aim mag issue 14

Contents… August 2009: Issue No 14 ‐ Cover Image: By Lidi Stroud

Regular Features… 1 Editor’s Note: Read Bea Broadwood’s introduction & welcome to this month’s edition of the Artisans In Miniature FREE ‘downloadable’ magazine! 8 ‘AIM’ Pleased To Meet You: Get to know more about AIM member and doll artisan Julie Campbell when you read her answers to our questions. 22 Antique & Vintage Corner: Celia Thomas takes an in depth look at Dolls House Kitchen Furniture circa 1920s ‐1960s 35 Crafty Tips: Learn the tricks of the miniature trade. 36 Well, It Happened To An Artisan: Read about the often strange lives of AIM members. 42 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 Bea’s (Fiona) Broadwood’s workshop hideaway at the bottom of her cottage garden. 68 Mini Aimers: Written and compiled by Margaret Pitts especially for younger miniaturists and the artisans of the future. 82 The Miniature Grapevine: Catch up on all the latest news and announcements from the international miniature world.

Special Features… 2 Cover story: AIM member Lidi Stroud tells us about her fabulous miniature lamps and her obsession with all things miniature. 7 Traditional Ham & Pease Pudding Stotties Food Artisan Vicky Guile tells us more about this traditional food from the North East of England. 10 Famous Faces: Doll Artisan and AIM member Julie Campbell explains why she has a soft spot for recreating ‘famous faces’ in miniature. 13 Tea At The Ritz: AIM member and food artisan Philippa Todd lifts the lid on her ‘appetizing’ method of research! 14 Dresser Tips: AIM member and food artisan Carol Smith shares her top tips on how to create a filled dresser. 28 A Painter’s Life Abroad: AIM member and miniature artist Sandra Croft tell us why she loves living and painting in Portugal’s Algarve region.

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30 Navigating The Golden Age Of Travel: AIM member Fran Casselman shares her guide to life’s little necessities for the well appointed traveller. 38 AIM’s Summer Gallery: This month we have a packed gallery of AIM members’ creations which celebrate the best of a summer in miniature. 46 Shells & Miniatures: AIM member Wendy Smale explores and celebrates the use of shells within the miniature world. 49 Mermaids ‐ Truth Or Fantasy? AIM member Louise Goldsborough recall her possible encounter... 50 Lighthouses: AIM member Margaret Pitts shares her personal fascination for these life saving coastal properties. 52 Maritime Discovery: AIM member Robin Britton tells us more about the history behind a very interesting nautical commission. 57 Japan Calling: AIM member and doll artisan Cheryl Clingen shares her recent trip to a Teddy Bear Convention in Japan. 58 Clotted Cream & Cottages: Professional author and dolls house builder Bea (Fiona) Broadwood shares her Cornish adventures and takes a closer look at the coastal architecture of the beautiful ‘west country’. 63 The History Of Knitting: AIM member Frances Powell tells us more about this traditional and much loved craft.. 72 Stars In Their Eyes… Miniature Ones!: AIM members celebrate with a gallery of famous ‘doll’ faces.

Free Projects… 16 Kitchen Curtain: Dutch AIM member Wilga van den Wijngaart shares

her pattern for a 1:12th scale kitchen curtain.. 18 Breaded Ham: AIM member Vicky Guile shares her fabulous

technique for a realistic breaded ham. 55 Medieval Chest: AIM member and professional author Jane Harrop teaches how to create your very own realistic miniature chest in 1:12th scale. 66 Knitted Bathing Costume: AIM member Frances Powel shares her seasonal knitting pattern for traditional beach attire. 80 Child’s Dress Project: AIM member Kathi Mendenhall shares her lovely little project for a highly versatile child’s dress.

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Artisans In Miniature ?

Artisans In Miniature 8

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 Fiona (Bea) Broadwood of Petite Properties, the site has been created in order to showcase the fantastic work of the individual professional international artisan members who create beautiful and original scale miniatures for sale to the public. Together they form the Artisans In Miniature association. Since its launch the AIM association has rapidly grown and now boasts membership of over 190, including some of the most talented artisans within the miniature world! On the website you will find further information about them and their work; however, please note new pages are constantly being added and there are many mem‐bers 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 productionTeam

(in 'first name' alphabetical order)

Bea (Fiona Broadwood) Editor: Editor's note

(Layout & Format Designer) office@petite‐properties.com

Celia Thomas

Features Editor Coordinator: The Miniature Grapevine / Antique & Vintage Corner [email protected]

Margaret Pitts AIM Columnist

New children's feature: Mini AIMers

[email protected]

Robin Britton AIM Columnist:

Crafty Tips / Yes It Happened To An Artisan / Artisan Street

[email protected]

Sandra Morris AIM Columnist:

Tales From The Toy Cupboard [email protected]

(Regular 'Author of' information

given in italics)

Please note all AIM members contribute to the magazine…

Dear Reader At the time of writing this introduction to the August issue of the AIM

magazine, I am holed up in my workshop, taking refuge from yet another

deluge of heavy rain. All of which has left me wondering – where on earth

has summer gone?

I don’t know about other UK residents, but after such a promising start to

summer, here in rural Lincolnshire I was just getting used to the whole flip

flops and sun hats vibe, when summer appears to have stuttered to an

abrupt and very wet halt...

So far, the middle of the summer calendar has been punctuated by puddles

and shrouded in rain clouds... even the birds in my garden look like they

are daydreaming about the waterproof properties of the humble

Wellington boot...

But despite the current damp gloom, I am really proud to be able to

introduce the August edition of the AIM magazine, which is without doubt

our biggest issue to date.

Rejuvenated by a collective summer break last month, AIM members have

really gone to town, contributing masses of fantastic content which we

have had to shoe‐horn into this truly bumper edition.

As you can see from the expanded contents page, members have filled

each and every page to the brim with the very essence of summer, all in

miniature of course!

So whether you are bathed in warm and balmy sunshine or, like the birds

in my garden sheltering from the heavy rain, why not settle down, put your

feet up and enjoy this very special edition of the AIM magazine and let the

members of AIM, bring summer time to you…

Bea

Editor (& General whip cracker) August 2009 www.petite‐properties.com



Where to start?

A bit like the Bermuda Triangle really, where things

happen, seemingly out of your conscious control…….then

wham! All of a sudden you’re doing something you really

love and wonder why you didn’t discover it centuries ago!

I met Peter (partner) 30 years ago in Papua New Guinea

and at the time he was dabbling in model planes and trains.

This unwittingly set the wheels in motion towards much bigger and better things – although we didn’t know

it at the time.

Basket making & how I got there...

By AIM Member; Lidi Stroud

Photo 1

15 years later, we found ourselves in

Nambucca Heads, a small coastal town on the

east coast of New South Wales, Australia, half

way between Sydney and Brisbane.

We bought a gift shop here when we first

arrived and in it were a few pieces of dolls

house furniture of dubious origin and before

we knew what had happened, the shop had

evolved into a miniatures‐only haven.

And of course, I met Helen Beale. Helen is a

real life (RL) basket artisan who teaches and

lectures both nationally and internationally on

the art of basket making! She is awesome

and makes the most wonderful cane

sculptures, baskets, wall hangings, bags – just

about anything – out of cane, fine wire, silver

– the list goes on! Anyway, one day Helen

casually mentioned that she was going to run

a basket‐making workshop for beginners and

why didn’t I come along. Well, why not

thought I, it could be fun. Little did I know!

That was many years ago, and I still join her

occasional weaving groups because it’s so

much fun to brain storm and I just love picking

Helen’s brains. I must mention that Helen’s

workshops are always a hoot! You have the

RL cane basket makers wrestling with their

cane baskets in much the same way as you

would wrestle an octopus, and me sitting in

the corner with my thread! It always makes

me giggle!

Helen was relentless – she made sure that I

made my miniature baskets just the way a RL

basket was done. I was allowed no short cuts

just because my baskets were tiny!

The hours spent learning how to do borders

correctly were many but I am so grateful to

Helen for sharing her knowledge with me and

I blame her totally for my addiction to making

mini baskets!

Artisans In Miniature ??

Photo 4

Photo 3

Photo 2

I use different techniques on my baskets – depending on the style of basket I am making. All my formal baskets

e.g. lidded picnic baskets, shopping baskets, egg baskets are made on a cane frame. However, the finest cane I

can get is way too thick, so the tedious task of sanding and cutting the cane has to be completed before I can

even form the frame of a basket. Then the stakes have to be added as I weave.

My twined baskets – such as the African pots etc are all made using waxed linen threads and embellished with

delica beads or bits of shell or feathers, depending on the basket.

The miniature lobster pots are made using wire for the stakes, simply because cane cannot be turned on itself

without breaking when working in this size.

Finding the appropriate materials for making miniature baskets has been and continues to be my greatest

challenge. I am continually experimenting with this aspect of the craft and I’m sure that this process will never

end.

Artisans In Miniature 4 Photo 6

Photo 5

Photo 8

Photo 7

Lidi Stroud - A Very Brief “About Me”...

I am of Czech descent, born and raised in Bangkok,

Thailand and I spent my senior school years in the

UK (Tiverton, Devon and then in London). Now I

consider myself to be a dinky die Aussie and

wouldn’t want to live anywhere else! I love the

sunshine and warmth and the people, but I

sometimes wish we had more miniature happen‐

ings here!

We do have a miniatures group here in Nambucca

– about 10 people in all. Some travel 100 plus

kilometres to attend meetings – which happen

once a month. The group always has a major project which we display at the

Sydney Miniatures Fair every May and that is always a lot of fun.

My favourite period in the miniature world is Tudor – I love buildings with lots of

character and my favourite scale is 1:12. I just love putting in all the detail and

I try to do this with my baskets too! My whole family is involved in this wonderful hobby. Peter makes

flickering fires and lights – and also makes federation style furniture – and of course he builds dolls

houses. Jessica – my 19 year old – loves working with fimo and makes some lovely food. I’m covered!!

I love this miniature hobby of ours – it has provided me with lots of years’ worth of happy times, and the

opportunity to meet many lovely like‐minded people.

I have included some photos of my baskets and hope you enjoy looking at them!

Contact: [email protected]

Website: http://www.intominis.com

http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/lidistroud

© Copyright of all text and photos in this feature belong to Lidi Stroud

Photo 1 ‐ A selection of all cane baskets

Photo 2 ‐ Showing detail on the bottom of an African style basket – so that when you look into the pot, the design is seen

Photo 3 ‐ A potato basket and carpet beater

Photo 4 ‐ A selection of waxed linen baskets on one of Peter’s federation tables

Photo 5 ‐ An array of lobster pots and fish traps along with fish net made using sewing cotton

Photo 6 ‐ Lidded picnic basket and butterfly basket on the table with a laundry basket, 2 waxed shopping baskets and 2 fowl baskets Photo 7 ‐ Selection of twined African style baskets and pots made using waxed linen thread, delica beads and Australian gumnuts Photo 8 ‐ A selection of baskets

Photo 9 ‐ A pair of fowl baskets

Photo 10 ‐ Shopping baskets – made on a cane frame and stakes and woven with waxed linen thread

Photo 11 ‐ An Egg (or buttocks) Basket – made on a cane frame and stakes and woven with waxed linen thread

Photo 10

Photo 9

Photo 11


Traditional Ham & Pease Pudding Stotties from the North East of England...

By AIM Member, Vicky Guile

Stotties (or stotty cakes) are a common type of bread in the North East of England. Typically about 10 inches in diame‐

ter, these flat breads have a soft, floured crust and are doughy in texture. The name “stottie” comes from the Northern

(or Geordie) slang word “stot”, which means to throw or bounce – it is alleged that many years ago the baker would

throw (stot) the bread dough at the floor to check the consistency before baking. Another theory is that the name origi‐

nates from the thought that the bread would bounce (or stot) if dropped.

A ham stottie doesn’t quite seem complete without pease pudding, a thick paste made from split peas which have been

simmered in the stock from a boiled ham hock. To make pease pudding you will need...

250g of dried split yellow peas, 1 ham hock, A little butter. Soak the split peas overnight in water. Place the ham hock in a large stockpot, cover with water, bring to the boil and

then simmer for 2 hours. Carefully remove the ham and place to one side (no wastage in a Northern kitchen ‐ this ham

would be used for sandwiches or as an ingredient for soup). Rinse and drain the split peas and add to the ham hock

stock. Bring back to the boil and simmer on a very low heat for 30 minutes. Sieve the cooked split peas, saving a little of

the liquor. Place the peas in to a large bowl with a tablespoon of butter and beat until smooth with a wooden spoon, if

the peas are too thick to beat smooth work in a tablespoon of the reserved stock at a time. Grease an ovenproof dish

with a little butter, pour the pea mixture into the dish, smooth out and then bake at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for 30 min‐

utes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before refrigerating.

Leftover pease pudding also makes a good accompaniment to roast beef and is quite often fried before adding to hot

Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold,

Some like it hot,Some like it cold,

Some like it in the pot nine days old...

©Copyright of photo belongs to Vicky Guile Artisans In Miniature 7

‘AIM’ Pleased To Meet You...

This month, doll-maker, Julie Campbell tells us a little about herself...

Can you tell us a bit about your life before Miniatures? I worked for British Gas until my eldest son was born, then I chose to be a stay‐at‐home mum. I was able to indulge my lifelong passion for arts and crafts and really enjoyed needlework and DIY.

As a child, what were your favourite toys? Dolls ! I remember my first tiny tears doll went everywhere with me. Later, I became very keen on puppets, Pelham Puppets in particular, the witch was my favourite . I then moved on to fashion dolls and even now have a wonderful collection of Mary Quant’s “Daisy” dolls and accessories.

What attracted you to miniatures in the first place? I’ve always loved tiny things. As a child I would make little creatures to live in matchbox houses and tiny dolls out of scraps of felt. Then when my children were small I would make little creatures from play dough. I had no idea about the miniature hobby at first and knew nobody else with a dollshouse that didn’t belong to their children. It was only on discovering some miniature magazines at a car boot sale some years ago that I realised I wasn’t the only adult out there with a passion for miniatures!

What was your first purchase? A set of copper pans

What miniature item do you most covet? A baby by Catherine Muniere

Who do you most admire in the miniature world? This is a difficult one as I admire so many people. I especially admire those who teach their craft and share their knowledge so must mention Jodi and Richard Creager and Jamie Carrington, but the list really is too long to write down ! Artisans In Miniature 8

What made you decide to specialise in dolls? I realised I couldn’t afford any of the dolls I really liked for my own dolls house . A visit to the library to find out about making miniature dolls inspired me to try and I found polymer clay very easy to work with. I love everything about dollmaking; not only does it involve different aspects such as sculpting, wigging, painting and costuming but also there is the joy of creating a totally unique little character every time!

Have you had any unusual commissions? Lots ! I recently had a commission from some customers to populate a brothel , one of whom was an old man in long johns with an air of expectation…

Do you have any hobbies unrelated to miniatures? Painting and decorating my full size home. I enjoy patchwork and cross‐stitching and also collect full size antique dolls .

Any phobias? Forgetting my table cloths ! I have a recurring dream leading up to a fair . It is always the same, I arrive at the fair, unpack and realise I have forgotten my table cloths. I run round frantically trying to find some and wake in a cold sweat! So far it has never happened in real life …

Fantasies? Sun streaming through the windows, I sit sculpting a wonderful commission worth hundreds of pounds. The cats don’t need feeding, the phone doesn’t ring, a salesman doesn’t knock at the door… my nearly grown‐up kids don’t run round me play fighting and asking when I am cooking tea… I don’t trip over one of the afore mentioned cats en route to the oven and squash my lovingly sculpted doll parts… ah, its good to dream !

Have a look at Julie’s fantastic work on her website:

http://www.bellabelledolls.co.uk/ or email Julie: [email protected]



As a doll maker and collector I have always been drawn to “celebrity” dolls and dolls based on famous fictional characters.

There i s something fascinating about seeing a famous face recreated in miniature. Toy manufacturers cottoned on to this many years ago and toys based on favourite characters have always proved very popular. Today a visit to any toyshop will find shelves full of “Barbie “ style pop band members and play characters from popular movies and T.V. programmes.

As a doll maker, many things inspire me but I’ve always enjoyed recreating faces, whether they are ones I’ve seen when out shopping, or those from the silver screen. My first celebrity doll was Marilyn Monroe. I grew up with films such as “Some like it hot” and “Gentlemen prefer blondes” and always loved Marilyn’s vulnerable beauty. I chose to portray her as she looked in the famous “Ballet” photos, barefoot in her tutu and so beautiful.

It was such fun making her and she is one of the few dolls I have kept for myself. Since then I have made many more famous faces and have an

ever‐growing list still to do.

Some are easier to do than others; Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd has such a distinctive look that was not hard to replicate. Jack Sparrow was another character who was easily recognisable from his hair, clothing and make up.

However some are more difficult; David Jason as Delboy was a lot more difficult, as in repose, his face isn’t instantly recognisable ‐‐ it’s

all in the cocky expression and faces he pulls.

I recently made Laurel and Hardy and wanted them both to be smiling. I am happy with the dolls, but Stan Laurel looks more authentic than Oliver Hardy, because Oliver would usually be pulling a face! It’s always a challenge creating a celebrity doll but it’s always so much fun and I can’t wait to start work on the next one!

Famous Faces…

By AIM Member: Julie Campbell

Del Boy & Rodney

Marilyn Monroe Laurel & Hardy

Jack Sparrow


I asked a few of my doll maker friends and fellow AIM members what inspired them to make celebrity dolls and here’s what

they had to say.

Eileen Sedgwick Eileen creates her look‐alike dolls in 12th scale “Famous Faces are wonderful to

make...I’ve done 50 so far, mainly of characters from films and television, musicians, historical figures, and

people from p a i n t i n g s . Usually they are my choice of someone I like or admire, something maybe which has beautiful fabric, has pathos, or are just really funny, like the “Fawlties”. It adds an extra richness to your work if you recognise a specific individual... my Tudor man I like better because he looks like Henry VIII, the young woman perched on the edge of the stage with her ‘beehive’ hair is more appealing to me as she looks like Amy Winehouse! People do usually smile when they recognise someone familiar transformed to a tiny scale...I’m not sure why but it’s just funny! It’s interesting to try to pick apart what makes a person appear the way they do...why we instantly recognise them. The clothes, hairstyle, facial expressions, accessories, and whole pose, as well as the facial features have to all come together if it’s going to work.....it’s difficult, but such good fun to try to pull it off!”

Julie Kendall of Jakdaw’s Attic AIM member Julie makes her look‐alike dolls in both 12th and 24th scale.

“I guess for me, inspiration to sculpt someone famous comes from a few things but I think it goes a long way if you like the character in some form or other to begin with. I find interesting or unusual features mixed with personality, humour or drama, go a long way towards wanting to re‐create someone in clay.

My first attempt at a famous character was when I made my first 24th scale doll earlier this year. I got so carried away attempting to get the scale right that I had no idea or gave no forethought to who the doll was going to be. It was only after she was fired that she became Lily Munster.

I was so excited after she was finished, that I just had to try my hand at a 12th scale Lily and her husband Herman. I loved the Munster series and now also have Grandpa in the making.

Harry Hill

Dame Edna

I am looking forward to creating Blackadder and Baldrick from the Blackadder II series. These two have such wonderful faces and costumes that they are going to be a joy to sculpt and a challenge to dress. All this comedy research is such hard work!

It’s not always easy to capture a character and personality but it’s always exciting when you do see that miniature likeness appear from your block of clay.”

For details of contributors, please see below:

Marilyn, Jack Sparrow, Laurel & Hardy and Del boy dolls by Julie Campbell:

www.bellabelledolls.co.uk

Dame Edna, Fawlty Towers and Harry Hill dolls by Eileen Sedgwick:

www.eileensedgwick.com

Herman and 24th scale Lily dolls by Julie Kendall:

www.freewebs.com/jakdaws

©Copyright of all photos and text in this feature belong to each individual contributor


Herman Lily (1:24th Scale)

Tea at the Ritz.

By AIM Member, Philippa Todd.

I was asked to teach a workshop around the theme of "tea time" and as the conversation pro‐gressed, the suggestion came up as to whether the class could feature the tea served at the Ritz Hotel in London. It seemed a good idea so I contacted the hotel. Once the lady had stopped laughing, after my somewhat long‐winded explanation as to why I wished to come to the hotel and take photographs of a "tea" and also take measurements of the cakes and scones, the hotel staff could not have been more accommodating. A date was set and I arrived at the Ritz at 9.30 am, the arrangement being that I had to be out by the time the restaurant opened at 11.00am. A tea had been prepared for me and I duly took loads of photographs and measured all the dimensions of the cakes, sandwiches and scones. Having completed all the pictures I was asked if I would like the tea, as it would not be used in the restaurant. This resulted in the vaguely surreal experience of me sitting in solitary state in the Palm Court restaurant eating a very fine tea of sandwiches, scones and a variety of cakes at 10.30 am.

The hotel must be accustomed to cus‐tomers not being able to finish their meal as I was given a very up‐market "doggy bag" (a very superior hexagonal box and mono‐grammed carrier bag) to take the re‐mains home with me. The class was very successful and my thanks go to the staff at the Ritz Hotel who made it possi‐ble.

Philippa Todd IGMA Artisan, Member British Toymakers Guild

On How To Create Some Items On This Lovely Filled Dresser

By AIM Member,

Carol Smith

AIM & IGMA Artisan Carol

Smith shares some handy tips

on some of the items that she

created to fill this lovely

dresser.

I am often asked how I

manage to get my work to

look so untidy and cluttered.

Apart from the fact that I am

untidy in real life, I think the

answer has to be that I don’t

plan the outcome.

Plates

In this instance I started with

the plates, which are simply

cut‐out pictures stuck onto

card. By doing this you can

create more individuality than

buying imported plates.

Mini Books

I buy leather coats from charity shops to cut up and

thin down to cover the books. For the pages I buy

inexpensive notepads and cut them down. I then very

carefully thin down the leather with a scalpel knife.

Top Tips...


This takes a lot of practice and you have to be

careful to move the knife away from you

rather than towards yourself ‐‐ be very careful

to keep your fingers out of the way.

t is time consuming but you can create more

individuality. Once the leather is thinned you

cut to size and stick onto your pages with

tacky glue. You may need to put something

such as a heavy book on your mini books until

the glue has dried in order to help them stick

together.

Filled Jars

The glass jars are filled by making the contents

of your choice from polymer clay, harden in

the oven, place in the jar then fill the jar with

resin. The resin, when purchased, comes with

instructions.

You may need to buy some dyes to use with

the resin according to what your chosen filling

is.

I do my own knitting (as per top of dresser)

which is crotchet cotton knitted on fine

miniature needles.

Most of us end up with many bits and pieces

which we have collected in our interest in

miniatures. I simply add items as I come across

them, hence the random messy look!

I do not have a website or a price list as most

of my work is ooak. I do

however have a shop on

Etsy.

My shop name is

STARSGEMINI3.

KITCHEN CURTAIN Suitable for a kitchen window

or kitchen door By Dutch AIM member Wilga van den Wijngaart who

lives in Belgium.

This curtain is worked in a variation of feather and

fan stitch.

Materials used: Venne linen yarn in white and yellow; knitting nee‐dles 1 mm (20); needle; copper rod 1 mm and 2 screw‐eyes.

Wilga says, “The toddler’s clothes as seen in the photos are designed and made by me and the patterns

are in my book: Dollhouse Miniatures 4. Venne linen yarn is available at my shop as are the required

knitting needles.”

NB.Contact details and Wilga’s web address can be found at the end of this project.

Abbreviations and explanations: k = knit

p= purl

ststitch = stocking stitch (knit on right side and purl on back)

yo = yarn over: take thread from the right underneath needle, then over needle and hold to the right

while knitting the next stitch

p2tog = purl 2 stitches together

k2tog = knit 2 stitches together

(yo k1) 5x = yarn over and knit 1 – repeat 5 times

Pattern rows 1 – 17: 1st row: k4, *(yo k1) 5x, yo, k4*, repeat * to * across row

2nd row: p4, *k11, p4*, repeat * to * across row

3rd row: k4, *p11, k4*, repeat * to * across row

4th row: p2, *p2tog, p11, p2tog*, repeat * to * across row (end up with p2)

5th row: k2, *k2tog, k9, k2tog*, repeat * to * across row (end up with k2)

6th row: p2, *p2tog, p7, p2tog*, repeat * to* across row (end up with p2)

7th row: k4, *(yo k1) 5x, yo, k4*, repeat * to * across row

8th row: k4, *p11, k4*, repeat * to * across row

9th row: p2, *p2tog, p11, p2tog*, repeat * to * across row (end up with p2)

10throw: k2, *k2tog, k9, k2tog*, repeat * to * across row (end up with k2)

Knitting Project...


11throw: p2, *p2tog, p7, p2tog*, repeat * to* across row (end up with p2)

12throw: k4, *(yo k1) 5x, yo, k4*, repeat * to * across row

13throw: k4, *p11, k4*, repeat * to * across row

14throw: p2, *p2tog, p11, p2tog*, repeat * to * across row (end up with p2)

15throw: k2, *k2tog, k9, k2tog*, repeat * to * across row (end up with k2)

16throw: p2, *p2tog, p7, p2tog*, repeat * to* across row (end up with p2)

17throw: k4, *(yo k1) 5x, yo, k4*, repeat * to * across row

Working Method: Cast on 40 sts in white and p1

Work all 17 pattern rows in white

Work pattern rows 3 to 17 in yellow

Work pattern rows 3 to 17 in white plus row 3 to 6

To be able to insert the rod: work 11 rows ststitch in white

Cast of in the next row

Making up: Fasten off all loose threads neatly on the back. Wash the curtain in cold water with a soft liquid deter‐

gent. Use your fingers to model the curtain

nicely and leave to air dry on a white wash cloth

or towel.

When dry fold the top (where the rod will go)

downwards to the reverse side and close the

seam with tiny stitches.

Now you can slide the rod into the curtain and

attach it to your window (or kitchen door) with

the 2 screw‐eyes.

Note: if you want your curtain to be wider cast

on 9 more stitches or a multiple of 9 stitches.

You can email Wilga on: dewittes‐

[email protected] and you can view more of

Wilga’s work at her following websites:

http://poppenhuis.tripod.com/

miniatureknitting.html

http://poppenhuis.tripod.com/Wilga.html

©Copyright of all text and photos on this page

belong to Wilga van den Wijngaart


Project... Breaded Ham By AIM Member Vicky Guile

Materials needed... Polymer clay in white, red, brown and

translucent.

Yellow ochre pastel.

Soft paintbrush.

Craft knife.

Small ball stylus tool.

Small piece of coarse sandpaper.

Pasta machine or polymer clay rolling pin.

Ceramic tile or baking sheet (to be used

ONLY with baking clay).

Step 1 – Create the colours. Starting with white clay, add a little red

and brown to create the lightest shade of

the ham meat. Aim for a brownish light

shade of pink. Then create another two

amounts half the size of the first, in

slightly darker shades by adding a little

more brown and red to each one. When

you are happy with the colour of all three

amounts, add translucent clay to each in

a ratio of 1:1.

Step 2 – Make the ham cane.Starting with the lightest shade, roll into a

cylinder and shape with your fingers

along the long edges so that the profile

resembles a teardrop, then do the same

again with the darkest shade. Shape the

middle shade into a smaller teardrop.

Curve each piece and gently assemble

together (so that they don’t stick to one

another) making any adjustments to the

shape until you are happy with the result.

Step 1

Step 2


Step 3 – Add the layers of fat. Mix clay for the fat in a ratio of 1 part white to 3 parts translucent. Roll

a narrow cylinder and place in the centre of the cane. Then using your

rolling pin or pasta machine, roll out the remainder of your clay to the

depth of about 1‐2mm. Cut pieces to fit and separate the different

shades of clay, trimming any excess with your craft knife.

Gently roll, to smooth the outside of the cane, without distorting. If you

want to check your progress...

Cut a slice from one end to see

the cross section.

Cover around the sides of the

cane with a single sheet of the

fat mixture. Don’t worry if it

doesn’t look too tidy just yet!

Step 4 – Reduce and cut. Squeeze along the cane with your fingertips to reduce until it is

roughly the size you require.

Cut a section big enough for the un‐carved piece of ham that you

want to make. Squeeze and nip closed at one end and shape into a

gentle curve.

Step 5 – Texture. Turn your cut piece of ham onto its back and use your craft knife to

shave off some of the fat.

Step 3a Step 3b

Step 3c

Step 4A Step 4b

Step 5a


Turn the ham back over and use your sandpaper to

texture the fat to create a breaded effect.

Step 6 – Colour. Scribble on a scrap of paper with your yellow ochre

pastel. Use your soft paintbrush to pick up a small

amount of pastel dust and carefully colour the fat. Blow

any excess dust away from your ham.

Step 7 - Trim. Trim a slice from the flat end of your ham to neaten up

and remove any parts where pastel dust may have gone

over.

Step 5b

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8a


Step 8 – More texture. Gently hold the ham in your finger‐

tips and cut into the surface as

shown with your craft knife.

Start with cuts all in the same

direction and then go over again

diagonally.

Smooth out any cuts into the “fat”

with your ball stylus tool.

Step 9 – Slices. Cut another small piece of ham

from the original cane. Texture and

colour as in steps 5 and 6 above.

Now, to make the slices, you need

to cut from the opposite end of the

cane. So, trim to neaten the

opposite end. Then texture the

trimmed end as in step 8.

After texturing carefully cut a very

thin slice, place to one side until

you have textured and cut as many

slices as your require. Arrange into

a pile on your ceramic tile or baking

sheet along with your piece of un‐

carved ham. Bake as per your poly‐

mer clay packet instructions. When

cool arrange as required on your

choice of display accessories.

More of Vicky Guile’s wonderful

miniatures can be seen at

www.njdminiatures.com

©All photos and text in this project

belong to Vicky Guile

Step 8b

Step 9a

Step 9b

TÇà|Öâx 9 i|Çàtzx VÉÜÇxÜ By AIM Member, Celia Thomas

Dolls House Kitchen Furniture circa 1920s ‐1960s (mainly British) Antique dolls houses can be a valuable source of social history and old dolls house kitchens particularly can

give a fascinating insight into trends of the various eras at that specific time when the dolls house was

created. In this feature I will bring you examples of kitchen furniture & items from the 1920s onwards over a

40 year period until the 1960s. It is interesting to see the development in style and technology.

1920s This is a decade which came after the First World War, and the era in which Art Deco was born. For many,

ranges were still the main appliance for cooking, even in the 1920s. It seems to me that much of the dolls

house furniture available at that time reflected the post war austerity of real life back then.

All the examples I have shown here are almost a throwback to the Edwardian era and even with the unique

Art Deco era sweeping in, the old traditional designs did appear to be very much in evidence. In fact, in my

experience, it is rare to come across an original British made dolls house 1920s cooker, whereas I have seen

quite an array of various dolls house ranges made in that era.

TOP ROW ‐ left to right: Here we have two different examples of basic ranges in 1/12th scale. The first tin “Dollys Kitchen Range” with cardboard backing, was sold generally by J.W.Lawrence of Newbury and was used in several of Lines Bros. dolls houses during the 1920s. Seeing as this range is over 80 years old and obviously been well played with, I am amazed that the cardboard printed backing has retained its rich colouring. This second wooden range with mock tin doors and brick paper could be found in Tri‐ang houses of the late 1920s/early 1930s.

BOTTOM ROW ‐ left to right: The large wooden sink is wonderful!! It has one large sink and one small sink plus a drainer. Underneath there is room for storage. Maker unknown but may have been commercially made. The table has fretwork shaped legs and came with the sink. The smaller single sink would be found in later Lines houses and Tri‐ang houses throughout the 1930s.


1930s Just as people in real life at that time were beginning to progress from their cooking ranges to “modern” gas or

electric appliances, so too they became available for dolls houses. In contrast to the 1920s era, as the 1930s

progressed, it became the norm for manufacturers such as Tri‐ang, to include a cooker rather than a range in

their dolls house kitchens. Also, by then the Art‐Deco influence would be reflected in certain dolls houses and

dolls house furnishings made in this decade. German dolls house furniture and accessories were extensively

imported into the British market during the 1920s‐1930s.

TOP ROW ‐ left to right: The green 1/24th scale kitchen set was made by Dinky under the Dolly Varden dolls house range (a collapsible leather board Dolly Varden dolls house was created to accompany a whole range of furniture). These Dinky models in particular are rare to find intact these days due to a fault in the manufacturing of the metal used and are prone to metal fatigue. The basic wooden white gas cooker was made by Tri‐ang, the small blue tin cooker maker unknown. The cream metal cooker on the end was made by Taylor & Barrett (T&B). MIDDLE ROW ‐ left to right: This old fashioned wooden mangle was handmade to accompany an early 1930s bungalow. The metal fridge came with a whole array of lead food by Taylor & Barrett (T&B). The small wooden German dresser with card backing, has an optical illusion of two doors but in reality it was just one opening door – a feature often used by German manufacturers. This dresser is filled with vintage pottery and a lead food cover from the late 1800s. The yellow tin cupboard was manufactured by a London company Dixon Bros. & Wood Ltd (DBW Toys). This particular company made a whole kitchen set including amongst several items .......a fabulous cabinet mangle, cooker, maid saver and dresser – oh how I would love to get my hands on one of those! Incidentally, this yellow cupboard cost 6d in 1934! BOTTOM ROW ‐ left to right: This pale green bucket is thought to be European; the lead kitchen items in the next two photos were of British manufacture and were part of a whole range of kitchen items. However, oddly they were all in a larger scale....almost 1/10th but at that time, dolls house scale was mismatched and not quite as precise as we know it today. The metal utensils are of the 1930s but maker is unknown.


1940s Obviously once WW2 took hold in the 1940s, dolls house furniture manufacturing certainly became restricted

and inevitably in most cases ceased. By the latter part of the 1940s after the war, manufacturing began again

with companies such as Barrett & Sons (who by then had gone their separate way from Taylor), F.G.Taylor &

Sons, Dol‐Toi, Barton and Kensalcraft.

These 1940s post war pieces are not as common as one would think, as it took the industry a good deal of

time to get back into the swing of things after the hardship of the war years and materials were limited; paper

for instance, was still on ration until the early 1950s. Design in dolls house furniture basically carried on in the

same style from where it left off at the end of the 1930s. I have handled very little actual genuine 1940s dolls

house kitchen furniture, so am limited in the photographs of examples I can show you!

From left to right: In this photo you will see a Kensalcraft kitchen dresser, table and kitchen chair. These were

very basic in design and the quality of the plywood was not brilliant. The fridge was made by Barton from

wood with wire racks. On the back is the Barton diamond ink stamp, which tells us that it was made in the late

1940s.

1950s By the 1950s, manufacturing of dolls house furniture began to increase rapidly with companies such as

Barton, Dol‐Toi, Kleeware, Brimtoy, Barrett & Sons and F.G.Taylor & Sons beginning to dominate the British

market. Materials used became varied such as plastic, wood, tin, lead and metal. There was certainly a wider

selection for the young dolls house owner to choose from and the 1/16th scale was by now becoming the

norm for dolls houses.

The designs continued to follow the latest trends in the real world. No longer were manufacturers selling

kitchen ranges, as the discerning young child would want the latest innovation for their little kitchen.

Incidentally, Tri‐ang, although considerably prominent in the dolls house manufacturing industry at that

time, did not make dolls house furniture at all during the 1940s or the 1950s, and then in 1960 they brought

out their metal Spot‐On pieces (they had previously made furniture up until the onset of WW2). Cookers

were noticeably developing in design and washing machines were becoming to creep into dolls house furni‐

ture ranges.....I just love those with the mangle on top.

TOP ROW ‐ left to right: This early 1950s blue wooden kitchen unit by Barton is so very evocative of modern design of

that time, with an array of cupboards and drawers. There is also a pull out towel rack plus a fixed clock. The metal

cooker with a green door is by Barrett & Son, almost identical to the model produced pre‐war by Taylor & Barrett, but

the difference being, the colour was changed to green and cream (fashionable at that time). Barrett also made the

metal washing machine with the mangle on the top. The mop is by Barton and the dresser unit is by Dol‐Toi.

MIDDLE ROW – left to right: The tin oven with plastic lift down doors and lithographed controls is by Brimtoy, so too

is the tin dresser with sliding doors. The wooden gas cooker was by Dol‐Toi. Next you will see two variations of the

same model of 1950s cooker by DCMT , both being in 1/12th scale which was surprising, as by the 1950s,

manufactured toy dolls houses in this country tended to be mostly in the smaller 1/16th scale. Last in this row is a

small, metal FG.Taylor gas cooker with an opening door and a cooker top that opens out as a splashback.

BOTTOM ROW ‐ left to right: The mangle is made from tin and wire by Barton, the handle actually moves the rollers

as it turns. The wooden dresser is also by Barton. Early 1950s versions of this dresser were also available in blue or

green. The plastic kitchen set is by Kleeware, the plastic red and white kitchen table and chairs are by Brimtoy and the

cutlery box by Dol‐Toi. Artisans In Miniature 25


1960s Dolls house furniture was certainly reflecting latest trends by this decade and were widely available. By the

beginning of the “swinging sixties”, Tri‐ang, after being out of the dolls house furniture market for 20 years,

introduced their metal Spot‐On sets. Their Spot‐On pieces were certainly retro and trendy, being exact scaled

down replicas of modern furniture, but it was a tad more expensive than the majority of other dolls house

pieces around at that time. By the mid 1960s, Tri‐ang phased out their Spot‐On range and brought in their

new Jenny’s Home range, which was basically the same designs as before, but containing less metal and more

plastic.

Of course, there were still other dolls house furniture manufacturers around in the UK too at this time. Barton

& Dol‐Toi were still playing a major role within the industry and the majority were trying to keep up with the

latest trends in modern kitchens. By the 1960s, twin tub washing machines were becoming fashionable and

the cookers becoming more streamlined along with kitchen units.

TOP ROW ‐ left to right:

This first wooden sink unit and the cooker next to it was made by Twigg. Although very basic in

construction, Twigg furniture had a certain charm. The plaster loaf and cake were made by Kays; the

forerunner to this company was Kaybot who had made much of the plaster dolls house food over the

previous decades. The “modern” plastic cooker was made by Barton and came with accompanying plastic

food. The Prestcold plastic fridge & food was made by Tri‐ang under the Jenny’s Home range and nowadays

is highly sought after in good condition – sadly the door had a tendency to snap off!

MIDDLE ROW – left to right:

This Dol‐Toi top loader wooden washing machine had a lift up flap and removable tub lid. The Combex

plastic kitchen set next to it, came as a kit and had to be put together (this set will always remain special to

me as I had one with my childhood dolls house & my big brother who was a fan of the Airfix kits, put it

together for me as I was only about 4 at the time! Just check out that retro breakfast bar!!! I do seem to

remember that this would fall apart easily though, so had to be handled with care!) The plastic cleaning set

was based on the real life sized Addis cleaning set – fabulous! In fact this cleaning set would not look out of

place in a 2009 kitchen – which could not be said for many of the other kitchen items manufactured in the

1960s!!!

BOTTOM ROW ‐ left to right:

The top loader washing machine (anyone remember these?) and accompanying sink and ladder were made

by Tri‐ang under the Jennys Home range. The metal sink next to this was an early 1960s Tri‐ang Spot On

sink which came in a variety of colours. The rare boxed kitchen set was again by Tri‐ang under the Jennys

Home range.

I hope you have enjoyed this brief glimpse at kitchen items from times

gone by. Personally, I think this can be a fascinating subject to see how

the different kitchen appliances and furniture styles change as each

decade passes. This, as you can imagine, is a vast subject and far too

immense to go into depth here as I have only just “scratched the

surface” (as they say), however, if you have

enjoyed looking at these old items, then please

do visit my website at www.ktminiatures.com

©COPYRIGHT OF ALL TEXT & PHOTOS IN THIS FEATURE BELONG TO

CELIA THOMAS‐ KT MINIATURES 2009



A Painters Life Abroad... Living & working in the Algarve. By AIM Member: Sandra Croft

Iam fortunate to live in a very beautiful part of the

world. Portugal’s Algarve region is an artist’s delight with stunning scenery both inland and by the coast. The colours are amazing and because of the climate we have exotic flowers growing all year round. Many artists from all over the world live here. Usually their stories go that they came for a holiday and end up staying. I have lived here for 20 years now, coming out with my husband, Ray, in November 1988. We were actually headed for Spain where we were going to live, but decided on a detour through Portu‐gal and liked it so much we ended up staying here in‐stead. To earn a living here as an artist is not easy (but is it anywhere?). Most art exhibitions are between March & October when the tourists are out and about, but there are also many restaurants and local businesses that allow artists to display and sell their work on the premises.

I am a semi pro artist so I don’t have to rely on sales to earn a living. That gives me the luxury to paint what I love and not what I hope the public will buy. I have been an artist all my life but only took up art seriously on moving here. I got into the miniature side of the business just 2 years ago, partly because space in our apartment was at a premium due to my larger works taking up all the nooks & crannies, but mainly because I needed a challenge to stretch my talents and painting miniatures fitted the bill. My first attempts of course were pretty trashable, but I kept every painting to judge my improvement over time. Gradually my work got better and last summer I took the plunge and presented 3 cases of my work at a local


exhibition here in Lagos where I live, including a case of dolls house minis. There are no watercolour miniaturists that I know of living here and only a few artists who work in acrylic, so my work drew quite a lot of interest from fellow artists & public alike. I had a very enthusiastic response from the public on opening night with the comments ranging from “wow! you must have amazing eyesight”, ” they are like little jewels”, to the not so encouraging “why do you bother when no one can see them?” (usually from older folk with poor eyesight) and “I suppose it´s easier & quicker to paint miniatures than larger works” !!!!!!!!????? To conclude, I have to say that sales for this type of work are minimal due to it being a specialised subject and I sell a larger percentage of my normal sized paintings to the public. I now sell most of my minis via websites such as Ebay and I will continue to paint my dolls house paintings if only for my own pleasure. In the future I would love to come over to visit one or two of

the big miniaturist events in England or Holland. It is such a thrill to see the stunning work turned out by fellow dolls house miniaturists and artisans. I am constantly amazed by the high level of the work carried out by the people on the Artisans In Miniature forum and the support you all extend to one another is wonderful.

To see more of Sandra’s work, go to

www.sandra‐croft‐art.com

©Copyright of all text and photos in this feature belong to Sandra Croft.

NAVIGATING THE GOLDEN AGE OF TRAVEL

A guide to life’s little necessities for the well-appointed traveller By AIM Member Fran Casselman of FranMade Miniatures

There is romance in luggage, for it immediately suggests travel — steamers, trains, motors, or more adventurous

still, aeroplanes.

Good Housekeeping magazine, June 1929

It wasn’t really a very long period of time — perhaps 50 years — and it wasn’t really all that long ago, within the

lifetimes of some of us and our parents and grandparents. It’s the era known as the Golden Age of Travel,

generally described as covering the first half of the 20th century. A number of global events coincided to bring it

into existence; others brought its end, but the voice of nostalgia tells us it was fun while it lasted!

In the early decades, favourable economic conditions meant that many more people had time for leisure — and

leisure travel. Empire‐expanding explorers had returned with fascinating accounts of exotic lands, and suddenly

there were things to do, places to go and people to see. Everybody who was anybody packed their bags and

boarded ships or trains or automobiles — or aeroplanes — and went somewhere. When they returned home,

their luggage gave testimony to their travels in the form of colourful labels that identified the hotels where they

had stayed and the transport they had taken.

But even without the labels, a person’s luggage had a lot to say. It came to be thought that, as Wikipedia puts it,

“luggage and the style thereof is representative of the owner's wealth.”

It’s entirely possible that luggage makers popularised

that notion. In any case, manufacturers stepped up to

meet the new market, each offering a benefit

supposedly not available from the competition. One

might be lighter in weight, another available in a wider

range of sizes or offering reinforced construction to

withstand rough handling.

Whatever the other attributes, it was likely style that

made the sale.

Early in the era, long voyages — and fashionable

women — still required the storage capacity of a trunk.

Those who could travel lighter probably packed sturdy

leather bags, with straps and brass buckles. One

carried one’s umbrella, in case of inclement weather,

and possibly a lap robe or travel rug, so as to be more

comfortable in an unheated railway carriage or on an

ocean liner’s deck.


1

In the 1920s, tourists gave a welcome boost to European economies ravaged by war. Resorts and spas were

places to see and be seen. Dramatic changes in women’s fashions meant that the stylish Miss needed just one

or two pieces from her suite of matching luggage for a weekend in the country.

For all that a suitcase is simply a practical way to transport personal belongings, much of the luggage

produced during the Golden Age of Travel has a distinctive appearance that is easily recognized. Industry

addresses the problem of so many suitcases looking so much alike and improves the product at the same time

by introducing bags made of striped canvas with leather binding over wooden frames. Every maker puts its

own distinctive patterns and colours on cases in an amazing range of sizes and the symbol of an era is born.

When the world turns and the tides of fortune change, many people pack their bags and set out to seek the

better lives they see on the silver screen. Striped suitcases, no longer a metaphor for wealth, are seen almost

every time anyone goes anywhere in films from the 1930s (or ’40s or ’50s) — and movie characters travel a

lot! At the luggage store, quality loses ground to cost; the cardboard suitcase has the stripes of its pricey

predecessor and takes the look mainstream.

Our Golden Age is getting a little tarnished as the world finds itself again at war, retrofitting luxury ocean

liners into troop ships. In the United States, rail travel is

the mode of the day. Coast‐to‐coast passengers book

compartments on the Twentieth Century Limited, a three‐

day journey. Press photographers snap movie stars posed

atop their stacks of suitcases.

There is one last Golden gleam when the troops are

shipped home, the ships resume their sailing schedules

and airlines offer improved service to exotic locales, but a

television in the living room means we no longer have to

leave home to escape our everyday lives. Luggage is a

utility product, and people will continue to use their

striped luggage for many years. Some makers will offer

updated styles in currently fashionable colours, but

plastics, nylon and zippers are about to give luggage a new

definition.

Fran Casselman, Atlanta, Ga. As a long‐time miniaturist, most of my creations come

about when I can’t find miniature replicas that are as accu‐

rate as I think they could be. I started FranMade Minia‐

tures with umbrellas, searching out materials and perfect‐

ing techniques until I was happy with the result. I began

making luggage a few years ago when I worked out how to

achieve a very accurate look. Like the umbrellas, my cases

do not open. I prefer to let the viewer imagine what might

be inside.

I hope to launch a Web site soon. Until then, you will find

information and plenty of photos in my online gallery at

http://gallery.me.com/fcasselman.

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Fran Casselman, Continued... Until recently, I worked as an editor for The Atlanta

Journal‐Constitution. After 15 years there, an

opportunity for early retirement provided more

time for crafting minis. I have been developing new

luggage styles and adding new travel accessories

to my line as a result.

I am a lifelong lover of “little things” and a crafter

who was guided in childhood to at least try to make

what I needed whenever possible. Sometime early

on I learned to “see small,” a skill that helps me

know when a miniature looks right.

I was led to miniatures by a cat; more accurately, by

my interest in collecting miniature cat figures. I

found very nice ones at miniatures shows, but then

they needed furniture to lie on, and rooms to

occupy and . . . well, you know how it goes.

My husband and I now share our home with a still‐

kittenish 17‐year‐old tabby, the last survivor of a

group that numbered five at one time, and a

beautiful tortoiseshell former stray who recently

found her forever home with us.

FranMade Miniatures

(http://gallery.me.com/fcasselman)

I make 1/12th‐scale miniature umbrellas, luggage

and travel rugs in styles representing a time from

roughly the late Victorian era into the 1950s.

My miniature umbrellas and suitcases do not open;

the travel rug could be unrolled to reveal an

accurately sized lap robe but I do not recommend it.

You would not be able to fit it back into the

harness.

Umbrellas are available in gentlemen’s, ladies’ and

children’s sizes, as well as golf size. They may be

ordered in any solid colour (I can match a solid

colour fabric swatch), houndstooth check, polka

dot, Burberry plaid, Royal Stewart plaid or other

appropriate and typical patterns.

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5

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The standard crook handle will be in a coordinating solid

colour or wood brown. Decorative handles available on

request. Golf umbrellas may be ordered in any two

alternating colours (full or half panel), primary colour quartet

or rainbow. The straight wood handle is standard but custom

handles are possible.

I do not make parasols at this time but may offer them in the

future.

Luggage may be ordered (as individual pieces or in sets) in a

standard range of four sizes (train case [aka vanity case],

“hatbox” tote, 24‐inch two‐suiter and 28‐inch Pullman) in any

of five Retro Stripe patterns. New patterns are being

developed, and I can attempt to replicate actual pieces on

request.

The Fashion Logo and Lady Ashley styles are available in

similar sizes; the Classic Leather and Safari Wicker styles are

only available in the two larger sizes.

A sheet of colourful, self‐adhesive luggage labels is provided

with every piece of FranMade luggage for the recipient to cut

out and apply as desired.

Pieces not ordered together may not match exactly,

especially in colour. Custom sizes are usually possible.

Most of the luggage hardware is custom made for me by

Bonnie Lavish of Lavish Miniatures

Any other individual cases shown are one‐of‐a‐kind

prototypes. Similar pieces may be

ordered but exact duplicates may not

be possible.

The newest travel accessories, travel

rugs, are available in an assortment of

plaid colours, rolled for easy carrying in

a “leather” harness. Matching, unrolled

blankets are available for a small

additional amount if ordered together.

©All text and photos in this feature

belong to Fran Casselman

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PHOTO 1: Travel rugs are suitable for scenes from late Victorian times to the present. AIM readers are getting the first look at FranMade Miniatures' newest travel accessory. PHOTO 2: A travel rug provided comfort in railway carriages and deck chairs. PHOTO 3: Fashionable hatbox totes in exotic textures and colours might have been seen in the1950s — or today. PHOTO 4: 1950s fashion accessories have a distinctive style. PHOTO 5: 1930s travellers might have chosen compact, tailored travel goods. PHOTO 6: A simple leather harness makes a rolled travel rug tidy and easy to carry. They were used in times but are also available today. PHOTO 7: FranMade Miniatures offers Fashion Logo luggage with a matching umbrella, as well as Classic Leather suitcases, Burberry plaid umbrellas and travel rugs in assorted plaids. PHOTO 8: Safari Wicker is an ideal choice for travels to tropical climates, where the high humidity might affect leather goods. PHOTO 9: A savvy traveller from the 1920s or '30s might have used stylish luggage like these Retro Stripe suitcases. PHOTO 10: A railway baggage cart is the perfect platform for a collection of miniature luggage. Colourful labels are provided with every bag. Cat by Karl Blindheim. PHOTO 11: The Lady Ashley style was based on the extensive suite of luggage created by Prada for Nicole Kidman's character in the 2008 film "Australia."


Dear Readers… We all use glue….lots of it! Strictly speaking, if it is miniatures we are talking about, the tiniest amount possible, is usually best!!

So…. Catherine Davies tells us that if you often find that you can't avoid traces of PVA glue showing when you stick cooked clay (Fimo) miniatures together, try using liquid clay instead. This does mean that you will have to re‐bake your items to set the "glue", but you are far less likely to see any residue as liquid clay always shrinks on baking.

Cheryl Clingen has a brilliant new use for spaghetti, of all things! She says “ raw spaghetti is my greatest pal when it comes to adding tiny gems or beads one at a time. Simply place a tiny spot of glue where you want to place the gem or bead, wet the end of the spaghetti either by dipping it in water or give it a lick! Touch the gem or bead ‐ the starch will hold it like a magnet. Touch the gem or bead onto the glue spot and the starch instantly releases it, as glue is stronger. If the spaghetti gets too yukky, simply snap the end off and you have a new piece of spaghetti to work with. Finally, if you get stranded on a desert island and you are hungry, you can always eat it!” ….and another…..she often uses a pin for spreading or dabbing glue, and if you let the glue dry on the pin, you can’t use it without a good old wash and scrape. Keep a thick piece of Styrofoam and push the pin in and out about three times, before the glue dries and the pin will be clean and ready to use.

Have you had a look at ‘Mini‐Aimers’ – a regular feature for younger readers, in the magazine?? The children get all the best tips!! Margaret Pitts, who edits this, has let us borrow a few for the ‘grown‐ups’!! Here they are...

MEASURING TIP - Measure twice, cut once. In other words, if you measure very carefully, you will only

have to cut out once. If you rush your measuring and get it wrong, you will have wasted your time and will have to start again. This is some of the best advice I have ever been given!

LEGO ‐ bricks are useful for keeping things square or vertical whilst the glue dries.

TACKY GLUE - Here is a tip when you are using this sort of glue: It is called ‘tacky’ for a reason. It only works properly if you spread it where you want it, then leave it for a couple of minutes before you stick things together. This gives it time to change from ‘runny’ to ‘tacky’ and it will stick much more firmly. Also, it won’t squeeze out and run where it shouldn’t if it has gone tacky.

CUTTING BLADES - Did you know you are far more likely to cut yourself with a blunt blade? So always use a

new, sharp one.

PENCILS & PAINTBRUSHES need no explanation, but there are other things you can do with them; if you

remove the rubber from the end of the pencil, you have a tiny cutter for Fimo food or flowers; if your pencil has straight sides, it can be used as a ruler and the other end of the paintbrush is handy for making small holes.

As well as being generous in sharing their craft tips and hints, Catherine, Cheryl and Margaret, are immensely talented artisans – do have a look at their websites...

Catherine Davies ‐ www.dollshouseheaven.co.uk Cheryl Clingen ‐ www.MiniDollsFromAfrica.com

Margaret Pitts ‐ www.minimilliner.co.uk

Enjoy and happy mini-ing!



Do you have grandchildren, who like to help? AIM member, Virginia Moxley has a lovely little granddaughter

who does….read on, and see what happens……

A Doll House Mystery... All of my granddaughters like to play with my doll houses and rearrange and “fix things up”. They love planning

what to do with the new “swaps” Grandma gets and which house needs a little something extra the most. This is

fine with me as I like having them played with by careful little hands.

I have a big doll house downstairs that I am suppose to be working on for them, but have been so focused on my

mini carpet business that I have not had time to get it done. It is a beautiful Southern style house with a wrap

around porch. It was put together with great care by my Son in Law and I am now working on the roof and need

to wire it before papering, painting, etc. The girls have had their hand in the planning of rooms.

This little story starts on an ordinary day when my little granddaughter was

visiting my house. She is 8 and is a busy little bee. Somewhere along the day I must have done something that

disturbed her a wee bit. When her feelings are hurt she gets very, very quiet and secretive. I later found out at

day’s end how upset she really was!

After my Granddaughter had gone home I went in to straighten up the Doll House Room and much to my

amazement both houses looked like a whirlwind had gone through each of them. Every chair, couch, bed, table

and cabinet was upside down. There was not a piece of furniture that was not neatly put in systematic and

careful, topsy turvy, disarray.....in both houses!!!

The next day when my granddaughter visited again (she was off three days from school), I asked her what

happened in the doll houses? She sheepishly told me that I had hurt her feelings...she could not remember why,

and after she was happy again she forgot that she had rearranged the houses, because she meant to put the

houses back in order after her emotional breakdown. I could just picture her with every turn over, thinking,

“take that Grandma!”. I got such a tickle over this. Not a thing was broken...it was all carefully orchestrated. Kids

certainly do the darnest things, as Art Linkletter used to say!!!!

Virginia My Web Store for Miniatures:

http://atouchoffancy.com/

and EBAY Store:

A Touch of Fancy

Mini Decor for your Doll House

http://stores.ebay.com/atouchoffancyforminiatures

Well, it Happened to… A Miniature Artisan


The pictures included are

recreations for this article.

AIM SUMMER

GALLERY... August is traditionally a wonderful, fun‐loving month that conjures up images of sunshine & the beach, holidays in far off places and all things of a nautical nature! So for our AIM Summer Gallery, we have brought you a random glimpse of some members’ snapshots, all of a seaside, holiday and nautical nature...with the odd pirate and mermaid too!

1

This beach couple are certainly looking cool!

2

A little girl in her swimsuit enjoying a lovely lolly!

3

Summertime fun! 4

A delicious feast from Spain; paella and sangria... you can almost taste it.


5

Tiny puppet theatre with

a seaside theme.

Evelyn is off on her cruise!

6

A rather splendid tiny ship......bon voyage!

7

Waiting for a train at a mini railway station.

8

9

Captain Barbossaaim- what a

handsome chap! Artisans In Miniature 39

10

“I found me glass eye!”

11

Mermaid In A Bottle.

“Hotel “Sign

14


Hope you enjoyed peeking into our AIM

Summer Gallery!!! If you would like the

details on all artisans who contributed to this

feature, please see below:

Mermaid In A bottle created by Gina Gagnon

of Lone Wolf Mini Creations ‐

www.lonewolfminiaturecreations.com

Beach Couple, Captain Barbossaaim, Pirate,

Evelyn & Summertime Fun dolls created by

Marsha Mees of Sassy Mini Dolls ‐

www.sassyminidolls.com

Mini Station, Puppet Theatre & Ship created by Cristina Alberti of Tot Petit ‐ www.totpetit.es.tl

Little Girl In Swimsuit created by Nicky Cooper of Nickys Dolls & Critters ‐ www.nickycc.com

Paella & Sangria created by Mags Cassidy of Mags‐nificent Miniatures ‐ www.mags‐nificent.co.uk

A Beach Hut & Hotel Sign created by Carol Lester of The Dolls House Mall ‐

www.thedollshousemall.com

©Copyright of all images in this gallery belong to each individual

12

13 Views of a Beach Hut


Bea’s Hive

By AIM Member, Bea (Fiona) Broadwood

This month we take a closer

look behind the door of Bea’s

chaotic and sl ightly

‘infamous’ workshop.

Bea lives and works at her

home in a small village in the

heart of rural Lincolnshire

within the UK… The first thing that I must confess

before I go any further, is that I am not

a tidy worker.

My family would probably add that the

words ‘clean’ or ‘organised’ should never be associated with my workshop, let alone used in the same sentence when

referring to it!

In truth, the way I work is probably at best described as ‘organised chaos’ and if you are the type of person who works

in a meticulously ordered and tidy manner ‐ or if you have a nervous disposition when in the company of clutter, you

had best either look away now or safer yet, flick quickly to the next feature!

Moving on…

When I volunteered my workshop, aptly named by my Mother as

‘Bea’s Hive’ as the subject of this month’s ‘Through The Keyhole

Feature’ I did of course stop to think about having a good old tidy

up.

I thought about it a lot…

I planned what tidying I should do…

I thought about it a bit more…

Indeed, I am in fact still thinking very seriously about it…


Bumble Bee Cottages...

Artisans In Miniature 16 Artisans In Miniature 43

But true to form, thinking a

few random ‘tidying up’

thoughts was as far as I got!

And for me, this is nothing new…

As a child at playschool, I can vividly

remember the ’blowing of the whistle’

which loudly signalled the end of a

morning’s fun and playtime and the

beginning of a much drearier and sombre

‘Tidy Up Time.’

I hated that whistle. I still do.

To this day I can easily recall how my

little heart would sink and I would freeze

with impending dread whenever I heard

that trill high‐pitched sound. The only thing I hated more than the whistle, was what followed it. However, what my

three‐year old self quickly discovered out of necessity was a wonderfully quiet and secluded spot, hidden just behind

the dressing up clothes’ rail, in which I could hide, unseen, for the duration of ‘Tidy Up Time’.

In short, a sanctuary…

Then, when all the toys had been put back in their rightful places, I would emerge from my hiding place like a triumphant

little butterfly, happy and ready for story time, but most importantly, unscathed by any boring ‘tidy up time’ duties.

The view from

the Hive...

The end of another busy day...

Throughout my time at playschool I

never was spotted as I crouched quietly

in that dark corner of the dressing up

area. In fact, I have no memories of ever

tidying up at all!

Now, many years later, I am lucky

enough to have a wonderful workshop

sited at the bottom of my cottage

garden. It is my very own little hideaway,

where I can create, work or write without

interruption and with only the birds or

my two dogs for company. It is bliss.

At this point in the feature it would

probably be appropriate to tell you more

about the interior of my workspace, to

share with you information about the different areas that I have within ‘Bea’s Hive’ or simply to elaborate as to the

way I work within the space I have and the organisational storage methods that I use. But as you can see from the

pictures, I can’t…

Instead, I think it would be safer to simply say that my workshop is an honest reflection of my butterfly‐like mind,

one which randomly flits from one thought to another.

BUT!!!... that is not to say that I am not organised…

As I am…

Mmm ok, maybe just a little…

I am often asked by those few brave visitors who venture into my ‘Hive’ – “How on earth do you work in here?...”

Most of the time, I can reply confidently that I know where everything is. Indeed one clear benefit of never putting

anything away is that you never have to get anything out! But when needs must and my cupboards have to be filled

I follow two tried and tested ‘putting away’ storage techniques:

‘stuffed in’ or ‘wedged in’

My ‘daily’ work space...

(Should you too wish to try these techniques for

yourself, it is worth pointing out experience

dictates that in both instances the speed at which the

cupboard door is closed is fundamental to prevent

items immediately escaping or falling out…)

In my workshop, I also proudly adhere to a strict set of

three organisational rules…

1/ Anything that is rubbish or is no longer needed is

filed on the floor…

2/ Things that may be needed at some point in the

future must be haphazardly stashed in random

cupboards (closely adhering of course to my afore

mentioned storage techniques)

And finally…

3/ Things that I use all the time are NEVER put away

and instead stored readily to hand on any flat surface

available, within the span of an arm’s reach (naturally!).

This system has always worked for me.

Although I do concede that it would also be safe to say

that 95% of the time the interior of my workshop

resembles the aftermath of some huge craft explosion,

one that is also punctuated randomly with discarded

coffee cups. (Most of which are proud new ‘homes’ to

recently evolved life forms.)

Casting an eye downwards in the ‘Hive’ is also not for the faint hearted. The floor of my workshop is almost

permanently obscured by an impervious layer of rubbish, inspiring Mr Bea’s personal motto of

‘Always wipe your feet as you leave…’ and as you will see from the photographs, just about any flat surface is an open invitation for the remnants of creative

debris…

I know that for many people of a ‘tidy persuasion’ (including Mr Bea) the thought of either working or spending the

duration of even the briefest of visits in my ‘hive’ would have them reaching for a bin bag and broom. But not me. ..

In my workshop no one ever blows an ominous whistle.

At the end of a working day, I simply stop work, lock the door and leave.

Best of all…

To date, I have never had to hide behind the dressing up rail… not even once…

So for me, and the three year old ‘me’ that still exists somewhere deep inside my chaotic head

Life just doesn’t get any better than that!

If you want to find out more about what Bea makes in her ‘Hive’

why not visit her website...

www.petite‐properties.com Copyright on all text and photos in this feature belongs to Petite Properties Ltd

The chaos within...

Shells & Miniatures

By AIM Member, Wendy Smale

If you are like me, when you go to a beach you look

for interesting bits and pieces, especially sea shells.

You can sometimes find tiny shells hidden at the base

of seaweed washed up on the shore, or in the sand.

You can also buy them at shell shops or online,

although you may have to sort through and select

the smallest.

While beachcombing you may find whelk egg cases,

which can look like a small mass of bubble wrap or a

string of capsules, depending on where in the world

you live and which kind of whelk produced them.

If the case rattles when shaken, cut it carefully open

and you are likely to find really tiny shells. Shells are made by molluscs as a protective covering which they

enlarge as they grow.

Don’t necessarily discard shells with an immaculately drilled hole in them; although they are not perfect, the

hole tells a story. There are both carnivorous and vegetarian molluscs and that tiny hole was drilled by a

carnivorous mollusc in order to get its lunch!

I’ve been collecting shells, fossils and rocks

since I was a child and for the past few years

I have been incorporating them into

miniatures. Here are some ideas that might

appeal to you.

The intricate form and detail of many shells,

particularly gastropod or “snail” type shells,

can be decorative on its own.

Shells can be quite colourful but do bear in

mind that they will fade with exposure to

sunlight. A serious scientific shell collection

would likely thus be displayed in closed

drawers, as well as being sorted into

gastropods (literally “stomach footed”, the

Combine shells with some bits of delicate dried seaweed,

coral or sand and you can make a little scene under a dome.

These kind of settings were very popular in Victorian times.

Shells-in-domes…

Left: two kinds of seaweed,

a sea star, tiny whelk shell

and larger shell; right: three

shells and precious coral.


Above - Shells-in-curio-cabinet.

If you have quite a few shells, you can

display them in a glass-topped table,

or on a shelf or two in a curio cabinet.

snails) and bivalves (two hinged halves, such as clams)

and then into species.

Left - Collector’s chest of

drawers: front view

Below– Collectors chest of

drawers: contents

A shell collector’s carefully

sorted assortment of shells

Sailor’s Valentines can also be made with carefully chosen

tiny shells, and shells can be glued to miniature mirror or

picture frames. A scene can also be made in a shadow box.

Shells have been valued by humans for thousands of years,

for the food contained within them (clams, oysters etc.), as

jewellery, currency, containers, musical instruments, to

supply mother‐of‐pearl, as inspiration for furniture and

architectural design elements for example. I’ve seen photos

of wonderful shell flowers made in miniature. In the 18th

century, grottoes covered in shells, as exotic as possible and

beautifully arranged, were all the rage. I’ve really only

touched here on a few of the ways in which you can

incorporate tiny shells into a miniature setting – I hope that

you are inspired to find a way to enjoy their beauty and

delicacy with your other miniatures.

To view more of Wendy Smale’s fabulous work, see Wendy’s

Miniatures websites: http://wendysminiatures.com and

www.cdhm.org/user/wendysmale

©All text & photos in this feature belong to Wendy Smale

Shells in glass.

A bowl or tall glass jar of shells and perhaps a dried sea

star is an attractive home décor accessory or container

for holiday souvenirs.

Below: Shell scene shadowbox. The tiny white shell at the top is from a whelk

egg case.


In the summer of 1985, I was working as a Blue Coat Entertainer at Pontin's at Plemont Bay in Jersey, Channel Isles. Pontin's had its own private beach, a lovely little crescent shaped cove with soft golden sand, but there were a great number of steps to get down to

the beach so most people couldn't be bothered to use it and preferred to travel to more accessible beaches elsewhere on the island.

When the tide was out, there was a large flat rock that you could sit on and look out to sea but when the tide was in, you could only see the top of the rock and it was surrounded by quite deep water. You could still paddle safely a little way in from the rock. I often used to climb down all the steps very early in the morning when the beach was deserted; especially if the weather was hot....it was great to get my tired feet (from dancing the night before) into the cool sea!

Anyway, on this particular morning I went down to the beach at about 6.30am, a bit earlier than usual. The tide was in so I was having a little paddle when I suddenly felt as if I was being watched.

I can only describe what happened next as an extremely strange experience. There on the flat rock, surrounded by sea was what looked like a small teenage girl with long dark hair who was watching me paddle. I was quite alarmed to see her there and immediately thought that she must be stranded so I called out to her 'Don't worry, I'll go and get help!' With that, the 'girl' appeared to flip herself off the rock and into the sea, but as she went in, I swear I saw a tail and not legs!!

Obviously by this time I was trying to reason that I couldn't possibly have seen a tail and that the girl must have fallen into the water and would surely be in trouble and I was just about to start running for help when a head bobbed out of the water only about ten feet away from me. It was the 'girl' and I just knew this was not quite right and I actually started to feel quite scared and I backed out of the water onto dry sand as fast as I could!

She then flipped over and a most definite tail came out of the water behind her! To this day I have no other explanation for my very strange sighting except that I had seen a real mermaid very close up! At that time, I did not know that some of the mer people are not always very friendly to humans, but it seems that my instinct to get well away from the water was correct.

I never went down to that beach on my own again.

To see more of Louise’s work, go to www.angeliqueminiatures.co.uk

©COPYRIGHT OF TEXT AND PHOTO IN THIS FEATURE BELONG TO LOUISE GOLDSBOROUGH

true or fantasy? Mermaids…

Who knows… But some people do believe that they exist.

By AIM Member Louise Goldsborough


LIGHTHOUSES

By AIM member, Margaret Pitts

Lighthouses have always held a fascination both

for myself and my ‘other half’, albeit for different

reasons. ‘Other half’ marvels at the ingenuity of

the engineering, whilst I am of a more romantic

frame of mind and think about the solitude, the

wild locations and the lives saved by the flashing

of a single light.

As an island sea‐faring nation, Britain has always

been concerned for the safety of its ships. There

is evidence from the 12th century of a ‘Guild of

Sea Samaritans’, but the first official record dates

back to the time of Henry VIII. He granted a

Charter to a group of mariners in 1514 to

safeguard “the pilotage of ships in the King’s

streams”. The group was known as the Guild of

the Holy Trinity……a forerunner of the

modern‐day Trinity House which is responsible

for lighthouses today and whose master since

1969 has been The Duke of Edinburgh.

Sixty nine lighthouses are maintained by Trinity House, but since 1998 all have become automated and can

be controlled from a central point in Harwich.

Early structures were made of wood, which, given the might of the sea, were not very robust. One of the most

famous lighthouses in Britain is the Eddystone, built by an equally celebrated engineer, John Smeaton. His was

not the first lighthouse on the site, in fact there were two before his, both made from wood; the first

collapsed in a storm and the second was burned down. Smeaton first considered the foundations and took as

his inspiration the interlocking stones of pavements, arguing that the rock on which he was building, should

be an integral part of the whole structure. An oak tree was his model for the overall shape, essentially a

cylinder, but wider at the base for stability. His choice of stone as building material was more difficult to

construct, but ultimately stronger than wood. The lighthouse was completed in 1759.

Another famous lighthouse is the Longstone, on the outer Farne Island off the coast of Northumberland. This

was designed and built by Joseph Nelson in 1826 and cost £4,771.

It is 6 miles from the mainland and in a particularly tricky area for shipping (I have firsthand experience of the

weather and tides around these islands, as I have been taken by local fishing boats on many a bird‐watching

expedition to the Farne Islands!!).


The Longstone Lighthouse was built to a similar design to that of John Smeaton’s and was painted red and

white. It became well‐known as the scene of Grace Darling’s bravery in rescuing people from the wreck of

The Forfarshire on a particularly wild and ferocious stormy night in 1838. Her father was the lighthouse

keeper at the time and the family lived there, often having to seek safety in the uppermost rooms when

the waves lashed the living area below. That particular night, the family was aware of the ship in difficulty,

but the keeper assessed the situation and decided a rescue attempt was out of the question. However,

Grace finally persuaded her father to try, so the pair of them cast off in their small fishing boat, battling

the mountainous waves and eventually reaching the stricken vessel. By making two journeys, they were

able to save nine passengers, although 43 drowned. Grace and her father were hailed as heroes and were

awarded gold medals by the

Royal Humane Society.

There is a lovely little

museum dedicated to Grace

Darling in Bamburgh, on the

mainland opposite the

Farnes. It’s well worth a visit

if you are in the area……or

you could take a trip in a

fishing boat out to the Farne

islands ‐‐‐‐just ask for Billy

Shiels!

This story inspired me to

create a lighthouse scene in

miniature, so perhaps these

pictures will encourage you

to try something similar.

The basic, unpainted

lighthouse can be purchased

fairly cheaply in craft shops…

then the rest is up to you!

There are more pictures in

this month’s Mini AIMers’

column.

Copyright Margaret Pitts

www.minimilliner.co.uk

MARITIME EXPLORATION 9 W|ávÉäxÜç By AIM Member, Robin Britton

Recently, I was commissioned to make

three interesting 18th Century historical

characters; Captain James Cook, the

famous maritime explorer, the equally

famous Joseph Banks, botanist and

planter hunter and Sidney Parkinson the

botanical artist. Banks and Parkinson

sailed with Cook in The Endeavour in the

voyage of 1768‐71.

A 1/12th scale dolls house was to be turned into a ‘museum’, with each room reflecting a different and

specific period or event in history…. fascinating – and what a brilliant idea! The characters I was

commissioned to create, were for one of these rooms.

To come as close as possible to an accurate likeness of the individual men, I studied portraits, and even

commemorative stamps. These, together with other research, gave good clues for costuming.

VtÑàt|Ç ]tÅxá VÉÉ~ Captain James Cook – 1728‐1779 ‐ was one of Great Britain’s most famous maritime explorers. He was born

in a village near Middlesborough and learned to sail in small coastal vessels, before joining the Royal Navy,

and in due course, commanding the famous ships, Endeavour

and Resolution.

In 1769 the Royal Society sent a group of astronomers to

Tahiti, aboard The Endeavour, to witness the very rare event

of Venus passing in front of the sun. Cook’s instructions were,

to continue south to latitude 40 degrees, and a large land‐

mass. Not having found the landmass, they sailed on south

until New Zealand and Australia (then called New Holland)

were sited. This had been a difficult navigation since

discovery in C16th, and Cook established, while charting New

Zealand for the first time, that it was a separate island. He

and his crew went on to chart the east coast of Australia and

enable Joseph Banks, who was on the

expedition, to make important studies and

discoveries of flora and fauna of the region.

[A`A UtÜ~ XÇwxtäÉâÜ

Captain James Cook


Cook went on to make other maritime explorations and

important discoveries: Hawaii was discovered and they charted

coasts of the Americas, and also sailed closer to the South Pole

than any previous navigator. His last voyage was commanding

Resolution, and it was on one of the Hawaiian islands that he

was killed, in an attack following a dispute and hostilities with

the indigenous people.

]ÉáxÑ{ UtÇ~á Joseph Banks – 1743‐1820 – was born into a wealthy family,

and as a passionate botanist, naturalist and explorer, this

enabled him, after his studies at Oxford, to join important

scientific explorations and expeditions to North America, the

South Pacific and Australasia. He

joined Captain Cook on the 1769

Endeavour explorations, plant hunt‐

ing, collecting and identifying, hundred of plants that he would introduce to

England and other countries. His interest in new plants was also very practical,

and he was accompanied by Sidney Parkinson, one of two botanical artists,

recording the specimens, as he set about researching their practical and

commercial uses.

This was his last voyage of exploration; he was made a director of The Royal

Botanic gardens at Kew in 1781, where he directed others on new expeditions;

became President of The Royal Society; was made a baronet by George III and

became a very influential figure in the country. Sir Joseph Banks is credited with discovering 110 new

genera and identifying 1,300 new

species, many of which bear his name –

we probably know best, the acacia,

mimosa, banksia and eucalyptus – and

there is a pretty, creamy yellow rose that

was named Lady Banksia, after his wife.

f|wÇxç ctÜ~|ÇáÉÇ Sidney Parkinson 1745 – 1771 was a

young Scottish Quaker; an artist and bo‐

tanical illustrator of immense talent. He

moved to London and was employed by

Sir Joseph Banks at Kew; although very

young, ( he was only 19) his talent

brought him to the attention of George

III, who insisted that Banks include him

on the explorations aboard The Endeav‐

our in 1769.

Captain James Cook

Joseph Banks

The characters, Parkinson and Banks

Sidney endured the deprivations and difficulties of life on

board, working in hot and cramped tropical conditions, where

flies ate the paint off the paper he was working on, and it was

difficult to keep specimens in good condition. He had to work

quickly, but very accurately, so often, he might illustrate just

one or two leaves, a flower and bud, completing the work later:

almost one thousand illustrations ‐ mostly of plants, but also a

small number of animals. Sadly he was not to complete the

voyage and return to his deserved acclaim, but instead he died

of dysentery as the ship crossed the Indian Ocean on the return

journey.

In London, Banks employed other artists and colourists to

complete his sketches and unfinished illustrations, before the

eventual publication of over 300. It was to be 200 years before

more were published, and some have never been published.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the characters I created, and

learned just a little more about the real men and their incredi‐

ble achievements…. and perhaps may consider creating your own ‘museum’ room.

Robin Britton Copyright ‐ Robin Britton – www.coombecrafts.co.uk

The text, and photographs of the character dolls, may not be used or reproduced without expressed permission.

Banksia integrifolia – a partially coloured sketch, by Sidney Parkinson, finished later by an unknown artist.


Artisans In Miniature “An association of professional artisans, dedicated to promoting a high standard

of excellence in original handcrafted scale miniatures…”

The AIM website has been created in order to showcase the work of the individual artisan members whom together form the international Artisans In Miniature association. AIM was founded in 2007 as an association for professional artisans who create beautiful and original scale miniatures for sale to the public. Since its launch, AIM has grown rapidly and now boasts some of the most talented artisans within the miniature world!

On the AIM website you will find further information about the work of these international artisans and artists who provide further information about their work in the AIM online directory, which is free for all AIM members and can be found on the AIM website. New member’s pages are constantly being added to reflect our growing worldwide membership. So why not bookmark the site today!

Are YOU a professional miniature artisan?? Then why not join us?? AIM is completely FREE to join and inclusion in the AIM online member’s directory is also uniquely

completely FREE!

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: Vicky for more information:

[email protected]



1:12th

Medieval Chest By AIM Member, Jane Harrop

Early chests, one of the first forms of furniture, were

simply hollowed‐out logs and were used to store

linen and valuables. As the centuries progressed they

were often placed at the end of a bed and used as a

table or seat. They were often elaborately carved and

by the mid‐seventeenth century a drawer had been incorporated into the base of some, to allow easy ac‐

cess to the bottom of the chest. It was from this simple addition of the drawer that the chest of drawers

evolved.

To avoid using expensive and fiddly hinges, I have made this chest with a lift off lid and used a lid clips

(simply thin strips of wood) to secure it in place.

Step 1. Transfer the measurements from the template on to the

end wood pieces.

The measurements in brackets are for the 1/24th scale chest.

Lightly sand and stain all of the wooden components.

Step 2. Position and glue the two end pieces on top of a side wood

piece as shown. The straight edges on each should be flush with

each other.

Position and glue the base wood piece to rest inside the

construction. (See overleaf)

You Will Need...

Project...

To make the 1/12th scale you will need:

From 1/8in (3mm) obechi sheet wood

Two 2 3/8in (60mm) by 1 3/8in (35mm) for ends

Two 3 3/8in (86mm) by 1 3/4in (44mm) for sides

3 1/8in (79mm) by 1 3/8in (35mm) for base

3 5/8in (92mm) by 1 3/4in (44mm) for top

1/16in (1.5mm) by 1/16in (1.5mm) obechi strip wood:

Two 1 3/8in (35mm) lengths for lid clips

To make the chest in 1/24th scale you will need:

From 1/16in (1.5mm) obechi sheet wood

Two 1 3/16in (30mm) by 11/16in (17mm) for ends

Two 1 11/16in (43mm) by 7/8in (22mm) for sides

1 9/16in (40mm) by 11/16in (17mm) for base

1 13/16in (46mm) by 7/8in (22mm) for top

1/32in (1mm) by 1/32in (1mm) obechi strip wood:

Two 11/16in (17mm) for lid clips

2

Step 4. Position and glue the lid clips, on to the underside of the lid top, positioned 1/4in

(6mm) at 1/12th scale or 1/8in (3mm) at 1/24th scale from each short edge, and 1/8in (3mm)

at 1/12th scale or 1/16in (1.5mm) at 1/24th scale from one long edge. Position the lid on top of

the chest.

See more of Jane’s work at www.janeharrop.co.uk

© Jane Harrop 2009

3

4

Step 3. Once dry, position and glue the remaining side wood piece in to place. Once dry, either

wax or paint the outside of the construction, together with the lid top.


JAPAN CAlLING By AIM Member, Cheryl Clingen

So, there I was, in Tokyo, ready to attend my first ever Teddy Bear Convention. My jaw hit the floor as I walked into the 3rd floor of the Trade Centre of Japan. I tried to take it all in, then had to rethink the whole thing when I found out that the teddy bears actually took up 2 floors of the Trade Centre and that on the 5th floor there was a porcelain doll convention happening at the same time. It was a bit too much for a jetlagged, excited miniaturist!

At Lynette's table which she shared with her Taiwanese friends, I tried to help her with the setting out of her gorgeous little bears proudly holding their mini umbrellas an wearing their matching hats which I had made, and it all just felt so good! She even gave some of her bears a mini bear of mine to hold. Across from us was another South African, Vera, who to my surprise I had met and sat next to her at a recent workshop.

It wasn't long before I began browsing and was just amazed at the variety of bears from mini to maxi. There was one bear whose head almost touched the ceiling! No kidding! Pity I didn't take a photo of him.

The first hour was for pre‐booked buyers only, and the queue at the doors was really something to see. They did not allow anyone in until the exact minute of "doors open at..." and what happened next can only be com‐pared to the dropping of the flag at a Grand Prix race. They all seemed to know exactly where they needed to get to and be the first at that table.

Lynette explained to me that these were the people who would place orders, wanted first option of OOAK (one of a kind) bears and they needed to get their orders in first. Well. whew! I never knew just how popular hand‐made bears were.

Next morning I offered to buy coffee for everyone, and set off with a lid of a box as a tray and with an order of 6 coffees. Unfortunately, I accidentally got off on the 6th floor instead of the 5th, and a haze of unreality washed over me. Was I hallucinating? Miniatures? Everywhere?? There was a miniature convention happening at the same time?? Yes, true.

I totally lost myself and drooled over the magnificent sight of little shops full of stunning clothing for antique reproduction porcelain dolls, doll houses, materials, laces, furniture, kits, oh! oh! oh! it was the best 3 hours! I even met with someone I had met in Vegas at a miniature convention 2 years ago. I went on my first spending spree.

Very excited, I headed back to the 3rd floor to show my friends the wonderful stuff I bought to be met with arms folded and frowns. "WHERE IS OUR COFFEE!!" oops...

They forgave me though. Next year I hope to be more in control and take better pictures (yes, I indulged in a better camera) and hopefully also get to share a table with someone. Miniatures are alive and well and living in Japan in Tokyo in June every year!!

The highlight of my trip was of course getting a great big hug from my daughter when she and her hubby arrived at the convention to whisk me away on a short walking tour around Tokyo, and whooshed back to their city of Utsuno‐mia on the Shin‐kan‐sen (Bullet train). It was an amazing time in my life, and wish I could share more of it with you. Next year, well, let's wait and see. Put it on your to‐do list. You must visit Japan at least once in your life.

Cheryl Clingen of www.MiniDollsFromAfrica.com ©All text & photos in this feature belong to Cheryl Clingen



I have always had a soft spot for Cornwall, with its

high banked winding lanes, foxglove filled

hedgerows and secret, hidden coves.

As a child I remember enjoying the idyllic ‘Enid

Blyton‐ness’ that ‘is’ Cornwall in the summer time

and that sense of comfort and quiet tradition has

never really left me.

Even back then, in the summers of my youth, a

younger ‘me’ was innately fascinated by all the

irregular little cottages, which huddled together,

precariously clinging to the steep hillsides above

boat filled harbours. I loved the brightly coloured

weather board, the white washed stone and the

enormously sturdy stone chimneys. I still do…

So, early this year Mr Bea and I decided to take another summer trip back to Cornwall, but unlike previous

visits, we planned to explore wider areas of the county that we had never visited before. In preparation we

drew up a list of places that we wanted to visit, based on the picturesque architecture of each area.

The trip was to be a camping tour of the Cornish coastline and I wanted to be able to spend as much time

as I could, sketching, photographing and relaxing. Back in June we packed only the smallest of tents, the

bare essentials of camping equipment and our well‐worn ordinance survey map of the area and headed off

towards the West Country. It was to be a mini Cornish adventure…

Coverack... I don’t know how or even why

we chose Coverack as our

starting point, but somehow we

did and it certainly did not

disappoint.

When we arrived, we were met by a damp windy day and the

bracing sea air was heavy with sea mist, but the thatched

‘chocolate box’ cottages of Coverack lifted our spirits after the

long car journey south.

In Coverack, rows of pastel coloured thatched cottages sit side

by side each other, overlooking the small harbour and the

traditional brown Cornish stone is immediately evident in the

local architecture.

Clotted Cream & Cottages...

AIM member Bea Broadwood

takes a closer look at the quintessential

architecture of Cornwall…

Cadgwith... Heading south along

the coast we next

visited the small and highly picturesque village of Cadgwith.

Cadgwith has an active fishing community and is nestled in the trough

of a steeply sided valley that runs inland from the beach.

Again traditional thatched cottages are sited together in a seemingly

chaotic jumble, with only small single track roads for access.

Porthleven... We arrived in Porthleven at the end of a very long day and it was

in this Victorian style port where the summer sun rose on our

camping trip. The inner and outer harbours at Porthleven are

surrounded by

pastel rendered

terraced villas,

interwoven with the

more traditional

and ‘stouter’ coastal

stone properties.

Mr Bea and I

enjoyed our supper,

overlooking the

inner harbour whilst

basking in the

Cornish evening

sun. It was the perfect end to the perfect day!


Mousehole... For me, Mousehole was the highlight of my

trip and the small fishing harbour

epitomizes all that is right about Cornish

architecture. My visit was spent exploring

the seemingly endless rabbit warren of tiny

cobbled ally ways that rise uphill away

from the harbour. Cottages of all

descriptions and sizes seem to jostle for a

sea view. Everywhere you look the soft

brown tones of the Cornish stone are

contrasted by white‐washed render. Down

on the harbour wall, I spent an idyllic

morning sketching and taking notes and I

found Mousehole to be filled to the brim

with inspiration and ideas that I will no

doubt draw upon in my workshop in the

dark winter months to come.

St Ives, St Ives was a big surprise to both Mr Bea and I.

We were certainly not prepared for its stunning

golden beaches, aquamarine sea and

cosmopolitan feel. It is a real jewel in the

Cornish crown. St. Ives itself is a picturesque

fishing port, dominated by a small chapel high

on the headland. The harbour is filled with

boats and surrounded by the bustle of

restaurants, shops and bars. Along the harbour

wall we visited a tiny fisherman’s chapel made from

rugged carved

stone.

St Ives is certainly

somewhere that I

would love to

return, given half

the chance!

Polperro... Our guide book claimed that

Polperro is the most visited

place in Cornwall and after

spending a wonderful sun

‐soaked day there sketching,

it is not hard to see why.

The village itself lines a

steep wooded valley that

leads down towards a small

inset harbour. The streets

themselves are narrow and

cobbled and the houses

seem to teeter on the brink

of the steep slopes that fall

away towards the sea.

Old stone inns are

everywhere and the harbour

is seemingly lined with

endless ancient public

houses.

Just my kind of place and for

those with a sweet tooth, the

cream teas served there are

indeed the stuff of legends!

A pen & ink illustration taken

from my sketch book...


Mevagissey Mevagissey will always be a very special place to me. I would go so far to say that it is

certainly one of my personal ‘happy places’, somewhere I go to recharge. Although we

had not planned to re visit it, Mr Bea knew that I could simply not pass it by and before

you could say ‘clotted cream’ we had detoured from our planned route.

I first visited this archetypal Cornish fishing port back in the late ‘70s / early ‘80s during the holidays of my

childhood and it holds for me many wonderful memories. Mevagissey is a working fishing port that at the peak

of the pilchard fishing industry was one of the busiest harbours in Cornwall. As is common throughout

Cornwall, multicoloured terraced fishermen’s cottages rise in the style of a staggered amphitheatre in steps

overlooking the large working harbour. Here, slate roofs top brightly coloured weather‐boarded or shingle‐clad

cottages and the shrill call of the ever present sea gulls fills the salty air. Mevagissey is also home to the best

fish and chip shop I know!

For me Cornwall can be described in one word – inspirational. During my professional career as a dolls house

builder I have often recreated many of the classic ‘coastal’ properties from this southwest area of the UK and

they remain amongst the most popular of all the properties that I build. So it would seem that I am not alone,

in my affection for all things Cornish.

Cornwall certainly has something for everyone. Its architecture changes from village to village yet still retains

that illusive ‘postcard pretty’ common

denominator which makes its soft blend of

coastal cottages so very appealing to the eye.

For what it is worth, I personally think that there

is something very honest about the architecture

in Cornwall, which for the most part is humble,

practical and without any fanciful vernacular

embellishments. Cornish cottages don’t jar the

senses, nor do they make big, boasting

architectural statements, instead they just seem

to quietly whisper to the heart:

‘Welcome Home’…

Bea

A pen & ink illustration taken from my sketch book...

www.petite‐properties.com

Text, Photographs & Sketches © Petite Properties 2009

Sketching...

The History of knitting... from early times

to 16th Century in Britain By AIM Member Frances Powell NOTE: This is intended for use as a guide for people wishing to be authentic when placing knitted items

in dolls houses.

This is NOT a full history of knitting in Britain and many areas of the craft have not been covered. Other

areas have been mentioned only briefly. Knitting is still evolving and will no doubt undergo many more

changes during its history.

Pre 15th Century - Male knitters Although knitting has been around in many forms since early times, some is not ‘true’ knitting, but closely

resembles knitting. Roman soldiers are said to have worn knitted socks when serving in the cold outposts

of the Empire such as Britain. There is still much debate as to the form this early knitting took.

It should also be remembered that early on in the history of knitting that any form of fancy knitting would

have been the secret preserve of Knitting Guilds. These were Male orientated and involved long and com‐

plicated apprenticeships. It would NOT have been common practice for women of the house to knit.

15th and 16th Century knitting in Britain Prior to Tudor times knitting was not very common in England. But by Tudor times knitting was seen as an

active industry with laws to protect it. For example: By law in Tudor times every male over the age of six

had to wear a woollen cap on Sundays and Holy days. According to the Sumptuary Laws any man not

wearing a cap on these days had to pay a strict fine. The laws were passed to protect the jobs of the

‘Cappers’ (cap makers). Tudor caps were generally felted after being knitted, to give the appearance of

cloth. European knitting Guilds by this time had developed very intricate patterns, which showed distinct

regional variations.

Knitting by women became fashionable when Ladies in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth 1 started knitting silk

stockings for pleasure. It is thought the lace knitting for these stockings originated in Spain. The majority of

lower to middle classes would have worn woollen hose, with only the upper classes wearing silk hose. The

hose were tied to the top of the leg with garters (hence garter stitch). Rib stitches were un‐

known at this time so top borders would have been worked in garter stitch. The garters did

not show, as they would be tied under the breeches. The wool used would have been the

natural un‐dyed sheep colour.

Knitted Monmouth Cap 1300’s to 1650


When Elizabeth 1 set a new fashion by wearing

hand knitted stockings, demand increased and

in wool producing areas such as the Yorkshire

Dales every family in the Dale ‐ men, women

and children ‐ became involved in knitting

woollen stockings.

It is interesting to note that in the early 16th

century, licences were granted to the Channel

Islands to import wool from England. The main

exports of the Channel Islands were stockings,

some of which were owned by Mary 1 and

Elizabeth 1.

By the end of Elizabeth’s reign, fisherman’s

ganseys were also commonly being knitted and

local patterns started to develop.

Some of the local variations of knitting in Scotland are thought to date from the time of the aftermath of

the Armada, when Spanish sailors were shipwrecked on the northern coasts and islands of Britain. For ex‐

ample many Fair Isle patterns are very similar to 15th and 16th Century Spanish designs. Many Spanish

noblemen were amongst those shipwrecked and knitting was a common pastime amongst the nobility.

It is at this time that purl or ‘pearl’ stitches first started to be used for decoration or ‘clocking’ on stockings;

prior to this time purl stitches were not needed as all knitting was done in the round. Shaping by increasing

and decreasing stitches was also commonly used in Tudor knitting.

Other garments knitted at this time included waistcoats and vests.

17th –20th Century Knitting in Britain With the arrival of the knitting machines in the Stuart period more knitwear was produced, but the de‐

mand for hand knitting continued, although by this time knitting was done mainly by women and children.

Women were also able to combine knitting with other jobs, as it was easily portable. Children in work‐

houses were also taught to knit along with other things such as spinning and lace making.

Stockings and gloves became the mainstay of

the knitters in the late 17th and 18th Centu‐

ries, but by the late 18th Century rural hand

knitting was in decline as the knitting frames

took over.

By Victorian times hand knitting was making a

comeback amongst the middle and upper

classes with the introduction of knitting pat‐

terns. Prior to this time very few patterns

were written down, most were passed down

verbally through families and were closely

guarded secrets.

Inverness Gansey

Fife banded gansey

The one group still knitting were the

fishing folk. The fishermen travelled

around the coasts following the fish;

their womenfolk migrated with them

and brought their knitting to do in

between gutting and packing fish.

Regional variations grew up amongst

the ganseys knitted by these women

and it was even possible to say which

port a fisherman had sailed from by

the design on his gansey.

By mid and late Victorian times many

Ladies magazines were printing

knitting patterns, although these would hardly seem like patterns to us today, much of the actual

instruction is left to the imagination and detailed patterns only appeared during the late 19th and early

20th Century, gradually evolving into the patterns we are used to today.

The techniques used to make

garments also evolved rapidly

during this period, reaching its

height in the 1930s and 1940s when

garments were shaped to contour

the body. The knitting was also more

likely to be made of several pieces,

which were then joined, rather than

knitted in one piece as was common

prior to this time. Some beautiful

patterns were designed at this time

including Wedding Gowns such as

the one shown below.

© Copyright F. H. Powell 2009

www.buttercupminiatures.co.uk

Victorian ladies’ ‘open’ drawers

Pictured Right: Knitted wedding

gown c. 1934


1/12th Scale Ladies Bathing Costume

(c.1931) For experienced knitters

By AIM Member Frances Powell

Special wools were developed in the 1930s that did not fade or shrink

in seawater. Colours were muted, but popular colours were navy,

dark red, black. Ladies bathing costumes were similar in style to

men’s costumes but had an integral skirt. The costume was often

decorated with a design on the front. This bathing costume is made using the 1930s style of knitting,

which is slightly different to that used today.

Materials required to knit bathing costume:

Size 20 (0.90 mm) knitting needles (1 pair plus spare needle), 50m 1‐ply wool, small amount contrast colour 1‐ply

wool, stitch holders

Abbreviations: st ‐ stitch; k ‐ knit; p‐ purl; sst ‐ stocking (stockinette) stitch (1 row k, 1 row p); inc .‐ increase by

working twice into next st; k2tog ‐ knit next 2 sts together to form one stitch; p2tog ‐ purl next 2 sts together to

form one stitch; C – contrast colour; M ‐ main colour; patt. ‐ pattern; rem. ‐ remaining; rep. ‐ repeat; gst ‐ garter

stitch (every row knit)

This can be knitted without the seagull on the front, in which case knit back and front alike.

Back Legs * Cast on 15 sts. Work 10 rows sst, break wool and leave these sts on a spare needle or stitch holder. Make another piece in the same way, but do not break wool. Row 1: k sts on needle then k sts from stitch holder (30 sts) Rows 2‐14: sst, starting with a p row. Break wool and leave sts on a spare needle.

Cast on 30 sts loosely. Rows 1‐2: work in k 1, p 1 rib. Row 3‐24: sst To join skirt and leg pieces : Place the needle holding the leg sts behind the needle holding the skirt sts, making sure the right sides of each piece are facing you. Row 25: Work one row, knitting together one stitch from each needle to the end of the row. (30 sts)

Row 26: p

Row 27: k2tog , k to last 2 sts, k2tog. (28 sts)

Row 28: p

Row 29: k

Row 30: p


Row 32: p


Row 34: p

© Copyright F. H. Powell 2009 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

www.buttercupminiatures.co.uk


Row 36: p

Row 37: k

Row 38: p

Row 39: inc. in first st, k to last st, inc. in this st. (24 sts)

Row 40: p

Row 41: k

Row 42: p

Row 43: inc. in first st, k to last st, inc. in this st. (26 sts)

Row 44: p

Row 45: k

Row 46: p

Row 47: inc. in first st, k to last st , inc. in this st. (28 sts) **

Row 48: p

Row 49: k

Row 50: p

Row 51: k

Row 52: k 4, p to last 4 sts, k 4.

Row 53: Cast off 3 sts, k to end. (25 sts) Row 54: Cast off 3 sts, p to last 2 sts, k 2. (22 sts) Row 55: k2tog, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. (20 sts) Row 56: k 2, p to last 2 sts, k 2. Row 57: k2tog, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. (18 sts) Row 58: k 2, p 4, k 6, p 4, k 2. Row 59: k Row 60: k 2, p 4, k 6, p 4, k 2. Row 61: k 6, cast off 6 sts, k 6. Work on last 6 sts only. Row 62: k 2, p 1, k 1, k2tog. (5 sts) Row 63: k2tog, k to end. (4 sts) Row 64: k 2, k2tog. (3 sts) Rows 65‐72 (or until required length is reached): k Cast off. Rejoin wool to 6 sts left on needle. Row 62: k 2tog, k 1, p 1, k2. (5 sts) Row 63: k 3, k2tog. (4 sts) Row 64: k2tog, k 2. (3 sts) Rows 65‐72 (or until required length is reached): k Cast off. Front Work as for back from * to ** Work pattern as follows taking care to weave in main or contrast wool that is carried across more than 3 sts. Row 48: p Row 49: k 12 M, k 1 C, k 2 M, k 1 C, k 12 M Row 50: p 13 M, p 2 C, p 13 M. Row 51: k 6 M, k 1 C, k 6 M, k 2 C, k 6 M, k 1 C, k 6 M. Row 52: k 4 M, p 3 M, p 1 C, p 4 M, p 4 C, p 4 M, p 1 C, p 3 M, k 4 M. Row 53: Using M cast off 3 sts, k 4 M, k 4 C, k 1 M, k 2 C, k 1 M, K 4 C, k 8 M. (25 sts) Row 54: Using M cast off 3 sts, k 1 M, p 8 M, p 2 C, p 8 M, k 2 M. (22 sts) Row 55: k2tog, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. (20 sts) Row 56: k 2, p to last 2 sts, k 2. Row 57: k2tog, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. (18 sts) Row 58: k 2, p 4, k 6, p 4, k 2. Row 59: k Row 60: k 2, p 4, k 6, p 4, k 2. Row 61: k 6, cast off 6 sts, k 6. Work on last 6 sts only.

Row 62: k 2, p 1, k 1, k2tog. (5 sts) Row 63: k2tog, k to end. (4 sts) Row 64: k 2, k2tog. (3 sts) Rows 65‐ 72 (or until required length is reached): k Cast off. Rejoin wool to 6 sts left on needle. Row 62: k 2tog, k 1, p 1, k2. (5 sts) Row 63: k 3, k2tog. (4 sts) Row 64: k2tog, k 2. (3 sts) Rows 65‐72 (or until required length is reached): k Cast off. Gusset (knit 1) Work in sst throughout. Cast on 1 st, inc. at start of every row until there are 7 sts on the needle. Work 1 row, then dec. at start of every row, until one stitch remains, fasten off. To make up bathing costume: Sew in any loose ends of contrast colour and any loose ends at neckline. Attach gusset to legs as follows: Take front of bathing costume and gusset. With right sides facing, sew one edge of gusset to inner side of leg, so that gusset will form a triangle when folded, repeat with other side of leg. Attach gusset to back of bathing costume in same way, then sew up inside leg seams and side leg seams of bathing costume to where skirt of costume joins in. With right sides together sew up side and shoulder seams of bathing costume, taking care not to sew skirt into side seams or to twist shoulder straps. Turn bathing costume right side out. With right sides together sew up side seams of skirt, again taking care not to sew any of the body into the seams. Sew in any loose ends and pull skirt down over legs of bathing costume. Press side seams lightly with a warm iron and damp cloth.

Knitted belt This is optional and is not shown in photograph. The belt would usually be white.

Materials required: Size 20 needles, small amount of wool in a contrast colour to bathing costume, small ring or buckle

Abbreviations: st‐stitch; k‐knit; p‐purl

Cast on 3 sts. Row 1: k 1, p 1, k 1. Repeat row 1 until belt measures approx. 3½ inches (9 cm). Cast off.

To make up: Thread one end of belt through ring or buckle, and sew back on itself for about ¼ inch (0.5 cm) to attach to buckle or ring. The belt can be attached to bathing costume if required by making belt loops at waist of bathing costume ‐ a strand of main colour wool (the same as the bathing costume) passing over belt and sewn at side seams.

Compiled By AIM Member, Margaret Pitts (MiniMilliner)

Hello again Kids! I expect you are enjoying the summer holidays now ---- no school, no homework, no getting up at the crack of dawn….GREAT!

So, plenty of time for working on mini projects --- you can even do some of these outside if the weather’s fine, then you won’t get under anyone’s feet and somehow, making a mess outside doesn’t seem half as bad as inside, does it?

If you are going on holiday to the seaside, you may be lucky enough to find a small lighthouse you could turn into a summer project, or if you are staying at home, they are fairly easy to find, unpainted, in craft shops. I’ve included some tips and ideas at the end of this section.

But first, we have a very exciting new series of projects lined up for you over the next few months and the wonderful thing about them, is that they are written by a Mini AIMer !

Sarah, who lives in America, loves to make minis out of things that most people would throw away. She calls them ‘Trash to Treasures’ and along with her Grandma Leilani, she creates all sorts of amazing things. Leilani wrote to tell me what she and her granddaughter had been doing, so I invited them to share their ideas with us all.

Pictured below left: These are just some of the projects Sarah will be showing you how to do over the coming months This month, Sarah tells us how they put pistachio nutshells to good use. Have a look at the photo below right and perhaps you could persuade someone to buy a small packet, eat them and give you the shells...


Now, over to Sarah…

Materials needed: • Glue • Pistachio shell • Tiny piece of Paper for the sail • A Toothpick (cocktail stick) • Scissors • Markers (felt-tips)

Instructions Step 1 - Clean out and paint the shell the colour you want your sailboat to be. I painted mine blue in this case. The sail I used is from a piece of Chinese fast food offers, or just use any junk mail. You only need a very tiny piece for your sail. Step 2 - Cut a small piece of toothpick about 1". Step 3- Cut a tiny triangle for your sail. Step 4 - Glue the triangle sail paper to the toothpick. Step 5 - Glue the sail to the middle of the boat.

You are done!

You now have a toy sail boat made out of a Pistachio nutshell.

See, told you it was easy!

Planters

Materials needed: • Various bits of plastic

plants and tiny silk flowers • Glue • Pistachio nutshells -

2 per planter • Scissors • Markers (felt tips)

Sail Boat...

Another Trash To Treasures Project...

Step 1 - Clean and paint the shells, I paint two the same colour and the others in differ-ent colours, making sure I have two of the same colour for each planter. You can paint the edge of the shells now too.

Step 2 - Cut bits of your flowers and plants to fill your shell.

Step 3 - Glue the larger shell facing up to a smaller one facing down, with points going in the same direction.

Step 4 - Start adding your flowers or plants into your planters and glue in place.

Step 5 - Add a bit of greenery or moss to cover any empty parts showing.

Step 6 - Make sure your planter is nicely filled with flowers or plants.

That's it! You can now make more using all kinds of different flowers and plants.

You see, another easy and fun project. See you next month

Copyright of text & photos belongs to Sarah and Leilani

Thank you Sarah and Leilani ! Great stuff!

Now, back to the lighthouse project I mentioned at the start of Mini AIMers.

I came across this lighthouse last summer at a local Craft shop. It was unpainted, raw wood and inside were hooks for hanging keys. It immediately shouted ‘project’ to me, so I just had to have it.

I removed the hooks and glued in ‘shelves’ made from balsa wood to represent the floors. Then I sanded and painted it inside and out. I wanted to create the illusion of a spiral staircase, so on each floor I glued small strips of balsa wood for the steps, to the wall in a corner. You might just be able to see them in some of the pictures. Pictures of maps and charts can be googled, re-duced in size, then printed out to stick on the walls. I also cut a clock face from a catalogue and stuck that on too.

Back to the lighthouse...

I bought things like the stove and lamp, but I also made some ‘fitted units’ for downstairs. The curved shape was made by folding paper and holding it horizontally against the wall where I wanted the unit to be. I then drew round the shape onto card and built it completely from card. I marked the drawers and cupboards with a fine pen then glued the whole thing in place.

On the next floor, I used a net that had originally been filled with oranges, and turned it into a hammock. (I painted the net brown ). Then I made some tiny cushions for added comfort. The tiny ‘bedside’ table is just the top of a narrow

cotton reel.

I made the top floor into a sort of observatory. The telescope is simply a roll of black paper with the end painted gold and the stand is made from a wire paper clip, bent to shape and painted black. I bought the globe on the stand, but repainted it myself.

The lighthouse is set on ‘rocks’ made from dry oasis (available from

florists) and painted. I glued moss, and other landscaping bits around the rocks and added tiny shells and other bits and pieces I already had. The whole scene is standing in a large plant pot saucer, with tissue paper for the sea. Oh, and of course a lighthouse keeper has moved in and made himself at home.

Text and photos copyright of Margaret Pitts www.minimilliner.co.uk

Well, that should give you plenty of things to do, just in case you get bored during the holidays!

Don’t forget, we love to see what you have been doing, so send your ideas and photos to Margaret:

[email protected]

‘Bye until next month!

Copyright of text and photos belongs to their authors. Please note – although the projects in this column are for children,

adult supervision is recommended at all times. The authors cannot be held responsible for any accidents arising

from these projects.

STARS IN OUR EYES...

miniature ones!! Doll‐makers are always meeting different challenges; those creating one‐of‐a‐ kind characters, are

looking for a ‘new’ character or face ..…perhaps one from real life, history, fiction, or one of the stars of

the silver screen, big and small. Others are producing completely original or historically accurate

costumes, with exactly appropriate fabrics and accessories, or interpreting a ‘theme’. We all create for

ourselves, of course… but often, must also fulfil the brief of a commission. So, the real challenge is

creating a doll that is an immediately recognisable character! We hope you will agree that the work

illustrated here, does just that.

Eileen Sedgwick brings us some wonderful characters in 1/12th scale; right up to date is Amy

Winehouse, with her trademark ‘big hair’ and long coltish legs. Tom Baker with his mop of curly hair and

long scarf is an unmistakeable Dr. Who, while her fabulous Beatles recreate the famous cover from their

Sgt. Pepper album and are individually recognisable.

More of Eileen’s dolls can be seen on www.eileensegdwick


Mary Williams has brought to life Jane Austen’s ‘Mr Darcy’; not only is his costume and wigging beautiful and historically accurate, but she demonstrates by posing him on his wonderful Breyer horse, the importance of a perfect ‘accessory’. Mr Darcy is 1/12th scale. (See overleaf)

Do visit Mary’s website to see more of her dolls and the wonderful costumes from

a host of different periods.

www.dollshousedolls.co.uk

Julie Campbell is also well known for her ‘famous’ character dolls

in 1/12th scale.

The young star, Daniel Radcliffe is playing Harry Potter from the books

and films of J.K. Rowling, and she has also created the sinister

characters, played by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham ‐ Carter in the

film ‘Sweeney Todd’.

More of Julie and her sculptures can be seen elsewhere in this issue and

on her website.

www.bellabelledolls.co.uk

Mary William’s mr darcy

Jodi and Richard Creager work

together on the sculpts to bring us some

amazing characters in 1/12th scale. The

popularity of J.K. Rowling’s characters has

inspired many dollmakers but Hagrid and

Dumbledore are very special. Rubeus Hagrid is

a tad larger...standing at 7 1/2 inches... due to

his being Half Giant! His working, magical,

umbrella is made from brass and fabric.

Richard Harris is Professor Albus Dumbledore, in

fine silks and velvet.

His Owl Lectern is both

carved in wood and

sculpted in clay, while

the Dragons are

sculpted and the base

is turned on a lathe.

Charles Dickens takes

us further back in time

and literature to

Ebenezer Scrooge,

with his incredibly

lifelike, old, wrinkled

face and hands.

More of Jodi and

Richard’s dolls can be

seen on...

www.creagers.com

Julie Kendall, has created

the fabulous Munster family from

the legendary television series and

has sculpted these dolls in both

1/24th and 1/12th scales and photographed them together, which allows us to really appreciate her talent

in both sculpting and costuming in the two scales. Lily and Herman pictured as a couple are in 1/24th

scale.

More of Julie’s dolls can be seen on her website – www.freewebs.com/jakdaws

Robin Britton, sculpting in 1/24th scale, portrays Charlie Chaplin in his famous role as the little tramp; while the facial

characteristics are obviously most important, whatever the

scale, the accessories also help. The small screen – television –

brings well‐known characters into the living room, so Compo,

Cleggy and Foggy are all familiar from ‘The Last of the Summer

Wine’ – the accessories, the ferret in Compo’s pocket and

Foggy’s distinctive spectacles all help. Finally, in 1/12th scale,

William Shakespeare.

More of Robin’s work can be seen on

www.coombecrafts,co.uk


SHELL SEEKING… By Aim Member, Robin Britton

So many of us love shells, from the time as children we

collected them in buckets and decorated our sandcastles, to

being grown‐up, serious and knowledgeable collectors.

Most of us love the decorative element of a few in a bowl,

brought back as a reminder of a special holiday, the ones in a

bathroom potpourri or the Cowrie that sits on the shelf and

is held to the ear of a child to listen to the sea.

Shells have been collected, exchanged and carved with artistry since man first realised he needed

currency to buy or barter, adorn himself, or make beautiful objects for pleasure or sale. Archaeologists

can even date early settlements and learn how ancient peoples lived, from the shells that are rescued.

In rather more recent times there have been some notable ‘shell periods’. The Victorians and Edwardians

were great collectors; private homes, and museums were often crammed with wonderful shell collections

in cases and trays. Ladies made delicate pictures with

them and craftsmen inlaid the most beautiful furniture

and boxes with mother of pearl. Cameos ‐ carved shell

silhouettes – became, and still remain popular as pieces

of jewellery. For many years the shell has inspired

painters, sculptors and ceramicists. Sailors brought home a giant shell from foreign parts for

Mother, who sat it on a shelf or on the back doorstep.

Seaside gardens, from Cornwall to Skye, have huge old

shells cemented onto walls, in nooks and crannies and

popping up amongst the flowers, even planted. They

have been an inspiration for seaside gardens in the

centre of towns and villages, miles from any sea – and,

dare I say – you can even buy bags of crushed shells as a

garden mulch!

I seem to remember the 1950s as another great

‘shell‐fest’! Hands up anyone who owned a wooden

jewellery box, covered in shells (and dust)? Maybe it was

a strange and peculiar animal or bird constructed

entirely of shells? ….. I know ….YOU were the one who

bought the magazine telling you how to cover an old

vase or mirror‐surround with shells stuck into tile

adhesive! As miniaturists, we can use that example, and

recreate so much that defines a period, using very tiny

shells. Artisans In Miniature 77

.1.

So – I’ve inspired you! First, find

your shells! There are obvious

sources, the first being commercially

available bags that are very cheap;

second is the equally cheap shell

necklace, often to be found in

charity shops and the less expensive

‘accessory‘ stores.

The Seaside. Yes, it IS the place to find

really tiny ones – but let’s just

remember here, that there is a world

of difference between collecting some, and carting away

a bucketful of beach! Not allowed! If you are really

lucky, and you know your beach, you might find that a

handful of sand collected from the tide‐line, when

carefully picked over under a powerful magnifying glass,

will yield a real treasure trove.

It is worth knowing that shells varnish beautifully, and

with the addition of little gold beads for ‘feet’, can be

transformed into dishes and bowls. A miniature box – or

cube of wood of the right size‐‐ will make a lovely

jewel‐box decorated with shells, and that cheap vase you

bought for fifty pence, ‘in case’, will look perfect

smothered in shells for a 1950s sitting room.

Transform that mirror‐ surround for the bathroom and

thread or stick a few on fine thread for a mobile – and

don’t forget, they still make great ornaments!

Fill a small glass jar or a miniature bowl with a few

from the family holiday or a special place to remind

you of a wonderful time. Can you make seafood from

Fimo? Make some scallops – you’ve got the shell.

Get out into the miniature garden and see where you

could use them there. Cottage gardens often edged

paths with shells, and as I mentioned earlier, a seaside

cottage might have huge shells on the wall with chunks of

quartz or fossils, or planted up with small flowering plants or

succulents. Last, but certainly not least – how about a beach

scene? It doesn’t have to be big, it doesn’t even have to be

permanent – and think how much fun you can have making

sand castles from a little sand and P.V.A. glue, pressed into

thimble, lined first with cling film.

Robin Britton

.2.

.3.

.4.

.5.

I hope these photographs

will remind you of

summer days and inspire

you to create something

with shells.

The Copyright is held by the artists as described, and

their websites will inspire you even more.

Picture 1 ‐ Celia Thomas – www.ktminiatures.com found these tiny shells in her shoe at the end of a

wonderful day spent on a Coral Beach on the Isle of Skye. She put them in a miniature glass jar and

they now sit in her antique dolls house, and bring back lovely memories of that day.

Picture 2 ‐ Catherine Davies – www.dollshouseheaven.com has created this remarkable miniature

scene, complete with scavenging seagulls and frothy rolling waves, bringing in tiny shells, pebbles and

scraps of seaweed.

Picture 3 & 4 ‐ Debra Jackson – www.debjacksondesigns.com often works in smaller sales and this tiny

144th sale seaside cottage, sitting in the palm of her hand is one of her smaller treasures. She created

this box of ‘fossils’ using the tiniest shells set into polymer clay.

Picture 5, 6 & 7 ‐ Mags Cassidy – www.mags‐nificentminiatures.co.uk is a miniature food maker who

uses her containers to great effect, and she has turned these shells into beautiful platters and dishes.

This size of shell is readily available.

Robin Britton – www.coombecrafts.co.uk ‐ took the photographs of the tiniest shells to be found in

the sand, and ‘planted’ the larger shells. The retired sailor doll on the website will have tiny shells

scattered on the net he has to mend.

Copyright Robin Britton

www.coombecrafts.co.uk

.6.

.7.

Child’s Dress By AIM Member, Kathi Mendenhall

This lovely little project has been brought to

you by AIM and IGMA artisan Kathi

Mendenhall, who lives just outside of

Nashville, Tennessee in USA.

Supplies... • 3” X 5” piece of Swiss Batiste, china silk or

fine cotton

• (5” section should be the straight of grain)

• Thread to match or contrast

• 12” Small scalloped edging to match or

contrast.

• Glue, scissors, fine needle

Instructions... 1. Trace pattern on a piece of 3” X 5” piece of

Swiss Batiste. Transfer “tuck” lines at this time.

2. Pin to hold and cut dress from fabric.

3. Complete the overcast stitch tucks

or whipped tucks.

a. Fold the fabric at the centre‐

line as shown at the neckline.

b. Tie a tiny knot and begin from

the wrong side of the dress.

c. Overcast the tuck by catching

about 2‐3 threads.

d. Tie off simply at the collar.

Repeat for the other two tucks.


4. Separate the lace by trim‐

ming the header from your

lace (the header is the top

edge of the lace) and trim the

scallops from the lace, too.

5. Glue the scalloped edge

around the neck edge. 6. Glue the scalloped edge to

the lower curve of the sleeve.

7. Glue the front side seams

and the centre back seams to

the wrong sides. (It saves

turning later. Press the seams

to set the glue.

8. Paint a small amount of

glue along the edge of the

side fronts and place the fin‐

ished edge front over the un‐

finished back edge. Complete

both sides.

9. Place a line of glue along

the bottom edge of the skirt.

Apply the scalloped edging

there.

10. Fold in one edge (or both

if you desire) of the dress

back. Do not close the entire back yet.

11. Make a covered hanger.

See: http://minipatterns.com/test/main.php?g2_itemId=122

...for a complete pictorial tutorial on making a padded hanger.

12. Close dress to about 1/8” from top. (You might need a little

room to open dress for inserting the hanger.)

Other Techniques A. Cut lace to make sleeve seams, or stitch seams in using a chain or backstitch.

B. Thread the needle and insert it on the wrong side of the dress about 1/8” from the underarm. Gather all

around the dress to form simple gathers, not too many, just enough to shape the dress. (If you would like

you can also gather the two layers together) Pin the dress to a pinning board, shape, and “hit” with a shot of

steam. Let cool and the pleats and ruffles will stay in place. See Kathi’s website at http://minipatterns.com ©Kathi Mendenhall 2009 La Petite Belle Patterns

The Miniature... GRAPEVINE

New AIM Members

The Ranks Of AIM Are Ever Growing!....

We would like to extend a warm welcome to the following artisans who have joined AIM in the past few weeks...

New Member New Website

New member, Maia Bisson of Twinkle Miniatures has

a new website!

She says, “I am very excited to share my new website

with you and invite you to visit it at …”

http://maiastwinkleminiatures.com

Dolls House & Miniatures Scene Magazine – September Issue

If you had subscribed to Dolls House & Miniature

Scene magazine during the month of July, you

will have received a free gift ‐ a preparation

board made by Aim artisan... Mags Cassidy.

However, if you want to still take advantage of

this offer, you need to hurry as it only runs until

the end of August! You have a choice of three

different boards, Modern, WW2 or Tudor. In the

same September issue, as Part Two of their Tudor

Period Series, there is also an article on Tudor

Food by Mags Cassidy.

New Website‐ Joy Cox AIM member Joy Cox is pleased to announce that

she has a new website now live for her 1/12th

scale Ooak Dolls & Needle Felted Critters....

so do go check it out!

www.adora‐bella‐minis.co.uk

Emma & Neil Martinot

Georgina Ritson Maia Bisson

Marsha Hedrick Emma Eilbeck

Joyce Dorothy Hamill/Rawcliffe

Orsolya Skultéti Montse Vives

Kerry Fawcett Agnes Turpin Carolyn &

Dave Huffman

NEW


Barbara Stanton‐ Miniature Oil Painting Workshop

On Saturday August 15th 2009, Barbara Stanton

will be running her workshops at the Bothwell Art

Center, 2466 Eighth Street, Livermore, CA, 94550.

Cost per student $65.00

AIM member Barbara is well known locally and

nationally, for her miniature oil paintings and will

be teaching at a miniature oil painting workshop.

The subject will be a still life of three pumpkins.

The class is geared for beginners who have never

painted before, but students with full size painting

experience would have fun painting minis too.

For more information, see Barbara’s website:

www.barbarastanton.com

Linda Has Made The Front Cover Of Chip‐Chats!

Aim member, Linda Masters of Miracle Chicken

Urns, is thrilled to tell us that her wooden carvings

have made the front cover of July/August issue of

Chip‐Chats, The National Woodcarvers

Association Magazine. Linda tells us that they

have used such phrasing as "it's lush, it's

elaborate”... then on page 2, which is the inside

cover, there is a 1/4 page picture of the scene

with a US penny and it says... “It's little!” under

the title “All creatures great and REALLY small”.

CONGRATULATIONS LINDA…

your success is well deserved.

If you would like to see more of Linda’s work, go

to: www.miraclechickenurns.com

CONRATULATIONS TO

BARBARA BREAR Our warmest congratulations go to talented

South African AIM member, Barbara Brear, who

has been chosen to teach at the Guild School in

the USA, an honour indeed!

Barbara Brear says:

“Having recently applied for, and

been granted, Artisanship of the

International Guild of Miniature

Artisans, I had only two weeks to

get a proposal for teaching at Guild

School in 2010 to America and into the hands of

the organisers. Enter courier companies! The

various proposals are put on display in the foyer

during Guild School and people vote for the courses

that they would be interested in for the following

year. But this is only one of the factors that is

taken into account when the committee finally

meet on the Sunday after Guild School to choose

the courses. They try to get a balance between

different types of projects and to introduce some

new faces each year. I am very proud to have been

selected as one of the teachers and am looking

forward to teaching a course in miniature book‐

binding.

If you are interested in treating yourself to an ex‐

perience of a lifetime then consider going to

Guild School for one week ‐ June 12 to

18, 2010. For details visit http://www.igma.org “

To view Barbara’s work, go to

http://bbminiatures.homestead.com

WINNER OF MARY WILLIAMS’ FLAPPER DOLL COMPETITION We are delighted to announce that the lucky winner of The Flapper Doll competition from the May issue of AIM Magazine is Janice Armstrong of Manchester. So CONGRATULAT IONS Janice....you have won a beautiful doll created by the very gifted AIM member Mary Williams.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Mary for kindly donating this lovely doll!

You can view more of Mary Williams’ work at

www.dollshousedolls.co.uk

Calling All Clubs! Do you struggle to find suitable projects for your club members? Sandra Morr is of

Diminutive Dolls/Tower

House Dolls has been

organising and running club

workshops for 20 years and

can offer a wide range of bespoke solutions to your

club project problems. From comprehensive 'club

packs' which contain everything needed to

complete a specific miniature, to 'in person' taught

workshops.

For details contact Sandra at [email protected]

News From Pamela J Nicholson “My Wedding Reception Roombox and 4‐tier

wedding cake Tutorial is in Issue 10 of Dollhouse

Miniatures Magazine. Also my ‘50s Diner will be

featured in the August Issue of American

Miniaturist Magazine. I created it in a little suit‐

case.“

To view these, go to Pamela’s website:

http://pamelajminis.com

CEREMONIAL HAGGIS NOW AVAILABLE

AIM member, Mags

Cassidy, tells us that

due to the high

demand for her

Ceremonial Haggis

which sold out in the

first hour at Scottish

Miniatura, she is pleased to announce that from next

month they will be available from “It’s A Small

World” in Edinburgh. Other items will also be

available. Why not pop in and take a look?

www.mags‐nificent.co.uk

COOMBE CRAFTS ON THE MOVE! AIM member Robin Britton of Coombe Crafts has

moved...please note that the new address is:

8 WINDMILL ROAD, THAME, OXON OX9 2DR

We shall have a new telephone number, but until

that is confirmed, we can be contacted on:

0774 211 6187

Both email and website remain unchanged

[email protected]

www.coombecrafts.co.uk

AIM Online Magazine Was “HOT”

For June/July Issue! Scribd have told us that our online AIM Magazine ‐

Issue No. 13 has made their 'hot' list ‐ so it gains

extra exposure on the scribd site...subsequently that

is another 'Hot award' for 2 months in a row – can’t

be bad eh!?

News From Arla Johnson “The August issue of Miniature Collector has an

article ‘Recognizing The Work Of Bob Carlisle’,

written by me, Arla Johnson. This is the first in what

the editor plans as a series, to enlighten readers of

what past artisans have done and how to

recognize their work. Arla Johnson”



Don’t Miss A Thing!

Catch the latest news from all around the miniature world…

All FREE and fully downloadable at:

www.artisansinminiature.com Loads more fantastic

‘quality’ projects, articles & features

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…!

Cristina Alberti Robin Britton

Bea (Fiona) Broadwood Julie Campbell Fran Casselman Mags Cassidy Cheryl Clingen Nicky Cooper

Jodi & Richard Creager Sandra Croft

Catherine Davies Gina Gagnon

Vicky Guile Louise Goldsborough

Jane Harrop Julie Kendall Carol Lester Marsha Mees

Kathi Mendenhall Sandra Morris Virginia Moxley Margaret Pitts Frances Powell Eileen Sedgwick

Wendy Smale Carol Smith Lidi Stroud

Celia Thomas Philippa Todd Wilga van den

Wijngaart Mary Williams

Grandma Leilani & Sarah

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

Many thanks therefore go to...

aim mag issue 14

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