Miniatura

Hello and welcome to Dandylion Miniatures. My name is Angela.

Like so many miniature enthusiasts, I have always loved History and adore Costume dramas such as The Tudors / The Medici / Pride & Prejudice / Poldark / Outlander and I will throw in Gladiator as well because it would simply be a crime not to. When and where possible my husband and I explore Great Houses, Castles, Museums and Galleries for inspiration.

My love of dolls houses and miniatures emerged in my late twenties and I have never looked back. I work with twelfth scale dolls in mind (also known as 1″), and specialize in Gothic, Tudor, Jacobean, Shabby Chic and antiquarian / museum styles. My creations are for larger dolls houses and also as stand alone pieces. I sometimes incorporate a touch of symbolism to my pieces.

Like many miniaturist artisans I started as a collector and hobbyist. I then progressed into making furniture for my own dolls house by seeking knowledge and ideas from artisans and sources back through time. I have now been producing dolls house furniture for over 10 years, some for my own collection and some as custom orders for private collectors.

I moved to the beautiful village of Hirschberg in Germany (on the Bavarian border) with my husband in 2016. We are both British (myself born in Oxford UK and my husband in Manchester UK). Here we are surrounded by forests and Castles with untouched and well preserved historical buildings and practices that help to inspire creativity.

A huge inspiration for my shop name has been our three cats which we had the joy of cohabiting with for nearly 20 years. Each of our cats were what I would call “dandy”, as they were all in the firm belief that they were Lions of superior status and therefore should be treated accordingly (by all). Our first cat and the Dandiest of fellows was a rescue cat who had been so inappropriately named Dandelion (when he was more of a DANDY LION), that it seemed appropriate for me to name my miniature shop after him. Look carefully and you may see them represented during your visit to my little shop.

All my miniatures are made for the larger dolls house (always check measurements to be sure) or as stand alone quality pieces. Each creation is a unique one of a kind design inspired by historical and museum items. Some items have a touch of symbolism thrown in. I love sourcing antique materials (sometimes up to 250 years old) to make my Dandy miniatures. I spend my time finding these materials these from antique fairs / flea markets / boot sales and roaming the internet. Due to the age of fabrics and materials used there are some age appropriate appearances but I feel this all adds to the flavour.

Every item that appears on my site has either been completely handmade by me (mainly wood pieces) or handcrafted and re-purposed by me (mainly silver and metal pieces) and in some cases a mixture of the two. I sometimes add age appropriate details or finishes to connect them visually to the era they are representing. All items are lovingly hand finished with staining, varnishing and carving by me. I especially love recycling antiques from the past to recreate antiques in miniature.

Each piece comes with a signed Certificate of Authenticity.

I invite you to take a moment of your Dandy time and get yourself a cup of well deserved tea or coffee, or a glass of wine and have a gentle browse through my little DANDYLION shop. Start a collection for yourself or a friend or even as a heirloom piece, add a piece to your wish list for birthdays and holidays.

I hope you enjoy and love your Dandy purchases as much as I enjoyed making them – with Dandy love and respect – Angela x

The dolls shown in the carriage scene are from Teresa Thomson of Costume Cavalcade.

Here is a video of my latest and now completed piece. It is a 1:12 scale Regency Swing boat.

I wanted to make something that represented a little piece of something we have missed during the lockdown and social distancing measures.  Here in Germany the Sommerfest and parardes etc were cancelled due to Covid 19 and this was heartfelt across the country.  Our Sommerfest usually includes traditional styled (like the Regency and Victorian fairs in the UK) fair rides such as the Carousel and swing rides etc. I wanted to remember this by adding a piece that depicts happier times that we are fighting to return to in good health.

You can see this piece on etsy now – https://www.etsy.com