Shrunk.
A MODERN MINIATURES MAGAZINE
Contents
p. 22
p. 39
p. 30
Contents Read
Shop
10. A Night at The Farm: A Bedtime Party 12. Micro Scales with Miss Mini Life 14. More is More: Doll’s House Tour 22. Throws of Passion 54. All That Glitters 58. Why We Collect
29. Shrunk Loves... 30. House Hunter 62. Stockists
Make 34. SKILL SET: Beginners Guide to Polymer Clay 39. DIY: Raspberry & Rose Layer Cake 41. DIY: Terrazzo Kitchen Island 48. TECHNIQUE: Dirty Rotten Doll’s Houses
4
p. 14
p. 58
p. 41
p.58
Contributors Marcel
k
la
Rhenee
inicare tt
inson
-M
ar
b Ro
Esha Bijut
p. 48
Laura L e
i
Esha is an engineer by profession and artist at heart! A self-taught miniaturist, she works in 1:12 scale creating one of a kind miniature food, furniture and dioramas. Esha shows us how to create a polymer clay layer cake, p.39. Follow Esha on Instagram @Pink_petite_rose
Marcella, owner of miniatures business, Minicaretti, is an experienced miniatures maker, working with papers, resin and polymer clay. Marcella talks us through the basics of working with polymer clay on page 34. Find Minicaretti on Facebook and Instagram @Minicaretti
Rhenee is based in the United States and builds incredible miniatures and dioramas from scratch in scales 1:24, 1:48, and 1:144. Head to p.12 to read her Micro Scale column. You can follow Rhenee’s work on Instagram and YouTube @MissMiniLife.
veur re
Laura is a recovering master of Fine Art. Having renewed her childhood interest in minis, she now does little else. Tabitha, the cat, helps. In this issue’s Dirty Rotten Doll’s Houses feature, Laura spills the tea on her magic, mini ingredients. Find Laura on Instagram @lereveur.miniature
5
DIY: Mini Ballpit Full instructions available on our website.
Image credit: Small Fun Shop
Mini DIY's, printables & more www.shrunkmagazine.com Instagram: @shrunkmagazine
28
www.pinterest.co.uk/shrunkmagazine
. . . s e Shrunk. v Lo Tiny Workbench
Has all the extra time at home got you craving a more versatile crafting space? Perhaps Tiny Workbench is the answer. Like Shrunk magazine, the Tiny Workbench crew launched in late 2020 following a successful Kickstarter campaign. “This solid ply case is your work surface, toolbox and studio all in one. Studio space that’s ready wherever you need it.” Sounds pretty perfect, doesn’t it?! It even comes with lighting! Offering a choice of A3 or A2 sizes the Tiny Workbench comes ready built, as a flat pack or, for those after a new project, digital plans are available to purchase for you to build your own. Visit: www.tinyworkbench.co.uk
29
House Hunter If you’re looking for a truly unique, contemporary miniature home to showcase your most prized minis then look no further than the incredible M112 Pods by Paris Renfroe Designs. The M112 Pods are Artisan quality, highly detailed replicas of converted shipping containers. Choose from the Series 1, Series 2 or contact Paris who’ll work with you to create your own, custom built pod. The pods are available in 20" or 40" lengths, all are 1:12 scale. The Series 1 has a short front wall with two double bypassing doors. The Series 2 is all open in the front with 3 bypassing doors. The Series 1 starts at $475. (Approx. £347) Lighting, flooring and additional 30
Multi-storey, M112 design All images by Paris Renfroe
finishes and details carry extra cost. The Series 2 starts at $495. For a custom-built miniature home combine multiple M112 Pods to create a multi-room or multi-storey contemporary doll’s house. Bringing a wealth of real-world design experience to the miniature industry, Paris Renfroe has been pushing the bar for quality modern miniatures with his creative concepts for over 12 years. Visit www.prdminiatures.com to browse the extensive range of original modern miniature designs.
Follow on Instagram @prdminiatures
A custom, M112 Pod interior
Bespoke, design features
Hands up who wants to move in?!
31
SKILL SET: A Beginners Guide to Polymer Clay By Marcella, of Minicaretti
34
Fimo, Cernit, Sculpey, Premo, Pardo, Creall-therm, Clay color, Kato… All different brands and names for the same type of material, Polymer Clay. Quite magical stuff that becomes durable and water-resistant after baking but starts out soft enough to be sculpted with simple, inexpensive tools. Let’s explore its main features. [Conditioning] This varies from brand to brand, as clays can be softer or harder to begin with, but they all need to be kneaded a bit before you start sculpting. You can do this by hand or, for larger batches, using the ever-useful pasta machine (more on this in the Tools section). Tip: If it’s a cold day, clay may be harder to knead, so put it in your pocket to warm for a little while before starting work. If it’s dry and crumbly, you can try and salvage it with a drop of baby oil. If, on the other hand, it’s too soft, you can rest it for a day or so on a sheet of paper, which will absorb the excess plasticizer.
very regularly, you may choose to use a small, toaster oven dedicated just to baking clay. Baking temperatures range from 110 to 130°C, ensure you check the package for manufacturer’s instructions. It’s a good idea to invest in a baking pan or tray that’s just for use with baking clay and not mixed with food. It’s also strongly advised to get a thermometer rather than rely on the oven thermostat alone as smaller ovens are prone to wild temperature swings and you wouldn’t want to burn your work. Baking times depend on the size and thickness of your piece. While you’re unlikely to ruin a piece by baking too long, under-baked clay may be brittle and fragile. Tip: The best baking surface is a small, ceramic tile: You can sculpt on it and put it straight into the oven. [Storage] Polymer clay doesn’t dry out in the air like other, natural clays can. However, uncooked polymer clay attracts lots of dust and lint so needs to be protected from it. Your best option is to wrap it in cling film. Over time, polymer clay can melt or ‘eat into’ hard plastic containers while paper and cardboard will draw the oils plasticizer out of the clay, making it crumbly. Polymer clay can become crumbly and hard with age if kept for a long time.
[Colours] You can blend different colours to get the exact shade you need by simply combining two or more colours together and kneading them, thoroughly. Then you can (and definitely should) add more subtle shades and detail with chalk pastels and acrylic paint. As a general rule, you want to brush pastel detail on before baking and paint with acrylics after baking. Tip: If you bake your piece again after painting, [Liquid Polymer Clay] Along with the small, square slabs of clay, brands paint will almost “sink” into the clay such as Fimo, Sculpey and Kato also produce liquid making it totally smudge-proof. polymer clay materials. Usually a clear, translucent liquid though sometimes opaque and colourful [Baking] depending on the brand. They behave in a different There’s no kiln required with polymer clay making way than solid clay and can be used to achieve it an incredibly accessible material to work with, all many different results (including creating miniature you need is a standard home oven. If you have the cake frosting, as you’ll see on p37). space and means or are working with polymer clay
35
Philadelphia Miniaturia 2021 Get a dog sitter and pack those snacks!
November 5, 6 & 7, 2021 Show, Sale & Workshops! Crowne Plaza Hotel Philadelphia/Cherry Hill 2349 W. Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 PO Box 724, Levittown, PA 19058 267-684-6276 Picture compliments of Heart Felt Canines
www.PhiladelphiaMiniaturia.com
TINY WORKBENCH The workspace, toolbox and studio. www.tinyworkbench.co.uk
Your Ad Here TO D IS C USS R AT E S A N D OPPORTUNITIES, EM AIL: K AT@S H RU N K M AGA ZI N E .CO M
A3
A2 Copyright © 2021 MW Robinson Furniture Ltd. Trademark UK3546064 Design Registration 6105135
DIY: Raspberry & Rose Layer Cake By Esha Bijutkar
Suppliers Spotted something you love? Here are all the mini retailers and event organisers featured in this issue. Atomic Miniature www.atomicminiature.com Big House Mini House
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/bighouseminihouse
C+C Mini Factory www.cargocollective.com Fernando Setien
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FernandoSetienShop
IMoMA - International Market of Miniature Artists www.imomalv.com
Itty Bitty Mini Mart
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ittybittyminimart L&A St Leger www.laurenceandangelastleger.com
Little And Big House www.littleandbighouse.nl London Dollshouse Showcase www.dollshouseshowcase.com
Melody Jane Dolls Houses www.melodyjane.com
Paris Renfroe Miniatures www.prdminiatures.com
Philadelphia Miniaturia
www.philadelphiaminiaturia.com
Tiny Universe Minis
www.tinyuniverseminis.com
Tiny Workbench
www.tinyworkbench.co.uk
62
Pssst... Here’s a sneaky peek at what’s coming up in Issue 3 May 2021 www.shrunkmagazine.com
DIY 1:12 chair
We make big small. Ar tisan miniatures & more, in many scales, for all your big ideas.
ittybittyminimar t.com & etsy.com/shop/ittybittyminimar t @ittybittyminimar t
Chicago, Illinois, USA