Is the June sunshine luring you out into the garden, planting, pruning and mowing the lawn? Or are you sticking with your miniatures? After all, miniature flowers and gardens are far less back-breaking!

Today’s blog is a look back at the Spring Miniatura Show and our debut miniaturists who haven’t yet been featured on our Blogs. So, a big welcome to the following crafts people!

We kick off with Miniature Garden Florals and Liz Eddison of Lewes in East Sussex who is the miniaturist behind these beautiful flower arrangements. She also makes garden displays, potting and work benches, pots, vases, bowls and flower kits in 1:24 and 1:48 scales.

Liz added: “I always used to help my friend Georgina Steeds (who many visitors may remember from past shows) then decided one day that I ought to make something for myself in my own right – it would make a change from knitting, and I’m not good at sitting doing nothing. So, in lockdown I started making flowers, which are made up petal by petal using very fine tweezers, sitting near the window to get good light. Being at the show has been good, it’s really nice to meet people and get their reaction to what you do.”

Miniature Garden Florals gallery page – https://miniatura.co.uk/exhibitors/miniature-garden-florals/

Now for something tasty!

Vintage Miniatures. Jane Coltman and her daughter Ellie had the perfect array of crusty bread, wine and cheese – just the things for a shop, kitchen, picnic and garden party. Jane’s 1:12 scale mini foodstuffs are mouth wateringly realistic and her wooden crates, jars, sweets and other sundries, perfect replicas of the real thing.

Jane of Peterborough has a degree in art and also has a full-time career in interior designing and pub refurbishments. Making miniature foodstuffs all began with her trying to make bit of cheese and sweets as a hobby during lockdown.

“It was trial and error to start with,” said Jane. “I just thought, now what do I fancy making – and decided on sweets such as licorice allsorts. I tried with different varieties of silicon and experimented with the colours until I got them looking right. Then started selling on Etsy.”

Her range of sweets, bread and cheeses look absolutely mouth-watering. As well as licorice allsorts (which inspired me to buy a bag for the first time in years at Tesco!) There’s also Everton mints, cola cubes, clotted cream fudge and more tempting treats. With Jane’s daughter Ellie also learning the craft, they were both very happy with people’s reaction to their miniatures at the Spring Show.

Vintage Miniatures gallery page https://miniatura.co.uk/exhibitors/vintage-miniatures/ 

French Museum of Miniatures is Downsizing

A quick word from Anita Mills of Mayenne Miniatures who also had a stand at the Spring Show. Anita has a small museum in France where she showcases her private collection of around 50 dollshouses and room boxes, created mostly by herself throughout her life. Anita is trying to downsize and had taken along a varied collection of items to sell. “It was very successful,” said Anita. “And very enjoyable to send pieces off to new homes!”

Mayenne Miniatures gallery page – https://miniatura.co.uk/exhibitors/mayenne-miniatures/

Now Some Ceramics

Emily Gasquoine Miniature Ceramics was also making her debut at the Spring Miniatura. Emily makes hand thrown miniature stoneware such as vases, pots, plates and bowls – all unique one of a kind items, made using the same processes as life-sized pottery.

Emily and her partner Frazer Armstrong had come all the way from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland with a lovely display of stoneware. Surprisingly Emily had only been making miniature ceramics since 2022. She had done some pottery as a teenager then got inspired again after seeing an article in ‘Shrunk’ magazine on the Canadian potter, Cielo Maria Vianzon.

“I desperately wanted to learn but I’d not touched clay since my teens and had never learned how to throw,” said Emily. “Shortly afterwards, Frazer surprised me with a mini pottery wheel for my birthday. I set it up on the dining table, got some clay from a local pottery studio and started teaching myself using YouTube videos. I was soon hooked on it!”

“Initially, everything was a mess! Then, the first time one came out kind of pot shaped, I thought OMG, maybe I can do it! I went to the Autumn Miniatura Show and showed Andy some pots that I’d taken along – and he liked them. [Edit from Andy “I loved them”]

“I got doubtful about having my first stand at the show, but Frazer convinced me I could do it – he’s my champion! Now, hundreds of pots later, I have my own kiln and a little pottery studio at home.”

Emily Gasquoine Miniature Ceramics gallery page – https://miniatura.co.uk/exhibitors/emily-gasquoine-miniature-ceramics/

Big Pots and Little Pots

Another new pottery exhibitor at the Spring Show was Potty Harper alias Sarah Harper at the show with daughter Molly are from Whitwick near Leicester. Sarah makes Victorian bottles, pots and flagons. But the original inspiration came through Sarah’s husband’s interest in digging up big pots on archaeological digs – and Sarah’s passion for collecting these vessels.

“On the digs they will unearth pots often with food or liquid still in them,” said Sarah. “Kitchen stoneware was the packaging of the time. There’s also a lot of old glass – and poison in these pots!

I got into making miniature pots after seeing someone on Instagram making pots on a tiny wheel and thought I’d like to have a go. Up until five months ago I had never made a pot. And I’d be lying if I said it was easy. To begin with it was very much trial and error. You have to get the timing right, and the glazing right, and the firing right. It was incredibly challenging but also incredibly rewarding.

“Originally, I was making then for me then I couldn’t stop making them. It was therapeutic but I had all these pots and didn’t know what to do with them. I had been to Miniatura and Kensington so I spoke to Andy and he said have a go. I was nervous – it was that unknown. I didn’t know how many to bring. I didn’t know if people would like them. But the feedback has been amazing and it has given me a real boost.”

Potty Harper gallery page – https://miniatura.co.uk/exhibitors/potty-harper/

Pots, Plants and Wicker Baskets

And we finish our roundup of Miniatura newbies with Minnies Miniatures who hand-make wicker baskets, plants, plant kits, flowers, jars of food, watercolours and miniature books. Minnie Jenkins explained that it all started because she was helping a friend whose daughter had a dolls house.

“I started making things to help her fill up the dolls house – firstly some rugs, then bigger things and it just progressed from there.”

She began exhibiting at shows – the first ones being in France where she lived for 21 years. Since returning to the UK she has done shows here – this spring show was her first time at Miniatura as an exhibitor however. “It’s been delightful – It’s nice to know you are appreciated.”

I love the camaraderie of other makers at the shows. More experienced makers are always so willing to help. And I love meeting the customers and hearing all about their dollshouses.”

Minnies Miniatures gallery page – https://miniatura.co.uk/exhibitors/minnies-miniatures/

Photos by Rob Tysall Pro Photography