Dollhouse Decorating Ideas – Josie Bouwt's Fine Dining

Killer Cabinet

This lovely dining room miniature is another of Josie Bouwt's wonderful creations that she shares with us io the Beautiful World blog. Josie has provided a two-part post, dated April 4 & 17, 2015, where she shows the finished room box, and how she made the mantelpiece.

At the bottom of this post, is a brief video of a detail that might go unnoticed: the wall fountain that can be closed off by 2 sliding doors. Exquisite work, Josie. As always.

Click on the photos for a link to Josie's blog, A Beautiful World.

Dollhouse Decorating – Conestoga Wagon Scene

Okay, I admit to blowing my own horn. But I am so flattered that the editors of American Miniaturist magazine included my Conestoga Wagon scene in the “History Recorded In Miniature” issue. Click on the link to read a “flip book” of the article. http://www.flipsnack.com/paddydale/conestoga-1.html

Susan Downing

Dollhouse Artisans – Meet Mary Payne, Miniaturist

The picture of LoBue's Barber Shop on my newsfeed caught my eye. The caption “A recreation of Mary's grand father's barber shop in Weehawken, NJ.” really got me hooked, because preserving memories in in t form of a room box has always been the key to holding my interest in miniatures all these years.

I contacted Mary Payne and got this reply.


“I don’t have much of a backstory for it.  I never saw that barbershop.  The outside was reproduced from a couple of old family pictures.  We have no family members left that remember the inside so I used elements from several  pictures of old barbershops I found online. If you want to see more of my work go to [or website]. All my work is photographed and posted by my husband.  Most of the stores are memorials [of] family and friends who are gone.”


And what a lot of great work it is. Besides the wonderful barber shop room box, check out the rest of Mary's basement.

I identify with Mary in that memories, and the emotions that flow from them, are the important part of my being a miniature enthusiast. If I can't make everything myself, or don't have the time to learn to be  a renaissance artisan, that's all right. I'll buy the wares of other skilled specialists in the dollhouse miniature universe.

Other enthusiasts have the desire to create museum quality works of art, making all the items themselves. God bless them! I'm glad they have the drive and perseverance to make these wonderful creations. It shows me what can be accomplished and to show the heights craftsmanship it's possible to reach.
There is so much latitude in participating in the wonderful hobby … or art form – pick your spot on the spectrum. And knowing that we can change that niche whenever we want. It just time and effort … and some skills.

Here's a link to Mary's section of the family webpage: http://www.inpayne.com/dollhouse/dollhousefrontpage.html

Will Hunt's General Store

Will Hunt had an amazing life. He was part of a posse that ran Jesse James out of Huntington, West Virginia. On his 100th birthday, we watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. I made this room box to keep his memory alive. This flip-book is made from the pages of the Dollhouse Miniature Magazine about how I got hooked on miniatures. If you want to see a short video about Grandpa Will's general store, click on the image in the upper-right corner.

Enjoy.

Amazing Miniaturist – Henry Kupjack

The son of famed miniaturist, Eugene Kupjack, Henry Kupjack is a master artisan in his own right. 

Click on the image of the spiral staircase in Miniature Room No. 5 for a link to a video produced by Ileana Ottini. It shows many of Henry's miniatures. 

Also, here's a link to a show aired by WTTV Chicago station about Henry. In  one clip he tells how his father, Eugene Kupjack went to work on the Thorne Rooms:
  

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2012/12/18/thorne-miniature-rooms

Susan Downing