aim mag issue 22 april 2010

Regular Features… 5 Editor’s Note: Read Bea Broadwood’s introduction & welcome to this month’s fabulous edition of the Artisans In Miniature FREE ‘downloadable’ magazine! 17 Blog Of The Month: This month we take a closer look at AIM member Mags Cassidy’s wonderful blog. 36 Fashion Gallery: French Dressing AIM members showcase their most feminine miniature undergarments and boudoir fashions. 42 Diary Of An Edwardian Dollshouse: Don’t miss the 3rd instalment of Julie Campbell’s fascinating miniature dolls house adventure! 45 Aunt Anastasia: If you have a miniature dilemma , then why not write to our very own agony aunt for her well considered advice? 53 *New Feature* The Tool Junkie: AIM member Mel Koplin introduces his new regular column. 60 Getting To Know You: Get to know more about AIM member Ernesto Baldini. 64 In Season This Month: Welcome to the next instalment of this popular ‘miniature food’ feature. This month Vicky

Guile and her fellow AIM food artisans take a closer look at delicious ‘Seafood’. 72 Boudoir Bliss: AIM members come together to celebrate their miniature interpretation of ‘bedroom chic’. 82 Through The Keyhole: Ever wondered what it would be like to be able to have a closer look at the working environments of AIM members? This month we take a peek at the work space of food artisan: Mo Tipton. 88 Mini Aimers: A Secret Garden Project for the artisans of the future. Written by Debie Lyons

94 The Miniature Grapevine: Catch up on all the latest news and announcements from the international miniature world.

Artisans In Miniature 2

Contents…Contents… April 2010: Issue No 22, Cover Image: Janine Crocker

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21

60

6 Cover Story: Fashion & Frivolities: AIM member Janine Crocker of Miss Amelia’s Miniatures tells us more about her beautiful miniature creations. 14 The Dolls House Bedding Co: We take a closer look at the stunning bedding created by AIM member Christina Berry. 18 The Language Of Fans: AIM member Maia Bisson lifts the lid on the coded language of these beautiful accessories. 21 The Art Of Illusion: Food artisan Philippa Todd gives us a taste of how polymer clay can be used to create stunningly realistic bedding. 24 Mad About Hats: AIM members get together to celebrate the best in beautiful miniature headwear. 26 Cross Over Crafts: Ever wondered what AIM artisans get up to in their spare time? This month Helen Woods reveals her fascinating (non miniature) hobby. 32 Modern Living: Christa Chayata lets us into her wonderfully modern contemporary bedroom; made using only the most miniature of budgets. 48 *New Feature* The Knitting Basket: Read the 1st instalment of Frances Powell’s fascinating new series. 63 The Book Corner: Each month read Louise Win’s reviews of ‘miniature related books’ that you may want to add to your own book shelves. 91 Show Report: Read Julie & Brian Dewar’s show report from ‘Willowdale’.

Free Projects… 22 1:12th - Undergarments: AIM member Kathi Mendenhall shares her delightful project to create some 20th century miniature underwear. 50 1:24th - Cat Tutorial: Doll Artisan Nicky Cooper shares her wonderful tutorial for sculpting this ever popular family pet. 56 1:12th - Low Bed: Author & AIM member Jane Harrop shares her stunningly realistic tutorial for a traditional wooden framed bed. 58 1:12th - Ladies Camisole Top: Frances Powell has the perfect pattern to create a beautiful miniature camisole. 70 1:12th - Blinis & Caviar: Top food artisan Vicky Guile kindly shares her delightful project to create this luxurious miniature delicacy. 80 1:12th - A Simple Basket: Why not have a go at Jane Squire’s easy to follow project. 84 The Green Hedgehog: Louise Win brings us the 2nd instalment of her new project column. 92 1:48th - Faux Flowery Iron Bed: Shelly Norris teaches just how to transform a simple quarter scale bed frame.

Features…

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Artisans In Miniature ?


CLICK…on Artisans In Miniature

How did you find the Online Magazine??

Did you follow a link? Did a miniature friend tell you about it?

...and do you already know about the Artisans In Miniature Website, and the talented members who have all helped create this Online magazine.?

If not, copy, paste and CLICK now – www.artisansinminiatures.com and come and meet us all. Founded in 2007 by Bea (Fiona) Broadwood of Petite Properties, the website 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. Since its launch the AIM association has rapidly grown and now boasts membership of well over 200 professional artisans, including some of the most talented 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 members who are not yet included on the site... If you are a professional artisan who is interested in joining the association, you will find all the information there..... If you are wondering what Fairs may be on in your area – that information is there too… We have lots of links…to Fairs and Events Organizers…Magazines…Online Miniature clubs….Historical reference sites…..Workshops…and more… it’s all there!

If you’d like to contact us, copy, paste and CLICK... we’d love to hear from you!

www.artisansinminiature.com

Editor’s Note...

The AIM Magazine’s Editorial Team:

Bea Broadwood office@[email protected]

Debie Lyons [email protected]

Janine Crocker [email protected]

Julie Campbell [email protected]

Margaret Cassidy [email protected]

Mary Williams [email protected]

Vicky Guile [email protected]

Please note

AIM is an active association to which all AIM

members contribute …

Formatted By Bea Broadwood & Vicky Guile

Dear Reader Once again it is my great please to be able to

welcome you to the latest edition of the AIM

magazine.

This month AIM members have been truly inspired by

‘all things girlie’ and this issue’s 98 pages have been

filled to the brim with hats, underwear, bedrooms and

boudoirs; all in miniature of course!

I must confess that I am not particularly a ‘girlie girl’…

Most days I can be found make up less, sporting hair

that at best resembles a bird nest and wearing paint

splattered old clothes, which are far from chic.

However despite being a defiant stranger to fashion,

after taking a sneaky peak at this very ‘feminine’

issue, I must confess that I found my self reaching for

my lip gloss and comb!

So if you are looking for inspiration for a bedroom

scene, or you have a doll in desperate need of

underwear - look no further - The AIM magazine has

something for every miniature lady and her boudoir!!

Bea

Editor (& General whip cracker) April 2010 www.petite-properties.com Artisans In Miniature 5

YÜ|äÉÄ|à|xáAAA FASHION &FASHION &


By AIM Member Janine Crocker of Miss Amelia’s Miniatures...

I always loved dolls and ‘playing

house’ as a child and my sister and

I spent hours playing with small

pieces of furniture that my

grandfather and father made for

us, but it wasn’t until just before

my 40th birthday that I came

across a tiny pestle and mortar on

the Internet and I was hooked.

I decided then that I would like to

create, decorate and furnish a

dolls house of my own. My

daughter Amelia was 6 at the time

and with my sons at 4 years and 2

months old I can’t imagine what I

was thinking of.


There was no room to construct a full size 12th scale house and so the kit remained in the box for the next

four years while in the meantime I began to plan the furnishings and decor room by room and to

experiment with the effects that I wanted to create.

I soon became fascinated by miniature millinery. I started out by making and decorating basic hats but the

more involved I became in

researching designs from

different periods the more

determined I was to learn to

use original techniques and

skills and convert them to

miniature. My aim has stayed

the same: I don’t want to make

dolls hats, I want to make ladies

hats… in miniature.

I spend a lot of time looking

through books of millinery

through the ages and the

internet is a mine of

information for costume

sources and inspiration. Hats

have made statements

throughout history and I’m

intrigued by the way their fashions have often reflected the trends in society and politics. Just about every

fabric and trim imaginable have been used in their creation over the centuries and I don’t suppose I will

ever run out of ideas.

A selection of 1:12th scale hats...

(Above) A Victorian toque.....

(Below) Black tulle & chiffon Edwardian hat... (Below) Chiffon & Silk

Parasol...

I only use top quality fabrics, sourcing unusual pieces of trim and fabrics from all over the world. I can’t

resist a piece of antique French lace or a length of vintage trim from a long forgotten selection of

haberdashery. My hats are carefully lined and finished and each one has a Miss Amelia label or mark inside

the crown

When I first opened my website I would sell a design ‘to order’ but I very quickly realised that trying to

recreate the same piece over and over became a chore and decided that only by limiting myself to ‘one of

a kind’ pieces would I really stretch myself and my imagination. Of course one of the things we strive for as

miniaturists is to make our work as lifelike as possible and I am secretly thrilled when people mistake my

hats for the full size version.

Customising furniture is another passion of mine. I love to take a piece of mass produced dollshouse

furniture and turn it into a unique piece that could be the focal point of any miniature scene. From the

cheapest Ebay bargain to a hand crafted piece of furniture there is a real satisfaction in seeing the finished

article ‘dressed’ and totally unrecognisable from the original.

A basic piece of dollshouse furniture converted into a Victorian daybed... Artisans In Miniature 9

I prefer to work in 12th scale

because I love the detail and

having got used to that scale I can

‘see’ it without having to

constantly convert measurements.

From time to time though I dabble

in smaller scales as I am fascinated

by 1/48 scale, but find it tiring after

a while so limit the amount of

pieces I make in a year.

Living on such a remote island as

Lanzarote I feel very fortunate to be

able to reach worldwide collectors

via the internet. Many of my

customers have become firm

friends and many of the friends that

I have made through various

miniatures groups have been an

endless source of help and support. I would love to be able to attend fairs once my children are a little

older, not only to experience the thrill of meeting my customers but also to get the chance to put faces

to the names of the artisans who have become friends over the years.

Cover photo: Some years back I received an request from a lady in Singapore for a vanity unit and hat

set to include in her very first room box. Once we started discussing her project her enthusiasm was

infectious and before long emails were flying backwards and forwards buzzing with ideas. The simple

room box became a

two level bedroom

and sitting room; the

dressing table would

have a matching

chaise longue and

dressing screen; an

elegant sofa and chairs

would need to be up-

holstered in the ex-

act shade of seafoam

silk to match the tiny

stripes in the wallpa-

per. Samples were

sent and received and

minds were changed

in a way that only us

girls can understand.

A selection of 1:24th scale hats...

The most exciting item that we discussed was to be a huge armoire brimming with

goodies; dresses, hats, jewellery and shoes as well as all those little frivolities that a lady

just must have.

Unable to find a wardrobe that met our requirements I called on a friend in the UK,

craftsman David Brown, and sent him sketches of the idea that we had. He excelled himself and created

an exquisite piece of furniture which I was then able to fill.

The room box project took a year, and over 462 emails, to complete and we were all delighted with the

final results. In addition I learned many new techniques along the way, and best of all, gained a new friend

whose enthusiasm for her hobby was contagious.

The dressed armoire....



Last year, at the request of two favourite customers, I

decided to try my hand at costuming and have dressed

several porcelain mannequins in styles that range from

Bridal to Carnival, Mourning to Ballgowns. Most of these

pieces have been made on commission only. I love to find

original dresses from the late 19th century and reproduce

them in 12th scale and am constantly on the lookout for

suitable fabrics.

Steampunk Hats… I am constantly learning and

improving my work and am always

on the lookout for new designs or

styles to recreate in miniature.

Most recently I have become

interested in Steampunk also

known as Neo Victorian fashion

which combines my love of all

things Victorian with touches of

‘mad scientist’ style technology.

It has been great fun researching

and hunting down suitable

trimmings and elaborating hats and

accessories.

& finally... And finally last year I managed to

start work on my own dolls house

which is something I am taking so

much pleasure from. I am certainly

not rushing but bit by bit it’s

starting to come together. Who

knows, I might want another one

for my fiftieth birthday…

Inspired by a Worth gown 1882....

Artisans In Miniature 13 Text & Images © Janine Crocker 2010

Why not find out more about Janine’s beautiful work by

visiting her website:

www.missameliasminiatures.com


THE DOLLS HOUSE BEDDING COTHE DOLLS HOUSE BEDDING CO

II By AIM Member, Christina Berry.

have always enjoyed sewing and I trained to make bespoke garments in a workroom in London’s West

End.

I started making miniatures about ten years ago when a friend asked me to make some bedclothes for her

dolls house.

Although there were artisans who dressed beds my friend hadn’t been able to find individual mattresses,

eiderdowns and blankets so that she could put together her own look.

I enjoyed making the tiny bedding and I hoped that other collectors might be interested in individual items

so I went ahead and booked my first fair at Shuttleworth in Hertfordshire.

Rather stupidly I took the standard modern day bed measurements, divided them by twelve and produced

my first range of bedding. It wasn’t until a few fairs down the line when people started bringing in their

beds for me to measure that I realised how little standardisation there is in miniature bed sizes. Of necessity

I began to make-to-measure and that is still the way I work today.

Early on I assumed that there would be plenty of source material to help with the design process. In reality

very little ordinary domestic bedding has survived. Most of it was very well used, turned sides to middle and

then thrown away.

I take a notebook to any art gallery, museum or country house that I visit and I’m always on the look-out for

bedding detail. Re-runs of Upstairs Downstairs have proved to be a surprisingly good source of ideas for ser-

vants bedding!


Colour is a very important element in my work. A good colour choice can easily evoke the mood of an era. I

make a 1940’s eiderdown in a particular shade of dark green silk and many people have stopped at my stand

at fairs to tell me that their grandparents had one exactly like it. Lilac is 1950 and turquoise will always be

1980.

When I first started to make miniatures the Victorian period was far and away the most popular. Since then

things have broadened out quite a bit reflecting the wonderful variety of dolls houses and furniture that is

being produced. My range now includes everything from Tudor bed hangings to duvets.

My own choice of bedding is strictly traditional and when I snuggle down to sleep it’s under ivory coloured

percale and satin edged blankets.

I usually show my work at Kensington Dollshouse Festival and Miniatura and although I’ve had to miss

several shows lately I’m hoping to be exhibiting

again later this year.

Text & Images © Christina Berry 2010


If you would like to see more of

Christina’s stunning miniature

bedding, why not visit her website:

www.thedollshousebeddingco.co.uk

Look out for a wonderful project written by Christine in next month’s issue of the

AIM magazine…!


By AIM Member Debie Lyons This month we will be looking at the blog of AIM artisan

Mags Cassidy of Mags-nificent Miniatures.

www.mags-nificentminiatures.blogspot.com

Mags started a blog, at first, to make contact with other

Miniaturist's and Makers for some light-hearted fun and

chat. She has been blogging for a whole year and now her

blog has amassed 186 followers to date.

When you visit Mags blog also take the time to read back over past posts and look at her beautiful miniature food.

She also gives feedback about shows she has attended and at Christmas she delighted us with a Christmas cake

giveaway. When Mags was asked what she like about blogging she replied, ‘I love the feed back when I make

something - it helps to know which things people love most when making stock to take to fairs.’

Mags has found that the friendship has been amazing - if anyone is having a bad time, everyone will give messages

of support and send good wishes. She also finds blogging and keeping a blog much quicker and easier than

updating her website (which she is very happy with). Mags said ‘If I want to show fair stock quickly before a fair, it

is quick to load the photographs’. For Mags, blogging is definitely helpful in getting your minis out there - at

Miniatura, quite a few people came looking for her because they had seen items they liked, on the blog. Mags was

asked what her favourite widget was she replied, ‘My favourite widget is photos because, as I have already said, it

is so quick and simple to do!’

Take the time to visit Mag’s blog you will find it visually

vibrant and easy to read.

www.mags-nificentminiatures.blogspot.com www.magsnificentminis.etsy.com

www.mags-nificent.co.uk Artisans In Miniature 17


FANSFANS By AIM Member, Maia Bisson

The Fan: A truly versatile accessory For several centuries the fan was an essential fashion accessory for ladies. It reached its production peak

between 1700 and 1905.

It is fascinating to see how multifaceted this beautiful item has been.

In addition to being an ornament or a means for creating a breeze when it’s warm, the fan has had many

interesting and fun uses. Here are some which might inspire a miniature scene or story:

The Language of...

The fan was part of a bride’s trousseau or received as a wedding present,

treasured and safely kept.

It was used to commemorate a country’s special event or to celebrate an important happening, such as an exhibition, and was handed out as a souvenir.

The fan helped preserve modesty. In church, it hid a lady’s face while she was

praying. Some fans had holes in them and could be used as masks so as to not be recognized!

In later years they were an original and different way of advertising a business, such as a restaurant.

A fan is a toy.

And of course, it is also an instrument for flirtation and a means of communication and of expression.

During periods when men and women weren’t allowed to communicate openly, the fan had its own special

language by which they could speak to each other. It would have been very important to be able to

understand silent messages conveyed with the fan.

Here are a few examples of this lost language:

If the fan was open and hid the eyes it meant: “I love you.”

If the fan was closed and touched the right eye the message was: “When will I see you?”

When the fan was drawn across the eyes the person was saying: “I’m sorry.” Artisans In Miniature 19

To drop the fan meant: “We will only be friends.”

Holding the fan in the left hand and giving it a twirl sent the important message:

“Someone is watching us.” If the woman was fanning herself in a slow way it meant: “I’m married.”

A fan resting on the right cheek was a: “Yes.” A fan resting on the left cheek was a: “No.”

So, pay close attention next time you see someone with a fan, who knows, they may be revealing a secret!

To see more of Maia’s fabulous miniatures why not visit her website:

www.maiastwinkleminiatures.com Or her blog: http://maiastwinkleminiatures.blogspot.com

Photographs & Text © Maia Bisson


Polymer clay has more applications than just making food. The realistic folds and drapes in

these beds were created by backing the material with polymer clay. Liquid polymer clay is

used as a "glue" to hold the fabric to the clay and once baked the bond will be permanent.

Quilting lines, crumples and indentations (such as for the snoozing cat) can be impressed

into the duvet prior to baking. Draping the bed linen over a sleeping doll can be made to

look very realistic with this technique.

Soft folds can be put into tablecloths and curtains by using the same method. The

tablecloth and bed linen are baked in situ on the table or bed. There are limitations to this

technique, silks and very fine fabrics are not suitable and I learnt the

hard way that French polish cannot be baked!

Philippa Todd

IGMA Artisan

The Art of The Art of Illusion...

By AIM Member Philippa Todd

www.toddtoysandminiatures.com

Text & Photographs © Philippa Todd 2010

Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...



By AIM Member, Kathi Mendenhall.

7"-8" 1 1/2" lace edging or embroidered edging

About 12" 2mm or 4mm silk ribbon Thread to match

Glue

The Camisole 1. Centre up the design portion you like best and trim away about 3 1/2".

2. From the centre measure 3/4" on either side and either take a dart about 3/4" deep or sew a seam down

the line. (the lace has a dart, it is under the arm)

3. Hem 1/8" along the bottom of the cotton for a nice finish. (The lace is left alone)

4. Hem each side back about 1/8" and join by overlapping and gluing in place.

5. Cut 2 pieces of silk ribbon 1 1/2". Glue strap to inside about 3/8" from either side of the centre. Do the

same to the back.

6. These pieces will fit a doll. If fitting the doll, fit the camisole on, close the back, and then adjust the straps

accordingly.

7. The lace camisole is gathered at the waist with a tied ribbon for the drawstring.

For The 20th Century...

Undergarments...

Directions...

Supplies..




To view more of Kathi’s fabulous miniatures, why not visit her website; ‘La Petite Belle Patterns’

www.minipatterns.com

Text & Photographs © Kathi Mendenhall 2010

The Tap Pants 1. From the remainder of the lace or edged trim,

again centering the design, cut away two pieces

that are about 2 1/4". (The edges Swiss scallops

were each 1" wide, so the rise in the scallop is

the side "seam".)

2. Mark each cut edge about 1/4" from the

bottom edge.

3. Join the two pieces at the cut edge from the top to the marked spot. This is the front seam.

4. If you need to clean finish (hem) the top edge of lace or edging, glue about 1/8"

5. With wrong sides together sew or glue the leg openings together. Turn right side out and fit to doll.

Close the back seam. If not on a figure, close the back seam as well.

6. Sew a gathering thread along the waistline and gather to fit, or to the look desired.

7. The embroidered Swiss has a small bow on the front to simulate a ribbon drawstring. The lace pants

have a piece of ribbon with a knot tied, glue and the streamers pressed or glued down.

Crafts...Cross OverCross Over


A Stitch in Time... One of my earliest memories from childhood is of going to the local College of Further Education with my

Mother. She went to dressmaking and tailoring classes and I was sat under the edge of the table whilst

she learnt. It wasn’t long before I wanted my own material, needle and thread, and I can remember the

ladies threading needles for me and making big, big stitches. It was the start of a life long passion for

anything involving needles and threads.

My Mother, Aunt and Grandmother were all embroiderer’s and it wasn’t surprising that this is where my

interests developed, after all the threads where

bright and enticing, much more

exciting for an inquisitive child than

dressmaking material fabric and thread and machines that must not be touched!

Over the years I have tried most kinds of embroidery, not always with resounding success, but always

with same pure enjoyment of creating something that has an intrinsic beauty from the simplest of

‘ingredients’. I would say that my favourite types of embroidery are threadpainting, blackwork and

stumpwork, which is a type of raised embroidery popular in the 18th Century and enjoying a revival in the

last twenty years. In full size embroidery stumpwork probably challenges me the most and gives me the

most satisfaction on completion, blackwork is the most relaxing and threadpainting along with tapestry

(needlepoint) have been the easiest to adapt to miniature scales.

In miniature embroidery and knitting, which is my other passion, it is the reproduction of scale that

makes or breaks a piece of work. Technically a piece can be perfect but unless the scale is correct it sim-

ply does not work. Everything has to be adapted, the fineness of the fabric, thread and needles, the size

of the stitches and the density/strength of the colours used has to be changed from the full size equiva-

lent example. But, having said that, it is simply a matter of practice, trial and error and experience to

achieve a satisfactory and accomplished piece of work.

TT he world of miniatures is certainly a diverse one and it is easy to see that the hobby incorporates so many different craft areas, techniques and artistic pursuits

Here at AIM our members are a very talented bunch and despite leading the field in the world of professional miniatures, many of them also enjoy a number of ‘full size’ crafts and hobbies

So we thought it would be interesting to find out more about our member’s ‘extra curricular’ crafting activities and ask whether their hobbies are a source of inspiration for their miniature work or simply time to relax.

AIM member Helen wood is well known in the miniature world for her stunning miniature knitting, but what isn’t so well know is that she is also incredibly accomplished and passionate about ‘full size’ embroidery...



They are all learnt skills; they require no particular form of genius or

magical inspiration. When I now look back at my early pieces of miniature

work, and of which I was so proud at the time, I cringe. But that also helps

me to see the path I have travelled and what I have learnt along the way.

‘Inspiration’ and where does it come from?... Which brings me the point of ‘inspiration’ and where does it come from?

The inspiration for particular pieces comes from all around, both historical

and contemporary – art works, books, magazines, old patterns, museums,

nature, the list is endless. Two things I find particularly intriguing in full

size and really want to master in miniature are stumpwork techniques and

embroidered historically correct clothing/costumes. Why do I want to

master them? Because of the challenges they present, finding the

necessary materials to be able to reproduce them in scale, their

complexity of construction using traditional techniques and achieving a

realistic effect at the end of the process. I would love to make the coat, in

miniature, which is the focal point of Beatrix Potter’s book ‘The Tailor of

Gloucester’, complete with working buttons and buttonholes.

Artisans In Miniature 62 Artisans In Miniature 29

People often ask is miniature em-

broidery hard to do? The answer is

no, but it does require some basic

skills in embroidery, which are easily

learnt and there are many excellent

books to learn them from, as well as

websites, classes and people. Even

the most basic of stitches can be,

and are, used to great effect in

miniature.

Other pre-requisites are patience,

time, good light and great

magnification. Tricks of the trade?

None, except an open mind, throw

out the full size rule book, there is no right or wrong way to do it, it is simply a case of whatever creates the

desired effect. The only rule I have is that of matching the fineness of the fabric, needle and thread – the

finer the fabric the finer the needle and thread have to be.

On the following page I have included a bibliography of useful books and magazines, which should help those

wanting to try miniature or full size embroidery. There are also many suppliers of kits or needlepoint charts

for miniaturists, both online and by mail order. These can e found in the

advertisement section in Miniature magazines, which also often have patterns

for embroidery in them.

Stumpwork - Dragon Fly & Flowers...

Stumpwork - Fuchsias & Humming Bird..

Bibliography Miniature: Dolls House DIY Carpets and Rugs Sue Hawkins David & Charles (2003)

Dolls House DIY Embroidered Projects Sue Hawkins David & Charles (2005)

Dolls House Needlecrafts Venus Dodge David & Charles (1995)

Miniature Embroidery for the Georgian Pamela Warner GMC (1999)

Dolls House

Needlepoint 1/12th Scale Felicity Price GMC (2000)

Transitional: Embroidered Knot Gardens Owen Davies Batsford (2006)

Small Scale Embroidery Brenda Keyes David & Charles (2003)

Full Size and Technique:

Old Books (Available Libraries or second hand bookshops) Encyclopedia of Needlework Th. de Dillmont DMC

Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches Mary Thomas Hodder & Staughton

Beeton’s Book of Neddework Isabella Beeton Chancellor Press

Contemporary... Decorative Victorian Needlework Elizabeth Bradley Ebury Press (1990)

The Embroiderer’s Garden Thomasina Beck Milner Publishing (1990)

The Embroiderer’s Flowers Thomasina Beck David & Charles (1992)

New Designs in Raised Embroidery Barbara & Roy Hirst Merhurst (1997)

Contemporary Raised Embroidery Shelley Warner Margaret Barrett (1997)

Painting with Thread Kit Nicol Collins & Brown (2000)

An Elizabethan Christmas Sheila Marshall Georgeson Publishing (2000)

Elizabethan Needlework Accessories Sheila Marshall Georgeson Publishing (1998)

Embroidery Techniques Royal School of Needlework Batsford (2001)

Arts & Crafts Needlepoint Beth Russell The National Trust (2006)

Stumpwork Embroidery Jane Nicholas Milner Publishing (1995)

Stumpwork Designs &Projects Jane Nicholas Milner Publishing (1998)

Stumpwork Dragonflies Jane Nicholas Milner Publishing (2000)

The Essential Guide to Embroidery Murdoch Books (2002)

18th Century Embroidery Techniques Gail Marsh GMC (2006)

A-Z of Embroidery Stitches Country Bumpkin Publications (1997)

A-Z of Wool Embroidery Country Bumpkin Publications (2001)

A-Z of Embroidered Flowers Country Bumpkin Publications (2001)

A-Z of Stumpwork Country Bumpkin Publications (2005)

Magazines: Published Quarterly Inspirations Country Bumpkin Publications

Cross Stitch & Bead Work Jill Oxton Publications

Text & Images © Helen Woods 2010 Artisans In Miniature 30

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???

If you answered 'YES' to EVERY question…

Then look no further, AIM is the professional miniaturists association for YOU!!

AIM is completely FREE to join and completely FREE to be part of.

So...if you are a professional miniature artisan and you would like to find out

more about joining the AIM Association,

please email AIM’s Membership Secretary: Mary for more information:

[email protected]

Or alternatively visit our website… Artisans In Miniature 31

AArtisansrtisans IInn MMiniatureiniature“An association of professional artisans, dedicated to promoting a high standard

NEW www.artisansinminiature.com

artisansinminiature.blogspot.com


By AIM Member, Christa Chayata. I started with miniatures when I purchased a second hand house from Dell

Prado which came complete with furniture. I put it all together but was never

really satisfied with it as the rooms were all the same; square with no

windows. So, I wanted to throw it all away! Then when I cleaned out all the

furnishings I saw the empty rooms and an idea immediately came to mind –

Why not make it into a ‘modern’ dollshouse, with all the furnishing and

furniture made by myself? And so I did…!

Before I started work on my house, I looked on the internet and magazine’s to

research my idea and to find a lot of idea’s. I also looked in my collection of

things that I keep for “maybe I can use this” as sometimes an idea can pop

into your head; just by looking at the material.

The bedroom I have

created is in 1:12 scale

and I have tried to

make it a life like as

possible. Before I

started doing the “real

work” I had in my mind

the complete picture

and I knew that I

wanted to make two

corners in the wall from

cardboard, so that the

room would not look

square. I also wanted

to create windows, but

because of the

instability of the house,

I was afraid to cut a

hole into the wall!

ModernModern Living...

Instead I looked for a

‘print’ of some windows

and created false

windows with a view

mounted behind some

plastic to represent the

glass.

Finally I put up some

curtains made from

ribbons, so that it would

look real. To co ordinate

the room I also used the

same ribbons for pillows.

I collected all the material I wanted to use for the furnishings and I used everyday objects to create many

of the features within the room, for example I used wooden lolly sticks to recreate the blinds that hang in

front of the window.

On the dressing table, I made a torso for jewellery from fimo and the make up is made from plastic finds.

The lamps are created from black foils and clear thick plastic folded into a square which is then mounted

on a plastic pen to create the illusion of glass. (The tea pot on the tray is the only thing that was bought)

I am really pleased with the end result, especially as I made almost every thing myself. It also shows that

you can make a great room; even with only a tiny budget!

Beside the bedroom ,I have finished the kitchen can be viewed

here:

http://home.wanadoo.nl/ichayata/

mijneerstepoppenhuisdelprado1.htm and the bathroom with can be viewed here:

http://home.wanadoo.nl/ichayata/

mijneerstepoppenhuisdelprado2.htm

The living room and attic are still empty…..something for me to

do in the future...!! Christa Chayata.

To see more of Christa’s fabulous miniatures why not visit her website:

http://home.wanadoo.nl/ichayata/dolls.htm

http://freubels.punt.nl/ Photographs & Text © Christa Chayata

The week started with a bit more preparation and trying to

figure out the best working order for me.

According to my trusty instruction

manual I should now have my front

and side opening panels hinged on and be at-

taching my finishing trims to the building.

Instead I fiddled...

Here you can see my living quarters above the

shop. These two walls both slide out easily for

decoration. I had to try them out for size and

they do indeed come in and out with ease

which will make the eventual decoration of the

house a whole lot easier.

The back wall of the shop also slips in and out for

decoration and is only permanently attached once the

back wall and stairs are decorated. This wall was a bit

tricky so I rigged up a makeshift "jig" of some books to

ensure my walls were square while the glue dried.

This worked very well and resulted in a lovely back wall

which fits like a dream.

Here you can

see the attic

space which I

love so much

complete with

the dividing wall

underneath.


WEEK

2

DIARY OF AN EDWARDIAN DOLLS HOUSE

By AIM Member, Julie Campbell


This is a removable wall too and can be

placed pretty much anywhere giving

choice as to the size of the upper

rooms.

I have four rooms above the shop to

play with and haven’t decided yet what

they are going to be. I have stories to

tell in this house and I need to think

things out carefully before making my

final decision and decorating the inside

of the house accordingly.

I did some more work to the shop

front, fitting the supports and then the

shelves for the shop windows.

The window surrounds and shelves

will be simply painted cream which

will set it off the wondrous

miniature toys to be displayed

there!

I then began the prep for the win-

dows and trims.

First I sorted out which trim went

where, this took some time!

There are no pictures of the actual

trim in the instructions, just

sketches of the finished house

indicating where each piece goes.

It took a little time to identify each piece and of course I had one piece missing!

I also found the long side pieces of trim to the upper part of the house were more damaged than they

seemed at first glance.

I have contacted the suppliers to ask if they can replace these parts. I should be able to improvise if there

are any problems but hopefully I won’t have to … This is why it is so important to

check your parts carefully when you first open a kit house box.

I then gave the windows and window trims their first coat of enamel paint. I'm using

antique white which looks lovely.

While they dried I put the chimney together which you can see was a simple case of

gluing together the parts provided and leaving to dry overnight.


More coats of paint were added to the windows and soon they

were ready to attach to the house.

The instructions say not to attach the chimney until the roof is

decorated but as I am using real slates on the roof and brick slips on the chimney I think it will be better to

attach the chimney first. Once the trims were I dry I started to attach them with PVA glue.

You can see here how

beautifully the antique white

trim complements the burgundy

on the front.

I'm really happy with the colour

and I think the windows will

look fabulous with some toys

displayed there.

The left side of the house looks lovely with the trim but you can

see here where the missing sill should be.

I have tried to contact the suppliers but no luck as yet, being very

impatient I think I will simply improvise and make my own...

The name sign will be the finishing touch and I want

to give it some beautiful writing so will work on that

when the outside is completed.

First though to decorate the outside of the

Emporium!

I bought some strips of balsa wood from Hobbycraft

to improvise on the missing parts of my kit. After

trying for hours to find a solution to the short door/

tall door gap problem I had a Eureka moment!

Why didn’t I think of it before! I simply cut a piece of

balsa to the same shape and thickness of the door

frame and then glued it into the bottom of the door

opening.

Hey Presto! My door now closed perfectly leaving no

gap and a nice flat finish to both sides of the wall.

My door step was made with two pieces of balsa wood,

one wider than the other, which I cut to the same

width. Once glued onto

the wall the door step

hid the join where I had

inserted the extra piece

of wood into the door

frame giving a neat

strong finish.

I was now able to glue

on the remaining trim

and begin the paint

work.

You can see here how

neat my improvising

looks!


While at Hobbycraft I found some lovely fine

gravel in the model railway section.

I had decided to use real brick slips for the

main part of the house and paint the top

section to resemble stone. Suddenly I had

another Eureka moment!

Pebble dashing! I bought 2 bags of the fine

gravel one cream and one light tan as I knew

the two shades would mix well to give a

realistic effect.

I simply coated the top section of the doll’s

house in a thick coat of PVS. I did

one side at a time leaving each to

dry overnight.

Once the PVA was brushed on I

simply poured my mixed fine

gravel evenly over the surface

with the doll’s house lying flat on

the table and the side I was

working on facing upwards.

I poured on a nice thick layer,

making sure it was evenly spread

and in every nook and cranny,

then patted it down with my

fingers and left it to dry.

When dry I lay a plastic sheet (a bin liner is ideal for this) on the floor under the table to catch the loose

gravel. Then I tipped the house on its side and gently brushed it with a soft brush to remove the loose

gravel. The loose gravel can then be re-used on another part of the house. You can see here how lovely

this looks! I'm delighted with the effect.

My house is really starting to shape up now and the next

step will be to start sticking the brick slips to the walls.

A long job, but really worth the time spent for the lovely

effect it gives.

To see more of Julie’s beautiful work, why not visit her website:

www.bellabelledolls.co.uk Text & Photographs © Julie Campbell 2010

Aunt Anastasia I am absolutely, totally useless at Miniature decorating, that is everything, mitreing coving and skirting, painting, hanging wallpaper. I am just hopeless. It is so bad I could sit down and cry. My talents lay in polymer

clay food, soft furnishings etc. Making furniture from kits is a doddle and the bed linens are SO easy for me. My husband gave me an enormous Georgian house for our wedding anniversary and I am really, really struggling with the decorating. It is too big to move and take it to someone to do it for me. But the whole point is doing it my self. Does it really, truly matter if the decorating is not perfect if the overall effect is good? I just feel that I am not doing the house justice and it is really getting me down. Help!!! Jazz

Dear Jazz, Aunt Anastasia, many moons ago, when she embarked on her first dollshouse, felt just the way you do, right now. Oh, how I berated myself because my efforts were not up to the pictures that I saw in miniaturist books and magazines. Cutting cove moulding and skirting board made my brain hurt and it never fitted, I rubbed the pattern of wallpaper and we won't even mention the mess I made of the banister rail. I was ready to give up when dear old Trotters gave a little cough and said "But, Madam, I thought this was supposed to be an enjoyable pastime…" Of course, he was right, miniatures are supposed to be fun! It is your house and no, it doesn't matter a fig if things are not perfect! Just remember, wallpaper is just paper: it can be stripped off if you hate it, paint is just paint: it can be re-painted and wooden mouldings (if you just tack them in place with glue here and there) can be replaced at a later date. I still cherish my first house, based on Charles Dickens' London townhouse. Yes, there are "things I would do differently", but I love it, even with its slight imperfections, which, by the way, no one else seems to see. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by your efforts, once you get started. AA Dear Aunt Anastasia, I was wondering if you could advise me. I have a bad back and I can't sit for very long and I can't stand for very long either. Needless to say, this limits how long I can work on my minis. Could you recommend a table that adjusts easily and that isn't too expensive? Pained in Preston

Dear Perplexed, Yes, I can as a matter of fact and it won't cost you a penny, as you probably have one in your home right this very minute. You see, Trotters who often helps me with my miniatures, sometimes suffers from a touch of lumbago. So, what we do is this: we go downstairs and "borrow" Mrs. Murgatroyd's ironing board! With a large melamine placemat to work on, Trotters can adjust the table to the perfect height easily, and when he is done, downstairs it goes and my housekeeper is none the wiser. Well, once again, I must close for now as Trotters tells me Harrison has brought the car around to the front door. I'm off to have lunch with some of my old chums from St. Miniver's Private Academy for Young Ladies. There is always lots of cake, champers and giggles.


Aunt AnastasiaAunt AnastasiaGGreetings from Miniscule Manor! I'm Aunt Anastasia, your very distant mini relative (sixth cousin, twice removed and scaled down) and when I am not making the most fabulous minis, sipping bubbly or bossing my butler Trotters about, I just love helping miniaturists and solving problems of a miniature nature, so if your paint won't stick and your glue won't glue, get in touch:

[email protected] Looking forward to hearing from you soon….

Aunt Anastasia

Aunt Anastasia

Knitting in Victorian & Edwardian Times... Although knitting started to become popular in Victorian times with the advent of Women’s Magazines,

many of the materials were not easy to obtain.

In the early Victorian times wool specially designed for knitting was not readily available, so people would

often use wool designed for tapestry. This was very fine, usually 2-ply, and thus required fine needles to

work it. Shops did not stock manufactured knitting needles so it was often down to the local blacksmith to

produce knitting needles. As no one was sure what these looked like they were often blunt ended (i.e. a

piece of wire cut and cleaned up so there were no jagged edges). In later Victorian times knitting needles and

wool were manufactured and became readily available.

Early patterns were often rather short and abbreviations varied greatly, as did stitch names and techniques.

Knitting patterns, in the format we know them today, evolved during the 1900’s. Early knitting patterns

were a series of instructions detailing the whole pattern, stitches used in a single short paragraph. Much was

left to the knitter to fill in. If a picture was included it was in the form of an engraving, which gave a general

idea of shape, but was not much use to someone making a first attempt at knitting.

These early patterns usually knitted garments in one piece and using two needles. A jumper would start at

the front and continue up over the shoulders down to the back, with stitches being cast on and off as

required for the neck. If sleeves were required stitches would be picked up at the armholes and the sleeves

knitted down to the cuffs. Knitting patterns retained this format and method of knitting until the 1930’s,

when garments became more figure hugging and so required more shaping within the pattern.

In early Victorian times, scarves, underwear, shawls and gloves were popular knitting projects, as were small

items for the house such as cushions and antimacassars (chair backs, to protect the furniture from the hair

oil favoured by men at this time). Baby and children’s clothes soon followed with patterns for cardigans and

coats becoming popular by the turn of the century. By the end of the nineteenth century wool, knitting

needles and patterns were readily available to all.

The way garments were constructed in Victorian times was very different from garments today. Underwear

especially seems strange, as it has to be remembered that the outer layers of clothing were often laced tight

or buttoned (zip fasteners were not yet invented) and ladies often required help with dressing.

The Knitting BasketBasket

If you want to learn more about miniature knitting and sewing, then you are going to love this brand new regular feature, written by Aim member Frances Powell of Buttercup Miniatures...

NEW FEATURE!


If you would like to see more of Frances’ wonderful knitting, why not visit her website:

www.buttercupminiatures.co.uk

Knitted underwear was often worn under corsets and bustles in

winter months, so if it was figure hugging and knitted in one piece it

had less bulk, especially where seams would have been visible (on

shoulders for example). Pink was a favoured colour for underwear.

The ‘open’ drawers shown here were worn up until the end of the

Victorian era; these consisted of two legs, which were only joined by

ribbing at the waist, leaving both legs completely separate. As

elastic was not common in the early days of the Victorian age,

ribbon was often used at the waist to make sure the drawers stayed

up. The ribbon was tied at the back of the drawers, as the dresses

had more bulk (such as padding for bustles) to disguise this bow. The advent of Ladies bicycles led to the

need for closed drawers, which were often a major undertaking in knitting, involving huge amounts of wool

to form the bloomers, so these were not often found.

Men’s underwear too was constructed in one piece (called combinations), which consisted of a pair of long

legged underpants and long sleeved vest combined. Flaps were found in the back and the front was buttoned

all the way down (to enable the wearer to perform bodily functions without the need to disrobe.)

It must be remembered however that although knitting was common by the second half of the Victorian age

it was done on very fine needles (the same sizes as we use for miniature work today) with 1-ply or 2-ply wool,

so this does not always work well in miniature, as the knitting can look very chunky in 1/12th scale

By Edwardian times there were a lot more patterns available thanks to patterns being

placed in weekly magazines for women. The garments were still constructed in the

same way as during Victorian times, but more variety in stitches and type of

garments was available. Patterns also started to take on their more common format

today with more detailed instructions and photographs of the finished item. Men’s

garments also became popular, as did outerwear for both women and children.

Thicker wools and larger knitting

needles were also being developed.

During the 1914-18 war women were

also being encouraged to knit

comforts for the troops, such as underwear, socks, balaclava

helmets, scarves and mittens. By the end of the 1910’s

knitting was a common hobby for many women.

Frances Powell

Victorian open drawers c.1888

Victorian Baby Bib c. 1880


1918 scarf, belt and Tam o’Shanter hat

Photographs & Text © Frances Powell 2010



By AIM Member, Nicky Cooper

Step 1: Start with a 7mm block of clay.

Step 2: Roll into a ball and then form

into a cone shape.

Step 3: Indent around the thinner end to form a head.

Step 4: Pinch the head from the front to form a pointed nose.

Step 5: Indent the top of the head and the clay in an upwards direction to form ears.

Step 6: Now pinch the front of each ear to flatten them off slightly.

Step 7: Indent the ears with a cocktail stick or sculpting tool.

Step 8: Indent the eye area.

Step 9: Drag and indent the clay down from the eyes towards the nose on each side.

In 1:24th Scale...

Cat Tutorial...

Instructions...




Step 10: At the nose area indent a cross this gives

the nose , mouth and cheek area.

Step 11: Your cat should now be starting to take

shape.

Step 12: Squeeze the clay at the base and roll it as

you pull down to form a tail.

Step 13: Take a 6mm ball of clay ready for the legs

Step 14: Pinch at the base of the body ready for

the back legs.

Step 15: Roll out and flatten your 6mm ball of clay

and cut off one third.

Step 16: Cut each of the two sections in half, these

form the back and front legs.

Step 17: Roll one of the larger sections into a ball

then pinch some forward to form a back paw. Do

the same with the other larger section as shown.

Step 18: Attach each section to the bottom of your

cat body like so by pressing them into the body

clay.

To view more of Nicky’s beautiful miniatures, why not visit her website; ‘Nicky’s Dolls & Critters’

www.nickycc.com Text & Photographs © Nicky Cooper 2010



Step 19: Roll out the two smaller remaining sections into a

sausage.

Step 20: Upturn the ends to form paws.

Step 21: Place at the shoulders of your cat body as shown.

Step 22: Smooth these sections in to the cat body.

Step 23: Using a scalpel mark paw lines into your front and

back paws.

Step 24: Bake in an oven according to manufacturers

instructions I would bake the cat for approximately 45

minutes.

Step 25: Leave to cool completely, then you can either sim-

ply paint him as he is, or you can paint in the nose and eyes

and then flock him with some fibres to help bring him to

life.

Nicky Cooper


The Tool Junkie

By AIM Member Mel Koplin

Hi. My name is Mel and I am a tool junkie. Taking this confession a step farther – I have no desire to be

rescued, reformed, to get my affliction under control, or to feel bad about it. Misery loving company

however, I will use this column over coming months to describe addictive little accoutrements that have

given me pleasure, stolen my treasure, and marked me for what I have become. With cunning little

offerings that make the impossible doable, difficult easy, and unlikely probable – I will entice innocents

into the shadowy world of alternative tools and confirm fellow addicts with new and irresistible fixes.

Welcome to Welcome to The Tool Junkie A task that frequently vexes miniature builders is that of

drilling tiny holes and getting them exactly where they are

wanted. The chisel point that runs between cutting edges

on standard twist drills frequently makes them “walk” away

from where they were applied.

Sometimes we can punch a little dip into the spot where we

want a hole to go. This prohibits drills from walking away

before they start cutting in that established spot.

Unfortunately, punching those dips (center punching) can

distort or damage the delicate pieces we are working on.

When a drill bit is of fair size, we can keep it from walking by

steadying it and our work piece in a drill press.

The tiniest sizes of drill bits, however, tend to be rather

flexible and we are right back to the spinning bit flexing

and walking away before it gets a positioning bite into the

target.



Center drills have a heavy body that is

not prone to flexing and much tinier bits

at each end that may drill through thin

stock or provide a “centering hole” like a

center punch to guide full length bits for

deeper holes.

In machine shop parley, we say that they

are used for precisely positioned pilot

holes.

Here (left)you can see a neat row of

1/32” holes being drilled along a pencil

line in a strip of brass 3/32” wide. Nice?

The bell of our center drill where it

widens can champher the edge of holes

or, by going a little deeper, we get a one -

step hole with a countersink for flathead

screws.

This photo (right) shows a 1/32” (0.031”) bit flexed, walking

away from its intended bull’s eye.

One way of avoiding such flexing would be to put the bit

way up into the chuck so only a little of the very end sticks

out. That may make it difficult to see your target through

the jaws of your chuck. Another solution would be to stiffen

the whole thing by making all but the drilling tip much

heavier. Enter the “center drill”.


Body size (A) 1/8” (0.125”) diameter.

Size (B)Bit dia. (C)Bit depth

#1 0.0468” 0.0468

Ø (single ought)

.0312 (1/32”) 0.038

ØØ (double ought)

0.025 0.030

ØØØ (three ought)

0.020 0.030

Another difficulty with getting holes to go

where we want them comes when we want

to drill on a curved surface. Bits are

especially prone to walking themselves off

target on curves. Thin wall tubing in the next

photo could not hold up to a center punch

but none is needed with a “vee” block to

stabilize the tube and a center drill in the

drill press.

All in all, center drills are a habit forming,

essential tool for miniature projects where

precisely placed, tiny holes are needed in

delicate materials.

Yes: There are other sizes both larger

and smaller but these four pretty much

satisfy my needs.

I usually offer #1 and #0 center drills on my web site and at

shows. They are frequently available in large cities at industrial

hardware stores.

On-line sites that buy larger quantities than I; will frequently beat my prices. They will never beat my humble appreciation or nominal shipping charges.

Next month: Drilling with bushing guides... B^)? Mel K your Tool Junkie

Text & Photographs © Mel Koplin 2010

CAUTION: All quality drill bits

are hardened material in order

to stay sharp. Combine

hardness with inflexibility and

we do have something that

shatters easily. USE PROPER EYE PROTECTION!!!




By AIM Member, Jane Harrop

Low wooden framed beds, with a base

made of rope, threaded through holes drilled in the frame have been well documented in the centuries

gone by. The frame, generally home made, was raised from the floor to protect the bedding and the

sleeping from vermin. A special lever was often used to tighten the bed cords.

1/2in (13mm) by 3/16in (5mm) obechi strip wood: Two 6 1/8in (155mm) lengths for sides Two 4 3/8in (112mm) for ends 1/4in (6mm) by 1/4in (6mm) obechi strip wood:

Four 7/8in (22mm) for legs 3/32in (2.5mm) hardwood dowel:

¾ in (19mm) length for lever 1/4in (6mm) thick wood:

Approximately 3in (76mm) by 2in (51mm) for spacer 7in (178mm) length of fine twine for rope

1/24th scale bed 1/4in (6mm) by 3/32in (2.5mm) obechi strip wood:

Two 3 1/16in (78mm) for sides Two 2 3/16in (56mm) for ends

1/8in (3mm) by 1/8in (3mm) obechi strip wood: Four 7/16in (11mm) for legs

3/64in (1mm) hardwood dowel: 3/8in (10mm) length for lever

1/8in (3mm) thick wood: Approximately 2in (51mm) by 2in (51mm) for spacer 4in (101mm) length of buff coloured button thread

Step 1. Take the side and end pieces and measure and mark every 7/8in (22mm) at 1/12th scale and 7/16in (11mm) at 1/24th scale on the wide side of the wood, 1/8in (3mm) at 1/12th scale and 1/16in (1.5mm) at 1/24th scale in from one edge. Use a 1/16in (1.5mm) at 1/12th scale and a 1/32in (1mm) at 1/24th scale drill bit to drill holes through the wood at each marked spot. Lightly sand and stain each of the bed wood pieces and leave to dry. Do not stain the spacer.

1:12th Scale...

A Low Bed...

Materials...



Step 2. Stand the spacer on its narrow edge in a right angled gluing jig. Position a side wood piece up against the spacer, with the drill holes positioned as shown in the photograph. Glue a leg on to each end of the side piece. Once dry, remove the construction from the jig and repeat the procedure. Step 3. Stand a construction so that the flush side and a leg rest against the edge of the spacer and the drill holes are at the bottom. Step 4. Take an end piece and rest on top of the spacer. Now carefully glue on to the leg, without applying glue to the spacer. The drill holes should run in-line with the drill holes on the side construction, and the piece should be flush with the inside edge of the leg. Note: On the outside, the end piece is inset from the outside edge of the leg. Step 5. Once dry, repeat the procedure on the opposite end of the construction and then glue the remaining side construction into place.

Step 6. Take the rope and stiffen one end with glue and leave to dry. Beginning at one end on a side piece, thread the stiffened end in to a drilled hole. Wind the opposite end around the lever and dab a little glue to secure. Step 7. Thread the end of the rope in to the opposite drilled hole, pull until the rope is taut and then thread the end into the next drilled hole. Take across the frame again to the opposite hole and repeat the procedure until you have reached the last drilled hole. Take the rope around the corner and begin to weave in and out of the cords. Step 8. Either knot or glue the end of the rope to hold into place. Trim any loose ends off the rope to neaten.

© Jane Harrop 2010 www.janeharrop.co.uk


1/12th Scale Knitting Pattern Ladies Camisole Top (c.1922)

By AIM Member Frances Powell

Historical note: The camisole top at this time consisted

of a tube of fabric or knitting, which was

shaped and held to the figure by tying

ribbons. The garment may appear overly

large, flat and shapeless until the

ribbons are tied. By the 1930’s camisole

tops had a much more figure hugging

shape. The brassiere (bra) did not come

into common use until the early 1930’s

and these camisole tops were worn for

modesty as well as warmth, especially

as frocks and blouses were now being

made of finer silks and lawn materials.

Ribbons tied at the shoulders allowed

the straps to be tightened so the camisole stayed in place.

Abbreviations: st – stitch; k – knit; p – purl; ( ) – repeat instructions between brackets as detailed in text; p2tog –

purl next two stitches together to form one stitch; k2tog – knit next two stitches together to form one stitch; yrn

– place yarn round needle to form a stitch; sst – stocking (stockinette) stitch: one row knit, one row purl.

Materials required: one pair size 18 (1.25 mm/US size4/0) knitting needles, 25 metres 1-ply cotton, 1 metre of 2

mm wide silk ribbon for trimming.

Back and Front (make 2 alike)

Cast on 30 sts.

Rows 1-3: (k 1, p 1) to end.

Row 4 (make eyelets for ribbon): p 1, (yrn, p2tog) to last st, p 1.

Rows 5-20: sst

Row 21: k 1, (k2tog, yrn) to last st, k 1.

Row 22: p

Row 23: k 1, (yrn, k2tog) to last st, k 1.

Row 24: p

Row 25 (eyelets for ribbon): k 1, (k2tog, yrn) to last st, k 1.

Row 26: (k 1, p 1) to end.

Cast off in pattern.

www.buttercupminiatures.co.uk Text & Photograph © Copyright F. H. Powell 2010

© Copyright F. H. Powell 2010 This pattern is for private use only and may not be reproduced in any form for commercial gain, including selling any item knitted up from these patterns

without written permission from Buttercup Miniatures

Shoulder straps (make 2 alike)

Cast on 24 sts.

Row 1: (k 1, p 1) to end.

Row 2 (eyelets for ribbon): k 1, (k2tog, yrn) to last st, k 1.

Row 3: (k 1, p 1) to end.

Cast off in pattern.

To make up

1. With right sides together sew up side seams.

2. Sew shoulder straps to top of camisole, these should be positioned midway between the

side seams and the centre front/back.

3. Make sure the camisole is inside out. Cut a 4-inch/10 cm piece of ribbon, (making sure you

sew to the wrong side of work) sew the ribbon to the join of the shoulder strap.

4. Repeat step 3 on other end of shoulder strap (there is now a piece of ribbon sewn to each

end of the strap)

5. Thread the ribbon through a needle and carefully thread in and out the eyelets so the rib-

bons meet at the top of the shoulder, making sure the ribbon lies flat.

6. Turn right side out. Pull the ribbons up slightly and tie in a bow. Do not trim ends yet.

7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 on the other shoulder strap.

8. When you are happy that both shoulder straps are the same length and bows are level, cut

ribbon close to bow. If you are fitting the camisole on a doll, this may be left until the ribbons

are all threaded through the camisole.

9. Cut an 8-inch/20 cm length of ribbon and making sure you are working on the right side of

camisole carefully thread the ribbon through the eyelet holes made on row 25. Start at the cen-

tre front and work round the camisole top making sure the ribbon lies flat. Do not tie in a bow

yet.

10. Repeat step 9 but work around eyelet holes made on row 4.

11. Tie bow in upper line of ribbon, so the camisole is gently gathered but not tight. This upper

part should be wider than the waist on the finished camisole. Tie bow and trim ends. If fitting on

a doll it may be easier to complete this part before tying shoulder strap ribbons.

12. Pull up ribbons at waist and tie, but leave a longer ‘tail’ on the ribbon as shown in photo.


In this regular feature a brave AIM member answers our probing questions, helping you to

get to know both them and their work a little bit better!

This month our willing victim volunteer is the talented Argentinean artisan; Ernesto Baldini of Punto Sur Miniaturas

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

Before I started making miniatures, I guess I

made miniatures… As a child, I built model

planes from plastic kits, then attempted to

paint them. I was about 10 years old… Then as a

teenager, I switched to painting metal figurines,

and then into sail ship building. That was when I

met my actual wife… she was making a

dollhouse for herself from scratch. Once

married, she brought that house in the building.

The house needed a structure, for the different

rooms where placed in a bookcase in her

parents house. Helping her and giving her a

hand to provide the house more

realism was a non back journey:

my sail ships are there yet, one half

way, another unopened…

‘Getting ‘Getting to know to know you...’ you...’



As a child, what were your favourite toys? My favourite toys as a child where a sail boat (it really sailed, it was red

with big cream sails), a farm set with lots of animals (which included wild

animals, so it evolved into a zoo) and my Playmobils.

What attracted you to miniatures in the first place? What attracted me to miniatures in first place was… my wife! And I guess

the chance to learn, improve and apply a lot of techniques too. Discover-

ing dollhouse miniatures opened up to me a whole new world.

What was your first purchase? I’m not quite sure what my first purchase was (in Argentina we lack of commercial miniatures, so we tend

to adapt everything). I think it was a glass flower pot.

What miniature item do you most covet? A dog made by Kerri Pajutee, no doubt!

Who do you most admire in the miniature world? Talent and modesty is what I most admire in the miniature world. I found the miniature world is a very

helping world, and I can say many worldwide recognized artisans proved to be helping and sharing.

Having no miniatures in my country was at first a big disadvantage, but we (my wife and me) turned it

into a chance by learning and making almost anything needed for a dollhouse. That also gave us the

chance to make some very good friends, and some of them we where able to meet when we travelled to

Spain last year.

What made you decide to specialise in fantasy furniture and accessories? As I said, we have almost no miniatures in

Argentina, so everything you have to do it yourself

(or pay astronomical amounts, three times what

you pay abroad, when our income is four times

smaller). We learnt to make the structure and

every piece inside, but I can say I am better at food

making, clay dogs, and especially cold porcelain

flowers. I guess it’s a matter of personal likes (I love

eating, love dogs, and I wish I had a great

garden!!!). Recently I got into making miniature

furred bears and they received some attention

right away, and I enjoy making them a lot.

Perhaps, that’s the key word: enjoy making the

miniatures you love.


Have you had any unusual commissions? We had quite some unusual commissions, yes. Some of them we turned down (mostly they were asked for

with not enough time to make them, having no miniature culture people often think “if it’s small then it’s easy

and fast”). I can mention a scaled sex shop, and three dolls to be placed in one bathroom ( a man and two

women, no need to say more). I was also asked to make some rare dogs, for example a wirehaired fox terrier

with cropped ears.

Do you have any hobbies unrelated to miniatures? I like clay modelling. My two-year-old son takes all the time I used to have for hobbies, LOL!

Any phobias? .Well, a phobia well documented is… cockroaches! Also, but not as a phobia but as mania instead, having my

hands clean.

Fantasies? A fantasy related to the miniature world is having the chance to attend to an international miniature fair as an

artisan. When we went to Spain, we were able to visit the miniature fair held in Valencia and we were in awe.

Everybody told us it was the smallest of fairs, but we had never been to a miniature fair (as miniaturists, we

take part in our country in hobby fairs and artisan fairs) and we were astonished! I can’t imagine how Chicago,

Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Arnhem, Kensington or Milan would be!!!

You can see more of Ernesto’s wonderful work on his website:

www.puntosurminiaturas.jimdo.com

Photographs & Text (Answers) © Ernesto Baldini 2010

Decorative Wall Painting

for Beginners (Fine Arts for Beginners)

(Paperback) by Reyes Pujol-Xicoy. Publiser: Konemann.

175 pages. Color photographs throughout. Available from Amazon.co.uk -

Available from £0.01

The Book The Book Corner... Corner...

www.louisewinminiatures.weebly.com

By AIM member, Louise Win

I bought this book at a flea market and am using it in my

experimentation of miniature finishes. As would be expected, the

list of materials is lengthy and probably very costly.

I have bought only 1 or 2 of the materials recommended and have

thoroughly enjoyed the study of colour and texture, adapting many

of the techniques to suit our scales.

The basics such as materials, caring for brushes and preparing walls

for a finish are covered. Actual chapters are: Materials, Space and

Colour and Step by Step techniques. I did not find the techniques

complicated because my focus was on the overall look and I was able to break the steps down into easy

1-2-3's.

Thirty techniques are covered over a 120-page spread, with clear step-by-step colour photographs.

The techniques covered range from ragging, dragging, sponging, combing, relief combing, rolling off with

a rag, pine wood graining and stucco.

Stenciling covers diamond, bricks, old stone walls, granite, travertine, damask, mosaics, trellis and

graffito finishes. I do wish that stencil templates had been included - but the author does show how he

made the initial stencils. Rust techniques require difficult-to- obtain products, but the effect can be

copied using paint.

More interesting effects include raffia which is done by sweeping a large, wide brush. Moire, wood

graining and granite are also discussed. The bricks revealed on the cover of this book are amazing.

This book is for the miniaturist who enjoys working with colour and experimentation. I have learnt

much from it - after all, ours is an art that relies so much on the "real look".


Mix a small amount of the white and

ecru polymer clay until a light shade of

cream is acquired. Then mix in again

an equal quantity of translucent clay

to make the base colour for the blinis.

Roll into a log approximately 5mm

thick and cut enough slices 2mm wide

for as many blinis as you wish to

make.

AIM member Vicky Guile shares her

way of making this luxurious indulgence of caviar and soured cream

blinis in 1:12 scale.

Polymer clay in white, ecru, translucent &

liquid.

Soft artist pastel in light gold ochre.

Black ‘no hole’ Microbeads.

Matte acrylic varnish.

Tacky/PVA glue.

Craft knife or tissue blade.

Cocktail sticks & pin.

Soft paintbrush.

Wooden lolly stick or coffee stirrer.

Ceramic tile.

Talcum Powder.



fig.3

Roll each slice of clay into a

ball. Dust the back of your

tissue blade with talcum

powder and use this to press

down on each ball to flatten

into discs approximately

1mm thick. If you don’t

have a tissue blade you can

flatten with your fingers

instead




Make some dust from the light gold ochre

pastel on a piece of scrap paper. Using a soft

paintbrush pick up a little of the pastel dust and

brush into the centre and around the outside

edges of each disc. Using your pin or cocktail

stick make indentations around the outer edge

of each disc.

Your blinis are now ready for their first baking.

Leaving them on the ceramic tile, pop them into

a preheated oven and cook as per the packet

instructions.

Once your blinis have been baked and cooled, wipe

down with a soft cloth to remove any loose or excess

pastel powder. On a corner of your tile mix together a

little white clay and a couple of drops of liquid clay with

your lolly stick or coffee stirrer.

Pick up a little of the mixed ‘soured cream’ clay with a

toothpick and apply it to the blinis in swirling motions.

Bake again as per the packet instructions.

In a small bowl (I use an old chipped mini

bowl) mix a small amount of black

microbeads with a couple of drops of matte varnish. Make sure that the beads are thoroughly coated as it is the

varnish that will hold them together. Spot a dot of tacky glue on to the top of each blini, then pick up a small

cluster of the varnish coated microbeads with a toothpick and place onto glue. When dry brush on another thin

coat of matte varnish. Leave to dry again and your blinis are finished!

Suggestion… why not try adding a sprinkle of chopped green clay for chives or replacing the caviar with salmon

made from striped peach and white clay thinly sliced?

All text and photos ©2010 Vicky Guile - NJD Miniatures

www.njdminiatures.blogspot.com Artisans In Miniature 71




By AIM Member, Jain Squires.

This is a Project for making a simple little basket which could be used to display all sorts of things. If it is made in beige embroidery canvas it can look a very convincing shopping basket, pet basket, etc. The beauty is that it can be made in any size. This basket is ideal for a ladies boudoir.

PVA glue Magnatac glue

Embroidery canvas (the stiff type) - the finer the better. Silk ribbon

Lace Elastic band

Suitable container Ribbon to trim

1. Decide how big you want your basket and what

shape and find a container of the right proportions

on the base. I used a nail varnish bottle.

The embroidery canvas needs to be cut generously.

2. Wet the canvas under the tap and then mould onto the container

securing it with an elastic band. At this stage it is important to make sure

there are no folds or creases. Just gently pulling and stretching the fabric

under the elastic band, you will get a smooth finish. Make sure the elastic

band is high enough up to be able to cut the basket under it when dry. Leave

to dry.

3. While waiting for it to dry. Take several long strands from the remaining

canvas fabric. I used 6 for this project. Plait them together, using a cushion

or similar to pin them to makes it easier. Take 3 more strands and twist

them together, I use a little PVA glue on my fingers to hold the twist in

place.

A Simple Basket...

instructions...

You will need....




To view more of Jain’s fabulous creations, why not visit her website; ‘The Giddy Kipper’

www.giddykipperdolls.com

Text & Photographs © Jain Squires 2010

4. When the basket

it dry, remove the

elastic band and gently

remove the basket from

the container.

Then carefully cut round

to the size you require.

5. Cut the twisted

thread to size and glue

in place. Glue the

plaited trim along the

top edge.

6. I have decorated

this basket with a length

of lace with silk ribbon

woven through. Glued at the top on the outside.

To finish the decoration I have threaded the silk ribbon

around the handle and trimmed with 2 small silk ribbons.

7. The inside of the basket just has a little contrasting ribbon

glued in.

The basket can be filled with whatever you like. I have filled this one with ladies toiletries,

to go in her boudoir.


Ever wondered what it would be like to be able to have a closer look at the working environments of AIM members? This month Mo Tipton tells us more about her workspace in Columbia, Missouri...

One of my favourite aspects of working from home is the commute: I mosey a few yards across the room and

I’m there. No wiling away my mornings in mind-numbing traffic and no need for fancy business attire; my

comfy pyjamas do just fine. On a normal work day, after checking my business emails and packaging any Etsy

orders for shipment, I head over to my work table and wrap up loose ends from the previous day’s projects

before going over my to-do list.

If I have a show looming on the horizon, the list length is usually on par with the Dead Sea Scrolls and I will

often work well into the evening hours before calling it a day, but when I’m simply focusing on keeping my Etsy

shop well-stocked, I have a bit more freedom to pick and choose whichever projects I’m most in the mood to

work on.

Since moving to Columbia, Missouri, from Chicago nearly two years ago, I’ve found that I have much more free

time to devote to my miniature making, which is largely the reason that I have finally had the opportunity to

turn my favourite hobby into a

business, The Mouse Market,

and my workspace has

developed with my change in

priorities. While I’m still

working on our former kitchen

table, I no longer have to share

the space with a laptop, a pile

of junk mail, and my studying

fiancé, and my productivity has

increased dramatically.

ThroughThrough

The Keyh le...

Text & Photographs ©

Kathy Brindle 2010

My current focus is on 1/12 scale food and floral arrangements (the

latter being a more recent addition to my repertoire), so my work-

space is full of tiny dishes and silverware, moulds for tart crusts and

ice cream cones, and a rainbow of polymer clay blocks, among other

tools and supplies. I also have a miniature pastry shop room box set

up in one corner, which I use to photograph my pieces in their

“natural habitat,” and my laptop and a stack of cookbooks, which I

use for inspiration, are never far from reach.

Perhaps one of the best things about my workspace is the abundance

of natural light, which is not only a pleasure to work in, but it also

makes for wonderful photographs; however, if given a magic wand,

the one thing I would change about my space would be the storage

capabilities. I never seem to have enough room for my ever-growing

stock of supplies, and I would kill for a Martha Stewart-esque room

devoted entirely to my miniatures. In the meantime, I am quite

happy to spend my days crafting tiny tarts and other diminutive desserts on my “tabletop studio,” and I’m very

excited to see what this New Year will bring for The Mouse Market!

Mo Tipton

If you would like to find out more about the beautiful miniatures that Mo creates,

why not visit her website & Blog: http://themousemarket.com/ Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/mousemarket

Or contact Mo via her website/shop or [email protected] Photographs & Text © Mo Tipton 2010


The Green Hedgehog...The Green Hedgehog...The Green Hedgehog... Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...Project...

Daffodils...

You will need: 6 petal punch (mine was 5 so

we have to adapt it) Yellow and green paper

Foam pad Ball stylus

Wire Toothpicks Tacky glue Scissors

Dark yellow/light orange paint Varnish (matt) to seal flowers

STEP 1...

Using a scrap booking punch, punch out 7

petals. You will notice that this punch should

have 6 petals so we are going to add another

petal into the cutouts by cutting a slit into

the flower and gluing in another petal (cut

from the 2 extra pieces).

Use ball stylus to shape. Glue flowers onto

wires. Dry.

1:12th

Welcome to this new regular project column, written by AIM Member Louise Win. This month Louise brings us the next installment of her new regular series with the second part of her fantastic ‘Tree Stump’ project.





STEP 2...

Cut strips of paper and roll around a

toothpick. Use a tiny bit of glue to add the

rolled piece onto the petals. Dry.

STEP 3...

Cut leaves from a rectangular piece of paper,

shaping 3 leaves next to each other (see

picture) and then roll around the wire.

Alternatively you could cut separate leaves

(different lengths) and glue onto wires. Add

separately into scene.

STEP 4...

Paint the bell part of the flower for depth . Set

into scene.




Bird: Bulbul... The basics of this tutorial can be adapted to any bird you

wish to make.

You will need: Fine wire available at scrap booking outlets

Good reference book for the bird you wish to make

Polymer clay colors as required for your birds Pastel powder colors

Varnish STEP 1...

Take a piece of thin wire, bend to the length of the bird (a good

book is invaluable here - it will give you the length of the bird) and

bend as in the picture. The wire legs will be very long - this will

allow you to hold the bird whilst assembling it. If the wire legs are

the right length, you will not be able to work with it.

If you would like to find out more about AIM member Louise Win, why not visit her website:

http://louisewinminiatures.weebly.com

Text & Images © Louise Win 2010 Artisans In Miniature 87



STEP 2...

Make up the main colors of the body of bird. Look carefully at your

reference picture.

Here I have taken the gray underbelly and added a touch of yellow for

under the tail. You will notice the head and tail pieces in black and the

wings in brown. Once you start assembling the bird, you will constantly nip

bits off to keep the size perfect.

STEP 3... (FINAL)

Add pastel powder colors to the wings etc to match the photo.

Remember, don't panic if your bird's body is a bit large - when birds have

bathed they fluff themselves up so you could add feathering by scratching

the fimo. Bake. When cool, lightly varnish. Add water into stump and other

birds or hedgehog etc. Have fun!

I hope you have enjoyed this project. Please email me any ideas for future projects. Mini Hugs, Louise - [email protected]

Mini Makes!

Secret Garden A ‘Major Make’ With Mini Makes…

Finally spring has arrived and I hope it has inspired you to make the first part of the Secret Garden that we showed you in last months AIM Magazine. This month we will show you how to finish off your garden.

You might also like to look back over previous issues of the magazine and use some of the projects that we have previously shared with you.

Please read all instructions carefully before you begin.

Mini Makes...

Cardboard box card Small paper flowers (Hobbycraft)

Green paper (Sugar paper or Tissue Paper)

PVA Scissors

An Old CD Tea leaves

Ready mixed filler

Paint (grey, brown, white) Moss

Small Stones Small Box

Cocktail Stick Thin Card Blue Tack

Pencil

Stepping Stones...

By AIM Member, Debie Lyons

Part Two!

Materials needed...


The first step (no pun intended LOL) is to cut out several rough circles or ovals of box card. Cover them with ready mixed filler and put to one side to dry.

When they are dry paint them different shades of grey, let them dry and then glue them in place in your garden.

Take some moss and glue it in some areas around the stones.


The pond is made from an old CD, (you might need to get an adult to do this for you) cut a small oval from your CD. Stick the oval in place in your garden and then decorate

around its edge with small stones and moss. If you don’t have a CD you can always make your pond from a piece of card covered in foil.

I have, for this project used some small pre made flowers but found that they lacked extra leaves along their stems, so I decided to add extra. I took some sugar paper and cut some small extra leaves

then I glued them in place along the flower’s stems. I also twisted some flowers together and added leaves at the joins to make them look more realistic.

Then I put a thick line of PVA Glue along the back wall of the garden and used tea leaves to create a flower border. While the glue was still wet I bent the ends of each flower into right angles and then put them into the fake soil. It is important to let this dry before you do anything else. If the fake dirt in the border doesn’t look deep enough or is covering the base of the flowers you can add more layers of PVA and tea leaves. If some of you flowers are still floppy you can also use additional glue to fix them to the wall of the garden.

To make the little birdhouse I have used a small box that I bought from hobby craft. I drew a triangle on the front and then at the base of the triangle two lines either side

of the box (see picture), cut along these lines.

Then take a piece of card for the roof score it in the middle and tape it in place. The little perch is a piece of cocktail stick; you might need to get an adult to cut this for you. To make the hole for the perch I took a piece of blue tack put it at the back of the house and then pushed a pencil into the box from the other side. The blue tack stops you hurting your fingers with the pencil.

Pond...

Flowers & Flower Bed...

Bird House...

When you have finished putting the house together paint it and then stick it to the wall of your garden.

Happy Mini-ing Everyone...

Please note – although the projects in this column are for

children, adult supervision is recommended at all times.

The author cannot be held responsible for any accidents

arising from these projects and cannot take responsibility

for the final outcome of the project.

Text & Photographs © Debie Lyons 2010 Artisans In Miniature 90

Happy mini making and don’t forget we would love

to see your projects and what you have made.

Please send all images to Debie Lyons:

[email protected]

All projects are intended for

children 14 years old and over.

10 am, Sunday, March 14, 2010 at the Japanese Canadian

Cultural Centre in Toronto saw the start of the 22nd annual

Willowdale MiniMakers Miniature Show.

With just under 20 exhibitors/dealers showcasing Canadian

artisan miniatures of all kinds, it was an intimate and

enjoyable time for those behind and in front of the tables.

Three members of AIM were amongst the exhibitors: Martha

McLean with her fabulous flowers...

www.marthamcleanminiatures.com

...Glen & Nancy Anderson with their wonderful furniture and

a very special little miniature of their own...

www.keendersonminiatures.com

...and Westwinds Miniatures (yours truly) with all things

"girlie" and accessorized furniture.

In spite of the rain (or perhaps because of it) and it being the

beginning of the March break holiday for students, the

collectors came in a steady stream until the last hour. All in

all, it was a good day and a show that we will look forward to

next year.

Julie & Brian Dewar - Westwinds Miniatures

Please, take a moment to view our photo gallery...

http://picasaweb.google.com/westwindsminiatures




By AIM Member, Shelly Norris

Headboards & Foot-board by

Grandt Line # 356 (I purchased mine from The Vintage Dollhouse) Small Piece of foam core

Bedding *NOTE: This little tutorial focuses more on the flowers rather

than dressing the bed.

For the flowery vines you will need:

Fingernail polish or Acrylic paint/Sobo mix

Fine beading wire

Toothpick

In Quarter Scale...

Faux Flowery Iron Bed

Materials...

Top tip… You always want to twist the tool and wire counter clockwise or your twists will

not hold...

Step 1: Pull out a piece of wire approximately 6” long, do not cut it from the spool,

with your toothpick in your dominant hand, place the beginning of your wire in front

of the tool and go up and over the toothpick. So you should have the end of your wire in front of the tool and

the rest behind the tool.

Step 2: Grasp both wires just below the tool and twist counter clockwise, repeat for 3 twists, this is your first

leaf eventually.

Step 3: Remove your tool from the loop and repeat step 1, only this time we want 2 leaves closer together,

so this is how to do that, wrap your wire around

the tool, do 1 twist under the tool, wrap your wire

again and twist 3 times. Keep moving down the

wire until you have a length of wire leaves 2”-2

1/2” or to fit your bed frame.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1 – 3 for the foot-board.

Step 5: Now, you have your leaf vine. Let's make

leaves. Take a pair of fine pointed tweezers and

grasp the top of your loop (furthest part of loop

away from twist) and gently twist slightly with the

tweezers to create a point in your leaf.

Leaves...



Step 6: When you get to the sets of leaves you will need to lay the leaf down before creating the point, and the way to do this is to grasp each loop and twist counterclockwise until flat. Now put the points in. Step 7: Repeat for your second leaf vine.

Step 1: Repeat Step one from the leaves section. Step 2: Grasp both wires with one hand and twist 1 time counterclockwise. DO NOT

REMOVE LOOP. Now go back up and over your tool close to the first loop and repeat. Repeat until you have 4 loops on tool, at the 4th loop when you twist you will want to twist 3 times. Now remove loops carefully from your tool. Step 3: Move down your wire approximately 1/4” and repeat Step 2 until your flower vine is the same length as your leaf vine. Step 4: Repeat the vine a second time. Step 5: We need to now lay each flower petal down so that we can shape them into a flower. For these we want just a tiny point in each petal...keep them more rounded. When you have them shaped to your satisfaction make sure that each petal is NOT touching the others. *The picture shown (above right) does not represent the 4 petal flowers and we want the petals more rounded than this.

Step 1: If you are going to use fingernail polish, I would do the green first on the stems and leaves. To fill the leaves go at an angle across the petals. It make take 2 coats to completely cover the wire. Step 2: To use the acrylic paints and sobo, just put a little glue onto a paper plate and add a

drop or 2 of paint, completely mix these together. For the green leaves, Paint one side with this mixture in-cluding the stems. Hang to dry. You will want to do the fronts and the backs but you have to let one side dry before doing the other. Step 3: For the flowers, repeat the above steps depending on which way your are doing them. Flowers you only paint the backs. Let all dry completely before moving to the next steps.

Step 1: First you will need to shape your flower vine. You do this by gently grasping each petal of the flower and pull them up so that they are closer together, give them a slightly cupped shape, I also put a dab of glue in the center and add some yellow or brown

flocking. Step 2: Take one leaf vine and one flower vine, lay the flowers on top of the leaves and gently twist them together.

Attach the completed vines to your bed frame by weaving the flowers and leaves in and out of the frames and doing a spot glue here and there where needed. Make your mattress to fit the bed by cutting foam core. I used superglue to attach to the frames. Use thin materials for the sheets and covers.

These could also be wound up and glued to a bed post on a canopy bed.

Shelly Norris

Flowers...

Painting...

Assembly...


To view more of Sherry’s lovely miniatures, why not visit her website; ‘Alibaba's Miniature Art’ www.alibabasdollhouseminiatures.vstore.ca

Text & Photographs © Shelly Norris 2010

The Miniature...

New AIM Members

We would like to extend a warm welcome to the

following new members who have joined AIM in the

past month:

A LITTLE HEAD START… New from Mel Koplin

Mel will be introducing a little “Head Start” at the Chicago International this month. Overlapping wire spoke wheels with brass and cherry wood chassis and suspension have a platform predrilled for floral wire and another for those who would rather drill in their own pattern. Primarily for those working with wicker but not confident with brass and wood this is NOT a kit. Rather a collaboration, between Mel and you. Wicker design and creation are up to you. No advance orders are being accepted but Mel is happy to answer questions addressed to

[email protected]

dinosaurs…! Newly available from Wendy's Miniatures, tiny laser cut tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops and woolly mammoth models that look super in 1:12 scale.

www.wendysminiatures.com

Dancing in the meadow...

Angelique Miniatures is proud to present the second in her limited edition miniature dolls “the Dancing Years”

This 12th scale miniature porcelain ballerina is dressed to perfection by Louise Goldsborough. This pretty blonde ballerina wears a colourful Alpine style costume of blue red and ivory pure silk embellished with fancy braid, delicate cotton lace

and tiny red bows. Each doll is supplied on a painted removable stand and comes with her own numbered limited edition card. Limited edition of only 5.

Visit Louise’s website to order:

www.angeliqueminiatures.co.uk

miniature dog...

If you are looking for a miniature dog to bring life to your miniature setting you cant go wrong with this wonderful border collie .

Visit Pearl’s website to see more

www.literatureinminiature.co.uk

Elfi Cella Mel Koplin

Dawn Schiller Marsha West

Melanie Navarro Tony Broadwood

Glen Anderson Dolores van den Acker

Vanesa Pizarro Tori West Robert Off

Jane Laverick

NEW

GRAPEVINEGRAPEVINE


New Patterns from New Patterns from

La Petite Belle paterns…La Petite Belle paterns… There are three new patterns for April . A contemporary wedding gown with woven ribbon skirt . An instruction book for completing the hose, tap panties (French knickers) and double ruffle garter. A man’s pattern depicting John Singer Sargents painting of Lord Ribblesdale.

All patterns contain patterns directions and diagrams. The man’s pattern contains patterns, directions and diagrams to complete mock stockings, boots , pants, shirt, vest, coat, hat and riding whip.

Kathi Mendenhall , IGMA Artisan La Petite Belle Patterns

www.minipatterns.com

Greater Cleveland show

usa… AIM members Wendy Smale of Wendy's Miniatures: www.wendysminiatures.com

and Linda Master of Miracle Chicken Urns www.miraclechickenurns.com

will be at the Greater Cleveland Miniature Show, USA, on Sunday, April 25th. Wendy makes and sells pure silk pillows and natural history in miniature, Linda does incredible carvings and paintings. This will be Linda's first ever show, so a wonderful opportunity to see her work in person. Show details can be found at:

www.clevelandminiatureshow.org

New spring New spring

crochet crochet

patternspatterns 1/12th scale crochet pattern CP 52 to make crochet Daffodils, Narcissi and Basket £ 2.00 available now from

http://store.buttercupminiatures.co.uk/ www.buttercupminiatures.co.uk

April event in Argentina... Punto Sur Miniaturas will be taking part at ExpoHobby 3 with an exhibition table this April. The event is going to take place in April 15th, 16th and 17th from 13hrs to 21 hrs, Sarmiento 1867, Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is a great opportunity to approach to a hobby which is slowly growing in Argentina, yet not widely know. They will be showing several different pieces and presenting the schedules for workshops related to simple furniture making, miniature plants and flowers, miniature dogs and a single scene. Ernesto has said they will be glad to meet you if you attend the show, so do not hesitate into intro-ducing yourself to the ones wearing the "Punto Sur Miniaturas" badge.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ernestobaldini http://puntosurminiaturas.blogspot.


The post Box The post Box At AIM, we love to hear what our readers think of our magazine and of our member’s wonderful miniatures.

Maybe you have followed a project and are thrilled with the results ? Maybe you have been inspired by something you've seen in the magazine ? If you would like to share your news and views with us, please email Julie at

[email protected] (Please remember to put ‘The Post Box’ in the subject header of the email)

AIM Magazine Reader Wanna sent in this letter... Please extend my compliments to all those who participated in putting your online magazine together. It is uniformly excellent each month, and the photography is the best I've seen!

Wanna

http://wannainelpaso.com/latest_projects/index.shtml

Alice in wonderland...

Alice in Wonderland fans will love these new minis by AIM member Jean Day

If you would like to find out more about Jean’s stunning miniatures, why not visit her website for more information...

www.jdayminis.com

1:48th scale from

Petite properties ltd…!

Petite properties are delighted to announce that their latest 1:48th scale Book & Kit package: Flower Pot Cottage will be released for sale ‘ONLINE’ on their website on Tuesday 6th April - alongside the much anticipated first project book in their new ‘Making Furniture In 1:48th’ series!

Flower Pot Cottage: Book & Kit Package is p r i c e d a t a n

unrivalled £26.99 and the ‘Making Dolls House Furniture In 1:48th Scale…’ booklet is priced at

only £5.99!!

Why not order yours today?

www.petite-properties.com


Don’t Miss A Thing!

All FREE and fully downloadable at:


Fabulous FREE projects; written exclusively by

AIM members!!!

Written by artisans Enjoyed by miniaturists...!Please Note:

The projects included in this publication are not suitable for children under the age of 14* The miniatures featured in this magazine are collectors items and therefore unsuitable for children under 14*.

All projects are undertaken at your own risk. AIM does not accept responsibility for any injury incurred. All articles and photographs used in this magazine are copyright of their authors.

The AIM magazine’s content is for private use only and it must not be reproduced in part or in full for commercial gain in any form.

Each artisan contributor is responsible for their own work / contribution to the AIM magazine and retain full responsibility for their published work.

The authors/self publishers cannot be held legally responsible for any consequences arising from following instructions, advice or information in this magazine.

*with the exception of the Mini AIMers feature which is written especially for children under 14.

COMING nEXT MONTH…


See you again next month…!

Ana Anselmo Annemarie Kwikkel ‘Aunt Anastasia’

Bea (Fiona) Broadwood Béatrice Thierus

Carol Lester Christa Chayata Christina Berry

Debbe Mize Debbie Wright Debie Lyons

Ernesto Baldini Frances Powell

Francesca Vernuccio Grace Griffin Hazel Dowd Helen Woods

Helena Bleeker Jain Squires Jane Harrop

Janet Harmsworth Janine Crocker Julie Campbell

Julie & Brian Dewar Kathi Mendenhall

Kathy Brindle Kiva Atkinson

Linda Cummings Linda Gale Louise Win

Mags Cassidy Maia Bisson

Margaret Pitts Mary Godfrey

Mary Williams Mel Koplin

Melanie Navarro Mo Tipton

Montse Vives Nicky Cooper

Pauline Everett Philippa Todd Sally Watson

Sarah Maloney Shelly Norris

Stéphanie Kilgast Teresa Thompson

Vicky Guile

Viola Williams

This issue would not have been possible without the generous contributions from the following AIM members…

Many thanks therefore go to...

aim mag issue 22 april 2010

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