Solway Miniatures

 

1.    What started your interest in miniatures?

^{I have always like things small - as a child we used to have family days out sitting in fields or woods and we had to amuse ourselves. I would spend ages lying on my belly looking at all the bugs, insects and flowers. My parents and grandparents were all arty or crafty and taught me a lot of crafts, and everything I made had to be small - my first bear should have been 20 inches tall but it ended up being 3 inches tall!!! As a teenager I made room boxes for my friends and relatives birthdays, etc and used dolls house miniatures to fill them, e.g. had a scene at the beach with mini bears and sandcastle for my niece's christening. I started making my own food and it has all snowballed from there.}

 

 

^{2. Are miniatures your full time occupation or do you have to fit them around other commitments?}

^{I also have a part time job - I work with babies and toddlers who may/do have disabilities, helping to encourage their fine motor development. Miniatures have to fit around this job, plus looking after my dog - walks take a high priority for her}

 

 

^{3 Have you had any special training or are you completely self-taught?}

^{I am completely self-taught - I learned everything from books, a lot of trial and error and chatting to other miniaturists. If I was starting again, I would definitely do some workshops and learn from the many expert miniaturists out there. Books and DVDs by the likes of Diane Harfield and Angie Scarr are a fantastic resource for anyone making food and flowers.}

 

 

^{4. Can you tell us a little about your workplace? And any favourite tools or gadgets?}

^{I am so very lucky to have a spare double bedroom converted into my workshop - it is kitted out with plenty of work surfaces and cupboards for all the things I need, so I have no need to pack away after each session. Everything is in boxes and drawers and it is all so easily accessible, but quickly gets in a guddle - I am not the most tidiest of workers. My favourite tools are my fine pointed tweezers, my pasta machine and of course the usual cocktail sticks. Thank goodness for Poundland for very cheap cocktail sticks - I go through loads of them when mixing clays, paints, etc.}

 

 

5. How do you photograph your miniatures?

^{I use a very simple digital camera with a macro lens setting and daylight - have tried a range of lights and set ups, but am not very good at getting it just right. I prefer to wait for a bright but not sunny day.}

 

 

^{6. Do you have a website, exhibit at Dolls House/Miniature fairs, or sell on eBay?}

7. Is there anything you most enjoy making?

^{Food, food and more food! - I love making different cakes and desserts - as well as eating them. I have a very sweet tooth and love looking through cook books for ideas - I think I will never grow bored as there is so much variety.}

 

 

^{8. And have you made anything that you simply had to keep for yourself?}

^{This year I made a Santa's sleigh and flocked some reindeer - it was for display on my fair stand with the idea to sell it after my last fair before Christmas, but I love it so much it is staying with me.}

 

 

9. Where does your inspiration come from?

^{Cookery books, cake shops and cafes, anywhere there is food. I carry a small note book with me and embarrass my daughter at times by drawing cakes on sale and matching colours. The internet is also a great resource - I can lose hours surfing the web for cake designs - website for cake shops and cafes often have excellent pictures of their goods.}

 

 

^{10. Do you have a dolls house or other miniature collections? Or maybe a completely contrasting hobby?}

^{The only item I have is a room box which is a shop selling teddy bears (and other mini animals). It currently has about 250 animals and I am always looking out for anything to fit in with it.}

^{My other hobbies include reading crime and thriller fiction and doing sudoku puzzles.}

 

 

^{11. Is there anybody from the miniature world whose work you really admire?}

^{There are so many miniaturists out there who make food ten times better than me and are such an inspiration to keep me trying - such people as Angie Scarr, Betsy Neider, Kiva Atkinson, to name a few.}

 

 

^{12. Do you have any special future plans and ambitions for your miniature making?}

^{My final ambition is to be able to give up the day job and make minis full time. I would love to be able to exhibit all over the world and expand the range of workshops I run.}

 

 

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