A small world's big buzz!

Dark nights

I don’t know about you but I do not like these dark evenings. Driving home from the office is not much fun, you just follow the tail lights of the car in front. The hedges either side of the road are just big black shadows, and it is not until I drive over the Downs that I am able to look down on the countryside and spot a few twinkling lights from houses far below in the valleys.

At least when I drive through a couple of the towns there are some shop windows all dressed for the festive season – but the best part is finally turning into the close where I live – it’s beautiful!

All of the families living there are really looking forward to Christmas – and the men have been busy putting up the lights. Each year our neighbourhood comes alive during December, and no one is forgotten – living alone does not mean that you miss out. When another house is ready to switch on its lights – the neighbours are invited to watch and with a hot-toddy in one hand and a mince pie in the other, everyone loves to join in!

Are you ready for Christmas?

Best wishes

Joyce

Ashdown anniversary

I've always been a big fan of holidays and special occasions. In fact, as a little girl I'd get so keyed up for my birthday that my mom started waiting to tell me until the morning of the big day. This worked for a couple years, until I could read a calendar. (I assure you that my own birthdays do NOT excite me in the same way anymore!)

I am excited, though, that tomorrow marks my first year as the sub editor of Dollhouse Miniatures magazine. It's been a wonderful adventure and I've really enjoyed getting to work with our contributors, artisans, my great group of co-workers, and especially you, our loyal and supportive readers.

Please feel free to send your comments, suggestions, and ideas my way - I'd love to hear from you!

Kim

kim@dhminiatures.com

One word: brrrrrrrrrrrrr

In this week's blog, I could be telling you all about the exciting things going on in our mini world, like the fact that we just put our January issue of American Miniaturist off to print, or that we've recently attended some fabulous local dollhouse walks. But nope, not this time. (Besides, I think Kim told you all about the dollhouse walk.)

Instead, in this blog, I'm going to tell you about the weather. Whether you like it or not! 

We have a running joke in this neck of the woods--the Midwest--that you cannot go a day without talking about the weather.  All jokes aside, this is very true!  Especially given the fact that we just had the first monster blizzard of the season.  I think I heard we had a record 13 inches of snow over the course of two days.  Needless to say, we are in the midst of a real live winter wonderland here.

It's funny to think that just a few days ago the grass was green and the streets were clear, but then all of a sudden we are dumped on by this blizzard of all blizzards.  I love winter just as much as the next Minnesotan, but that wind is a killer.  You can't escape those icy, biting drafts!  Kim and I and the rest of the office have resorted to wearing long underwear beneath our clothes, and even wrapping blankets around our laps and turning on space heaters under our desks to stave off that winter chill.

Here it is only the beginning of December and we're already complaining about the weather.  It's going to be a long season!

Bailey

American Miniaturist

Fantastic gifts!

The range of CDs and DVDs that are on offer in DHW, as well as the Mini Makes kits, are proving to be very popular as gifts for miniature friends for Christmas. There is something that everyone will be interested in, from making hats, toys and furniture to knitting and sewing outfits for each members of the family.

Many of the project CDs come with a little kit, that will get you started immediately – in both of the Christmas CDs you get a great little kit, either wrap up some gifts or make festive hats. The Flowers, Plants and Gardens comes with a kit for making a seed tray, and the Let’s make Toys comes with a Jack-in-the-Box.

So if you are still looking for a special gift – take a look at www.craft-club.com or in the latest issue of the magazine – but hurry, the postman will need time to deliver them.

Regards

Joyce

Miniatures in the mansion

Recently our dollshouse.tv film crew and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Mayowood Mansion for their annual Christmas tour. The thirty-eight-room estate, built in 1911 by Dr. Charles Mayo of the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, was beautifully decorated for the holiday season. The reason for our visit, however, was found in an upstairs hallway where local miniaturists displayed their work.

 

"Sue's Days" is a delightful group of miniaturists -- Jo McCracken, Barb Warner, Mary Wallace, Barb Young, and Sue Hegrenes -- who meet every Tuesday at Sue's to share all things mini (hence their name). For the Mayowood tour each year, the group sets up a variety of their room boxes on hallway shelves behind plexiglass. This gives visitors young and old a chance to have a close-up view of miniatures while touring the mansion. 

 

To see video footage of our trip to Mayowood, be watching for our December podcast on www.dollshouse.tv. It's bound to get you in the mini holiday spirit!

 

Kim

Winter is definitely here!

What a change in the weather! Today we are sitting in the sunshine, alright I do know that it is freezing cold outside, but at least it is bright. Even the ducks and swans on the river look happier – maybe its just that people are out feeding them today.

 

Last weekend I went to a workshop and spent a fantastic day dressing a doll.  This was an old man dressed for the garden, although everyone’s looked too smart to be gardening. It was fun and no one was in a hurry to leave at the end of the day. To me that is what dolls houses and miniatures are all about – being in the company of other liked-minded people, sharing ideas and giving a hand when needed.

 

It is through workshops such as this one that you learn so many different skills and the best part you have a great time doing it!

Regards

Joyce

Christmas is getting closer!

Giving the perfect gift at Christmas is always the biggest problem for everyone! You spend hours walking around the shops, umming and arrring over what to buy – whether it will be right – will it be something they really want – and then you walk away still undecided!  Well for any miniaturist in your family why not take a look at the CDs and DVDs that DHW have on offer for the festive season – and with the special offer that is in place now – choosing the gift could not be easier. Or why not give a subscription to the magazine, iMag or TV – something that will be of use for a whole year!

Just give us a call or log on to our web site and order your gifts today – and why not treat yourself at the same time!

Now I just have to plan what to get the ‘man in my life’ – he sees enough of dolls house all year – so it will have to be something he really wants!

Best wishes

Joyce

December's just around the corner...

...and that means your latest copy of American Miniaturist is soon to arrive at your mailbox!  

We just received our shipment of the December issue, and will be sending them out today.  After a slight delay at the print shop, we are eager to mail them out to so you can start reading and dreaming right away!

This issue is jam-packed with fun features and--as an extra special Christmas gift to you--TEN mini projects!  I hope you love this holiday issue, and if you do, let me know about it!  Send me a letter or shoot me an email.  I'd love to hear you comments, questions, or suggestions.  

Bailey Miller
American Miniaturist
68132 250th Ave. 
Kasson, MN 55944

bailey@ashdown.co.uk

Oh, I almost forgot. Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s raining again!

I do hope that you are all safe in these horrible weather conditions – every time I wanted to go out over the weekend it was raining – and now sitting in the office – it is pouring with rain again!

The road outside the office is just like a river – we already have one on one side – take a look at this picture!

 

I think lunch will have to wait for a little while today!

Regards

Joyce

Trainfest 2009!

Okay, so I know this is our blog about miniatures, but I just had to share this.

I recently got back from a trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I attended the 2009 Trainfest show, one of the largest model railroad shows in the United States.  We took the trip to check out all the trains and to promote our latest TV site, Model-Railroad.TV.  This site, along with our other hobby TV sites, is a sister (brother?) site to our favorite, Dollshouse.TV.

Now I'm a miniaturist at heart, and while I can appreciate the talent that goes in to modeling a tiny train engine, I don't get nearly as excited about them as I do about the fabulous scenes in which the trains were set.  We're talking layouts large enough to fill an entire room--all depicting neighborhoods, countrysides, even entire cities.  They were breathtaking!  So while everyone else was interested in the model trains, I was the one poking my nose into layouts, oohing and aahing over the miniatures!

Don't ask me to remember the scales represented in these photos, I can't keep them straight.  (Is it O scale? N scale? Z scale? Who knows.)  But just know that they were tiny!  And what's more amazing is that almost all of these layouts were created by men.  We tend to think that miniatures is a female-dominated hobby, but that's not entirely true.  Maybe you just need to add a plane, train, or car to the scene to "masculinize" it.  Either way--miniatures or models--it takes a lot of talent, passion, and artistic vision to create the types of scenes I saw at this year's Trainfest.

Here a few shots of some of my favorite layouts. Here's hoping they'll be inspiring for those of us who are more mini-minded. Enjoy!

Bailey

American Miniaturist

 

A miniature drive-in theater, complete with working movie screen!

 

Look at how tiny this little town is... I don't know if you can see it or not, but there's a little counter and shelves in that gas station!

 

How creative! Makes me wonder if I could do something like that to my dollhouse... wait, nevermind!

 

A whole town in miniature, with a train skirting the edges. And this was actually one of the smaller layouts!

 

This layout was by far my favorite. Just look at that detail! And all that rock work and landscaping was hand crafted. Wow...