Dolls House World Magazine

One of the wonderful things about this hobby of ours is the interests it encompasses, whether it’s building a wall out of egg cartons and glue or studying the intricacies of Elizabethan tapestries.
Connie Suave, whose Merry Pedler scene features on the cover, agrees. She told us: “I always find it interesting the odd things a person learns about when creating a miniature scene. Whether the research is architectural, historical, fantasy or realistic, I tend to learn something new with each project.”
In her festive scene Connie wanted the Victorian horse and wagon to be authentic, and spent ages researching the right tack and harness. She then had to fashion a specific metal bar out of her stash of jewellery, and even added leaded tape to replicate metal strips on old wagon wheels.
Suzanne Crowley’s gorgeous Christmas house also encompasses incredible detail, albeit some of it copied from more modern research. Although the house has a Dickens theme, one of the central displays was based on Suzanne’s favourite movie You’ve Got Mail. She took screenshots of the children’s bookshop seen in the film and had it copied in miniature.
We also loved her story of queuing at 6am for a show and then realising everyone else was going to rush for the same artist’s stall first. She remembers it as ‘the running of the bears.’ The things we do for the perfect addition to a scene.
Although there are many authentic touches, Suzanne admits her toy shop “although historically inspired, tips over into the fantastical - mixed with pure whimsy.”
And that’s the other wonderful thing about our hobby, the opportunity it gives for us to lose ourselves in a world of imagination. We hope we can help you lose yourself in the hobby this Christmas amidst the hectic noise from the real world.
Happy Christmas from all of the DHW team.