DDOOLLllSSHHOOUUSSEE D L R O W World’s best selling miniatures magazine dollshouseworld.com ££66..9999 Issue 353 WE’RE FULL FREE CUTOUTS OF PROJECTS & INSPIRING IDEAS Storybook Cottage A HOME FULL OF HAPPINESS PROJECTS HOUSES SHOPS ROOMS GARDENS contents 4 Meet the Maker 36 Open House small details This mouse-mad maker has always had Jeanette’s packed general store is a a special relationship with animals fond trip down memory lane (cid:79) Issue 353 To reach us: Call +44 (0)1903 884988 10 Room Style 40 Mini Makes Or write to: Dolls House World, Tamar’s skills find a good home with Elize shows us how to create a rustic PO Box 2258, Pulborough RH20 9BA the discovery of miniatures shelf from coffee stirrers Great Britain email: [email protected] 12 House Proud 42 Miniature Showcase Website: www.dollshouseworld.com Bargain Honeychurch spelt double A celebration of summer inspired by Editor: Richard Jennings trouble for talented Joan Joyce some top makers Email: [email protected] Feature writer: Sandra Harding 16 Meet the Maker 44 Mini Makes Advertisement sales: Emily Chan creates beautiful dolls Make a cute little chair for your nursery Maria Fitzgerald with a look of childhood innocence scene Email: [email protected] Design: Wendy Crosthwaite 20 Shop Around 46 Out & About Elize’s ambitious Swedish gift shop Birthe’s collection of houses grew so Subscriptions: project put her skills to the test much she started a museum UK: [email protected] US: usoffi[email protected] 24 Small Accomplishments 48 Vintage Houses ISSN 0961 - 0928. Printed in the UK. Jacki’s bandstand brings a smile and One collector tells us why she loves the Kristina’s Secret garden is revealed thrill of the search Subscription prices: 26 House Proud 53 Club News Per year: UK £79.99 European and worldwide prices will be A talented miniaturist has created a Sandra talks to a club which has been adjusted to local currencies. See online stunning replica of his apartment flourishing for 30 years for details at www.dollshouseworld.com or call +44 (0)1903 884988. All of our sub- 32 Mini Makes 54 Mini Makes scriptions are handled by us here at DHW. Mo takes us through the process of Choose your theme and stitch a making sandwiches and a banana delightful summer quilt 35 Cutouts 57 Cutouts Just get out the scissors and add these Add wallpaper to your house with our minis to your house exclusive design Reproduction in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The written instructions, photographs, designs, patterns and projects in this magazine are intended for the personal use of the reader and may be reproduced for that purpose only. Any other use, especially commercial use is forbidden under law without permission of the copy- right holder. All editorial contributions are welcomed by Dolls House World but the publisher can accept no responsibility for loss or damage to contributions. Material is accepted solely on the basis that the author accepts the assessment of the publisher as to its commercial value. All material submitted is accepted on the basis that copyright of will be vested in the publisher who assumes all rights worldwide, in all forms and media. © Copyright ashdown.co.uk 4 2 DOLLS HOUSE WORLD www.dollshouseworld.com “where little things matter” dollshouseworld dollshouseworldmagazine 59 Mini Makes 70 Scene Around welcome Create a stone path for your mini garden Bill and Gina combined to create a using Creative Paperclay garden scene with wonderful decking As Frank Sinatra put it: “Re- grets, I’ve had a few.” 62 Lighting 74 Mini Makes Every miniaturist has Carl explains the process of adding lights Kim McCool continues to show us had them. The house you to a smaller house how to sculpt a doll out of clay should have bought but didn’t. The pro- ject you started but never fi nished. 64 Quick and Easy 78 Mini Makes Victoria Begg’s big regret was giving Sandra shows how to make three Add a comfy mattress to your away her childhood doll’s house, that different types of simple trunks miniature bedroom scene had been languishing in the attic, to a 66 Mini Makes 82 Small Talk neighbour. But luckily for her she was able to put things right. After a sleepless Lay a fancy fl oor using coloured coffee We chat with one reader about her stirrers life in the hobby night, maybe with Frank going round in her head, she realised what a mistake 68 A Look at Lundby she’d made and asked for it back the next HOUSE HUNT A sleepless night followed when Viktoria morning. Viktoria was able to work on Find the little house hidden gave away her childhood home inside. ■ LLaasstt iissssuuee iitt aappppeeaarreedd her rescued house during lockdown and oonn ppaaggee 5588.. you can see the result this issue. Quote of the month: Birthe Knuth never for a moment ‘ regretted buying too many houses, even Enjoy the little things in life for‘ though she ran out of space. She over- one day you’ll look back and came the problem by building a barn in realise they were the big things. the garden and opening a museum. Emily Chan discovered miniatures after browsing in a bazaar and took years to perfect her skills with clay. We think you’ll agree, when you see her beautiful children, she’s come a long way. We also talk to Bill and Geena Thees- fi eld this issue. He’s an engineer with a clean, organised workspace. She’s the creative artist working “in a chaotic mess”. But they combine their talents to produce lovely miniatures, and you can see their garden fi lled with beautiful decking inside. We’ve got lots of ideas and projects for you in this issue. Have a go at some of them, and then you can sing along with Frank, to what sounds like a miniaturist’s theme tune: “I planned each charted course, each careful step… and more, much, much more. I did it, I did it my way.” 16 12 Caring for the environment: Here at Dolls House World we’re as concerned about the environment as you are. We’re doing everything we can to ensure the magazine is produced in the most eco friendly way possible. Our magazine is printed using vegetable-based inks on an environmentally responsible paper, which is certifi ed by the prestigious FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council), the not-for-profi t organisation dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management worldwide. Our paper also carries the internationally recognised EU Eco-label. Our local printers, Gemini Print, are just a few miles from the DHW offi ces. They are one of the leading eco friendly printers in the UK, email: [email protected] with both FSC® and ISO 14001 certifi cation. They are backed by a series of environmental credentials that allow them to work under the “Green Printing Label”. Our printers are also a sponsor of the Woodland Trust – the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. DOLLS HOUSE WORLD 3 MEET THE MAKER Bee’s magical mice are always telling her tales This mouse-mad maker has had a special relationship with animals since childhood and that understanding is reflected in her miniature creations BY JOAN MCKENZIE B ee Felten-Leidel grew these wonderful miniatures up in Germany, sur- for herself. Sadly, she was rounded by beautiful only allowed to look, not to fields full of flowers and play with anything in that small animals, both wild and doll’s house. tame who all seemed to be As a precocious and sensi- drawn to her. She recollects tive child, she had a special butterflies landing on her relationship with her father. arms and staying there to be As a very young boy, he observed, in all of their glory. had been forced to fight for She had many pet ani- Germany during World War mals, including cats, guinea 2, and he was captured by pigs, hamsters and bunnies, the Americans in 1944 and but even wild animals outdoors were held as a POW in different camps for drawn to her. It was as if she knew two years. During his time as a POW, what they needed and they felt how he became an ardent interpreter and she loved them. There was a little translator. Bee inherited his love for hole in a yew hedge in their allotment languages. His patience and sincere garden which was just wide enough interest in Bee’s special sensitivities One recent house is a spooky witch for a small and slender child to fit helped her become the woman that mansion modelled after Halloween through which led into an abandoned she is today, as he was never dismiss- festivities as celebrated in the USA. graveyard. Bee used to crawl through ive with her stories and fairy tales. He Bee likes using kits for shop fronts this little space and spent hours in consistently appeared to be fascinated and furniture but will also buy the oc- great delight watching the antics of the by her ability to commune so beauti- casional finished item. However, most teeming wildlife around her. fully with nature. of the time she tries to build everything Confined indoors during inclem- As an adult her vivid imagination according to her own vision. ent weather, she became smitten by remained, which led her to eventually When she began using Fimo, she books about mice by Beatrix Potter, Jill create a tiny mouse universe in twelfth focused on making food and tiny birds. Barklem, and Fritz Baumgarten. She scale, complete with buildings, indi- Then she branched out into making had one special cousin who owned a vidual rooms, shops, a little harbour, furniture and houses from wood, foam large antique doll’s house that Bee was a pirate ship, and a Gypsy caravan. board and cardboard. not allowed to touch, which was a form Having lived in England as a student She collects miniature mice from all of torture to her as a child. Inside this and also having visited the United over the world but sometimes uses her doll’s house there were little shelves States several times, she has always own needle-felting skills to create her filled with crockery, piles of fabric, a maintained a strong preference for little creatures because she loves mak- tiny crib, lovely lamps, and other fur- whimsical English and American style ing tiny clothing for them. nishings. As a child, Bee would stand dwellings in her little fantasy world. Because Bee translated a large there in awe and longed to have all She created scenes that are magical. cheese book several years ago, and 4 DOLLS HOUSE WORLD MEET THE MAKER Above: Bee’s Toy Shop is the happiest place to visit! Above right: Little Madison has found some delicious mushrooms. Right: It’s baking day for this little mouse. in real life loves all varieties of cheese, most of her mice have cheese names. Finding exactly the right names is great fun for her and sometimes takes a bit of deliberation. Bee has always loved drawing and has also been painting porcelain for many years which comes in handy when creating her mouse scenes. She also loves working with chalk paint and American milk paint because she can easily achieve ‘historical’ colours using these particular tools. Bee’s introduction to the miniature DOLLS HOUSE WORLD 5 MEET THE MAKER Above left: Mila’s bedroom is very colourful and full of art, literature and pumpkins! Above: Mouse kids who love Halloween and candy. Bottom left: The kids are dressed as pirates. world was fortuitous in many ways. Four years ago, her postman was mak- ing a delivery of miniature supplies, and he mentioned that he had just de- livered a parcel from the same minia- ture shop to a neighbour just a couple of houses away. He told Bee that her neighbour owned her own studio and created spectacular miniature period pieces. Her neighbour is Pipi Turner, who specialises in exquisite ‘antique min- iature furniture’ from the 18th and 19th century. Bee contacted Pipi via Face- book and was immediately invited to Pipi’s home studio. That day all kinds of stories and methods were generously shared with Bee. In addition, Pipi sent Bee home with a large box full of miniature furniture, doors, windows, wallpaper, and little dishes. It was like the Christmas she never experienced as a child! Bee became speechless. She eventu- ally thanked Pipi with a hand painted porcelain mug with the image of Pipi Longstocking who used to be a child- hood heroine, hence her name. A dear friendship formed that day. How envi- able to have someone who loves the same pastime and art form that you do living three doors down the road! Once Bee visited Pipi with some of 6 DOLLS HOUSE WORLD MEET THE MAKER Above: The baby nursery showcases many baby animals. her special mice who were allowed to wander through a spectacular twelfth French mansion. Pipi also introduced Bee to Dutch artist Janny Warnaar from “Art of Mini” who is one of their favourite Artisans and kit makers. At University, Bee studied English and German to become a teacher, but she changed plans along the way to become a book translator and later specialised in medical texts, novels, cats and antique toys. She also trans- lated several books about teddy bears. In addition, she taught English and German as a foreign language at the University of Cologne and at multiple other colleges for adult education. For almost 30 years Bee was a liter- ary translator who loved sitting at her desk for hours between high swaying mountains of books, always with plenty of available tea, cookies, chocolate and 7 DOLLS HOUSE WORLD Above: The nursery is filled with teddy bears sons she has always been self-taught. During this pandemic, the “Miniac” and toys. One of her favourite artisans is Dutch world has been like a safety net or “mouse artist” Karina Schaapman. security blanket that saved her, latched her cats just within her reach. All in Regarding the future of miniatures, onto her, and kept her going. There are all she translated 64 books and be- Bee said: “I think there will be a grow- so many wonderful miniature lovers all came the German voice of the novelist ing interest in miniatures because they over the world and Bee is quite proud Charlotte MacLeod. Translating can be are such a perfect way of creating to be part of our immense but tiny a very lonely job. One must be able to your own dream world, while making, universe. endure being alone and also be able getting and owning things you can’t Miniatures enable Bee to combine to manage your time well so that you really afford or find anywhere in real several of her favourite interests: story don’t get stressed. On the plus side, life. Playing is such a wonderful way telling (as all of her mice have their she never had to tolerate any annoying of relaxing and making your fantasy own biography and personalities), colleagues or unreasonable managers. take off. For example, my American photography, painting, daydreaming, Her most ardent dream was to designed porch! I have always longed needle-felting, and using her immeas- become a writer. Eventually it became to decorate a porch with pumpkins for urable creativity. When she looks at her true when she published her first story Halloween!” tiny mice collection, they seem to “tell” in 1988. As of this time, she has many Virtually everybody she has met in her things, a process she finds rather poems, stories, and five books pub- the miniature world has been ex- difficult to adequately describe. It feels lished. Two are novels about her child- ceptionally kind and special. She has as if she is looking right into their little hood memories with her best friend made multiple friends from all over minds and then within seconds their Winnie, “Mit Winnie in Kattendonk” the world via Instagram and Facebook individual stories take flight before and “Mit Winnie in Niersbeck”. Two over the last few years. Bee’s husband she can put pen to paper. As previ- more are psychology books.“ of two decades is a virologist. Both she ously noted, Bee has had this special Bee has spent many hours watch- and he had severe bouts of Covid-19 relationship with all of the tiny living ing tutorials and has multiple books this last year, losing their sense of creatures in nature since she was a lit- on needle felting, Fimo art and doll’s smell and taste for many months, but tle child, and it is not likely to leave her house making. Other than these les- they have now recovered. at any time in the future. 8 DOLLS HOUSE WORLD DOLLSHOUSES ACCESSORIES FURNITURE DIY LIGHTING FREEUKSHIPPINGONORDERSOVER£50 THOUSANDSOFPRODUCTS EXCLUSIVEMINIATURES WORLDWIDEDELIVERY BB RRRAAATTTIIINN E GG L EE O CC UUU RR RR 2200TTTTHH YYYYEEE AA OFFICIALUKDISTRIBUTOR PROUDSTOCKISTSOF Lookingforinspiration? BBuuiilldd SSmmaallll,, We'reheretohelp... Findoursocialmediacommunityon Gotaquestionforourdollshouse FacebookandInstagram: DDrreeaamm BBiigg!! experts? Contactus! @minimumworld www.minimumworld.com [email protected] @minimum_world_miniatures ROOM STYLE Tamar’s skills find a good home She tried her hand at everything from silversmithing to sculpting and painting when she was at high school, but the discovery of miniatures has brought all her skills together BY TAMAR COHEN W hen I created this perfume and techniques I use in miniatures lacked the right tools, as well as any of store room box a year ago I came from an eight-month silversmith- the materials I have today. Fortunately, had no idea that miniatures ing course I took when I was 21. But I my house was stocked with a variety would become my new occupation. never studied how to create miniatures of creative supplies and, since I’ve ex- I often used to go to the local mu- in an exact way; instead, it turned out perimented in carpentry I had some seum when I was in high school. It fea- to be a combination of all the skills I’d scraps to work with as well. tured a room full of miniature scenes; acquired over the years. For the perfume shop I had greater the space was painted dark and the I was unemployed at the start of plans, including stairwells and a well- small rooms were illuminated — it was 2021, and like many others at the time, designed facade. However, as I was breathtaking. I was looking for something to do with constructing it, I realised it was a little Even though art has always been my spare time. My sister sent me a too complicated to begin with, so I an important part of my life, I only 1:100 scale kit to put together, which abandoned it and replaced it with a began making miniatures a year ago. arrived just in time. After I completed simpler version. In high school I was a member of assembling it, I realised that I would That’s also why I used perfume bot- the art department, where I learned probably enjoy the challenge of creat- tles to fill in the display cabinet; they photography, sculpting, and paint- ing one from scratch. were the easiest to make. I started ing, all of which came in handy while I began by sketching out the scale by building the box’s structure, then creating miniatures. Many of the tools and measurements; at the time I covering it with wallpaper and moved 10 DOLLS HOUSE WORLD