aim mag february 2010

8/14/2019 AIM Mag February 2010

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R egula r F ea t uresR egula r F ea t ures5 EditorsNote: ReadBeaBroadwoods introduction&welcometo

this months edition of the Artisans In Miniature FREE

downloadable magazine!

15 *NewFeature!*BlogOfTheMonth: EachmonthDebieLyonswill

belookingata particularAIMmembersBlog. Thismonthitisthe

turnofAIMmemberMarshaMeesofSassyMiniDolls...

24 *NewFeature!*AuntAnastasia:Ifyouhaveaminiaturedilemma,

then

why

not

write

to

our

very

own

agony

aunt

for

her

well

consideredadvice!

28 ThroughTheKeyhole: Everwondered what itwouldbeliketobe

able to have a closer look at the working environments of AIM

members? Thismonthwetakeapeekat theextensiveworkspace

ofPatriciaCabrera.

30 AimPleasedToMeetYou:Gettoknow more about AIM

member KarenGriffiths,whenyoureadheranswerstoourquestions.

32

ATouch

Of

Winter:

This

months

AIM

Gallery

celebrates

winter

in

miniature.

36 *NewFeature!*Diary Of An Edwardian Dollshouse: Dont

miss the first instalment of Julie Campbells fascinating

miniaturedollshouse adventure!

44 In Season This Month: Welcome to the next instalment of this

popular miniature food feature.This monthVicky Guile and her

fellow AIM food artisans take a closer look at all things

Chocolate.

58*NewFeature!*WinterFashion: If you love miniature

fashion,thenyouwilllovethisnewregularfeature.

ThismonthAIMmembersshowcasetheirwarmattire.

62 MiniAimers:MiniMakes!!Projectsfor the

artisans of thefuture.Written by Debie Lyons

66TheMiniatureGrapevine:Catchup onall the

latest news and announcements from the

internationalminiature

world.

68 *NewFeature!*ThePostBox: Whynotwrite

inandtelluswhatyouthink!

ArtisansInMiniature 2

Cont ent sCont ent sFebruary2010: IssueNo20,CoverImage:CeliaThomas

10

18


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6 CoverStory:AIM member CeliaThomastells

us more about what makes the Thame

Dollshouse&Miniaturesshowsospecial.

10 Walking In A Winter Wonderland: AIM

members have come together to illustrate

(inminiature)thewordsofthisnostalgic and

classicwintersong.

18 ComfortFood:AIM member and food artisan

Carol Smith shares her very own miniature comfort

food.

23 CompetitionTime: Areyoufeelinglucky? This month

you can win a fantastic pair of miniature gloves, knitted

byAIMmemberHelenWoods.

51 Carnival: February may be cold in many areas of the

world,butinsomeplacesitisdefinitelypartytime!

56 The History Of The Knitted Fishing Gansey: Frances

Powell of Buttercup Miniatures shares more about this

traditionalwinterwarmer.

F ree P roj ect sF ree P roj ect s16 Toboggan: AIMmemberandauthorJaneHarropshares

her projecttocreatea tradition toboggan inboth1:12thand

1:24thscales.

20 HeartMotifCushion: AIMmemberFrancesPowell sharesher

romantic 1:12th scale knitting pattern for a Valentines day

accessory. (Includes tutorial for knitting in two or more col

ours)

26 Art Deco Hat Tutorial: AIM member

Mary

Williams

shares

her

delightfultutorial for miniature vintage winter

attire.

40 Creating A Snow Covered Ruin: Debie

Lyons teaches her fabulous tutorial to

createthiswinteryscene.

50 MiniatureChocolateTruffles: Whynot

follow food artisan Margaret Cassidys

clever project and make your very own

miniaturechocolates.

65 1840sBonnetProject: Dollartisanand

experiencedprojectwriterViola

Williams brings us her delightful and

traditionalbonnettutorial. ArtisansInMiniature 3

FeaturesFeatures

10

58

50

40


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ArtisansInMiniature ?


CLICKonArtisansInMiniature

How did you find the Online Magazine??Did

you

follow

alink?

Didaminiaturefriendtellyouaboutit?

...anddoyoualreadyknowabouttheArtisansInMiniatureWebsite,

andthetalentedmemberswhohaveallhelpedcreatethisOnlinemagazine.?

If not,copy,pasteandCLICKnowwww.artisansinminiatures.comandcomeand

meetus

all.

Founded

in

2007

by

Bea

(Fiona)

Broadwood

of

Petite

Properties,

the

site

has been created in order to showcase the fantastic work of the individual

professional international artisan members who create beautiful and original scale

miniatures for sale to the public. Together they form the Artisans In Miniature

association.

SinceitslaunchtheAIMassociationhasrapidlygrownandnowboastsmembershipof

well over 200, including some of the most talented artisans within the miniature

world!

On the website you will find further information about them and their work;

however, please note new pages are constantly being added and there are many

memberswhoarenotyetincludedonthesite...

Ifyouareaprofessionalartisanwho is interested injoiningtheassociation,youwill

findall

the

information

there.....

IfyouarewonderingwhatFairsmaybeon inyourareathat information isthere

too

We have lots of linksto Fairs and Events OrganizersMagazinesOnline Miniature

clubs.Historicalreferencesites..Workshopsandmoreitsallthere!

If

youd

like

to

contact

us,

copy,

paste

and CLICK...

wedlovetohearfromyou!

www.artisansinminiature.com


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EditorsNote...

TheAIMMagazines

EditorialTeam:

BeaBroadwood

ffice@[email protected]

DebieLyons

[email protected]

JanineCrocker

[email protected]

JulieCampbell

[email protected]

MargaretCassidy

[email protected]

MaryWilliams

[email protected]

VickyGuile

[email protected]

Dear ReaderDespite the cold weather outside, I would like to offer you all a very warm

welcometoFebruaryseditionoftheAIMmagazine!

Here in the northern hemisphere, winter has so far brought with it much

snowandicyweatherandmanyofourmembersaroundtheglobehavealso

beenwrappingupandcontendingwithplentyofthewhitestuff!

Personally I love the snow I love snow days I love wrapping up and

walkingmy

dogs

across

the

fields.

But

most

of

all

Ilove

the

sense

of

quiet

and

calmthatonlyaheavylayeroffreshsnowcanbring.

Itistruethatmostwinterweatherisnotalwayssomagical,buthereatAIM

wethoughtwewouldcelebrateallthatisgoodaboutthesnowyseason.

So if you have always wanted to try your hand at making a miniature

tobogganor tohavea goat creating anatmospheric snowscene look no

furtherthanthisFebruaryIssueoftheAIMmagazine!

For thoseofyouwhohavekickedofftheyearwitha freshstartandanew

diet,then

Istrongly

suggest

that

you

take

my

advice

and

skip

pages

44

to

49

as these are simply dripping in diet busting chocolatejust perfect for

ValentinesDayandallinminiatureofcourse!

At AIM,we toohave been inspiredby thestart of the new yearand sowe

havegiventheAIMmagazinebitofamakeover(wehopeyoulikeit?).

If a new look was not enough, we have also slipped some fabulous new

features between our virtual covers for you to enjoy; including Julie

CampbellsfascinatingDiaryOfAnEdwardianDollshouseandawonderful

newMiniatureFashionFeaturecollatedbyJanineCrocker. Alternatively,if

you have a miniature dilemma, why not write to our very own

Aunt Anastasia or if you would simply like to give us your feedback or

thoughtsontheAIMmagazine,thendocheckoutournewPostBoxcolumn

onpage68!...

Sowhatevertheweatherwhereyouare,whynotgrabacuppa,settleback

andcomejoinus,aswewanderthoughourminiatureWinterWonderland

BeaEditor(&Generalwhipcracker)

February2010www.petiteproperties.com

ArtisansInMiniature 5PleasenoteallAIMmemberscontributetothemagazine


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ThameDollsHouseThameDollsHouse

&Miniatures

Fair

&

Miniatures

Fair

ByAIMmember,CeliaThomas



7/70

Saturday20thFebruary2010

ThameLeisureCentre,OxfordRoad,Thame,OxfordshireOX92BB

The4thThameDollsHouse&Miniatures Fair is tobeheldon20th February

2010atThameLeisureCentre,Oxfordshire.Thisisanannualcharityeventthat

hasgrown

from

humble

beginnings

into

something

very

special

and

well

anticipatedontheUKdollshousefaircalendar.

OrganisedbyAIMmemberCeliaThomas,whotradesasKTMiniatures,thefairisalsounique asnotonlyisit

afirstrateeventwithartisansonly exhibiting(nogeneraltraders)buttheorganisersaim istoraiseas

muchmoneyaspossiblefor thecharityBreastCancerCampaign.

Therewillbe45highqualityartisansattending,morestandholdersthaneverbefore,manyrankingamongst

theverybest intheUK. Celiawishestopromotesomeofthefinesttheminiatures industryhastoofferand

says,Iamhumbledoncemorebythefantasticsupportfromtheartisansandthegeneralpublictoo,forthis

event.Yet

again,

Ican

truly

say

that

Thame

Dolls

House

&

Miniatures

Fair

is

going

to

be

even

bigger

and

better

thaninallpreviousyears.Weliterallywillbeburstingattheseamstryingtosqueezeeveryoneandeverything

in!

AIM(ArtisansInMiniature)will,forthesecondyearrunning,haveashowcaseoftheirtalentsondisplayandin

factmanyofthestandholdersattendingaremembersthemselves. Severalof theexhibitsdisplayedonthe

AIM table have been pledged to the charity and later that day at 3.00pm, those will be moved over to the

BreastCancer CampaignSalesTableand then beavailable forpurchase.Visitors, who areunable tostay on

until3.00pmbutwouldlikethechancetobuyanyofthelovelydonatedAIMexhibits,areinvitedtoleavetheir

detailswith

their

monetary

pledge

on

aspecial

list

found

on

the

AIM

Table.

The

AIM

exhibits

created

much

interestamongstthevisitorsatthelasteventandthemembersdonationscertainlycontributedgreatlytothe

previousfinaltotalof3,080.00raised.

The local dolls house club, MTM of Thame (Market Town

Miniaturists),willhaveondisplayexamplesof theirworkplus

their now famous charity Miniatures Tombola, for which

talentedmemberswillhavemademostofthewonderfulmini

prizes! Thisisalwaysabighitwithnotjusttheyoungstersbut

forthoseyoungathearttoo......anditissheerdelighttohear

thewinnersgigglesofexcitementovertheirTombolaprizes!

Asalways,therewillbeacharityGrandRafflewithsometruly

magicalprizes;alldonatedbymanyofthestandholdersatthe

event. There is also the everpopular Breast CancerCampaign

Sales Table with a huge array of donations from the public,

artisans and people within the miniatures industry. Why not

takeapeek

at

asample

of

the

donations

already

pledged

for

both the Raffle and the Sales Table.... Simply click on the

relevantlinksontheThameFairpromotionalpage.

(seedetailsattheendofthisfeature)ArtisansInMiniature 7


8/70

The prize for the main competition this year is a fabulous secondhand shop complete with furnishings

createdanddonatedbyfourWiltshiretalentedladiesandfromwhatmustbeoneofthesmallestdollshouse

clubsintheUK....VioletsCottageDollsHouseClub!

The popular Thame Town Crier will also be back to lend his support and will be collecting with an

enthusiastic band of volunteers up in the Thame town centre for the charity during the day, and later

conductproceedingsatThameFair.

ThenofcoursethereisthepopularBreastCancerCampaignSealedBidAuctionandthisyearitisdifferent.

Not only can you bid on the day of the event, but you can place your bid online now see

www.ktminiatures.com/Auction_BreastCancerCampaignforfulldetails.

The room box this year is called simply A Box Of Memories thathas beencreated inside a tiny antique

smokers cabinet to depict a nostalgic and poignant scene of a lady of mature years (endearinglynamed

Florrie)whoisupinheroldloftroom,surroundedbymanypossessionsofgreatsentimentalvalue. Asshe

sits,shepicksupanoldfamilyalbumandfindsmemoriesofdayslonggonecomefloodingback.

Several

specific

items

have

been

donated

by

some

fantastic

UK

miniature

artisans

and

AIM

members

SoCeliasaysPleasedohaveagoatplacingabidthis isasealedbidauctionandwithareserveofjust

99.00,couldmakeanextraordinaryandvaluableheirloomforyearstocome.

Celia is donating 50% of any profit made from running this event to Breast Cancer Campaign, as this is a

charitywhosemissionistobeatbreastcancerbyfundinginnovativeworldclassresearchtounderstandhow

breastcancerdevelops, leadingto improveddiagnosis,treatment,preventionandcure. Manyfamiliesand

individualshavebeentouchedbybreastcancerdirectlyorindirectlyandCeliasfamilytoohavebeengreatly

touched,asshehaslostbothhermumandmaternalgrandmothertothisawfuldisease. Withadaughterof

herownplusseveralnieces,itisthisdrivingpassionintryingtohelpdoherbittohelpwiththeresearch

thatcontinuallyinspireshertoorganiseThameFaireachyear.

There isnodoubt thatThameDolls House & Miniatures Fair isaveryspecialevent indeed.... so do come

along andjoin in the fun on Saturday 20th

February at Thame Leisure Centre in Oxfordshire.... have a

fantasticminiaturesdayoutandhelpusallraiselotsofmoneyforBreastCancerCampaigntoo!Admission

feesare3.00 Adults/1.00Child(withunderfivesfree).Open10.00am4.00pm

Seefulldetailsofthiseventonwww.ktminiatures.comorringCeliaThomason01844212520ifyouwould

likefurtherinformation.

Thame itself is a quaint littlemarket townwith a lovely arrayofshops,restaurantsandhistoricbuildings. It is also close to theM40 and just a short distanceawayfrom Oxford & attractionssuchasBlenheimPalace,soifyouare comingfrom afar you couldeven make aweekendofit.



9/70

Are YOU a professional miniature artisan??Do you sell quality handmade miniatures to the public??

Do you want to showcase your work and talents on a global platform??Do you want to be part of a supportive professional association??

AND do you want it all for FREE???Ifyouanswered'YES'toEVERYquestion

Thenlooknofurther,AIMistheprofessionalminiaturistsassociationforYOU!!

AIMiscompletelyFREEtojoinandcompletelyFREEtobepartof.

So...ifyouareaprofessionalminiatureartisanandyouwouldliketofindout

moreaboutjoiningtheAIMAssociation,

pleaseemailAIMsMembershipSecretary:Maryformoreinformation:

[email protected]

Oralternativelyvisitourwebsite


AArtisansrtisansIInnMMiniatureiniatureAn association of professional artisans,dedicated to promoting a high standard

of excellence in original handcrafted scale miniatures

NEWwww.artisansinminiature.com

artisansinminiature.blogspot.com


10/70

WinterWinterWonderland...Wonderland...

Walking in a

Photograph:Debbie

Dixon

Pave

r


11/70

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,

In the lane, snow is glistening

A beautiful sight,We're happy tonight.

Walking in a winter wonderland.



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Gone away is the bluebird,

Here to stay is a new bird

He sings a love song,

As we go along,Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,

Then pretend that he is Parson Brown

He'll say: Are you married?

We'll say: No man,

But you can do the job

When you're in town.



13/70

Later on, we'll conspire,As we dream by the fire

To face unafraid,

The plans that we've made,Walking in a winter wonderland.



14/70

In the meadow we can build a snowman,And pretend that he's a circus clown

We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,Until the other kids knock him down.

When it snows,ain't it thrilling,

Though your nosegets a chilling

We'll frolic and play,

the Eskimo way,Walking in awinter wonderland.

WinterWonderland

wascomposedby

FelixBernard

LyricsbyRichardB.Smith

Photograph:Debbie

DixonPav

er

Copyrightof

images

belongs

to

the

individualartisanslistedbelow

144thHalfTimberedTudorCottage

ByAlanGrayof TemplewoodMiniatures

www.templewoodminiatures.co.uk

1:12thHorseDrawnSleighBy

ouiseGoldsboroughofAngeliqueMiniatures

www.angeliqueminiatures.co.uk1:12thRobinbyAnyastoneof

AnyaStoneCreations

www.anyastone.co.uk

1:12thSnowman

&

Children

Makingnewfriends...

ByDebbieDixonPaver

www.cdhm.org/user/debbie

1:12thLargesnowman(brown&greenscarf)

ByPhilippaToddofToddToys&Miniatures

www.toddtoysandminiatures.com

1:24thFireside

cottage

scene,

from

ACountrySittingRoomprojectbook

ByFionaBroadwood(Bea)

ofPetitePropertiesLtd

www.petiteproperties.com


15/70

TheNew

Blog Of the monthByAIMMemberDebieLyons

Eachmonth

we

will

be

looking

at

aparticular

AIM

members

Blog.

ThismonthitistheturnofAIMmemberMarshaMeesofSassyMiniDolls...

www.sassyminidolls.blogspot.com

Marshablogislively,vibrantandinformative. Marshainitiallystartedbloggingtotalkaboutherdollsandfor

herithasevolvedintosomuchmore. HerfirstpostwasJanuarythe18th

2008andsofarshehasamassedover

200followers.

She hasrediscoveredherloveofantiquing,crafting,etcsoshechatsaboutallsortsofthingsonher blogand

coversvarious

subjects.

Marsha

also

thinks

that

it

has

introduced

others

to

miniatures

as

their

blogs

have

introducedherorreacquaintedherwiththingsthatshedidntknoworhadforgottenabout.

When asked if she found running a blog easier than having a website Marsha replied, They are totally

different. Idon'tchatonmywebsite. Mywebsiteisstrictlyforsellingmydolls. IhaveanewsletterIsendout

wheneverIhavedollsavailableforsale. Mywebsitetakesverylittleofmytime. It'sjustamatterofuploading

photos. My blog takes a considerable amount ofmy time. It's not difficult,just time consuming and has

becomeanotheraddictionLOL

MarshasblognotonlyshowcasesherSassyMiniDolls,butitalsoshowswhereyoucanbuythemfromand

haslinkstoherEtsyshopandhertutorialblog.

I asked Marsha what her favourite widget was and she said, I've never really thought about thewidgets.

IguessthetranslationonesowhenIvisitablogthatisnotinEnglishIcaneasilytranslateit

Marshasblogisaninteresting,funandinformativeblogtovisitandIwouldhighlyrecommendit!

Debie Lyons


BlogSpeak...Blog-Ablogissortofanonlinediaryanda

placetoshowcaseyourinterestsandhob

bies.

Widget A widget istoolthat you can useto

customise a blog, they are often

added to the

sidebars...


16/70

oject...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...

You will need...

Method...

In1:12&1:24th...

Toboggans, long light wooden

sledges (without metal runners

and often home made)

originated in Canada for

transportation purposes during

thewinter.

During the late nineteenth and

earlytwentiethcentury,owning

a wooden toboggan to ride

downsnowcoveredhills,would

havebeeneverychildsdream.

Youwillneedtomakethetobogganat1/12th

scale:

1/8in(3mm)thickplywood

Two35/8in(92mm)by5/8in(16mm)forrunners

1/8in(3mm)by1/16in(1.5mm)obechistripwood

Two31/2in(89mm)lengthsforsideslats

Four21/8in(54mm)lengthsforseatslats

Four7/16in(11mm)lengthsforuprights

1/8in(3mm)by1/8in(3mm)obechistripwood

11/4in(32mm)lengthforfrontbar

Two11/8in(29mm)lengthsforseatsupports

6in(152mm)lengthofthickthreadforsteeringrope

Tackyglue

Woodstainoracrylicpaint

Youwillneedtomakethetobogganat1/24th

scale:

1/16in(1.5mm)thickplywood

Two113/16in(46mm)by5/16in(8mm)forrunners

1/16in(1.5mm)by1/32in(1mm)obechistripwood

Two13/4in(45mm)lengthsforsideslats

Four11/16in(27mm)lengthsforseatslats

Four7/32in(6mm)lengthsforuprights

1/16in(1.5mm)by1/16in(1.5mm)obechistrip

wood

5/8in(16mm)lengthforfrontbar

Two9/16in(15mm)lengthsforseatsupports

3in(76mm)lengthofmediumthicknessthreadfor

steeringrope

Tackyglue

Woodstain

or

acrylic

paint

1. Transfer the template on to each of the runner

woodpieces.Roughlycutouttheshapeusingmitre

cutters.Placethetworunnerstogetherandsandthe

edgessmooth.

2. Lightly sand the wood pieces. Gently round the

endsofthesideslatsandseatslatsusingfinegrade

sandpaper.

Stain

or

paint

all

of

the

wood

pieces,

applythepaintorstainsparinglytoavoidthepieces

warping and leave to dry, before continuing on to

thenextstage.



17/70


3.Placetwouprightpieceson

their narrow edges and

position and glue a seat

support inbetween. The top

edge of the seat support is

flush with the ends of the

upright

pieces.

Repeat

the

procedurewith theremaining

seat support and upright

pieces.

4. Take a piece of paper and

mark a line a 1 1/4in (32mm)

(5/8in(16mm)at1/24th

scale)

fromtheedgeofthepaper.Positionthesideslatsandseat

slatson

top

of

the

piece

of

paper

in

agluing

jig

as

shown

in

thephotograph,so that theslatsareequaldistanceapart

withinthemeasuredarea.

5. Takethesupportconstructionsmade instep3,position

andglueontopoftheslats (usingonlyasmallamountof

glue)approximately3/16in (5mm) (1/8in (3mm)at1/24th

scale) fromtheendsoftheslats.Takethefrontbarwood

pieceandpositionandglueapproximately1/16in(1.5mm)

(1/32in

(1mm)

at

1/24th

scale)

from

the

end

of

the

constructionandglueontopofthesideslats.

6. Once dry, turn the construction on to its side and rest

theuprightpiecesandfrontbarontoarunner,theupright

piecesshouldsitjustabovethebottomedgeoftherunner

andtheendofthefrontbarshouldsittowardsthetopof

therunner.Glueintoplaceandleavetodry.Turnoverthe

construction and repeat the procedure, so that both

runnersare

in

line

with

each

other.

7. Complete by tying a length of thread around each end

thefrontbartocreateasteeringrope.

JaneHarrop2009

www.janeharrop.co.uk


.4.

.1.

.6.

.3.

.5.

.2.

.7.


18/70


ByAIMmember,CarolSmith

What nicer in these cold winter

monthstohaveadelicioushomemade

Blackberry Charlotte with

custard. My preparation

board

has

a

packet

of

brownsugar,apples,fresh

bread, a grater, a tin of

golden syrup, a messy

spoon, a jug of custard

and a Blackberry

Charlottepudding.

Breadandbutterpudding

is an inexpensive

favouriteformany.One is

shownonmypreparation

board.

Home

baked

apple

pie

is

always popular, whether

served with fresh cream

or custard. I have

decorated mine with

apple shapes and it is

sprinkledwithsugar.

Comfort

FOOD...FOOD...


19/70

Text&ImagesCarolSmith

Hotbutteredcrumpetswithamugofhotchocolateareperfectforacoldwinterevening.

Homemadesoupwithfreshbreadisidealforlunch,

Imakepeaandhamorleekandpotatoinreallifebut

theminiatureistomatoandbasil.

Toadintheholemakesatastysnack,popularwithbothadultsandchildren.

The

smell

of

bacon

cooking

is

wonderful

and

thebacon,egg,mushroomsandsausagedonot

justhavetobeforbreakfast.

Hotpots and casseroles, fish & chips, steak &

alepie,shepherdspiearefirmfavourites.

If none of these appeal there is always

chocolate!


Carol Smithhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/STARSGEMINI3


20/70

www.buttercupminiatures.co.ukText&PhotographCopyrightF.H.Powell2010

Miniature Knitting Using Two Or More Colours

Section 1:

Notes for knitters working in two or more colours

ByAIMMemberFrancesPowell

Thesenotesaredesignedtohelppeopleknittingin

miniatureonly.Someofthenotesthereforemay

notapply

when

knitting

in

full

size.

1.Readingthechart

Theknitrows(oddnumberedrows)areread

fromrighttoleft.

Thepurlrows(evennumberedrows)areread

fromlefttoright.

2.WorkingwithtwocoloursasintheHeartMotif

Cushionpattern

Youmayfinditeasiertoplacetheballsofwool

inseparate

plastic

bags

(grip

seal

bags

are

ideal

as

thewoolcanbegrippedsoitdoesnotunraveltoo

fast),orwindtheyarnontobobbinstoavoidtheballsofyarnbecomingtangled.

Iftheyarndoesbecometangled stop anduntangleitattheendofeveryrow.

Alwaystwistthetwoyarnswhenchangingcolour,asthispreventsholesfromforminginthework,thisis

especiallyimportantinrows1719ofthefollowingcushionpattern.

Ifyouhavetocarryayarnacrossthebackofthework,asinrows2022ofthefollowingcushionpattern,

makesuretheyarncarriedacrossatthebackoftheworklaysflatandisnotpulledtightasthiswillcausethe

stitchestogatherinsteadoflyingflat.

3.

General

hints

when

using

two

or

more

colours

Whenworkinginmorethanonecolour,carrywoolnotinuseacrossbackandupsidesoftheworkto

avoidtoomanylooseendsthatneedtobesewnin.Thisisespeciallynoticeablewithdollsclothes,asthis

causesextrabulkwhenthegarmentiscompleted.

Remembersomepatternshavedifferentnumbersofstitchesandrowsonthefrontandback;thisismost

commonwhenaplainbackisusedwithapatternedfront(thisisnotthecaseinthecushionpatternbelow).

Patternsdesignedfortwoormorecolourswillusuallynotknitupinasinglecolour,asthenumberof

stitcheswillbetoogreat,thereforethefinishedgarmentwillbemuchtoobig.

WhencarryingyarnsacrossbehindtheworkNEVERcarryyarnsacrossmorethan5stitches.Toweave

yarnsinjusttwisttheyarnbeingcarriedwiththeworkingyarn.Thesimplestwaytodothisistoplacethe

yarn

being

carried

over

the

working

yarn

before

working

the

next

stitch.

Beforeworkingthenextstitchinthecolourbeingcarried,slightlystretchtheworktoeasethecarried

yarnacrossthebackofthework,thisstopsitpullingtootightly.

Lightercoloursbeingcarriedbehindtheworkcansometimesshowupinthedarkercolours,thiscanbe

remediedbymakingsurethecarriedyarnisnottootightineithercolour.

Ifworkingalargeareaofadifferentcolour(suchastheheartinthiscushion)itisoftenneatertousetwo

ballsofthemaincolour oneoneachsideofthemotif.Thismeansthemotifliesmuchflatterandthreadsdo

notneedtobewoveninbehindthework.

Ifyoumakeamistakeinacomplicatedpatternitisofteneasiertostartagainratherthantryandunpick

thework.

You

may

find

it

easier

to

place

a

ruler

or

strip

of

paper

on

the

chart

directly

under

the

line

of

the

chart

you

are

readingandmoveitupthechartasyouwork.



21/70

Section 2:Knitting Pattern For a 1/12th scale

Heart Motif CushionByAIMMemberFrancesPowell

Materials required: size 19 (1 mm/US 5/0)

knitting needles, 1ply cotton in two colours

(approx

25

m

main

colour

[blue]

and

5

m

contrast [pink], small quantity of stuffing

material.

Before starting: break off about 10 m blue

yarn for second side of heart, this will save

you having to carry and weave the yarn in

behindtheheartmotif.

Abbreviations:ststitch;k knit;ppurl;sst

stocking [stockinette] stitch, one row knit,

onerow

purl;

B

blue;

P

pink.

Front(make1)

Usingbluecaston25

sts.

Rows110:sst

Row11:(following

chartabove)k12B,

joininpink,k1P,k

12B.

Row12:

p11B,

twist

blueandpinkyarns,p

3P,joininsecondball

ofblueyarn,p11B.

Row13:k10B,twist

yarns,k5P,twist

yarns,k10Busing

secondballofblue

yarn.

Row14:p9B,twist

yarns,

k

7P,

twist

yarns,k9B using

secondballofblue

yarn.

Row15:k8B,twist

yarns,k9P,twist

yarns,k8B using

secondballofblue

yarn.

Row16:p7B,twist

yarns,k11P,twist

yarns,k7Busing

secondballofblue

yarn.



22/70

www.buttercupminiatures.co.uk

Copyright

F.

H.

Powell

2010

Thispatternisforprivateuseonlyand

maynotbereproducedinanyformfor

commercialgain,includingsellingany

itemknittedupfromthesepatterns

withoutwrittenpermissionfrom

ButtercupMiniatures

Row17:k6B,twistyarns,k13P,twistyarns,k6Busingsecondballofblueyarn.

Row18:p6B,twistyarns,k13P,twistyarns,k6Busingsecondballofblueyarn.

Row19:k6B,twistyarns,k13P,twistyarns,k6Busingsecondballofblueyarn.

Row20:p7B,twistyarns,k5P,carryblueyarnacrossinfrontofthese5sts,p1B,carrypinkyarnacross

infrontthisst,p5P,twistyarn,p7Busingsecondballofblueyarn.

Row21:

k8B,

twist

yarns,

k3P,

carry

blue

yarn

across

behind

these

3sts,

k3B,

carry

pink

yarn

across

behindthese3sts,k3P,carryblueyarnacrossbehindthese3sts,k8B.

AttheendofthisrowyoumaycuttheBLUEyarnnearesttheheartmotifasthiswillno longerberequired intheknitting.Donotcuttooclosetotheworkasenoughyarntothreadaneedlewillberequiredwhensewinginthelooseendoftheyarn.Row22:p9B,twistyarns,k1P,carryblueyarnacrossinfrontofthisst,p5B,carrypinkyarnacrossin

front

these

5

sts,

p

1P,

twist

yarn,

p

9B.

AttheendofthisrowyoumaycutthePINKyarn,asthiswillnolongerberequiredintheknitting.Donotcuttooclosetotheworkasenoughyarntothreadaneedlewillberequiredwhensewinginthelooseendoftheyarn.Rows2332:sstusingblueyarn.

Castoffandsewinalllooseendsaroundheartmotif

Back(make1inblue)

Caston25sts.

Rows132:sst

Castoff

Make up cushionWithrightsidestogether,sewthetwopiecesofthecushiontogether,(remembertoleaveasmallhole

forturningrightsideout).Turnrightsideoutandstuffcushiontoyourlikingbeforeclosingtheseam.

Sewinanylooseends.

Edging(make1inblue)

Caston5sts,

Rows12:k

Row3:k2,p3.

Row4:p3,k2.

Repeatrows14untiltheedgingistherequiredlengthtofitaroundthecushion,withoutstretchingthe

edging,endingwitha4th

rowofpattern.Itmaybeeasiertosewtheedginginplaceasyouknit.Castoff

andsewcastoffedgetocastonedge,sewremainingedgingtocushion.



23/70


Life behind the scenes at AIM can get pretty chaotic and during themayhem, we have gone and lost one of our gloves!...

So we need your help to find it! The lost glove was last spotted,lurking somewhere in the pages of this magazine? But where??

KnittingartisanandAIMmemberHelenWoodshasverykindly createdawonderfulpairof

12thscaleknittedgloves(seebelowleft)whichweareofferingasaprizeforthe winnerof

ourglove competition sodontwasteamomentlonger

Get searching!!...(Thelostgloveisthesameasthegloveshownatthetopleftofthispage)

Toenterourcompetition,simplytellusthenumberofthepagewherethelostgloveishidden...

For

email

entries

office@petite

properties.com

(PleaseputCOMPETITIONasthesubjecttitleoftheemail)

Forpostalentries BumbleBeeCottages,52 54DruryStreet,Metheringham,Lincs.LN43EZ.

(PleasenotethisisaUKaddress)

Allentriesmustincludeanemailcontactaddressandfullname.

Rulesofthecompetition.Closingdatewillbethe27th February2010andanyentries

receivedafterthisdatewillnotbeaccepted. Onthe28thofFebruaryonewinnerwill

bepickedrandomlyfromallofthecorrectentriesandnotifiedbyemail.

Wecan

only

accept

one

entry

per

person.

Thewinnerwillbe publishedintheMarch 2010editionoftheAIMmagazine.

WeatAIMwouldliketosayabigthankyoutoHelenWoodsofLivingInA

MiniatureWorld,forthekinddonationherfantasticminiaturegloves.

CompetitionCompetition...Competition...Comp

etition...Competition...Competition...Competition...Competition...Competition

...Competition...

The Lost Glove!The Lost Glove!

And the winner isAnd the winner isWearedelightedtoannouncethewinnerofour

FarmhouseTableWordSearchCompetition

Congratulationsto Patricia Wareingonyourwinningentry!!


24/70


GGreetings

from

Miniscule

Manor!

I'mAuntAnastasia,yourverydistant

mini relative (sixth cousin, twice

removedandscaleddown)andwhen

I am not making the most fabulous

minis, sipping bubbly or bossing my

butler Trotters about, I just love

helping miniaturists and solving

problemsofaminiaturenature,so if

your paint won't stick and your glue

won'tglue,getintouch:

[email protected]

Looking forwardtohearingfromyou

soon. Must sign off now, Trotters is

herewiththeteatrolley

Aunt Anastasia

Aunt AnastasiaAunt Anastasia

Washday BluesHow do I remove dried acrylic paint from the

sleeveof

my

good

blouse

(I

was

just

doing

alittle

touchupjob before we went out to dinner and

didn't notice the blob of "Spun Gold" until wash

day.)Help!!

Answer...Sponge with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl

alcohol)tosoftenpaint.Keepatit!Withabit

ofrubbing,thepaintwillcomeoff.Launderas

usual!

Aunt Anastasia

Flying carpets...

Dear Aunt Anastasia, the carpets in my house

won't behave and lie still. They have lumps and

bumpsthatcouldhideasmalldog.

Pleasehelp,myminipeoplekeeptripping!

Answer:Pleasenote:NOT recommendedforhandstitched

artisan created carpets, butgreatfor thewoven,

storeboughtjobbies.Thesolution istocutfusible

interfacing (mediumweight fabric on one side

stuff)a littlesmallerthanyourcarpetonallsides.

Followthedirectionsforfusingandthereyougo

nomoretriphazards!

Aunt Anastasia


25/70

Another query I've had this week from one of my students is...

Ihaveaprojectthatrequiresmetouse3/64in(1mm)woodendowelwhichIamhavingdifficultyobtaining,

isthereanythingIcanuseasanalternative.

My answer is...Asanalternativeto3/64indowel,youcouldusea20 gaugewhitecolouredpapercoveredwire,whichtakes

woodstainorpaintreallywell. Ihavemadevariouschairs in1/24thscaleandusedpapercoveredwirefor

thestretchersandyouwouldn'tknowitwaswireastheendsarehiddeninthedrillholesinthechairlegs.If

youaremakingsomething likea rockinghorse,where theendsof thewirewouldbeonshow,youwould

needtodabatinyamountoftackyglueontotheends,asitisdifficultofpaintorstainbarewire,andonce

drycoverwithpaintorwoodstain.

Aunt Anastasia

Sticky Situation...DearAuntAnastasia

Whattodo?Ihavereturnedtomycrafttableafteralengthyabsence(shameonme!)tofindawonkyshelf

inthebookcasekitIwasworkingon.Iknow,Ishouldn'thavebeengluingsolateatnightafterthatsecond

glassofchardonnaywhilewatchingaDVD.Theshelfiswellandtrulystuck.Pleasehelp!Bytheway,IusedPVAglue(tackyglue).

SolutionFillagluesyringe(youdon'thaveagluesyringe?)Hiethehencetoyournearestdollshouseshoporhobby

emporiumandgetone!Youwillnevergluewitha cocktail stickagain!)withwhite vinegar/spirit vinegar

(don'ttrythiswithmaltvinegar itwillmakeanastystain)anddripdropsofvinegaralongtheoffending

joints.Bepatient!Givethevinegartimetowork itsmagicand itmaytakemorethanoneapplication,then

wigglegentlytosee iftheglue is lettinggo.Applymorevinegar,wiggleandrepeatasneededuntilBingo!

Outitpops. ThisdoesworkonwhitePVAglue, Idon'tknowifitworksonwoodglueornot.Maybesomeo

neelse

might

know?

Aunt Anastasia

DearAuntAnastasia,despite itsbrilliance,andhowmuch Idrooloverevery issueoftheAIMmagazine, Ihave one

small,verywhinycomplaint. HereintheU.S.,thewoodwemostoftenrunintoisnotobecheorobechiorwhatever

thatstuffis,butrather,basswood. Basswoodisaveryserviceablewood,stainsuptolooklikewhateveryouwantit

to, works easily and is pretty near both universal and cheap. Your obeche/obechi, however, is some exotic, rare

substance not often found hereabouts. Pray, take pity on those of us 'cross the pond and tell us if basswood is a

suitablesubstitute foryour (toyou,obviouslyverycommon)obeche,thatwemaynothaveto import from foreign

shoresandtropicalclimessomethingwecannotobtainlocally....

This is how I replied...IamdelightedtohearthatyouareenjoyingtheAIMmagazine.Suchajollygoodreadisn'tit?Iwasmiffedtoreadthat

youarehavingdifficultlyinobtainingobechewoodonyoursideofthePond,soIconsultedmyniecewhonowlivesin

Canada(shemarriedafrightfullyhandsomemountie)andshe informsmethatbasswoodcanbeused inexactlythe

sameway,andstainedandpaintedasobeche.Apparently,basswoodhasamuchclosergrainthanobechewoodbut

canbea little'furry'whenpaintedorstainedbecausethemoistureraisesthegrainofthewood.Youcangetaround

thisbygentlyrubbingthesurfaceofthewoodonaveryfinegradesandpaper,oncethefirstcoathasthoroughlydried.

So,fearnot!Basswoodismorethanuptothetask.Bytheway,didyouknowthatcrumpledbrownpaperisthemost

wonderfulsandpaper?Itisjusttheticketforthefinalsandingofapiece.Well,Imustbeoff.TrottershasjustinformedmethatIhaveagentlemanvisitor!

Aunt Anastasia

DoyouhaveaquestionthatyouwouldlikeAuntAnastasiatoanswer?

Ifso,simplyemail: [email protected]!

ImageMaryWilliams2010 TextAIMAssociation2010


26/70

Materials required...



Art Deco Hat

TutorialByAIMmember,MaryWilliams

DollTorso.

Smallpieceofsoftleather

Trim

IndianBindiforearrings

Smallbeadsfornecklace.

Feathers.

Fauxjewelsforbroochandtrimonhat.

Pieceoffakefurorsimilarforstole.

Glue,toothpickandsharpscissors.

Step1 Takepieceofsoftleatherandplaceoverheadofdollandpulltightlyso

therearenocreasesorfolds,thiswillformaheadshapeintheleather.

Seepicture1.

Step2 Removetheleatherandspreadglueoverthewholeofthehead.Putthe

leatherbackontothedollfittingtheheadshapeoverthegluedarea,pulltightly.

Seepictures2aand2b.

.1.

.2a .3..2b.

Step3

Trim

the

excess

leather

so

you

are

left

with

aleather

bathing

cap

look.

Make

sure

the

bottom

of

theearsarenotcoveredbytheleather.Youcandrawalineontheleatherasaguideifneeded.

Dontworryabouttheedgesbeingtooneatasyouaregoingtocoverthemwiththetrim.Seepicture3.



27/70



Step 4 Place a line of glue around the

edges of the cap and then starting at the

napeoftheneckplaceyourtrim.

Seepictures4aand4b.

Step 5 Putadabofglueonthetrimand

place

your

feathers,

add

another

dab

of

glueontopof the feathersandadda faux

jewelorbeadtocoverit. Seepicture5.

Step6 Ifyouaregoingtoputearringson

thedolldothisnow,gluetheearlobesand

placetheBindi. Seepicture6.

Step 7 Next put a line of glue under the bust of the

torso,makesuretheholeswherethearmsshouldgoare

covered. Place your first line of fake fur/trim over the

glue. Put another line of glue above the first layer and

placethenextlineoftrimoverthis. Placeadabofglue

at the front where the trims meet and secure. Place a

roseorbroochatthecentre. Seepictures7a,7band7c.

.4a. .4b.

.5. .6.

.7c..7b..7a.

Step8 Youmayliketoaddanecklaceorsomebeads

now.

Step9 YounowhaveaprettyArtDecoHatstandfor

youshoporhouse.

To see more of Marys beautiful work,why not visit her website:

www.dollshousedolls.co.ukText&PhotographsMaryWilliams2010


28/70


ThroughThroughThe

Keyh

le...

MynameisPatriciaCabreraandIamoriginallyfromBrazil,whereI

wasborn andraisedon acoffee farm.About eightyearsago,my

familymovedfromMiami,Floridatoaruraltowninthesouth.We

nowliveonafarminPeachland,snuggledintherollinghillsofthe

piedmontofNorthCarolina.

Iam

very

fortunate

to

have

several

different

work

spaces

due

to

thefactthat Iam involvedwithvarious formsofart. Whenever I

amworkingwithwood,makingfurnitureoraroombox, Iuse

the wood shop. Because I live on a working farm, this is the

main farmshop. Itakeadvantageof itbecause it isequipped

withalltoolsimaginable.

My second shop is called The SevenKidsMudhole. Before I

started making miniature porcelain dolls, I was a potter, so

nowthis

shop

serves

two

purposes

for

me.

Although

Icontinue

to occasionally turn pots, I mainly create porcelain dolls and

housewareintheMudhole...

Mythirdworkplaceisasmalloutbuilding.WhatIloveabout

thisplace isthat itsits infrontofmygarden,andduringthe

summermonthsIamabletolookoutmywindowand enjoy

the view andmyvisitors (the birds *grin*) It is also next to

oneof our pastureswheremydairycowHersheycan greet

mewhenever

she

sees

me

coming...It

is

in

this

workshop

that

I keep my sewing machine and most of my supplies. I keep

threetables;thisgivesmeplentyofworkingspace.

Ever wondered what it would be like to be able to have a closer look at theworking environments of AIM members?This month we take a peek at the wonderful working environment ofPatricia Cabrera in North Carolina...


29/70

Although Idon'tdominiaturework in thisnext

workplace, Iwanted tomention itbecause it is

one of the places that I do work. It is my barn

loft. There, I do all my large oil paintings. It is

one of my favorite places to paint because the

lightingisperfectwhentheloftdoorsareopen.

Alovely

breeze

floats

into

my

painting

"atelier",

and Iamableto lookoutandseethebeautiful

shimmeratopourpond...

MylastworkplaceIliketocallmy*nest*.It's aroominmyownhomewhichundernormalcircumstances

isour family'sbakingroom. Idomostofmyminiatureanimals inherebecause Idonot liketobeaway

from my children during their daily activities, and throughout the years I have learned to work with

interruptions.*grin*

Thereisawindownexttomyworktablethatduringthesummermonthsallowsmetolookoutsideandsee

thehummingbirdsthatvisitmy feeders.Thisroomalsohasa fireplacewhichkeepsmewarmduringthe

winter.

I think what I like most about my workspaces is the fact that I can concentrate on each aspect of my

creations wholeheartedly. I couldn't possibly work with wood and porcelain in the same room, without

cleaning entirely before starting a new project. That I can work in each space and devote my attention

entirelywithoutworryingabouthowIwillpreparetheroomformynextprojectisagreatreliefforme.

Idon'tthinkthereisanythingthatIwouldchangetomyworkspaces;IfeelthatIamveryprivilegedtohave

theamountofspacethatIhavetoworkwith.

These workspaces were added one at a time, as I slowly increased my art repertory. From pottery to

sculpting,

I

have

been

able

to

develop

my

interests

and

thus

create

the

need

for

space

to

work

in

my

collectionofroomsandworkspacesspansovereightyearstime.

If you would like to see the stunning miniatures that Patricia of Wooly Talescreates, why not visit her website: www.woolytales.com


30/70

AIMpleasedAIMpleased

tomeet

you...to

meet

you...



31/70

This month we are delighted to find out moreabout the very talented, Karen Griffithsof Stokesay ware...


32/70

Can you tell us a bit about your life before Miniatures?IstartedmakingminiaturesassoonasIleftcollege, andPeter

cametohelpmewhenhefinishedhishistorydegree.

Weboththoughtitwouldbeatemporaryarrangement,but

thatwasnearly30yearsago.

As a child, what were your favourite toys?Iwasabitofatomboy.Mydadmademeafortwithabrilliant

canonthatfiredmatchsticksandIhadatrainsetandaMeccano.

ButmyfavouritetoywasaBaykobuildingset,afascinatingpastimeforall

ages,withwhichyoucouldconstructamodel1930svillawithdetachedgarage.

Istillhaveit. What attracted you to miniatures in the first place?Financialnecessity. Ileftcollegein1981withamastersdegreeinceramics

atthe

height

of

arecession.

Stoke

on

Trent

was

working

athree

day

week,

andunable to get ajob Imade my first miniatures. I took them to show

MichalMorseandKristinBaybars,wholuckilybothplacedorders.

What was your first purchase?WhenIfirststartedinthebusinessItriednottobuyminiaturesastherentwaspressing,butIdidoccasionally

givein.TwoofthefirstitemsIboughtwereaperfectbroombyLaurenceandAngelaStLegerandasmokers

bowchairbyDavidBooth.

What miniature item do you most covet?Probablythatworkingbaconslicer.

Who do you most admire in the miniature world?I admire people who do things well, with creative ingenuity and

attentiontodetail,whetherthat ismakingminiaturesororganisingan

event.

What made you decide to specialise in ceramics?ItwaswhatIknew.

Have you had any unusual commissions?Asarulewedontacceptcommissionsastheworkinvolvedinoriginatingnewshapesandartworkisenormous,

butveryoccasionallywemakeanexception.Wehadhada longworkingrelationshipwithDavidKilpatrickso

wemadethechinaforhismodelofthediningroomattheGarrickClub.

Do you have any hobbies unrelated to miniatures?Notuntilrecently,when Istartedmakinga fullsizepatchworkquiltusingLibertyTanaLawn.Sometimes it is

nicetodosomethingbig.Timewilltellifthisisaproperhobbyorjustapassingwhim.

Any phobias?Slugs

and

heights.

Worst

scenario

the

top

step

of

aladder

with

aslug

on

it.

Fantasies?JohnnyDepp. You can see more of Karens beautiful china on her website:www.stokesayware.com

FoodshownabovebyMagsnificentMiniatures: www.magsnificent.co.ukMainPhotographStokesayWare2010 /FilledChinaPhotographsMagsnificentMiniatures2010


33/70

A TouchA Touch

OfOfWinter...Winter...

elcome to

Februarys AIM Gallery.

This month members have

come together to celebrateand reflect the best of winter

all in miniature of course!

WW


AIM Gallery...

hildren Playing

n The Snow

y Julie Campbell

f Bellabelle Dolls

www.bellabelledolls.co.uk


34/70

Left:Winter hats by

MiniMilliner,Margaret Pitts

www.minimilliner.co.uk

Right: Pauline Everettwww.12thhousebridalcouture.co.uk

Below: Snow Queen SceneBy Louise Goldsborough/Bird

Angelique Miniatures,

www. angeliqueminiatures.co.uk



35/70


Left:Furry Winter

Friends

By Kristy Taylor

OfMini Menagerie

www.minimenagerie.com

Left: Snowman PillowsBy Wendy Smale of

Wendys Miniatures

www.wendysminiatures.comBelow Right: Polar Bear & Cub

By Patricia Cabrera of

Woolytales Miniatures

www.woolytales.com

Left: Snow Queen ByJain Squires Of

The Giddy Kipper

www.giddykipperdolls.com

Copyrightoftheimagesincludedinthisfeature

belongstothe individualartisans,aslisted...


36/70


Asaminiaturedollmakeranddollshouseenthusiastithasalwaysbeenfunformetophotographthelittle

peopleImakeinsidemyowndollshouses,theperfectbackdrop!

WhenIstartedtowritestoriesaroundoneofmy characters wholives inandrunsanEdwardiantoyshop

I

realised

it

would

be

a

lot

of

fun

to

actually

make

the

toy

shop

a

reality

and

a

place

where

I

could

photographthecharacterstoillustratemystories.

AseedhadbeenplantedinmymindandthepossibilityofmakingBellesToyEmporiumarealityhadme

immediatelysearchingforjusttherightkithousetobuild.

Thedecisionwasaneasyone! IhavealwayswantedaSidCookedollshousekitandtheEmpireStores

wasjustrightformystories.AlargeVictorianbuildingwithaspaciousshopfloorandlivingaccommodation

upstairs wasjust what I needed. It has a side entrance, a

tradesmans entrance and even a little loft space with a

tinyhatchtogetupthere.

I bought the kit in the run up to Christmas and it sat

temptinglyinitshugeboxunderthestairsuntilIwasable

toclaimourdiningroomasmyworkroom.

IevenstartedablogwhereIcouldchronicle theprogress

ofthehousebeingbuiltanddecoratedandwhereIwould

eventuallyintroducemycharactersandstories:

www.diaryofanedwardiandollshouse.blogspot.com

So this is the diary of my Edwardian Toy Shop. I hope you will enjoy

seeing me work on the dolls house kit and turning it into a wonderful

toy emporium ! You may pick up some useful tips along the way and

possiblylearnfrommymistakestoo...

Ialsohopetobeabletospotlightsomeofthewonderfulworkofother

AIMmemberswhenitcomestopurchasingitemstofillmyemporium.

Thenot

so

grand

box

opening...

T oda y I opened t he box !

DIARY OF AN

EDWARDIAN

DOLLS HOUSEByAIMMember,JulieCampbell

NEWFEATURE!


37/70

My initial excitement was instantly

replacedbyadauntingsight...Thesupplier

of my kit had opened all the packets to

check everything was there and then

packaged italltogether.Thiswasthebox

asIopeneditwithpieceseverywhereand

three

damaged

parts

of

my

shop

front.

NotonetobedeterredIputthedamaged

strips aside and sorted the contents

As you can see after half an hour I had a

lovelyneatlysetouttableofbits...

Ithink

they

are

all

there

but

as

the

packages

of

trims

wereopenedandeverythinghadfallenoutIamnot

sure really what's what with the smaller bits, so

fingerscrossed.

Anotherhalfhourwasspentreadingtheinstructions

(19pages!)andI'malmostreadytostart.

Despite there being a few problems with the kit I

decidednot

to

return

it.

Im

a

seasonedkit

basher

and as the characters I have planned to live in the

housearenotrichandthehousewouldbealittleshabbyIfeelsureitwillbeokay.

First for the repairs, the damaged parts were split but as I am planning to paint them and they are

decorativepartsIthinktheywillfixjustfine.Iusedalittlewoodglueandhaveplacedaweightontopof

themastheydry,hopefullytheywillbegoodasnew.

The first step with this kit is to attach the doors with the hinges provided. In my

experienceits

always

been

best

to

paint

the

doors

before

attaching

them

.Its

the

only

way for a neat finish without ending up with hinges covered in paint. It also means you can test the

painteddoorsforfitandsandasnecessary,thusavoiding"sticky"doors.

SoworkishaltedfortodayasIditheroverpaintcolours!(Burgundyisthefirmfavouritesofar...)

P repa ra t ion begins...

Ihaveaconfessiontomake...I'mabitofabotcher!Well,thatshouldreadIWASabitofa

botcher. Having made more than a few kits up previously I have not been known for my

patience.Theexcitementofanewkitusuallyresultsinafullybuiltdollshousebytheendof

the day, with more than a few accidents , a few nails poking out here and there and then weeks

strugglingtogetintothenooksandcrannystodecorateitall.

T his t ime it s a ll dif f erent ! I have prepa red !!!!

TopTi p!

DAY

1



38/70


InanunheardofmoveIactuallytookthesandpaperprovidedandsandeddownthepartsIwasgoingto

prepare.

Ihatesanding!Theraspysoundofit,thefeelofitonmyfingers,everythingaboutitmakesmeshudder

so itsastep Ialwaysskipbutwhatadifference ithasmadedoingthisproperly.Oncemythreeouter

walls with door openings were sanded I sanded the doors too then coated the wood on all sides and

edgeswithsealer.

Feelingvery

proud

of

myself

Ithen

began

to

tackle

the

shop

front

window.

This went together very easily and as you can see, the damage to the corner of the top is barely

noticeableafteralittlesanding.

Then my enthusiasm got

the better of me and I

startedonthepaintwork

thenrealised

MD F needspriming t oo !


39/70


As you can see from the picture below, my lovely aubergine enamel

paintjustsunkrightintotheMDFinaveryunevenfashion.

Wellyouliveandlearnsooncedryacoatofsealersortedthatoutand

I'm now busy painting over it with the enamel paint. 2 coats should

havemyshopfrontlookingbeautiful.

BeforeassemblingthefrontoftheshopIwillbepaintingthe insideof

thewindowtoo,alovelyantiquecreamywhite.Theshopnameplinth

willbelefttilllastasitsalmostimpossibletodecorateitwithoutlyingitflat.

IhavetheshopdoorstopainttoobeforeIcanstartassemblingthehouse.Doubledoorsatthefront,a

door forthe tradesmansentranceatonesideandthesidedoor leading totheaccommodationabove

theshop.

AllthispreparationtakestimebutitwillallbeworthitandIhavelearneditsalmostimpossibletopaint

thedoors

properly

once

they

are

fitted

into

the

frames.

S o f a r so good...!

ToseemoreofJuliesbeautifulwork,whynotvisitherwebsite:

www.bellabelledolls.co.ukText&PhotographsJulieCampbell2010


40/70

By

AIM

Member,

Debie

Lyons

Materials...


In1/24th

scale

Creating a Snow Covered Ruin...This project will show you how to

create a snow effect. The snow effect

ismadeupofseveral layersofvarious

materials and the technique can be

used for all sorts of miniature scenes

andsettings.

Do not use spray on snow it can ruin

yourproject!

Please read through all instructions

beforestartingand Iwouldadviseyou

to practice first before attempting to

use these techniques on your building

as theeffect ispermanentandcannot

beremoved.

Foam Board 1cm thick.

Glue

Scalpel

Cocktail sticks

Air Dry Clay Rolling pin or pasta machine.

Paint Black and white

Green Ink

Brushes

Snow Tex

Glitter

Powdered snowSpray glue

Filler




41/70

1 Decidewhatshapeyouwouldlikeyourruinto

have. Cut out the walls twice and glue together

(thefoamboard isdoublethickness).Usecocktail

sticksinthecornerstopinthemtogether.

Cutoutthebasemakingsurethatthereisanedge

all the way around and attach the walls to the

base.

2 Working one wallat a time, roll out some air

dryclayusingapastamachineorusearollingpin

till its about 2mm thick and place it on the foam

board.Markoutthestonesusingacocktailstickor

pressmoldsanddistresswithanoldstiffbrush.

Itdoesntmatteriftheylookdistorted.

Continue till all of the walls are covered and the

endsofthewall. Onthetopofthewallroughup

theclay,tocreatetexture. Let itdry. Iftheclay

crackswhileitisdryingdontworrythiswilladdto

theeffect.

3 Cover the floor in the corner of the ruin and

coverwithclay.

Draw out the flagstones with a cocktail stick and

distress.

Draw some cracks into them, distress with a

paintbrushandleavetodry.

4 Make a rough pile of stones with the airdry

clayandputthembythebrokenwall.

They don't have to be perfect, as they will be

partiallycoveredinpaintandsnow.Letdry.

Method...oject...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...


.1.

.4.

.3.

.2.


42/70




Spread the paste in some areas of the base and

aroundthestones.Usethepastearoundtheedgesof

the foam board to cover all the edges and leave to

dry.

Put some on the top of the wall and in the window

recesses.

6 Using the black and white paint, mix up some

differentshadesofdarkgreyandpaintthewallsand

flagstones.Makesurethatthedarkershadesgo in

betweenthestones.

.5.

.6. .7.

7Takesomewhitepaintanddrybrushthewallsandflagstones. Whenyouaredrybrushingyouonlyhavea

tinyamountofpaintonthebrush.

8Usingthickwhitepaint,paintalltheareaswherethesnowwillbegoing.Usegreeninktogetthestained

effectonthewallsandfloor.Leavetodry.

.8a. .8b.

5MixupsomefillerwithPVAandwatertillyouhaveasmooththickpaste.


43/70

9TaketheSnowTexandapplyitwherethere

isgoingtobesnow.

Build it up more in some areas than others,

paying attention to the top of the walls, the

bottomofthewallsandthesnowinthecorner.

10

Cover

the

flagstones

with

paper

and

spray

withsprayglue.Thensprinklethesnowpowder

overthetop.

Tapoffexcessontopapertoreuse.Sprayagain

andlightlysprinkleglitteron,tiptheoffexcess.

Thensprayforathirdtimesprinkleonthesnow

powderandtipofftheexcess.

Repeat on all areas that have been painted

whiteand

covered

with

Snow

Tex.

11 Spraytheglueintothewindowrecessesat

thebottom.

Repeat the snow building up process. I used

Christmas decorations to recreate mini icicles.

If you are going to put in mini icicles do these

firstbeforeapplyingthesnowpowder.

Yourscene/

setting

is

now

ready

to

use.



.10.

.9.

Wheretobuy:

Snow Texfromgoodartsandcraftstores(Igotminefromourlocalgardencentre)

Powdered Snow Woodland Scenics make this product a lot of miniature railway suppliers stock it or an

equivalent. ThisprojectistobeusedasaguideonlyandIcannottakeresponsibilityforafinisheditem.

.11a. .11b.

ToseemoreofDebiesbeautifulwork,whynotvisitherwebsite:

www.piskiesa ndpoppet s.c omText&PhotographsDebieLyons2010


44/70

WrittenbyAIMmemberVickyGuileandillustrated

withimages

from

AIMs

food

making

members.

Chocolate, I know, is not readily classed as a seasonal food but

thetemptationoflettingaFebruaryissuegobywithoutsomuch

of a sniff of the melt in the mouth food of the gods was

unthinkable. Valentines Day of course sees an influx of luxury

chocolates onto shop shelves in the real world, as does both

Christmas and Easter. In the miniature world however caution

canbethrowntothewindandwecanindulgeoureyesinafeast

ofchoccie

goodness

that

wont

make

an

inch

of

difference

to

our

waistlines,causecavitiesorasugarbuzzthroughouttheyear.

Arla Johnson - IGMA Artisan

www.picturetrail.com/photos/arlamj

Agnes Turpin

www.creationsinminiature.net

Stphanie Kilgast - www.PetitPlat.fr



45/70

t is in South America where

we can find the origins of

chocolate and its thought

that cacao beans have been

harvested there by its native

people for over 3000 years.

Thesebeansofthecacaotree

would

be

made

into

a

drink,

unlike our modern day hot

chocolate this had a strong

bitter taste and was quite

often flavoured with chili

peppers or vanilla. The

fermentation of cacao beans

resulted in an alcoholic drink

and

cacao

was

also

readily

usedasaningredientinmany

dailymeals.

After the fall of the Aztec empire chocolate was

brought back to Europe by the Spanish conquistador

HernanCortsinthe16th

Century. Thebittertastewas

dislikedby

the

European

palate

until

it

was

discovered

that sugar and spices, such as cinnamon, could be

addedforamorepleasanttaste. This initialEuropean

chocolate drink was coveted and enjoyed by only the

wealthy,nobleandroyalthroughoutthecontinent.

Carol Smith - IGMA Artisan

www.etsy.com/shop/STARSGEMINI3



46/70

Within one hundred years

however the popularity of

chocolate had surged and

unfortunately to meet the

demand this resulted in the

e n s l a v e m e n t o f m a n y

Mesoamericansby

the

Spanish

to

work in the fields of the cacao

plantations. Inthe late1600sSir

Hans Sloane, founder of the

British Museum, whilst on a trip

toJamaicafoundthataddingmilk

to the chocolate drink produced

and even more palatable

beverage.

With

a

smoother

flavourthehotchocolatedrinkas

weknowittodaywasborn.

Carol Smith - IGMA Artisan

www.etsy.com/shop/STARSGEMINI3Ernesto Baldini

www.puntosurminiaturas.blogspot.com



47/70

In1657

the

first

chocolate

house

opened

in

London,

England,similartocoffeehouses,thesewereplacesof

socializing,gambling,discussionandofcourse...

drinkingchocolate. Manychocolatehouseswereonly

opentothosewhocouldaffordtopaytheentrancefee

andquiteafewwereonlyopentomen.

Across continental Europe chocolate remained a luxury

enjoyed by the wealthy. Chocolate there would be drunk

from

highly

decorated

and

ornamental cups or bowls, a

symbol of status and wealth

underlinedby the fact thatone

couldaffordtodrinkchocolate.

Kerry Fawcett

www.ellaroseminiatures.com

Maia Bisson

www.maiastwinkleminiatures.com



48/70

1828 saw the patent of a cocoa press by the Dutch

chocolate manufacturer Casparus van Houten. He

discovered that pressing the centre (or nibs) of the

cacao beans and therefore squeezing out the cocoa

butter resulted in a cake that in turn could be

pounded into cocoa powder. This cocoa powder

could then be used to more easily produce drinking

chocolateand

could

also

be

remixed

with

some

of

the

cocoa butter along with sugar to produce chocolate

bars!

English company Fry and Sons pounced on the

deaofsolidplainordarkchocolatebarsin1847,

once

the

patent

for

van

Houtens

Dutch

press

hadexpired,producingwhatisthoughttobethe

first commercially available chocolate bars.

OtherEuropeanchocolatierssuchasDanielPeter

n Switzerland invented milk chocolate. He

found that

a d d i n g

condensed milk

to

the

cocoa

powder formed

s o l i d m i l k

chocolate. Peter

ater went on to

found the Nestl

Company in

partnership with

Henri Nestl,

producer of

condensedmilk.

Sarah Maloney

www.etsy.com/shop/sarahmaloney



49/70

Another Swiss chocolatier, Rodolphe Lindt,

inventedaprocesswherethechocolatemixture

would be processed over 3 days in a grinding

machine. Thisprocess,calledconching,warmed

and folded air into the mixture creating a

smoother blend of chocolate which was also

moreliquid

than

its

rivals.

This

liquid

chocolate

could be poured into moulds whereas

previously the chocolate would have to be

pressedfirmlybyhand.

This new found process led to further growth and

evolution of the chocolate making process throughout

Europe and the restof theworld movingus towards the

standardsandvarietiesofchocolatethatweseetoday.

Text2010VickyGuileNJDMiniatures

www.njdminiatures.blogspot.com

Allphotos2010bytheirrespectiveartisans.

Stphanie Kilgast

www.PetitPlat.fr



50/70



Wouldyouliketomakeaboxofchocolates,asweetshopor

counter? Thenyoumightenjoythisquickwaytomake lots

of1:12th

chocolate

truffles

to

fill

them.

(Plain,MilkandWhitechocolate)

Peppercorns

A pin

Small rolling-pin or glass bottle Craft mat and ceramic tile (to bake on)

Polymer Clay: I have used Fimo Soft:-

White, code 0 Chocolate, code 75

Sahara, code 70 Sunflower, code 16.

1.

Takesome

clay

and

work

it,

roll

it

out.

2. Gently press peppercorns into the clay and then flip them

outwith theendofthepin.Thiswill formthemoulds foryour

truffles.

3. Bake intheoven.Always followthebaking instructionson

thepacket.

4. Worksomechocolateclay (forplainchocolatetruffles)and

pushasmallpieceintoeachchocolateshapeinthemould.Flip

eachchocolate

out

with

the

end

of

the

pin.

5. Forwhitechocolate, Imixatinypieceofyellowandatiny

piece of beige clay with a larger piece of white until I get the

correctmilkyshade.

6. For milk chocolate, I mix some white with the chocolate

colouredclay.

7. Placeyourchocolatesinlinesonyourtileandbake.

Method...

Materials...

Miniature Chocolate Truffles...

Tosee

more

of

Mags

realistic

miniature

food,

why

not

visit

her

website:

ww w.ma gs-nif ic ent .c o.ukText&PhotographsMargaretCassidy 2010


51/70

Hereonthesmall islandofLanzarotethingsareheatingupand Idontmeantheweather. The lastgift

hasbeenunwrapped,the lastChristmastreebaublepackedawayand inmanycountriesthiswouldbea

quiettimeofrecoverybutnothere.

Theshopsarestarting to fillupagain this timewithariotofcoloursand textures.Boltsofshiny lurex,

gauze,andsequinnedmaterialslinethewallsofnormallysedatefabricshops.Tiger,lion,andleopardfurs

can be cut by the metre and a sea of rich colours in velvet, metallics and satin conjur up images of

emperors,pirates

and

clowns.

Dusty

boxes

of

feathers,

buckles,

swords

and

wigs

are

dragged

out

of

storage

and ready to be rummaged through. Shelves of knitting wool are cleared to make way for witch hats,

bonnets,piratehats,wings,andgloves.

IntheshopwindowsfullsizedjewelledTudorcostumesfindthemselvessqueezedinbesideSpidermanand

Cinderella.Hugemaskswithhorrific faceswillhappilysnuggle inbesideWinniethePoohoragiantbaby

outfitcompletewithoversizedbottle

and dummy. Face paint, huge false

eyelashes

and

sparkly

stickon

nails

suddenly appear on the chemist

countersamongstthecoldcures.

And amongst all this is the

excitement of the preparation.

Elderly ladiesstand in linewaitingto

buy stately Regency wigs, teenage

boys can be seen comparing colours

of fishnets tights and feather boas

and more than once the local bank

manager has been spotted trying on

a large lace bra and stiletto shoes.

Thereisabuzzintheairaseveryone

hunts down that perfect costume

and in the evenings when you walk

through the small capital you can

hear

groups

of

Murga

singers

practising their cheeky songs for the

competitionsandparades.

Introductionby

AIM

Member,

Janine

Crocker

ByJanineCrockerOfMissAmeliasMiniatures...



52/70

Allaroundthe islandonsmallpiecesof

wasteland a selection of rundown

vehicles are undergoing a

transformationan old school bus

becomestheTitanicshipcompletewith

mast and prowa small Toyota van

becomes Cinderellas glittering gold

coachthe lorry that last week was

taking goats to the market will shortly

be unveiled as a mobile Sultans palace

with brocade cushions, chiffon curtains

anduma full bar onboard!

Supermarket trolleys become prized

treasures ready for conversion to a

babyscotorasmallspaceship.

This is a celebration that involves

everyone in the community and infects

both tourists and locals alike with the

creativity and imagination that it goes

into it. The program lasts a full two

weeks with competitions for the best

costumes,

The

Carnival

queen,

Drag

queen, Child queen; parties and

concerts; and of course the huge

procession through the streets of

Arrecife which continues on into the

night and is then repeated each

weekend in various towns around the

island. Not for the fainthearted but

enjoyed

by

locals

and

tourists

alike,

whetherfromtheterraceofasmallbar

orrightinthemidstoftheprocessionin

fullcostume.

I have always been fascinated by the

Carnival celebrations around the world.

The magnificent, regal costumes of

Venice with their slightly spooky masks

havealwaysbeenoneofmyfavourites.

ByViolaWilliams

By

Mary

Williams

Antoinette...


53/70

ByElisaFenoglo


54/70


NewOrleansandRiodeJaneiroeach

have their own magic and must be

breathtaking to experience in

person. I believe that there are

wonderful Carnival celebrations in

parts of India, Greece, Austria and

many other countries around the

world, each with its own traditions

andthemes.

Buthiddenawayona little island in

a corner of the Atlantic, just off

Africawehaveaball!

Janine Crocker

CandyFlossByGilles&MurielRoche

BySandraMorris

CarnivalMaskByMargaretPitts


55/70

ElisaFenoglo

www.elisafenoglio.it

Gilles&MurielRocheofLeCoffredEmilie

www.miniaturespoupeesemilie.eu

www.lecoffredemilie.blogspot.com

JanineCrockerofMissAmeliasMiniatures:

www.missameliasminiatures.com

JulieDewarofWestwindMiniatures:http://picasaweb.google.com/westwindsminiatures

MargaretPittstheMiniMilliner

www.minimilliner.co.uk

MaryWilliams

of

MaryWilliamsDollsHouseDolls

www.dollshousedolls.co.uk

SandraMorrisofDiminutiveDolls

Www.diminutivedolls.co.uk

ViolaWilliams

www.violasdolls.com

Introductiontext

Janine

Crocker

2010

Photographbelongstotheindividualartisans

ascredited.

CarnivalMasks

ByJulieDewar

CarnivalMasksByJulieDewar

ByJanineCrocker

Of

MissAmelias

Miniatures...



56/70

Historyof...Knitted Fishing

GanseysByAIMMember,FrancesPowell

Invernessgansey

This article takes a brief look at the history behind

theoriginsoftheFishingGansey(sometimesknown

asaFishermansshirt).

Fishingganseyswereoncecommonsightsinanysea

portaroundtheBritishIslesandNorthSeacoasts,butsadlymanypatternswerelost(alongwiththe

fishingfleets)intheearly20thCentury.Commonly,patternswerenotcommittedtopaperandwere

passedonfromgenerationtogenerationbyobservationallearning.

Each region (and some towns) of the British Isles has distinctive patterning on the gansey. Within

thesepatternsfurtheruniquevillageandfamilyvariationsaresodistinctivethatifthefishermanwas

unluckyenoughtobeshipwrecked,hisbodywheneventuallywashedashorecouldbe identifiedby

theganseyallowingthefishermanscorpsetobereturnedtohisfamilyforburial.(Althoughnotfor

thesqueamish,the ideawasthattheknittedganseycouldsurvivebetter inthewaterthanhuman

remainsandwasoftentheonlydistinguishingfeatureremaining)

Theearliestganseyswerecompletelyhandmadefromlocalsheepswoolandwereoftendyedwith

Indigo (although some of the Scottish fishing fleets preferred natural white or black). Most

fishermensganseys

today

are

believed

to

be

the

descendants

of

early

shirts,

which

were

first

knitted

in the Channel Islands and exported during Tudor times, hence the word gansey which was a

corruptionofGuernsey.Ourword Jerseyhasasimilarorigin inasimple fishermansshirt fromthe

ChannelIslands,althoughitnowmeansaknittedjumperorsweater.

Theseganseyswereknittedintheroundworkingfromthebottomupanddownthesleevesfromthe

shoulder.Thislengthenedthelifeofthegarment,aswhenthecuffsofthesleevesworeoutitwasa

fairlysimplejobtounpickandreknitthedamagedparts.Thegarmentswereknittedwithoutseams,

althoughunderarmgussetscouldbeaddedtogiveextrawidth.Fishermenoftenowned3ganseys

(oneforsea,oneforshoreandoneforbest)ascanoftenbeseeninoldphotos.



57/70

The areas across the chest and upper arms were often intricately patterned, this served two

purposes:themainbeingtokeepthefishermanwarm,asthepatternedareaproducedathicker

texture;thesecondgavetheknitterchancetouselocalpatterns.Itwasoftencustomarytoknita

mistake intothepatterntodistinguishonegansey fromanother,especially iftherewasmore

thanone

man

in

the

family.

Patterns

related

to

the

sea

and

boats

such

as

ropes,

pennants,

sheets

(sails),ladders,anchorsandcableswerethemostfavouredandstillremainpopulartoday.

To knit a full sized

adult gansey usually

takes about six weeks

and they were always

made by hand, even

after the advent of

machines. The knitting

is made with 45

needles in the round

using 3 or 5ply

worsted wool. The

ganseys were knitted

very

tightly

to

make

them weatherproof

and hopefully water

proof. Indigo dye was

usedasthedyedidnotrunwhentheganseygotwet,Indigoasadyewasdifficulttouseasitis

not soluble in water, when removed from the dye bath and dried the dye again becomes

insoluble. (In very early days Indigo was obtained from Woad, which also has mothproofing

characteristicsveryusefulwhenworkingwithwool!LaterIndigowasimportedfromIndia.)

Togetthemostbenefitfromthegansey itwaswornnexttotheskinwithnoundergarmentor

shirt (again thismadesense,aswool retains its insulating propertiesevenwhenwet,whereas

cottondoesnt).Howeverasilkscarfwassometimeswornatthenecktopreventchafing.

Frances


Tosee

more

of

Frances

fabulous

miniature

knitting,

why

not

visit

her

website:

www.buttercupminiatures.co.uk

Text&PhotographsFrancesPowell 2010


58/70

Miniature FASHION...

Photo1:(above)

WinterwhitevelvetaccessoriesbyKathiMendenhall.

Stolelinedwithmintgreensatin.Matchingclochehatandmuff

withcharminghollydetails.Allfordisplayin12th

scalescene.

Make it in your choice of fabric from La Petite Belle pattern

2011 $5.00+p/pwww.minipatterns.com

Photo2&3 ModernwinteroutfitbyKathiMendenhall

Make

this

suit

jacket,

pants,

shoes

and

sweater

and tam in a variety of fabrics and colours.

Very easy production for a contemporary

winter wardrobe. Handbag instructions

included. Make the turtleneck sweater from

yourownsweaterknits.

Noknittinginstructions.Beltincluded.

LaPetiteBellePattern4006 $7.00+p/p

www.minipatterns.comPhoto 4: Cable Jacket by Helena

Bleeker

A beautiful short jacket for a lady

doll

VenneColcottonMulticolour83000.

LinenWhite77007.

Pattern3.25 +p/p.

Venne

Colcoton

1.80

+

p/p

per

Reel.

www.helena-petitefashions.co.uk

WINTER

FASHION


.1.

.2.

.3.

.4.


59/70


Photo5: Aselectionofunique12thscale

knitting patterns and top quality yarns

from Buttercup Miniatures. A pattern

design

service

is

also

available.

Photo

6:

asfor5www.buttercupminiatures.co.ukPhoto 7: Faux leather outfit by Pauline

Everett

Creamfauxleather jacketwithdecorative

stitching and black fur trim. Matching

bootsandhatcomplete thissmartcasual

combination

Photo8:Assortmentofglovedesignsby

KathiMendenhall.

LaPetitBellePatternno1013$3.00+p/pwww.minipatterns.com

.5..6.

.7.


60/70

Photo9:VirginiabyHelenaBleeker

Easysweatertoknitandtimelesswithacolourchange

fromthe1940tonow,fromdrabgreystobrightcolours.

VennecolcotonMulticolour 84009andasmallamount

ofRed.

Pattern3.25+ p/p.VenneColcoton1.80+ p/pper

Reel.

www.helena-petitefashions.co.ukPhoto10:GracebyHelenaBleeker

ElegantDressandCapeforaLadyDoll,thisisa

patternforexperiencedknitters.

VenneColcoton34/2colours77099Blackand77001

White.

Pattern3.25+p/p.VenneColcoton1.80+p/pper

Reel. www.helena-petitefashions.co.uk

Photo11:Luxury1920sFurcoatbyMissAmelia

Fulllengthsilkvelvetcoatwithgoldsilklining and

swirlclaspfordisplay.www.missameliasminiatures.com

.9.

.10.

.11.


61/70


Photo12:OriginalDesignDollshouseBearsby

JosephineParnell

Lady Sprout models an ankle length chocolate

woolcapewithsumptuoussilvercollar.

Ajauntyolivefelthatcompletesheroutfit

www.dollshousebears.free-online.co.ukPhoto13:OriginalDesignDollshouseBearsby

JosephineParnell.

Lady Marmalade models a stunning velveteen

animal print dress with buff fur trim and a

magnificent

hat

with

sweeping

feather.

Handbagismodelsown.

Lord Armstrong sports a dashing wool suit of

cherryredandskyblueonacreambackground

over a cherry red waistcoat and matching

tartancap.www.dollshousebears.free-online.co.uk

.12.

.13.

Photographbelongsto

theindividualartisans

ascredited.


62/70


Materials needed...

Mini Makes!Ihopeyouallhada fantasticChristmasandHappyNewYear toyouall.

The theme for Mini Aimers this month, as its February already,

willbeValentinesDay!!!

UsingtheFREEpintablesontheoppositepageyouwillbeableto

make your own miniature Valentines Day cards, decorate boxes

andyourownminiaturesusingtheheartsandwords.

MiniMakesforthismonthinclude:

HeartShapedCookies

(foraplateorbox)

Acookiebox

ValentineHeartLollipops

Mini Makes...

Heart Shaped Buttons ( mixed)

PVA Glue

White/Cream/Pink paint

Nail decorations (if you have them)

Tissue Paper/fancy paper

A small box

Cocktail Sticks (useful for applying glue

to small areas)

Paper

Wire (paper covered wire if you have it)

Heart shaped beads

Glitter

Miniature plate

Clear Nail Varnish

By

AIM

Member,

Debie

Lyons


63/70


InstructionsPlease read carefully before you begin!Firstly,printoffyourFREEpintablesongoodqualitypaperorthincard. Youcansealsome

oftheheartsandwordswithclearnailvarnish(thisalsomakesthingslookglossy).

There are two ways to make your buttons look like

frosted/icedcookies.

Paint the tops of the buttons or use PVA glue with

tissuepaperorawhitefineglitteron.

Step1:

Cover

top

of

button

with

glue

and

let

dry,

making sure the holes are filled in. When PVA is dry

paint the top of the cookie the colour ofyour choice

anddecorate(Naildecorationsaregoodforthis).

Step2: Arrangesomeofyourcookiesonaminiature

plateifyouhaveoneoralittletray.

Cookies...

Step1:Paintyourbox

the colour of your

choiceinsideandout.

Letpaintdry.

Step2:LeaveyourboxplainordecorateitusingyourFREEpintables

Step3:

Put

some

tissue

paper

or

fancy

paper

in

your

box.

aim mag february 2010

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