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December Miniature Collector Story on Christmas Market Stalls

October 26, 2013, 12:20 pm
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My story on miniature Christmas market stalls has just been published in the December issue of Miniature Collector.

It features lots of fun and inspiring projects from miniaturists all over the country (including some of my own, which you have seen before).

Take a look!



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Butler's Pantry

October 31, 2013, 9:01 am
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After looking at a whole bunch of photos on the internet, I decided to make my butler's pantry all white.  I also decided that it would strictly hold glassware, silver, etc. rather than food.

So here are a few photos. This room is really hard to photograph well.  It's either all blown out because there's so much white or dark.  So bear with me, please.

Looking straight in.  My friend Tracy Chapman made the little hanging on the wall.  Carlotta Rossi made the champagne crate, and I bought the Jeraboam of wine in Paris years ago.


Here is close-up of the back cabinets and counter top.  Sterling champagne set is by Victor Pain, the dinner gong, which I love, is by George Chapman.  The blanc de chine pitchers on top of the cabinet are by Elisabeth Causeret.  Pink glasses are by Phil Grenyer and the silver goblets are by Pete Acquisto.  I have since acquired some beautiful green goblets that I need to put where the silver ones are now.



Here's the big display cabinet up close.  I decided I would only fill it with silver.  Especially since I had more silver in boxes and no more room in my silver shop.



And the same cabinet with the front removed.  All the silver on the top shelf is by Victor Pain.  On the second shelf the tea service is Enrique Quinitar and the sauce boat is by Mike Sparrow.  On the bottom shelf we have Greg Matusovsky's fabulous Russian tea urn, an unknown maker's loving cup, and Victor's tidbit tray and plate rack.


I really love this room.  In fact, I really love this whole box!!!!

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Wee "c" Show and Sale This Weekend in Chicago

November 7, 2013, 4:00 am
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This will be my third year exhibiting at the Wee "c" Show and Sale, ably run by Donna and Stan Boyd.  This is a great show and the exhibits of miniature projects are not to be missed.

Wee "c" Miniature Club 
39th Annual Miniature Show and Sale

 

Friday, November 8, 2013 ~ 5:00 pm-9:00pm
Saturday, November 9, 2013 ~ 10:00 am-5:00 pm


Holiday Inn
1000 Busse Road 
Elk Grove Village, Illinois   60007


Come Visit!
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Wee C Exhibits

November 19, 2013, 10:27 am
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As always, there were many, many projects on display at Wee C, but this one caught my eye since I have never seen one like it before.  I don't know who made it but it won a prize and is very original.

Isn't this cool?  Your typical Chinese restaurant in the U.S.



Look at all the details!


I love this cozy booth just waiting for customers.


And this one....


Just an interesting project I thought I would share.
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January 2014 Miniature Collector

November 22, 2013, 4:00 am
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I have two stories in the January 2014 issue of Miniature Collector.


One is about my own Petit Tresor, which you have all seen multiple times.

The other, and perhaps more interesting to followers of this blog, is Masterpieces:  The Art of Painting in Miniature, in which four different painters are profiled.  The painters include Leslie Smith and Lyndel Smith, Johannes Landman, and Josephine Meyer.  Their styles and approaches are all very different and make good reading.







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How Fabulous Is This?

December 6, 2013, 11:36 am
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The mural for my kitchen roombox that I commissioned from Rita and Horst Kruger of Tiny Ceramics arrived this week!  I am so thrilled with the way it turned out!

I wasted no time getting it into the box behind the stove--it is the final touch for this wonderful box.


Here's a closer look.


We went back and forth on a design with this one incorporating all the elements I was hoping for.  Rita is the ceramic engineer and Horst the artist.

My stove also has a new bright blue "Le Creuset" casserole from TYA sitting on one of the burners--just a splash of color in the midst of all the stainless steel.

I love my kitchen!
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Has the Internet Ruined Miniatures?

December 12, 2013, 7:50 am
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This week I have read twice that the internet has ruined miniatures.  One person in a lengthy blog post claimed that the internet has ruined shows.  Today I read (not for the first time, since this seems to be a meme these days) that the internet is responsible for the demise of shops.

I don't think so.  And not because I have a website where I sell artisan miniatures.  In my view, the internet is the great leveler.  People can find virtually any miniature they want, any time of day, anyplace in the world, pay for it with a few clicks, and have it delivered to their door.  We are no longer dependent on the taste or budget of the local shop owner. And what if there isn't a shop anywhere near where you live?  I personally would never have realized the breadth of miniature work that's available if it hadn't been for the internet. When I discovered Martha McLean's website all those years ago I felt like I had stumbled into a gold mine!

I have one more thing to say about shops:  in my experience, they all tend to carry the same stuff that they buy from the wholesalers at the annual shows like Aztec and CIMTA.  There's nothing wrong with carrying mass-produced miniatures--but throw in some local artisan work if you want to attract people away from Hobby Builder's Supply.  Offer classes with artisan teachers.  Teach classes yourself.  Reach out to the local scout troops--teach them about scale--and have them do a small project.  The Girl Scouts even have a merit badge for dollhousing now!

As for shows being ruined by the internet--I could not disagree more.  I love shows.  Shows offer the collector a high touch experience--and lots of miniatures  in a concentrated place.  The fact that shows are very expensive for artisans to do is the reason why artisans have to pick and choose where to display their work--that's simple economics.  The successful shows offer a variety of options for the collector and do a good job of publicizing the show so that customers come through the doors, which is what the artisans need. That's a win-win strategy.  Moreover, in my experience many collectors who are hesitant to buy over the internet will do so after seeing the quality of the miniatures at a show.  And many times people have a show budget--so the ability to buy over the internet when you have had time to replenish your bank account is a good thing.

What do you think?  Has the internet ruined miniatures?
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Chicago Christkindlmarkt

December 17, 2013, 8:31 am
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Last Thursday my husband and I braved the 14F cold and headed down to the Daley Center where the Christkindlmarket takes place in the shadow of the Picasso sculpture and downtown skyscrapers.  There weren't many people that day, probably because of the biting cold and wind.


More hardy souls.


Inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, Christkindlmarket Chicago brings this cherished German and European tradition to Chicago.  There are approximately 60 vendors -- selling everything from ornaments to cuckoo clocks -- plus German food and the ever-popular Gluhwein.

I have a couple of favorite stalls....

We always buy lots of bags of real Nuremberg lebkuchen here.  As you can see, they also sell candied nuts and the big gingerbread hearts that I love to hang in my mini market stalls.


This stall sells glass ornaments, many of them with a Chicago theme.  Can you spot our famous Water Tower and the Bean?


Ornaments are the most popular item.  These photos (which are not great) were taken inside the Kathe Wohlfarht tent.  This tent is so crowded with shoppers that it is hard to see everything.

Glass...


Wood...


Pewter...


I restricted myself to a pewter chestnut vendor to go with my Gluhwein stall.  They seem to be perpetually out of the lebkuchen stall but I am determined to get one next year.

This is another of my favorite stalls.  It features typical German wooden decorations like these nutcrackers and smokers.


And these adorable snowmen.


I have a miniature angel choir not unlike this one.


I like these little ceramic houses for obvious reasons. Long before I got into miniatures I started collecting Snow Village--beginning with the very first Nantucket cottage in 1975.


These laser-cut structures were intriguing.  Can you guess which one came home with me?


Yup!


It's sitting on the windowsill in my office where I can enjoy it as I work.

Is there a Christmas market in your area?

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Jacquie Lawson's Edwardian House Advent Calendar

December 18, 2013, 4:00 am
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Do you know about Jacquie Lawson's website?  http://www.jacquielawson.com/.

It's my source for all kinds of electronic cards and a great favorite of mine all year round.  But I especially love her fabulous animated Advent calendars.

She's done an Alpine village and London in the past, but this year's calendar is and will always be my all-time favorite:  an Edwardian (read:  Downtown) house!  I feel like I have a dollhouse on my computer.  Every day I click on a different ornament in the Gardens, which leads me somewhere in the house or the Pavilion.  In the Library there is a book for each day where there is information about that day's element.  Some days there's an activity to do:  so far I have made snowflakes, wreaths, and cross-stitch--all of which then appear somewhere in the house.

Here's a blurb from the site about how it came about:

"One of the most attractive jobs of 2013 was to dream up a magnificent mansion as the imaginary location for our new Edwardian Advent Calendar. This enviable task fell to one of our most experienced and talented artists, Sally Lisney. The job required Sally not only to design the principal views of the house and gardens, but also to come up with ideas for twenty-five daily animations, as well as the beautiful settings required for each:  the kitchen, pantry, nursery and so on – not to mention a magnificent orangery which Sally created from scratch to show off a huge Christmas tree. Many visits ensued to fabulous old houses as far apart as Saltash in Cornwall and Blenheim in Oxfordshire.  After a few were rejected for being too old or too young, too austere or too florid, Sally chose Kingston Lacy in Dorset as her model for the main facade. As Sally says, "Kingston Lacy has long been one of my favourites. The front and rear views are based upon this beautiful house, and the entrance drive, lake and bridge are inspired by Chatsworth and Lyme Park."

This is her initial rendering.



There's no way to show you what it looks like animated because the whole thing is done in Flash, but I urge you to go to the site and download it even though Advent is nearly over.

You won't be sorry!
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The Pink House

December 23, 2013, 4:00 am
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Lest you think I've been sitting around resting on my laurels since I finished my kitchen, I wanted to show you a few photos of what I've been working on for the last two months.

It's a labor of love:  a dollhouse for the 7 and 9 year old nieces of a friend.  It is to be their Christmas present.

We started with a Real Good Toys Lancaster kit because the girls live in a similar farmhouse-style house in RL.



We have turned our sunny family room into a temporary workshop because the light is best there.


Lucky for me Michael Walton was visiting when I pointed out that the floors were a bit bowed which meant the walls weren't square.  He took the house to his workshop and straightened everything out.  Thank you, Michael, for saving my bacon on this one!

When I made my first house at Think Small, all the little girls wanted pink houses so that's what we decided on.  Isn't that a girly shade?  I didn't like the shutters or the door that came with the kit so I substituted different ones.  I used a product called The Detailer to color the shingles a weathered grey and very much liked the result.


This is the nearly finished inside.  All that's left to do is trim the windows and the two slanted walls on the third floor.

We eliminated the steps to the third floor so that we had space for a bathroom.  Michael cobbled together the railing around the stairway opening from bits and bobs he had around the workshop.  Ironically, that baluster was originally part of my French house!  Both bedrooms have fairy wallpaper--another favorite of the TS little girls.  In the the third floor nursery we used Susan Bembridge's "The Months," which was a  nursery paper produced by David Walker & Co in 1893, with illustrations from Kate Greenaway’s "Almanac." Kate Greenaway (1846 –1901) was an enormously popular writer and illustrator of children’s books.



We ordered (some) basic furniture for every room except one on the top left.  I thought best to leave one room a blank slate for the girls to decorate.  Our friend plans to surprise the girls with the house and then help them fill it up, but we are leaving lots of room for them to add to the decor.

Here's hoping this house makes the girls life-long miniaturists!


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Happy New Year!

January 1, 2014, 4:00 am
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Many thanks for following my blog!  I love having friends all over the world who share my passion for miniatures. I so appreciate your comments and suggestions--please keep them coming.

Wishing everyone a mini-filled 2014!


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The Pink House Delivered

January 8, 2014, 8:24 am
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Santa delivered the Pink House to its new owners on December 26th after a bit of a struggle to get it in his car.  In the end the only way it would fit was by removing the back seat and putting it roof down.


Nonetheless, it made it to the little girls for whom it was made.


What absolutely made us all laugh out loud is the fact that we planned which pieces of furniture would go in each of the rooms, only to have the girls put it where they wanted to go.  So the attic room that we left unpainted and completely empty....turned into a bedroom.


Santa heard one girl say to the other:  "The kitchen is looking pretty good now, don't you think?"


Then after spending two days playing with the house --only stopping for meals--they took all the furniture out and started over.


Thank heaven for little girls!
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Michael Walton's Drum Table

January 17, 2014, 7:53 am
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Many years ago when I was in New York on business,  I sneaked out between meetings to Les Edelman's Tiny Dollhouse Shop up on the Upper East Side (314 East 78th Street near Second Avenue in case you want to visit).  This is his website, which I don't love:  http://www.tinydollhouseny.com/.  This was early in my miniature life.

Anyway, the shop has glass cases all around the room but my eye unerringly landed on the most exquisite (and out of my price range) piece--Michael's drum table.  I was absolutely in awe.

Yesterday I went down to Michael's workshop and picked up my very own.  At last!

I'm going to show you in progress photos first.  It just so happens that Michael had another commission so he made two at once.

Here they are in their raw state.


One of the legs with its inlay.


The two tops before polishing.


After French polishing.  Look at that inlay!  All done by hand!


The other table has a leather top.


The two tables together.


Close ups of my finished table!



Every other drawer opens.


And here is the table in the Library of my big house....you are getting a preview of the Big Makeover!


I don't dare put anything on top of it (yet).  Nor do I know what I would put there.  Any ideas?


Thank you, Michael!!!!!

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March 2014 Miniature Collector

January 22, 2014, 4:00 am
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The highly anticipated March issue of Miniature Collector is out--with the Chicago International dealer list and dealer ads.  Time to get out your highlighter and mark who you're going to see!

My ad is on page 66.  I can't wait for the show--I will have lots of new and exciting minis on my table.  Once again I expect to be right next to Martha McLean -- so look for us!



And I have a story in this issue called Hello Dollies about an amazing doll collection!  Do take a look.



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The Enduring Appeal of Miniatures

February 25, 2014, 4:00 am
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Do you remember that about a year ago I asked you what drew you to miniatures and what keeps you coming back for more?

The story I wrote from your responses has just been published in the April issue of Miniature Collector.



Many thanks to all who responded!

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St. Patrick's Day Interview with Michael Walton

March 17, 2014, 9:24 am
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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If you have a moment, listen to this wonderful interview with Irish miniature furniture maker Michael Walton -- it ran today on WBEZ, Chicago's public radio station.

The reporter, Linda Paul, just happened by Michael's shop and wandered in.

Here's the link:

http://www.wbez.org/news/culture/irish-master-craftsman-builds-traditional-furniture-some-really-tiny-109867

Photo by Linda Paul

Michael will be teaching two furniture finishing classes at the Chicago International.  You can sign up here:
http://www.bishopshow.com/chi14ws31.htm

I feel so lucky that Michael lives nearby and is a good friend!



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My Secret Christmas House

March 25, 2014, 9:45 am
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Lest you think I have given up miniatures -- other than writing about them -- I thought I would show you a few photos of my almost-finished Robin Betterley Secret Christmas House.  I realize Christmas was 3 months ago but I didn't have much time to work on this during the winter.

First, a few disclaimers.  I am not a kit person.  Nor am I skilled at making anything smaller than 1:12 scale.  But this project is so adorable that I knew I had to try it--urged on by my friend Kris, who can make anything!

I found the instructions to be absolutely crystal clear and there were plenty of photos, which helped me immensely.  So kudos to Robin and Shawn--I suspect this is the reason why their kits are so very popular.

So here is the house closed.


And here it is with the "secret" rooms open.


Here's a close up so you can see the adorable wallpaper that comes with the kit.


And here's the other side--I just love the Library!


I've finished making the table upon which the house is intended to sit....but early on, when I was not keeping every single scrap of wood and paper, I lost two of the front steps.  So I can't put the house on the table until (hopefully) they send me replacements.

Now I have to tackle the furniture kits so I can furnish this delightful little house!  It will feature prominently in my holiday decorations next year!


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It's Showtime: Chicago International This Weekend

April 9, 2014, 6:17 am
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I will be at Table 105 in the Orange Ballroom--with lots of new and exciting artisan minis from around the world!  Do stop by if you are attending the show.


Exclusive Preview Show & Sale
Friday, April 11 - 10 am - 5 pm 
Saturday, April 12 -  9am - 10am 
Admission:  $25.00
Includes Early Buying Privileges and 3 Day Admission
Preview is sold out - call for cancellations

Show Hours
Saturday, April 12, 2013 ~ 10am - 5pm
Sunday, April 13, 2013 ~ 11am - 4pm  
Daily Admission:  Adults $8, Children Under 12 - $4

MARRIOTT CHICAGO O'HARE
8535 W. Higgins Rd
Chicago, IL  60631 
Telephone:  800-228-9290 or 773-693-4444 

Come visit! 
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Kensington Dollshouse Festival

May 7, 2014, 8:12 am
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I am really excited about attending the 30th Annual Kensington Dollshouse Festival in London next weekend.  I'm looking forward to seeing artisan and collector friends with whom I mainly communicate via email between shows.

Of course, I have an ever-expanding shopping list--both for my website and for my own projects (LOL).

Let me know what you are working on so I can keep my eyes open for you.  And if you have suggestions for artisans whose work you would like to see on the site, or if there is a particular piece you would like to have available, leave me a comment or shoot me an email.

If you are attending the show--look for me!













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The House That Giac Built

May 13, 2014, 4:00 am
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I am absolutely thrilled that Miniature Collector has chosen my story about Giac Dell'accio's Dewell Manor for the cover of the July issue.


Dewell Manor is a huge project--Giac claims it's still not finished--and he has done all the work himself. I'm in awe of his ability to do everything from floors to faux finishing to window treatments.

You can see more of Giac's work on his blog:  http://englishmanordollhouse.blogspot.com/.

Congrats, Giac!


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