For January, we asked you to send in a picture of an animal in miniature. Better yet, pick out your favorite animal-themed miniature and tell us about it.
Here are the beautiful submissions:
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This month's Challenge Sample came from Julie Stuckmeyer:
Julie says that her favorite animal themed miniature is her "Crazy Cat Lady" room in her carousel. Of course, the reason she says the cat owner IS "Crazy" is that in this one smallish room, there are ten and a half cats (one is halfway out the pet door) and only one litter box. Definitely not enough facilities for the cats!
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From Carolyn Knight:
“Shrimp” eyeing the Captain’s lunch while he‘s thawing out his toes & making his garden plans.
“Bear”, the clockwork mouse’s pet caterpillar.
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From Kathy Koons:
I was absolutely positive that I'd never included animals in my mini scenes. Then I remembered the Quarter Connections' Saloon from 2020. Not only are there two horses, but I painted them and added the manes and tails.
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From Sabrina Ingalls:
I was so excited to have completed my first ever NAME Day Project. I turned it into a mini-version of my real-life workspace (Mostly Monsters, where I make and sell whimsical monster-themed goods), and of course HAD to include my 3 cats who are always "helping" me work in various ways!
My workshop includes my sewing supplies, Cricut & Sewing machines, sample merchandise, items being shipped, inspirations, and even lunch!
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From Elizabeth Lubera:
For the January challenge, I am submitting the adorable mice that “live” in the Brambley Hedge books, written and illustrated by Jill Barklem. The room scene I am submitting here – titled “A Winter Story” – is perfect for the pets theme and for the winter weather here in Michigan. In the story, the mouse husband, Mr. Apple, is relaxing by the fire after a hard day’s work; his wife, Mrs. Apple, brings him tea before joining him to reminisce about their happy life in Brambley Hedge.
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From Susan Buffaloe:
Here is my roadside apple cider stand. The faithful collie is keeping an eye on the cat so she doesn’t knock over any jugs. A little bunny is waiting for her chance to run or dare to get a bite of an apple.
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From Lena Tovey:
This is my Bunny House.
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From Cindy McDaniel:
This is my all-time pet favorite. The deer are Christmas ornaments from eons ago and just had to do a scene with them. And the cow kitchen was made when cows were big in making scenes. I had a Dalmatian at the time so finding one and adding to the scene with her puppies was just perfect for me.
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From Kim Hood:
This little dog looks just like my sister in laws dog, Liddy. When I saw it I knew I had to use her in a scene with her favorite toy, a red frisbee.
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From Dycie Childs-Melton:
This is my dog show that I did some years ago. Notice the cat!
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From Sandra Tom:
Sir Fluffington is the first dollhouse miniature cat that I've made by hand. I bought the Chinese table set when I went to Hong Kong in 2000. Thought "Pets on Parade" was the perfect time to showcase him as well as my table set for the first time. I am hoping he'll have playmates or siblings in the near future.
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From Cindy Bottasso:
I love this scene with the bee hive and the bear. My camera is probably not good enough to show the detail of bees on the hive. Two bees have also landed on the bear, one on his nose and the other on his butt.
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From Susan Richter:
This is my Kitty Playroom. I made it at my very first Houseparty in Scranton. The container is a picture frame from Hobby Lobby.
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From Suzanne Spooner-Munch:
Please welcome “Purrs ‘N Paws” pet shop! A wonderful assortment of animals of all types and sizes awaiting a good home. Need pet food, toys, pet care magazines or a new collar? P ‘N P offers just about everything! 1:12” scale
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From Lesia Lennex:
This is my room cube honoring my cats and their favorite hobbies. Some liked to sit on a tower and others like to chase toy mice. They're all cute and adorable!
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From Lori Ebiner:
When I saw this months challenge title "Pet's on Parade" I knew immediately what I wanted to submit and was excited that this was going to help me complete a long thought of project. My inspiration is Mary Cassatt's "Little Girl in a Blue Armchair". This is one of my very favorite paintings on earth. One reason I love it is the look on the little girl's face, such a cute look that we've all seen on children's faces from time to time.
The other part I love (and hopefully fits the "pet" theme) is on the opposite chair there rests a small dog. It's a Brussels Griffon that was gifted to the artist. I sculpted this little pup in paper clay and painted him to match Mary's pup in the painting. I'm thrilled that I've finally (almost) completed this little scene I've thought about for so long.
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From Debby Albert:
A pet shop in quarter scale.
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From Claudia Heckart:
This is of my 1:144 scale Farmhouse with the Mouse family moving in. They're having trouble getting that big chunk of cheese up to the house!
This is part of a larger house, 1:12 scale. The Dachshund on the sofa and the Dalmaition on the floor are watching the cat in the garden window, who is trying to catch a bird he sees outside. In the process, he is really messing up Momma's plants!
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From Cheryl Polito:
Here are pictures of my Shepherd's Hut from Camp Make-a-mini. There are four different sizes of sheep/lambs, rabbits, chickens inside and outside the coop, as well as miniature Dachshunds and Australian shepherds.
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From Mary Johnson:
I love my “Red Robin Realty” (six birds from MiniGems) -- this was a pleasure to make.
And my favorite Mischief-critters are in my “Two Seuss” kits from Debbie Young. (Mini Hallmark characters inhabit the room boxes.) Are Seuss critters conventional pets? No, but that wasn’t a requirement of submissions!
Seeing all these projects in “monthly groups” is fantastic! Like a private museum tour that I can linger over monthly! Thanks for all your time & work that allows us to share and enjoy miniatures!
PS Can you tell me the preferred size of submission photos?
(Editor: Send them in whatever size you take them. We will resize for the website, but prefer better resolution pictures for social media.)
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From Diana DeWalt:
This is a pet shop from a kit from Karen Benson.
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From Lori Jackman:
I give talks to nursing homes, clubs, etc., and when I showed this dog park at a nursing home, one woman insisted on buying it. I never sell my miniatures, but I promised to make her a special one. When I took the smaller version of the dog park to her, she cried. She was so thrilled, and it fit perfectly in the small space she had for it in her room. Attached is the original larger dog park.
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From Leah Smith:
A tiny wedding in the meadow.
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From Gabriele Layne:
A dog park by the lake in a scale of 1:48. All of the dogs are doing what dogs do when without a leash. The training equipment is ooak that I made from wood, plastic and cardstock. Accessories like the fence, benches and foliage for trees and bushes are from model railroad supplies. The dogs are all from Barbara of mini-gems, a friend of mine for several years. There is a small gated area for the little guys who are to timid to play with the big dogs. Another area with a fire hydrant is for relieving themselves and by the fence are two watering fountains with faucets made from wire. The backdrop is an oil painting to give it depth. I love dogs, we had a Labrador and Shepherd mix for 17 years so in this park I can have all the dogs I want ... since we can no longer take care of a real one, or two, or three...
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From Wanda Morris Simons:
Department Store Designer Dog Beds Display - 1/12th scale ... Poodle on French toile, blue scenes on beige, Scottie on pleated plaid, German Shepherd on black with military braid. Not pictured (on reverse): Pekingese on black oriental brocade pillow with tassels.
(Silver) St. Bernard with keg was a required feature of this competition at the 2002 Philadelphia Miniaturia. Wanda Morris Simons won the award for Best Exhibit by a NAME member.
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From Marion Haerle:
This is my pie shop - a bear run enterprise.
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From Dee Cirilli:
Here is my Dog Show for Pets! I painted the gazebo, made all the plants and table. Found all the dogs in my stash. Hope you have as much fun looking at it as I did making it!
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From Lorna Whitlow:
My vignette is the living room area of a widow who fosters pets for the local Animal Rescue League. My scenes usually have an orchid or two & a cat.
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From Gwen Cargill:
This dome scene is an adoption shop for stuffed animals and dolls called “Take Me Home”.
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From Diane Ruess:
A girly room with a faithful friend
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From Barbara Bower:
I made this little roombox for two of my friends several years ago. The little orange cat looks like one of my friend's cat.
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From Kim Kehoe:
I built a craft room with loft above and have my crazy dogs inside with me. 3 downstairs and 2 upstairs. Enjoy.
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From Kirsten Enzinger:
Here's my miniature theme with animals. The horses are replicas of my real ones. I designed and made the stable and my miniature club made one like it which we raffled off for MD. Therapeutic riding. We were able to donate $1200 to them!
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From Bernadette Schustak:
Bernadette Schustak shared two pet filled projects: 1 inch scale Too Many Cats and 1/4 inch cat pet shop.
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From Suzanne Mooney:
My 5 year old granddaughter’s pet goose, ‘Gigi’ follows her everywhere she goes! They are ‘Besties’ for sure. 💕
I found ‘Rufus’ on a dusty back shelf, in a cluttered antique store, & it was ‘Love at First Sight’! He’s tiny & very heavy, with some worn-away fur, but I love him just the same. He is good company for me. 😊
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From Ruth Goodger:
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From Susan Sharratt:
Here is my “Miss Mouse House”. I made this log cabin at a State Day and it became a home for my little mice. I made the skirted table and the Teresa Layman rug kit. The chair was plastic, so I painted & “polka dotted” it. In the attic (and on the table) are many kinds of cheese I made from FIMO. Miss Mouse is entertaining her sisters with a mouse hand puppet. One sister is baking a pie, wile the other is working on a quilt. I will (some day) landscape the outside. The first mouse (holding a mouse puppet) was purchased at a Christmas store in Ocean City, NJ, while on a vacation. The seated mouse making a quilt is a "Forest Friend" I bought online & the mouse baking a pie was from a flea market. I have 3 other mice (not shown), two who are skiing and one is the "Mouse Prince" from the Nutcracker. These three were only out for the holiday season & are now resting until next December.
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From Patricia Roberson:
Here is my 'Cat House', with a number of my collected mini cats from makers such as Charles Claudon, and others I can't remember. I've been collecting mini cats for almost 40 years, so I have a cat in every mini project I've done, and a bunch more I've never used!
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From Rusty Smith:
Baby+Dragon: Mouse loves the way his pet new born dragon tries to curl up on his lap to sleep. If only he didn't squash his mousse's tail each time! Dragon and mouse polymer clay. Mouse is a quarter inch tall.
Moat 4: The King's pet mastiff was bought as a fierce guard dog but the only thing he frightens is the swans that he chases around the moat each day! Mastiff 3d printed and swan metal, both painted with acrylics.
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From Connie Smith:
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From Paula Francis:
My entry this month is from 2005 when my club, Tiny Treasures, M-2, put together a group display called Mullberry Street. Each member completed a room ... mine was a pet grooming shop I named "Eau de Poop" after my dog who would take a daily romp to a near by horse farm, roll around and come home thinking she smelled like a French perfumery.
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From Marge Sauter:
I made this "Still Life of Flowers" in 2002 ... in a class with Sandra Rubin at Castine. The "English Victorian Sofa" was made in 2010 ... in a class with Nancy Summers also at Castine. The porcelain cats I collect & are by Jackie Transue.
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From Marie Weeks:
Here is a submission for the pets on parade miniatures for NAME. This is a turtle pen that I did for a friend’s grandson who loves pet turtles. The turtles are made of paper so they are easier to take care of than the real ones.
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From Jene Bondi:
This is the Black Cat Cafe. Where all my animals that have owned me and currently own me come to gossip & complain.
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From Ruth Dubois:
Here is my submission for the Pets on Parade room box.
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From Fay Zerbolio:
Here is a picture of my roombox in honor of my Scottie, Penny. He has gone over the Rainbow Bridge some years ago. But, I recently created this roombox in his honor. I stitched Teresa Layman's rug pattern and created the room around that.
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From Ellie Falco:
Attaching pictures of both sides of my split dome display - Cat Heaven.
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From Debi Cerone:
Greetings from San Diego! Our club, the San Diego Miniature Crafters, does a project every year where we start with the same kit and go off in whatever direction we want. One year we did a “Library” theme, and this is my library. I always put a dog in my projects, but this time he invited his friends and I ended up with 8. I titled it “Who Let the Dogs In?”
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From Pamela Junk:
Attached is my fave animal themed mini project. I asked Bridget McCarty to make some dressed forest animals for me in 1:48th scale. These are the result and the scene I made to display them in. I call this All Creatures Great and Small.
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From Cat Wingler:
Cat Wingler has shared a wizard with his little dragon pets.
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From Eileen Herrstrom:
I’ve been collecting cat figurines since I was a little girl (left picture), so I decided that my dollhouse should have something similar. My 1:12 collection of cat charms in handmade shadow boxes adorns the cozy cat bedroom in the dollhouse (right picture).
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From Jackie Gordon:
This is my submission for the January challenge. I created a miniature birthday party for cats: including a cat cake and fish shaped cat food. My real life cats had a birthday and I had to create a mini version.
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From Margaret Gordus:
I sculptured the English Pointer (my dog) who is on “watch” for cheaters.
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From Jackie Browder:
I am sending you a hen coup of chickens watched over by Jackie Williams' farmer.
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From Barb Antol:
I’ve done several cat-themed mini projects over the years, but this one is a my favorite. It’s a 1:12 scale room box dedicated to all our kitties. It contains mini custom replicas of our cats which were all crafted by Sue Veeder. Capella and Sterling are snuggling together on the sofa. Ramsey is on the table checking out the chess set, since he likes to play with our chess set in real life. Tycho is hanging out on the kitty tower by the door (which has a photo of our backyard). Kepler gazes up at him. He always loved to follow Tycho everywhere. Mothra is enjoying one of her favorite treats: a shrimp. Blue Eyes is relaxing in her bed with a favorite mouse toy. Copernicus has paused playing with his sparkle green ball so he can enjoy his favorite snack: crispy raw green beans. Grimaldi is stalking a mouse toy. Destiny (my little feral friend from the shelter) is sitting next to a bag of Temptations which I always brought to the shelter for her. On the walls are tiny copies of the pastel portraits we had painted by artist Sharon Challand. The room box brings back a lot of special memories.
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From Tammy Shoup:
I create fur babies and dolls to go into my miniature scenes and dollhouses. Nothing feels truly complete without them!
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From Mary Hollis:
I have only recently joined NAME and was excited to see "Pets on Parade" as a challenge project.
Attached is a pet themed diorama created in collaboration with my husband. Called "Waiting for the Boss". If you look closely you can see the leash which threads into the port-a-pottie. What do you think of the name on the port-a-potie (if you can read it)? My husband painted the pottie and the dog. I created the sign in Adobe Illustrator. Most plants and groundwork are a combination of findings from nature and diorama making material. However, the tree is made from scratch using wire, modge podge mixed with sawdust and paper leaves designed in Adobe Illustrator then cut on a laser cutter.
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From Diane Fisher:
Naughty dog: Makes me laugh as I have a dog who loves to dig!
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From Preble McDaniel:
This is my Juni. I repainted to match her marking. She is no longer with us but she was always around when I did my scrapbooks or miniatures. This depicts my scrapbook table I used at home. On the table is miniature replicas of my paper cutters and my pen binder. The books on and below the table are replicas of most of the books I've made for my family.
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From Pat Hamilton:
It was a dollhouse I built and furnished as a donation for a fund-raising auction of the Nevada Humane Society in 2017. I used a Real Good Toys ‘Farmhouse Junior’ dollhouse kit as the basic house and then made most of the furniture to go in it. I built a stove with a light inside showing some mouse-shaped cookies baking in there. And furnished the entire upstairs as a cat playroom with a little castle play structure (part of a wooden birdhouse from Michaels I think) and I made a little lighted aquarium. The kitchen dining set I purchased on eBay. I built the sofa and upholstered it in darling cat print fabric. Lots of scratching posts and cat beds throughout. This was such a fun project. Oh – and I put lots of cats in there too. I called it The Nevada Cat House.
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From Kathryn Asbahr:
These are a couple of my quarter scale projects that I included our Basenji boy Skeeter. Normally he seemed to photo bomb most of my pictures for OMB in Quarter Connection. I so miss my boy. The Milkbone tin was a perfect find to showcase his friends at day care and the other is what would have been my dream patio with breeze block and the big lighting from the 60's. This guy hung out in my craft room and helped until we lost him in 2019. So miss him.
Note, while we try to limit each person to two photos, we wanted to include a pic of Skeeter.
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From Doreen Lindsay:
As I love cats and dogs equally, I had to have both The Cat Palace and The Dog House from Karen Benson. All the cats and dogs were made by Barbara Ann Meyer.
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From Jodi St Pierre:
The first is the Cat Coffee Shop, but I added a bunch of cats and a few others little accessories.
The other is a set of dioramas in a printers tray. I made this for Our Farm Sanctuary, where I adopted my dog, as a fund raiser. They have cats, dogs and all the other animals pictured.
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From Grace Mylnowski:
This is my wish to have a crazy cat as a pet. Although I am very allergic to most animals, I do not have a pet. I do enjoy cats at my daughter's house.
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From Betty Turmon:
Bo Peep, Her Camping Wagon and Bunk House: The wagon is the wonderful Debbie Young kit. This kit was so detailed and so much fun to do! The kit has a bathroom in it but I decided to leave the bathroom out to have a larger living space. That left me with a wall that was too good not to use. So I thought a little bunk house would be nice for Bo's guests. I used the wall as the front of the bunk house and then cut the other walls from my wood, adding a roof to match the wagon. Our library has a great Maker's Space so I first looked on “Thingiverse” to see if there was a pattern for sheep that I could use. I then printed standing sheep and a couple of sheep resting on the ground from the patterns I found. Bo Peep is a little wire figure I made.
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From Ellen Scofield:
Ellen Scofield shared every mouse family’s dream: their very own cat for a pet!
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From Michelle Lucca:
Michelle Lucca shared this delightful She Shed or is it a Cat Shed?
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From Vicki Scidmore:
In honor of the Year of the Dragon, Vicki Scidmore shared this scene of Temeraire, the dragon from the alternate history book “His Majesty’s Dragon” by Naomi Novik. The series is set during the Napoleanic wars when dragons are common and used as airships.
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From Terri Maxwell:
Here is my favorite mini featuring animals. It includes two kits from Quarter Source with a doggie park in between the shops.
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From Jackie Williams:
A shepherd’s hut built from a kit from the UK and Little Bosheep’s Pink Shepherd’s Hut and her ATV
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From Kirsten Smolensky:
I’m working on Santa’s house and just added a Santa hat to “spot” the dog.
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From Mae Karoli:
My Puppy Palace was the Thursday Evening Workshop at "Pets on Parade", a Regional held in Kansas City MO in 2006. I started the kit in class, packed it away in a box and finally finished it just a few years ago. The paw print wallpaper is scrapbook paper. I had purchased many of the items at shows over the years. Also included are most of the table favors received at the Regional including my "Puppy Care Kit".
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From Sylvia Henderson:
Here is my pet parade photo contribution. These are my Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Spencer (tri-color) and Katie (orange), long gone to the rainbow bridge. They were named after favorite actors Spencer Tracey & Katharine Hepburn. While they were still alive I clipped fur and sent them along with photos to Lucy Maloney who re-created them in 1:12 scale. Of course I had to create the vignette to place them in. The alcove is the 2012 (I think) N.A.M.E. project.
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From Marlene Prickett:
The cats have taken over the living room!😂😂
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From Brandi Bacon:
I posted this to name last year when I made it for my sister. But it remains my favorite pet miniature and the most meaningful for our entire family. This pocket watch is of my Dad and his two favorite animals his horse and dog- Sparky and Monday. They are painted to look like his animals and the background is a photo of the ranch where he road with them. I’m looking for those size animals and people because ALL 10 of my siblings have asked me to make them one.
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From Helen Sparks:
Not very unusual, but still my favorite. The Cats Meow pet shop was created in a shop front that was the Thursday Night Project by Luci Hanson at the “Pets on Parade” Regional in Kansas City in 2006.
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From Kim Fitzsimmons:
I made this room box for my daughter in law. She and my son have a flock of chickens. They are truly beloved pets with names. They just happen to provide eggs. The room box evolved into a beach coop that I call Huli Huli Chicken.
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From Terry Parkin:
I have attached a picture of Snoopy having invited his friends to the Dog Park. (I had too many dogs in my ‘kennel’ when I was given a box to do something with. It became this dog park.)
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From Cindy McDaniel:
My Shopping Deers!
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From Carol Krystof:
Happy New Year!!!! Here is my submission for the animal theme challenge.
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From Connie Campbell:
I’ve attached several photos from my Craftsman Cat Lady House.
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From Shanley Pease:
Attached is a picture of a cat cafe roombox I recently made :) I look forward to seeing the other pet themed miniatures other people have to share!
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From Carolyn Eiche:
Cats Run Amuck: Who hasn't had their cat run amuck in the bathroom? One is sleeping on the mat and the other is pulling the T-paper off the roll after they've knocked over the trash can and destroyed the plant. Made from a kit by Luci Hanson.
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From Dia Crissey-Baum:
OK, they’re NOT pets. Most people consider them a nuisance. But they are animals. This is my scene entitled “The Greasy Spoon”. The “Cozy Corner NAME day project started this off. Since NAME Day is in October, Halloween is never far from my mind on that day. And I really like breaking the rules when it comes to minis sometimes, so I decided that my starring characters and the vermin would switch places. Notice the waitress has enough hands to deal with the customers and the vermin! But not all the vermin!
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From Marilyn Walls:
Sky's Bath Scene
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From Marjorie Pasch:
Katherine "Kitty" Katz is a retired New York city school teacher. She's outlived all family and friends and now lives in her small crowded apartment with just her memories and her many cats.
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From Jackie Williams:
Queen and Corgis
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From Samantha Murray:
Mischief happens when the Pet Shop closes for the evening. Created by Samantha Murray from a ¼” scale kit by Debbie Young. Dogs and cats are by Gail Morey, all other animals by Barbara Ann Meyer of MiniGems
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From Suzie Aguilar:
I created a depiction of my sister’s living room and craft room as a gift. She IS the crazy cat lady!
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From Robert Haven:
This first one is called ..."Horses and Hounds" that started out as a standing jewelry box to with I added windows in the doors. Crafted the Knole sofa as well.
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From Karin Shapiro:
This is a scene in a She Shed that will be gifted to my mother for Mother's Day this year. These are her 3 orange cats Peach, Pumpkin and Benjamen.
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From Jill Barkan:
I happened to make our Hobbits project into a “Cat House” so I thought I’d send it in when I saw the NAME posting. I hope that’s not a conflict of interest! Pics are below.
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