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Lynne Hoffman
The Babysitter by Jean Pardina
I won this houseparty helper at Fiesta De Los Amigos in 1993(?) At the time, I was a preschool teacher with a young daughter. I’d always loved Jean’s dolls and this piece really struck me. Although my 1990s classroom looked nothing like this, I could relate to all the different activities happening in a single moment. Jean managed to capture the sweet chaos of working with multiple young children. |
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Juanita Landa
This one was a tough decision to make for me and I'm sure everyone else. The repurposed shabby chic door vignette is the one closest to my heart. This was my first workshop as a NAME member; and, when I discovered, that I loved making plants and flowers! I made geraniums, lily of the valley, mums, ferns, lavender, and irises. |
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Laura Reich
This might be one of the 'worse' miniatures to consider saving, BUT it is my first 'creation' of my own, that is, not a kit. It is also my very first doll that I have made and dressed. I have been taught in other venues that one should always keep your 'first' ... for comparison to see how much you have improved.
What is it? The baseball player is coming out of the corn field ---- Field of Dreams, about Drysville, Iowa (not very far from here). |
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Barbara Adams
One of my favorite miniatures is the first room box I made. It is the sitting room of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at 221b Baker Street. Made in the late 1970’s there was very little available to miniaturists so I fabricated many things. Although I have added some artist made pieces over the years my favorite accessories are all the books made by my then six-year-old daughter, the little deerstalker hat made by my mother and the silhouettes of Holmes and Watson cut by a talented friend. |
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Monya Johnson
This is a project I will never part with. I started with a plain purchased shed. I cut each log and decorated with gifts from friends. |
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Carla Burruss
I created this memory box for my Dad. He received it three months before he passed away in March 2008. It is hard to capture 80 years of someone’s life, so I included pictures that I knew were meaningful to him. The back wall has pictures that show his 30 years in the military, and the window represents his years as an AME Pastor. The globe represents his travel around the world. The left wall has a pictures of a miniature church I built for him, a picture when he received his doctorate, a picture of his grandmother, and a picture of him with me and my daughter. I used the right wall for family pictures. On the desk are a coffee cup, cigarettes, and books. I put a letter in the in- out tray that lists all of his children and where they were living in 2007. This letter can be read with a magnifier. |
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Carla Burruss
Inside detail |
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Paula Francis
Here’s my choice for ONE of my favorite miniature projects. How do we pick just one? I’m sure that we all look at our creations and remember the special reasons why we built them. Mine is The Beatrix Potter Bedroom in memory of my mother. She loved everything about Beatrix Potter and the Peter Rabbit family, gifting her children and grandchildren the miniature porcelain figurines and reading from the Peter Rabbit Treasury of books, so this roombox will always hold a special place in my heart. |
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Marty Anderson
I fell in love with "Beth" by Susan Scogin, who was sitting on a chair when I purchased her. She needed a special display in which to be seen. I designed this partial room and outdoor scene to show "Beth" from all sides. Beth and her puppy see a rabbit in the yard, looking at them. There is a mouse in a flower pot beside the bird bath, which a bird is enjoying. The title of this scene is Mom, Come See! |
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Marty Anderson
Inside detail |
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Elizabeth Solomon
I had the privilege of living in Japan two times. Once from 1999 through 2000 the other time in 2005. This room box is a tribute to Japan and is inspired by old farmhouses in two of my favorite places; Sankein Gardens in Honmoku and an outdoor farmhouse museum Nihon Minka-en outside Kawasaki City. I made much of the furniture using my furniture as models and a book I bought in Japan written in Japanese. |
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Lee Weinstein
Having downsized a few years ago (I had to part with soooo many treasures), this is the one piece I could never give away. Fish N Fries was done in a week-long class with Noel and Pat Thomas here in the Seattle area. I’m thinking it was in the early 90’s. It was my second class with them (the first being a beach cottage). I’ve never learned so much in such a short time and the inside was completed at home after the class was over! |
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Lee Weinstein
Inside detail |
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Lee Weinstein
Inside detail |
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Terry Unnold
After much deliberation I have settled on my little bronze Degas Ballerina from a class I took with Ela Kiefaber in 2015 at the IGMA Guild School in Castine, Maine as my favorite mniature. I am so proud of her. It was my one and only experience at sculpting with bronze clay and I love her! |
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Margaret Gordus
Making this brought joy & many memories and includes all my family from great grandparents to great grandchildren.It is even more meaningful to me as it is one of two room boxes that was saved when we lost our home in Campfire/ Paradise in 2018 and my husband picked it up as we were leaving the house. |
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Nena C
Part of my Jane Graber collection for the April show off your favorite miniature |
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Barb Antol
Choosing a favorite mini from nearly 30 years of projects isn’t easy, but after much thought, I’ve chosen my kitty room box. This one has so much sentimental value and is one I could never part with. It’s a 1:12 scale room box I built in 2019 and it’s dedicated to all the special kitties in my life. The little cat figures were all custom made by Sue Veeder. There are the 9 kitties who’ve shared our home: Tycho, Copernicus, Grimaldi, Kepler, Sterling, Capella, Mothra, Ramsey and Blue Eyes, plus Destiny, my special little Feral Friend from the shelter where I volunteer. We had portraits of our 9 kitties painted for our “real” home by artist Sharon Challand. I made copies of those, shrunk them down and framed them. In the scene, the kitties are engaged in their favorite activities. Capella and Sterling are cuddling on the sofa. Ramsey is playing with a pipe cleaner. Copernicus is taking a break from playing with his green sparkly ball and enjoying some green beans, while Mothra is enjoying a shrimp. Blue Eyes is lounging in her comfy bed, while Grimaldi is playing with a mouse. Tycho is hanging out on the cat tree by the window with his favorite toys (an acorn and little wire spring), while Kepler looks up at him adoringly. Lastly, little Destiny has a bag of her favorite Temptations treats which I used to bring to her each week at the shelter. There’s a tiny can of tuna, a little bowl of cat grass and a little feather wand with a green feather (Copernicus’ favorite). The scene outside the French Door is a photo of our back yard. Most of these kitties have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Only Ramsey, Capella and Blue Eyes are with us now. The box brings back so many special memories of our fur babies and the time we spent with them. That’s why it’s so special and why I chose it as my favorite. |
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Barb Antol
Inside detail |
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Barb Antol
Inside detail |
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Cindy Bottasso
I favorite mini is my steampunk challenge. I love the bizarreness of it, the tower flashes lights and laughs, and inside the lights change in a rainbow of colors |
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Cindy Bottasso
Inside detail |
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Emily Blair
I made this scene in high school, after taking a class with Ladybug. I bought the pumpkin house kit from Earth and Tree, the faerie from Ladybug, and the teacup from a local secondhand store. It was my first teacup scene and I’m still so proud of it. |
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Jene Bondi Gentleman's Bar
I saved for 6 years collecting all the right pieces, I replaced the glasses more times than I care to count. I bought so many things, and discarded so many things until I had the look I wanted. 99% of the bottles have real liquid in them. I would go days just eating potato chips for dinner just to buy another bottle or wine glass. My family thought I was nuts but it was so worth it.
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Jean Ellsworth
I would definitely keep My NAME Memories room box. It has memories from my Regional Coordinator days, (1980-84) my 10 years on the NAME board, (1984-1994) and the 3 Houseparties and 1 National Convention I chaired. The bears were all collected at each of the Conventions, Houseparties and shows I attended during the 2 years I was president of NAME. (1990-92) On the right of the room is a large box of Regional Coordinator supplies like the one I received back in 1980.
I had so much fun making this room. It is packed, but I had so many more mini memories I did not have room for. It was hard to be selective, but I could not fit in one more item. I was very proud to have it on the cover of the Gazette and have my article published.
Every time I look at this room, I remember the events and the hundreds of friends I have made from all over the country during the past 46 years.. NAME has been such a Blessing in my life. I treasure every friendship and every event I have attended. |
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Jean Ellsworth
Inside detail |
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Jean Ellsworth
Inside detail |
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Prebble McDaniel
My favorite miniature is my Mother Goose - Nursery Rhymes project. |
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Beth Grabau
My favorite is usually the project I just finished. But this will be right up there with all time favorites. I just finished “Miss Greta’s National Historical Site”, a saloon; land, livestock, and mining office; and bathhouse. But beware some guests only visit after dark. |
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Beth Grabau
Inside detail |
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Julie Stuckmeyer
This was a quarter scale version of Brooke Tucker's Golden Christmas. I can't look at it and not smile. |
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Susan Richter
My most precious and favourite miniature was given to me by my brother. He was very serious and said that he had noticed that my dollhouse people had no where to put their garbage. He bought a chewing gum container, emptied it, washed it, and presented to me. He was 10 years old. The garbage can is now 46 years old and showing it's age, but I could never ever part with it. |
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Jackie Williams
The Juke box was a project from Quarter Connection group as a special event and I made the dolls my Darlings shown in the Diner. |
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Jackie Williams
Inside detail |
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Sally Lonn
Pooh Corner was designed and hand-painted by me. I collected all the Disney characters I could find and made over 50 books. I designed a tree house in the shop around a paper towel roll ! The back walls are all hand painted and I just couldn't part with all the love that went into this project. |
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Sally Lonn
Side detail |
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Sally Lonn
Inside detail |
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Dia Crissey-Baum
My favorite miniature is my Cabinet of Curiosities. I made the room box in a Michael Reynolds class in 2017, and filled it with all kinds of fun things, and a bunch of furniture I built from scratch. I find pictures of real antiques online and make miniatures out of them. The recliner reclines. The desk closes (except I glued the wine glass on to the top) I used all the bad words I know making the mosaic table. Stupid crumbly Fimo (it was 100% operator error). There are a lot of real animals—and parts of animals—and a lot of fun things. It’s fun to watch people look when I exhibit it at our local show. People glance, and then look, and then really look when they start seeing all the things in there. The skull on the back wall is from a snapping turtle my dad found when we were walking on our property. The giant snake on the wall met its untimely end on our driveway (sorry, snake! But you are in a better place now. Maybe.) I found the bird skull tangled in a vine while doing some weeding outside. I got stung doing it. (Karma? You decide.) There are real spiders, a stink bug, a bee and a cicada too. But the animal heads on the wall aren’t real, I promise. There are some Tribbles in a jar, and a mermaid skeleton, King Tut’s sandals and artifacts from Pompeii. There’s a box of false eyes, a model of Audrey II, a flying wolf (at least he has wings), shrunken heads (that give my kids the willies) and a skeleton in the closet (with a cat in his lap). There’s a phrenology head and an Oscar. And pictures of my favorite people scattered throughout. It’s a little like “Where’s Waldo?” but without Waldo. |
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Dia Crissey-Baum
inside detail |
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Christiane Starks
It was easy for me to choose a favorite mini to share, despite having a house full of miniatures! This kitchen room box, which I built 30 years ago, is my most "meaningful" mini. My father-in-law, John, was my mentor for this project. John had experience with miniatures and he inspected every step of my building process for the hutch, sink and fridge (and sent me back for re-dos on each piece!). John scratch built the table (with opening drawers) and the door for this kitchen. John's efforts were especially impressive to me since he was a quadriplegic, with very limited use of his hands. |
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Christiane Starks
Inside detail |
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Christiane Starks
Inside detail |
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Sue Ostheimer
I have many favorites but this is surely one of them. It is one of six room boxes that I have with my old/antique miniatures. My grandmother and mother had an assortment of miniatures that became mine which I played with, and added to, over the years. All the furniture in this living room belonged to them, except the coffee table, corner shelf and cobbler's bench. The vintage Caco dolls were mine, bought at FAO Schwartz in NYC when I was young. My grandmother painted the watercolors over the chair and fireplace in the early 1980's when she was 92, copying them from paintings she did when she was younger. The other five room boxes I have are grouped with this one and make (sort of) a house. There is a master bedroom, children's bedroom, dining room, kitchen/hallway and a workshop, all with a combination of old and new miniatures. These old family minis were the start of my passion for the hobby, and I treasure them all. |
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Cyndy Stencill
Here is my great project, the Gryffindor common room from Harry Potter. It is almost entirely hand made by me. This is the one I would keep if I could only have one! |
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Michelle Miller
This project, Christmas with the Critters, started off with the purchase of the Petite Properties Advent Calendar. I also purchased 3 PP houses and cut a base. I challenged myself to use every advent calendar piece in this project. Opening each envelope every day brought more challenges. Where can I use this piece? Where will this fit in? But in the end I used every piece, some a little creatively, and added to the base to make them all fit. |
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Michelle Miller
Inside view |
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Barbara Horne
I have wonderful memories of this family cabin on the Provo River in the Uintah's, with my parents and siblings, and now with my children and grandchildren. |
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Teresa Goodier
The doll family has been good about cleaning and donating to the local animal shelter. |
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Teresa Goodier
Inside view |
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Vicki Scidmore: So hard to choose! I would surely keep this room box because it has 3 generations of mini’s. Several of my grandmothers vases, my mothers’ mini animals (including the wooden dog out front that gives the name) and copper items, and travel “charms” from my mother and me so it is a reminder of our family love of miniatures |
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Inside view of Vicki Scidmore's piece |
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Jackie Browder: Well, I can pretend that this is my all time favorite dollhouse, and it is.... until I make the next one! |
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Pam Junk:
My 'From the Heart of England' project, which i wrote up as a How-To article for Nutshell News, and which also became my first magazine cover....1993.
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