Dolls House

10 FREE LUSCIOUS MAKE
PORTRAIT LAMB THESE

CUT OUTS! CUTLETS TULIPS!
DollsHouse
THE UK’S FAVOURITE MINIATURE PROJECTS MAGAZINE
£4.25 April 2017 Issue 275

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wacky world of A unique dolls house
with an amazing history!
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p01 April cover V4.indd 1 09/03/2017 18:28
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SENSATIONAL SPRING SALE!

AN AMAZING 10% OFF ANY ITEM IN
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STREETS / EMPORIUM HOBBYʼS
260 Colour Pages - Nearly 100 Dolls Houses 324 Colour Pages - Nearly 50 Dolls Houses
3000 Streets Ahead items - 1500 Emporium items Thousands of Miniatures - 10-12,000 items
Everything for a dolls house A huge range of tools and accessories for every
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Welcome
Editor
Carl Golder
Tel: 01778 391146
carl.golder@warnersgroup.co.uk
Managing Editor
Sally Jarvis
Tel: 01778 392433
sally.jarvis@warnersgroup.co.uk
Advertising Sales
Hayley Comey
to the April issue
Tel: 01778 392445
hayleyc@warnersgroup.co.uk
Production Secretary
Sue Woodgates Let’s have a big cheer for spring, it’s my We welcome back to the magazine Caroline of
Tel: 01778 392062
production@warnersgroup.co.uk favourite season. Among many things we Hummingbird Miniatures, creator of the most
Marketing Manager
Aeveen Oke celebrate Easter, spring also brings warmer amazing and realistic looking miniature food.
Tel: 01778 392459
aeveeno@warnersgroup.co.uk weather and there’s more daylight allowing Caroline shows you how to create lamb cutlets
Design
Jacqueline South our gardens to grow. And they’re just two in 1/12th scale, and as a Brit abroad in LA she
Publisher
Lucie Dawson of the themes we’re looking at in this tells us just how Easter traditions vary between
Tel: 01778 392061
lucie.dawson@warnersgroup.co.uk month’s issue. the two countries.
ISSN: 0967 4918
Warners Group Publications Plc,
The Maltings, West Street,
For fans of polymer clay (and food), we’ll And that’s not all, we show you how to
Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9PH. show you how to celebrate Easter in style decorate your spring garden with bright bold
Printing
This magazine is printed with a platter of 1/12th scale hot cross buns. tulips, make your own Stuart themed chair,
by Warners Midlands plc.
Martin Harris
Tel: 01778 391000
Set on a chopping board with a muslin cloth, fashion a Victorian inspired bonnet and decorate
Newstrade Distribution they’ve been glazed to perfection and look just the top table with some gorgeous wedding
Warners Group Publications Plc,
Natalie Cole
Tel: 01778 392404
like the real thing! favours. Oh, and if that’s not enough, you can
tradeaccountorders@warners.co.uk add a maypole to your garden scene.
Subscriptions, reader offers
and back issues
Tel: 01778 392007
dhms-subs@warnersgroup.co.uk Enjoy the issue. Copy deadline for your news and views,
Turn to p36 for the latest offers
new products and press releases for the June issue
277 is 1st April 2017.
Dolls House and Miniature Scene is

published 12 times a year on the fourth Carl Golder
Thursday of each month. The views
expressed by contributors are not necessarily Editor
Don’t miss...
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is accurate; however the editor nor publisher
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exploitation is permitted. Tutorials and projects
Ed’s Question
£35!
are for the reader’s use only.
These fantastic
While reasonable care is taken when accepting portraits and
advertisements, the publisher cannot accept Why would you scenes will
responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory
transactions. No warranty is implied in respect of need a whole look great in a
WHILST STOCKS LAST
any product mentioned herewith. The Advertising peppercorn drawing room or

Standards Authority exists to regulate the
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Prizes, gifts or give aways offered in competitions this project?
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Unless otherwise stated, all competitions, free
Turn to page 69
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© Warners Group Publications PLC 2017
Stuart cut outs! Turn to page 36.
Contact us... Did you know…

carl.golder@warnersgroup.co.uk The first maypoles were living trees rather than
the ribbon festooned creations we see today and
www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk it has become an iconic feature of British life
that has a long history as tangled as the ribbons
DHMS Magazine Warners Group Publications PLC. on the maypole itself.
The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
Thanks to our
contributors:
www.facebook.com/dollshouseandminiaturescene Moi Ali, Mette Breminer,
Bea Broadwood, Sadie Brown,
www.twitter.com/dhmsmagazine Natalie Clegg, Karon Cunningham,
Ann Evans, Ruth Flewelling
Dolls_house_miniature_scene Lesbirel, Erik Goddard,
Catherine Hamilton,
Paula Isaacs, Kati Kainulainen,
www.youtube.com/dhmsmagazine
Caroline McFarlane-Watts,
Sandra Morris, Kelly Murdie,
www.pinterest.com/dhmsmagazine Dennis Sheey, Mike Thomas
and Deb Weissler.
www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk April 2017 3
p03_dhmsapril17.indd 3 08/03/2017 16:00

April Contents
Regulars Subscribe
06 The Miniature Scene

Read about all of the latest news in the small world. SUBSCRIBE & RECEIVE
TWO FREE GIFTS
12 My Favourite Make
Moi Ali reveals all about her favourite creation. ESSENTIALS FOR
MINIATURE MAKING
29 Reader Offer
WORTH OVER
£35!
Stitch and save with Janet Granger.
34 At Home with the Broadwoods

As Bea Broadwood will confirm you don’t need fancy
materials to create exquisite miniatures.
WHILST STOCKS LAST
55 Clubbing with Mette Breminer

The fictional account of a super keen miniaturist.
TURN TO PAGE 36 TO FIND OUT MORE
61 The Quartermaster
With over 50 plus items in her collection, Paula Isaacs
is a very keen miniaturist. LIVE OUTSIDE THE UK?
69 DHMS Collectable Cut Outs
This month we’ve selected Stuart prints and images,
a FREE gift from us to you.
07 SEE
PAGE
64
SUBSCRIBE DIGITALLY FROM JUST £2.99
14
12
4 April 2017 www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk
4-5 Contents April.indd 4 09/03/2017 18:43

DollsHouse
Collections and Features
Projects
08 The Miniature Time Capsule
Sadie Brown opens up the time capsule to find out
more about the periods we recreate in small scale, 07 Kati’s House
A 1/12th scale flower display made using nail polish!
this month the Stuart era.
10 Super Stuart Chair!

Untitled-5 1 09/03/2017 17:57
14 Rockabye in Treetop Style

If you’re afraid of heights, don’t look down!
These solid and chunky chairs feature doily cut outs!
The climb is well worth it!

30 Bright Bold Tulips
These paper tulips will make a great addition to
24 International Guild of Miniature Artisans

Spring is in the air and Amy Marshall speaks with two
any dolls house or garden.
IGMA Fellows about their seasonal favourites.

32 Hot Cross Buns
Add a traditional Easter element to your table
25 The Unknown Soldier

With actual working plumbing and electrics,
with these spicy buns.
this heirloom house has provided years of pleasure.

41 A Garden for all Seasons
Do you want to know how to set the ideal spring
38 What’s in Store at York

Looking ahead to the York Dolls House show,
themed garden? Let Sadie Brown show you how.
we preview family business Seaside Miniatures.

50 Spring Lamb Cutlets
Get your miniature scene in season this Easter
45 Artisan Profile
This month we chat to English-born miniature artist
with these spring lamb cutlets.
Caroline McFarlane-Watts. Read how she’s the go to

girl of Hollywood!
54 Easter Bonnet
Make your very own Easter bonnet.
52 Easter Bonnet with all the Frills!

Using the finest silks and materials available Kath Knox
56 Dancing around the Maypole
Add a personal touch to your maypole by using
bright and vibrant coloured ribbons.
makes the most adorable Easter bonnets.
60 Book Review & Giveaway

My Dolls House Journal by Rose Wood.
WIN 30
65 Tales from the Travelling Miniaturist

This month Karon touches down in sunny California!
45
32
And don’t forget ...

59 Dates for Your Diary
Our guide to dolls house fairs in 2017. 71 What’s in the May Issue?
If you’re excited to see what we’ve got planned for
our May issue, turn to page 71.
VISIT WWW.DOLLSHOUSEANDMINIATURESCENE.CO.UK FOR MORE GREAT FEATURES AND PROJECTS

4-5 Contents April.indd 5 09/03/2017 18:43

NEWS
The Miniature
Scene
Miniature news on the go...
www.facebook.com/dollshouseandminiaturescene
www.twitter.com/dhmsmagazine
www.instagram.com/dolls_house_miniature_scene/
Model village reader appeal
Show season!
Booking is now open for The Dolls House & Miniatures Fair,
York Racecourse, Sunday 4th June 2017. Show visitors can
look forward to three floors of superb exhibitors selling
every imaginable miniature in a range of scales plus talks
and demonstrations will take place throughout the day.
All show visitors will have the chance to enter our Tim Dunn, by Chris Marchant.
fabulous free prize draw! Simply fill in your details at A new book on Britain’s model villages is being
the entrance and you could win a beautiful, porcelain, published soon, and the author, Tim Dunn, needs your
hand dressed witch from Mollies Exclusive Designs, help. Before the end of May, he’d love to hear from
RRP £35.00. anyone who knows of any model villages in gardens
Pre-book your across the UK. “It would be smashing to have the huge
discounted tickets before readership of DHMS magazine, and have an input on
10.00am Friday 26th May some of the more unknown miniature villages and I
2017, to be automatically would really like to hear from you. I’m uncovering them
entered into an exclusive in gardens all the time, but a few contemporary ones
competition to win a would be great.” So if you have a model village in your
£10.00 Elite Petite Interiors garden, or you know someone who has, please get in
voucher to spend on the day and beat the queues with touch with Tim. He can be emailed at
30 minutes longer to browse than pay-on-the-door modelvillages@timdunn.com. We’ll be reviewing Tim’s
visitors! If you’re part of a club and want to book on book once it’s published, so watch this space! And if you
behalf of all your members, you can earn two free can’t wait that long, look out for Moi Ali’s feature on a
additional tickets for every ten you book. model recreation of the Archers’ famous Ambridge
Advanced booking: Adult £3.50, Child £1.50 village in miniature, and the fascinating story of how
Day admission: Adult £5.00, Child £2.50 Tim Dunn and other volunteers rescued it and some
To book today or for further information visit other significant miniature buildings. The whole story will
www.yorkdollshousefair.co.uk or call 01778 391123. be revealed in a future issue of DHMS Magazine.
Turn to page 38 to read about Seaside Miniatures,
just one of the many exhibitors attending the York Show.
Tell us what you’re doing!

Is your club doing anything exciting, got a new project on
the go, raising money for charity or tackling a project from
Dolls House and Miniature Scene? Let us know your news by
emailing Carl.golder@warnersgroup.co.uk
• Send a letter (and photos) to Carl Golder, Dolls House and
Miniature Scene, Warners Group Publications, West Street,
Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9PH
Model of Dudley High Street of 1800s, built c1983 at Himley Hall.
• Keep in touch through our Facebook page:
The Hall closed in 1993 and the model pictured was beyond rescue.
www.facebook.com/dollshouseandminiaturescene Tim rediscovered the overgrown village after 12 years and managed
News copy deadline for the June issue 277 is 1st April 2017. to save a few buildings for posterity.
p06 Miniature scene April.indd 6 08/03/2017 16:09

WEEKEND PROJECT
Nail Polish Flowers

Nail polish is a very interesting and
versatile material, great for crafting
and ideal for making miniatures.
These 1/12th scale flowers are
made from thin wire and red
and green nail polish.
By Kati Kainulainen.
You will need:

Materials required
❑ Thin metal wire 1 To create one flower, you will need six
pieces of wire, each one 10cm long,
four for the petals and two for the leaves.
3 Repeat the previous step. After the petals
have dried, you can then form them.
❑ Red and green nail polish
❑ Flower pot
Tools required
❑ Scissors
Create a small loop by wrapping a piece
of wire around a pen or pencil. Repeat for
each component.
4 Start twisting the individual petals to
create pairs of flowers.
❑ Round pen or pencil

5 Create a flower with four leaves.
Kati’s Top Tip! 2 Form the wire loop into a petal shape
and dip the loop quickly into your
chosen colour of nail polish. Leave to dry. 6 Attach leaves to the flowers before
trimming at the base and inserting
“Use different colour polishes to create a
bright and vibrant bouquet of flowers.” into a pot.
1 2 3
4 5 6
p7_dhmsapril17.indd 7 08/03/2017 16:15

FEATURE
The Miniature Time Capsule:

The Stuarts 1603 to 1714
This month Sadie Brown opens our time capsule in a post Elizabethan society filled with the building
blocks of our modern world; the beautiful dolls by Teresa Thompson of Costume Cavalcade giving us an
insight into the people behind the history!
Time for tea! Ascot was the brainchild of Queen Anne, the latter still remembered each and every
The Stuart era saw several huge shifts and the final Stuart Monarch, and every year year on the 5th of November. It was in
events which remain vital or significant since 1840, almost one hundred and thirty the years which followed the Great Fire,
parts of our lives today, not least of which years after her death, Royal Ascot opens which saw little of the old structure
was the arrival of the good old cup of tea with the Queen Anne Stakes. Anne’s great remaining, that Sir Christopher Wren’s
to our shores in the 1650’s! When you grandfather, the first Stuart Monarch was vision for St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of
consider that tea was being drunk in China James VI of Scotland. Son of Mary Queen London’s most symbolic and important
thousands of years before it reached us it of Scots, he became James I, self styled buildings, took shape.
didn’t do too badly to become our national King of Great Britain, although the Act For all the fun of the facts and figures,
drink, did it? The 21st of April is National of Union itself would not be passed until it’s always the fundamental stories of
Tea Day, it’s hard to believe today that, some 100 years later. The original Union humanity which resonate the most.
during the Stuart age, it was actually an Flag, however, did arrive on the scene just They deliver a real insight into the people
expensive, highly taxed luxury sought a few short years into his reign in 1606, in whose footsteps we follow and one of
by middle class society which led to a flying on all nautical vessels. the more eccentric and unusual stories
smuggling industry! from this era relates to the demise of
The tail end of the Stuart era saw the Let’s not forget scientist, philosopher, MP, Attorney
establishment of the Bank of England and, It was also at this time that historically General….I could go on so I’ll just say
one for those who love to wear their best important or famous events such as the man of many hats, Francis Bacon.
and most extravagant hat for Ladies Day Pilgrim Fathers setting sail on a voyage into A story related by writer, John Aubrey
each year, the 11th of August 1711 the New World, the Great Fire of London concludes that the cause of Bacon’s
gave us the very first race at Ascot. and the Gunpowder Plot occurred, death in 1626 was a chill caught on a late
Gentleman in Periwig and Lady in Fontange Headdress 1690-1710.
Gentleman
in Petticoat
Breeches,
1660-1666.
p8-9_dhmsapril17.indd 8 06/03/2017 17:16

FEATURE
winter day whilst attempting to freeze Maid, Manservant and Scullery Maid.
poultry in the snow. It is suggested that
he interrupted his carriage journey home
to St. Albans to prove to a theory that
freezing may have the ability to preserve
food to his disbelieving friend and travelling
companion, Dr. Winterbourne. A game of
chicken which Bacon, the first Viscount
St. Alban, definitely shouldn’t have played!
Delivering the future

The cold was something that the early
forerunners of the postie may have
suffered from as they travelled across
the miles to take letters on the first six
postal roads, the Royal Mail a service
available to the public for the first time
a little under ten years after the death of
Francis Bacon in 1635. The non publicly
available postal service goes back over
another one hundred years prior to this
and in 2016 Royal Mail celebrated its
500th anniversary. being worn by those who could afford
How bizarre…
With so many elements drawn from this the luxurious fabrics of the day, but also
John Gerard’s Generall Historie of Plantes
time still with us, forming the fabric and the clothes worn by the workers and the
denounced tomatoes as poisonous in his
structure of the world we are surrounded families, taking time to ensure the historical
book just a few short years before James
by, it is wonderful to gain a glimpse into accuracy and detailing in each figure.
I was crowned. It was a common belief
the people who lived during the Stuart Every era is an age of change with
during this era and beyond that these
era through the fantastic range of dolls new inventions providing the tangibility
fruits were lethal. The acid found in them
created by Teresa Thompson. The talent of things constantly moving on.
was not exactly complimentary to the
behind Costume Cavalcade, Teresa does Miniatures provide us with a way of
pewter plates they were eaten from,
something very special, showing us not stopping that change in its tracks and are,
fatal instances ensuing!
only the extravagant, colourful designs in themselves, their very own time capsule! MS
DH
Lady, Gentleman and young boy, 1630-1650.
For further information

about Teresa’s range of
dolls from throughout
the ages visit:
www.costumecavalcade.co.uk
Next issue...
We are inspired by Jacobean talent!
p8-9_dhmsapril17.indd 9 08/03/2017 16:18

WEEKEND PROJECT
Super
Stuart
Chair
These 1/12th scale chairs are
solid and quite easy to make,
owing their ‘carved’ details
to punched paper and paper
doily cutouts.
By Ruth Flewelling Lesbirel.
Photos by Stephen Lesbirel.
A little bit of history...

Furniture during the Stuart era exhibits a great
diversity. It was initially influenced by the carved
oak style of the Elizabethan age, later transitioning
to more straight lined massive solid oak pieces.
The latter part of the era is often called the
“walnut age”, when walnut replaced oak as the
wood of choice, since it was more suited to the
elaborate carving which re-occured at this time.
You will need:

Materials required
❑ 1/16” and 3/32” (1.6mm and 2.4mm)
thick sheetwood
❑ 3/16” (5mm) square stripwood
❑ Beige scrapbook paper
❑ Miniature Victorian handrail
❑ Laser trim (optional) 1 Cut two 18” (29mm) long back
legs from the square stripwood.
Cut a 1a” (35mm) square seat from the
3 Lay the handrail on its side and cut
it at 45°, saving the small ridged
cutoff. Recut the handrail at 45° again
❑ 3/32” (2.4mm) wide cove moulding
❑ Small oval, square, round, and disk thicker sheetwood. Cut eight 1” x x” in the opposite direction, discarding the
prefinished wooden beads (25mm x 5mm) pieces from the thinner wedge-shaped piece. Cut the long piece of
❑ Round wooden cocktail sticks sheetwood for the bottom rails and handrail to 1¼” (32mm) from the shorter
❑ Paper doily skirt pieces. Cut a 1a” x 1½” (35mm x (bottom) edge. Repeat for a second arm.
❑ Wood stain 38mm) back, four 1½” x x” (38mm x
❑ Satin varnish
❑ White glue
5mm) back uprights, and four 1” x x”
(25mm x 5mm) back cross pieces from
4 Stain these four handrail pieces. Fit the
short cutoffs onto the angled end of the
longer pieces so they meet, forming right
Tools required the thinner sheetwood.
❑ Steel ruler angles. Glue the angles together and sand
the top of the join and the underside of that
2
❑ Knife Sand the upper edges of the seat
❑ Small saw and mitre-box end to soften the look. Retouch the stain.
front and sides slightly rounded.
❑ Small hand files
5
Sand the outer top edge of the front rail Select two square beads, one round, and
❑ Small hand drills
slightly rounded. Stain all the sheetwood one or two disk beads to make a total
❑ Assorted round, leaf, and floral paper punches
❑ Emery board and square stripwood pieces. Also stain height of 18” (29mm). Select the same
❑ Fine sandpaper the paper doily parts, a partial sheet of beads for the other front leg. Glue the beads
❑ Grid paper scrapbook paper, a 9” (230mm) strip onto two 18” (29mm) cocktail stick lengths,
❑ Wax paper of cove moulding, and any laser trim, starting and ending with a square bead for
if using. each leg.
p10-11_dhmsapil17.indd 10 09/03/2017 11:03

WEEKEND PROJECT
6 Lay a scrap of thin sheetwood on grid

paper between one front and one back
leg. Glue a skirt piece even with the tops
beads to make a total height of ½” (13mm)
for each arm support. Glue the beads
centred on two s” (16mm) cocktail stick
9 Add paper doily sections and punched
and veined leaves, circles, and/or
flowers to the front and back panels of
of the legs and a rail with its bottom edge lengths. Glue the ends of the cocktail the chair back, the front skirt, and to the
z” (2mm) from the bottom of the legs. sticks into the prepared holes in the seat. laser trim, if using. Glue the chair seat
Repeat for a second pair of legs. Let dry. The cocktail stick tops will be glued into onto the leg assembly, aligning the chair
Brace the leg pairs upside-down on the grid the groove in the underside of the handrail back with the back legs.
paper and glue the back and front skirts arms later.
against the grid paper, between the leg
pairs. Invert the legs and glue the back and
front rails to the legs, with the scrap wood 8 Glue the vertical and horizontal strips
onto the front and back of the chair
10 Glue the arms against the chair
back and onto the arm supports’
cocktail stick ends. Ensure that the arms
beneath them. back piece. Weight this assembly until dry are parallel to the seat. Varnish the
to prevent warping. When dry, glue mitred completed chair to a soft sheen,
7 Drill the seat 8” (3mm) from the front cove moulding inside the panels on both sanding lightly between coats. MS DH
and each side to receive wooden sides. Glue any laser trim to the top of the
cocktail stick tips. Select oval and disk back. Glue the seat against the back.
1 2 3
5 6 7
Ruth’s Top Tip! 9 10
“For a stronger bond, file the beads’ finish where

Side chairs are
adjacent wood will be glued. Measure the width of
even easier to
your bead legs and adjust the front skirt and rail make – just omit
for a total width of 1-3/8” (35mm) in step 6.” the arms!
p10-11_dhmsapil17.indd 11 09/03/2017 11:03

FIVE MINUTES WITH
My Favourite Make
I’m a dolls house writer and enthusiast rather than a maker, and I use this monthly column to showcase the
work of skilled makers. However, like most amateur miniaturists, I also try my hand at making. By Moi Ali.
What is my favourite
miniature so far?
It’s a classic 1950s’-style American diner
of the type found along the historic
Route 66, which runs from Chicago to
Los Angeles.

Why is it my favourite?
I have many miniature structures –
more than I care to admit to owning
– but this one is special because I
planned, designed and built it myself
entirely from scratch. That proved to
be quite a challenge, so the end result
was all the more satisfying. The diner
featured as a project in this magazine
a couple of years ago. What dream miniature would
I like to make – assuming that
What inspired me? money, time and skill are not a
For my 50th birthday we had a family barrier?
trip along Route 66, where we saw many I would absolutely love a miniature Art
of these authentic ‘50s diners. I was Deco cinema. Some years ago a lovely
smitten. As I couldn’t take a full-size couple at Miniatura displayed a number
diner home, the next best thing was of miniatures from their collection,
to create my own version in miniature. including the most amazing cinema, and Information
Mine was inspired by a fabulous diner in I’ve coveted one ever since. How I’d love To find out more about Moi visit:
Albuquerque, New Mexico. to be able to make my own version! www.moiali.com
12 April 2017 www.do llshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk
12_dhmsapril17.indd 12 06/03/2017 17:19

DOLLY’S DAYDREAMS EVENTS
Miniatura
®
FRIDAY 14 APRIL
Novotel Stevenage, Knebworth Park
STEVENAGE SG1 2AX (A1M/J7)
World Class Miniatures Show
SUNDAY 16 APRIL
Take a closer look at Newark Showground, Lincoln Road
the world of miniatures NEWARK NG24 2NY (A46/A1 Junction)
Spring Show
MONDAY 17 APRIL
25th & 26th Holiday Inn Milton Keynes East M1/J14
March 2017 NEWPORT PAGNELL MK16 0JA (A509)
SATURDAY 10 JUNE
The Assembly Rooms, High Street
DEDHAM CO7 6DE (off A12)
SUNDAY 18 JUNE
Portsmouth Marriott, Southampton Road
PORTSMOUTH PO6 4SH (M27/J12)
SUNDAY 25 JUNE
Autumn Show Holiday Inn Ashford-Central
30th September ASHFORD TN24 8QQ (M20/J9)
- 1st October All fairs open 10.30am to 4pm. (Novotel opens at 10am).
National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham,

General enquiries - 0121 783 9922 Ticket Hotline - 0844 5811291
Dolly’s Daydreams
www.miniatura.co.uk 01945 870160/07860 517048
Greenhouse from Malcolm’s Miniatures www.dollysdaydreams.com
p13_dhmsapr17.indd 1 06/03/2017 14:17:53

F E AT U R E
Rockabye in Treetop Style

Who hasn’t dreamed of having a tree house high above the ground? With summer just around the
corner, artists Erik Goddard and Dennis Sheehy share their visions of their ultimate bowered spaces,
perhaps inspiring you to make the climb. By Deb Weissler.
Unit #7, one of the hotel’s deluxe spa-like accommodations awaits weary visitors.
p14-18_dhmsapril17 v2.indd 14 09/03/2017 10:26

F E AT U R E
The tiny spaces around us

A tree house is an eyrie hidden from
view, where our dreams can soar as
high as the treetops that support it.
It’s a magical realm between the earth
below and the sky above that lends
new perspective, both literally and
figuratively, to the world around us.
Often beginning at a young age, the lure
of the tree tops is undeniable, and some
of us never outgrow the desire to create
a haven among the boughs.
Tree houses today have morphed
from childhood forts cobbled together
from scrap lumber into a booming
sector of the adult ‘glamping’ market
- a term used to describe glamorous
camping. As the demand for treetop
tiny spaces grows, contractors are
responding with imaginative and
creative structures to serve as homes,
guest rooms, home offices, man caves,
yoga studios, and even treetop
vacation resorts.
While away your
hours in a spa tub in
front of a large round
window that is all
about the view.

F E AT U R E
As miniaturists we certainly know all

about tiny spaces but tend to ground
our creations much like their full size
countermarks. A few brave souls who
don’t mind the climb have taken miniature
structures to new heights with their
magical and whimsical creations.
Erik Goddard’s vision

for living fancifully
“For me, a tree house is a place that
combines both living and fantasy,” explains
Erik. “On the one hand you occupy a living
space high up in the trees where you enjoy
certain comforts, yet all around you are rustic
reminders that you are far closer to nature
than you would be down on the ground.”
Erik likes the sprawling nature of a tree’s
branches and the possibilities they lend to
A comfy bed at the end of a long day. maze-like construction. Infinitely familiar with
full size tree house construction, Erik has
owned and built several, beginning at age
ten whilst living in Australia.
His preference was always a multi-room,
multi-level structure that often occupied
several branches and trunks within a stand
of trees. His ultimate tree house perched
forty feet up in a stand with a winding
ladder that ascended through various levels;
a sitting room, adjoining bedroom, up into
a lounge with windows on all sides,
offering spectacular views of the surrounding
woods and river below. Would he live in a
tree house today? “Absolutely!”
Despite the surrounding darkness, inside Café Mena offers a bright and inviting space to dine while
“Some of the tree
suspended in the branches.
houses are models or
Erik’s Blue Moon illustrates his love for dioramas while others
multi-room, multi-level structures that often
occupy several branches and trunks. are room boxes,
but they share similar
challenges.”
Now Erik’s tree houses tend to be on
a much smaller but equally grand scale.
Easier to build than ones in real life,
Erik is free to bend the laws of physics to
create whimsical, sprawling, and fantastical
structures in just the perfect tree without
the headaches of securing it in reality.
Built in half-scale to keep the size
manageable and yet still allow for details,
Erik considers his tree houses to be scale
models rather than dolls houses, built for
viewing rather than interacting. They are at
their best when viewed in low light when

F E AT U R E
Erik’s daytime/nighttime lighting techniques

make them particularly alluring.
Erik uses real branches that have been
dried and sealed, and uses scale modeling
basswood for his room boxes. He prefers
real glass for the windows and interior
details consist of basswood, metal, plastic,
and lots of paper. By their very nature,
the tree branches dictate the design of
the tree house. Beginning with the floor
level platform first, Erik visualizes how
walkways, ladders, and stairs will lead to
another branch, another level; wherever his
imagination takes him, building each as he
goes along. The results are stunning.
Deluxe accommodations
nestled in the boughs
Even though it may have been awhile
Climb the ladder to a tiny guest
since you’ve climbed a tree, let’s head up house with a sea glass door.
into the branches to view three of Erik’s
creations—Treehouse Hotel, Blue Moon, Dennis Sheehy’s notion culture, this delightful book illustrated
and Treehouse 3. of Gnome Homes in superb water colours portrayed the
“Blue Moon and Treehouse 3 are After 641 unique structures, world below ground with ironic charm and
relatively straightforward in their design,” plus countless creativity workshops, innocence. “It gave a certain imaginative
Erik points out. “Both are built in tall Dennis Sheehy finally decided to call it legitimacy to the notion of gnomes and
branched trees with multiple levels of living quits. A proven photographer, it was it made me want to research the subject
space. I designed both around the shape of time to explore this facet of his career. more,” Dennis recalls.
the tree and allow the viewer to turn them The logistics of time, money, beach
around, look through different windows,
and examine them from various angles.
combing, and space dictated it was “I finally got serious
time to move on to other pursuits.
The only thing missing is the sense that Looking back at his volume of work, because of the nature
you are actually up in the trees.” Dennis has plenty to be proud of. and esthetics of the
In contrast, Treehouse Hotel is all about “I think of my structures as
the views. This vignette is a set of three sculptural in that it has to look good structures. I started
room boxes, where each of the three from all directions,” Dennis explains, adding doors that
scenes is enclosed within a box. “A room “There is usually a best view, referred
box or diorama box allows me to control to by architects as parti, from which the
worked, windows, stairs,
what the viewer can see, where they can remainder of the design flows. When I and other accoutrements
see it, the perspective, amount of lighting,
and views of the outdoors from the interior.
was beach combing I could spot a piece
of wood and know immediately that it
one might find around
The Lobby, Café Mena, and Unit No. 7 offer would make the perfect base. It could sit such a habitat.”
cutaway views of the interior, providing in my studio for months or years before
intimate glimpses into a treehouse fantasy.” I made up my mind what to do with it. The ideas formulated by the book
Photographed as a nighttime scene, But the design was always about percolated for a number of years until
the Lobby, built around the tree trunks, esthetics and utility, especially from a one day when he took his family to
is a warmly lit, welcoming space that hints gnome’s point of view.” the beach where he spotted the perfect
at mystery and romance you will access by Early in his career living in Washington materials to build little houses. They didn’t
a narrow staircase on the left. Café Mena D.C., Dennis loved his weekend treks to amount to much at first but as each
offers intimate dining among the branches Kramer Books on historic Connecticut house materialized and resonated with
beneath a string of romantic fairy lights. Avenue. One day while browsing the him, Dennis’s carpentry skills evolved.
Unit No.7 offers a peek into the hotel’s lux book shelves, he discovered a magical Soon his creations were appearing in
accommodations: a spa bath set before book entitled Gnomes” by Will Huygen windows at several regional galleries
a round window with a stunning treetop and Rien Poortvliet. He recalls standing in with a contract to make more. Made of
view; a bedroom with windows open to awe, reading page after page until he had all natural materials, about all Dennis
embrace the night air; and an intimate finished the book and then took it home. needed to buy were glue and some
sitting room. It’s the stuff of dreams. Considered the definitive work on gnome screws. Many of his homes took up

F E AT U R E
A gnome lighthouse and keeper’s cottage lit and unlit.

just one cubic foot of space but some
were larger, especially when he found a
particularly spectacular hollow tree stump
large enough to become a dolls house.
Most were humbly furnished with sea
glass windows that let in wonderful light.
Each tells a story

Dennis’s meticulous attention to detail
resulted in one-off works of art that found
homes on collectors’ walls, dining tables,
and display shelves. Each tiny home tells
a story and appeals to buyers on both a
playful and spiritual level. As one charmed
customer aptly described them, “Gnome
Homes make him smile.”
“One of the things I discovered is that
everybody makes up stories about what’s
going on in their Gnome Home. I see this
as a way of organizing and making sense
of the chaos of the universe. I saw this
happen in my workshops. Everyone had a
story about what he or she had created.
When asked to tell their stories, it could
A tiny cottage with sea glass door beckons get pretty deep at times. One psychologist
from within a wreath of driftwood.
even proposed teaming up with me to
hold workshops as a healing modality.”
At a workshop for grieving children in
Brunswick, Dennis told the participants
about gnomes being protectors of
precious gems and he passed out pieces
of frosty sea glass to be incorporated into
their designs.
“One little boy glued a piece onto a
swing he had made. I lay on the floor to
get to his level and asked him to tell me
the story of his gnome home. He had
recently lost his Nana, he said. I asked him
about the sea glass and he said “That’s my
Nana. She loved to push me on a swing.”
For this young child, his precious gem
represented his beloved Nana and the
memories they had forged.”
These two talented tree house artists
have opened up a realm of possibilities just
ripe for exploring. With warm weather soon
beckoning, let’s break out some boards,
hammers, and nails. The sky’s the limit! MSDH
Information
For more information about Erik
Goddard’s fine miniature architecture
visit:
www.erikgoddard.com
Dennis Sheehy can be reached via:
dennissheehy444@gmail.com

��
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House kits, lighting, furniture,
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COVENTRY’S Also Model Railways & Crafts
�� Dolls House 54 Cavendish Street
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LONDON
�� Est. 1988. Dolls House Shop
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Tel: 01932 780934 email: bernardes.
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atures
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urday
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� Also on site: The Craft Den, Tea rooms, Cliffords Heating, Spa centre
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5 Appledore Terrace,
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Pudsey Civic Hall, Dawsons Corner
13/10/10 16:25:21
West Midlands Pudsey, Leeds LS28 5TA
WS5 3DU (Junction of Leeds Outer Ring Road and
�� We have Tel:
an extensive range
01922 616298
of 1 :12th and 1 : 24th scale Bradford Road A647)
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ATURE
p19_dhmsapr17.indd 1 03/12/2013 11:52:17 06/03/2017 14:24:45
ale13/10/10
Shop 16:25:21
SKILLED PROJECT
The Perfect Match...

Sadie Brown adds a feathery twist to a beautiful calla lily wedding
bouquet and creates some tempting sugary wedding favours! You will need:
Materials required
❑ Polymer clay: white, sunflower yellow,
apple green, brown, beige and baby pink
❑ Pastels: golden ochre, dark orange
cadmium and brown
❑ Acrylic paint: light green, deep yellow,
lemon yellow, burnt umber and burnt Sienna
❑ Matte varnish
❑ Dark green lichen
❑ Hairy grass (spring mix)
❑ Dried grass stems, faux leaves and foliage
❑ Faux white feathers
❑ Silver tone floristry wire
Tools required
❑ Map pin
❑ Cotton bud
❑ Jewellery wire cutters
❑ Craft knife
❑ Scissors
❑ Small brushes
❑ Super Glue
❑ Pink coloured pencil
❑ Small, thin piece of wood
❑ Optional access to a scanner/printer/photo
editing software
Catching the bouquet
Wedding bouquets can be fluid things with styles constantly changing in line with the latest trends. Sometimes the
modern bouquet doesn’t include a single flower, preferring instead to incorporate a whole host of unexpected items such
as jewellery, shells, feathers or even favourite sweets. Some bouquets however never have and never will lose their grip
on the bride’s big day, remaining timeless classics to each new generation who walk down the aisle.
1 Create a light green clay for the

bouquet base mixture using white and
apple green clay, adding a small amount
4 Lever the clay off your work surface
with a pin and, laying the pin
lengthways down the clay from the point,
7 Cut some pointed strips from thin
faux leaves and glue them into the
space made on the bottom of the base
of yellow and brown. Roll into a ball about fold the two sides of the round end over before covering the rest of the base in
1cm in diameter. Cut a 1.5cm length from each other. Super Glue and coating liberally with
the white stick of a cotton bud and push Hairy Grass and gluing the stick into the
it into the light green ball of clay and
remove. This makes the hole where we 5 Use the ball end of the pin as a tool
to shape the flower and your fingers
pre made hole.
will glue the handle into place later. to pull the pointed end into a bit more of
a thin, wispy point. Also add a hole in the 8 Take a couple of faux leaves, made
from material rather than plastic and
2 Use a map pin or similar to make

an indentation across the bottom
bottom of two of the lilies so that stems
can be inserted.
cut into small individual miniature leaves.
and towards the front of the green ball,

ensuring the hole for the stick is at the
back. This is where the cascading part of 6 Whilst the green base and the lilies
are baking and cooling, cut small
9 Stick the leaves to the bouquet base
on top of the hairy grass.
the bouquet will be glued into place. pieces of dried grass stem one for the
centre of each flower and measuring 10 Lightly paint the base and pointy
tip of each lily with a lemon yellow/
3 The calla lilies themselves begin life as a

3mm ball of white clay rolled into a carrot
shape about 7mm in length. Flatten said
2mm in length. Paint with mixed deep
and lemon yellow paint and coat with
matte varnish.
light green paint mix and varnish them.
Glue one of the pieces of now yellow
grass stem into the centre of each flower.
carrot with the back of a fingernail, drawing it
out a little at each side of the round end.
20-23 Wedding favours.indd 20 08/03/2017 17:23

SKILLED PROJECT
11 Stick the flowers to the base.

14 No, you can’t put the glue down
just yet! Cut two more dried grass
stems, paint with mixed lemon yellow
12 Glue some small pieces of dark

green lichen into any gaps between
the leaves and flowers.
and light green paint. Coat with matte
varnish and glue into the base of the two
calla lilies with holes in the bottom.
13 Cut a small length of silver tone

floristry wire and twist it around
thin round objects such as a brush stem
15 Glue the stems into place at the
base of the cascade. Finally, add
some small white feathers to the bouquet
and map pin, creating a decorative whirl for a modern twist. Any white faux
effect and stick the wire to the bouquet, feathers are suitable but mine came from
towards the bottom. a Christmas bauble! Now you can put the
glue down!
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
10 11 12
13 14 15

SKILLED PROJECT
Favours 1
Wedding favours have come a long way since their 16th century French origins.
Nowadays, favours can be varied things, from a lottery ticket in a beautiful folder,
to a miniature wedding cake stack created entirely from cookies and sugar or
sweets which look like matches tagged “The Perfect Match”.
1 Take six balls of cream (white/yellow

mix) clay, two 3mm, two 2mm and
two 1.5mm and flatten them into circles
6 Bake both the cookie stack and the
sweets. Whilst the oven is busy with
that, find or cut a small, thin piece of
3
with the back of a fingernail. Grate some wood roughly 1.7cm by 1cm and paint,
golden ochre pastel and add a little brown or “stain” it with a watered down mixture
and dark orange cadmium, creating a of burnt umber, burnt sienna and deep
deep biscuity colour to brush over the yellow acrylic paints.
cream circles.
2 Repeat with white clay, this time

using one 3mm, one 2mm and two
7 Once the favours have cooled,
coat these plus the wood with
matte varnish.
1.5mm balls. Place a white circle between
the two largest cookies, sticking with
Sculpey Bake & Bond, making something
that looks a bit like a ginger cream!
8 I added a handwritten card but if
your handwriting doesn’t go that small
or you don’t have access to a scanner,
4
Repeat with the other two layers of the printer and photo editing software,
stack, adding a final white circle to the simply cut out a small picture you like.
top of the smallest layer. If you do have the above electronics to
hand then read on! Scrawl “The Perfect
3 Use Bake & Bond to stack the layers

on top of one another and add three
tiny white balls to the very top of the
Match” on a piece of white paper,
scan it up and reduce the size to about
7mm in width on your photo editing
cookies for decoration. software before printing!
4 9
Put the cookie tower to one side, Glue the match sweets and the 5
ready for baking and roll out a tube of cookie stack to the wooden board,
beige clay as thinly as you possible can, alongside a piece of tiny decorative foliage
cutting two pieces measuring 4mm and the “The Perfect Match” card. I also
in length. made a heart shaped picture using a
photograph of some flowers and hitting
5 Using baby pink clay take a tiny ball

for each match, gently blending it with
one end of the matchstick so that they
the blur tool on my photo editing software
which fits beautifully next to the card! MS
DH
form one piece.

SKILLED PROJECT
Sadi says...
“All the colours used in the bouquet and the favours, alongside last WENDY’S
month’s wedding cake, can easily be altered to suit your own colour
scheme so sit back with your copy of the magazine and start planning WORLD
DOLLSFAIRS 2017
HOUSE
your own miniature spring wedding!”
& MINIATURES
6 FAIRS 2013
APRIL 23rd
LYNDHURST Community Centre,
Main Car Park, Lyndhurst,
PLEASE NOTE
SO43 7NY
WE HAVEAPRILHAD TO 30th
CHANGE
EXETER, Conference Centre,
THE DATE OF NEXT YEAR’S
Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ
ALEXANDRA PALACE FAIR
TO 1st JUNE
SEPTEMBER
4th
MAIDSTONE, Hilton Hotel, Bearsted
7
Rd,
THEWeavering,
2nd FAIRMaidstone ME14 5AA
AT EPSOM
WILL NOW BE ON
JUNE 11th
20TH OCTOBER
WESTON-SUPER-MARE,
Royal
This Hotel,
is due to a 5South
day eventParade, BS23Palace
at Alexandra 2AH
which takes precedent over a I day event, despite
the booking, this SEPT 17th
does not clash with any other
EXETER Conferencefair.
major dolls house Centre,
JanuaryClyst
6th StEXETER,
Mary, Exeter EX5Centre,
Conference 1DJ
Westpoint, Clyst St Mary,
8
Exeter
SEPT EX524th
1DJ
LYNDHURST
January 20th Community
BRISTOL, Centre,
The Holiday Inn,
Main Car Park,
Filton Lyndhurst SO43 7NY
Rd., Hambrook,
Bristol BS16 1QX
February 3rd
OCT 22nd
EPSOM Racecourse,
WESTON-SUPER-MARE,
Epsom Downs, Surrey KT18 5LQ
Royal Hotel, South Parade, BS23 2AH
February 24th **NEW**MAIDSTONE,
The Hilton Hotel, Bearsted Rd,
NOV 26th
Weavering, Maidstone ME14 5AA
MAIDSTONE, Hilton Hotel,
9
March 3rd
Bearsted KEMPTON
Rd, PARK Racecourse,
Weavering, ME14 5AA
Sunbury-on-Thames,
Middx TW16 5AQ
COBHAM Antique Dolls,
March 10thDollshouses
NEWBURY&RACECOURSE,
Toy Fairs
Newbury, Berks. RG14 7NZ
Cobham Village Hall, Lushington Drive,
Cobham,
March 17th Surrey, KT11
CHELTENHAM, 2LU Hotel
The Thistle
Gloucester Rd, Cheltenham,
JuneGL51
25th0TSOctober 1st
Wendy’s World
Information Wendy’s World
01895 834348
To see more of Sadie’s work visit 01895 834348
www.homewardflight.scot
www.wendysworldfairs.co.uk
wendyhobday@wendysworld.co.uk
www.etsy.com/shop/homewardflight www.wendysworldfairs.co.uk
enquiries@homewardflight.scot

F E AT U R E
International Guild
of Miniature Artisans
Spring has sprung! Amy Marshall talks with two IGMA Fellows about what the season and their
Guild fellowships mean to them.
C arol began her journey in the miniature world in 1984, when her daughter needed help making
miniature furniture for a school project. She became, as she says, “hooked on the world of miniatures.”
She took a class with Pat and Noel Thomas and wanted to landscape the finished piece, a craftsman
bungalow, with rose bushes and climbing vines, but they weren’t available to buy and this was pre-internet,
so she made them herself. When the piece was exhibited at a show, people wanted to know if she’d make
more rosebushes to order, and a business was born.
Carol says that becoming an IGMA Fellow “sure has made me feel
good!” She has provided her flowers, bushes and vines to miniaturists
all over the world. When she makes her signature rosebushes and vines,
she has a lot of leftover flowers and leaves, which she sells “by the stem”
so people can make their own arrangements. As of this writing, she’s
working on commissions for wild roses, rose vines and window boxes.
She says that it takes her about two weeks to make a rosebush,
and four weeks to finish a vine--she is meticulous about her work.
She never uses laser-cut components, she works with some custom made punches, but for the most
part, she cuts out every leaf and petal by hand, and paints each with her own custom-mixed colours,
sometimes two or three times for realism. She presents her plants and flower arrangements in artist-made
pots, vases, planters and barrels, usually created by other IGMA artists.
As far as what says ‘spring’ to Carol, it’s her own favourite rosebushes, both real-life and in miniature.
Carol’s assorted roses.
L inda’s business name is “Miracle Chicken”, and there’s a reason.

Linda, a vegetarian and a firm believer in animal rights, once worked
as a caretaker on a working farm. Late one night, foxes invaded the
hen house, leaving only one egg unscathed. She took the egg home
and it hatched, giving her a little “miracle chicken”, which she kept and
treated as a member of the family for many years.
Linda got started in miniatures when she was a senior in high
school, in 1976. She carved several tiny animals, she says that it
was her first commission. In the interim, in addition to her job as the
farm’s caretaker, she spent four years making molds of toy racecars. This amazing Noah’s Ark is
1/144 scale! Both elephants fit
All of Linda’s animals are carved from wood, she carves the on a 10p piece!
feathers and fur, and even in her 1/144th scale Noah’s ark, she never
uses clay of any type. Amazingly, she also carves figures at the ends
of wooden matches and on toothpicks. Many of her animal figures
are furred, lending an additional touch of realism
that’s different from the carved fur.
Information
Linda is proud to be a Fellow in the Guild,
To see more of Carol’s work visit:
and displays her Lucite Cube, the symbol of
www.carol-wagner.com
her Fellowship, on her table at shows. She has
To see more of Linda’s work visit:
three venues on which she sells her work:
www.miraclechickenminiatures.com
Etsy, Ebay and CDHM (Custom Dolls,
miraclechicken.blogspot.co.uk
Houses and Miniatures.) To Linda, spring is a
If you are considering applying for
celebration of new life, and many of the animals
Artisan or Fellow visit:
she loves give birth to their young at this time.
www.igma.org Fabulous storks.
24 IGMA april.indd 24 09/03/2017 16:54

F E AT U R E
The Unknown Soldier

Moi Ali discovers a unique dolls house with an amazing history.
Current custodian Catherine with the house.
p25-28_dhmsapril17.indd 25 03/03/2017 13:37

F E AT U R E
One of a kind
The only house I’ve ever come across
with running water is the rather splendid
Queen Mary’s dolls house at Windsor
Castle. So when I heard about another
dolls house with that feature, only an
hour’s drive away from my home near
Edinburgh, I just had to see it.
The house in question is owned by
Catherine Hamilton, who lives in the
pretty town of Melrose in the Scottish
Borders – Sir Walter Scott’s home,
Abbotsford, is nearby. Well, it’s not
strictly accurate that Catherine is owner:
it’s actually jointly owned by several
cousins – but we’ll come to that shortly.
Hand-painted originals.
The miniature house is a copy of
the central part of a real house, pictures – the ‘portraits’ of the ‘owners’
Hyning, in North Lancashire. Hyning was being portraits of dolls. Dorothy made
Catherine’s grandmother Dorothy’s family soft furniture, the beds and bedding
home in the 1920s. During that era, and, in time, later generations added to
there were many young (and not-so-young) the contents with both home-made and
men who were traumatised by the horrors bought items.
of World War 1. One such individual,
who was suffering from so-called ‘shell With working
shock’, was commissioned by Dorothy plumbing and electrics
to build the dolls house as a therapeutic Like all heirlooms, this one was passed
project. Handwork activity was common down through the generations and will
therapy for people suffering from what continue down the line. As a child in the
today would be known as post-traumatic 1950s, Catherine played with it with her
stress disorder. brother. At this time it was housed at
The house was built for her four Dorothy’s house in the Lake District.
little girls: Euphan, Jean, Anne and Her brother was particularly fascinated
Isabel. Each girl had three rooms in the by the plumbing and the electrics in the
miniature house, and each made items house. The original lighting remains and it
to go in their rooms. Other relatives also still works today, controlled by rather hefty
Dolls were the ‘owners’ of the house!
contributed. An aunt painted many of the individual light switches in each room.
A hefty light switch.
The original
Each daughter had three rooms to furnish lighting survives.
p25-28_dhmsapril17.indd 26 03/03/2017 13:37

F E AT U R E
A delightful magazine from the house. A cuppa and Listen with Mother on the wireless.
After Catherine’s grandmother died, There is furniture from many eras in different scales.
the house was relocated with a cousin
for her daughter to enjoy, and then
Catherine became the custodian around
eight years ago as her grandchildren
were just the right age for a dolls house.
The house remains in the joint ownership
of all Dorothy’s grandchildren, but it is
her great-great grandchildren who are the
ones who are now playing with it.
Given its age, history and treasured
memories, I assumed that Catherine
would be rather precious about little ones
playing with it, but not at all. She is happy
to let them play with the house, just as
she played with it herself decades ago
– and there are two sets of furniture so
that even the youngest can play without
Lovely chairs from the house.
risking damage to the most delicate the ‘Turners’ and the ‘Gainsborough’ are by
things. It’s so refreshing to hear that Tony Smibert, a well-known Tasmanian
attitude to what is, after all, a toy – albeit artist and given as a thank you for his visit
a rather special one. to the family.
Like many old houses, this one has Some of the furniture is exquisite and
been much added to over the years so most likely rather valuable, but other
the furniture and other contents are a truly pieces are cheap mass-produced items
mixed vintage. Catherine’s children painted from the 1950s and ‘60s in a range of
some of the pictures in the house, scales. It all adds to the incredible charm
while others are more professional: of this unique house.
‘Turners’ by a well-known artist.
p25-28_dhmsapril17.indd 27 08/03/2017 16:43

F E AT U R E
The two bath tubs have running water.
The gravity tank in the roof.
A delightful (slightly damaged) antique bureau.
Catherine holding the copper tank.
An ingenious design
The soldier who built it was asked
to install proper running water, so he
created a gravity tank which sits in the
roof void. Concealed pipework allows
the water (cold only!) to run to the two
bath tubs. The baths then empty into
a tall slim copper tank which is hidden
between the walls of the rooms below
and accessed for emptying via a secret
cavity in the side of the building.
I think he’d be pleased to know that
his wonderful creation is giving as much
pleasure to children today as it did when
Hand-made gateleg table. he first built it almost a century ago. MS
DH
p25-28_dhmsapril17.indd 28 03/03/2017 13:37

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components to make a tray for the tray cloth to fit in, so that all Information
you need to do is glue the five pieces together. To see more of Janet’s work visit:
If you haven’t done small scale stitching before, take a look at www.janetgranger.co.uk
Janet’s website www.janetgranger.co.uk/tutorials for free tutorials www.janetgranger.wordpress.com
p29_dhmsapril17.indd 29 08/03/2017 16:40

WEEKEND PROJECT
Bright Bold Tulips
In 1/12th scale, these paper tulips

will make a bold addition to any
dolls house, conservatory or garden
without costing a small fortune.
By Marianne Cook.
You will need:

Materials required
❑ Calligrapher’s rice paper or other
lightweight paper
❑ Paper covered green florist wire gauge 28-30
1 Paint small pieces of tissue paper on
both sides with yellow for the petals
and green for leaves.
then attach it to the stem at the base of
the pistil. Repeat for five more cotton
pieces, arranging them around the stem.
❑ Artist’s acrylic paints (in tubes)
❑ Brown sewing cotton Leave until dry, then trim the cotton
Tools required
❑ Daisy punch for shapes 12-13mm across 2 Cut the wire into 40mm-50mm
lengths for the stems. Coat about
pieces level with the end of the pistil.
(optional)
❑ Paint brushes
2mm of one end of each with creamy
yellow to represent the part called the
pistil. You can either dip the wire into
4 To cut the petals freehand, first draw
a pencil line 7mm in from the edge
of the yellow paper. With sharp fine-point
❑ High tack glue
❑ Cocktail sticks or fine glue applicator paint or use a small brush. Allow to dry. scissors cut teardrop shapes with
❑ Fine tweezers a gently curved tip which stop just short
3
❑ Sharp fine-point scissors For the stamens that surround the of your pencil line. Alternatively, you can
❑ Darning needle pistil, cut 4mm-5mm lengths of use a 12-13mm daisy punch if you have
❑ Eraser or flower shaping pad brown sewing cotton - you need six for one for the petals. Punch the shapes
❑ Medium ball embossing tool
each flower. Using tweezers, pick up a from yellow paper, but don’t divide the
❑ Vase or other container
piece of cotton and dip one end into glue, petals yet.
p30-31_dhmsapil17.indd 30 08/03/2017 17:08

WEEKEND PROJECT
1 2 3
4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11
5 If you cut individual petals, then add a

9 Secure three more petals evenly 12
flush of red to each one starting from around the stem, arranging them to
the base. I do this with acrylic paint on a overlap the previous round of three.
very small brush, laying the petals on a (Please note, for steps 8-9 the left images
piece of non-stick baking paper, but you show the petals spread out to better
could use a red pen or crayon. Of course illustrate their positions, but they should be
you could also make tulips with single fixed so they stand up around the stamens
colour flowers. as shown in the images on the right).
6 Alternatively, if you punched daisy

shapes, it is easier to colour them
before dividing into individual petals,
10 Now cut a few leaves from the
green paper. They should be about
the same length or a little shorter than
as shown. When the paint is dry, cut out the flower stems. They are a broadish
the petals with sharp fine point scissors. sword shape tapering to a point.
7 11
Next shape the petals. Lay them on Lay each leaf on a rubber and run a Information
an eraser with the red and yellow darning needle down it to create a Vase is handmade by Christine Lecoutre
side down and run the embossing tool vein. Hold the needle almost flat on the www.christinesmini.weebly.com
lengthways over each one to create a leaf to avoid piercing the paper.
gentle inward curve. Calligrapher’s rice paper widely available
12 Put a small dab of glue at the base from Amazon/art/craft suppliers.
8 For each flower, secure three petals of each leaf and lay a flower stem www.Amazon.com
evenly around the stem, fixing them on top. Fold the leaf over and press the
just below the pistil with a tiny drop of sides together for 5-8mm up the stem. MS DH To see more of Marianne’s work visit:
glue. Allow to set and dry. www.mariannecook.com
p30-31_dhmsapil17.indd 31 08/03/2017 17:07

WEEKEND PROJECT
Hot Cross Buns

Celebrate Easter in 1/12th scale with a platter of hot cross buns.
By Kelly Murdie of Dinky Diner Miniatures.
You will need:

Materials required Tools required
❑ Polymer clay – white, translucent white, chocolate, Windsor blue, ❑ Cutting pliers
tropical green, tangerine, black, champagne, ochre, magenta and lemon yellow ❑ Long thin needle tool (or pin)
❑ Soft pastels – ochre, pale terracotta, terracotta and burnt Sienna ❑ Craft knife/ razor blade
❑ Acrylic paint – green and yellow ❑ Glass/ tile work surface
❑ Fimo Liquid gel ❑ Roller
❑ Fimo Clear Gloss varnish ❑ Nail art dotting tools
❑ Dried semolina ❑ Fine artist’s paintbrushes
❑ Poppy seeds
❑ Ball of tin foil Fimo mixing guide (ratio)
❑ PVA glue Ochre Mix: Ochre (1) Champagne
❑ Wooden circular boards/discs (40mm in diameter) Hot Cross Bun Mix: Translucent white (10) white (1) ochre mix (1)
❑ Small piece of 1/12th scale printed fabric Butter Mix: Translucent white (1) + equal, but tiny amounts of white and
❑ 1/12th scale glass butter dish lemon yellow clay
❑ 1/12th scale dinner knife (part of a cutlery set)
p32-33_dhmsapil17.indd 32 08/03/2017 16:59

WEEKEND PROJECT
1 Begin by mixing the Hot Cross Bun

Mix clay and add some dried semolina
and poppy seeds (not too much though).
dust the top of the buns with a soft
paintbrush. Next, cut the outer outside
edges of the hot cross bun square
6 Condition the butter mix clay and
attach a small piece inside the glass
butter dish using a thin smear of Liquid
The clay still needs to be pliable and be (see picture for guidance) then separate Fimo. For added realism, add texture
mindful that there are only a few raisins each of the buns along the joins you to the butter by creating spreading
inside each hot cross bun. made in step 3. Score into the buns patterns with your knife. Bake in the
where you made the slices to create a oven for five minutes and set aside to
2 Divide the mixture into four even sized

balls and position together, as pictured,
crumbed effect. Bake for ten minutes. cool. Next, paint the remaining wooden
board with approximately three layers of
making sure that they are touching.
5 Mix together some translucent white
clay with a small amount of the ochre
yellow acrylic paint (allowing time to dry
between each coat). Once dry, put a dab
3 To add a bit of texture to each bun,

press each ball lightly with a piece
of scrunched up tin foil. Next, using a
mix. Smear the tops of the hot cross
buns with a thin layer of liquid Fimo.
Next, roll out a thin cable of the clay
of PVA glue on one half of the board and
lay the piece of fabric on top, crumpling
it up slightly, then ‘painting’ it in place
thin needle tool gently trace along where and cut eight small pieces, thin enough with a thin layer of PVA glue. Attach each
each of the clay balls touch to create a to make cross shapes in the hot cross of the hot cross buns with a small dab
smooth join. buns. Using the fine end of the dotting of PVA glue underneath and position in
tool, make dotting patterns over the cross place. Glue the butter dish and the knife
4 In each of the hot cross buns, trace a

plus sign (north, south, east and west)
using a thin needle tool. Using a small
lines, smoothing as you go to attach them
seamlessly in the cross shaped grooves
you made in step 4.
into place. Once everything is set in
place, ‘paint’ the surface of the hot cross
buns with clear gloss varnish and leave
amount of each of the pastel colours, to dry. MSDH
1 2 3
4 6
Information
To see more of Kelly’s work visit:
www.dinkydinerminis.etsy.com www.instagram.com/dinkydinerminis
www.facebook.com/dinkydinerminis dinkydinerminis@yahoo.co.uk
p32-33_dhmsapil17.indd 33 08/03/2017 17:00

FEATURE
At Home with
the Broadwoods
This month, Bea Broadwood takes a closer look at her favourite painting techniques and shares how she
uses them to bring her unique miniature model buildings to life.
Such a dab hand Sponge painting

When I’m building models I don’t use any I am sure that most of you will Bea’s Top Tip!
fancy painting techniques or expensive already be familiar with this very “Lightly sponging a tiny
painting equipment. Instead, I like to common painting technique. amount of green paint over
keep it simple and so with the exception However, by adapting the type of a completed miniature roof,
of plain old fashioned painting with a sponges used, it can easily create creates a super easy and
paint brush, I only really use two different some incredibly effective internal effective weathered finish!”
techniques to apply paint; ‘sponge and external finishes. I use a
painting’ and ‘dry brush distressing’ and variety of different sponges to Bea sponge painting
trust me, they both couldn’t be simpler! ‘sponge paint’ miniature exteriors, a brick porch in
1/24th scale.
selected depending on the final finish I require.
For example, when creating stone or
Did you know? brickwork, I first paint the entire surface with
Petite Properties have a range of paints with the colour I have chosen for the mortar (the
a thick creamy consistency making them ideal gaps between the stones or bricks). When dry,
for sponge painting. I then use a sponge to apply the colours I wish
to use to bring the exterior finish to life, adding
depth by using several tones of one colour.
When sponge painting brickwork, it is very
important not to overload the sponge, as if it is
too wet the paint will run into the gaps between
the bricks and spoil the overall effect!
Different densities of sponge will create a
variety of paint effects and textures and I
have found that natural sponges are
ideal if you require a more rustic
finish. However, I often use
regular household
bath sponges,
which I cut
down
into the
size I
require.
Inexpensive
Bea’s Top Tip! cosmetic sponges
“Sponge painting sparse are ideal if you are
layers of different working in the smaller
colours on top of one scales, as they are small,
another can create and A sponge for firm and dense and the texture they
extra sense of texture.” any occasion! create is scale appropriate for brickwork,
stone or render. When you have finished
painting, the sponges I use can be easily
washed and then reused again and again.
p34-35_dhmsapril17.indd 34 03/03/2017 13:58

FEATURE
Dry brush distressing To ‘dry brush’ simply take a completely

Once mastered, this super simple dry, clean paint brush. I prefer to use Bea’s Top Tip!
painting technique is incredibly versatile simple bristle brushes, in a variety of “When distressing with a dry brush,
and I use it to weather and distress, sizes depending on the size of the area remember; the smaller the scale,
not only miniature buildings, but also I am wanting to distress. Load the paint the smaller the brush.”
miniature furniture too. Over the years, brush with a TINY amount of paint,
I have found that applying paint with a then remove excess paint from the
very dry brush, allows me to quickly brush onto a piece of tissue or
(and easily) add a realistic sense of ‘age’ paper towel until the brush One of Bea’s
to the scale models I create. is practically dry. distressing brushes.
Before applying the paint, test the brush

on the back of your hand...if it feels cold,
it is too wet and remove more of the paint
before continuing. Apply the distressing
Dry brush distressing.
paint in gentle circular movements over
the surface of the object you wish to
‘age’. Tiny amounts of the paint will
catch onto the edges and surface
textures to give a soft, yet realistic
finish. Continue to build up the layers
by re-applying tiny amounts of paint,
until your required level of ‘distressing’
has been achieved.
And remember, ‘less is more’...it’s Bea distressing a

better to build up the level of paint 1/24th exterior using
Mucky Paint.
applied gradually, as if too much paint
is applied in one go, the effect will be
ruined! To create a general dirty or aged
appearance on interiors or exteriors I
apply *Mucky Paint, which is a dark,
flat, matt brown colour.
To create the illusion of So why not grab a sponge and a bristle

miniature cast iron, I simply brush and have a go at distressing your
apply *Silver Highlighting Paint own miniature creations; as getting
with a dry brush over a base of mucky not only adds realism to miniature
matt black. creations... but it’s also lots of fun too! MS
DH
Information
Traditional range
To view the full range visit:
in 1/24th scale. www.petite-properties.com
01526 328 738
*From the Petite Properties’ paint range.
p34-35_dhmsapril17.indd 35 08/03/2017 17:27

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YORK PREVIEW
What’s in
store at York
On Sunday 4th June, York Racecourse will host the York Dolls House and Miniatures Fair and
welcome over 90 dedicated exhibitors and artisans, all with one thing in common, minis!
For miniaturists around the country the show is not to be missed. Expect to find everything from
handcrafted dolls to materials, from kits through to building supplies. Making their way up to York
are Seaside Miniatures creators of holiday themed kits in 1/12th, 1/24th and 1/48th scale.
Seaside Miniatures are husband and wife
team Mike and Alison Thomas and as
the name of the business suggests,
they’re based by the coast. Milford-on-Sea,
Dorset to be precise.
This will be their second trip to the York
Show and the furthest north that they
have travelled.
Mike and Alison found inspiration in their
new surroundings when they moved to
the south coast in 2001. The family were
lucky to experience owning a beach hut
overlooking the lighthouse at the Needles
on the Isle of Wight.
Mike deals with the technical side of
the business looking after all of the
miniature making, drawing the designs
on the computer and using a specialist
laser cutting machine to cut out the kits.
Alison paints/dresses display items and
makes the small ready-made items.
“We became interested in the different
types and styles of huts, the plans/size,
Council regulations etc. After doing our
research, this meant we could scale down
the huts to the exact size and achieve the
correct exterior look.
All of Mike and Alison’s miniatures are
holiday related, so when you’re browsing
over their stall expect to see lighthouses,
caravans, buckets, spades. The list is endless.
The vast majority of items on their stall
are laser cut kits in 1/12th, 1/24th and 1/48th
scale handmade in their home studio,
with 1/48th scale being more practical for
scaling down objects like lighthouses.
“We are slowly converting customers
to try different scales but we still get
a lot of requests and commissions for
our kits in 1/12th scale. Some people are
nervous about trying the smaller scale but
the positive feedback we receive upon
completion of our kits is astounding.”
p38-40_dhmsapril17.indd 38 09/03/2017 13:04

YORK PREVIEW
All of Mike and Alison’s products stem

from their experiences and surroundings.
Living in a scenic coastal village they are
surrounded by holiday makers and locals
enjoying the local facilities.
Seaside Miniatures is unique as no
other ‘makers’ concentrate solely on
holiday related miniatures.
“When we exhibit at shows there are a
lot of ‘surprised’ looks and smiles at the
display as we are very different and we
constantly challenge ourselves to think
outside the ‘dolls house’ box.”
The family recently holidayed in
Northern France and this encouraged
them to introduce the ‘Petit Maison.’
It’s a reproduction of a Gite the family Showing their niche items at the SIMP
are renovating as a holiday home and is show in Paris was an amazing experience
their newest item to be added to their for the team, exhibiting alongside some
stock list. very talented makers. “Shows in Europe
‘Suisse Normandie’ is also a new are very different to what we’re used to
addition and is a model of a restaurant/ seeing here in the UK, as most of the
creperie the family frequently visited miniatures for sale are handmade.
last summer. We have been invited to shows in
Both kits are available in 1/48th scale Holland, Belgium and Germany and
only as this is the most practical scale besides the York show we will be Petite Maison Before.
for this size of building, and both will be exhibiting at Miniatura and Kensington. MS
DH
Petite Maison After.
available in York.
Information
Seaside Miniatures will be on stand 71
Suisse Normandie.
For more information visit:
www.seasideminiatures.co.uk
p38-40_dhmsapril17.indd 39 09/03/2017 16:58

WEEKEND PROJECT
Café Dresser
This brilliant new 1/48th scale kit
by Seaside Miniatures will make
a great addition to your kitchen
scene and will be launched
exclusively at the York Dolls
House Show.
You will need:

❑ Café Dresser kit
❑ Tacky glue
❑ Fine sandpaper
❑ Paint or stain
1 Lay out all of the pieces as shown.
2 Start with the bottom six pieces.

Glue the back legs under the 4 To complete the bottom of the
dresser, glue the slatted shelf under
the worktop. Use the corners to glue it
gluing to the dresser back up against the
sides. Use the markers on the side pieces
to get shelves level. Leave to dry.
worktop against the back edge and
central side to side. Glue the side legs against the legs. Leave to dry.
under the worktop touching the back
legs. One each side.
5 To make the top of the dresser, glue the
top onto the edge of the back lined
6 Glue the top of the dresser to the
bottom. It needs to be against the
back edge and central from each side.
3 The front legs with drawers are piece. Glue the side piece to the edge of
glued under the worktop touching
the side legs.
the back and under the top of the dresser,
one each side. Attach the two shelves by 7 Once dry, sand if required and then
paint or stain. MS
DH
1 2 5
3 6
4 Information
1/48th Scale Café Dresser £4.00
Visitors to the York Dolls House Show
can receive 25% off this kit on production
of this page. (Photocopies not allowed).
Information
1/48th Scale Café Dresser £4.00
p38-40_dhmsapril17.indd 40 09/03/2017 13:52

SKILLED PROJECT
A Garden for Get th

look f e
or
all Seasons: Spring spring
Every time of year is special, none more so than right now when everything rises anew, the fresh blank
canvas of winter painted every discernable shade of Spring! Sadie Brown explores the seasonal garden.
p41-44_dhmsapril17.indd 41 09/03/2017 11:22

SKILLED PROJECT
A fresh start! shade of dark green as the walls, away at the ice on the car windscreen and
In so many ways, spring feels like the has also had a bit of a paint job. shoveling the snow from the driveway and
most exciting time of the year in the Now grey, I applied a rough textured paths, the bulbs are taking hold beneath
garden. Fields become a patchwork quilt brush to the paint before it dried to the soil, turning pots and flower beds alike
of colour once more, both us and the create an effect similar to that of the into an invisible hive of activity, ready to
plants begin to soak up that much needed felted roof so beloved of many a garden deliver on those promises of deliciously
sunshine and all around us life seems to shed. With the snowy background from scented colour. The first signs of the
be taking that first big gulp of fresh spring the winter garden finally replaced with a carpets of sunny blooms found across
air! Still though there is the promise new rural scene and the grass having had the landscape seem to be a sight which
of so much more to come, the cold its first cut of the year, a carefully placed arrives earlier and earlier with every year
weather behind us and an entire summer pile of “grass cuttings” providing the that passes, the green daffodil shoots
stretched out in front, the perfect place evidence, the spring clean is complete, standing defiantly by the waterfall
to be whether you’re an avid gardener meaning it’s time to really see the new which provides a soundtrack through
who can’t wait to get stuck in or more of season burst forth. Of course, what the open window beside my worktable,
a backseat trowel handler, simply content the grass cuttings don’t tell you, unless a steely determination against the harsh
to enjoy the fruits of the more clement you’re a knowing miniaturist, is that they winter frosts. They symbolize this time
weather from the sunniest spot with a also cover the base of the wonderfully of year for so many, myself included,
comfortable seat and a large glass of red old and wonky washing line pole! and were always going to be a must.
in hand! The garden actually begins working Spring wouldn’t be spring without them!
If you’re small and feathered then that towards spring long before we might There are daffs in two classic varieties
freshly installed nesting box looks like realize. Whilst we shiver, carefully chipping scattered in pots throughout the garden.
a welcome new home for the coming
months but more on that later…first
we’ve a shed to paint! After the dark
days of winter, the exterior of the garden
shed definitely needed a spruce up along
with a lighter colour! Bright but not too
bright, cream was ideal and, a neutral
shade, it also looks spring like and plays
perfectly against the other seasonal
additions to the garden. The shed roof,
which had previously been the same
The most important ingredients of spring.
Spring cleaning!
Giving the shed a fresh new look.
Creating a felt roof effect using

just paint and a brush!
Splashes of that familiar springtime yellow paint a seasonal canvas across the garden.
p41-44_dhmsapril17.indd 42 09/03/2017 11:41

SKILLED PROJECT
Hop to it pink ribbon, used to hang the wreath where, otherwise, there might not be
Spring also heralds the arrival of Easter over the door and fixed in place at the very much going on. Staying at a bird’s
and Easter means chocolate can’t be other side very simply with some blu tack! eye level, our polymer clay tree has also
far away! Yes, that’s right, even in the Now there’s a much lower chance of seen a makeover. It began last autumn
garden there’s no escape from the hanging baskets attempting the loop with the rich red leaves falling from its
ubiquitous chocolate egg at this time the loop on the brackets during gale branches and endured winter completely
of year! Who’s for an Easter egg hunt? force winds, spring also sees the return devoid of signs of life, but that’s all about
All made from polymer clay, some of this popular feature to our gardens to change! The new season brought with
eggs are wrapped in shiny gold foil and so I dug an empty basket out of the it two bags of green leaves which have
others made from colourful shades with store cupboard, ready to plant up with a been liberally stuck to the trees previously
delightful painted decoration, dotted richly coloured selection of polymer clay bare branches, creating a dramatic
throughout the garden, hidden behind flowers inserted into a base of dark contrast to both its previous incarnations.
flower pots and tree stumps waiting to be green lichen which provides the foliage. The satisfying result gives a really fresh
discovered! Although, I do think that the It’s amazing the difference adding feel to the garden. Oh, and the green,
small bamboo basket, adorned with its something as simple as just one hanging glue stained hands proved to me that the
bright yellow ribbon and filled with straw, basket to a garden scene makes, term ‘green fingers’ definitely applies to
left behind by an Easter Bunny clearly creating an extra layer of colour at a height the miniature garden too!
distracted by someone planting carrot
seeds at the other side of the garden is
Creating a canopy of shade
possibly a giveaway clue to what’s lying in and colour, the previously
wait for the egg fan! bare tree sprouts new growth
courtesy of some glue!
Created from a base of polymer clay
this twig wreath is then decorated with
greenery and tiny clay flowers plus two
pear drop pendants which I turned upside
down and stuck in place to make bunny
ears! The finishing touch is a matching
Easter also makes a

subtle appearance over
at the shed as a spring
door wreath adds
something extra special
to the garden.
The Easter bunny
stops by…
Our springtime wreath

with an Easter twist.
The ubiquitous
conifer finally makes
an appearance in
the garden.
The leafy tree also

Thinking ahead. There’s always something to makes an ideal
plant in the vegetable patch. nesting spot.
p41-44_dhmsapril17.indd 43 09/03/2017 11:41

SKILLED PROJECT
All pegged out

The promise of good weather means it’s
time for the washing to head back out onto
the line again too! With tiny little colourful
pegs made from polymer clay, the cloth
drying on the line was painted with matte
varnish and shaped whilst wet. The end
result is a stiff piece of material with curves
and folds and a gap at the top for threading
which, when hung on the line, gives the
effective appearance of movement and adds
a wistful impression of a slight warm breeze
in the air to the scene. It would have been
incredibly easy to fill the washing line with
All ready to move in.
an array of colourful things but I decided to
use just the one item, otherwise you end The spring garden.
up distracting from everything else in the
garden and the nature to be found within
this miniature habitat is, after all,
what it’s all about!
Adding movement to washing on the line brings

a touch of realism to the garden.
Home sweet home

Last season it was all about nurturing the
life found within the garden through the cold
weather and out the other side. In spring
the emphasis essentially remains the same,
only this time it’s about the range of flowers
and plants which form the ideal habitat for
bees and insects, along with, of course, all
the new baby birds which make the garden
their hatchling home. for the nest, made from polymer clay, is springtime have to appear the same.
The small nesting box fixed to the tree covered with the darkest browny coloured Knowing the unpredictability of the
has been stained with watery acrylic paint, pieces found inside a bag of richly coloured weather, at least you don’t have to worry
the roof being given the same felt effect orange autumn lichen! Adding these about the rain in the miniature garden either!
treatment as the shed roof before being hidden elements, that you really have Although, having said that, we’ll have to
sealed with matte varnish. The nesting box to look for, is always fun. Just like you wait and see what happens when we fire
may have only made its first appearance would expect to find the unexpected up the 1/12th scale barbeque and drag out
in the miniature garden this spring but in inside a dolls house, the miniature garden the sandpit come summer! MS DH
our own gardens it can also prove to be world lends itself to this in exactly the
a useful hideaway that can see use same way.
during the coldest months of the year, A time for reveling in everything
providing a warm, safe place for birds to nature has to offer us, there are so many Information
roost in the winter. If you look closely the different places you can take a small Bird nesting box, green leaves and carrot
big tree with its new shady canopy of scale garden. There’s an endless list seeds packet from:
leaves also provides a home for someone of colourful flowers to work your way Tumdee Dolls House Miniatures
to rear their young with a tiny nest hidden through for a start, meaning that, in the www.tumdee-dollshouse-
away, almost invisible. Ironically, the base same garden, no two interpretations of miniatures.co.uk
p41-44_dhmsapril17.indd 44 09/03/2017 17:08

ARTISAN PROFILE
Caroline McFarlane-Watts
In Los Angeles, the film industry watched and adapted as computer visual effects replaced handmade
scale miniature models along with a slew of other traditional movie techniques. Miniature model
studios closed up shop or artists migrated to computers. Twenty or thirty years later the tide is turning
and the desire to see real and tangible effects on screen is persuasive. From stop-motion happenings
at Laika to the miniature model spaceships created for the new Star Wars blockbusters, miniatures are
back in vogue. Fortunately for English-born miniature artist Caroline McFarlane-Watts, the appetite for
all things small and perfectly hand crafted is enthusiastic the world over. Given the nickname the ‘go-to
miniature girl of Hollywood’, Caroline has been featured in numerous publications, demonstrated her
craft on TV spots in the US and in China, exhibited her work on three continents, and sells her work in
40 countries around the world.
Could you tell us a little bit

about yourself?
I knew I wanted to work in the art
department of film, so I took my
degree in film, went on to work for
Miramax Films at their London office
and soon got lucky enough to be
placed in Leavesden Studios where I
decorated sets, made props, and then
by turn of fate, discovered miniatures.
I was tasked with helping to make the
miniature model set of Hogsmeade
Village for Harry Potter.
p45-49_dhmsapril17.indd 45 09/03/2017 12:37

ARTISAN PROFILE
Could you tell us a little bit

more about these Easter
bunnies?
I stumbled on an antique toy shop in
Bristol. There were well-loved teddy bears
piled onto vintage luggage in the window
display. It inspired me to create this
collection of old-fashioned toy bunnies in
miniature. I experimented with different
silk flocking to create the various shades of
brown for them and used tiny glass beads
for their eyes, just like the glass bead
eyes I had seen on those vintage bears.
The daffodil in the photo shows their tiny
1/12th scale.
Easter bunnies.
The Mad Hatter.

Are Easter celebrations in
the US noticeably different
to those in the UK?
My first Easter in America felt
astronomically different to the Easters
I’d spent at home in Oxfordshire.
Instead of my local poky candle-lit church
(built in 1047 AD) with sombre Victorian
hymns, I found myself in a shopping-
centre sized church with electric guitar
music, where the ‘Easter bunny’ made
a grand entrance in the car park by hot
air balloon. Hot cross buns, Simnel cake
and Cadbury creme eggs are unheard of
here. Americans spend more on sweets
at Easter than Halloween and have their
own Easter classics such as marshmallow
chicks known as ‘Peeps’ and jelly beans.
What scale do you work in?

I’ve worked in a few different scales,
but it’s mostly 1/12th, my favourite scale.
Do you require specialist

tools when working in
miniature?
Oh, absolutely. I’ve got an array of
sculpting tools, detailed paintbrushes,
jeweller’s tweezers and so forth.
But funnily enough my favourite tool
is still the trusty cocktail stick.
What is your favourite

medium to work with?
Polymer clay, without doubt. Although I
frequently work with wood, acrylics,
artist wire, foam, cardstock etc, I’d be
lost without polymer clay.
p45-49_dhmsapril17.indd 46 09/03/2017 12:37

ARTISAN PROFILE
Caroline in her studio.
Do you have dedicated Tudor food.
workshop or studio?
Yes, my company ‘Tall Tales Productions’
has a dedicated workshop where there
are many miniature model sets in
progress and my miniature characters
stand on a surface near my desk, so I
can be inspired to out-do myself each
time I create new work.
Where do you find

your inspiration?
For my company I mostly create
fantastical and magic content.
My inspiration has always been the
wonderful fairy tale works I read
growing up. Brothers Grimm, Hans
Christian Anderson, Tales of the Arabian Have you ever had any who want an exquisite plate of food
Nights...I love all that and it’s often miniature disasters? Were for their Georgian dolls house or
there in my work. However, when it’s a you able to turn it around? miniature Versailles diorama. This can
commission the ideas and designs often Oh yes, I burnt my share of miniatures be a matter of days (again working full
come from the client. in the early days (polymer clay has to be time, which is often 12 hour days).
hardened in a craft room).
And do you have a What appeals to you most
favourite piece? On average how long can about what you do?
My favourite ‘piece’ would be my little one project take to make? The appeal is in being master of
army of witch characters I am steadily That’s a tricky question as my something. I’m Gulliver to the tiny
building for the project ‘Good Witches commissions are so varied. If it’s a worlds I create – standing over them
Bad Witches TM’. They are handmade model for a film/TV spot, for instance, with full control over the design,
miniature characters made in 1/12th they always want it turned around fast, production, lighting and final creation.
scale. Each witch takes about a week to and so it might be something I work on It’s visual storytelling, it’s creating
make and are based on unique designs in full time for three weeks. On the other something – an original world in all its
accordance with the book and film we’re hand, I frequently get smaller tiny detail for the viewer. Also, did I
developing at Tall Tales Productions. commissions from private collectors mention I love detail?
p45-49_dhmsapril17.indd 47 09/03/2017 12:38

ARTISAN PROFILE
Breakfast is served! Blueberry and raspberry pancakes.
Good witches and bad witches.
p45-49_dhmsapril17.indd 48 09/03/2017 12:40

ARTISAN PROFILE
Petite pastries.
Are any of your family Is there a certain character

interested in miniatures? or scene that you would like
They’re interested in what I do, but I to create but haven’t been
think the buck stops there. managed to do?
There’s always so much I want to create
What’s your next stage in and haven’t done yet! Too many ideas,
miniature adventures? too little time.
The next stage is continued
development of the project ‘Good And when you’re not busy
Witches Bad Witches TM’, my book making miniatures, what
is out this Spring, an exhibition other activities do you enjoy?
in the summer, and another TV When I am not making miniatures I
appearance here in the States am sketching out and planning my
this year as well. next miniatures. MS
DH
Information
To see more of Caroline’s work visit:
www.tall-tales.com
Images remain copyright to
CSMcFarlane-Watts of Tall Tales
Productions.
p45-49_dhmsapril17.indd 49 09/03/2017 17:10

WEEKEND PROJECT
Spring Get your miniature scene

in season this Easter
with these spring lamb
Lamb
cutlets. By Caroline
of Hummingbird
Miniatures.
Cutlets
You will need:
Materials required
❑ Polymer clay: translucent, white,
hazelnut brown and pink
❑ Acrylic paints in brown and black
❑ Whole peppercorns
Tools required
❑ A ceramic tile or baking sheet lined with
silver foil
❑ Craft knife or razor blade
❑ Paintbrushes in medium and small sizes
❑ Craft pasta machine or acrylic rolling pin
4 Run this folded rectangle through
the pasta machine the opposite way
from how you ran it through the machine
Add a thin layer of translucent clay to
one side of the teardrop shaped cane.
(Either side – it doesn't matter which.
1 Use your craft pasta machine or rolling

pin to blend pink and translucent clay
(ratio 50/50). This will be the rare pink
before. It will turn your folded rectangle
shape into a long thin ribbon, with pink at
This adds some fat to the lamb cutlets).
part of your lamb. Next blend a hazelnut

brown shade of clay with translucent
one end, blended into brown at the other
end, as photo shows. 8 Now the fun part! Use a razor blade
or craft blade to cut thin slices.
Each one is a lamb cutlet.
(again ratio 50/50). This will be the more
cooked part of the meat. Roll both colours
flat and cut into two triangles, as shown
5 Roll your ribbon up on itself to form
a circle, as in the photo. Pink should
be in the centre and brown on the outer 9 Use whole peppercorns to texture the
surface of each lamb cutlet. Just roll
in photo. Push together to form a square.
edge. You can first add an extra blob of over the surface of the clay, pressing gently.
pink to the centre before you roll it up,
2 Using the photos as a guide, fold your

square in half and run it through your
craft pasta machine (or use a rolling pin)
if you want your lamb cutlets to look
extra rare, as I did. 10 Add white bones to the cutlets if
you want them to look extra fancy.
Just roll thin 'snakes' of white clay and
on the smallest setting. Fold it over again
(same direction) and roll it through again.
Repeat several times. Use the photos as
6 Roll your circle to form a cylindrical
shape. Keep on rolling using your
fingers against your clean work space
then push them onto your cutlets at the
top of the teardrop shape.
a guide.
until you've made a long 'snake' (or cane)
of about 1cm in diameter. 11 Bake on a ceramic tile/foil lined
baking sheet for 15 minutes at the
3 You will see the two colours blend

beautifully from brown to pink, as
recommended temperature. Once cooled,
shown in photo 3. Next fold it length-ways

again, and fold over again, so that you have
7 Use the handle of a small paintbrush
to push against one side of your cane.
This forces the shape from cylindrical to
add some finishing details for extra realism.
Use brown and black acrylic paints and a tiny
detailed brush to add some char on the outer
a long narrow folded rectangle, with pink
instead be teardrop shaped. See photo. edge of the cutlets and on the bone. Finished! MS
DH
at one end at brown at the other.
p50-51_dhmsapil17.indd 50 09/03/2017 12:21

WEEKEND PROJECT
1 2 2a
3 3a 4
5 6 6a
7 7a 8
9 10 11
Caroline says...
“These cutlets will fit nicely onto 2cm (3/4") plates or 2.5 cm (1”) plates, as they are one inch scale.”
p50-51_dhmsapil17.indd 51 09/03/2017 12:22

FEATURE
Easter Bonnet Using the best Dupion silk,

Marabou feathers, French Lace
and Nottingham Lace, Kath Knox of
with all the Frills!

Katty Korner gives free hand to her
millinery creations, and just lets her
imagination go where it will.
By Ann Evans. Photos by Rob Tysall.
“In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills

upon it, you’ll be the grandest lady in the
Easter parade.”
So went the lyrics by Irving Berlin, and
creating gorgeous Easter bonnets and
hats for any time of year actually, is Kath
Knox of Katty Korner. “I don’t design the
hats beforehand,” says Kath of Barnsley,
South Yorkshire. “I just make the basic
bonnet, then when I have the material
in my hands, I play about with it and see
where we go with it. I’ve started making
half bonnets too, which are like a wide
head band. Simple to make but really nice
when decorated.”
The finished hats make stunning
accessories, whether put on a figure,
or as part of a diorama, such as on a
dressing table, a luxurious shop counter
or a sensuous boudoir. But Kath says her
designs for the basic hats are quite simple.
Once you have your template made, it’s all
down that to adding the frills and lace.
Her templates are made from card, and
she says it shouldn’t be too thick as you
need to bend it without it cracking; but not
too thin either as it needs to keep its shape
and hold the decorations. “I often use cake
box cardboard, obviously new cake boxes,
Kath and Mike Knox.
not ones that have had cream cakes in!”
Stylish and elegant bonnets.
52-55 easter/ club.indd 52 03/03/2017 14:50

FEATURE
She also finds that using a toughened

glass pastry board is ideal for working on;
and using a glue syringe also makes work
easier. She says an easy way of making
the ruffled silk effect, it to take a length
of ribbon, and then pull one thread.
Keep pulling so that the ribbon becomes
ruched. Do the same from the other
end, and then tie the two ends together.
If using feathers, curl them by stroking
the blade of the scissors over each
feather. If adding diamanté decorations
for sparkle, then she uses the ones
that have to be glued on, rather than
those that come already with adhesive.
“They’re a bit more expensive,”
says Kath, a former care worker. “But if Katty Korner bonnets.
you get one in the wrong place and have
to peel it off, all the sticky goes.”
Gowns, dresses,
lingerie and more
Hats are only a part of Katty Korner
creations. Kath is also well known for
her beautiful Victorian and Edwardian
ball gowns, wedding dresses, lingerie and
fashion accessories. She has always
loved dolls houses. Her first one,
she recalls was a tin Tri-ang dolls house
in red and green, with criss-cross little
windows and came complete with plastic
furniture, a garage and car. “I had that for
years and loved playing with it.”
Over the years she has had many dolls
houses, one being a Len Lewis house,
a beautiful classical house. The next was
a Kendrew which had a sweeping curved
staircase which she eventually sold
to a lady in America. Kath recalls:
“My husband, Mike had to make a
special crate in which to ship it over in, Silky lingerie.
The woman said she didn’t care how much
it cost to send, she just had to have it!” clothing side of miniatures and branched
Information
out doing that. As a children’s educational
Porcelain heads from Mollies Exclusive Designs
Accessories and chairs psychologist in his day job, Mike is still
Search Mollies Exclusive Designs
Kath has been making her 1/12th kept busy building Kath’s display stands,
on eBay
and 1/24th scale period gowns, backgrounds and shelves, as well as
Trimmings from Little Trimmings
lingerie and accessories for about 20 supporting her at shows.
0118 947 1100
years. Although she began by making There’s a look and feel of elegance to
www.littletrimmings.com
three piece suites, leather chairs and everything she makes heightened by her
Feathers from Country Baskets
beds, with Mike building the furniture’s colour schemes which tend to be whites,
01384 896 888
wooden bases and Kath making the soft creams, golds and then a splash of deep
www.countrybaskets.co.uk
furnishings and leather upholstery. bold colour, and this extends to her hats
Lace from Cluny Lace
The couple originally had a dolls house too. Finding the right materials to work
0115 932 5031
shop, where Mike also sold the tools with is vital for her work. Fur needs
www.clunylace.com
necessary for miniaturists. Gradually she to be to scale as well as the silks,
To see more of Kath’s work visit:
began to concentrate on the luxurious ribbons and lace. MSDH
www.kattykorner.co.uk
52-55 easter/ club.indd 53 09/03/2017 12:15

SKILLED PROJECT
Easter Bonnet
Especially for Easter, Kath Knox has created a step by step project so you can try your hands at a 1/12th scale.
1 On a thin piece of card, draw the two-

piece template: Crown base 19mm,
then to top of crown 18mm; draw a curve
10 Then fold fabric over and glue to
other side of card. Basically it’s like
wrapping a parcel!
from the bottom corners forming an arc
shape. Brim base 66mm, brim top 45mm.
Curve the sides as seen in photos 6 and 7. 11 Trim any excess fabric.
2 From your square of silk, cut off a

small piece for the crown, allowing for
the fabric to be folded over the template
12 Gently bend the brim around a
cylinder or tube. A glue syringe is
the perfect size for the job.
at the base.
3 Spread a thin layer of glue over the crown

card, place on the fabric. Press down.
13 You may find that the crown
doesn’t fit exactly. If so trim around
the crown a little, taking the excess off
the rounded part.
You will need:
Materials required
❑ A small piece of silk approx. 3½” x 3½”
4 Fold the fabric over at the base, apply
glue to card and stick fabric to this
side too. 14 Run a line of glue around the
curved edge of the crown. Fit into
(90mm x 90mm)
❑ A small piece of thin card of about the the curved brim and hold until it has stuck.
same size
❑ Silk ribbon 6” long (154mm x 7mm) cut 5 Trim around the crown to remove the
excess fabric.
Then run a fine line of glue all around the
crown on the inside of the bonnet.
in half for bonnet ties
❑ Knobbly braid 10” long (254mm long) for
edging around seams
❑ Selection of lace trimming, rushed ribbon,
6 Take the brim template, place on
another piece of fabric. 15 Stick knobbly braid around this to
give a nice appearance inside the
bonnet. Repeat on the inside of the
7
little flowers, feathers, diamanté for Make sure that you’ll be folding from brim too. If you are edging the bonnet
decoration the longer base line. in lace, glue that into place and then
Tools required
cover the seam with braid for a neat
❑ Glue suitable for sticking fabric and card.
❑ A tube or cylinder of ¾” diameter
(Approx. 19mm) for shaping the brim 8 Glue fabric to one side of card. appearance. Two dabs of glue will secure
your ribbon ties to the outside of the
❑ Scissors and pencil
9 Fold in the sides of the fabric and
glue down.
bonnet brim. Now decorate your hat to
your heart’s content! MS DH
1 2 3
4 5 6
52-55 easter/ club.indd 54 09/03/2017 17:23

SKILLED PROJECT
7 8 9
10 11 12
13 14 15
A MINI SOAP OPERA
The fictional account of what happened when Mette Breminer decided to go
Number 9
It was late. We were all sitting around the table, waiting, slightly Paint the animal gold or silver and mount
worried that the evening’s demonstrator had forgotten about us. it on a wooden base’. How delightful.
The door then opened and a middle-aged man strode in and said, He had several he’d made earlier.
‘Hi, I’m Randy!’ We all jumped. It flashed into my mind that maybe Actually, he had so many he’d made earlier
he’d come to the wrong place? But Randy began to unpack his that I did think it would be easier just to buy
stuff which took a while. It was difficult not to laugh, so we all one of them and forget about making our own.
started to talk at the same time. But that’s not the point of it, so on we went.
‘Where did you go on holiday?’ asked Freddie who was Small pieces of wood for the bases were handed ‘round.
sitting next to me. ‘I haven’t been this year’ I felt obliged to We chose our animal. I took a horse. I don’t know why I did
say, primarily because it was true. She turned to her other that. I hate horses. Well, I don’t hate horses, as such, I’d just
neighbour, Sam. want them in a field, safely on the other side of a fence. We
‘Where did you go on holiday?’ repeated Freddie. got busy staining the plinths and painting our animals which
‘Nowhere’ shouted Sam so loudly that Randy dropped what he took just a few minutes. So we did several. Then we waited.
was holding and stared at her with wild surprise in his eyes. And waited. And waited. Randy kept us entertained about
He pulled himself together and finally started to explain the his own amazing miniatures collection and how splendid it is.
project. He held out his hand in which he had a menagerie of tiny During our tea and coffee break he had to draw breath while
plastic animals. Goats, cows, pigs, horses, geese…and probably he ate his biscuit, so we did have our usual jolly banter.
more besides. The ornament looked great, but when it was time to pack
‘I got these in a model shop, they are for train sets, so smaller up, all the bases and animals were still wet, so it was tricky
scale’ he explained. He scattered the animals on the table like he to pack them away to take home. Jo wrapped her ornament
was rolling dice. in cotton wool – to keep it safe. Unfortunately, it was a cow,
‘You are going to make an ornament for your mantelpiece. perfect if it had been a sheep. MSDH
52-55 easter/ club.indd 55 09/03/2017 17:22

WEEKEND PROJECT
Dancing around
the Maypole
Discover the story of the maypole
and celebrate May Day by adding
a burst of colour to your collection
with this 1/12th scale project.
By Sadie Brown.
You will need:

Materials required
❑ Polymer clay: beige Premo Sculpey and red
❑ Acrylic paints: raw umber and golden ochre
❑ Colourful selection of 2mm ribbon
❑ Additional decorative ribbon
❑ Red tissue paper
❑ Matte and gloss varnish
❑ Super Glue
Tools required
❑ Wire cutters
❑ 3.2mm armature wire
❑ Craft knife
❑ 2 cake pop straws
❑ Scissors How bizarre…
❑ Clear tape In Sweden the maypole is referred to as midsommarstång where, rather than a
❑ Small brush May Day tradition, it is part of the midsummer celebrations at the time of year
❑ Scissors when darkness is simply an urban myth!
Rooted in history Chopping and changing it to mount Europe’s largest telescope in

May, the month whose namesake is May Day quickly became an established Wanstead Park.
Maia, the Roman goddess of spring part of the spring calendar and by the Today the maypole remains a much
growth, begins with May Day and the dawn of the Middle Ages dancing around loved and looked forward to feature
old traditions that continue to transcend the maypole had become a widely each spring. The maypole can, from time
the ages. Sometimes a year round adopted springtime ritual. It was briefly to time, still be a bone of contention,
presence on the village green without its outlawed by the parliament of the day in although these days more due to
brightly coloured ribbons, the maypole 1644 who feared its status as a symbol health and safety concerns. One such
can be evocative of treasured childhood of fertility would corrupt society. It didn’t instance took place in 2014 when the
memories. The first maypoles were living take long for the tradition to be restored West Yorkshire town of Otley was left
style trees rather than the ribbon festooned and by the 1660s the maypole was back! surprised when their pole, thought to
part
creations we see today and it has A new pole, over 40 metres high took be the UK’s tallest, was dispatched
was
become an iconic feature of British life pride of place at St Mary-le-Strand in due to decay being discovered prior to
that has a long history as tangled as London, around 10 metres taller than the The Tour de France travelling through.
the ribbons on the maypole itself. Elizabethan pole which had been felled The cyclists passed through the town
One which travels beyond our shores to following the ban. By the early part of minus its maypole but, within just a
its roots and origins as part of a German the 18th century decomposition had taken matter of months, a brand new pole
springtime festival or even further back, its toll on the second pole and a new arrived, ensuring that a special part of the
taking us to the Roman Floralia festival one was installed but just a few short towns history will remain for a long time
which saw Flora, the goddess of flowers, years later in 1718 this too met the axe, to come, just the same as it will continue
remembered each year. purchased by Sir Isaac Newton who used to do so across the country!
p56-57_dhmsapil17.indd 56 09/03/2017 12:03

WEEKEND PROJECT
1 Cut a 33cm length of 3.2mm

armature wire. 4 Bake the ball and the base. Once the
base has cooled, mix a woody brown
colour paint using raw umber and golden
7 Glue the cake pop straw covered
armature wire into the stand. If you’re
using striped straws then ensure you
2 Roll a 2.5cm ball of bright red polymer

clay and push the armature wire into it
to make a hole. This will fit onto the top of
ochre acrylics. Water the mixture down a
little and brush over the entire base block.
Drag a second brush, one with rough
match up the pattern where they join.
This is where you really begin to see the
Maypole come to life!
the maypole. bristles, over the length of each
3 Take a block of beige Premo Sculpey

‘wooden plank’.
8 Tie the 16 ribbons individually around
the top and then wind some clear
clay and cut a block of three
pre-marked segments. Using the marked
segments as a guide, take a pin and
5 Coat the ‘wooden’ base with matte
varnish and the ball top with gloss.
tape around the ribbons ensuring they’re
firm. Cut two triangles of red tissue paper
measuring 4.5cm x 4.5cm x 6cm and
add lines down and across each edge,
giving the impression the block is
comprised of individual wooden planks.
6 The ribbons I chose came from a local
craft shop. For a project like this it was
fantastic to be able to see and feel the
tape one around each side of the ribbons.
Fill the gap at the top with tiny shredded
pieces of the same tissue paper and tie a
Place the cake pop straws over the colours and textures close up, something decorative ribbon around the whole thing.
armature wire and press into the centre I would highly recommend! I Chose eight
of the block to make a hole. different colours of 2mm ribbon and cut
two 40cm lengths from each. 9 Last but by no means least, glue to red
ball to the top of the maypole and you’re
ready for some small scale dancing! MS DH
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
p56-57_dhmsapil17.indd 57 03/03/2017 14:23

p58_dhmsapr17.indd
Dolls 2017 June - FP1- Master.indd 1 06/03/2017 14:26:08
26/01/2017 14:24
ORGANISERS
DETAILS
Dolly’s Daydreams
T: 01945 870160
MARCH 23 April 4 June
Mob: 07860 517048
25-26 March Location: South Wootton Location: Maidstone
Location: Birmingham Venue: Knights Hill Hotel & Spa, Venue: The Hilton Hotel, E: dollysdaydreams@btinternet.com
Venue: National Exhibition Centre, South Wootton, King’s Lynn, Bearsted Road, Weavering, W: www.dollysdaydreams.com
Pendigo Way, Birmingham, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 5AA
Norfolk, PE30 3HQ See our advert on page 13
Organiser: Wendy’s World
West Midlands, B40 1PP Organiser: Dolly’s Daydreams
---------------------------------------------
Organiser: Miniatura Exhibitions --------------------------------------------- Doreen Jeffries DollsHouse Fairs
10 June
--------------------------------------------- 23 April Location: Dedham T: 01274 616539
APRIL Location: Lyndhurst Venue: The Assembly Rooms, W: www.doreenjeffriesdollshousefairs.co.uk
14 April Venue: Lyndhurst Community High Street, Dedham
Location: Stevenage See our advert on page 19
Centre, High Street, Lyndhurst, Colchester, Essex, CO7 6DE
Venue: Novotel Stevenage, Hampshire, SO43 7NY Organiser: Dolly’s Daydreams
Knebworth Park, Stevenage, --------------------------------------------- Kensington Dollshouse Festival
Organiser: Wendy’s World
Hertfordshire, SG1 2AX
---------------------------------------------
11 June T: 020 7812 9892
Organiser: Dolly’s Daydreams Location: Weston-Super-Mare
30 April E: kdf@dollshousefestival.com
--------------------------------------------- Venue: Royal Hotel,
Location: Exeter W: www.dollshousefestival.com
16 April South Parade, Weston Super
Venue: Exeter Conference Mare, Somerset, BS23 2AH
Location: Newark See our advert on page 13
Centre, Westpoint, Clyst St Mary, Organiser: Wendy’s World
Venue: The Cedric Ford Pavilion,
Exeter, Devon, EX5 1DJ --------------------------------------------- Miniatura
Newark Showground, Lincoln
Organiser: Wendy’s World 18 June T: 0121 783 9922
Road, Winthorpe Newark-on-Trent,
--------------------------------------------- Location: Portsmouth
Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY Ticket Hotline: 0844 581 1291
MAY Venue: Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
Organiser: Dolly’s Daydreams Southampton Road, Portsmouth, W: www.miniatura.co.uk
12-13 May
--------------------------------------------- Hampshire, PO6 4SH
Location: London See our advert on page 13
17 April Organiser: Dolly’s Daydreams
Venue: Kensington Town Hall,
Location: Newport Pagnell --------------------------------------------- Warners Dolls House and
Hornton Street, London,
Venue: Holiday Inn Milton 25 June Miniatures Fair
Keynes, East M1, Junction 14, W8 7NX Location: Ashford
London Road, Newport Pagnell, Organiser: Kensington Dolls Venue: Holiday Inn Ashford T: Ticket line: 01778 391123
Buckinghamshire, MK16 0JA House Festival - Central Canterbury Road, W: www.yorkdollshousefair.co.uk
Organiser: Dolly’s Daydreams --------------------------------------------- Ashford, Kent, TN24 8QQ
See our advert on page 58
--------------------------------------------- JUNE Organiser: Dolly’s Daydreams
22 April 4 June ---------------------------------------------

Wendy’s World Fairs
Location: Leeds Location: York Dolls House & JULY
T: 01895 834348
Venue: Pudsey Civic Hall, Miniatures Fair 2 July
Venue: York Racecourse, Location: Lincoln M: 07831 820760
Dawson’s Corner,
Knavesmire Road, York, Venue: The Pride of Lincoln Hotel, E: wendyhobday@wendysworld.co.uk
Pusey, Leeds,
Yorkshire, YO23 1EX
West Yorkshire, LS28 5TA Runcorn Road, off Whisby Road, W: www.wendysworldfairs.co.uk
Organiser: Warners Group
Organiser: Doreen Jeffries Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 3QZ
Publications plc See our advert on page 23
Dolls House Fairs Organiser: Dolly’s Daydreams
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Fairs_APR17.indd 59 07/03/2017 16:55

REVIEW
My Dolls House
Journal by Rose Wood
Rose Wood, a dolls house enthusiast, has just published ‘My Dolls House Journal,
WIN
it’s an essential guide for those of you looking to get organised. By Sandra Morris.
It’s a problem any dolls house enthusiast

will recognise. You’ve bought an artisan
miniature at a fair, totally confident that
you’ll always remember who you bought
it from, where and when. Fast forward
a few years (or, if you have a ‘Swiss
cheese’ memory like mine, a few weeks!)
and you can’t for the life of you recall
anything about it.
Or perhaps you ask a friend where she
found that wonderful miniature marvel This is followed by a checklist of rooms Finally, an ‘A-Z supplier list’ with a
and you faithfully jot it down on a slip of and their functions, then the section which page for each letter…invaluable for
paper, pop it in your bag and promptly occupies most of the book…’room notes.’ keeping track of your purchases and
lose it. If only you had a dedicated journal, Each ‘room notes’ chapter comprises favourite makers.
in which you could keep track of all your 10 pages on which to record every tiny It would seem that Rose has thought
ideas, purchases, favourite suppliers, detail of each room, from dimensions, of everything, so that you don’t have to!
contact details etc etc. Well, fret no more. colour scheme and design ideas, through If I have any criticism, it’s the lack of a
Rose Wood, creator of several travel lighting, flooring and décor, to furniture, table of contents, which would make
journals, and a dolls house enthusiast dolls and accessories. As there is plenty finding relevant sections easier, but we
herself, has just published ‘My Dolls of space on each page, it would also miniaturists are nothing if not resourceful,
House Journal’. When embarking on her be possible to include fabric/wallpaper/ so I devised a quick and easy workaround
first dolls house, she wanted to be able to paint swatches, photos etc, to give a using different coloured index stickers to
record her plans, ideas and wish lists but comprehensive description of every mark each category.
couldn’t find anything which fitted the bill. individual room and record the work in Small enough to pop into a bag
So she designed her own! progress. The journal has ten of these when visiting fairs and miniature shops,
‘room notes’ sections, sufficient for all this multi-function journal is a very
Section by section but the most palatial mansions. practical resource, which builds to form
Her paperback book contains 150 The next chapter contains ten pages of a comprehensive archive of everything
pages and is divided into various sections. graph paper, so that you can accurately involved in
First up is a page dedicated to your dolls plan room layouts, placement of fixtures creating your
house deeds, where all the information and fittings, lighting runs etc. perfect doll’s
relating to your house can be recorded, Then, possibly the most exciting house. MS DH
including date of purchase, scale, number section…’wish list.’ Six pages of tantalising
of rooms, dimensions, period and more. opportunities to list your heart’s desires.
Dolls House and Miniature Scene have three copies

of My Dolls House Journal to giveaway! WIN
You can enter this exclusive giveaway by visiting:
www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk Available from
Alternatively, send your name and address to: My Dolls House Journal giveaway, www.Amazon.co.uk
Dolls House and Miniature Scene Magazine, Warners Group Publications PLC,
www.rosewoodwrites.co.uk
The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9PH
ISBN: 154108876X
Three random winners will be selected by our independent adjudicator on 1st May.
Price: £10.36
60 review.indd 60 09/03/2017 11:59

FEATURE
The Quartermaster
Moi Ali chats to enthusiast Paula Isaacs about her 1/48th scale passion.
A cosy corner for reading.
p61-63_dhmsapril17.indd 61 09/03/2017 11:47

FEATURE
An ever growing collection I asked Paula how big her collection Inside one of the bedrooms.
After a career in state government in is, and braced myself for her answer:
the United States, working with health “Oh my! Must I count?” I pushed her a
insurance, Paula Isaacs retired. She and little, knowing from my own experience
her husband Rick, who live in Kentucky, as an enthusiast that it’s so easy to get
are houseboaters, spending much of the carried away. I simply can’t stop, and it
summer mucking about on water - but her would appear that Paula is the same:
other passion is miniaturism - quarter scale, “I’m ‘thinning the herd’ of inch scale
to be precise. miniatures,” she told me. “Several large
She told me how she got into minis: structures have recently been re-homed
“As a child, I loved building little houses to new owners. As for my quarter
from boxes and furnishing them with inch scale collection, I have fifty or so.
odds and ends. But the start of real Possibly more! Not to mention quite
minis was maybe in the late 1980s or a few I’ve built and donated as
so. My husband got back into building charity fundraisers.”
remote control airplanes and I decided to
try something too. A doll house was an
obvious choice.”
Paula continued: “That first doll
house was an inch, or 1/12th scale,
Greenleaf Kit. I almost cried when I
opened it and saw all the parts to be cut
away from the templates and sanded...
but I did it and was hooked! The inch
scale hobby continued for a number of
years. After a busy day at work, I was
always delighted to come home and play
The sunny veranda.
with my toys.”
The grand living room.
p61-63_dhmsapril17.indd 62 09/03/2017 11:48

FEATURE
A look inside
the house
from the rear.
The Waddles Inn.
Waddles Inn
Although Paula’s quarter scale collection
is huge, we’re featuring just one of her
houses this month, the Waddles Inn –
although we will return to take a look
at other parts of her collection in future
issues. The Waddles Inn was created
from the John F. Craig kit by Debbie
Young at Young at Heart Miniatures.
I asked Paula to tell me more about
Waddles Inn.
“The name and concept evolved as the
structure came together. The actual John
F. Craig house is a B&B, so I stuck with
that theme. But when it came to naming
The master bedroom.
it, I was stumped! Then I got thinking…
Sometimes we call our little dog, “Moi! These aren’t models LOL!” The interior was fun too, which is
Anni, by the nickname Miss Anni exclaimed Paula incredulously. “I have unusual. I usually prefer the construction
Waddles, as she does! She’s sort of a few power tools, a small table saw, part, then furnishings, but I tend to hate
plump and waddly! So to make a long a chopper, and the usual exacto knives making accessories.”
story short, the kit became the Waddles and so forth. The hobby has spurred
Inn. With spacious rooms, it was a great me to learn to pour resin, make decals And finally…
structure to show off some beautiful and other sidelines to complement I was interested in Paula’s take on the
furniture kits by various dealers.” the projects.” growing popularity of 1/48th scale on both
Paula is so talented that I wanted to sides of the Atlantic. “I’d say it’s definitely
know how someone with a career in “I don’t have a becoming more popular. For one thing,
health insurance came to be so skilled
at creating such authentic mini scenes. favourite maker, people are running out of space! Quarter
scale is easier to accommodate because
Surely she’s studied art, but no: they all tempt me!” of its small size. Also, kits for structures
“I’ve no artistic training at all,” she told and accessories are more available and
me. It would appear that Paula is one With so many beautiful houses in varied than in earlier years. There’s now so
of those rare naturals when it comes her collection, I was intrigued to know much choice. With the precision of laser
to artistic ability. She is not even a which was Paula’s favourite: “I have two cutting, the detail is much better too.”
member of a miniatures club. “I’m not favourites, actually. One is the Addams Paula’s work is so extensive and
a member of a local club, but I am very Family House (I loved that TV show). inspirational that we will definitely make
involved with The Quarter Connection, It’s the only mini in the collection where a return visit to take a closer look at her
an online group devoted to quarter inch dust is a welcome part of the décor! other, errr, models! MSDH
scale miniatures. It’s a great source of The other is Christmas at the Carols.
ideas and inspiration. I’d recommend it to I bought the kit online, ‘as is.’ It had
anyone with a quarter scale passion.” no instructions, just parts. So working Information
What kind of equipment does Paula out the puzzle and adding a wing to To see more of Paula’s work visit:
use to make her beautiful models? the house was a builder’s challenge. www.picturetrail.com/paulaisaacs
p61-63_dhmsapril17.indd 63 09/03/2017 11:48

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DHMS OS subs April 17.indd 2 09/03/2017 14:38

F E AT U R E
Tales from
the Travelling
Miniaturist
My name is Karon Cunningham, the self-proclaimed Travelling
Miniaturist. Like a roving reporter, I scour the continents searching
out miniature shows far and wide to bring you an insight into
another world outside the UK.
Come fly with me people I meet along the way. Take this As exhibitors we were very well
This month I’m reporting from sunny show for example, it was my first visit so looked after. Danish pastries and hot
California, Anaheim to be precise, at the I had no preconceptions or expectations drinks were provided during the set
Tom Bishop show. Sounds glamorous just intrigue and excitement. Who was up and a complimentary buffet for the
doesn’t it? Well, it was actually two going to be there? What will I find? dealers before the Friday evening preview
days inside a hotel ballroom, with no Tom Bishop with his wife Leni have show. The show continued throughout the
windows, opposite the Disneyland been organising miniature shows for 37 Saturday with a stream of visitors eager to
carpark, doesn’t sound so glamorous now! years totalling more than 500 shows see what was on display.
I’m asked regularly about my work and around the world. They profess to being
where it takes me. The places sound so the longest, continuous running promoters
far away and exotic, images of having a of miniatures shows in existence. That to
permanent holiday. The reality is I see lots me sounds like an entry for the Guinness
of airports and hotels. Don’t get me wrong, Book of World Records.
if I can tag a day or two sightseeing on Their Southern Californian show in
then I will. But if I did that on every trip I Anaheim is in its 53rd year. An intimate
would never be home. My husband says gathering of 50 dealers including some
it’s the secret to our marriage, I don’t know new faces, plus a few foreign tables -
what he means! Volker Arnold from Germany and three
The shows are more exciting to me artists from Italy - Roberta Solari,
than I make them sound and I do it Patricia Santi and Vilia Miniature all
Villa Miniature.
because I love miniatures and for the travelled over for the first time.
Volker Arnold. Roberta Solari. Patricia Santi.
www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk September 2015 65

April 2017
65-67_dhmsapril17.indd 65 03/03/2017 14:58

FEATURE
Personally, I like the smaller sized New to the scene The artist Jon Olson from California
events. There is time to have a good My desire to meet new makers and find was there. Some of you may remember
look at everything on every table and something new was not disappointed. him from the Kensington Dolls House
get around the room at a more relaxed There was a furniture maker by the Festival when he travelled over for the
pace. I’ve seen the panic on collectors’ name of Lars Mikkelsen. He makes show the last two years.
faces when the doors open at larger authentically accurate American
events, rushing to get to their favourite Craftsman furniture inspired by Gustav
tables before anyone else, worrying Stockley, which is an extension of the
they’ve missed the best buys. British Arts and Crafts style. He even
joins them with square through mortice
construction as in the full size pieces.
I was drawn to Gilbert Mena’s
table specifically to admire his wood
turning. As some of you may remember
from my previous reports I was given
a lathe for my birthday after trying it at
Guild School last year. Gilbert had a
display of burlwood vases, bowls and tiny
Lars Mikkelsen. boxes. A few made it back home with me. Jon Olson.
Gilbert Mena.
Ferd Sobol.
65-67_dhmsapril17.indd 66 09/03/2017 10:45

F E AT U R E
Needlework artist Hong McKinsey

had an impressive collection of tiny
embroidered panda cub pictures cuddling
letters of the alphabet. Plus a work in
progress rug that was just as neat and
tidy on the back as the front.
The smaller scaled miniature collectors
were also catered for in the form of Debbie
Young of Young at Heart. Who couldn’t
resist this charming little house in quarter
scale or 1/48th scale as we know it.
There is one furniture maker who’s
table I can not resist stopping at if he is at
a show and that is Ferd Sobol. His work
is exquisite. Inspired by the American
Federal period, late 18th early 19th century,
including reproductions of Hepplewhite,
Sheraton and Chippendale. While admiring
every piece on display I imagine which
one I would take home if I won the Debbie Young.
lottery! You could say I bought them

Fern Vasi Dolls.
all this time as I came away with a
signed copy of his book - Commitment
to Excellence, 100 pages of the most
amazing photographs along with the
story of the artist behind them.
One of my favourite people to see
at show is Ruth Stewart. Her range of
silicone molds to make food is second
to none plus she stocks a huge range of
Ferd Sobol.
laser cut kits for making all manner of Katrina’s Doll Shoppe.
miniatures. Her table is always crowded
but she still finds the time to explain how
to use her molds and kits. Her cheerful
disposition and enthusiasm is infectious.
There were dozens more wonderful
tables to visit and I’ve included more
photos for you to see here.
This was my first visit to the show,
but if I’m ever asked if this show
was worth flying over for, my honest
answer would be no. Unless of course
you can grow wings and fly over for
free. International flights can be very
pricey. But if you were planning a dream Information
trip to Disneyland then my advice would For more information on Tom Bishop and
be to plan it in so it coincided with the his show calendar visit:
show dates. Or secretly plan a trip for www.bishopshow.com
the show and coincide it with a holiday If you’re interested in learning more about
to Disneyland, no-one will be any the Guild school and the classes on offer visit:
V Arnold. wiser. Your secret is safe with me. MSDH
www.igma.org/guild_school/index.html
65-67_dhmsapril17.indd 67 09/03/2017 10:45

SOCIAL SCENE
Caught on Camera
This month the team have been cooing over these wonderful and inspirational ideas on Instagram.
rib bo nwod cott ag e s

let sm ak em in iatu re
in iatu re s
Cl ay m en u Kitty_an d_kat_m
Mik en eco_di ne r picoworm

If you would like us to notice your work don’t forget to add the hashtag #dollshouseandminiaturescenemagazine
68_dhmsapril17.indd 68 09/03/2017 10:13

DollsHouse FREE Collectable Cut Outs
Stuart themed prints and images.
p69 Cut outs April.indd 69 09/03/2017 10:09

O RE M
H M E S
M D FR
S H •F
p69 Cut outs April.indd 70

M O
•F S M RE
RE D E
E
•F H FR
FR RE M
M O E S
D M FR •F
H D O
M H M
RE
E
S M D FR
•F S H
RE •F M
M E RE S
D FR E
•F
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03/03/2017 15:35
S D O
F M FR
In your FANTASTIC
COLLECTIONS
next
edition of Newby Hall in
North Yorkshire
DollsHouse
is home to the
stunning dolls
houses of Caroline
Hamilton and
Jane Fiddick,
MAY 2017 ISSUE one the world’s
most inspirational
ON SALE 27 APRIL 2017 collections.
A GRAND DAY OUT
WE SHOW YOU!
Create the
scent of fresh
early morning
baking from
This is no ordinary model village, the Polish
this is a model continent! Sadie Brown bakery!
hops across the channel to Brussels
to explore Mini Europe.
FANTASTIC PROJECTS AMAZING ARTISANS!
This Gothic
themed Moi Ali finds
church started out more about
life as a an amazingly
shop-bought talented self-
kit and then taught miniature
completed artist from a city
with some where Europe
unlikely meets Asia.
ingredients!
Buy your copy online at

at your local newsagents or
or by telephoning 01778 392007
p71 Next month aprilv2.indd 71 09/03/2017 10:23

Large selection of dolls’ houses
plus a huge choice of
1:12 scale miniatures
Dolly
Daydreams
T: 01256 889111
www.dollydaydreams.net
Elm Park Garden Centre, Aldermaston Rd,

Pamber End, Hampshire RG26 5QW OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Spring dollhouse ad.indd

p72_dhmsapr17.indd 1 1 5/12/201514:16:50
06/03/2017 5:08 pm

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10 FREE LUSCIOUS MAKE

PORTRAIT LAMB THESE

£4.25 April 2017 Issue 275

Discover the READ ABOUT...

FROM BEGINNER TO EXPERT CRAFTING

SENSATIONAL SPRING SALE!

STOP PRESS; WE HAVE MOVED! (DON’T WORRY - JUST NEXT DOOR!)

2 GREAT NEW CATALOGUES!

GEORGIAN HIGHGATE EMPIRE STORES COXWOLD £349 £225!

SILVER JUBILEE SID COOKE HOUSES ORANGERY

p02_dhmsapr17.indd 1 06/03/2017 14:07:35

Dolls House and Miniature Scene is

any product mentioned herewith. The Advertising peppercorn drawing room or

Contact us... Did you know…

www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk April 2017 3

p03_dhmsapril17.indd 3 08/03/2017 16:00

06 The Miniature Scene

34 At Home with the Broadwoods

55 Clubbing with Mette Breminer

SUBSCRIBE DIGITALLY FROM JUST £2.99

4 April 2017 www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk

4-5 Contents April.indd 4 09/03/2017 18:43

10 Super Stuart Chair!

14 Rockabye in Treetop Style

The climb is well worth it!

24 International Guild of Miniature Artisans

IGMA Fellows about their seasonal favourites.

25 The Unknown Soldier

this heirloom house has provided years of pleasure.

38 What’s in Store at York

we preview family business Seaside Miniatures.

Caroline McFarlane-Watts. Read how she’s the go to

52 Easter Bonnet with all the Frills!

60 Book Review & Giveaway

65 Tales from the Travelling Miniaturist

And don’t forget ...

VISIT WWW.DOLLSHOUSEANDMINIATURESCENE.CO.UK FOR MORE GREAT FEATURES AND PROJECTS

4-5 Contents April.indd 5 09/03/2017 18:43

Model village reader appeal

Tell us what you’re doing!

6 April 2017 www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk

p06 Miniature scene April.indd 6 08/03/2017 16:09

Nail Polish Flowers

You will need:

❑ Round pen or pencil

www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk April 2017 7

p7_dhmsapril17.indd 7 08/03/2017 16:15

The Miniature Time Capsule:

Gentleman in Periwig and Lady in Fontange Headdress 1690-1710.

8 April 2017 www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk

p8-9_dhmsapril17.indd 8 06/03/2017 17:16

Delivering the future

Lady, Gentleman and young boy, 1630-1650.

For further information

www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk April 2017 9

p8-9_dhmsapril17.indd 9 08/03/2017 16:18

A little bit of history...

You will need:

p10-11_dhmsapil17.indd 10 09/03/2017 11:03

6 Lay a scrap of thin sheetwood on grid

Ruth’s Top Tip! 9 10

“For a stronger bond, file the beads’ finish where

www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk April 2017 11

p10-11_dhmsapil17.indd 11 09/03/2017 11:03