June Challenge Submissions

June's Challenge was to send in a picture of a major Life Event you have captured in miniature (along with a photo of the honoree).

From Suzanne Spooner-Munch: The following photos are of the “Tempus Restorum” clock shop (also featured in the Nov/Dec 2020 issue of Miniature Gazette) and lovingly dedicated to my husband who restores antique clocks. He is pictured at work in the final photo. His patience and care in restoration rubbed off on me in the creation of this little shop. Most of the miniature clocks were created by me from broken ladies’ wristwatches. I’ve enjoyed learning about the wonderful old clocks from him while giving the retired watches new life on a very small stage.
	From Laura Siebert: I made this miniature living room box in 1" scale to celebrate Michael's and my wedding on September 2nd, 1989. We're almost up to our 32nd anniversary, now. I got back into Miniatures in 2008. I bought the room box already constructed at one of our local (Sacramento, California) Elegant Dollhouse Parking Lot Sales, held the first Sunday in May every year since 1980 (save these last two pandemic years). It has a swing-open, hinged wooden front with plexi, which has a metal clasp to close securely. It was used but in good shape. I already liked the outside cherrywood paint. I knew I wanted to make a living room using our wedding colors: peach and light blue. I put coffee mugs that say "Michael" and "Laura" on the bottom shelf of the curio. I used a copy of a photo from our wedding for inside the TV screen (we do have a video of our wedding). I love having our first photo as a family of three, when our daughter Mara was 4 months old, on the side table. I bought the tiny reproduction of the Centerpiece from the 1st NAME National Convention at an Elegant Dollhouse Parking Lot Sale, too. The separate photo of us from our wedding day is our best picture of the day, which is in a frame in our IRL living room.
From Lynne Hoffman: The Through the Looking Glass club surprised me with a baby shower- both in miniature and life-size. Mini shower gifts were lovingly made by club members and club friends. It is a treasure, as are the folks who made it. The baby is now 28 years old.
	From Elaine Levine: I am sending a picture of a scene I did in a gift bag to celebrate my cousins' 50th anniversary. I have waited this long to send it because I can't find a picture of my cousin. I know I had the full size ones of those in the scene, because I had to in order to shrink them, and I imagine they are on some computer or flash drive, but I just can't find one. That is their wedding picture in the middle and pics of their kids and grandkids around them.

	From Mary Johnson: My new grand-niece "CoCo" (Collette) (2 mos.) and the framed mini I made for her shower. (My niece said she replaced "picture" with an image of Collette, as instructed! She is soooooo precious!
From Linda Patterson: I was invited to a baby shower for a baby boy named Abbas, whose nursey was decorated black and white. Every guest and was asked to bring a book instead of a card. I choose Curious George Good Night Book for the "card" and decided to make bookends as my gift, for all the books Abbas was going to receive at the shower. The mom was a co-worker and loved the gift.
From Linda Patterson: My son and his beautiful wife had a destination wedding in St Lucia. I made the shadow box with the wedding on one side and the honeymoon on the other.
From Susan Skinner: My daughter spent most of her college experience over the last year and a half virtually because of the shut down. I had a small family graduation party for her because even the graduation was virtual. This was the centerpiece I made for it.

From Karen Barone:

I would like to share this miniature I made for my mom to celebrate her Irish heritage and family. I put pictures of my mom from the time she was a child to her children & her grandchildren. I don’t have a recent picture of my mom, but hopefully these pictures will be ok.

	From Myrna Williams: This was a fun project for me. It was, what I call “3D” card. Emily, from the Mini Time Machine Museum was having a baby boy I put my creative juices to work and came up with this display.
From Sue Ann Ketchum: Here are a few photos of my Dad's barbershop just before he retired. I spent Sunday mornings with him cleaning mirrors and bottles while I was growing up to earn my allowance.
From Carol Hodgson: The real life-size vintage blue Eames rocking chair is a family treasure but they only have one so when I saw the identical rocker in one-inch scale at the San Diego Miniature Show I couldn’t help but want to make a vignette featuring the miniature version for my other stepdaughter Kendra. The scene is the early 1960s and everything in the vignette holds a special memory for her from the cork flooring and green rug to the picture of the family at the beach. Her mom is in the rocker ready with her camera so she can add to the family photo album. Kendra is on the rug playing with her baby sister Kelly. The games and the books are all Kendra’s favorites. So you never know what can prompt a flood of memories - even a blue Eames rocking chair.
	From Toni Mast: Here are pictures of my mini creation of my daughter's engagement at the signature room on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building in Chicago in 2008.. It was published in American Miniaturist magazine. Also a picture from their wedding in June 2009. They have now been married 12 years with 2 sons and live in Louisville KY.
	From Sally Lonn: I made this little cube in honor of my son and daughter-in-law's black and white wedding. The beautiful rose cake, and the Jewish symbols of a wine glass, candles, (oops one fell out), and their Ketubah (the marriage contract) are all here in miniature. My daughter-in-law loves Calla lilies, and I had to include them. Last year we couldn't really celebrate their 15th anniversary so we will make up for it this coming September. I love dressing these little tables and while it is hard to see, the top is also decorated.

From Beth Newick: My mom is turning 92 this year. This miniature is all about her. She is in her apartment looking out her window at the hummingbirds. She is surrounded by things she loves… knitting, photo albums, tulips, and my Dad’s art.
From Judy Pick: I made this miniature in honor of my 50th year in Girl Scouting. The scene is in a backpack with badges and pins on it from my years in scouting. Inside shows a camping scene with tree bed as well as a campfire with food cooking. I have many fond memories of my scouting years.
From Peggy McLoughlin: This is a room box I made for my son’s wife who was expecting our first grandchild in February. Kennedy Rae was born at 10:31 am on 2/3/21. This is a picture of her with Kate snd Nate!!!
From Debby Albert: The “ love of my life” took us on the ride of our lives....we left June 2012 for Alaska. Along the way, we traveled through 25 states, 3 Provinces, 17 National Parks, and stayed in 48 motels. Stayed with friends in Colorado and met up with a friend in Idaho. This all in 2 months time. I made Wayne this roombox of most of the things we experienced or saw. Oh yes! The important part of our trip was that we traveled on our 2004 Kawasaki 2000.
	From Barb Pizzini: This library cabinet was created for my “other” daughter (close friend of my oldest daughter) for their wedding. They would be living in a small home and there was just not enough room for her massive collection of books and mementos from all their travels (Africa, France, South America…), musical instruments, games, and family photos, so this little cabinet could hold it all instead. And yes, each books was curated and made especially for them. Sorry no photo of the happy couple. Unfortunately, the miniature lasted longer than the marriage. ;( She’s asked me to rework it — removing the groom Barb Pizzini

From Barb Antol: I made this project as a wedding gift for my niece and her husband. Last year, they got engaged in a hot air balloon. I still had the unfinished 1/4 scale balloon kit from Stewart Dollhouse Creations which was offered at the 2019 Around the World in Eight Days online houseparty and decided that kit would make a perfect and special gift for them. I decorated the balloon with a wedding theme; adding a tiny wedding cake from Ruth Stewart, a little champagne bucket and glasses and a tiny bible I made from a paper kit. I even crafted a teeny little engagement ring in a box, using bits of wood and some micro beads! I found an O scale bride & groom figure which worked well. The balloon is displayed in a heart-topped glass dome. It was a really fun project and my niece and her husband loved it. Here are a few photos of the project and the happy couple.
From Sharon Wechsler: This is my friend Tony Thomas now Tony & Paul R now married! U can see their picture in the room box!
From Pauline Pire: I made this for our Daughter's 25th Anniversary this month. My Friend Debbie T Jones made Robert and Angie in the same clothes they were wearing even to Robert's Cowboy boots. We Had to get up early that morning to help set up the balloon. While still tethered to the ground we heard them take there vows. Then off they went, we chased them in the car till they landed in a Rice Field (dry spot). Angie was thrilled to fly the balloon a bit as she still had her Small Plane License at that time. So now they have 16 year old twin boys and a 18 year old going to college. A very Happy memory!
From Suzie Aguilar: This is a photo I took of my son and his daughter on my birthday. After seeing the Heidi Ott dolls I jus had to recreate the photo as a scene this under a dome. It was much fun try to get the details to match as closely as possible.

	From Judy Jazdzyk: We made these at our club, Harbor Minicrafters. They were to be given as a birth announcement. The little baby outfits were especially fun to make!
From Ginger Landon Siegel: For our 10th anniversary, I replicated the place where Fred and I got married, which was at the top of the Beekman Towers Hotel in NYC, and all the pieces, from the leaded glass windows to the marble walls and floor. Thankfully one guest took great pictures of the leaded windows so I could create them to match. We had a black and white Broadway style wedding to play on the whole theme of our names - “Fred and Ginger”- thus I wore an ivory dress with the black hat that I replicated. The hat sits on the piano as well as the wrist corsage I had made and replicated in 1” scale. We had a cake artist create the art deco looking cake which I then replicated as well as all the window filled vases and the flowers at the front of the room where the Justice of the piece stood. I also had embellished a lace umbrella with intricate bead work - this sat on the guest table where the guest book was located which, I had also designed using one of the tri-fold cards that I made for the top of the book. Recreating these two items was a bit of a challenge but fun to do. Inside, the guest book I had drawn a design of dancing shoe steps and had the words - “Step 1 - sign your name - Step 2 - write a thought, poem or piece of advice. The most treasured words were from my Dad - he wrote “ It’s so nice to see a flower that had died, blossom again” I still treasure those words and the love that Fred and I have now shared for almost 30 years, the words mean even more since my Dad passed 2 years ago. You will see that I have a transparency of Fred and I exchanging out vows, made from one of the photos that was taken during the ceremony. You will also see the transparency of the “real” Fred and Ginger, dancing at our wedding. We even used songs that reflected the Broadway style, entering to “You’re the Top” from "Anything Goes” by Cole Porter and we left to “Wherever You Go” from Gypsy, by Jule Styne. The only items I didn’t make were the lights and the piano! I surprised Fred with this gift on our 10th wedding anniversary. I had secretly been working on it right in front of his eyes but he didn’t suspect a thing!
From Margaret Gordus: 2021-Nursery for my great granddaughter Grace, Pictured here.
From Jackie Williams: Baby Rowan, born 2019 my sister’s first grandson. Mom, Dad, 2 sisters
From Vicki Scidmore: Here are my June Challenge pictures. The room box “Dinner for Two” was made at a State Day held by my club (Magic Inchkins) in 1993. I made it my parents 50th Anniversary. The yellow roses were mom’s flowers at the wedding in a military chapel in DC. Their wedding picture is on the wall along with my brother and me as children. The calendar is the wedding date in October with a fighter plane for my dad. The spoon collection is my mom’s. The shelves have a wedding book and cards and 2 mugs labelled Ken and Evelyn. Always a special memory to remember them by.
From Patricia Brown: I made this and memory of my mother Lee. She was a classically trained pianist as a child. She gave many recitals during school years. She love the classics and I have an old falling apart scrapbook she did of all the great composers. Unfortunately I could not find a picture of her at the piano during one of the recitals. I know I have it it’s here someplace. I’m sending you her wedding photo instead. She started collecting miniature pianos many years ago. At the time of her death there was well over 200. While she was always worried what would happen with her collection, I’m sure her it would be well taken care of. Most are given to family and friends. As children were born after her death they also got a Momento.These are some of her earliest ones that she collected and then I put in the box. There’s also one bottle of her favorite wine!

From Paula Fransis: As a bridal shower gift for my niece, Kristen, I made a book box to include their “Save The Date” announcement. It’s so fortunate that we as miniaturists, can pull from different mediums to create a scene. Here I used scrapbooking embellishments as well as miniatures I.e. the cake, shoes, bouquet, guest book and wine goblet. Using a book stand helped the finished box stand easily. I completed her gift with a 12x12 scrapbook page to add to her shower memories.
From Fay Zerbolio: Here are 2 baby scenes that I did for my grandchildren. One is for my first grandchild, a daughter, Kira.. She will be 21 this year. Where does the time go? She had a mural in her room, so my sister painted the background for her gift bag. The second one is for my second grandson, Jaden, who is 19.
From Marty Anderson: This is a corner nursery scene made into a lamp for my first grandchild. It includes the two dogs living in the household at the time. Since then, many years and many miniatures have passed though my hands. My daughter and granddaughter (now 26) still love to see the miniatures I have created.
	From Natalie Maguire: I made this for my breast surgeon’s daughter. When going for a follow up with him after my mastectomy this past year I found out that he and his wife were expecting a little girl. The day I saw him was her due date! I figured such dedication deserved a reward so I went home and made this for them. When I went back for my next check up I presented it to him. He told me she was born a few days after he had seen me and showed me a photo of their beautiful baby girl.
From Kathryn Asbahr: The picture of the wedding was made to honor our wedding in 1982. It was in the backyard of my husband's grandmother. It includes elements that were in the background. The gnome, birdbath and arbor were there.	The proposal scene was inspired by the bottle that we found at Walmart filled with candy.
From Judie Dresser: I created this miniature setting to symbolize the yearly trip I take with my daughter and grandchildren to Hawaii.	Here’s a picture of the four of us in Hawaii in 2015.
From Laurie Sisson: My father in law, Bill Sisson, was a terrific guy. He died at age 97 a few days short of his birthday from Covid in March 2020. I had been able to get him to pose for a 3-D statuette in the Seattle area so when "The Garage" was finished, "he" was ready to move in to it. I was also able to find a Ron Stetkowitz Mayflower ship as making motorized ships was one of his hobbies and I had traced his family to the Mayflower so it was doubly meaningful. "The Garage" is a great place to store miniature tools (with tool box also by Ron) and tiny dollhouse pieces.
From Billie Ruonavaara: Here you see our baby Girl Annie pregnant with our first Grandchild. At 69- WE ARE READY!!! It's a Boy! :-))) Due end of July. And Goodnight Moon is going in the nursery. I went to a garage sale once and saw a moon with staircase done as a wedding scene. I IMMEDiately thought of the beloved children's book.
From Carol Shea: My Granddaughter found out that the expected birth was triplets. Surprise!!! She chose purple for the babies room and I made that scene for her. The triplets will be 2 years old this coming September.

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