Newsletter Vol. 5 - NAME Region N-1

small talk
Region N-1’s Newsletter
Really Late Summer Issue No. 5
Representing Arizona, New Mexico, So. Nevada, El Paso, Texas, and So. California
NAME
®
Regional Coordinator’s Report
Since our last newsletter came out, there have been
many miniature happenings and many more changes
to the region. This edition of the newsletter will bring
you up to date on some of them. Shortly after the last newsletter was released, our new
N-1 website went live, courtesy of our new web
mistress, Cynthia Howe. If you haven't checked it
out, you should do so! http://name-n1.org/ Of course,
if you're reading this newsletter, chances are you've
seen the website! There's a note about the website in
this edition of the newsletter.
"Our Family Reunion," this year's NAME National
Houseparty was held in Indianapolis in July. Not only
was it a week of fun and shopping opportunities, but
we held our annual business meeting (where Ginger
Anderson received this year's N-1 Ambassador
Award) and our annual Regional Meeting (where
several people came armed with ideas and willingness
to help.) We've got a special story on Ginger and her
contributions to the Miniature Hobby in this issue as
well as a general report on Indianapolis. It was also
an opportunity for me to meet Valerie Bishop, who
joined our N-1 Leadership team last year and to meet
and Jackie Hoefert and Nancy Robertson, who are
joining our N-1 leadership team this year. We spent
some time discussing California and how to divvy up
State Rep responsibilities in that very busy area. The
outcome of those discussions has been communicated
to the club presidents of record, but it is also
summarized here in this newsletter. We also had a
Regional Coordinator's Retreat where we had an
opportunity to work on a special version of Debbie
Young's NAME house as well as discuss various
issues pertinent to NAME and your experience of
NAME. Sheila Benjamin attending the retreat as
well, representing N-1, and Stephanie Engeseth joined
us as well. One of our goals this year is to make sure
we've got updated e-mail addresses for everyone in
the region, and to figure out how to address the needs
of those few members without computer access to
make sure that they are in the loop with respect to
newsletters. Sheila Benjamin is helping out in that
regard and there is a special note from her in this
edition of the newsletter.
August brought the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at The
Mini-Time Machine, a Museum of Miniatures. I was
so pleased to be able to attend! The museum is
fabulous, marvelous, wonderful, etc. (Can you tell I
liked it?) There are few photos and notes about the
museum in this newsletter.
This edition of the newsletter also brings a special
view into the collection of one of our NAME
members (Willie Wiswell). This is a new series that
our newsletter editor, Jenifer MacLowry, is bringing
to you, along with some other new things. And, as
usual, some of our clubs and activities are highlighted. If your club isn't included, and you want it to be, just
send us a note about what you are doing along with
some photos ('cause we all LOVE photos!) So, enjoy the newsletter! To find out how you can
contribute to the newsletter or to the NAME N-1
region, contact me or Jenifer
([email protected]).
Janet Smith
Regional Coordinator, N-1
[email protected]
PAGE 1
"Our Family Reunion" in
Indianapolis
Willis) and the Academy of Honor
(Colleen Walker).
The NAME National Houseparty was
held in Indianapolis in July. Several
members of the N-1 family attended
and it was a great opportunity to meet
people and renew acquaintances. The
convention started, as usual, with preconvention workshops, which included
everything from a gypsy wagon or icecream store to a replica of the NAME
house in Carmel, IN. Jackie Hoefert
participated in that class and had this to
say, " Being one of the fortunate people
to take a class building "OUR HOUSE",
designed by Debbie Young and Jeff
Packard of "Young at Heart", was a
thrill. For three days we painted,
wallpapered and glued together the
wonderful 1/4" scale NAME house. On
Wednesday evening we toured the
museum in Carmel at the Patron Party
and enjoyed a great picnic on the newly
landscaped garden. It was so exciting to
drive up in the bus and see the house
that we have been building in miniature.
This cute little victorian house
was extremely pretty with it's new paint
and flowers. We stepped into the house
to see the museum, all clean for our
visit and a very proud staff.
Miniatures from some of the best artist
and many past conventions were on
display. I was a kid again looking in the
window of the greatest toy store and
now I have my own 1/4" to play
with." The Patron Party was well
attended and we all loaded up our
plates with hamburgers and other
"family reunion" type food. The
convention officially started on Thursday
with more workshops, our opening
lunch and NAME's first Theme Dinner.
Awards were given at the opening lunch
including the Founders Awards (Cat
Wingler, Julie Hagel and Deborah
The theme dinner was a birthday party
to celebrate Debbie Young's 50th and
had a "red hat" theme. Many NAME
members showed up in purple and
red…fitting the occasion. The sales
room was open in the afternoon and
filled with wonderful things to add to
one's wishlist (or to buy!). There were
numerous houseparty helpers to
choose from. The exhibits were
fabulous including a working workshop
(all the power tools moved!) Friday
brought the State Rep and the
President's Meetings which were a
great opportunity to work on filling out
the N-1 Leadership Team. Friday night
brought the Auction. The team doing
the auction this year had clearly done
this before…and you found yourself
bidding even after you'd exceeded your
"maximum" bid. Saturday was the
general meeting followed by the
regional meeting. There were many
changes to the by-laws to be reviewed
and discussed. Regional Ambassador
Awards were given out (congratulations
to Ginger Anderson!). Saturday night
was the banquet and gift exchange.
And Sunday was the closing brunch.
The souvenirs, given out throughout the
houseparty, were wonderful and
included a platter of watermelon slices
by Barb Lewis, a crocheted afghan by
Dorothy Stewart, a rocking chair by the
Boorum's, a picnic basket with a picture
of the NAME house on the top by Karen
Marsh and a salad bowl by the
Houseparty committee. The
centerpieces were a sight to see. They
were all a basic park gazebo, but then
painted and decorated by the designers
in a vast array of different designs and
colors and themes. And then it was
time to think about getting all those new
miniature treasures home! Next year:
Seattle!
Mini
Contents
RC’s
Report
Page 1
Reunion
Page 2
Club News
Page 3 - 6
Award
Page 7
Region
Page 8
Mini Fable
Page 9
Lead Team
Page 10
Museum
Page 11
Wee Willie
Page 12 -17
Book Look
Page 18
Website
Page 19
PAGE 2
Club News
Las Vegas Miniature Enthusiasts:
Susan Sheridan says, “Hello and hope everyone’s summer has been fruitful and fun!” The Las Vegas
Miniature Enthusiasts these past summer months were working on various personal projects at each
meeting. Finishing up our Shoppes and plan to gather all finished Shoppes at our October meeting
for photo shoot. In September the club will begin work on the paper minis Peddler Wares Doll as a
new project for the remainder of the year. They are looking forward to their annual Holiday party
and gift exchange in December. This
year has flown by quickly but various
projects have been on going or
completed too. Check out the
photos are of two small scenes
that Susan made as gifts for family
members, one is a 1” scale Seaside
corner scene and the other is 1/2 scale
pink and green white wicker corner
scene.
PAGE 3
Central Coast NAME Club:
The Central Coast Name Club is busy working on their creations to exchange in the coming NAME exchange
that is featured in the latest issue of the Miniature Gazette. In addition, this 1/2” shop named “IN STITCHES”
as seen in the photos is for the February Miniature Show. In addition, Debbie and Linda are teaching a class in
November on how to made paneled screens. If that isn’t enough, they are working on a dollhouse for Debbie’s
granddaughter! They have to meet once a week in order to keep up with their projects!
Debbie English, Linda Shearer & Betty
Hodges working on house for February
mini show.
Debbie English, Lenora Watson &
Betty Hodges working on project
for February mini show.
PAGE 4
Small World Club in Phoenix, AZ
Carol Rush recently took over as the
President for the Small World Club in Phoenix, AZ. She writes: On May 23, 1977 Small World
Miniature Club was chartered into NAME with
seven members. Of the seven original members
three remain active including our founder Helen
Strong. I moved from Chicago to Arizona in
December 1978 and wandered into SWMC first
show in March, 1979. I joined right then and there
and have been active ever since. Shortly before we
moved from Chicago I had
completed building a dollhouse
but had no idea other people were
making miniatures. Imagine my
thrill when I found SWMC! This
is my thirtieth year sharing my
passion with very dear friends.
Currently our membership
numbers 56, many of whom have
been members for over twentyfive years. New members young
and old are welcomed and soon
become friends. Our ages range
from 12 years to 85+ years young.
SWMC hosts a Show and
Sale every year, has a project or
demonstration every meeting, has
hosted Regional and National
House Parties, and has proudly supported many
local charities, our military troops, and individual
families in need. We share our hobby with the
community whenever possible. This year we will be
demonstrating and exhibiting at the Arizona State
Fair.
Our current project will be our display at our
March 13 & 14, 2010 Show and Sale at ASU West.
Members received a Greenleaf kit called the
“Loganberry Mill” and will complete the kit anyway
they choose. SWMC members are very creative and
imaginative and I am excited to see all the
completed structures. Detailed show information:
http://www.phoenixminiatures.com/index.php?
inc=3
This is the Loganberry Mill:
Mini ‘n Mountains Club shares a handy tip
Plexi Tip
I have learned over the 30 years I have been doing miniatures that in many respects we are very much alike. For
instance if one is good, two are better. Also when it comes to supplies you can never have enough. So with that
said I want to let everyone know that when you buy cut plexi glass or have a display case made and you pack it
away for when you finish your project, please take off the protective paper on both sides first. It is with
experience that I say this as I have recently had to spend a small fortune to have 2 very large display cases
professionally fixed, as I did not take the protective paper off when I received them. Now the paper will not
come off. Several other pieces that I was saving to use as tops on boxes I just tossed out and have to replace. So
go and check all of your plexi now. Sheila Benjamin
PAGE 5
Clubs in New Mexico:
Look for TWO NAME clubs to be chartered in
New Mexico in the coming quarter! Heather
Cutting-Rayl (our NM State Rep), has been busy
organizing and recruiting members for a club in
Albuquerque. Their first meeting will be held
on September 20th, and they’ll be meeting the
third Sunday of the month in coming months. For information, contact Heather (see the N-1
Leadership team list for contact info). She says
her co-organizer, Dianne, has lots of small
projects planned for the initial meetings and
they’ll be bringing lots of supplies to the meeting
just to get things kicked off. They also have a
great “first six months” project planned and will
be
putting the finishing touches on plans in the next
couple of weeks. Also in the works is a club in
Las Cruces. There is a Miniature Club that has
been meeting in Las Cruces for several years, but
it is not a NAME club. However a lot of folks
from all around the country have expressed
interest in joining a club in Las Cruces! We’ll
meet whenever people happen to be coming
through town. At the very least, we’ll be listed
as a NAME club so that new arrivals to Las
Cruces can get connected to the miniature
community here, including both NAME
members and non-members. Information
about the Las Cruces club can be obtained by
contacting Janet Smith.
North Orange County Miniature Guild
We are winding up our year long pursuit of things to put in a garden shop. At our last meeting Joann
Haugen prepared kits for us of the floral cooler created by Joann Swanson for the April 2008 Miniature
Co"ector. Now our more fragile creations can be displayed and stay fresh. We so appreciate Joann taking the
time to figure out the measurements and directions.
In July we held our annual garage sale. Vicki Scidmore created a treasure by combining two purchases
into a tower room at Hogwarts. Well done, Vicki.
Members are busy earning Guild Bucks by sharing projects, having displays, or teaching a kit (to name
a few) in anticipation of our big auction coming up in January. Jenifer MacLowry
Joann holding prototype of
cooler.
Lesley Jacoby hard at work. Measure
twice, cut once.
PAGE 6
Ambassador Award Winner
Congratulations to Ginger Anderson who is this year's
winner of the Ambassador Award for N1. The
Regional Ambassador Award is given to one member
within each Region for outstanding efforts in
promoting NAME and the public awareness of
miniatures and the miniature hobby. Recipients are
chosen due to their strong support of NAME, their
leadership qualities when it comes to miniature-related
activities, and their service to NAME. Ginger has been
both President and Treasurer for her club in AZ, the
Small World Miniature Club. She supports miniatures
both through NAME and through the wider miniature
community, serving as the moderator and coordinator
of a quarter scale on-line swap group. She is starting
her third tenure as Chairman for the Annual Show and
Sale held in Phoenix in February and has been active in
the N1 region for 8 years, serving in the capacity of
State Rep for AZ for 4 of those years. We talked with
Ginger after she received this year's award.
Small Talk/N1: Congratulations on receiving the
Ambassador Award! How did you feel when you they
called your NAME at this year's National Houseparty
in Indianapolis? Ginger: I was totally shocked and thrilled to be
recognized. I did feel a little guilty because I always
feel there is more I could be doing.
Small Talk/N1: I think I first met you at the National
Houseparty in Orlando. Since then, we've run into
each other at conventions and shows and State Days. How long have you been a member of NAME and
what has it meant to you? Ginger: I have been a member of NAME for 10 years. It seems longer. I love being a member. I joined before
I even knew there were clubs. Small Talk/N1: How did you get into miniatures in the
first place?
Ginger: I have always loved miniature things. I think
I discovered a miniature shop in Redmond,
Washington. There I bought a Nutshell News
magazine, found out about the Seattle Miniature Show,
went to the show and from then I was hooked. I had
no idea there were shows like that. This is why I
am passionate about finding ways to let people know
about our hobby and the Phoenix and Tucson mini
shows. Many people are awed by what we can
reproduce in scale miniature. They just don't know
there are shows and shops and clubs. Small Talk/N1: I know you are active in Quarter Scale
and have seen you post on Quarter Connection. And I
know you're "swap mistress" for a Quarter Scale Swap
group. How did you get involved in the on-line
miniature community? And how has it enhanced your
overall miniature experience? Ginger: I joined a miniature online group, found out
about others, next thing you know I found I was part of
about 25 mini online groups. Over the years I have
pared it down to the 4 or 5 I am most interested in mostly 1/4" scale. I have gone to no mail on the ones
that have to much chatter about other topics, but I still
value the resources that they have to offer. The 1/4" swap group was started by a friend of mine
who ran into family illness and business issues, so I
volunteered to take it over for a while until she could
get life back in order. It became a permanent situation,
but I love doing it. It makes me complete something
every month - even if it is just a small object duplicated
10 times. LOL
Small Talk/N1: I know you keep busy in Phoenix as
well…club president and show coordinator. How
much time do you spend organizing things vs. actually
working on miniatures? And do you like being so
involved?
Ginger: Oh! That is a bad question for me. I seem to
get so little finished. I am the queen of unfinished
projects. It seems I don't quite finish one and then
another comes along. That is why I like to take
workshops at the conventions. I am assured I will be
nearly finished when I get home. That said, I still
have 4 nearly finished 1//4" houses just waiting for me
to furnish them with my lovely swap items. I enjoy project management and serving as show
chairman. I like the challenge and meeting schedules. Sometimes I take on too many things at once. Serving
as NAME state Rep, Coordinating state days, Mini
show chairman and President and Treasurer are all jobs
I have enjoyed. I do need a rest every so often, though. Small Talk/N1: Is there anything else you would like
to share with the members of N1?
Ginger: I am currently working with the Creative
Crafts department at the Arizona State Fair to arrange
for our clubs to exhibit and demonstrate the crafts
related to our hobby. We are going to have 3 hour
demonstrations on 5 days during the fair. I will take
this opportunity to have show fliers for the Tucson and
Phoenix mini shows as well as a list of all the Arizona
NAME mini clubs, NAME registration forms and free
NAME gazettes with stickers on them so that people
can visit the NAME web page.
(continues on next page)
PAGE 7
Ginger: The fair is a little challenge because of the
timing. We have the new Museum opening in Tucson
which will be a marvelous facility. The date does not
seem to be firm for that opening. The AZ State Fair
opens the same weekend as the Tucson Miniature
show and the Fair setup dates are during the Salt Lake
City Small scale convention. This is why I need to
involve other people because it is impossible to be in 2
places at the same time.____________________________
Regional Events
When you know about miniature events
happening in the region, let us know. We want
to include all events that are open to all of our
region's miniaturists, but are not limiting
ourselves to events that are related to NAME.
So, State Days or shows that are sponsored by
NAME clubs can be included, but so can
workshops at local miniature shops or other
shows in the region. Please send us the event
date, name, location and contact information
and we'll add your event to our website
calendar and our next newsletter!
September
September 19, 2009
"Potted Plants", and "Craft Baskets", San
Diego, CA
Info: Ms. Peggie's Place, 858-483-2621
September 26, 2009
"Outhouse", San Diego, CA
Info: Ms. Peggie's Place, 858-483-2621
October
October 17 & 18th, 2009
32nd Annual Tucson Miniature Society's Show
& Sale, Tucson, AZ
Info: Gail St. Clair (520) 400-4819
2010
January
January 22nd-23rd, 2010
Tom Bishop Southern California Miniatures
Show and Sale, Anaheim, CA
http://www.bishopshow.com/southerncal.htm
February
February 6 - 7, 2010
San Diego Miniature Crafters Show and Sale
http://www.sdminiatures.com/shows.htm
February 13, 2010
Miniatures West Show and Sale
http://www.miniatureswest.com/
February 20-21, 2010
Central Coast Dollhouse & Miniatures Show
and Sale
Info: Mike or Cherrel Botkin (805) 772-7858
March
March 13 - 14, 2010
Small World Miniature Club Show and Sale
http://www.phoenixminiatures.com/
October 15, 2009
Cynthia Howe Minaitures - "Miss Lydia's
Tearoom" Online Roombox Class
http://cynthiahoweminiatures.com/shop/
index.php?
main_page=product_info&cPath=21&products
_id=688
PAGE 8
Once upon a time there was our NAME Region N1 Coordinators’
Budget. It was a very tight little budget. It needed to cover the costs for a
number of things including the Regional Newsletter. And with technology
progressing in leaps and bounds, the 500 members asking for lots of color
pictures in the newsletter, the cost of snail mail and reproduction costs, the
Coordinator suggested that the newsletter be distributed via email and on the
Regional Website. Most of the members of the Region thought that was a good
idea. And so the tight little budget slept much better that night.
The moral to this story is that to insure you get your Regional Newsletter
in a timely manner you must supply your current email address to the Regional
Coordinator. Sheila Benjamin has volunteered to coordinate the effort to get as
many of our 500 members to verify that their email is correct. So if you would
please send her an email at [email protected] she will make sure you
are on the list. If you have not responded within a month of this newsletter you
will be contacted via e-mail (if we have an address for you) or via snail mail to
see if we can encourage you to sign up for your newsletter via email or by
downloading it from the Website. If you have no computer access or friend or
relative who can print a copy for you then your name will stay on the snail mail
list and your newsletter will get mailed to you. Please be aware that any hard
copy mailed will be in black and white and may not have all the photos that the
website version will have. Our tight little budget will not allow us to mail full
color copies of the newsletter. We aren’t the first region to try and have all of our members receive the
newsletter via email or the Website. We know we will not be 100% successful
but if we can reach 95% of the membership without any mailing cost that
would make our tight little budget very happy. The end.
PAGE 9
N-1 Leadership Team Updates
by: Janet Smith
After several years as State Rep for San Diego and Imperial Counties, Lori Lehman chose to resign. Lori's
contributions to the region as State Rep will be missed, but her involvement in miniatures is sure to
continue. With Lori's resignation, that left Marilyn Taylor and Valerie Greenberg left to cover all of CA,
which was too much to cover. While the number of shows is small and a limited number of people could
manage the NAME tables, the State Rep job is much more than that. State Reps are to be the point of
contact for local clubs into the NAME organization. And with the number of clubs in CA, something had
to be done.
Lori recommended a few people to replace her, one of which was Jackie Hoefert. When I had a
chance to meet Jackie in Indianapolis, I talked with her about the job and was very glad to hear that she was
willing to take the State Rep role.
Also in Indianapolis, I had the pleasure of sharing a table with Nancy Robertson. Nancy and I
were talking about the need for additional state reps in CA and she, too, was willing to step into the role of
State Rep.
The four State Reps for CA (excluding those State Reps with specific responsibilities for Welcome
Committee, Newsletter and Web Mistress) met in Indianapolis with a list of clubs and a map of the CA
counties. Clubs were divided up and Club Presidents have been notified about who their State Rep is.
State Reps throughout the region are being encouraged to visit the clubs they have responsibility for. If you
are a Club President and do not know who your State Rep is, please feel free to contact me
([email protected]).
Prior to Indianapolis, I also had the opportunity to talk with Heather Cutting-Rayl about the
formation of a new club in Albuquerque. After a small amount of arm twisting, Heather agreed to take on
the role of State Rep for NM. While we have no shows or clubs in NM, Heather is working to change that!
We're even talking about holding a small State Day in NM in 2010.
Please join me in thanking Lori for her years of service, and in welcoming these new members of
the leadership team. I would like to thank the team, whole-heartedly, for the help you have given to me in
With all of these changes, the N-1 Leadership team now looks like this:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Regional Coordinator, N1: Janet Smith ([email protected])
State Rep., New Mexico: Heather Cutting-Rayl ([email protected])
State Rep., Arizona: Ginger Anderson ([email protected])
State Rep., Southern Nevada: Susan Sheridan ([email protected])
State Rep., California: San Diego and Imperial Counties: Jackie Hoefert ([email protected])
State Rep., California: San Luis Obispo and Kern Counties: Betty Hodges ([email protected])
State Rep., California: Riverside, Orange, San Bernadino and Part of Los Angeles Counties: Nancy
Robertson ([email protected])
State Rep., California: Santa Barbara and Part of Los Angeles Counties: Valerie Greenberg
([email protected])
State Rep., California: Ventura and Part of Los Angeles Counties: Marilyn Taylor
([email protected])
Welcoming Committee Chair: Sheila Benjamin ([email protected])
Newsletter Editor: Jenifer MacLowry ([email protected])
Web Mistress: Cynthia Howe ([email protected])
PAGE 10
The Mini-Time Machine Museum
by: Janet Smith
The invitation arrived in the mail…a copper
colored envelope with gold printing. Inside the
invitation was a pop-up version of the museum I'd
seen only in photos. It was inviting me to the
champagne reception and ribbon cutting ceremony! I nearly danced into Jeff's office. "Look what I
got! Look what I got!" Since neither of us are
really party people, it took some arm twisting, but
he agreed to go with me. So the date was set and
the calendar cleared. The drive to Tucson takes
about four hours, but I forgot AZ doesn't "do"
Daylight Savings Time. So we were early enough
to stop off at the local McDonald's and change into
our clothes for the evening festivities. Starting
with the front door, where a miniature version of
the front door is displayed, you know this is going
to be something special. And just inside the front
door is a light, representing the resident Fairy
(Caitlin), flitting about in the entry way where
another little door opens to let her in. The hors
d'oeuvres were wonderful; the beautiful tones of
the harp filling the space. The champagne was
bubbly, but I was anxious to break through the
ribbons and see what was inside. The ceremony
started with a dedication by the D.D. Bishop of
Tucson. Remarks were made by the Executive
Director, the Architect, the Contractor, the
Designer and, of course, the Arnells. Then the
toast and ribbon cutting! And the mad rush inside
(not just me! Others were anxious as well!) And then, wow….one hardly knew where to start. The "fantasy" room has a large tree in the middle
were various creatures have carved out their homes
(fully furnished and lighted!). Everywhere you
look are fairies or other fantasy people and
creatures in their homes displayed on the walls
around the tree. There is a Christmas display along
one long wall, and even under the floor, so you can
look down at your feet and see the lighted village
below. There are roomboxes and building by all
the miniature names we've come to know and love
over the years including Brooke Tucker and April
and Ron Gill. There are some Thai and Japanese
displays. There is an outstanding reproduction of
the Gamble House. There are tudor buildings;
homes and pubs. There are displays of NAME
souvenirs and information about NAME and
IGMA. There are modern houses and antique
houses. There is a fascinating multi-media display
where a man seems to crawl inside a dollhouse to
spend some time educating people on the issue of
scale. Even Jeff, who is not a miniaturist (though
very supportive of my hobby!) was in awe of the
museum. We both agreed we need to make a
longer trip back. It's the kind of place that you can
visit and revisit and revisit and notice new things
every time. My heart-felt thanks to the Arnells for blessing me
with an invitation to the ribbon cutting ceremony. I
will most definitely be back. And my
congratulations to the Arnells and their team for
building such a wonderful space to display the very
best that our hobby has to offer.
For more information about the museum, check out
their website at: http://
www.theminitimemachine.com/
I thought it appropriate, as well, to share the
mission statement for the museum. "The mission
of The Mini-Time Machine Museum of Minatures
is to provide in a state-of-the-art building, a
cultural and educational atmosphere for the
preservation and display of antique and
contemporary minatures. The artistic, historic,
architectural and creative aspects of miniatures will
be shared in an entertaining and intaeractive way
with community members of all ages." Well done,
Mini-Time Museum…you have most definitely
accomplished your mission!
PAGE 11
A Wee Look at a Miniaturist Extraordinaire
by Jenifer MacLowry
Willie with Stephanie Engeseth in her
museum.
Willodean “Willie” Wiswell began building miniatures out of
balsa wood and making room boxes out of old shoe boxes
when she was just 12 years old. After a while these treasures
ended up in a box of memories and Willie grew up, got
married, and started raising a family. One day she was driving
with the two babies in the back of the car when she saw a
miniature store, slammed on the brakes, and spent the rest of
the day recapturing her lost love. In those early days she hung
around with the Mott sisters, joining their Christmas club
and was there at the inception of N.A.M.E. The North
Orange County Miniature Guild was separate from N.A.M.E.
in those days. Over the years Willie volunteered her time
leading the club and helped get it affiliated with N.A.M.E.
Her passion for making miniatures and her love for N.A.M.E.
has stayed with her to this day.
Yes, those two darling babies survived that wild ride past the
miniature store and once the nest was empty Willie took over
the second floor of their home to display her collection. After
knocking down a few walls, adding some great lights and
some cabinets and tables Willie has created her own museum
of miniatures. As you first come up the stairs you
immediately see a porch scene and are invited in to view
Willie’s wonderful world that blends imagination, personal
history, and fantasy.
This is an exact replica of the general store
that Willie remembers as a child in
Missouri. She used her Grandma’s photo
for ideas.
Young train engineer.
Front porch invites you to enter the
upstairs museum.
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Almost every room of the Wiswell home has some
miniatures on display. The living room has a
wonderful yellow house, The Pepperwood, which
Willie built and furnished, another, a Lawbre, is in
progress, and then a whole wall unit is filled with
minis she made in classes or created on her own.
Brook Tucker’s first class is represented there as well
as a delightful teapot that graced the cover of
Newshe" News (September 1996).
The downstairs workroom.
The teapot that made the cover of
Nutshell News.
Front parlor, bedroom, and bath of yellow
house.
Kitchen, another bedroom, and a dining
room all set for Thanksgiving.
Yellow Pepperwood house
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Willie’s famous Raggedy Ann Class
To help support her mini habit Willie has
taught classes over the years as well.
Miniaturists have learned to make jewel
mannikin dolls, over-stuffed furniture, a
scene inside a stuffed teddy, and Raggedy
Ann Boxes.
She is the envy of us all in that she has two
workrooms, one upstairs and the other
down. What she has accomplished is truly
amazing, especially considering that she
had a full time career selling real estate,
raised a family, and has been married for 53
years.
Willie, you are a true delight and North
Orange County Miniaturist Guild salutes
you! - Jenifer MacLowry
Teddy’s tummy creates a marvelous
scene. Another of Willie’s classes.
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A perfect Victorian Christmas except for
the Barbie under the tree!
Willie riding up to her museum.
Willie’s personal favorite. A perfect replica of an old
fashioned merry-go-round with 265 lights, music, and
movement. It includes a sled for the nanny to ride in
while watching her charges.
When Willie sent a photo of this scene to
Carol Burnett, she wanted to buy it. Willie
refused the offer.
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This Gypsy Caravan has exact and original details depicting the traveling
life. The two drawers in the top left photo pull out into a bed for the children.
This wonderful trailer made in 2002
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Willie’s dentist begs her for this
scene every time she visits.
If you have a can of chicken or a can of tuna, and loads of
patience, you, too, can make these beds!
Willie’s favorite New Orleans restaurant in the
jaws of an alligator. It was destroyed during
Hurricane Katrina.
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Miniatures in Books – or something else to do while that glue dries.
Fiction
Margaret Grace has written a delightful book, Murder in Miniature. This mini cozy is the first
in a series of mysteries which will satisfy your taste for miniatures even if you can’t be making
them. During the story these characters finish more projects in one book then I finish in a year.
They were so inspiring that I sat down and finished three kits (very small ones) just after
reading it. Geraldine Porter, her family, and her fellow miniaturists are finely drawn and the
plot is complex enough to keep you guessing, with a couple of red herrings thrown in for
interest. Best of all, some great mini tips can be found at the end of each book. Mayhem in
Miniature and Malice in Miniature are the next books in the series with a fourth book on the
way.
Nonfiction
Angie Scarr has a new book out about using fimo in making miniature food. Her previous
book, Making Miniature Food and Market Stalls (2001) is a great book that covers all the
basics. Just published, Miniature Food Masterclass (2009) takes fimo food making to a whole
new level. Here you don’t just make the banana, you learn how to peel the banana and put in
the seeds. She spends four chapters just on caning techniques. There are plenty of photos to
illustrate the different steps and the instructions are clear and easy to understand. Never have
fruits and vegetables looked so good. Your mini mothers will thank you for learning how to
make healthy food look so appetizing as they remind their mini children to eat their vegetables.
All books mentioned can be found at Amazon however, if you still have them, please try your local
independent book stores first. Jenifer MacLowry
Do you know someone with a remarkable collection of miniatures or a mind-blowing new
project? Sharing our treasures is what NAME is all about. Please send photos and story to
me at [email protected]. Thanks for adding to our enjoyment of this unique
hobby. Jenifer MacLowry
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N-1's Fabulous Website
One of the most significant achievements since
our last newsletter was the grand opening of our
new N-1 website. If you missed the
announcement, here it is again!
It is with GREAT pleasure that I am writing to
announce that grand opening of the new N-1
website. Last March, Cynthia Howe (Cynthia Howe
Miniatures) contacted me and expressed interest
in helping out with the N-1 website. I was
having problems keeping up with the website
and was looking for help. When she offered to
take over the website and re-do it, I didn't have
to think twice. Since then, she has been working
with Anne Gerdes on the site design. I've been
giving her some of the content, but Cynthia has
driven this, donating her time and resources to
this project. She has also arranged for the site
hosting to be donated, and we owe our thanks to
Noella Slater (miniature.net) who is donating
the hosting services to us. I hoped to have the
site ready to go before the National Houseparty
in Indianapolis, so I could announce it there. I
am SO excited to say the work is done and the
site is ready WEEKS ahead of time! The website address is: http://www.name-n1.org
Please check it out! I think you'll find the site
appearance clean, attractive and professional. The content is up to date. The site is easy to
navigate and will do a lot to keep all of us
informed about what is happening in our region! Be sure to bookmark this page as you will want
to visit often.
Everyone in N1 bears some responsibility for
keeping our Website up to date and interesting. How can you help???
--Events: When you know about miniature
events happening in the region, let us know. We
want to include all events that are open to all of
our region's miniaturists, but are not limiting
ourselves to events that are related to NAME. So, State Days or shows that are sponsored by
NAME clubs can be included, but so can
workshops at local miniature shops or other
shows in the region. Please send us the event
date, name, location and contact information
and we'll add your event to our website calendar
and our next newsletter!
--Links: If you have a miniature business/
website and would like your site listed on our
list of links page.. If you have a website that
showcases your collection, but aren't in the
miniature business, we can still link to your
home page. Just send us the link!
--Photos: We want to highlight shows, state
days, other miniature gatherings and events, but
can only do so if you let us know about them
and send us the photos! All website information/additions can be sent to
[email protected].
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