Who knew?

Bree loves to build rooms for her pets. Her Breyers occupy a bookshelf in her bedroom and they are all lined up in stalls with name plates, blankets (made from fabric scraps), halters made from elastic hair ties and leg wraps (on the show horses - LOL).

She then got interested in "Littlest Pet Shops" and has a collection of 25 or so. So, she started using index cards (as they are about 1 maybe 1-1/2 inches tall or thereabouts) and build what I call a townhouse with rooms for each. She made beds, tables, chairs, cars, tv's - you name it - she's found some craft supply of some sort and basically furnished this 25 or more room townhouse.

I was talking to Joy from my knitting group and Joy mentioned that there is this WHOLE world of 'miniatures'. People do this for a profession and it is a big deal. Joy made some demo's and displays of 'room boxes' for a company in Ohio. She started telling me all about it. I was floored.

So, last week, she gave me this newspaper clipping for a 'miniature show' - as in trade show with vendors, displays, etc.. Much of this room box stuff centers around miniature doll houses and people who put them together.

They come in scales of 1/4", 1/2" and 1" - yes, they have furniture that is made/created at 1/4 of an inch to scale.

I told Bree about this and we looked up some websites on the internet. OH MY GOODNESS. Looking at some of these pictures you would think you're looking at a 10 million dollar model home at full scale. It is amazing! Here are a few pics from random websites:



The Art Institute of Chicago has a display of 68 rooms by this man. Here's the info: The 68 Thorne Miniature Rooms enable one to glimpse elements of European interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s and American furnishings from the 17th century to the 1930s. Painstakingly constructed on a scale of one inch to one foot, these fascinating models were conceived by Mrs. James Ward Thorne of Chicago and constructed between 1932 and 1940 by master craftsmen according to her specifications.

Here's the URL if you want to see more... http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/thorne




So, Saturday among the yucky, snowy weather we drove up to Schaumburg for this show. It was amazing. The people were SO nice and helpful after we explained this was our first initiation into all this. Bree picked out some supplies, listened intensely to the suggestions by the vendors on how to 'make' things with common household items, etc..

She is thrilled. Bill and I were just in awe! She is so creative and imaginative that this will be right up her alley. She just needs to take her time, have pride in her work and patience - she wants to get it all done NOW, (I do NOT know where that comes from - nope, don't have a clue!)

It was a neat Saturday to spend together as a family. Bree also got to top off her night at a Chicago Wolves hockey game - her first 'live' hockey game as she was invited by a friend of hers. Their seats were behind the net, right next to the guy in the glass box that sets of the lights and sounds when a goal is scored. She came home hoarse from yelling but had a fantastic time! Thanks Bartz's!