Delighted to be bringing you more of our new exhibitors to the Spring Show. And what a fine lot of artisans they are too!

Firstly, we have TMF Miniatures. TMF stands for Theresa Macarty-Fruen who makes hand-sculptured one of a kind 1:48 scale dolls. She also makes food, dressed beds and tables full of goodies. Based in Kent, Theresa describes herself as a lifelong miniaturist who this year celebrates her 40^th year making miniatures.

She made her first jointed doll when she was just ten years old – making it from Das Clay, As a child she was inspired by museums, stately homes and castles, and days out made her eager to try and re-create the buildings and items that she had seen.

Her work has obviously become more sophisticated over the years, plus her desire to make 1:12 scale has shrunk down to 1:48. “Working in this scale is very addictive,” said Theresa. “I will never go back, I have completely free range over what I create.”

Using Polymer Clay over a wire armature allows for her dolls to be posed. She sculpts using dental tools and dressmaking pins, then she designs the costume and the fabric. Each figure taking between 10 and 20 hours to make, depending on the complexity.

Although Theresa has been exhibiting since 1985, this was her first time at Miniatura, finding the show extremely well run, particularly appreciating the fact that you could drive your car into the building when setting up and packing away. She was also delighted with the feedback she received from visitors.

Book Nook Therapy!

Nanny Bean’s Workshop was a non-commercial stand with a delightful display of book nooks by amateur maker Rachel Kirby of Burton-on-Trent. Rachel has been fascinated by 1:12 scale miniatures from childhood and loves transforming small spaces into atmospheric scenes, particularly when using upcycled materials which she finds adds character and authenticity.

Rachel had also brought along her latest project, an historically layered apothecary dating from 1704 to 1974. This wonderful old chemist shop can still be found in Derby City. Cope and Taylor Apothecary opened in 1704 and became the first Royal Derby Hospital – the very first NHS commission. For 270 years it served as an apothecary, filled with all kinds of weird and wonderful medical cure ideas of the time.

For Rachel to furnish a model of this iconic shop is very appropriate, as she has been a nurse these last 30 years, and is also a carer. In her free time, Rachel runs her Nanny Bean’s Workshops, showing people how to create Book Nooks for under £10.

Thoroughly enjoying having a stand at the Miniatura Show, Rachel admitted that never in a million years did she think she would be here. She explained that after working through Covid and seeing people passing away without their loved ones with them, it left her feeling quite low. So, she went on a well-being workshop and ended up doing workshops for hospital staff and carers. “This is my therapy to recover – it’s massive mental health relief. When you saw people passing away without anyone with then, we did our best – it is about giving back, not just taking.”

Hexiform for miniature needlework fans

Suzi Argent from Powys, Mid Wales, is the owner of Ashmead Designs who make and sell Hexiform a unique alternative to paper for ‘English Paper Piercing. Using Hexiform this changes the method of patchwork quilting. Usually, the paper or card used in ‘English Paper Piercing’ has to be taken out. Hexiform however, remains in place to give quality form and finish. Its unique construction gives the fabric a plump, luxurious effect. It is fully washable, so there’s no problem in leaving it in.

Suzi explained, “The skill of patchwork quilting goes back centuries and we have done full sized shows for ten years. However, I wanted to expand, and as we sell a lot of tiny pieces, I decided to try the miniature market. With Hexiform it can be left in the quilting. We sell Hexiform for the miniature market in packs of small pieces from 3/8^th of an inch up to 1 inch and there has been a lot of interest amongst miniature needlework enthusiasts throughout the weekend.

Shopper’s Paradise

Vics Teeny Bits offer dolls houses and accessories – new and pre-loved miniatures including furniture and handmade OOAK items, cheese and wine boards, haberdashery, candles, potting and work benches and more. Vicki has a shop in Hednesford and she brought some of her treasurers along to the Spring Miniatura. She told us how her work has progressed, explaining that when she first got interested in collecting dolls house miniatures about 20 years ago, she ran a dolls house shop called Top Corner Miniatures in Penkridge. When that closed all her stock went up in her loft, but she really missed running the shop.

Then in 2022 her sister gave her a little bit of space in her shop in Hednesford. That soon got really busy and they out-grew the space. So when a Unit became available in the same complex – The Lightworks in Market Street, Hednesford, Vicki – with her husband and daughter Evie’s backing, decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and have her own shop again. Something she has done since April 2024.

“We have a regular base of loyal customers and new customers all the time,” said Vicki. “Our youngest customer is just 4-years old!”

Vicki only started making her own dolls house accessories a couple of years ago. She invested in a table saw and tools, and inspired by the creativity all around her, she decided to give some simple items a go. As they have proved popular, she has broadened the range of items she makes and sells in her Hednesford shop, also on-line – and now also at the Miniatura Show.

I Saw A Mouse!

The Spring show welcomed Rosie Brownhill, although she is certainly no stranger to Miniatura, as her grandparents, Jan and Paul Brownhill ran the ever-popular Country Treasures for many years, which is now run by Rosie’s sister Laura. As for Rosie, she has developed her gorgeous little 1:12 scale needlefelt mice who get up to all sorts of mischief, which she’s called Stitchy Tales.

“I grew up watching my Nan and my Granddad making miniatures,” said Rosie. “Granddad has a work shed and I used to come to shows and help on the stand. I knew about miniatures at a young age and as kids we tried to make dolls clothes. Around 2019 I started making things to sell – they were made just as a hobby before that.”

Rosie also makes food and accessories for her little mice scenes. She continued, “I’m very inspired by the local countryside and the creatures running wild. I don’t know what it is about mice, maybe it’s because they were the first thing I tried to make and I kept developing stories about them – they became real characters. There’s something about their activities – they steal food from pantries, they run around and play – it’s a very busy world in the mouse world! I love making up stories about them.”

Also, Rosie has been working with her Nan who has been teaching her how to make preserves and 1:12 scale food. “My nan has been giving me tips and general suggestions for my own work, which is such a joy and I’m very grateful to work and learn with her.”

Rosie makes her mice from needlefelt with bead eyes and she hand stitches their clothes. “I keep old scraps of things from the charity shops – I have bags of fabric.”

Talking about her first experience of Miniatura with her own work, Rosie said. “I’ve loved it. Today has been really good. It’s really nice to see so many people of different ages. It’s been fab!”

An Eclectic Collection

Debbie’s Den of Miniatures is an eclectic collection on 1:12 and 1:24 scale dolls house miniatures including artisan dolls, bespoke and preloved items, run by Debbie and Richard Pickles of Aylesbury.

Debbie said, “I have always liked dolls houses but I would never have dreamed in a hundred years that I would be here having a stand at Miniatura. Dick is an artist, so he’s hand painted all the framed paintings – they are all made by him from scratch. Also, he’s made the tables and chairs, made in the style of Danish Architect and furniture designer Poul Thorsbjerg Jensen.

During the first lock down Debbie started her own little group of enthusiasts on-line and it went from there. The couple really enjoyed their weekend at Miniatura finding that the people they met were lovely and that it was actually very therapeutic to meet so many people with something in common. “I’ve loved every minute!” added Debbie.

Yummy miniatures good enough to eat!

If you’ve a sweet tooth, you’d have been in seventh heaven at Carol Morgan’s Magnificent Handmade Creations stand. Carol hand makes sweets, cakes and bakery items which really do look good enough to eat – something her customers regularly tell her! Carol of Blackpool makes her delicious-looking confectionery in 1:12, 1:6 and 1:24 scales as well as some micro items; and every sweet, biscuit and cake looks appealingly authentic.

“I make the things that I like to eat,” said Carol. “And people tell me they get really hungry when looking at these because they do look so authentic. The tin of well-known biscuits for example. I examined these to see exactly what sort of biscuits they had and where they were placed, then made them exactly the same. I like to be authentic. I like it all to look real. Even I get hungry making them.”

From a very young age she had always wanted a sweetshop and in fact her first proper job was working in the sweet shop section of Lewis Department Store. She has also been into crafting since childhood. At just seven years old she would knit dolls for the local wool shop to earn some pocket money. From then on, she has been into crafting, turning her hand to all sorts of handicrafts.

It was after losing a job that she loved that she got into miniatures. “I lost my job and needed something to get me through that grief, so I made a micro bakery at 1:144 scale,” she explained, adding that she now has around four dolls houses, none of which she would ever sell.

Carol also handmakes soap and around eight years ago she bought some Fimo to create some 3D labels for the soaps. With the left over clay she made some Liquorice Allsorts which she put on Etsy. They were quickly snapped up and so she decided to make sweet jars full of all her favourite childhood sweets, and any others she could think of. These too were quickly in demand. Gradually Carol expanded her range of sweet treats to include cakes and gifts and now she has customers all over the world.

“I love making in smaller scales and I am always thankful and flattered that other people love my work so much that they actually buy them. Even though each item takes a lot of time and effort to make, in my mind, I am getting paid for playing with clay! Something which brings me great joy and satisfaction.”

Sharon’s Book Launch

Sharing practical tips, advice and skills with the launch of her new book, Making Miniature Scenes was Sharon Harvey who we all know from Channel 4’s ‘The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge’. Sharon reached the final only to be pipped at the post by worthy winner Dom Kane.

After her TV appearances, Sharon was approached by a publisher to see if she would be interested in writing a book on miniatures. Sharon took up that challenger and nineteen months on Making Miniature Scenes was released.

“I decided to write it with beginners in mind, based around my own experiences of making different dioramas,” said Sharon.

Te book gives a clear guide on where to get inspiration from and how to plan and build your dioramas; suggestions on what materials to use including everyday items found around the home. There are detailed guides to five complete projects with fully illustrated step-by-step instructions to each element in the projects including furniture, soft furnishings, artwork, plants, food, lighting, fixtures and fittings.

“The hardest part was choosing which photos to use!” said Sharon, who added that she hopes the book will inspire many more people to get into the hobby of miniatures.

t behind the creations, Florence, has always loved miniatures and has collected them since childhood. She fondly remembers visiting miniature fairs as a child and decorating her first dolls house – a fisherman’s cottage that she was given, when only eight.

Florence from London really enjoyed her first time exhibiting at Miniatura finding that she was getting great feedback from the visitors to her stand. Chatting about her background she explained that it had been in silk paintings, and this love of painting, creativity and colour was clearly reflected in the miniatures that she now makes. Busy artist’s tables, artist’s studios, sinks and work benches with all their clutter; well used paint pallets, paintbrushes in pots, a riot of colourful and organised chaos.

Florence’s themed collections of hand-made miniatures extend beyond the artists’ studios however, covering a wide range of themes, for example a botanist’s table, a writer’s desk, a sewing cabinet, items for the garden such as a potting shed, seed boxes and garden furniture and much more.

“I use a lot of mixed materials and techniques when making my miniatures – wood, clay, card etc.,” said Florence. “Sometimes I have ideas and at other times it just evolves.”

She enjoyed her first time exhibiting at Miniatura and hopes it will be the first of many.

Watch out for our third blog introducing Miniatura’s latest exhibitors, coming soon…

Photos by Rob Tysall.