Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2022 i Dolls House & Miniature Scene

Many years ago, basket-weaving was regarded as a good form of therapy for people suffering from mental health issues and looking back, the NHS was really quite pioneering in using a meditative craft to calm the mind. Nowadays, the artform of basket weaving has seen a real resurgence – not so much as therapy, although it is incredibly therapeutic – but as a way to create an interior design statement. Self-taught basket weaver Suzie Grieve hails from a small town in the Lake District. She creates the most exquisite miniature baskets imaginable. I asked her how she got into this ancient craft: “My first experience weaving was whilst I was away travelling but of course, only once I returned home to Cumbria could I really immerse myself in this beautifully…

Retired bank worker Marc La Fontijn from Antwerp, Belgium, is the man behind one of the most captivating Instagram accounts I have seen. His scenes are glamorous, opulent and occasionally a little naughty. His design sense and great humour shine throughout his work. I asked Marc how he got into miniatures: “I’ve always been a creative person and love interior design. I’ve designed lampshades, ceramics, painting… I was always fascinated by dolls houses for the decorative aspect, then in 2018 I was watching a Victorian show on the BBC and in one of the sets I saw a dolls house. That gave me the push to start making one of my own. I bought a 1/24th scale Fantasy Villa from Woodcroft to test if I could pull it off.” In…

YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS REQUIRED Polymer clay in pastel pink, purple, mint (I used FIMO Effect), pastel yellow, white, black and scrap clay Liquid polymer clay (I used FIMO Liquid) Nail caviar Gold mica powder (or eyeshadow) Gloss varnish Pasta machine or rolling pin 3⁄ 4in (2cm) round cutter Flat tool Soft brush Silicone tapered sculpting tool Tweezers Small paintbrush Dotting tool Detail tool Maive’s Top Tip! “Dip the dotting tool in a tiny bit of liquid polymer clay to pick up the nail caviar.” Maive’s Top Tip! “The buttercream needs to be firm for it to hold up the horn and ears while baking.” INFO This project is from Miniature Cake Creations by Maive Ferrando, GMC Publications RRP £16.99. These delicious confections will satisfy your appetite for creativity as…

Opening the box It’s easy to think of autumn as the time of year when light nights and warm weather begin to fade, leaving the door to winter slightly ajar. But it’s also the time of year when nature’s tapestry sews some of its finest work. The burnished golds, oranges and reds of autumn are ripe for miniature pickings, as Kristine Hanna perfectly demonstrates with her seasonal roombox, titled ‘Autumn Gathering’. With its beautiful floral displays, colourful artwork and views to the garden beyond, Kristine’s dining room is a shining example of everything magical about the new season. “This is my most used roombox,” she says. “It’s the one I reach for that I always know will work for me, like that outfit you know you’ll feel and look good…

YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS REQUIRED Matt board Flooring paper 1/16in (1.6mm) and 3/32in (2.4mm) thick sheetwood HO scale 2x8 stripwood 1/12in micro-dowel ( 1/8in (3mm) square stripwood Six wooden knobs 3/8in (10mm) and 3/4in (19mm) diameter dowels 1/8in (3mm) yellow and orange flat-backed crystals Silvery metallic, yellow and black scrapbook paper Silver, white and black shiny Bristol board Sueded paper Felt Miniature toilet Chrysnbon Kit M-161 Bathroom Accessories (optional) Aluminium tubing Melon spacers or other beads Silvery eyelet Black brads Steel wire 7/8in (22mm) diameter rimmed button Black and white acrylic paint Black and silver fine Sharpie markers Wood stain & varnish White glue & superglue Double-sided tape TOOLS REQUIRED Small saw and mitre-box Knife and steel ruler Needle tool Small hand drills Ball stylus Wire cutters & needle-nose…

Little did I know, when I attended a local dolls house fair back in 2019, what fate had in store for the world. The word Covid was not in our lexicon, and the notions of face mask wearing, social distancing and constant hand-sanitising were equally unfamiliar. Then the world changed and in our own miniature bubble, fairs were cancelled across the globe. No Kensington, no Miniatura, not even Chicago… So, I squealed with delight (I actually did!) when I heard not only that a fair was coming to Scotland, but that it would be taking place just down the road from my house at the end of June! Hooray! The event was run by MGM Fairs, who for more than two decades have run a plethora of fairs across the…

I am often asked where the inspiration comes from for the smaller scale kits that I design. The answer is simple… it’s all around me. From where I live in rural Lincolnshire, to the beautiful places around the UK (and overseas) that I have visited; all have influenced the miniatures that I create. Over the years, holidays and day trips have sown the seeds for new ideas and new creations and this year our summer escape to deepest Dorset was certainly no exception! My family and I have holidayed in the Isle of Purbeck more times than I care to remember and over the years visits there have inspired numerous PP kit designs. Regular readers will already know that our most recent 1/48th scale Turrim Castle was loosely based on…

My inspiration for this rustic dwelling was local, timber frame architecture. Recently relocated to the countryside, I am also pleased to find not only inspiration but natural materials such as feather, twig, leaf and pine cone to work with. A baby lives in the Fairy House and she sits at the window. Otherwise, the occupants don’t do much. Activity isn’t uppermost in their minds! The roof is made of twigs, leaves, and artificial moss adds colour. I also used a few craft flowers and an ornamental squirrel to vary the effect. Floor, walls and roof are lined with cardboard. Twigs and lolly sticks painted orange were used for window frames. Feathers, artificial flowers, green pompoms, wood chips, pine cones and plastic foliage embellish the exterior. Throughout the interior small plastic…

I have been asked many times, ‘Why do you have a dolls house?’ The answer is, I enjoy doing many crafts and wanted a hobby that combined them all. My house has ten rooms and is made from a kit. It has a slate roof and fancy lead flashing. I have decorated it in the Victorian style because they loved clutter so for the rest of my life, I can keep making items for it. They also loved lace and I am a bobbin lace maker and have made many pieces of lace including a tablecloth, parasol and cradle canopy. I love knitting so in my house I have knitted curtains, shawls, dresses and my gentleman’s combinations. Through sewing I have made clothes for my people, 14 pairs of curtains…

Carrie says… “This counter is very versatile. I will be using it for my mini plant store, but have also styled it here as a men’s clothing store. The possibilities are endless. I could definitely see it as a haberdashery, a candy store or an antique/jewellery store too!” TO COMPLETE THE COUNTER, THE FURNITURE IS COMPLEMENTED BY A WONDERFUL SELECTION OF MINIATURES AVAILABLE FROM MINIMUM WORLD: You can see the grouted garden steps (CP070) in the corner of the photo. The company that makes these is Prestige Ceramics. The entire collection is handmade in the UK and is exclusively available through Minimum World. As well as garden steps, planters and chimneys, they make beautiful butlers sinks and ceramic accessories. INFO To see more of Carrie’s work, you can visit her Instagram…