Petite Properties Magazine - Issue 1 - 2024

The projects in this magazine are not suitable for children under 14.

Petite Properties Magazine is published by LUMO Publishing.

Branding & Content © PETITE PROPERTIES LTD ® 2024 ©LUMO PUBLISHING 2024 The name PETITE PROPERTIES is a registered trade mark of Petite Properties LTD LUMO Publishing is division of Petite Properties LTD® LUMO Publishing: The Old Methodist Church, High Street, Metheringham, Lincolnshire. LN4 3EA ISSN 3050-2101

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...Behind the scenes of our glamorous cover shoot!

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, distributed or reproduced without permission from both its publisher and the original author. The written instructions, photographs, designs, patterns and projects in this magazine are intended for personal use only. Any activity used to benefit commercially from the magazine or its contents is not permitted. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of both the publisher and the original author. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions from advertisements within the publication.

Welcome to Issue ONE

LUMO PUBLISHING 2024 ©

welcome!

Contributors Making this magazine a reality would not have been possible without the support of our wonderful contributors...

Thank you for jumping on board and for having faith in this brand new publication!

Vivien Bampton Steven Bearpark Bob (& Philip Thompson) Jean Day Janet Eastwood Bekki Fileccia Barbara Foard Kathy Caff Andy Hopwood Dale & Caroline Johns Theresa Macarty-Fruen Jennifer Maddox Shelly Pietrzak Alison Sutton Lorraine Welsh & the members of D.A.M.E.

Contact Us  ppmag@petitepropertiesltd.com

 www.petite-properties.com www.petitepropertiesltd.com

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PPMC

Dear Reader,

It is said that a journey starts with a single step… and this brand new issue, of a brand new miniatures magazine represents our very BIG step into the publishing world.

Although we are only at the start line, the journey up to this point has been a long one. But here in PPHQ, we are confident that this new magazine is the natural progressive step for Petite Properties to take. Over the last decade, I have had the privilege to work alongside some incredibly talented people, who, combined with Mo’s support and enthusiasm, have given me the confidence to take on this exciting new publishing venture.

The miniature world is traditionally divided into many different types of modelling and the scales that are used within them vary widely. Although I love literally anything little, my focus and interest has always been on the smaller scales. But despite this area within the dolls house world growing immeasurably in popularity; frustratingly this has not translated into any comprehensive magazine coverage.

From feedback and direct experience, I know that our customers have searched for smaller scale content in numerous publications and over time they have become somewhat disillusioned at the lack of coverage that any scale other than 1:12 gets. So my solution is a simple one; one that you are either holding or reading online right now!

So to put it very simply, our aim for this brand new miniatures magazine is to bring the smaller scales out from the wings, turn on the spot light and put them centre stage; where they belong! As a result, each of our quarterly issues will be packed from cover to cover with smaller scale content, which will share and champion the very best miniaturists, hobbyists, artisans and suppliers from throughout the smaller scale world.

After what has felt like an epic journey and uphill climb to reach this point, I very much hope that you enjoy this issue and that it will mark a brand new and exciting chapter in smaller scale miniatures for us all!

Happy mini-ing!

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#PPmagazine

Bea Broadwood PETITE PROPERTIES LTD www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 1

CONTENTS

41

regulars

features

Spaces 17 Creative Vivien Bampton opens the

The Team 4 Meet The family, behind the family business

doors of her Australian Folly Bookshelf 54 The Introducing our quarterly

of Discussion 74 Point 1:24th - Has the king of the

From kitchen table, to village church

Day 9 Jean Find out more about this

Canadian designer, artist & smaller scale miniaturist

smaller scales lost its crown?

A’door’able Doors

83 Bea indulges her love of doors The Club 93 Join Meet the members of D.A.M.E from Northern Ireland

For Fun 97 Just Mo asks Miniatura show

organiser Andy Hopwood some unusual questions

Maestro 13 Miniature Introducing our super talented regular contributor, Steven Bearpark

31

Interiors 25 Inspirational Bekki Fileccia takes us on a

tour of her 1:48th Petit Palais

Properties: 5 Petite Back Story

celebration of handy reference books

inspiration

COVER STORY: Port Piran The inspiration behind PP’s latest street scene

Ground 46 Common Bea takes a closer look at the world of smaller scale modelling

of the Moment 41 Miniaturist PPMC member Barbara Foard shares her stunning smaller scale creations.

Vernacular: 56 Spectacular Haddon Hall The full scale architecture that ignited Bea’s lifelong passion

Bash Corner 77 Kit Janet Eastwood creates her quarter scale version of Beatrix Potter’s famous home on: 87 Spotlight Pumpkin Cottage One kit, transformed by three miniaturists; equals three very different dolls houses

Charm 50 Cornish Explore Alison Sutton’s teeny tiny 1:148th seaside diorama

31

Miniatures: 65 TMF Tiny dolls, huge talent Theresa Macarty-Fruen shares her quarter scale characters

54

44

CONTENTS

85 50

62

help & advice

projects 36 The Harbour

Bea shares how she created Port Piran’s super realistic harbour scene

Domes 62 Display A trash to treasure project that will keep your smaller scale treasures dust free!

Make: 85 Quick Finishing Touches

Bring your own pesky ‘bin raiding’ seagulls to life

Matters 7 Size Explaining the maths behind the smaller scales To Basics: 22 Back A Sticky Situation

25

PPMC members give their sage advice on the best ‘all round’ adhesive

Up 44 Light Lighting expert Jennifer Maddox introduces her exclusive regular series on illuminating smaller scale miniatures Workbench 71 Bea’s What’s on it, in it…

(or more often than not), what’s spilling off of it?

80 True Colours

Top tips for how to choose the right colour palette for your miniature projects

99 Ask Bob

Meet PPMC’s celebrity member and all round cheeky chappy – Bob!

87

7

99

MEET THE TEAM Meet the team behind this brand new magazine; the same team who are also behind Petite Properties too!

This magazine has been a long time in the planning stage and we are all excited to see one of Bea’s hare-brained ideas become a reality. Extreme self discipline and pedantic time management have enabled us to turn our concept for a new style of miniatures magazine into print.

We hope you enjoy the fruits of our labour...

meet the

Tony

I joined Petite Properties back in 2009. At that point Bea had grown the business as far as she could on her own and an unexpected redundancy provided me with the perfect push to get stuck in. The first thing I did when I joined PP was buy a laser cutter, and through this purchase we were able to transform our business model and manufacture kits in all of the dollshouse smaller scales.

Over time, we’ve added another couple of laser cutters to our collection and they (& Bea’s relentless schedule) keep me busy and out of trouble!

However, I have been told that I am not to interfere with this new magazine, but I am allowed into meetings about it, as long as I bring cake!

Bea

I founded PP some twenty-plus years ago. Initially working solely in 1:24, over the years I have branched out and explored other smaller scales too.

Back in 2008, along with Frances Powell, I founded the Artisans In Miniatures Association (AIM).

With the help of fellow members, in 2009 we launched AIM’s Free Magazine. I loved working on this monthly publication as it was a fabulous platform to promote the work of AIM’s talented members.

I was editor of the AIM magazine for 40 issues and then handed over the reigns to the super talented Sally Watson. So I am incredibly excited to be getting back into the editor’s chair and I can’t wait to share future issues of this brand new magazine with you!

Mo

I joined PP back in 2013. It was only meant to be a temporary job to help Mum and Dad out at a busy time, but 11 years later and I’m still here!

We are a small family business, so this means that the term ‘job role’ is an incredibly loose one, as inevitably we all have to pitch in and do whatever is needed on any given day. However, when all is calm, you will find me dividing my time between working in the office on our monthly newsletter, online shop or processing orders.

Or in the Old School Room, knee deep in 3D printing.

I’m incredibly lucky to be able to say that I love my job and now I am relishing getting stuck in with the launch of our very own magazine too... Exciting times!

If you would like to contribute to this exciting new magazine, why not get in touch and allow us to share your smaller scale miniatures with the world!  ppmag@petitepropertiesltd.com 4 | PETITE PROPERTIES

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PETITE PROPERTIES - Back story

PETITE PROPERTIES

Back story

B

ack in 2003, I sat daydreaming on a grassy mound, lost in thought. I was thinking about a little dolls house that I had recently built. Not wanting to keep it I listed it on Ebay and to my surprise bidding for the little 1:24th scale terraced dollshouse took off. As I sat staring at the rolling Dorset hills, an idea began to form in my mind...

What if I made another dollshouse... and another?

Could this be a new creative venture for me? What could I call my new venture? A business all about making tiny houses; it needed an appropriate name...

‘Petite Properties’ I thought in a flash and the rest, as they say, is history!

The long road to overnight success...

My business literally began on the kitchen table, but as I quickly out grew it I was hastily re-homed in the spare room. However, Petite Properties was certainly no overnight success! In the mid-noughties, here in the UK 1:24th scale was only really emerging into a 1:12th dominated hobby. So creating and marketing smaller scale dolls houses, often felt like I was trying to swim against the tide. Indeed at this time, an established name in the dollshouse industry confidently told me that to base a miniature business in the smaller scales was tantamount to business suicide. I have never forgotten his advice. Safe to say, I completely ignored it!

2023 was a special year for us as it marked our 20th year working in the world of miniatures.

Bea founded Petite Properties back in 2003 and over the last two decades it has evolved from a ‘one woman army’ into a flourishing family business.

Over the years I pushed on, working exclusively in 1:24th scale and creating the kind of architecture in miniature that I am passionate about in real life.

During that period in my career, I often felt like I was rolling a metaphoric snowball uphill; it was slow going, but gradually it grew bigger and bigger...

As the interest in 1:24th grew, an even smaller scale started to emerge in the UK. I first learnt about 1:48th miniatures from a dear friend and instantly fell in love with the scale. It was small enough to be easily displayed, yet still large enough to incorporate surprisingly fine details. After getting to grips with the sizing and the maths, I designed my very first quarter scale dolls house... well actually it was a little shop.

In early 2009, The Corner Shop was officially launched and my 1:48th adventure began. Unlike 1:24th scale, 1:48th seemed to explode in popularity and I followed up the success of my initial design with more and more quarter scale dolls house kits.

Business boomed and a house move and new larger workshop beckoned.

Tales of the unexpected...

As the years passed, quarter scale miniatures totally dominated our work life and 1:48th kits quickly made up the lion’s share of our range. Whilst I still made a few 1:24th scale houses here and there, it was our 1:48th scale kits that flew off the PP stand.

www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 5

Petite properties - back story We watched on as our customers became hooked on quarter scale kits, collecting and building everything from humble cottages and country farms, to fantasy towers and storybook dwellings.

Looking around at shows, we also started to see that quarter scale miniatures were popping up on more and more stands and globally, interest in our 1:48th scale kits just kept on growing. At this point we quickly out grew our garden workshop and office and for the sixth time in 20 years, we were on the move again!

After months of delays, in May 2021 we finally completed the purchase of our new HQ and the keys to The Old Methodist Church were at last ours. A few months later we made our 6th and (hopefully) final move into PP’s new home. We admit that it is a little bit of unusual building, but the space and light make working there a dream and the calm and tranquil atmosphere means that it is a truly special place in which to design and create.

Changing tracks...

Over the years we have also stepped into other areas of the miniature world. Back in 2014, a random conversation with Alf Fantham from Warley MRC opened a most unexpected door for PP; into the fascinating world of model railways. With Alf’s

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advice and encouragement I developed an initial small range of 1:76 model buildings and then in 2015 we attended the epic Warley Railway Exhibition as traders for the very first time. Since then we have not looked back and now alongside our dolls house kits, we also produce an ever expanding range of model building kits in the three main model railway scales: 1:76, 1:43.5 and 1:148. (See page 8)

The future’s bright!

Looking back, a lot has changed over the last 20 years. Sadly, the dolls house glory days of the 80’s and 90’s are long gone. It is also clearly evident that the miniature world has got that little bit smaller, with many talented artisans retiring from the hobby.

However, it is not all doom and gloom. The isolation of the pandemic highlighted for many the importance of our hobbies. New areas of the dolls house world such as fantasy, shabby chic and modern miniatures have come to the fore and the smaller scales have continued to rapidly grow in popularity.

There are also new artisans emerging, bringing with them new skills and modern technology. As a family business, we are overflowing with new ideas, new projects and new paths that we plan to explore. The last 20 years have been an amazing adventure. Sat on that grassy mound I could never have imagined what the future had in store. So, as I look forward to the next 20 years, armed with a sketch book stuffed with ideas; I wonder just what adventures the coming years will hold?

#PPHQ #theoldmethodistchurch

Know your scales

size

1:24 1:43.5

1:148

1:76

B

efore we all dive headfirst into this brand new magazine, I thought it might be a good idea to pause and take a look at the different scales which we will be featuring in this and future issues.

It is our plan to concentrate the content of this magazine solely on the smaller scales of the dolls house world; sprinkled with miniature modelling in comparable scales from both the model railway and wargaming worlds too.

1:48

1:24 1:24 is the largest in size of the smaller scales and is commonly referred to in dolls house circles as ‘half scale’ as in imperial measurements: ½ inch = 1 foot Alternatively, for those of you who work in metric measurements: 12.7mm = 30 cm (equivalent to 1 foot)

From a dolls house perspective, we all know that 1:12 is the dominant and most common scale. But you won’t find it between the covers of this new magazine! Gone are the endless microscopic searches in magazines for tiny splashes of smaller scale content. Instead, (like Olivia Newton John) this publication will be hopelessly devoted to the smaller scales!

Our hope for this magazine is that it will appeal to all miniaturists who enjoy the smaller scales. We also have our fingers crossed that it will attract newcomers to our smaller world too. So before we plunge into this debut issue, let’s recap on the mathematics behind each scale...

Pumpkin Cottage in 1:24 www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 7

Know your scales

1:48

1:43.5

Arguably the most popular of the dolls house smaller scales, 1:48 is also commonly referred to in dolls house circles as ‘quarter scale’, as in imperial measurements:

This is the largest UK railway scale that we produce kits in, although it is by far not the largest size that railway modellers model in.

(This scale is also referred to as ‘O Gauge’)

¼ inch = 1 foot

7mm = 1 foot (30 cm)

Alternatively, in metric measurements:

(It is worth noting that American O gauge is: 1:48 scale)

6.35mm = 30 cm

Station Road Semi in 1:43.5

1:76 Stragglethorpe Manor in 1:48

This is by far the most common UK railway scale, with accessories and figures readily available in specialist model shops and online.

(This scale is also referred to as ‘OO Gauge’)

4mm = 1 foot (30 cm)

1:144 The smallest of the popular dolls house scales, 1:144 is also commonly referred to in dolls house circles as ‘micro scale’.

In imperial measurements the scale represents:

⅛ inch = 1 foot For those of you who work in metric measurements:

2.2mm (approx) = 30 cm

Larchbury Station in 1:76

1:148 This is also a popular UK railway scale for modellers and despite the tiny size they manage to incorporate a lot of detail!

(This scale is also referred to as ‘N Gauge’)

2mm = 1 foot (30 cm)

Le Manoir Des Saisons in 1:144 8 | PETITE PROPERTIES

www.petite-properties.com

St. Thomas’ Church in 1:148

Jean Day

Miniatures

If you are a quarter scale enthusiast, then you will most probably already know of Jean Day and her beautiful miniature creations. I have known Jean for over a decade and back in 2010 I had the privilege of working with her John & Jean Day on the editorial team of the AIM magazine. Jean lives in Canada with her husband John. She designs and creates stunning smaller scale kits and the level of detail she manages to include is eye-wateringly tiny! Over the years, she has become a real world leader and proud promoter of the smaller scales and so we are utterly delighted to feature Jean and her stunning work in our very first issue.

www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 9

Jean day

I

grew up with a love of wood, our house had beautiful inlaid tables that my grandfather made with such tiny details. My other grandfather and my dad owned a carpentry and French furniture polishing business when I was young. In 1971, while painting for an art studio in the Empress Hotel, I was asked to paint a few backdrops and signs for Miniature World that would be opening in the hotel soon. I did the Greek Parthenon and many other backdrops that were displayed for a number of years. I really enjoyed walking around and seeing the tiny miniatures. In those days many of the scenes had nearly all hand carved details, as well as railroads and tiny painted models.

It wasn't until 1981 that I started making and selling miniatures. I had finished teaching art in a local junior high school and I was going to be selling in a craft' fair with my hand spun wool and weavings. I had old film canisters I thought of filling with small scenes to sell.

We were fortunate to have a local miniature shop for supplies. I soon heard that the miniature shop was for sale. My husband John and I bought it to sell minis through our home and by mail order. John made up a few of the houses we were selling and I enjoyed decorating them. Later we were invited to be in local and Vancouver shows. I made a catalog to sell and advertised in miniature magazines. I enjoyed making and preparing various handcrafted miniatures for the shows.

I learned to make and sell porcelain dolls, small figures and teapots from my own sculpts with molds. I was thrilled when miniature shops wanted to sell my dolls. Later, I moved on to sculpting porcelain portrait dolls and sold many. A local television studio came to my house to interview me, such an honour. One of my Jean’s miniature creations are collected all over the world

Quarter scale...

dolls was chosen to be exhibited in our Museum of Civilization in Hall Quebec for a few years.

Evolving technology & family support…

I worked with porcelain until 1998, when we moved and I became interested in the internet. All my life I had collected antique children's books. I realized if I scanned in the beautiful chromolithograph images from the books I could make miniature books in 3 scales, even micro. The quarter scale were popular.

Around 2003 I started designing fabric outfits for a small baby and toddler dolls in a Corel computer program then ironed them onto fabric and sold the kits and I also sold a few of those kits in 1:48 scale.

Later, I designed quarter scale fabric furniture kits and dolls in presentation boxes that I still sell.

“

I have sold miniatures professionally since 1981 and thanks to my customers, l am so fortunate to have been able to work at what I love for so many years.

Jean Day

”

I have an inherited Essential tremor in my hands, which made making up the kits take ages. So in 2014 we bought a good laser cutter and it was life changing. I could work with wood using Photo Shop and Corel to design various kits, mostly in quarter scale and paper laces in 3 scales.

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Jean day These days I wake up early, usually 5:00 am, bike and spend time designing before our busy day starts. We enjoy selling kits on Etsy. Since John retired from HR in 2006 he has helped so much with the business. He has created data bases, does shipping and packaging and has made his own terrific designs. He has recently started laser cutting which is awesome as it has given me more time for designing. We are very fortunate both sons have helped with the business, Alex packages (he is a magician and he packages like it is a very fast magic trick). Our oldest son Tony, a musician and writer with his talented wife, have made many videos for YouTube of many of my room boxes.

Creativity & online sales…

We have a lovely large studio where we work which opens into a gorgeous 2 story atrium and to the outside, we are so lucky. I have two extra rooms, one for my toy, children's books and dollhouse collections and another for papers, storage and larger projects I'm making.

All the kits I have designed start with research, which I love!!! I especially enjoy antique French furniture books and have a large collection of resource books as well and using the internet Archive. My favorite one

was one of my grandfather's old books by T. A. Strange, "English Furniture Woodwork Decoration during the 18th century" with so many terrific illustrations. I download PDF's of antique books and find it a wonderful way to get images for my furniture. Once I have a design in mind and images, I used Photoshop to prepare the images and then use Corel where I finish my designing and send it to the laser cutter.

My favorite creation to date is a French scene, where I painted my kits in an antique French style, there is a canopy bed, dressers and a trunk. I enjoyed the painting so much! Another favorite creation to date would be a toddler's fantasy bunk bed with a tree house and my favorite 1:144 scale scene is one I made years ago of a Chocolate shop.

Tree designs, antique French furniture and fairies are also my most loved themes. My favorite style of quarter scale miniatures is an antique French style furniture and a tree house and fairy theme. Lately, I have really been enjoying painting my French kits in a Louis XVI style to enhance the engraving.

So detailed, but so tiny!

www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 11

Jean day

Jean’s intricate painting skills really bring her fabulous So, to kick off this very first feature, I thought I would start the ball rolling and share my top three favourite kits to life! research books from my own reference library. They may be ones that you already have too, but if not, I hope you make room for them on your books shelves very soon!

Happy reading. Bea

John, my husband and I sell through Etsy and our website Jean Day Miniatures. I also sell through A Mini Miniature Show that is a free online show that is put on monthly. Sadly, we are not able to go to shows anymore because of the tremor in my hands, so I really miss interacting with customers. However, we are so fortunate now with the internet to be able to message with customers who are like pen pal friends.

Things have changed so much during the time I've been doing miniatures. I remember making miniatures was very lonely and isolated, but now with the internet and groups it is fun and exciting to work at home, see what beautiful creations others are doing and sharing ideas.

There is nothing on my work desk right now as it is cleared for mailing, but my Corel program is busy with ideas for new kits that will make it to my desk for me to put together. I always say "I can only to one thing at a time", but that doesn't always work!

Jean

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A story book bedroom...

Etsy shop; jdayminis Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/jdayminis Some issues of the free AIM magazine (about dolls houses & miniatures) which Jean and I worked on together are still available to read online via –

www.artisansinminiature.com Jean is not only a super talented artisan, but she is also an extremely competent artist too, as her Instagram account can attest to…

So do go and check her work out; it is beautiful! www.instagram.com/jdayminis

Steven Bearpark

Steven’s ‘work in progress’ 1:48 Raven’s Perch

www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 13

Painting a 1:76 scale model...

Coming from a diverse artistic background, Steven is one of those miniaturists who feels totally at home in the smaller scale world. A quick flick through his Instagram feed shows how multi-talented he is, not just at modelling, but in photography too.

So needless to say, we are delighted to have Steven join our magazine family as a regular contributor and we’re looking forward to learning from him and following his build progress in future issues.

I

have been a miniaturist for about 60 years. That seems an awfully long time now, looking back.

My earliest recollections of play-time always centre around making things with plasticine, whether this be castles (always a fascination with me) or science fiction machines and worlds. Later, I made 1:72 scale models of aircraft and fighting vehicles, painted toy soldiers and built terrain and buildings for them to populate. This led to 1:35 scale in my early teens, then inevitably a break while other things took centre stage.

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In my early thirties I began creating small houses in clay: either totally imaginative creations (usually with a fantasy/Tudor style) or reproductions of friends’ houses. I had some success with these in local art galleries, but family and work pressures led to another break from artistic endeavours, though I have had a couple of short stints doing illustration work or sculpture as a side-line. Whilst I’ve always maintained a link to some form of art (sketching, sculpture and photography), it wasn’t really until

Steven bearpark I was into my fifties that I returned to making buildings, once again in terracotta, enjoying the way that the form and texture became principal elements in a monochromatic medium. I’ve since gone full circle, in a way, in that I once more create in smaller scales (1:76 and 1:48) and create dioramas around these buildings, particularly enjoying exploring the creation of the aspects of terrain such as rocks and trees.

It all began with terracotta buildings

Evolving scales…

I started off in small scale (around 1:76) as I was interested in wargaming with figures at this scale. Whilst some of my sculpture may be life-size, I’ve never ventured into anything larger than 1:35.

Until relatively recently 1:76 was my favourite scale, but now I find that 1:48 provides a better format for the small details I want to include; yet the models are still manageable in terms of the space they occupy around the house.

I must admit that I’m no interior designer. Any interiors to buildings have been relegated to necessities for viewing at a distance, rather than interesting items in themselves and subsequently have just evolved from a basic idea and developed their own characters. However, I have plans to make an interior a focal point of a future build.

Research and reference material are invaluable (but I wouldn’t let it become the be-all-and-end-all or get in the way of telling a good story). Research is a great way to spark ideas and help produce believable pieces. Seldom am I able to remember and picture things in my memory and mind’s eye sufficiently to be able to make a believable reproduction (there’s a whole discussion to be had about whether miniatures should be ‘believable’ or ‘realistic’, but we’ll save that for another day).

The internet has made research so easy. I would say that it’s good to try and develop a mindful way of looking at the world, rather than just moving through it. I think ‘research’ also involves practising techniques and I have, for example, spent a couple of months, on and off, trying several techniques for producing believable trees for a woodland area on a 1:76th scale diorama I have been creating.

Left: Close up of detail - Raven’s Perch... www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 15

Steven bearpark A spark of inspiration…

Very few of us are able to come up with a limitless supply of ideas, I certainly can’t. Ideas, for me, can come from cinema, immersing myself in the miniature worlds others have made, nature, personal experience, talking to others or interacting on social media. Sometimes simply starting on a project is enough to spark off other ideas. Never be frightened to ditch the original idea in favour of a new one. I’d say that as Ideas can strike any time, be prepared to take note of them. The most difficult thing for me is to have the peaceful mind space that I need to let ideas develop - it can sometimes help to just make something, anything, just something little, mindfully working on it and letting my mind wander.

Living in York for a while was inspirational for creating a series of terracotta buildings inspired by being immersed in the architecture there, and in general, observations of nature and the real world are great for sparking off ideas. My imagination alone isn’t good enough. For some styles of modelling, a back story may not be relevant or important at all. For me, the story unifies all the elements in the scene, drawing them all together, and hopefully elicits a response from the viewer beyond just admiring techniques.

My home has been in constant renovation for some years now and display space is of a premium, with just a couple of sculptural items remaining on display. Some of my larger terracotta houses are now bug-hotels in my garden, and there are a few dioramas under cover in varied stages of development awaiting the completion of my studio space (plastering underway as I type).

Another of Steve’s wonderful 1:76 model buildings...

I’ve been fortunate in that people have liked my work enough to have bought it, which has helped in spurred me on to develop skills and keep a little spare space at home to work on things.

Steven

We asked Steven; what specific tool he would recommend?

There are so many tools, for so many different tasks, and I’m torn between two. Taking the time to develop some skills with an airbrush was a game-changer for me. But topping this, is the camera on my smart phone. Not only is it always there with me to record architectural detail, nature, rust, decay, textures, colours, whatever I’m interested in at that moment in time; but it’s also there to zoom in on aspects of models that I’m making and give an alternative viewpoint... (though it can be very critical!)

We are delighted to be exclusively serialising Steven’s construction of PP’s 1:48 Raven’s Perch kit, which will begin with the basic construction and work right through to include themed landscaping. Along the way he plans a little modification of the stock parts and to add some additions, so that it will be transformed into something spookily special! Steven will also be taking a closer look at basic techniques needed to create a finished piece that will also be transferable and applicable to any Petite Properties kit, irrespective of scale or style.

In future issues Steven will be focusing on: Basic kit construction techniques Materials Adhesives Paints 16 | PETITE PROPERTIES

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Scratch building Weathering Lighting Landscaping

creative

Spaces

VIVIEN BAMPTON Those who already know Petite Properties, know that it is a business that was founded on a kitchen table, some twenty years ago. In the years since, I personally have created miniatures: under the stairs, in the garage, in the spare room, in the conservatory, in a workshop (or two) and finally I have happily come to rest in the Chapel Room of our Church (aka PPHQ).

Vivien Bampton

Each of my creative spaces has had their pros and cons, although some had more cons than others! Where we are creative is a subject that has always intrigued me. I personally like to have peace and quiet when I am designing and making miniature models. I prefer to be somewhere away from the hubbub of everyday routines, whilst others don’t like to create in isolation. However, I suspect that I am not alone in my intrigue into where we build our miniatures; as this topic has come up on PP’s Facebook forum again and again!

From purpose built studios to humble lap trays, if you will pardon the pun; miniaturists do it everywhere! So, when we were planning this brand new magazine, Mo and I thought it would be fun to explore the creative spaces of miniaturists from all around the world in each issue.

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Vivien bampton Vivien Bampton is a keen smaller scale miniaturist, who lives 40 kilometres south of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia on a beautiful five acre, river front plot.

As a member of Petite Properties’ Modelling Community, Vivien recently shared images of her beautiful work space, which had been lovingly built for her by her husband.

Needless to say, we were delighted when she agreed to fling open the doors of her ‘Folly’ and allow us to explore her truly idyllic hobby retreat!

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became a miniaturist about six years ago after becoming friends (now best friends) with Sue, who worked in our local library. Sue has been a miniaturist for decades and I was really keen to see her models. When she invited my husband and me to lunch and I saw them and I was fascinated. Her miniatures were all 1:12 scale and I thought they were so tiny. My husband built me a room box and I created my first miniature, a sewing shop in 1:12 scale after another interest of mine, quilting.

Sue, had bought a Petite Properties cottage for her granddaughter, but she didn’t make it, so Sue decided to build it. We were both excited about it as we had thought 1:48 scale would be too fiddly for us. Now I build 1:48 scale and 1:87 scale models and to date I have made more than 30 Petite Properties models. I also work on a series of Australian buildings in 1:87 scale.

The Folly…

My creative space (known as The Folly) is a reflection of my husband’s love of recycling.

Internally it is 3.6m by 3.6m in size and has a vaulted ceiling.

The window on which the sunflowers are painted was from a local artist who recycled the window frame and created the design. It lets in beautiful light.

The window above my workspace overlooks part of our garden and lets in plenty of light onto my worktables. The Folly has a double power point on each wall, so I have easy access to electricity. The space is used for creating and displaying my work, mostly my 18 | PETITE PROPERTIES

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miniatures, but also some of my quilting and sewing projects. My husband built a verandah at the front of the building, so we can sit and enjoy a cup of tea.

The Folly enjoys a lovely breeze all year round, so I can use it most of the year. The walls and ceiling are fully insulated against heat and cold, but sometimes in our Brisbane summers, if the temperature gets into the high 30s I retreat to the air conditioning of the house. It is lovely to work in the Folly in the cool of the evening and also at night.

Inside Vivien’s Folly is an ordered oasis of calm

Vivien bampton I moved into the Folly about six months ago, even before some of the final touches, such as the shelving, had been completed. Previously I used a converted bedroom as my craft room and which is now my sewing room.

The folly was purpose built in the garden by my husband Chris, as a Christmas present. He drew a rough sketch of a typical early Australian hut with lean-to verandah. We enjoyed many hours hunting down free or cheap recycled building materials, accessing builders’ skips and chasing down fittings such as the 100 year old window hoods through Facebook Market Place. A neighbour who had replaced his roof was the source of a free mix of new and old corrugated iron.

Probably 80% of the material used to construct it is recycled, including the beautiful oiled hardwood floor and ceiling beams. One internal wall is entirely constructed from patchwork pieces of old timbers.

The biggest single expense ($800- about 400 British pounds) was having an electrician wire the building.

The plywood for the ceiling and several walls along with the myriad of different fasteners added to this.

The folly is built to contain a work area and a display area. The work area is under the window facing the gardens and river and the display space is on the opposite wall. On that wall I have shelves which display my models; each shelf lit by LED strip lighting.

Some is still being installed. Under the sunflower window sits the vintage Singer treadle sewing machine I bought to restore.

A creative space, shared with a friend...

I mainly use my creative space for miniatures. I also do some scrap-booking here and work on my family tree. But it is predominantly set up for miniatures.

The only person who uses the space with me is my friend, Sue and we just take a workspace each to create and chat. Sometimes, I find my husband in there listening to music, as he loves the space also.

He has managed to sneak in a few old woodworking tools to display.

A creative space with a stunning view... www.petite-properties.com

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Vivien bampton Organisation is key!

I bought a wooden chest on Marketplace to store a variety of things and have a small chest of drawers for my tools and an assortment of miniature accessories.

I have everything organised in my workroom according to its purpose. For example, all my landscaping supplies are together and grouped in jars or boxes according to what it is; grass, flowers, stones etc.

I am a tidy person and at the end of each session working on something, I clean up and put everything back where it comes from. It drives my husband crazy as he is a creative messy worker.

My workspace is made up of two worktables and a return desk. The main worktable is under the big front window for the best light and outlook, but I have a good desk lamp with a magnifying glass. I have all my paints, glues and beads stored on two shelves side by side (made by my husband) and I keep my off cuts and various landscaping requirements in glass jars. I have a carousel (made by my husband) which holds my immediate and always needed equipment; such as pencils, cutting items, tweezers etc. This is the best thing in my creative space, as it makes access to my equipment so easy while I am working. It is also invaluable when landscaping 360 cottages as it is easy to access all sides of the building.

I have personalised my space by adding things I like. I am a tea drinker and have added some colourful cups and saucers I had to brighten the room. I have hung my very first quilt, every stitch done by hand, a quilted “welcome” hanging. The floor rug I made while pregnant with my first child and I also have my old Singer sewing machine in my space too. My wireless speaker allows me to listen to music as I create or just potter around and I also have a kettle and everything I need to make a cup of tea.

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“

Of all the things I have bought, I like my grass scatter tool best, as it allows me to scatter grass evenly and with little mess.

Vivien.

”

Vivien bampton The best thing about my creative space is that it was made with so much love and just for me. It is my space and it is a space just for creating or simply admiring my work. There is nothing I would change about the space, everything in it encourages me to want to be creative and do miniatures, so I don’t think I will ever outgrow this space as I love it too much. Although we have kept a full length of matching shelf timber in case (highly probable) I need more shelves for displays!

In the future, I want to develop the gardens around the Folly with plants that will match the style of the building and also make and hang a sign with its name…

Then it will be complete!

Vivien

Organisation is key!

If you would like to share your ‘Creative Space’ here in the PP magazine, don’t be shy; why not get in touch! - ppmag@petitepropertiesltd

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Back to basics

back to

Bea’s ‘go to’ adhesive is good old PVA

A sticky subject When we were planning this brand new magazine, one thing we were adamant about was that there would be no dumbing down within its pages and that we would take time to explore techniques and materials in depth. So alongside advanced projects, we are also going to start at the very beginning too and take a closer look at the essential basics of the modelling world. To kick off our very first issue, Mo and I couldn’t think of anything more fundamental to start with, than good old glue!

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rowing up, my childhood memories of ‘making’ and sticking things together involved either a clear glue gum (that didn’t stick anything), foul smelling Copydex or sticky tape… There was also a painful incident with a yoghurt pot and a stapler that I recall; but that is another story, for another time! As you can see, my childhood adhesive choices were somewhat limited! Fast forward a few decades and the array of adhesives available is seemingly infinite.

However, something that I have learnt over the last 20+ years as a professional model maker, is that a miniaturist’s choice of preferred adhesive is a very personal one!

Whilst I personally like to keep my glue choices limited and simple, others are happy to wield a wide variety of adhesive products for countless sticky situations.

Indeed, I didn’t realise just how many adhesives were available in the hobby market, until I wandered round a model railway show; they literally have a glue for each and every specific thing you could think of!

(A little excessive to say the least…)

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So with adhesive on the mind, I decided to ask the diverse and worldly members of Petite Properties Modelling Community for their input and adhesive advice. I wanted to identify adhesives that are the tried and tested ‘all-rounders’ of the glue world.

Adhesives that are not only effective and cost efficient, but readily available worldwide too!

I thought it might be a sticky subject, but as ever, PPMC members proved that they are an experienced and knowledgeable bunch and I hope that their considered recommendations, from all around the world, will help you to work through your very own sticky situations!

Back to basics This is by no means intended to be a definitive list, but the following adhesives were the most popular ‘all round’ adhesives suggested by the members of the ‘Petite Properties’ Modelling Community’ (on our friendly Facebook forum)…

Builder’s Bond PVA

Gorilla Wood Glue

I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked, “What adhesive do you use?” But my answer is always a simple one...

PVA adhesive!

Of course there are certain modelling situations when I do reach for alternative glue options, but 90% of the time I am armed with nothing fancier than a fine tip applicator or a glass dish filled with good old PVA.

Although I love Aleene’s for certain things, Gorilla wood glue is my all-rounder, because it bonds stronger and quickly for card, wood, fabric, pretty much everything other than plastic.

Heather Bonny - UK

BUT… I do not use a craft variety of PVA, I use a Builder’s Bond PVA adhesive; the type of PVA that can be readily purchased in DIY stores or in the DIY section of hardware shops. Fundamentally, a Builder’s Bond is the same as craft PVA, but it is stronger, stickier and a hell of a lot cheaper too! I use it for almost everything; from sticking together houses and furniture to fixing landscaping materials and applying exterior finishes. A Builder’s PVA does everything I ask of it and it is as cheap as chips! What more could you possibly want?

Bea Broadwood - UK

Weldbond I use Weldbond. I always put a small amount in a medicine cup and put a piece of cling wrap over it to stop it from setting too fast. I use Weldbond for construction, to seal frays on fabric, to stiffen embroidery thread and lace to make balustrading. I have even used it recently to give my ocean some shine!

Barbara Foard - Australia (See Barbara’s work on page 41)

I use Weldbond, it is great for small work, as well as big.

Works well with landscaping. I also think it is a US brand.

Div Williams - Australia

My go-to glue is Gorilla wood glue.

Never let me down. It's very strong, a bit thicker than lots of PVA glues and if you lightly coat two joining surfaces it has a decent grab. I use it for my kit construction, sticking on brick paper and 90% of my landscaping jobs.

Philip Thompson – UK I use Gorilla Wood glue. It is very strong and so does not flex like some glues. I use it for buildings.

My husband makes guitars, so he decants some for me or puts what I need into clean milk bottle top and apply with a cocktail stick. Best tip is to use a damp paint brush to brush away any excess, so that stains will take.

Sarah Oddy - UK

Evo-Stik Wood Glue I couldn’t get Gorilla glue last time I went, so I have this instead. It’s just as good for wood and paper.

Elisa Benson - UK I use this glue on everything I make. I have tried others, but this one is by far the best all-round glue.

Berni Wilson-Holliday - UK

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Back to basics Hi-Tack Glue (All Purpose)

Elmer’s Glue-All

I’ve found this a great all-rounder. It’s the best consistency I’ve come across.

Easy to use on tiny models - doesn’t drip or spread over, as it sits where you need it. It dries in a sensible time, allowing for ensuring whatever you’re putting together can be adjusted if needed..

Joanne Russell - UK

Keeping it simple in the U.S. with good old Elmer’s Glue-All. I use it for every part of my builds: wood, wallpaper, furniture kits, even gluing beads together or holding wires in place. It dries quickly and clear and it’s very cheap, especially when school supplies go on sale.

Shelly Pietrzak – U.S.

I use hi-tack for everything. It dries pretty quick and has superb hold.

Roz Maclean - UK

Aleene’s Quick Dry Tacky Glue (This was a very popular adhesive with members of PPMC) If I could only chose one adhesive, then it would definitely be Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue. It’s the most reliable, dries quickly, but with enough wriggle room to line up pieces accurately and the way it’s packaged makes it easy to apply.

Jenny Crawford - UK I use Aleene’s Tacky Glue for nearly everything; I can't image a crafty life without it!

Sabine Cheshire - UK

Titebond Original Wood Glue For me, this glue is the best for wood and cardboard. It's aliphatic and sandable.

Pierluigi Pirovano - Italy.

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E6000 Over the years, I've narrowed it down to PVA for almost everything. The exceptions are wood to wood - I use Elmer's wood glue, and paper - I use Elmer's Craft Bond Gel, specific for paper. If something absolutely won't stay stuck, I pull out the little tube of E6000. I use a micro-tip applicator for the PVA, and brush on wood and paper glues. Toothpick or micro swab for the E6000. Marcia Bhide - California.

Aliphatic Resin My current favourite. Dries quick and strong. Clear and you can paint over it.

Amanda Miller - UK

The Ultimate!

The Ultimate! Glue by Crafter's Pick deserves to be more widely known and appreciated.

It's a thick, non-toxic, odourless PVA that can stick anything with a teeny amount - I haven't found what it does not stick. It dries fast, clear and flexible. I use it for everything, except the tiniest of tiny details, such as 1:48th door handles, where I need the thinnest possible glue. It's particularly useful for miniaturists in humid climates, as the bond is water resistant.

Jacqueline Joy

We have had a check through and all of these adhesives are available to purchase online, through craft sites, Ebay or Amazon.

Bekki fileccia

Inspirational

The stunning interior of Bekki’s 1:48 Petit Palais...

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s a child I used to make ‘houses’ by using A4 paper (one per room) and sticking them together. I used to cut furniture etc. out of old catalogues my mum had and stick them in the rooms. Then I went on to much better things… In the mid-80s, I made a house for My Little Ponies out of a broken old LP storage box my dad was getting rid of. I cut out wallpaper samples and used a piece of carpet to furnish it. I’d collect things, like mirrors and containers and make them into beds and other furniture.

BEKKI FILECCIA

I bought my first real dolls house, the 1:12 Country Store by Dolls House Emporium, just after I got married, as having a place of our own, I now had space to display it! www.petite-properties.com

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Bekki fileccia But eventually life took over, my 2 boys came along and it wasn’t until 2018 that I really got back into the creating side of the hobby. Unfortunately, poor health forced me to give up my dog grooming business that I ran from my home garage, but I now have a bit more time on my hands. Although I was unlucky to give up the job I loved, it did mean that with a few tweaks, I had an already converted space to start crafting in again!

My garage soon filled up with five completed 1:12 dolls houses and ten shops displayed underneath and I simply just couldn’t fit anymore in!

I had seen the Petite Properties stand at Miniatura in 2022 and had been fascinated by how intricate and tiny the 1:48 houses were. A few months later I won a partly started Petite Properties’ Station Master's House kit on Ebay for just £5! I thought at that price I had nothing to lose if I didn’t enjoy it! Once I had completed it, I was hooked!

I have now completed six Petite Properties 1:48 houses in the last year and I can’t see myself doing anything other than 1:48 or maybe even 1:76 in the future. I love them so much! They are easy to work with and take up such little display space.

My Petit Palais came to me through chance from an online friend I made on a Facebook 1:12 dolls house selling page. Her grandmother had sadly passed away and, having no knowledge of dolls houses herself, was reaching out for help in identifying and eventually selling pieces of her Nan’s enormous dolls house collection. Because I’d gained a fair amount of knowledge over the years and still had many old dolls house catalogues and magazines, I messaged the lady privately about some of the pictures she had posted.

Over the next few months I helped her identify (and learn new things myself in the process!) many of the items she had, including some beautiful artisan and unique pieces. She then showed me a house much smaller than the rest that her Nan had only partly built. As soon as I saw it knew it was one of the Petite Properties houses – Le Petit Palais. I showed her the Station Master’s house I’d completed and said I was looking to do more in this scale now, due to space and because they were so lovely to make. As I’d helped her out over the past few months, she then offered it to me, knowing that I would finish it and it would be loved!

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I have autism and ADHD, and like many with these conditions, I am highly focused in particular interests and subjects. My ‘nerdy’ subjects are dolls houses and dogs! This can be a blessing and a curse! I don’t always have a clear idea immediately when I start a project, but once I've got it, my head goes into overdrive and I just run with it! It can become a bit obsessive and it’s all I think about; often losing track of time in the process! But on the flip side, because I have many ideas and get so carried away, I often think of the extra little details. I always do a sketch of the house I’m doing and write in each room what I what to buy or use in the room. Obviously, things don’t always go how I imagined, and I can get really fed up and frustrated! I try to have a couple of projects on the go at the same time, so that when this happens, I can just put it aside and do something different. Whilst I chill, eventually another idea will surface!

I also collect photos from websites and I am always looking at things around me and wondering what I can make from them! The pillow in the grey bedroom is the end of a cotton swab and the feather quill on the desk in the study is a tiny piece cut off a real feather I found in the garden. I’ve joined social media dolls house groups for both inspiration and to ask questions. One of the things I love most is seeing how other people imagine and interpret the same space as I’ve got!

The Bathroom...

Bekki says: A great tip I picked up from looking at other’s work, was to try positioning furniture in a different way rather than the uniform ‘against a wall’ look. An example of this is the desk and chair in the study. By putting them in a diagonal position, it gives a different depth and cosiness to the room and shows off the drawer detail on the desk, instead of hiding it between the wall and the chair...

I love both interior and exterior design and am inspired by all types of decor and architectural styles, even if it’s not to my taste! I love the over-the-top extravagance in decor and furnishings of stately homes and places such as the Palace of Versailles, but wouldn’t dream of having it in my fairly minimalistic home! Dolls house projects are such a good way of creating with different styles and eras.

A few years ago, the idea of extravagance and grandeur lead me to do a luxury 1:12 Moroccan villa.

By keeping the colour scheme throughout the whole house to mostly cream and gold, it created an understated, yet elegant look. Around a year ago, I did a 1:12 French shabby chic house and, although initially it seemed a contradiction, with the Petit Palais, I decided to mash the shabby chic style with the elegance of the cream and gold to tie in the ‘French’ and ‘Chateau’ elements. I used gold paint

Elegant Dining Room...

Bekki’s cosy quarter scale study... to highlight the worn, distressed parts of the furniture, rather than a ‘sanded’ effect to give it a more up-market shabby chic look.

In most of my projects I tend to play it safe by sticking to a non-busy and neutral colour scheme that flows through the house. But this time I pushed myself out of my comfort zone a bit, particularly with the living room and bedroom wall papers. I wanted to create panelling on the walls, but was not happy with a flat paper effect, nor did I have the patience to carve anything by hand! I had some leftover pieces of 1:12 embossed foam panels from the French house I’d previously done.

The border on these was the perfect size for 1:48 wainscoting! I also cut down some of the borders even further to make the skirting in other rooms and the coving on the top floor. I used the techniques from the book Create Exterior Finishes by Petite Properties to do the lead effect roof.

Foam embossed panel...

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Bekki fileccia Having done so much lighting before in 1:12, I have learned over the years the best ways of hiding wires and at what point in a build to put lights in. It is so much easier to make your own lighting in 1:48 than in the larger scales, but it is also 100 times more fiddly!

I usually look for beads in craft shops or even broken jewellery in charity shops to make light fittings with, but I really wanted something a bit different and special for this house.

I eventually found some gorgeous bead end caps worthy of a chateau! I threaded a small 3v LED bulb and a jewellery pin through the bead and secured them with crimping beads.

The ceiling roses were made using air dried clay and I pressed a small 1:12 ceiling rose I had into the clay to create the pattern. I drilled a small hole through the ceiling and run the wire in a small groove I’d made to the back of the house. By doing this, you can then hide the wire under the flooring of the room above.

As there was no ceiling on the top floor, I made wall lights in the bedrooms and bathroom on the top floor with jewellery pins and beads and the wires passed through the wall to the back of the house. I put grooves on the exterior of the back wall to run the wires down and joined them all together at the bottom. I then covered all the exterior walls with a textured wallpaper sample got from a DIY store.

I didn’t plan to put carpets on the staircases until I’d got to the 2nd floor when I realised the stairs looked a bit bland. The stair carpets were made from 9mm wide satin ribbon and the stair rods with cut down jewellery pins and beads. It was not too bad doing the second floor, but I had already stuck in the ground floor stairs, walls and ceiling, so it was ridiculously fiddly getting the carpets and the tiny stair rods in to such a small space and some are a little wonky!

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Above: The Kitchen

Above: The Pink Bedroom

Below: The Hallway

Bekki fileccia Because the house was partially built when I got it, I decided to gently take everything apart again and rebuild it. This was fine in most places but there were a few areas where the MDF ripped off, which had to be covered in the end with wallpaper. I was also unable to save the internal doors when removing them and had to buy new ones.

Regardless of scale, I found it best to always work on a house from the bottom to top; even if it means building the exterior in stages as well. Working on a house in this order allows you to hide wires for lighting as you go along and makes rooms so much easier to access for decorating too. I also paint windows, doors, skirting etc. separately and decorate both internally and externally before fixing these on.

This gives a much better finish and avoids messing up all the careful work you’ve done on your decor!

Hobbies can be expensive, so I try to save money where I can in my builds. Free wallpaper samples and paint tester pots from DIY stores are perfect for dolls houses, I also scour the charity shops for little bits and pieces and chop bits off everyday items to keep the costs down! I am also a serial kit basher! Just because a house kit is made in a particularly way doesn’t mean you have to stick to it! I have added, moved or even blocked off/removed walls, stairwells, windows and doors to make better use of the space in many projects. I did this too with the Petit Palais.

The original kit had a landing area leading off the top stairs and doorways off that into the two bedrooms, but this meant that I could only have one bedroom rather than two if I also wanted a bathroom (and a study on the floor below). So I blocked off the stairs, re-made and added partition walls on the top floor of the Petit Palais. This added a bathroom in the old landing area and by moving the doors in the

The Grey Bedroom

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Bekki fileccia bedrooms it gave the impression that it, and the bedrooms, led off the stair section.

Bekki’s Top Tip.

I love the Petite Properties furniture kits.

They are so easy to build and are great value. The fine tipped glue Loom bands... applicator bottles are very useful when gluing such small kits. I also use the small rubber loom bands to hold things together while they stick. Some kits, such as bookshelves and cupboards, are sometimes better decorated before you build them, as the interiors can be very difficult to access once built! And where possible, I never take the pieces off the card until I need them; so I don’t lose anything!

In the smaller scales, particularly, I can’t be without my fine tipped glue applicator bottles! I am so messy with glue and often just tell everyone that my glue string trails are cobwebs in the house or garden! You may even spot some in the photos! A sharp cutting knife is a must and I love my Lego mini brick wall! I’ve built a corner wall of Lego bricks to ensure my house walls and furniture stick together at a right angle!! You can make it bigger or smaller, depending on what you what you’re building.

I am so pleased with the way it turned out. It is my favourite house I’ve done so far and sits on display in my living room in my home, not with the others on the shelves in the craft room! I would like to add more accessories to the kitchen. I know the house isn’t perfect and there are things I would probably do differently and more neatly if I did it again, but every project is a learning curve and always gives me something to improve on next time!

Bekki

www.facebook.com/IndianSkye @IndianSkye.Miniatures www.instagram.com/ indianskye.miniatures

Below: The Drawing Room...

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Additional credits: Foam Embossed Panel by World Model Products Kitchen Utensil Kit by The Dolls House Mall www.thedollshousemall.com Chopping Board by Jane Harrop www.janeharrop.co.uk

Cover story

A 1:48 harbour collection

I do love a little street scene, they fascinate me. So it’s no surprise that they have featured in my PP design portfolio over the years. Initially, I brought Petite Properties’ pen and ink business logo to life and I’ve also created a rambling medieval snicket too.

Back in 2019, I designed my most recent street scene, a spooky place; somewhat aptly named ‘Dead End’.

However, given that I have a sketch book specifically dedicated to street scenes ideas; I knew it wouldn’t be too long before yet another miniature road diorama made its way onto my workbench… And sure enough, following a family trip to Cornwall last year, I once again indulged my love of street scenes and Port Piran was born! www.petite-properties.com www.petite-properties.com

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Mevagissey’s inner harbour - The inspiration behind PP’s latest street scene!

The shops and cafés on the harbour front were different to the ones I remember, but overall, it felt like time had also taken a little vacation and stood still. To my adult eyes the quayside appeared cleaner; the bunting seemed that little bit brighter... yet the seagulls remained as relentless as ever! Tony and I spent a wonderful day in Mevagissey; reminiscing, photographing and catching up with the harbour, like it was an old friend.

However, last year’s family holiday wasn’t just about retracing old steps, it was also about exploring new places too. Like many, I have been a fan of the UK television series Doc Martin for a long time.

“

As a child, I remember sitting on the harbour front, watching the tide slowly go out. Back then, I was fairly convinced that there might be sunken treasure hiding amongst the lost fishing lines and dead crabs!

Not that I ever spotted any!

Bea

The long running show follows the adventures of a humourless local GP, as he tends to the needs of a small Cornish community. For me, the series is all the more interesting because of its idyllic setting; Port Wenn.

However, the quintessential harbour village that is used as the back drop for this long running drama series, is far from fictitious; it is instead the charmingly characterful seaside village of Port Issac.

Sketching on a previous visit in 2009...

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“

M

y love affair with Cornwall began when I was little and I have fond memories of the picturesque harbour at Mevagissey during holidays in the late 70s and early 80s (Yes I am that old!). So retracing my childhood steps in Mevagissey last summer with my whole family was wonderful and for once in a fast moving world, it seemed that little had changed.

Mevagissey Surrounding this picturesque fishing village, tiers of fisherman's cottages line the harbour sides, creating Cornwall's architectural equivalent of a Roman amphitheatre. White washed, shingle clad cottages jostle for a glimpse of the sea, whilst the constant call of gulls and the smell of fish fill the air. I have lost many afternoons, drawing in this beautiful harbour and most of Petite Properties' coastal properties have been inspired by the Cornish vernacular here too!

Mevagissey, Cornwall...

Taking in the view at Port Issac...

Port Issac I don’t think it’s possible to find a more romantic coastal village if you tried. Tiny streets funnel downwards toward a sheltered cove, which is surrounded by tall cliffs and Cornish architecture.

Working fisherman battle with the tourists for access to the small cove, which is a safe harbour on the Atlantic coast for a handful of working vessels.

The quarter scale harbour of Port Piran...

Thanks to Doc Martin, visiting Port Issac for the first time was a surreal experience! On one hand everything was completely new, yet on the other, it all felt totally familiar. Cottages and businesses that are featured in Doc Martin are dotted all around and the whole place appears to be a picture perfect TV set. Except that of course, it’s not. When we visited on a hot August day, Port Issac was bursting at the seams with like-minded tourists, all milling around and enjoying the summer weather and beautiful setting.

We spent the afternoon gathering ideas and measurements, taking photos and (most importantly) eating ice cream together in the sunshine!

With the holiday over and batteries recharged I returned home, positively buzzing with ideas. I immediately dug out my existing design sketches for a harbour scene, which I had been evolving on and off

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PETITE PROPERTIES | 33

Cover story for a number of years. Using my holiday photos and sketches for reference, I made tweaks here and there and incorporated some of the all-important ‘little details’ that I had noticed while in Cornwall. Finally, yet more quarter scale house designs were added to my growing miniature harbour.

This tiny cottage had a HUGE impact on me!

“

Working on any new design is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle and juggling 10 quarter scale house designs with a harbour at low tide, proved to be quite the smaller scale challenge! Bea

”

However, the overall design of Port Piran did not come from one place alone. Like most of my PP designs, inspiration came from a number of sources, which was blended together to form a kind of ‘architectural soup’.

Familiar?

The layout of Port Piran loosely mirrors the inner harbour at Mevagissey; where the shops, cottages and pubs directly face the harbour’s vertical edge and a small slip road gently slops downwards into the sea.

Some of the Individual house designs were inspired by the characterful coastal properties in Port Issac.

However, those of you who have been following our kits over the last decade, might also recognise two house PP designs that have been brought out of retirement, re-worked, re-named and updated specifically for inclusion in this new street scene..?

(But can you guess which ones have been given a new lease of life? Mo.) The part of the design process that I particularly enjoy is working out how to replicate the full scale world in miniature. Choosing which materials and techniques to use and also which colours to add to the project’s paint palette is a vital part of the process. But despite all my planning and research, I still didn’t have a clear working idea of what I was going to use to build the harbour’s actual base structure.

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Can you tell which design aspect of Port Piran, this building in Port Issac inspired?

Cover story Searching the ‘stash’...

Like most miniaturists I know, I have a considerable and varied stash of (as yet) unused materials; all meticulously collected and poised ready to be used should the appropriate project present itself. But despite a thorough rummage, there was nothing in my comprehensive stash that inspired me or grabbed my attention… but then a timely restoration coincidence provided me with the perfect solution!

Alongside the day to day running of PP, behind the scenes we are also in the process of renovating our unique workplace. Over the last three years, we have been slowly adapting the facilities in our Old Methodist Church and an important part of our modernisation is to update our loos!

As is often the case, I had wandered into the main church area to have a think. Whilst pondering the harbour design, I spotted a large pile of discarded polystyrene. On closer investigation the polystyrene block shapes had been part of the protective packaging that had encased our three new toilets.

As soon as I spotted the soft curved sections, I immediately knew where I would use them and my construction dilemma was finally solved!

Interesting fact: St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall and also the patron saint of ‘tinners’ (Tin miners) Small in size, yet big in character...

The construction of the harbour was so much fun; even if it did take up every flat surface in my work room (and beyond!). The final harbour is my largest street scene to date, but as it is built in quarter scale, it still only measures 109 cm (42½ inches) long! It was also a real labour of love to complete and I hope it echoes its inspirational Cornish roots. Looking at it now, I don’t think there is anything I would change, although I am tempted to add some kind of hidden audio device, so that raucous seagull calls can play on a loop and help add that all important (and authentic) element. Ultimately, Port Piran is my own timeless nod to my childhood and my memory of lazy days spent in on the Cornish coast. So if you take the plunge and have a go at making your very own harbour, I hope you enjoy its timeless charms too... just watch out for those pesky seagulls!

Tony & Bea, Cornwall 2023

The tide out at Mevagissey...

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PETITE PROPERTIES | 35

Project - 1:48

Making this quarter scale harbour scene was so much fun and also so messy too!

I made my base large enough to display all 10 houses from our Port Piran Collection, but you could alter the size and layout to accommodate any number of seaside properties.

Of course in your scene, the tide could be in...

It’s completely up to you!

materials Polystyrene off cuts Old newspaper Thick cardboard Sheet of MDF, plywood or foam core board Air dry clay (1.5kg) Interior decorator’s filler (in powdered form) PVA Adhesive (see page 22) Glue sticks Old paint brushes* Drawer pull / bolts* Old fine chains* Drinking straw* Dark brown eye shadow* (*Optional)

the HARBOUR

Quarter Scale Paint Wood Stove (Black) Soot Ash (Dark grey) Dirty Stone Mortar (Cement colour) Stormy Skies (Medium grey) Mouldy Green Wash (Dark watery green) Itchy Blanket (Pale grey)

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tools Glue gun Craft knife Scissors Rolling pin Grease proof paper Butter knife Assorted paint brushes Assorted sponges Homemade imprint tools* (if applicable) Plastic cotton bud* Pipette* (*Optional)

Landscaping Clean dry sand Tiny stones / gravel PP Landscaping strands

Project - 1:48

1 It really is helpful to have the houses that you want to include in your harbour scene constructed prior to designing your base, as this enables you to move the properties around and decide on the final layout.

Right end section

I sketched out a rough plan of the overall layout of my harbour, then used sections of polystyrene packaging and card to create the actual structure itself.

Slipway

Top Tip - A glue gun is perfect for providing instant adhesion when sticking the individual parts of the harbour together.

2

3

M

ai n

ha rb ou r

se ct io

n

Because I have to transport my harbour around the UK to display on the PP stand, I decided to make my base structure come apart into two sections. However, if you are building it for display at home, having a sectional harbour will not be necessary.

Lef t

Once you are happy with the structure you have created for your harbour, stick strips of newspaper onto the card and polystyrene using liberal amounts of PVA adhesive. Once the entire harbour carcass has been covered in newspaper, paint with one coat of PVA adhesive, then leave it to dry and harden completely...

NOTE: This may take a couple of days!

e nd

4 For extra stability and rigidity, I stuck my harbour structure onto an MDF base. However, if you do not want to use MDF, foam core board is a great alternative and can be cut easily with a craft knife.

MDF

base

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PETITE PROPERTIES | 37

Project - 1:48

5 Working with air dry clay is pretty easy, as long as you follow some basic rules...  Have everything prepared and to hand before you begin.  Once you begin applying the clay, do not stop until you have finished imprinting into it, as it can dry pretty quickly.  Use PLENTY of PVA adhesive!

Homemade tools...

I used the metal tops of old paint brushes to create my imprinting tools for the stonework on my harbour. I also used the tube of a cotton bud and a protective tube from the top of a new paint brush to imprint into the wet clay.

6 Working in sections on your harbour base, roll

7 To join two pieces of clay together, simply

out pieces of clay between two sheets of grease proof paper (this will prevent the clay from sticking to the work surface). Roll out the clay until it is approximately 3mm (⅛ inch) thick.

overlap the second piece of clay over the first and blend the edges of the clay together. When imprinting the clay, do not press the tool all the way through the clay and onto the surface below.

Instead, simply gently press the tool into only the surface of the clay.

Liberally apply PVA adhesive to the surface of your harbour structure. Lay the clay onto the adhesive and gently press down onto the surface to remove any air bubbles. Imprint the clay’s surface as required, then trim away any excess clay.

9

8

I stuck individual gravel stones into the clay on the top edge of the retaining wall to form the capping stones.

Working in sections, gradually cover the harbour walls and road surface as required. Note: I did not apply clay where the houses would later be positioned.

Whilst the clay was still soft, I pushed tiny drawer pulls, bolts and the ends of a plastic straw into the harbour wall. These added realism and extra detail to the finished diorama.

I also cut some sticks of dense card, to form the upright beams in the harbour wall. Again, I pressed these card sticks into the soft clay ,to form a vertical imprint, in which to position the card sticks in when the clay had dried.

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Project - 1:48

10 To create the undulated sea bed I used interior decorator’s filler. This is a universal product that is used to fill nail holes or dents in interior plaster walls. I use the powdered filler, which I mixed with cold water to form a stiff paste - very similar in consistency to butter icing.

To prepare the surface for the filler, first paint with PVA adhesive. When the adhesive has fully dried spread the filler roughly onto the surface; I use an old butter knife to do this!

Once you have covered the area required, add as much, or as little texture to the surface as you require.

If you wish to have semi submerged features in your sea bed, such as boats or broken crab pots, push them into the filler whilst it is still wet. Leave the filler to dry and harden completely; ideally overnight. Once dry, remove any ‘sunken’ items from the filler.

11 I painted my harbour using a combination of

12 Next, paint the entire surface of the harbour

paint brushes and sponges.

I started by painting the darkest shades: Wood Stove and Soot Ash into the corners and onto the edges of the pre applied clay surface. It is important to ensure that each application of paint is allowed to dry completely before applying the next.

with patches of Dirty Stone Mortar and Soot Ash. Ensure that the paint is worked into all of the cracks and mortar lines in the clay.

Once again, leave to dry completely. Take some Mouldy Green Wash and thin with a little water. Drench the bottom stones and crevices of the harbour with the wash mixture.

Allow the paint wash to flood the mortar lines and sit in the grooves of the harbour, where water would naturally pool.

13 Now it is time to get the sponges out! Carefully sponge paint the stone surfaces with a combination of Dirty Stone and Stormy Skies. When dry, sparsely apply a tiny amount of Itchy Blanket, just to highlight the stone surface.

Once again, leave the harbour to completely dry.

Finally, I used some dark brown eye shadow to weather and age the stone work. I applied the eye shadow using a little sponge make up applicator; concentrating on the areas that would naturally have the most wear and tear.

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PETITE PROPERTIES | 39

Welcome to Issue ONE

14 To replicate my childhood memory of

15 Next, I mixed

Mevagissey, I wanted it to appear like the tide had gone out! First I painted the boats and lobster pot that I had previously imprinted into the wet filler. I then stuck them back into their indented positions using a glue gun for instant adhesion. Stick the pre-cut card sticks vertically onto the front wall of the harbour.

some PVA adhesive with water, to make a thin water/glue solution. Using a pipette, I liberally flooded the PVA onto the sand on the sea bed. (Alternatively, if you don’t have a pipette, you could use a craft syringe or a paint brush to apply the adhesive solution onto the sand.)

Next, I liberally painted the sea bed area with PVA adhesive. Whilst the adhesive was still wet, I sparsely sprinkled some tiny grit stones over the surface. Working quickly I then sprinkled clean, dry sand over the adhesive. When dry, I gently tapped away any excess sand or stones.

16 Whilst the adhesive was still wet, I pushed pieces of Landscaping Strands into the top layer of adhesive.

Once again leave to dry out completely; preferably overnight.

17

old pieces of 17 Ifineusedchain (these can be painted prior to use, if required) and tied them to the previously fitted tiny drawer pulls, then draped the chain down into the wet adhesive.

Leave the adhesive to dry thoroughly. As the layer of adhesive is quite thick, this may take a couple of days.

Once dry, the adhesive will become clear and harden.

The sea bed area will appear glossy, as if wet from the sea!

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Barbara foard

Miniaturist

Of the

Barbara & her beautiful creations...

Barbara foard Five years ago, Mo and I set up the Petite Properties Modelling Community on Facebook.

Our aim for this unique forum, was to bring PP customers from around the world together in a group where they could share not only their miniature creations, but also their help, advice and friendship too.

Over the years the community has grown and now includes three thousand PP customers and smaller scale modellers. Our members come from a variety of modelling backgrounds, from railway modelling to war gamming; but they all have one common denominator – a love for the smaller scales!

So, as we introduce this new regular feature for the first time, we plan to use this unique platform to celebrate and champion the work

of individual talented members of PPMC. As it is our very first issue, it seemed only right to feature one of the first miniaturists to join PP’s Facebook forum; Barbara Foard.

Based in Australia, Barbara is a very accomplished and talented miniaturist in her own right and her work has encouraged and inspired many PPMC members to follow in her footsteps and have a go too.

Needless to say, we were particularly delighted when Barbara agreed to be the focus of our very first ‘Miniaturist of the Moment’ feature and we hope you enjoy her creations, as much as we do!

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PETITE PROPERTIES | 41

Barbara foard

After slowly collecting 1:12th scale for a while I finally ran out of room, which I think is how most miniaturists progress onto the smaller scale. I used to borrow mini magazines from a local dollhouse shop, and I saw an advert for Petite Properties there. After making my Bluebell Cottage - 1:48 first Petite Property (Bluebell Cottage) I was utterly hooked on these darling little builds. I love how you can fit a whole world onto a small footprint, like a window ledge or a shelf.

We asked Barbara which was her favourite smaller scale creation and we can completely relate to her response!

“

What a hard question!

It's like asking which one of your kids do you love the most.

I would have to say a personal favourite has been my canal boat The Nancy, named after my Nan; Nancy.

Barbara

“

I

have been a miniaturist all my life really, it started when my Mum and Dad took me to a stately home when I was very young (I grew up in Wales). I still remember seeing a very elaborate dollhouse there and it sparked a great interest in tiny things. Fast forward to about 2007 and I was visiting a little country town near my new home in Australia and a shop was closing down and they had a couple of dollhouses for sale. One came home with me that day and that was it, my passion was reignited!

A life of their own…

My favourite scale would have to be the 1:48th scale, I feel a lot of realism can be achieved in this scale and it crosses over to railway modelling, which was great for landscaping components before 3d printing really became a thing. I don't meticulously plan a build, I have an idea of how I would like it to look when complete, but it never works out that way! They seem to have a life of their own during construction, but I'm usually happy at the end.

If I'm building a specific era property then I do a bit of research, usually using Google! But if it is a fantasy build, then I just let my imagination guide me. I would say that my favourite part that I enjoy is working on the interiors of the houses. I love choosing the colour scheme and the wallpapers, and the appropriate furniture. My biggest influences on my work are my fellow miniaturists around the world and I belong to quite a few online groups, where I get so much inspiration from seeing all the talent out there.

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Barbara’s favourite creation: The Nancy

Barbara foard

Above: A glimpse inside Barbara’s canal boat I bought this canal boat kit from Just Quarters in New Zealand, but I am unsure who designed it. I filled it with photos of my Nan and all the things she liked. It was also a different build after so many houses and Cottages, so that was a nice change.

Below: A quarter scale lighthouse on a stunning seascape base created

by Barbara

Birthday gifts & future plans…

I have just finished a 1:48th scale lighthouse from Seaside Miniatures, complete with lighting and landscaping. My next project will be a book nook that my hubby bought me for my birthday, but that is in 1:12th scale. I have also got a sweet tiny house from Temu, that I also got for my birthday, which looks to be 1:35 that I'm itching to start!

My future dream project would be to recreate my favourite painting in miniature. ‘The Haywain’ by John Constable has been in my house since birth and I love its tranquillity. I am waiting until I can master water effects to achieve the correct look, then I'll try to find the right property to use as Willy Lott’s Cottage.

Barbara

Light House Kit www.seasideminiatures.co.uk Canal Boat Kit www.justquarters.co.nz (New Zealand) In the next issue, we feature PPMC member; Sylvie Nicolet as our super talented ‘Miniaturist of the Moment’ www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 43

Jennifer maddox

light

I had been making handmade fireplaces and tiles for a few years, part time as JS Miniatures, but a chance conversation with a miniatures group highlighted the lack of lighting kits available for the smaller scales.

There was also a general fear of tackling lighting. “My husband does that” was a familiar comment I got.

I felt I had the right mix of knowledge and ability to simplify the language and design and teach about lighting models.

After being made redundant I decided to focus on the business full time and one of the first kits was the 1:48th lighting kit. Early on I taught at a few dolls house 44 | PETITE PROPERTIES

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beacon kit with Lighthouse

W

hen Bea approached me to write a series of articles for their new smaller scales magazine I was delighted to accept. I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with Small Scale Lights and the lighting kits I have been producing for the last 11 years, but you may not know why I started.

th hthouse 1:48 Scale Lig

Anyone who has attempted to tackle the challenge of lighting smaller scale miniatures will already know; lighting super tiny spaces can be tricky to get right! Over the years, I have spoken to countless customers about their lighting dilemmas and I have been left with no doubt that this is an area of the miniature world that hobbyists often need a little expert help navigating. For many years now, Jennifer Maddox has been helping smaller scale miniaturists solve their lighting dilemmas and so we are delighted that she has agreed to join our growing magazine family. Over the coming issues, Jennifer will be exploring the smaller scale lighting world and sharing her expert advice, tips and know how along the way!

club events and that helped guide and develop the kits. Seeing eyes light up at realising that it was achievable to light 1:48th (quarter) scale houses was very rewarding.

In this series of articles, we will look at how to light different scales and types of layouts from 1:48th scale houses to model railway layouts, street scenes and fireplaces.

The technical part…

In this introduction I suppose the big question is “Where do we start?” Well, let’s get the technical part out of the way first, then we can enjoy lighting models!

Modern technology is a wonderful thing and advances in lighting products, particularly the advance to Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), means that we now have the means to light tiny buildings and accessories like lamp posts.

LEDs are perfect because unlike the standard filament bulbs produced for 1:12th scale, LEDs don’t get hot, so they don’t pose a fire risk and they also last at least 50,000 – 100,000 hours which is basically a lifetime for

Jennifer maddox a model. They are very efficient, using only about a 3rd of the energy of a standard filament bulb, so you can run a lot more off a 12v transformer and they last a reasonable amount of time off a 3v AAA battery pack.

“

Lighting makes a huge difference to the look of any model, bringing them to life.

Jennifer.

“

LEDs do need a small resistor to prevent the LED being fried, which has to go somewhere on the wire.

The resistor acts like a valve, the bigger the resistor the less current can squeeze through. The best way to think about it is if you put your thumb over a water hose. The more you turn on the tap the more force is put against your thumb so the more you must resist the flow. The higher the voltage you use the more you are turning on the tap, so the bigger the resistor you need to resist the greater current flowing through.

A common question I often get asked is “Will a higher voltage be brighter?” The answer is no. Because you must limit the current through the LED with a resistor to prevent it being fried, the current is always the same, so the LED is the same brightness at any voltage.

Different sized resistors also balance the current flowing through different coloured LEDs so you can equal the brightness and help the battery last longer.

You can also use a bigger resistor than is required to dim the LED. Perfect for fireplaces where the red glow can light up the room if you’re not careful!

1:48th Fireplace lit with 1:48th scale lighting kit

For smaller scales the most popular LEDs are Nano or 0805 LEDs. They are tiny, but incredibly bright for their size. I often show people the LEDs and then light them up to gasps of amazement at how

Above: Market Stall Kit lit with Market Stall Lighting Kit Left: Market Stall kit back view showing lighting kit

bright they are for something the size of a pin head.

If you’ve never tried doing any lighting before it’s really nothing to be scared about and by the end of this series you will have the knowledge to light your models!

So if you have a particular lighting scenario you are struggling with, or a model type you would like to see featured please get in touch with me or Bea and I will do my best to cover it in a future article.

Jennifer

Business name: Small Scale Lights Online shop: www.smallscalelights.co.uk Blog: www.smallscalelights.co.uk/blog Facebook: www.facebook.com/smallscalelights

Lighthouse Kit: Seaside Miniatures www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SeasideMiniatures Market Stall Kit: Jane Harrop - www.janeharrop.co.uk 1:48th Fireplace: Small Scale Lights using PP fireplace www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 45

Common ground

COMMON ‘We are not alone…’ …and no, we don’t mean that little green space men have arrived! What we DO mean is that dolls house miniaturists are not alone in the miniature world. In fact, there is a wealth of knowledge, ideas and techniques that we can glean from our modelling cousins. So in this debut issue, we wanted explore the similarities between the dolls house smaller scales and other popular areas within the miniatures world; rather than focus on the differences!

I

t is very easy to think of the dolls house world as a standalone hobby. In scale modelling terms, it features some of the larger scales in the ‘miniature’ world; incorporating everything from 1:6th Barbie accessories to the ever popular and traditional 1:12th scale. But, look a bit closer and there is a whole other world of dolls houses beyond 1:6th pink plastic and mass produced imports.

If you are a fan of smaller scale dolls houses (and I am guessing that you are, given that you are reading this magazine), then there’s a lot to interest you if you go beyond the traditional dolls house world. You may

not realise it yet, but we have some fascinating close cousins within the modelling community as a whole.

If I say the words ‘railway modelling’ to a dolls house enthusiast, nine times out of ten they will immediately think of miniature trains going round and round on a tiny track. But that is only (forgive my pun) a small facet of the hobby. Model rail enthusiasts are a multi-talented bunch. Alongside the technicalities of running rolling stock and the complexities of their electrified layouts and tracks, they are also masters at so many other generic modelling skills too.

Larchbury Station in 1:76 46 | PETITE PROPERTIES

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Common ground

Inside and out…

If you have read our ‘In The Spotlight’ article on page 87, you will already know that our 1:48th Pumpkin Cottage design was the very first PP dolls house to have a landscaped base designed for it. The inspiration for which was directly influenced and inspired by attending a model railway exhibition. And right here is the overlap, where the hobbies merge, as a miniature railway landscape is exactly the same as a

smaller scale dolls house landscape. The materials are the same, the tools the same and the techniques… yep, you’ve guessed it… the same!

However, the similarities don’t stop there. Railway modellers love to add detail, no matter how tiny!

From people, to moving cars, they tackle it all. The buildings that are incorporated into model railway layouts are a key and integral part of the storytelling of the overall scene. Station buildings, line side huts and engine sheds are of course ‘two a penny’ on every layout. But beyond those generic railway structures, is also a wealth of other model buildings that would both interest and fascinate the smaller scale dolls house fan too. Terraced housing, village shops, cottages, farms and churches, all feature heavily in the model railway world.

“

Over the last eight years, it has been a real education to uniquely have one foot in both camps and I have very much enjoyed being part of both miniature arenas.

Bea

Inspirational modelling by Rutherford Appleton Laboratory MRC

“

Setting the actual track and trains to one side, let’s take a closer look at a typical model railway layout.

First of all there is the fundamental layout structure, which can vary drastically in size from a small table top layout to… well, as big as the space and imagination allows! Moving on from the basic foundation structure, comes an element of modelling very close to my heart… and no it isn’t the model buildings; it’s the miniature landscaping. This is an area of the miniature world where railway modellers really stand out. From rural scenes to urban landscapes, from seaside harbours to desolate waste lands; railway modellers tackle them all with verve, skill and enthusiasm.

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PETITE PROPERTIES | 47

Common ground

See page 8 for more information on the mathematics of the three most popular railway scales.

Another (not so) new kid on the block…

A hop skip and a jump from the model railway world is the intriguing and fascinating world of wargaming...

The standard definition of wargaming (if there ever was a standard) is...

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Yet again, there are a vast number of similarities between the wargammers and the world of smaller scale dolls houses. From the scales that are worked in, to the figures and landscaping; wargaming is another string in the smaller scale’s miniature bow.

Often overlooked, wargamers truly excel at figure painting, special effects and also fantasy modelling.

Wargaming incorporates many different genres and styles from mystical, fantasy environments, to period or historical staged settings. Filled interiors also feature in some game play and like on railway layouts; versatile landscaping is once again hugely important.

Uniquely, the scale used is dictated by the height of the figures involved. So for example, a 20mm (4mm to the foot) figure would work with a 1:76 scale setting. Whereas a 35 to 40 mm figure could be featured beside either 1:48 or 1:43.5 miniature structures. From personal experience war game modellers are less precise about the scale of accessories or buildings within their game play and more focused on what looks right to them.

Dolls house smaller scales

y lwa Rai elling d mo

‘A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a simulation of some military operation.’ Wickipedia.

Like railway modellers, wargamers will create simple or elaborate game settings that often include many comparable model buildings or landscaped terrain.

Wa rg am i ng

This was of course our entry point into railway modelling and as a company we have rescaled and adapted many of our existing dolls house designs into any of the three most popular railway scales.

Over the last eight years, it has been a real education to uniquely have one foot in both camps and I have very much enjoyed being part of both miniature arenas. However, one thing that really surprised me was the realisation that railway modellers love an interior! I had assumed their interest was solely focused on the exterior, but how wrong I was!

Instead, what I saw was many stunning buildings with lit rooms; lovingly filled with furniture, accessories and (of course) people. To me, here lies a certain irony; smaller scale dolls house enthusiasts get excited about landscaping bases and railway modeller’s love filling their visible internal rooms!

The ultimate crossover and merging of two pretty separate hobbies.

In this magazine, we plan to explore and celebrate the exciting grey area in the middle of this Venn diagram!

Lynth Haven in 1:76 by Darren Billcock (Photo taken at Warley 2017)

Common ground

Edwardian Splender - Copper Wort Ltd - 1:76 (Photo taken at the British Festival of Railway Modelling 2024)

We are more alike, than we are different!

So you see, it’s not rocket science to recognise the similarities that the world of smaller scale dolls houses shares with these other big areas of the miniature hobby. The blended edges where the three hobbies merge is clearly evident. The similarities in the scales also encourage the sharing of ideas, techniques and materials between the hobbies and it is this ‘common ground’ concept that we are keen to explore further in future issues of this brand new magazine.

Like I said in the introduction, if you focus on the similarities between the dollshouse world and other similar scaled hobby areas, the differences fade and all that’s left is what can be learnt from the common ground that we share.

And finally…

If you are either a railway modeller or a wargamer and you would like to share your building models, interiors or landscapes here in the Petite Properties Magazine, what are you waiting for?

Get in touch, as we would love to include your miniature creations in a future issue!

Contact us: ppmag@petitepropertiesltd.com

Moors View: A stunning example of a winter landscape modelled in 1:148 (Photo taken at Warley 2023) www.petite-properties.com

PETITE PROPERTIES | 49

Alison sutton

1:148h A Tiny Cornish Harbour

Cornish Talented miniaturist; Alison Sutton

We first spotted Alison’s stunning miniature harbour on social media and for us it was definitely a case of love at first sight! Despite knowing that Alison had incorporated some of Petite Properties’ 1:148 model buildings into the scene, when we finally saw it on her display stand at Miniatura a couple of years ago, we just couldn’t get over how tiny it actually was! Despite the size and scale, Alison’s harbour is so beautifully detailed that you can almost hear seagulls overhead…

Miniature ones of course!

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Alison sutton

A

lthough I didn’t own my first proper dolls house until I was an adult, I first entered the magical world of miniatures probably as a child. I was obsessed with my Sindy dolls and eventually persuaded my dad to build me some shelves at the end of my bed. My mum and I then set about making it into Sindy’s house decorating the walls making them into rooms, adding windows and curtains and carpeting the floors. I have always had a love of crafting and one of my first makes as a child was a Sindy boutique made with cardboard and chairs made from yogurt pots.

Alison sutton

Tea & cake...

I met Hazel Dowd who made the most exquisite dressed dolls and mannequins. She had recently started an on line group called Minis4All and she told me all about a workshop weekend she was planning in Lincoln. She persuaded me to attend and it was at that weekend I met some lovely ladies who just so happened to live in the same town as me and so our little club ‘Riverside Miniatures’ was formed. There are only 6 of us taking it in turn meeting at each other’s houses; mainly drinking tea and eating cake!

It was at Miniatura where I first saw the 1:24th finished houses that Bea made. They were beautiful, but I really didn’t think I could make anything small enough to be able to fill them. But with the collection growing and space being at a premium, I succumbed to a little fisherman’s cottage.

Real life then came along, I got married, life took over and I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t done anything with it yet!

It didn’t take long before I got hooked on that scale.

Even though they are so small, they are surprisingly easy to do and paint and not to mention store!! It sounds strange, but the smaller the building, the less precise you need to be; you’re almost creating an illusion.

“

I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some beautiful places across the world, but my absolute favourite place is Cornwall.

Alison.

“

Around 30 years ago, I spotted an advert for a local dolls house fair. I went along and I was mesmerised and hooked. I remember gazing longingly at a beautiful pink dolls house and although I didn’t buy that one, I eventually settled on a large 1:12th scale Georgian mansion, which even now still isn’t finished!

I visited what became my favourite dolls house show, Miniatura, and got chatting to a lady on a stall. She asked me how many dolls houses I’d got. I remember thinking what on earth is she talking about, why would you want more than one dolls house? But before long, my Georgian mansion was joined by a pub, a bridal shop, a tea room, a toy shop, a flower shop… None of them are finished, but I have a very short attention span and I love flitting between projects.

Several 1:48th houses and projects later, Covid hit and overnight the whole world changed. All of a sudden, we were confined to home and although as a Police Officer, I continued to work throughout, I needed something to help fill my free time. I love to travel and even though I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some beautiful places across the world, but my absolute favourite place is Cornwall. We, like many others had had holidays cancelled and so I thought if I can’t go to Cornwall, Cornwall will have to come to me. I researched some houses and soon realised that making a harbour scene in 1:48 was going to be way too big for me. 1:76 was going to be too big too, so I eventually settled on 1:148.

By now, 1:48 had just started to take off and although I thought they were sweet, I really couldn’t see why anyone would be interested in 1:48 because it was so tiny. But as has become the case with me and miniatures, I succumbed again and bought the first ever corner shop kit. We decided to do it as a club project and over the months we all helped each other to build and decorate the little shop.

Alison’s harbour is inspired by Cornwall; a place she loves www.petite-properties.com

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Alison sutton I didn’t want the scene based on an actual place, but more an eclectic mix of my favourite bits of Cornwall. I wanted lots of interest in the scene with little houses, a surf bar, shops, a lifeboat station, rocks, rock pools and ice cream. I started with a small piece of wood which everything was to fit onto. I then built the lifeboat station and a couple of the buildings, placing them on the scene and constantly moving them around until they looked right.

That night fed up that the scene wasn’t quite going to plan, I decided to give myself a manicure. As I was at the buffing stage, I caught the edge of the buffer and realised that if I picked at it, it made some pretty realistic looking rocks. So I finished my nails and then picked the buffer apart before gluing it onto the cliff face and covering it in a fine coating of poly filler.

Painting, as is always the case with me, was a bit of trial and error, building up washes of colour and dry brushing techniques until I was happy with the colour and texture it was providing. All of a sudden, the little scene came to life.

Once I’d settled on the layout, the next job was to build the harbour itself, the cliff wall and the little streets. I needed to give the houses at the back a little bit of height to give the illusion the little town was rising up from the harbour and from here it sort of evolved. I didn’t take any photos as I went along.

To be honest I didn’t think anyone would really be interested in it other than me! (Oh how wrong you were! Bea)

More little houses were built and kit bashed to fit the scene, the fisherman’s cottages up the hill at the back were all kit bashed, steps were built up to the front doors, a flight of steps were built from the harbour up to the lane behind and it was all starting to take shape. I raided my ‘might come in handy one day box' where I found some tiny belaying pins which you use for miniature boat building - I knew they’d come in handy one day! They became the posts to tie the boats to. ‘Metal' stays were put into the harbour wall - this was just bits of cardboard and then painted and made to look like rusty metal. The lobster pots were little plug dowels used for DIY which I cut in half, painted, piled them up and covered with a piece of netting.

Shops were closed and resources were extremely limited, so in the main the harbour was built with ‘bits’ from my extensive stash. Bits of wood, cardboard, cereal packets, foam core board and thank goodness for a pot of poly filler I found in the garage which I used to cover the base before I etched in all the little paving slabs and cobbles with a pin.

The harbour wall was probably the trickiest bit of the build. I tried scrunching some cooking foil, that didn’t work, then I tried blobbing the Polyfiller, that also didn’t work because as it dried it just all ran together in a blobby mess.

A 1:148th diorama, not much bigger than a pencil!

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Kit bashing & cardboard...

But it needed more, so I then set to work scouring on line railway shops to find the little finishing touches, the harbour railings, street lamps, benches, boats, the ice cream van, tiny little seagulls, after all you can’t have a Cornish harbour without a few seagulls!

Alison sutton

When you’re working with something in such a tiny scale, even normal sand looked way too big, so I used some chinchilla sand from the pet shop. It works really well in this tiny scale on buildings as a sort of pebble dash effect. Once sand is stuck to the building, all you need is a damp paintbrush with dirty water when you touch it on the sand rather than brushing it, the dirty water spreads across the sand and creates a really nice variegated effect.

I was really pleased with the final outcome, and I saw a post from Miniatura asking what people had been working on during lockdown. I sent in pictures of the harbour and everything snowballed from there! I was asked to exhibit at the show, which I was completely overwhelmed about. I couldn’t believe that people would be interested in my little creations but they were! The feedback I received was amazing and so I decided to start my own little Instagram and Facebook page to showcase some of my miniatures.

Today I make all sorts in a range of scales, depending on what mood I’m in! I’m particularly fond of the tiny scales because you can get so much detail in them and they don’t take up much room!

Future plans...

I have a list of things I want to recreate in tiny 1:148th Miniature, a little Turkish street with a bougainvillea filled balcony, a little railway scene with a railway station and the Flying Scotsman train, a New York brownstone building with all the ladders and I would

love to do another harbour. Learning from what I’ve done before, but maybe refining it a little bit more.

It would probably look entirely different. although you can’t have a Cornish harbour without a lifeboat station or the seagulls so some bits would have to stay.

One day, I would love to be able to make a business out of doing something I love, but for now although I retired as an officer, I’m still working so miniatures are a steady hobby when real life allows. That said, if someone would like me to make something specifically for them, let me know! I love miniatures and I can pretty much turn my hand to most things.

It’s such an amazing hobby, full of lovely people and what better way is there to unwind than to hide in my craft room for a few hours.

Alison

Alison Sutton Miniatures - @alisonsuttonminiatures

Love what you see?

Alison is currently accepting commissions and can be contacted via either her Facebook or Instagram accounts Image credit – Alison Sutton www.petite-properties.com

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The bookshelf

the What’s the famous saying? “It’s all in the planning…”

I think that most miniaturists would agree. Planning a new miniature project, dolls house or diorama, is for many, the most enjoyable part of the creative process.

Personally, I relish getting stuck into researching an idea. So much so, that I can almost spend more time on the planning, than the actual doing!

W

ith the world now literally at our fingertips, the internet has understandably become our ‘go to’ research resource. Faced with the need for information, these days we simply reach for our phone or tablet; knowing that a simple online search will yield immediate results for infinite search topics.

Undeniably, the internet is a treasure trove of potential resources for miniaturists in research mode.

Gone are the days of spending hours in a hushed library, when you can now jump into a virtual rabbit hole and research from the comfort of your own home.

But no matter how instant, easy, addictive and accessible the world wide web may be, to my mind there is still nothing more satisfying than sitting down with a cuppa, a note pad and a generous stack of well-thumbed reference books.

In 2024, we may hold virtual libraries in the palm of our hand, but when I am researching a new design or idea for PP, I do like to dive into a physical book. Is it the smell? Is it the tactile feel? I’m not sure. But what I do know is that shelves in my work room and home are filled with new and worn reference books.

My collection of books, covers all aspects of my miniature design work; from modern catalogues of antique furniture to rare, fragile books celebrating elegant Parisian architecture.

Over the years, I have been very fortunate to have accumulated a considerable reference library of my own. Books play a huge part in my creative process and through recent conversations with fellow miniaturists; I know that I am certainly not alone.

Using the wonderful members of ‘Petite Properties Modelling Community’ as a sounding board, I followed their recent discussion about reference books with keen interest. So many members enthusiastically shared their favourite ‘go to’ titles and recommended interesting books that they had used to research their miniature creations. Very quickly I found myself reaching for a pen and paper to jot them down, so that I could add them to my little library too!

With this in mind, the concept for this regular feature took form. In each edition of The Bookshelf, fellow smaller scale miniaturists will share their recommendations for books that they have found either inspiring, or have helped them research their miniature creations in some way.

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The bookshelf So, to kick off this very first feature, I thought I would start the ball rolling and share my top three favourite research books from my own reference library. They may be ones that you already have too, but if not, I hope you make room for them on your books shelves very soon. Happy reading!

The Observer’s Book Of Architecture

By John Penoyre & Michael Ryan.

(1954) This little pocket publication is one of my smallest books, but it is also a big favourite. First published in 1954, it explores the development of buildings in Britain from Saxon times to the date of publication.

The Shell Book Of Cottages

By Richard Reid.

(1977) This is another of my charity book shop finds and a book that I refer to a lot! It combines simple ink illustrations and black and white photographs of both the interior and exterior of a wide array of cottages.

Filled with simple illustrations of key architectural features, it is a great point of reference for dating purposes. The ink illustrations, with added block colouring directly inspired the simple door drawings that I designed for our Advent Calendar envelopes.

This little book also provides a potted history of the evolution of cottage architecture and explores regional vernacular styles (something that particularly fascinates me). The book helpfully provides information regarding different construction materials that are used throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

It is such a sweet little book and a much loved charity shop find!

My hardback copy is well thumbed and much used.

Discovering Timber-Framed Buildings

By Richard Harris.

(1978) An unassuming little paperback book, but it’s a great read if you are interested in learning more about timber-framed buildings.

Concisely written, with clear illustrations and black and white photographs, this informative and inspirational book is ideal for anyone who is interested in replicating timber framed building in miniature.

Do you have a favourite book that you have found helpful for your miniature projects, which you would like to recommend to readers?

Then why not get in touch with us, so that we can share it here!

We look forward to sharing your recommendations in future issues!

The Bookshelf - ppmag@petitepropertiesltd.com www.petite-properties.com

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Spectacular vernacular

spectacular vernacular

Haddon hall This may well be a miniature modelling magazine, but from the very outset of its conception, I wanted it to include and feature full scale architecture and real life places. Why? Well the miniatures that I design and make are almost exclusively inspired by the architecture that I have seen or that which surrounds me at home in rural Lincolnshire. Indeed most miniaturists I know find the full scale world a natural starting point for their small scale creations. So each issue of this new magazine will showcase real architecture from all over the UK. To kick off our very first article in our Spectacular Vernacular series, I thought it would be apt to go back to the very beginning and revisit the property that began my journey into the miniature world. An ancient dwelling that set off my lifelong love affair (nay obsession) with architecture some forty odd years ago.

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Spectacular vernacular

I

have been fascinated by architecture from a young age, but interestingly I can trace back to the very moment that I became hooked. I grew up in classic Hertfordshire suburbia, amidst a sea of mid-20th century houses. Not ugly architecture, by any means and for a 1970s baby it was a very comfortable environment. But then it happened. I came face to face with an architectural gem of a building and I was literally changed forever.

Full of excitement on a school trip to Derbyshire, I was in primary school when I first stepped over the age worn threshold of Haddon Hall. Even at such a young age, I distinctly remember becoming awestruck at the sight of this most ancient house. My arms became covered with goose bumps; a reaction and memory that has stayed with me ever since.

Entering Haddon Hall was like stepping back in time.

Aged 10, I had never seen a building like it before and it was definitely love at first sight! My memories of the whole visit are admittedly a little fractured by

“

time, but the worn stone steps, the undulating leaded windows and the dark wood panelling are snapshots in my memory that have never faded. With hindsight, I truly believe that the moment I stepped into the hall was the exact point that I Be a... fell in love with buildings and properly noticed architecture for the very first time.

Last summer, some forty years after my school trip, I finally got the opportunity to return to Haddon Hall; this time dragging poor Tony with me! In part, I was intrigued to see how it would feel to return. To see whether adult eyes would lessen the impact of the architecture, or if this ancient building would still affect me four decades on. I should never have doubted the tangible magic of Haddon Hall. Tony and I stepped through the same worn entrance door in silence. Nothing had changed and my goose bumps returned; “Wow” was all Tony said.

We visited in late June, when the hall was very quiet and there were only a few visitors, which made it feel as if we had the place all to ourselves.

Bea.

“ www.petite-properties.com

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Spectacular vernacular Approached across a small stone bridge over the river Wye, the entrance into Haddon Hall has remained relatively unchanged over the centuries. Worn and tired stone steps lead upward to the entrance under the North West tower. Here, ominous towering oak doors lead into the lower courtyard.

Although there has been a dwelling on the site of Haddon Hall since 1150, the main structure that you see today was mostly built in the 16th century. Now as an adult, I have learned more about the history of this beautiful building; famed to be ‘one of England’s oldest and most romantic houses’. Although reminiscent of a castle, Haddon Hall is actually a fortified manor house. Built from limestone and gritstone, the layout and formation of the hall have evolved over time.

Banqueting Hall Built in the 14th century this area of the house would have originally been a communal living space. But over time it evolved into an entertainment space where banquets were held.

Set above the banqueting space is the Minstrels’ Gallery, which was constructed in the 15th century.

The Parlour This stunning Tudor dining room is still used to this very day. The low ceiling and decorative wall panels Inside the entrance door... make it an intimate space and the soft daylight on the day we visited made us feel like we had somehow stepped back in time.

The Parlour or Dining Room...

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The banqueting hall with minstrel’s gallery above

Spectacular vernacular The Kitchen The kitchen at Haddon Hall is one of the finest surviving examples of a Tudor kitchen and comprises of multiple rooms including a bakery, milk larder and butchery. The kitchen area was originally separate from the main house to reduce the risk of fire.

The Long Gallery The Long Gallery was originally used as a place for the family to exercise and promenade, protected from the worst of the British weather. When we visited, the South East side of the gallery was undergoing some building works and repairs, but despite this disruption it didn’t diminish the ‘wow factor’ of this extraordinary and ancient room.

FUN FACT: Simple ‘dole’ cupboards were often found outside of large houses and were filled with food and leftovers for passing traders or estate workers to take their fill.

The modern phrase ‘on the dole’ (receiving state benefit), originates from the purpose of the ‘dole’ cupboard.

See the selection of dole cupboard (at the rear)...

The Gardens It’s true that the hall’s external architecture is very dominant and masculine, but the turrets and castellated battlements that adorn it were added for fashion, not function. However, the gardens that

A rare example of a surviving Tudor kitchen... www.petite-properties.com

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Spectacular vernacular

The impressive Long Gallery...

surround the house, soften its limestone walls and add a definite air of romance.

Tiered into descending terraces, the gardens, like the house, have evolved over time. With a back drop of ancient park land and of course the surrounding Derbyshire countryside, the views on each level are simply stunning; even on the dullish day that Roses at Haddon Hall... we visited. Sadly, we had missed the fullest flush of the summer roses that Haddon Hall’s gardens are famed for; but there were still enough blooms evident to both smell and enjoy.

As the hall remains little changed over previous centuries (thanks in part to an extended period during its history when it was empty), it is no surprise that it is regularly used as a backdrop for period dramas and historical feature films. Wandering around, it is easy to imagine Tudor women parading through the long 60| PETITE PROPERTIES

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#beasresearch

Spectacular vernacular gallery, deep in conversation and a house full with the bustle and noise of medieval daily life…

Today, Haddon Hall remains in the care of the Manner’s family and it is still very much a family home. But if you ever get the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend that you do and hopefully it will be your turn to become not only covered in goose bumps, but lost for words too!

If you would like to find out more about Haddon Hall, or plan your visit, simply head to the hall’s website for further information...

www.haddonhall.co.uk In issue 2, we exchange medieval romance for faux Venetian architecture, when we take a trip to a very elegant jewel in deepest Dorset’s crown…

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Project - display domes

Display DOMES 2

3

IDEAL DISPLAY IDEA FOR THE SMALLER SCALES

1

Are you running out of display space, but still want to enjoy your smaller scale creations? Then I have just the solution!

Why not have a go at creating your own DIY display domes.

Not only are they a stylish and dust free solution for displaying your much loved miniature creations, but they can be filled with tiny houses, dolls, furniture or even smaller scale vignettes! Best of all, all you need to make them are a few empty plastic bottles and a little bit of creative magic..!

materials

tools

Empty plastic bottles Foam Core board, MDF or thick card Masking tape

Craft knife Small scissors Small hack saw Metal ruler (with finger guard) Fine sand paper Drawing compass & pencil Assorted paint brushes

The way that you decorate your display dome is up to you, but I used the following items...

PVA Adhesive (see page 22) UHU or super glue Paint brushes Drawer pulls Ornamental feet or PP off cuts pieces.

Cereal box card Fancy sticker boarder (used for card making)

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Paint Black acrylic paint (matt) Bronze acrylic paint (matt) Medium brown spray paint PP’s Gold Highlighting Paint

1 3

1

First, you need to select the bottles that you are going to use for your dome(s). Ideally you want bottles that are an interesting shape, with a smooth and uncoloured finish.

Remove any labels and contents, then wash out thoroughly with hot water.

Leave to dry.

My bottles: I used a hand wash bottle (1), a 2 litre fizzy drink bottle (2) & a shower gel bottle (3) to create my display domes.

Project - Display domes

2

Cut the bottom off of the plastic bottle, to create a dome to the height you require.

1

Masking tape

4

To ensure I was able to cut a level horizontal line, I first stuck a length of masking tape onto the bottle to use as a guide line when cutting. I found a small pair of scissors cut the plastic bottle most accurately.

3 1

3

I used a small hack saw to carefully remove the top part of the bottle’s screw top.

5

My three display domes are all different, but they were roughly constructed in the same way.

1 I decided to paint the top of the neck edge of two of my bottles to help the top handle blend in better.

(See step 7 for paint technique and colours used.)

6

I used a selection of inexpensive little metal drawer pulls, handles and trinket box feet to create the all important finishing touches on my domes.

(All of which were bought online.)

I also used some circular off cuts of MDF to create feet pads on one of the domes.

Paint information This project is a great way to use up left over paint from previous projects. The dome’s bases and handles can of course be finished however you like; from shabby chic pale tones to a complimentary colour that works with the content... It is really up to you!

I chose traditional bronze and gold finishes as I wanted to try and match the colours of the bronze / brass feet and handles that I had bought online.

2

Each dome consists of a base, the plastic dome and also a fitted decorative handle at the top.

7 Dry brush Paint technique ‘Dry brush distressing’ is one of the easiest techniques to master and (in my opinion) one of the most effective too! To dry brush, simply take a completely dry, clean brush and load with a tiny amount of paint. Remove the excess paint from the brush using a piece of tissue.

Apply the distressing paint in gentle circular movements over the object you wish to age.

Paint will then catch onto the edges or on surface details. Please note that applying the dry brush technique over matt paint will give a dirtier finish, as matt paint will absorb more of the distressing colour used. www.petite-properties.com

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Project - display domes Diagrams are not actual size!

8

DomeI traced 1 around the

B

All of the dome’s top handle supports or bases were made out of layers.

A I used layers of MDF off cuts, but foam core board, or thick card works equally well and can be cut easily with a craft knife or scalpel. I stuck the layers A and B together with PVA adhesive.

C Then glued the handle on top with UHU glue.

B

A

D

9

base of the plastic bottle to see the shape that I needed to accommodate for the base, then cut two layers of MDF see parts C and D. These were then stuck together and the feet added to the corner sections.

D C

E F

10

C

Dome round 2 that you have, such as

B

The second dome was made in exactly the same way as dome 1, only I A used multiple circular A pieces for the base. Each layer was stacked on top of one another to create a solid base. To draw the circles you could use a drawing compass or even draw around anything B

D

B

C

drinking glasses or small dishes.

G I painted all of my ornamental domes in the same way. First, I (Underside) applied two coats of black acrylic paint (allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next). I then applied either gold or bronze paint with a dry brush, see previous page...

D

Dome 3

E

F

G

D

For dome 3 I wanted to C x3 create a deeper base, A so I used more layers.

To hide the edges of E A the layers, I cut a I then spray painted the base and cap of dome 3 length of card from a cereal box, then stuck in with medium brown paint. When dry, I distressed around the edge of the base. When dry, I stuck them with PP’s Gold Highlighting paint. some ornamental gold stickers (normally used to make greeting cards) onto the card strip to add detail.

C x3 E D To create the feet pads on the underside of the base, I used three circular PP card off cuts.

(Underside) B

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Theresa macarty-fruen

A celebration of tiny dolls...

TMF

Miniatures Tiny dolls, huge talent!

Theresa Macarty-Fruen

We first stumbled across Theresa’s beautiful quarter scale dolls when she joined Petite Properties’ Modelling Community and we were collectively blown away by the level of detail she manages to achieve in such a small scale. Our paths then physically crossed at the Kensington Dolls House Festival last year, where we were able to take a much closer look at her wonderful dolls ‘in the flesh’ so to speak. Although, by the time we reached her stand, there wasn’t many of her dolls left to see, as most of them had sold!

I

have been a professional miniaturist for the best part of 40 years (Wait!! Where did that time go?)

I am a self-taught miniature artist, who predominantly creates dolls. However, I enjoy a varied career, despite now being in my 60s, I also work as a dance teacher and therapist. I consider myself very lucky to be earning a living doing the things that I feel so passionately about and which began as hobbies!

I make dolls in 1:48thscale and some of them even have dolls of their own. I aim to produce dolls with the same level of detail as you would find in a 1:12th

scale doll and that tell their own story. I believe there is something almost theatrical about this scale, so I see them as mini character actors within the scene.

When I was a child, my dad had a dolls house made for me. It was a little bungalow with a built in garage.

I spent more time making furniture and curtains than I did actually playing with it. You’d be amazed at what I created with matchboxes and pretty handkerchiefs!

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Theresa macarty-fruen When Das clay became available in our local model shop, I bought some and started making dolls that resembled old wooden peg dolls, but their limbs moved and I was very proud of them. I have had a fascination for dolls for as long as I can remember. I spent many a happy hour at the Bethnal Green museum of childhood. Also, the toy museum at Penshurst Place in Kent. I became quite knowledgeable about the famous doll makers of the past like Armand Marseille, Jumeau and Bru. As a teenager, I often got asked to repair dolls and this extended to antique dolls by my late teens and early 20s.

At age 22 I decided to do a porcelain doll making course with a company called ‘Recollect’ in Brighton.

The training took place in an old Victorian school house. If I ever win the lottery, I would love to live in

one! From then onwards, I was hooked. However, I became frustrated with the production line aspect of this and that I would see the same doll faces at every show, produced by different doll makers. These porcelain dolls were made from molds that represented some other artist’s work. There is nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to be that artist, someone who produces a piece of art from nothing. This is when I discovered polymer clay and the process of sculpting!

In those early days, I borrowed the money from my dad so that I could buy a kiln. As I was duty bound to repay that debt, I had to turn professional immediately. I was young and it never occurred to me that I may not be successful. It was a struggle, as the Kensington shows have always had high standards which I never felt I met. I only had a plain table with a cloth on it and a few dolls. One day a lady appeared in front of me and told me I was selling my work too cheaply. I explained that I still wasn’t Work in progress...

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My favourite part of the process is definitely the dressing, but doing the hair is fun too.

I just love creating the finest details and the challenge of achieving the perfect silhouette.

Theresa

”

Theresa macarty-fruen selling despite the price. She stood in the middle of the gangway and called out ‘come and see these beautiful dolls that this young girl makes’! Suddenly I had a sea of faces in front of me, followed by an empty table. Now, I was a professional and a grateful one at that!

My workshop is my dining room at home, where I am an expert at creating a mess. I have little sense of organisation, which I find frustrating, but I can only work with who I am. I am much less philosophical about that when I drop a 1:48th scale nose on the floor which will never be seen again. I work on a large table that is usually covered in the resources that I use in doll making as I like everything ‘to hand’. This leads to me being restricted to a very small part of the table.

The creative process...

I begin creating a doll by having some concept in mind. For example, I set out to create a Victorian skater for my display at the Kensington Doll’s House Festival in December. However, she took on a life of her own as I worked.

She ended up as an Edwardian lady who could easily have been a suffragette. I then use fine jewellery wire to create an armature. Then the fun bit starts.

Out comes the clay and I sculpt the head, torso, hands and feet. I have used some of my shoe sculptures to make little molds which can be helpful.

I use a mixture of pastels and acrylic paints to do the features and it all gets baked in my little mini oven. I dress each doll from scratch, using scraps of material and sometimes print my own designs. I don't really use patterns as I know what shapes and sizes to cut. I do hope one day, to design some patterns and save myself some time!

“

I absolutely adore making dolls depicting the late Victorian and Edwardian era.

I think they showcase my skills the best.

I’ve also felt an affinity to this era since childhood. I also love to create portrait dolls; anyone from the late Queen and Paddington to Rose DeWitt Bukater.

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Theresa macarty-fruen In fact, Rose is definitely my favourite to date. I designed and printed the fabrics for her dress myself with close attention to the details and scale. Would you believe that I literally counted the number of stripes in the costume’s fabric and used that as my measurement for the miniature version?

My favourite part of the process is definitely the dressing, but doing the hair is fun too. I just love creating the finest details and the challenge of achieving the perfect silhouette. My least favourite part of the process is sculpting the hands and feet. I literally sculpt each individual finger, so God help the postman if he rings the doorbell at this point or my phone rings!

satisfied until the finished product looks like that picture. The other challenge is backache. Spending hours hunched over a new creation is painful at times.

Disasters & eureka moments...

Occasionally there have been dolls that have burned in the baking process. After so many hours work, this can be heart-breaking. The tiny amounts of clay that are used, particularly for fingers or noses, make this such a delicate thing. Clay baking instructions are given on the packet but are based on much larger amounts of clay than I generally use. Nowadays, I cover my work with a damp cloth and aluminium foil on top. I find this is very successful.

My most disastrous creation was my very first clay The most challenging part of my work is time baby. She looked like a Martian rather than the management. I am very bad at that generally but I adorable, lifelike babies I’d seen online and so finish a doll and then imagine what they might look admired. It was fine though. I learned loads and I like with a teddy bear or a named her Marsha … I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for parasol. Usually at 3am! her, so I appreciate her massively!

Suddenly I’ve made another Edwardian elegance...

I am very critical of my work and whole load of work for myself, seek to better my previous creation figuring out how to make said every time. However, periodically I teddy or parasol. However, I have a eureka moment, when I can’t ignore the picture I have produce something that I am proud in my mind. I am never truly of. This usually occurs when I come up with a new technique and it actually works. Suddenly, all the blood, sweat and tears are forgotten and I sit back in awe of the achievement. I think the feeling is similar to the moment your newborn baby is placed in your arms!

Night time inspiration...

I get inspiration from so many sources. Often, it’s childhood stories, as an ex professional performer, it can be a show. I am also inspired by my highly imaginative customers who request commission pieces so they can complete their miniature scene. Some want to recreate past family members, favourite stories or films.

Theresa’s ‘Rose’ inspired by the film Titanic...

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Ideas keep me awake at night on a regular basis. I am not keen on sleeping anyway, but unlike other insomniacs, I see it as a blessing.

The peace, calm and comfort of the night often gives rise to an amazing idea for a new

Theresa macarty-fruen usually let me down. Each doll takes between 10 and 20 hours to create. They are incredibly labour intensive, but each one is a labour of love. I hope that shines through. I found it very difficult to part with my dolls to begin with, but I’ve done it for so long now that I am able to detach quite easily. I think my relationship with them ends, the second I put them into their tiny box ready to be re homed.

Looking forward to KDF...

I do accept commissions, but as I always have a long list (in addition to the production time), I periodically close the list. I am fortunate to have some very understanding and patient customers and my dolls end up in parts of the world that I could never expect to visit. It’s so thrilling to receive a message from a customer who is delighted with their doll.

creation. Then there’s the ‘how’ to consider. I’d say that most of my planning takes place in the dead of night.

I do a lot of research into the dolls. If I’m making a portrait doll, I find out the height of the person first and scale them down to 1:48th. Otherwise I tend to use average heights. Any period costumes are usually simplified versions of originals as I have to reduce bulk. Otherwise, I design and create from my own imagination and experience. My research usually involves trawling the internet but I do have a lot of reference books as well. I do lots of screenshots when I’m working on a new project. As a result, I have around 40,000 photos on my phone. One of the main issues I find where research is concerned, is that it can be quite difficult to find a back view of outfits.

I have an Etsy store, but I don’t stock it very often.

When I do, the dolls sell out before I can announce the restock online. But now that I am back to live shows, it’s challenging enough to produce stock for them. Currently, I exhibit at the Kensington Doll’s House Festivals twice a year which I have loved returning to, as it’s been amazing to put faces to names. I don’t think you can beat the excitement of meeting with likeminded people, or the looks on their faces as they scan all my little characters. I realised back in December, just how much I’d missed that so I am really excited to be back at KDF in May. But in the meantime, desk is full of leftovers from my Titanic and ‘Gone with the Wind’ projects. Although I should be clearing them away, I’m afraid I’ve got rather excited about some children in their summer sailor dresses and they’re running amok right now.

Tiny labours of love...

I don’t always plan my projects however.

Sometimes I tip lots of different fabrics out and pair them up. If I like the way they look together, that may generate an idea for an outfit. I allow my creative process to take over and see where it leads. It doesn’t

Theresa’s stand at KDF last year... www.petite-properties.com

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Theresa macarty-fruen Each new project is a source of great excitement to me and I plan to continue producing my very best works. However, before I retire, I would like to write a 1:48th scale doll making book so that I can pass the baton on to the next generation of artists.

Above all, I love that my work allows me to totally immerse myself in a fantasy world. I can bring the past to life, recreate famous stories or make mini versions of people’s loved ones. We live in a very challenging world right now and doll making/ miniatures provides a wonderful escape from that.

It’s the best therapy I know and I get to meet some wonderful 1:1 scale people too!

Another of Theresa’s stunning tiny characters ...

Theresa

Email: tmfminis@yahoo.com Etsy Shop: TMFminiatures @tmfemporium

If you would like to see Theresa’s beautiful dolls ‘in the flesh’, why not visit the Kensington Dolls House Festival this May; it’s a marvellous mini day out!

www.dollshouseshowcase.com

PETITE PROPERTIES Modelling Community Founded in 2019, our PP Facebook group (PPMC) was created as an online forum, where our customers can come together and share their Petite Properties’ creations, get advice and ultimately... be inspired!

It is also a platform where the PP Team are able to assist our customers and also share news and announcements too. Membership of our Facebook community is open to

SMALLER SCALE enthusiasts working in any of the following scales: 1:24, 1:48, 1:144 & 1:43.5, 1:76, 1:148.

We now have around 3000 members, spread all over the world. To celebrate this vast pool of talent and knowledge, we will be regularly featuring many PPMC members and the smaller scale miniatures that they Create, in future issues of this brand new magazine!

So, if you would like to join in the fun, simply head to the link below...

We look forward to welcoming you aboard!

The PP Team

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WORKBENCH In a world where you can be anything, be a womble!

Bea’s workbench in The Old Chapel Room

I

know that I am incredibly lucky to do the job I do and to work where I do too! My artistic home is an Old Methodist Church, where I work in a bright and airy Chapel Room. My workbench is an unwanted kitchen island, bought locally from Facebook market place, which we recycled and repurposed. It is my creative space and my artistic hub. Although Mo would probably argue, that any flat surface in my vicinity is a horizontal outpost for me; liable to become an ‘over spill area’ for my creativity.

She has a point. I digress.

Unsurprisingly, this regular feature will focus on my workbench. What’s in it, on it… or (as quite often happens) what’s spilling off of it. Although at the time of writing, I literally have a whole miniature Cornish inspired harbour strewn across it and multiple other flat surfaces too. But for this very first instalment, I thought I would start at the beginning and share some of the more unusual items that my workbench contains… the kind of random bits and bobs of helpfulness that I have accumulated and use every single time I create.

A great feature of my new work bench is that (for the first time ever) I am able to work at it from all sides and so the drawers and cupboards it contains can be filled with all those items that need to be close at hand; but which Mo prefers ‘out of sight’. She has a point (again). Although I love my creative space, it is

not mine alone and both Mo and Tony also have desks in the Chapel Room. So I am trying, to be a good work neighbour and be a tidy one too!

Inspiration from the back of a drawer…

As a child, I fondly remember the 1970s TV programme; The Wombles. Wombles were kind, furry subterranean creatures, who were super inquisitive and positively LOVED to recycle! Although I’m neither furry, nor subterranean, I can wholeheartedly relate!

I spend a good chunk of my working life creating, so finding useful cheap or free items feels like a definite win. As a result, I am always on the lookout for handy things that I can repurpose and re-use.

For example, one of my most used items, was discovered many years ago, when I cleared out our sideboard at home. Chopstick rests. No idea where they came from, but I found them languishing, unused at the back of a drawer. Now I use them daily, as paint brush rests and they work a treat!

Chopstick rests work brilliantly for paint brushes too! www.petite-properties.com

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Bea’s workbench Another kitchen item that I have used since the very beginning of PP are metal cake cooling racks. Not the posh tiered kind with rims, but the cheap inexpensive racks that can be readily found in budget stores and discount warehouses. They come in all shapes and sizes and I use them as handy drying racks for painted kit parts.

Inexpensive cake racks make ideal drying racks, as painted items don’t stick to them and dry much quicker on them.

Bea tries to re-use ‘single use’ plastic where ever possible!

Yoghurt pots, butter tubs, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese containers, they are all kept in our home as they provide free, reusable storage for almost anything! I use mine to keep landscaping scatter uncontaminated and organised. They are also ideal for storing left over paint for the duration of a project. Basically, any plastic tub with a lid can be washed, labelled and reused. Those Wombles would be proud!

Re-use, re-purpose and recycle!

However, my second use for them may not be so obvious… In the past, as space in my work area has been at a premium, my laptop used to have to share my workbench’s surface with my creative space. This was a problem, as not only am I notoriously messy, but I’m also accident prone too. On my workbench, my old laptop was literally a sitting duck, awaiting some kind of paint based liquid spillage disaster. The solution… I placed my laptop on top of a cooling rack, as this not only elevated it safely away from potential spills, but also helped it to keep cool when my workshop got hot during the summer months!

A reason to eat cake…

As many of our customers already know, Tony does like his cake. Sadly, I am no baker, so he is often found squirrelling away shop brought goodies in his desk drawers. Although not greatly helpful to his waistline, the plastic sectioned containers which his cakes come in are a great help to me as paint trays. I always keep a collection of them in the basket drawer of my work bench, so that they are close at hand. I use them for colour mixing and for containing and keeping paint separate when sponge painting. The trays can be washed after use with hot soapy water; making a single use plastic item – reusable and free!

(As long as you don’t count the cost of the baked goods they originally contained!)

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Do you have a sweet tooth? Well if anyone needs a bona fide justification for purchasing deliciously indulgent glass potted desserts, then this top tip is just for you! Of course being glass, these little pots have a wide variety of uses, but I use them as either glue pots or for storing miniature items that I know are liable to get lost and never be seen again… For the latter, simply cover the pot with a Pringle tube lid and voila; a free work top storage pot!

These little glass dishes make ideal glue pots for PVA adhesive. To save money, I often make my own ‘high tack’ adhesive by leaving a glass pot filled with some of my regular PVA uncovered on my workbench for several days.

This allows the PVA to dry out, creating inexpensive and incredibly sticky glue that is ideal to use for smaller scale furniture kit construction...

Bea’s workbench

Bea keeps a stock of plastic disposable lids and reuses them as paint trays and pallets...

(I apply it with the point of a cocktail stick).

However if, like me, you forget about said glue pot and the adhesive completely dries out; you can simply peel away the dry glue out of the dish and start again… No need to even washout the pot!

I have a bucket of different styles and sizes of pegs that I have collected over the years. They are a simple, inexpensive solution when you run out of either hands or patience to hold individual pieces of a kit together.

Pringle lids & plastic vegetable trays are both a very common sight on my work bench. I use both when I sponge paint, as they provide a washable flat surface to apply the paint evenly to the sponge. As before they can both be washed and reused almost indefinitely.

So there you have it, just a few of my accumulated recycled items that I use every day. You may or may not be inspired by them, but I hope that at the very least you will actively seek out single use plastic items or everyday household objects and find a satisfying or hidden use for them.

Regular readers of my old monthly column in Dolls House & Miniature Scene Magazine, will already know that I like to keep a stash of household pegs on my workbench.

Remember, make the Wombles proud and happy mini-ing!

Did you know that Pringle lids fit these popular and decadent glass dessert dishes?

#beasworkbench www.petite-properties.com

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Discussion point

of Has half scale lost its crown?

20+ years ago I founded Petite Properties and at that time I worked exclusively in 1:24th scale. Over the years since, the emergence and success of quarter scale seems to have actively side-lined its larger cousin. But why?

Half scale miniatures are large enough to retain a high level of detail, yet take up half the space of their 1:12th scale counterparts.

Have 1:24th miniatures fallen out of favour or has the king of the smaller scales lost its crown?

Why is half scale being overlooked, whilst 1:48th scale miniatures continue to go from strength to strength? Is it down to cost or space? I raised this issue on our Facebook forum: Petite Properties’ Modelling Community (PPMC) and I had a mixed response...

I

have been an ardent fan of half scale miniatures since the very beginning of my career and as you will have already read on page 5, I have a deep fondness for the scale that continues to this very day.

In the early years of my career, I watched on as the half scale seemed to steadily increase in popularity.

But then about a decade ago, here in the UK the buzz seemed to dissipate and this wonderful scale appeared to stall in favour. At the same time, quarter scale miniatures were quickly emerging onto the miniature scene and (to me) it felt that 1:24th 74 | PETITE PROPERTIES

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A half scale bed, scratch built from cardboard

scale lost its momentum and interest in it cooled.

In the UK, quarter scale created a real buzz and for us as a miniature business, sales dictated that our focus and impetuous be channelled into this area of the smaller scales. It wasn’t long before the half scale market felt flat and although we (PP) continued to release half scale products, the interest in them was always hugely pegged back when compared to similar 1:48th items.

Of course, as was pointed out to me when I raised this subject on Petite Properties’ Modelling Community

Discussion point Forum, perhaps the half scale products which we create are not refined enough or to the taste of the current half scale fan. It is a fair point and it could be the case. We work hard to design and manufacture the 1:24th scale miniature kits that we offer, but we fully understand that our creations won’t be to every miniaturist’s tastes. A PPMC member also pointed out that our perception of half scale market was distorted by our experience of it. However, I feel that this is simply not the case as many of my fellow professional artisans, miniaturists and retailers have said and have noticed the same thing.

I see it at UK shows… or rather, I don’t. A slow retreat in all things 1:24th. Ten years ago in the UK, you would have found half scale miniatures on many stands at events all of the country. Fast forward to the current day and quarter scale seems to have stealthily spread; whilst 1:24th miniatures have begun to slowly disappear. It is an observation that many others with in the UK dolls house industry have noticed too. Customers and colleagues have all told us that they find affordable half scale miniatures more and more difficult to track down. But why?

In my initial post about this subject to forum members, I expressed the changes I have witnessing in the miniature world over the last 20+ years and the point that I tried to make was that the half scale

world as a whole seems to lack the buzz that other Smaller scales receive. Indeed, I know of numerous other miniature businesses that have either reduced the number of 1:24th items they offer or ceased to work in this scale altogether.

I am aware that up until now this article has more questions in it than answers...

“

It doesn’t matter what style of 1:24th miniatures you make or produce, either in a professional or hobbyist capacity, we just want to hear from you!

Mo.

”

A county bedroom in 1:24

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Discussion point Scratch built half scale dolls house by Bea (2009)



Love Half Scale?

Then contact us today! ppmag@petitepropertiesltd.com

In truth, I am no oracle and I am not sure what the solution is. But as more and more 1:12 scale miniaturist are downsizing to the smaller scales, surely 1:24th scale should be GAINING fans, not being relegated to the side lines?

However, we know that there are so many passionate half scale miniaturists out there and I think a spell in the spotlight is well over due for this adorable and versatile scale.

So here is what this magazine is going to do…

Are you a half scale fan?

Then we want to hear from you...

It doesn’t matter what style of 1:24th miniatures you make or produce, either in a professional or hobbyist capacity, we just want to hear from you!

Mo and I are determined to encourage more interest in half scale miniatures and we want to feature more and more1:24th scale creations within the pages brand new magazine.

In short, we’re offering a unique global platform within future issues of this magazine: where we can showcase just what is achievable in 1:24. So what have you got to lose? Why not get in touch and help us replace the king of the smaller scale’s crown!

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A cottage bedroom in 1:24

Hill Top

Hill Top Farm, Cumbria...

As you can imagine we get to see and admire quite a few completed Petite Properties’ dolls houses and we love sharing our customer’s creative adventures. When a new kit enters production, it is time for me to make a ‘master model’ of the new design. This master model is photographed and used as an example of a completed and decorated kit and it is also used as a display model on the PP stand at shows.

Many miniaturists choose to replicate the way I have built and finished the master model, but sometimes they really let their imagination flow and a whole load of kit bashing takes place. Often customers apologise to us for adapting our model, but in fact we love it when they do! It is great to see our models modified to create something completely new and we are always super impressed by the imaginative alterations that some of our

designs have undergone.

When we were planning this new magazine, we knew that we just had to include a regular kit bashing feature within it. So when I spotted Janet Eastwood’s quarter scale interpretation of Beatrix Potter’s famous ‘Hill Top Farm,’ I immediately noticed that she had cleverly combined two of our kits together to create the iconic farmhouse. In Jan’s hands, Daffodil Cottage and July Cottage have become almost unrecognisable, as they have been paired together to create one large house.

So, it is my pleasure to introduce our very first ‘Kit Bash Corner’ feature and we hope that Jan’s work inspires you to maybe take an altogether more radical approach when you are planning the construction of your next smaller scale project.

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Kit bash corner

J

an has been a keen miniaturist for over 20 plus years, but the smaller scales drew her attention when she bought a subscription to Dolls House and Miniature Scene Magazine. At the time, the magazine publishers were offering Petite Properties’ Shepherd’s Hut as a free subscription gift. Jan made the shepherd’s hut and now works in 1:48 all the time! I think we can safely say – she has got the quarter scale bug!

Initially Jan began researching Beatrix Potter, both online and through books that she bought on the famous author and Hill Top Farm in Cumbria where she lived.

Jan had purchased July Cottage and Daffodil Cottage previously, but then as her ideas for Hill Top Farm began to take shape, she then realised that these two separate dolls house kits would in fact work well together.

Above: Janet’s quarter scale version of Hill top Farm

Hill Top Farm was Janet Eastwood Jan’s first attempt at kit bashing and she is very pleased with how the build went. Now finished, her 1:48 scale farmhouse diorama is now proudly on display in Jan’s craft room; although she is tempted to move it downstairs and into her display cabinet!

A little bit of background history...

July Cottage & Daffodil Cottage in 1:48 Gradually, Jan work on her project over five years, taking a break for a while to care for her ill husband.

But she returned to her miniatures and found that she had rekindled her enjoyment of them once again.

Hill Top Farm was the home of world famous author; Beatrix Potter.

Beatrix bought the farm with money that she had made from her first book; The Tale Of Peter Rabbit.

She loved and enjoyed her rural home in the Lake District (UK) and it continued to inspire her in many of the books she went on to write.

The idea of the farm interior came directly from Jan’s research and she wanted to be as accurate as she could to the original full size cottage interior.

Helpfully, a good friend, Angela Kinnunen visited Hill Top Farm and was able to take some really useful research photographs for Jan to refer to and use.

Jan built both of her PP kits first and then decided to join them together to construct the farmhouse. She didn’t use all the external details that are included in the kits, including the conservatory and front porch as she couldn’t get it to work with the miniature wisteria she want to position; as if growing up the front of the house.

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Beatrix Potter

‘Full scale’ inspiration from Angela’s photos of Hill Top Farm...

Kit bash corner Bedroom furniture by Raptoor Crafting...

“

If you do decide to do some kit bashing, I would just say go with your instincts.

It worked for me!

Jan.

“

Jan would like to say a very big thank you to the following people/companies for their contribution to this project: Laser Shrink Ray (Amy) for the wash stand, wash bowl and jug, tea set, hot water bottle on the bed, bed pan and potty, wall scone and lastly the beehive.

Raptoor Crafting (Angela Kinnunen - Finland) for designing the bedroom furniture for me and also for taking all those helpful research photos too.

Kate Pinsent for making the Beatrix Potter doll.

Rob Crouch for his advice on the build.

Elaine Massey for making the leather Chesterfield sofa.

Little House On The Priory (Veronica Norris) for the animals.

MBR Models (Poland) for the trees, bushes and grasses.

Model Scenery Supplies for the vegetables.

Winterdyne (Ebay) for the water pump.

Jarvis Manufacturing for the dry stone wall Lastly, Petite Properties for the dollhouse kits and some of the furniture kits.

If you are fascinated by the rural retreat lived in by Beatrix Potter, why not find our more by heading to the National Trusts web pages for Hill Top Farm... www.nationaltrust.org.uk

The interior of Janet’s Hill Top Farm...

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Bea broadwood

true

Woodnook Cottage & Display Base in 1:48

Are you nervous when it comes to selecting paint colours for your miniature creations?

Or are you reluctant to take the plunge and have a go at mixing your own shades?

If so, worry not, as you certainly aren't alone! Over the years one of the questions that I am most regularly asked is "which colours do you use?" As it seems that for many miniaturists, choosing the right paint colours can be a bit of a challenge.

On my paint shelf, I have built up a collection of ‘go to’ colours and shades. Each colour is like an old friend. I know where it will work and which other colours go well with it. Of course the colours that you choose are subject to your own preferences and tastes and as a rule I think my taste is pretty grungy and grubby!

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My exterior paint collection is made up of 6 (approximate) groups. Terracotta & stone colours, browns, greys, off whites and lastly the highlight colours. The latter group, for me, means the element of a brighter / stronger colour that is used on a model, for doors, windows or shop fronts etc. As you can see, this is not really a wide spectrum of different colour groups, but I find that for me; less is more!

“

It is incredibly easy to select colours that we think we see, rather than the colours that are actually there.

Bea.

“

C

hoosing which colours to use, can be incredibly daunting. I work with paint every day and I still get it wrong sometimes! When I am working on a master model for the PP stand, I always use a limited number of colours for the entire building. Restricting the amount of colours used, can create the illusion that the individual features of the building are all connected, making the different elements of a miniature house visually knit together.

Bea broadwood I have often found that it is very easy to select colours that we 'think' are featured in say brickwork, rather than identify the colours that are actually there. A great way to explore accurate colour selection further is by using a simple photo editing computer programme; to help identify a specific and accurate digital colour palette.

To do this, simply open a photograph of your given subject, using your preferred photo editing programme; I use Coral Paint.  First select the colour pipette tool.  Click the pipette on the area of stonework or brickwork etc that you wish to replicate.  Next, apply the colour you have selected with the LARGE brush tool. This will instantly show you a clear example of colour found within the stone or brickwork. From experience I have found that it is often surprising which colours are identified!  Repeat the colour selection a few times, moving the pipette around the surface you have selected, in order to get an over view of the individual tones and colours that are included in it.

As you will see in the screen shot pictured below, it is easy to create a usable paint chart from your own research photograph; one where you can clearly see a simple range of colours that have been identified.

Using this easy technique you can not only ascertain just how dirty, dark or muted your paint needs to be, but it will also provide you with a digital colour chart which can serve as a starting point for your colour selection or mixing.

TOP TIP: Experiment and play!

I often use empty partitioned food containers to mix my paints in.

Experiment by mixing different paint colours together, then using off cuts of card, create your own colour charts…

(Just don’t forget to make a note of which colours you have mixed!)

If you are unable to use a computer based photo editing programme, successful colour selection and mixing can still be achieved! The free colour charts that are widely available from DIY shops and stores also provide a great starting point for colour selection too.

Simply take the colour chart and compare the tones on it to either a physical photograph or, more helpfully, to the real thing! Once a matching colour has been selected it is a great idea to also mix two additional shades of it; one lighter and one darker.

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Bea broadwood To do this simply add a little white or black paint respectively to the original shade. I have found that using at least three different shades of one individual colour can instantly help create the illusion of texture on stonework or bricks.

Colour charts for period inspired or historical paint ranges often contain dirtier and more muted shades; all of which work well on miniature exteriors.

Still nervous about choosing colour? Then why not try Petite Properties' very own range of paint?

Through my work at Petite Properties, I have slowly developed a large number of unique paint 'recipes' which have enabled me to create my very own personal colour palette. I use this range of water based paints on a daily basis to bring to life the miniature buildings and architectural scale models that I create. After much encouragement from our customers, back in 2014 were delighted to officially launch Petite Properties' very own paint range of versatile, realistic and muted shades.

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So, whether you take the plunge and have a go at mixing your own paint colours for your miniature creations or try out one of my own muted shades, there really is no need to be nervous about colour; just think 'dirty' and have fun. By experimenting, mixing and becoming familiar with colour, you will be able to build your own tried and tested colour palette, which will allow your confidence to grow and the quality of your miniature creations to soar!

Happy colour mixing!

Paint names given top right are from Petite Properties' range of paints.

A’door’able doors

I love doors. When I was little I would randomly daydream about the kind of front door I might have when I was grown up (slightly strange, but true). As I grew older, I became particularly fascinated by door knobs and door panelling and when in 1998, we bought our first period home; I was positively over the moon to finally have my very own ledged and braced cottage doors (see page 84). Fast forward to the days of Pinterest and Instagram and I suddenly found out, although I may be slightly strange, I am not alone. Door appreciation is officially a thing!

O

bviously, my fascination with doors melds perfectly into my day job. My husband Tony, is known in many miniaturist circles simply as ‘the one by the door’. And it’s true, search through my photo albums and they are littered with snaps of Tony stood idly by a door (sometimes smiling, more often not).

Yes, these photos are taken as a scale reference point for me, but I take them because, well, I just like doors!

So imagine my delight when I discovered that there are also accounts on Twitter and Pinterest that have been set up to literally just celebrate the humble door!

As we know first-hand, the miniature world is a place where miniaturists love to focus on the little details and as doors are such an integral part of any model building or dollshouse interior; they matter. So to get miniature replica doors looking historically accurate and realistic it makes sense to first closely study doors that are full size… and that dear reader, was the only encouragement we needed to start this ongoing feature:

A-door-able Doors!

An ancient & somewhat woodworm infested church door, Collegiate Church of Holy Trinity, Lincolnshire www.petite-properties.com

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A’door’able doors So, skipping quickly over our ridiculously cheesy title, I thought it would be fun to kick off this regular feature by sharing my TOP THREE favourite ‘Adoorable Doors’…

Westminster Abbey London.

Corfe Village Dorset

Bumble Bee Cottages Lincolnshire

My first door is (I think) quite apt, as it is the oldest door in the UK. Tony and I stumbled across it during a trip to London in 2019.

This photo was taken a decade ago, so that I could show our overseas customers just how small front doors can be here in the UK. This door is not unusual in its diminutive size and Tony, who is 5ft 9, positively towers above the lintel.

…And finally, my third door is so close to home… it is in my home!

This unique Anglo-Saxon door is easily missed, as it is hidden away in a side cloister of this world famous Abbey.

This truly ancient door is over 900 years old and it is tantalising to ponder just how many people have passed though it over the centuries.

This humble Purbeck stone Cottage is located in the village of Corfe in deepest Dorset and directly inspired the design of our tiny Thimble Cottage kit.

The UK’s oldest door

Westminster Abbey

Corfe Village, Dorset

Thimble Cottage in 1:48

Our kitchen door is the direct inspiration for our cottage door kits. Standing at a smidgen over 5ft tall, it is one of the original doors in our cottage; which dates from the late 18th century.

Once the main entrance to one half of our cottage, the height of our kitchen door, often catches visitors out and we have to constantly shout ‘mind your head!’

Outside...

...Inside

Love doors too? Then why not join in the fun? We would love you to get on board and send us your door images. They can be from anywhere in the world and feature a human scale ruler, or not; it is completely up to you! All we need is a little bit of information about the door in your photo and if you do include a human ruler in your photograph, please let us know how tall they are too. Send your images and information to – Adoorable Doors - ppmag@petitepropertiesltd.com 84 | PETITE PROPERTIES

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Quick makes - project

Finishing TOUCHES

1:48 scale It doesn’t matter how long you spend on the larger elements of a smaller scale diorama, sometimes it is those tiny finishing touches that really bring a scene to life!

materials Pack of 3D printed Herring Gulls (1:43.5) by MODELU Selection of PP’s 3D printed bins & bin bags Tissue paper off cuts Grey & green eye shadow Super glue

tools

After a nasty altercation with a seagull (I was ambushed from above and nearly lost my freshly baked Cornish pasty!) I was keen to include a little nod to these greedy terrors of the seaside in my harbour scene. So imagine my pure delight when I spotted a fabulous selection of 3D printed Herring Gulls on Modelu’s stand at the Warley Model Railway Exhibition last year!

Although these gulls are 1:43.5 (O gauge), with a ruthless tweak they fitted my 1:48 harbour scene perfectly!

1

The herring gulls come helpfully attached to a flat base by tiny supports. Leaving the gulls in place, I applied two coats of white spray paint; allowing each coat to dry before applying the next.

Fine wire cutters Assorted super fine paint brushes Permanent black fibre tip pen

Paint (All in a matt finish) White spray paint Black acrylic paint Yellow acrylic paint Soft grey acrylic paint www.petite-properties.com

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Quick makes - project

2 Working on the assorted

3 I used a selection of

4 As the gulls are very

black bins and bin bags, I applied some grey and green eye shadow to their surfaces to distress and weather them. To fill the bins I used scrunch up tiny pieces of tissue paper.

inexpensive acrylic paints to paint the seagulls and used one of my own photos as a reference guide. (See below)

small, I used some super fine brushes to paint them!

5

However a quick google search should provide you with all the reference images you need!

Using some fine wire cutters, I carefully separated the two gulls that I want to use from the rest of the collection. Using my reference photo as a guide, I carefully painted the grey and black wings and orange beak and feet. I used a fine black permanent pen to mark the eyes.

MODELU

 www.modelu3d.co.uk

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6 As the gulls are slightly larger than 1:48, I needed to reduce the wing span of the flapping gull, so that it would not seem out of proportion with the bins. To do this I literally clipped the ends off of the wings using a small pair of wire cutters, then painted the gull in the same way. When the paint had completely Dried, I stuck both birds into position using a tiny blob of super glue.

Finally, stick your finished bins into position onto your harbour...

Then mind your mini pasties!

Spotlight on

spotlight Here in PPHQ we have always been amazed how one kit design can be transformed to look totally different to the next, when it is in the hands of different miniaturists. So, we thought it would be fun to explore this concept further in this regular feature and turn the spot light onto one design and see just what our customers have created with it?

T

Introducing:

Not only the first fantasy house I designed, but Pumpkin Cottage was also the very first PP dolls house to be displayed on a landscaped base! At the time, we had just taken our first steps into the model railway world, with the epic Warley Model Railway Exhibition being our debut show! Walking around, I was utterly captivated by the amazing scale landscapes on display and knew I just had to have a go at creating my own.

At the same time our newly designed Pumpkin Cottage looked just as I had hoped it would, but it lacked something… then it struck me... it needed a base!

And the rest, as they say, is history!

However, I was running out of space and not feeling the urge to make another dolls house, having given everything in both

he launch of Pumpkin Cottage back in 2015 marked my first real foray into the world of fantasy miniatures. Although still whole heartedly committed to creating (quote our strap line) ‘authentic architecture in miniature’, it was also deliciously fun to rip up the rule book and design a truly whimsical house! Evidently our customers must have agreed with this new approach, as to date Pumpkin Cottage remains one of our best selling kits.

Kathy Caff

I started making miniatures over 25 years ago and was introduced to this wonderful hobby by my mother in law who made numerous dolls houses and various scenes in 1:12. I tackled a rather big project which took me years to complete, a 10 rooms dolls house in 1:12, soon followed by a witches cottage and garden with terrifying witches and many lit pumpkins.

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Spotlight on

“

Pumpkins and autumn were my guiding theme.

Kathy.

these 1:12 projects. One day I visited the Miniatura exhibition and discovered Petite Properties stand. I was so delighted to see the display and found every kit so neat and cute.

When I start a new project, I always think of a scene, as for me it is not just building a house, it must be part of a story I tell myself. I love pumpkins and I have imagined walking in the countryside and coming across Pumpkin Cottage at the corner of a path on a sunny autumn day with its warm colour and a pumpkin patch.

Pumpkins and autumn were my guiding theme and I went for warm colours, yellow walls and terracotta roof tiles. I am lucky to have Bea’s book on Exterior Finishes and could apply some of her valuable techniques like spreading and gluing fine sand, before painting the walls and the couscous-stone technique that I applied on the chimney. As I already had an image in my head, I found that it all came together very easily.

Pumpkin Cottage was my fourth PP kit. So far, I find them not too difficult to build with some patience and organization in sorting out all the various pieces beforehand. A beginner could perhaps start with simpler kits such as Penny Pinchers Money Box, which was my first PP kit. I also had the pleasure to assist both my grand-daughters in building the simpler kits; Purbeck and Daffodil Cottage.

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”

I have found working in 1:48 reasonably easy. I read the instructions thoroughly before starting and I did not encounter major problems. I mainly used PP furniture that I had in my stash and some beads, various findings and printed out pictures from the internet for carpets, kitchen wall tiles, paintings.

Sadly, I did not light my Pumpkin Cottage and this is my biggest regret. Although I lit two 1:12 dolls houses with 12V electric appliances, I feel stupid not knowing how to use the LED appliances, which is what the market offers nowadays. I would need some support and tutorials on this as I would love to light my other PP kits waiting to come to life.

If I made another Pumpkin Cottage, I think I would proceed identically, but with another colour scheme, like pink, grey and white. On the theme side I would perhaps go for a spring garden party with pastel colours, bunting, dressed tables and swings.

However, I am extremely pleased with my Pumpkin Cottage; it turned out as I imagined it and it brings me joy when I look at it.

Kathy

Spotlight on Introducing:

Caroline & Dale Johns

Let us introduce ourselves - our names are Caroline and Dale Johns, we are from… California Gully, Victoria, Australia. We have been miniaturists for approximately thirty years, although Caroline has had a passionate interest since she was 8 years old, at which time, she saw pictures of Queen Mary’s Dollhouse. She fell in love with it and this inspired Caroline to try and build her own dollhouses as realistically as possible. I, on the other hand, didn’t like any of Caroline’s miniatures, so when we were married Caroline took her box of treasured miniatures to store at her workplace. In 1988 her work place was burned to the ground along with Caroline’s treasures.

I felt dreadful and started to take a keen interest in the miniature world to support Caroline in her hobby… and guess what? I got hooked!

We loved 1:12th scale… but our house was getting very full. A dear friend in our local group, Miniature Enthusiast Bendigo - MEB started making PP kits in 1:48th scale and we… fell in love with the gorgeous English cottages and purchased Pumpkin Cottage. We loved the look of Pumpkin Cottage with its loads of character, quirky chimney and design. We did a massive amount of research online and watched every English period drama we could find, to get our inspiration; as there are no gorgeous little cottages like this in Australia.

The construction of Pumpkin Cottage was a team effort!

“

We did a massive amount of research online and watched every English period drama we could find!

Caroline & Dale.

”

We always create a story for our miniatures, we were inspired by becoming grandparents. So Pumpkin Cottage is our home. We love visits from our daughter, son in law and granddaughter, but this visit is even more special as we are longing to meet our new little grandson. So we have pulled out the old cradle, washed the lace and made-up the upstairs room ready for our special visitors.

Caroline and I built and decorated Pumpkin Cottage, then moved onto Woodcutters Cottage and we have purchased Cobblestone Snicket and several other kits.

We absolutely love working on PP Cottages, but we must admit we have needed stronger magnification on our glasses. PP Kits are a delight and fit together beautifully. We used egg cartons for the external cladding and I embossed stone printed cardboard for the chimney and bottom floor cladding using Spakfilla* to create the flaking cement effect.

Caroline does all the construction, wiring and lighting,

Above: The beautiful Bedroom

Right: Jean Day’s stunning cradle Kit; constructed & brought to life

by Dale & Caroline www.petite-properties.com

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Spotlight on It is easy to see why Caroline & Dale are delighted with the fruits of their labour...

but she always has to change things… add a wall, a door, hidden hallway and extra lights, which almost drives me crazy! I chose the interior and exterior design and landscaping. I like to design my own wallpapers, flooring, and garden landscape. We very rarely argue, but sometimes Caroline has some non negotiables, particularly if I’ve spent hours creating a wallpaper she dislikes, there is no way that’s going on the walls in this cottage.

When furnishing, we mainly use PP furniture and accessory kits and furniture we print with our resin printer. In our Pumpkin Cottage we have also used Jean Day’s cradle and table kits, as well as True 2 Scale’s fruit and veggies. If we made Pumpkin Cottage again we would certainly sort out how it was going to be wired and a better way to hide the wires before cladding the outside.

We are absolutely delighted with our finished Pumpkin Cottage and would very much like it if we could move in.

Featuring 1:48th scale creations by:  Jean Day Miniatures  True 2 Scale

Introducing:

Shelly Pietrzak

Caroline & Dale

(*Spakfilla is a similar product to Polyfiller or decorator’s filler in the UK)

I have been making miniatures since 2017. I started with 1:24th scale and then moved to 1:48. I have always been interested in architecture, especially old Victorian houses and English cottages. So, if I had all the money in the world, I would buy every real house I liked. Obviously, I can't do that, so I decided to make miniature ones instead. I looked around online to find a house I liked, bought it, built it, got addicted… and the rest is history!

I got into the smaller scales because I knew that if I enjoyed building houses, I wouldn't be able to stop at just one. The smaller scales, 1:48 in particular, allow me to build almost an unlimited amount. Pumpkin Cottage was my first foray into the world of 1:48th scale, so I was a little nervous about being able to handle the tiny pieces. I chose this kit, because I was attracted to the quirkiness of it and also because it looked easier than some of the others available.

My choice of exterior color came from the name of the cottage itself. Thus, Pumpkin Cottage is pumpkin colored. For the inside, I just wanted a simple, old

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Spotlight on fashioned and rustic cottage vibe. However, I didn't really plan anything at all before I received my Pumpkin Cottage. But once I got it all laid out in front of me, I was overwhelmed and spent several weeks online (particularly lurking on the Petite Properties Modelling Community Facebook Group) researching how to do various techniques and looking at other people's builds for inspiration.

My Pumpkin Cottage is lit. The wire for the stove just runs out a hole in the ground floor. The wires for the fires run behind the fireplaces and out the bottom.

The wire for the ceiling light for the ground floor is hidden under the flooring paper on the top floor and runs to the front wall and then down behind the ground floor fireplace and out the bottom. The light in the stairwell is held in place between the stairs and the stairwell wall and is just out of sight from all views with the wire running out through the bottom. I had to get creative in order to light the lamp on the nightstand. I drilled a hole in the night stand and fed the wire through it and then I drilled another small

“

I like that the small size allows you to choose between creating fine detail or using illusion to fool the eye…

Shelly.

”

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Spotlight on hole in the side wall of the house and fed the wire through that. The wire then runs behind the outside decorative half timbering and down through the woodshed and out the bottom. It was slightly visible at the top of the woodshed, so I placed a small piece of landscaping greenery over it to look like leaves that have fallen off the tree. And inside the woodshed, the wire is painted the same orange color as the house to hide it better. All wires are fed through the hole provided in the Pumpkin Cottage Display Base and attached to the battery box. The box is taped to the underside of the house with the switch facing downward for access.

I love working in 1:48th scale and Pumpkin Cottage was my very first PP kit. I'm now on my fifteenth build!

I like that the small size allows you to choose between creating fine detail or using illusion to fool the eye.

It can definitely be fiddly at times, but I can almost always find a way to create the look I am going for with a little bit (or sometimes, a lot) of patience!

However, I do actually intend to make another Pumpkin Cottage (I already have the kit). I want to make it again in a completely different way, with different colors, furniture and landscaping, and perhaps with actual pumpkins included somewhere…?

Shelly

ADVERTISING Opportunities As this unique new magazine is an independent publication, we plan to only include advertising that is relevant to our smaller scales content.

For this reason, we are offering a very limited number of affordable advertising slots in each issue.

So, if you would like to advertise in a future issue of

PETITE PROPERTIES Magazine,

why not contact us & find out more about our advertising opportunities in this exciting new miniatures magazine!

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Featuring 1:48th scale creations by:  SDK Miniatures  Young at Heart  Evan Designs  ‘Making Dolls House Furniture in 1:48 Scale’ - Book 1 by Bea Broadwood

Shelly Jagodzinski Pietrzak In Issue 2 we put our 1:48 Hedgerow Cottage Kit in the spotlight and take a closer look at how three talented miniaturists have brought it to life!

 Do YOU sell smaller scale miniatures or related accessories?  Are you a professional artisan producing smaller scale creations?

Then why not advertise your smaller scale miniature business to our readers?

Contact us & find out more about our exclusive advertising opportunities!

ppmag@petitepropertiesltd.com

Join the club

the

The talented members of DAME

D.a.m.e. (dollshouse & miniature enthusiasts) We may live in a time of social media, with connections to anywhere in the world only a click away, but in my opinion, there’s no real substitute for getting together in person, with likeminded friends. Understandably, the boom of the World Wide Web over the last three decades has, in many ways, brought the global miniature community closer together. But the lockdown events of recent years, have also taught us that human contact is hugely important for both our personal happiness and mental health.

During the last twenty plus years, the miniature hobby has changed drastically and I know personally that many dolls house clubs and miniaturist groups

have sadly closed their doors. But (and it is a very big but!) there are still groups out there, who are meeting regularly and enjoying the wonderful world of miniatures together!

So in each future issue of this brand new magazine, we plan to celebrate and showcase dolls house clubs and miniaturists groups from all around the world; who work completely or just from time to time in the smaller scales… and you never know, there may be one near you!

This month, we welcome the wonderful members of D.A.M.E from Northern Island and member Lorraine Welsh has very kindly volunteered to tell us more about their very special group. www.petite-properties.com

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Join the club What is your club called?

D.A.M.E. (Dollshouse and Miniature Enthusiasts) When was your dolls house club founded and by who?

1989 by Elsie and Billy Dunn Founder Members - Barri, Esther, Sian, Ann, Brin, Joan, Kay and Maurice. 90 people turned up. 30 people became members. The meeting was held in Queens Hall Holywood. The first branch of DAME formed was Holywood. As the hobby developed branches were started in Newtownards, Dundonald, Belfast, Lisburn and Bangor. Originally, we worked solely in 1:12th scale, but with the advent of the smaller scales many members gravitated to 1:48th scale Petite Properties Kits. Members also continue to work in 1:12th and 1:24th scale.

How often do you meet and where?

Currently we meet monthly at Tesco Community Room. Since Covid we are now down to one vibrant club.

How many members does your club have?

23- 25

How long have you been attending this club?

We still have some founding members in the club. I have been a member for 30 years.

Do you do club projects or individual projects when you attend?

We do both.

How does the club decide what they want to work on?

We have general discussions and plan the yearly program accordingly.

Does the club exhibit at any events?

Each year we have a charity exhibition at the local Garden Centre Hillmount, to raise much needed funds for a small cross community local charity. To date we have raised around £55,000. Myself and Ann also exhibit at railway shows were we have gained Best Non- Railway Exhibit in the North Down Railway show for the last three consecutive years. Other members have small exhibits in local churches. Some of our members also give talks to groups.

What kind of activities does it run?

Monthly meetings where we join together with club projects. Often kits are provided and taught by members.

Below: Ann & Lorraine’s Irish pub in 1:48...

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Join the club What was your favourite club make?

We all enjoyed the Little Stump House Fusion Kit. Every single one was so different.

What club projects have you been involved in through your club?

One of the club projects was the Little Stump House Fusion Kit. This year, the members are making 1:24th scale backyard scenes using A5 file boxes and a lot of egg boxes to create paving. Earlier projects would have been in 1:12th scale including: Strictly come dancing, Glastonbury, Goths at the Belfast City Hall, Queens 90th Birthday Street Party, Christmas Market and Church Fete to name a few.

Right: Lorraine’s Little Stump House, complete with a tiny leprechaun!

What skill or technique have you learned through your club?

We share our expertise in flower making, landscaping including making cobblestones from egg carton boxes.

Ribbon work and all sorts of needlecraft. One thing we learnt is how important fabric pattern (scale) and trimmings are to creating realistic miniatures. Prior to Covid we also had weekend workshops facilitated

by Jane Harrop, Hazel Dowd and Ceynix Scale model trees.

“

Club members have shared enthusiasm, companionship, inspiration, good for mental health, craic and education.

Lorraine

”

club noun/klɅb an organisation of people with a common purpose or interest, who meet regularly and take part in shared activities

Below: Members hard at work!

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Join the club Carol’s 1:24 School House...

Inside & out!

What do you get out of being a club member?

Club members have shared enthusiasm, companionship, inspiration, good for mental health, craic and education. The value of working with like-minded people and having the opportunity to showcase our work to the general public at shows and discover other closet dollhouse people.

What are your club’s plans for the future?

To continue to meet and create miniatures, to share our hobby in support of small local charities. Bring a smile to someone when they see a miniature creation.

Is the club open to new members joining?

At present, we are at capacity.

Lorraine

Club contact information: Lorraine Welsh Email: lwelsh61@googlemail.com The club uses a uses a range of miniature makers: Petite Properties, people commissioned from Sally Reader. Other commissions included: Life of Riley, Shrunken World, Miniature Hat Boutique.

Accessories – Jane Harrop, Laser Shrink Ray, Seaside Miniatures, Jan Southerton – The Flower Lady, Kastle Kelm Miniatures, Mini McGregor, Raptoor, The Silk Route, Dolls House Draper, Uniqueables and several railway and bead shops.

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Andy hopwood

just for What is Miniatura?

Miniatura is a show for miniatures and dolls houses that has been promoting the work and skills of craftspeople for over 40 years. We have run over 100 events, predominantly in the Midlands, UK but also in Scotland.

In three words, why should I visit Miniatura?

Choice – Atmosphere – Community.

What makes Miniatura one of the best dolls house shows on the UK calendar?

We dedicate ourselves, all year round, to making each weekend run smoothly for everyone who attends.

We provide exhibitors with a stage to show their best work, confident that the practical side of things will go well and the audience will be Andy Hopwood appreciative. We offer visitors a comfortable and easily accessible place to enjoy their hobby, see amazing miniatures and meet interesting people. We also invest time and effort to promote all things miniature on our website in the hope it will support the hobby between the shows.

Andy Hopwood is the organiser of Miniatura, a flag ship dolls house show held bi-annually in the UK. We could think of no better person within the British dolls house world to kick off this quick fire feature; so Andy, it’s over to you...

If you didn’t organise Miniatura, what would be your dream job?

Board games designer (something I actually do in my spare time).

What was the last thing you purchased for work?

One hundred hi-vis jackets so our exhibitors can conform to the risk assessment from the venue we use.

Professional exhibition centres are essential for catering for everyone’s needs, and we are delighted with the organisation at Stoneleigh NAEC, but they do come with a few administrative hoops that must be jumped through. Safety first of course! I must say all those exhibitors in luminous yellow made quite a sight.

Favourite thing in your office?

I would like to say our Sid Cooke Dolls House containing my mum’s blue & white porcelain but if I am honest… the phone.., I do like a chat.

(We know! - The PP Team)

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Andy hopwood In your opinion, what is your worst habit?

Sweating the small stuff. I will devote way too much time trying to ensure that everyone is happy (at the show for example) instead of just accepting that you can’t please all the people all the time. I suppose I just want to please them all for one weekend at a time. As a result I find the idea of “relaxing” quite alien, I am never sure how anyone finds the time to stop and think about nothing for a while. If you took away my work I would just be sitting there thinking up new board games.

Which one are you?  Don’t worry, I’ll remember that  Let me get my pad and pen The quick but evasive answer is – both. I write everything down… but on easily lost envelopes and scraps of paper. I do remember most things though, so I think the process of writing it down is just to cement it in my memory. At work my desk and Jayne’s desk (she is my right hand, the tidy one) are world’s apart in terms of tidiness. At the shows my motto is “Feel free to tell me something but please do pop it on an e-mail as well…. and maybe tell Jayne”.

Are you an early bird, or a night owl?

I do enjoy the days when I am up early and can get stuff done before the rest of the world wakes up, but I think deep down I am a night owl.

What was the last book you read? (and was it any good?)

“We are all completely beside ourselves” by Karen Joy Fowler (It is phenomenal). Her turn of phrase and observation of humans is sublime and the twist is excellent. Forget I said twist… read it…there is no twist, or is there?

Would you prefer, a weekend city break or a weekend in the country?

What is a “break”? Is that like one of these “holiday” things I keep hearing about? I cannot imagine going anywhere without my family and, for me, family life is such that going away for a weekend takes a lot of work. For a week’s holiday, I would choose the country as I already live in a city, the greatest city in the world, Birmingham!

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Do you use a digital diary or paper?

Not sure I have a diary in the traditional sense. I have deadlines and I have a schedule. But nothing I could describe as a “diary”. Maybe I should get one.

On a show day, where can we find you?

A. Hiding in the office making a brew B. Silently stressing in the corner C. In the canteen deciding what you’re having for lunch None of the above. At the show you will find me somewhere IN the show, talking to exhibitors or visitors. Why would I be anywhere else? The idea that a show organiser would have a moment’s peace at their own show is unthinkable. And ALL of the “stressing” should be done well ahead of set-up day.

Tell us something about yourself that Miniatura visitors & exhibitors won’t know.

I am a multi-award winning board games designer - ok some of you already know that. I own a melodeon that I cannot play and once took part in a record attempt for largest lightsaber battle.

What’s your favourite board game? (It can’t be one of yours!)

There are so many! Great Western Trail, Glory To Rome, Twilight Struggle… that’s just for starters.

office@miniatura.co.uk www.miniatura.co.uk www.facebook.com/MiniaturaShow www.instagram.com/theminiaturashow Miniatura in full swing!

Philip thompson

ask “I’m Bob… Some 5 years ago I was scratch built to represent the size of a 1:48th scale person for reference. Since then, I’ve gained a face, hair, a snazzy bow tie and a large fan club. My choice of pets is a bit strange, I help out with the projects and I love fried chicken…” Bob.

M

embers of Petite Properties Modelling Community follow Bob’s adventures with enthusiasm and trepidation and over the last few years he has become quite the celebrity on our Facebook forum. Throughout lockdown, Bob’s antics kept members entertained and helped to spread a little humour around the virtual world during a difficult time. Sometimes fool hardy, but always endearing, Bob is a talented and knowledgeable artisan, who certainly knows his paint pot from his coffee cup!

So naturally, we’re delighted that Bob has joined the PP magazine family. We’ve taken a deep breath and given him free reign in this little regular column; where he will answer miniature related questions and dilemmas (in his own unique way of course!). We hope you will come to love him as much as the members of PP’s Modelling Community already do. I’m not sure if we have any national treasures in the miniature world, but I think our Bob is probably well on the way to becoming the first!

A resin poured pond...

“

What makes a good fake water material and what should I avoid at all costs ? Also how do I keep my resin water looking clear and clean (dust issues) and what sort of material makes good plants in resin water and what should I avoid?

Jennifer Lockhart.

”

Hi Jennifer, Bob here…

Fake water material… well, I have tried many types, but always come back to using the two part resins.

You can make deeper pours in one go, it sets in 24 hours and dries very clear and smooth. If you can, choose a 50:50 mix brand as it’s much easier to measure out the two components. Do make sure there are no cracks or holes where the resin can escape.

Try to mix it in a warm temperature. You can prewarm by standing the bottles in warm water for 10 minutes. Always stir thoroughly, but slowly, to avoid introducing bubbles. Mix until clear and wear disposable gloves. Once set, it’s easy to clean with just a wipe with a tissue.

Regarding plants, I’ve used most types of modeller’s foliage with no ill effect. Just glue it down with a dab of PVA pre the pour and let the glue dry. I found some small plastic plants made for aquariums which look great in a resin pond.

As for what you should avoid, well, when pouring don’t lean over the pond too much as you might fall in like I nearly did a couple of times… Nobody wants to be struggling to get resin out of their hair! www.petite-properties.com

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Philip thompson

“

Rufus and Bob, hard at work...

My first question for Bob would be, how do you manage to keep so svelte?

William Wade.

”

Hi William …

Thank you for the compliment. Have to admit, I do look rather good don’t I? As you may know William, if you’ve been following my career, I’m a sporty sort of chap. I start the day with 50 press-ups followed by an hour with the skipping rope.

Not a lot of people know this, but in my five years I’ve excelled in many sports… back stroke swimming, gymnastics and darts to name but a few. My pet mammoth Rufus keeps me fit too, as he needs a thorough clean twice a week.

Some people take their pet mammoths to pet pampering shops, but I like to get stuck in and do the job myself!

If you have a problem (or a question) and if no one else can help… May be you should ask Bob? Send your questions for BOB to ppmag@petitepropertiesltd.com & remember; no problem is too BIG for Bob!

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My notes

...

Issue 2: www.petite-properties.com

“The first instalment will start with gathering reference material, colour scheme, basic construction of the major part of the kit and some scratch building with basic materials. I’m looking forward to getting started and have you following along!”

Steven Bearpark.

Cover To Cover Smaller Scale Content Top Tips & Advice Step By Step Projects Fabulous Features Wallpaper Printis

Bea’s top tips!

RAVEN’S PERCH BY STEVEN BEARPARK

& so much more...