ago. I was fascinated with beautiful, realistic miniatures and dollhouses. I started to collect and create many kinds of room settings such as sweets shop, bakery shop, doctor office, pet shop, flower conservatory, nursery room, sewing room, artist studio, country kitchen room and girl’s bedroom. Also, I collected books and tools to make my own miniature food for my dollhouse as my future assignment. But, I did not try to make my own miniature food until recently. I don’t have years of experiences for making miniatures on my own unlike most talented miniature artisans do. Nevertheless, I discovered that I do have the ability to make quality sellable miniatures. I am inspired by many talented miniature artists who dedicate their time in making lovable handmade miniatures and wish to be part of those talented people who love miniatures. Currently I don’t take special order request, but I will in the future.
Contact Details:
Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/NoaMiniatures
eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Noas-Mini-Shop
email: naomisanus@yahoo.com
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Meet our Members - Miniartworks
Miniartworks by Jean Boyd
My name is Jean Boyd and I sell miniature paintings and needle felted animals and bears under the name of Miniartworks.
As a child I loved a friend’s dolls house but it wasn’t until much later in life I finally got one of my own. This lead me to join Fantasia Dolls House Club where the ladies are so friendly and helpful I soon found I had the ability to make my own furnishings and accessories.
Having taken art classes and been awarded a First for a full sized watercolour in a local competition, it seemed natural to try to paint in miniature. I am self taught from a couple of excellent books and have not painted a ‘big’ picture since.
Acrylics on art paper is my preferred choice for my miniatures which come framed and are usually 2.5 x 3 inches in size including the frame, sometimes smaller. Mainly I paint portraits after Gainsborough, Reynolds, Waterhouse and many others. Dogs and cats are another favourite subject to paint.
Commissions are welcome and on the home page of my website is a photo of a young boy I was commissioned to paint in a Victorian costume.
I discovered needle felting in 2007.
Felting animals and bears soon became an obsession and a great number have been sold on eBay. Private commissions have included cats, dogs, foxes, a chimpanzee, orangutan, Bengal tiger and a mountain lion. It all started with a teddy bear kit offered for sale on an eBay forum and has developed from there.
The teddy bears are thread jointed and most animals have a wire armature to enable posing.
I sell paintings on eBay as mini-artworks and needle felts as miniart2007 and have a website with various items for sale which is...
Recently I have made my own site to show my collection of dolls houses and a room box which were all made and furnished on a very low budget...
email: boydies@boydies.karoo.co.uk
Meet our Members - Mels Miniatures
Mels Miniatures
by Melanie Navarro
My name is Melanie and I actually stumbled into miniatures by mere accident. Seven years ago I was asked what I wanted for Christmas. Jokingly, I said a dollhouse. Then on Christmas Day, under the tree, there it was, A DOLLHOUSE KIT! (The Lily) I had no intention of using it and so I stored it in the back of my closet. Then about 4 years ago, during some rough patches in my life, I need something to take my mind off of my personal issues and so I started spring cleaning my closet and there it was. The forgotten dollhouse. I decided to pull it out and started building it. As I started collecting accessories and food for my dollhouse I realized I wasn't too fond of the "plastic" look of the mass produced mini food, so I started to make my own and the rest my friends is MINI HISTORY.
I'm now a diehard miniature addict and have even started my own website where people can purchase and enjoy my mini creations. I still enjoy collecting, but most of all, I LOVE making and baking 1:12 scale food as well as the occasional accessories. I'm always looking for new ideas and always enjoy a challenge, so I welcome all custom orders.
CONTACT INFO:
Website: www.melsminiatures.com
email: service@melsminiatures.com
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Meet our Members - Hazel Dowd
Hazel Dowd's Little People
I started dressing 1/12th scale dolls house dolls in 1986; from this I exhibited at Pudsey, Miniature and most north of England fairs since then I have exhibited twice a year at Arnhem and also at Soest in Germany.
On Jan 2000 I started minis4all dolls house group on the internet which is still going strong, from this I started arranging weekends of workshops and also travel to clubs giving workshops.
Visit my website www.hazel-dowd.co.uk for dolls, gowns, hats, kits, miniature haberdashery patterns and tutorials.
Recently I started to work in conjunction with a friend making scenes and adding dolls to these, we work mostly from Victorian paintings.
email: hazel.dowd@minis4all.com
Meet our Members - Kivas Miniatures
Kivas Miniatures
by Kiva Atkinson
I'm Kiva Atkinson, IGMA Fellow, and I've been making miniatures, food in particular, for almost six years. I specialize in meats, seafood, international, and period food. My work is not limited to food, as I also enjoy making fantasy pieces as well.
Contact Details:
email: tobacco9@yahoo.com
website: www.kivasminiatures.com
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Meet our Members - Enchanticals
Enchanticals by Marsha J West
Welcome to Enchanticals! I am Marsha J. West, a miniaturist (I work in scales 1:12, 1:6, and 1:4), an artist in various mediums, including assemblages and mixed media, a writer, poet, and the creator of Enchanticals, my shop at Etsy.
Yes, Enchanticals is a shop, but it is more than that...it’s a place where, upon entering, you suspend your realities because this is where enchantment resides and is always afoot, along with magic, mystery, lore, whimsy, and fantasy. I create one of a kind fantasy, wizard, witch, fairy, spooky, and realistic enchanted handmade one-of-a kind creations in miniature (1:12) dollhouse scale such as hutches and other furniture, miniature bottles of potions, elixirs, miniature crystal balls, enchanted magic orb wands, elementals’ bottles, enchanted wands, miniature accessories, fashion doll vanities and jewelry, and much more… All of my enchanted creations are designed and handmade by me with a dollop of enchantment, a pound or two of imagination, and a touch of magic. I work predominately in 1:12 scale.
My pieces are made with mostly found objects and/or natural elements and are inspired by enchantment; fantasy; magic; runes; ancient texts and languages; Sacred Geometry; relics; time; fairytales; lore; enchanted woods; elementals; hidden and secret places; fog and myste; wizards; fairies; legends; mysteries unsolved; secrets, hidden places and things; nature; spooky and haunted cemeteries and places; birds, and butterflies.
So, please stop by and browse my shop, Enchanticals, and enjoy your stay. But, remember; leave your reality and seriousness at the door...
You can find Enchanticals or contact me at the following places:
email: enchanticals@yahoo.com
Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/enchanticals
Alice Magazine: I am the Etsy Seller of the Month for March 2010 for Alice Magazine. Here is the link on:
Meet our Members - Sandy Calderon
Sandy Calderon
Hello, my name is Sandy Calderon. I have been making doll house people since 1975 when I became unhappy with my family of "bendy" dolls that resided in my dolls house. I have always loved to sculpt and started to work in porcelain in 1980 hand sculpting all my work. By 1991 I bought my first commercial doll mold and started casting dolls. Since that time I have more molds than I can count, I make my own molds, and still hand sculpt some dolls.
I love all things mini. I went to school for cosmetology in 85 and opened a nail salon where I painted small art work on fingernails. I won many awards for my tiny paintings such as the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. I just love tiny detailed work. I do also work full scale and I work in the haunt industry making props for haunted house attractions. I love creating.
My dolls are mostly nude ready to dress dolls for other artist who love to create but don’t have the means to fire a doll, or the china painting. Special requests are done regularly in my studio. You will find everything from the standard Victorian lady, to fun brothel dolls, or fantasy fairies and mermaids, or even my silly naked men dolls- for those with a true sense of humor.
My website does have a limited amount of dressed dolls, and I have been known to do dolls right out of movies or TV, such as Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow and my Twilight dolls. These dolls are hand sculpted works of art as each one is a one of a kind doll and can not be duplicated as is.
Half and quarter scale dolls are also found on my site as well as a full page of just Witches and Halloween fun for your dolls.
I enjoy helping others learn the art, and I will happily provide anyone with the porcelain doll to fit the needs of the project they are working on. Enjoy my website and be inspired!
We also sell accessories, porcelain, and other doll making supplies to help you along the way.
email: dolls@sandycalderon.com
Monday, 19 July 2010
Meet our Members - Mondodifavola
Mondodifavola by Elena
Like all girls I grew up playing with the house of Barbie, but those brightly coloured floors, the plastic furniture so unrealistic, the yellow lift... I did not like at all! This, coupled with my passion for selfmade things, inspired me to keep a big dream: building a "true" dollhouse!
Several years later, during a vacation in Paris, I discovered a hobby shop with a department devoted to dollhouses. Thus was born Marie Charlotte, my first miniature Patisserie.
A few years later, I received a gift from my cousin, a catalogue of American dollhouses: I discovered that what for me was only a dream, for others it was a real passion! I bought the project to build a Victorian house and early furniture in 1:12 scale.
This discovery made me look for specialized shops in Milano. Thus in 1998 I met for the first time Angela Gagliardi of Cosediunaaltomondo, so it was that started my great adventure in the world of miniatures.
Several years passed before I specialized in creating furniture in 1:12 scale: I then exhibited in 2007 for the first time in a miniature show in Milano, Miniaturitalia and in 2008 I produced my first furniture: designed, created and decorated by Mondodifavola!
If you want to dive into my world visit my website!
If you want to stay updated on all the news follow my blog!
If you have any questions please email me!
Meet our Members
Cristina Artdoll Studio
by Cristina Caballero
Cristina began creating costumed figures in the US, where she lived for 12 years, working as a scenic artist. There, she produced a variety of characters from 12 inches tall up to life-size, selling them at professional shows and through specialized art galleries.
But when she moved back to Madrid, her hometown, she found that collectors were more interested in miniature rather than larger figures, so soon she started her first collection of 1/12th scale characters and scenes.
All of Cristina's miniatures are original creations sculpted in polymer clay over wire armatures without the use of any moulds or patterns. So each piece is a one-of-a-kind creation made entirely from scratch.
As a profound admirer of Romanticism, Cristina reflects in her dolls a mix of melancholy and sense of humour, which beyond their rich and colourful appearance, always keep a pleasant surprise for those who get closer and observe the expression on their faces or the delicate details of their clothes.
Each doll has its own personality and a story to tell us. Whether it's a realistic character or a fantasy scene, naturalism and movement always distinguish her artisitic style. Each costume is carefully draped and wrinkled to accompany the position of the figure, and so so furniture and accessories are also handcrafted or modified to perfectly fit the scene.
"Making character figures has become one of my true passions. When I create dolls and scenes, I can incorporate many of the techniques I use in scenic construction, only in a smaller scale. It is incredible how many artistic possibilities you can find in the field of miniatures!"
CONTACT
Cristina Caballero - Cristina Artdoll Studio
Tel: (34) 690 621 073 Madrid, Spain
email: mail@cristina-artdoll.com
Friday, 16 July 2010
Meet our Members
Crown Jewel Miniatures
by Robin Brady-Boxwell
My name is Robin Brady-Boxwell and I've been designing and creating one inch scale dollhouse miniatures since 1979. My passion as a miniaturist began when my fahter and I began constructing a dollhouse from a kit in the basement of our home and my interest continues to grow with each passing year.
Several years ago my talents as a miniatuirst were noticed by the owner of a local dollhouse shop, and before I knew it I was selling my miniatures through Dollhouses Plus, Stratford CT. As an artist, I found I could not limit myself to one speciality, and I created everything from miniature food to plants, furniture and jewelry. My interest in creating realistic miniature room settings led to my hire at the store and I became the chief consultant for dollhouse interior design. Soon I was helping customers coordinate wallpaper, tiles, molding, wood, lighting, furniture, textiles and other various architectural elements to achieve their miniature dreams.
While I still love interior design in miniature, I've discovered a passion for accessorizing miniature furniture. I've 'loaded' everything from china cabinets, to tables, to sewing machines, giving the illusion that 'someone was there'.
I loved every aspect of my job and went to all the trade shows but meeting fellow miniaturists and artisans was the most rewarding experience of all. Random people would pop into the shop with their minis, sharing techniques, asking for advice and selling some of the most incredible things and I knew beyond a doubt that I was in my element. The explosion of internet commerce changed everything almost overnight and I watched in sadness as most of the dollhouse shops in New England closed - including the one I was working in. It was a sad time but as one door closes, another opens and armed with experience and and endless resource of creativity, I decided to open my own business online.
This door opened the door between me, collectors and artisans from all over the world!
In March of 2010, I began Crown Jewel Miniatures, and my constantly evolving range of miniature creations are now sold online through eBay and Etsy.
(Private commissions take up the majority of my time and are always welcome!)
On Etsy: www.CrownJewelMiniatures.etsy.com
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about my miniature creations, please contact me at the following address:
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Meet our Members
Dandelion Fair
I have always been drawn to miniatures because they invite us to slow down and focus on their tiny magical reality. All of my dolls are carved wood and one inch high (give or take a bit) with some painted features. Each doll takes several days to make.
Most are ball jointed at the head/arms/legs and strung together with 0.5mm jewellery elastic which gives them a remarkable range of movement for ones so tiny. I use a multitude of hand tools - knives, bit and files - to fashion every piece of the doll. When finished, each doll gets my artist mark on the inside of its left leg.
The size of my wood dolls makes them perfect as playscale toys in a regular (1/12th inch) dollhouse setting or as full size characters in a quarter scale (1/48th inch) dollhouse setting. I have made bears, rabbits, dogs, pigs, mice, lions, lambs, tigers, flower fairies and other fantasy animals. While I don't take commissions, if you have a suggestions for a critter I have not made before, let me know and I'll see what I can do!
My dolls are available through my website where you can also contact me:
Thank you for your interest in my work! Christine
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Miniature Ballet Costumes
by Louise Goldsborough - Angelique Miniatures
To read the story behind the inspration and creation of these and other ballet costumes and dolls please visit Louise's blog - which now also offers an email subscription option at...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)