My favorite favorite favorite thing about the shows is seeing all the beautiful work that exists in our mini world. Anyone who questions the future of miniatures just has to show up and see the artistry in such abundance to dispel those fears. Luckily for me and unfortunately for my wallet, some pieces were just so helpful or inspirational or fun that I couldn't help but buy them! Enjoy!
These gorgeous pieces are by Jason Feltrope of Feltrope Studios. His pieces are exquisite. The one on the left is a great display piece; the plate on the right I bought for a friend of mine who does full-size pottery. I thought he would enjoy seeing such quality work in miniature. We also brought back a little teapot for Kelly. Also, I love the boxes Jason uses:
Neat, right?
Moving on.
From the lovely Cookie of Cookie's Bits & Pieces, I bought these little veggies. For those who don't know, I'm attempting to take my kit from the Real Good Toys Build-Along 2011 (yes, the one from last year still!!) and turn it into a replica of my second apartment from when I lived in Boston. The top floor is my apartment; the bottom is the Spanish store. Because I am broke but also am terrible with clay, I thought that having these pieces as inspiration and models would help me figure out how to make bunches of mini veggies for the Spanish store. I will let you know how it turns out.
And finally, there is this little gem from Jan Patrie of Autumn Leaf Studio. She sat across from us the whole weekend, and her table was so full of goodies that we couldn't resist buying this pecan pie to give to my parents--"so they'll always have one around," as Beth put it. Yum!
Beth and I also bought a gift for my older sister, Sara, and her husband, John, as a thank you for letting us stay with them before and after our trip (and helping us avoid the stress of Park'N'Fly maneuvering!). They both love reading, so Beth found a copy of a Shakespearean play for them. Beth also went on a little spree of her own, finding a box of Thin Mints for our parents (see a theme here?) and a beer box and mug to include in the bar that she and her husband plan on having in their future home. Also pictured below is another pot by Jason Feltrope.
All in all, it was a successful show in every way possible! My only regret is that we didn't have time to check out either of the other shows going on at the same time. Perhaps next year we can figure out a way to head to all three! What a miniature dream!
If you are hoping to attend IMA next year, just go to their website to see the details. Thelma is very good about putting all the information up there! Happy minis!
Traci
