Miniatura

At Country Treasures you will see a range of miniatures for the kitchen, pantry, garden and study, made by myself, Laura Brownhill. I make an array of items such as blue tits on coconuts, bird feeders, apples, mice eating cheese, taxidermy cases, glass butterfly domes and much more!

The Country Treasures story began in the 1970’s with my grandparents Jan and Paul Brownhill. With Jan’s artistic mind and Paul’s engineering skills they worked together to create unique & original dolls house miniatures which were a must see at any dolls house show! They made authentic Victorian era items ranging from preserves of fruit and veg, rabbits on the chopping board, pheasants hanging from the ceiling and sacks of potatoes in the pantry. Along with beautiful Victorian Ranges, a broad range of real copperware, metal accessories and furniture to kit out a whole kitchen.

In 2014 I started attending the shows with my grandparents and we worked as a team until we sadly lost my grandad in 2021. During this difficult time and with my grandparents blessing, I chose to continue running Country Treasures with my own work. Having grown up closely with my grandparents, miniatures have always been a part of my life. During my time at university I began making little butterflies under domes and paint box settings whenever I had the chance. Whilst volunteering with The Wildlife Trust, and much inspired by the nature around me, I started to combine my love for the countryside with miniatures. I made my first little robin from polymer clay in 2013.

Having grown up in the Staffordshire countryside my work is largely inspired by the rural lifestyle and in seeing all the nature around me.  I make all the birds myself, sculpting them from polymer clay and then carefully painting them by hand. I also use an entire range of materials to create my miniature pieces. My favourite material still being polymer clay as it is so versatile for different projects.

I really enjoy attending the shows as it’s just great to see people’s faces light up when they look at my work and others around me. It’s a really rewarding feeling to bring people joy and put smiles on their faces through miniatures. I hope to attend the shows for many years to come!