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The Web has a ton of sites that deal with dollhouse miniatures, including the vanity
pages (ahem) of miniature enthusiasts; artisans and craftsmen sites offering items for sale;
online shops and/or catalogs from retailers and distributors; mininature organizations,
associations, and other groups' home pages (usually packed with resources and links); and
online ads for stores, musuems, manufacturers, and others. Below I've listed a few of the
sites I've found most useful, interesting, or informative. To find other links, go to the
Recs.Crafts.Dollhouses
home page or the one for tiny talk.
Magazines and Books"Dollhouse Miniatures" -- The top magazine in the U.S. for collecting and making miniatures. Lots of crafty, how-to articles. (Formerly known as "Nutshell News," the magazine changed its name a couple of years back to avoid confusion with publications about agriculture or nut trees or people who are nuts -- and not necessarily about miniatures.)
Everything You Wanted to Know About Dollhouses but Didn't Know Who To Ask Mini-Books -- This online book service offers a great selection of books on miniatures and dollhouses you can order.
OrganizationsNAME -- The National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts. This organization is the one most miniature craftspeople belong to. NAME produces a quarterly newsletter (Minature Gazette); sponsors national and regional houseparties, workshops, and tours of miniature collections; and provide a forum for mini nuts to discuss their obsession. Note that you need to be a member of NAME to take advantage of any of these things. Recs.Crafts.Dollhouses -- The premiere newsgroup on the Net for miniature and dollhouse topics, containing the wit and wisdom of miniature enthusiasts the world over. On their Web site you'll find archives from the newsgroup and many, many resources, such as contact info for retailers (mail order, online, and retail shops); clubs and associations; projects; and tips and sage advice. tiny talk -- A terrific mailing list sends out a daily digest full of advice, tips, and comarderie. The tiny talk Web site is loaded with projects, lists of retailers and shows, and lots of links to miniature sites, including those of members. International Guild of Miniature Artisans (IGMA) -- A non-profit organization devoted to promoting miniatures as an artform. No joke. It sponsors an annual show that functions as a showcase for artisans in the group and an annual workshop in Maine, provides a newsletter (the Cube), and offers study programs for members.
Online stores and catalogsHobby Builders Supply -- A mail-order distributor. You can order directly from its Web site catalog or via the usual methods (phone, snail mail, fax). It offers a quarterly, full-color, free print catalog. Great selection, decent prices (probably beats your local miniatures specialty store). This is my favorite place to buy miniatures.Dollhouse Cottage -- A retail store in Kirkland, WA. When I lived in Washington state, this was my miniature store of choice. They had a great selection of minis, especially wallpaper. The store also featured a number of lovely finished dollhouses and roomboxes. You can order online from the store or just pop over if you're in the area. Gailcrafts and Dollhouse Shop -- A retail store in Salem, NH. I used to frequent this store when I lived in the Boston area--it's terrific! While it does have an online catalog, you can't order online. You'll need to send in your order via e-mail, phone, fax, or snail mail. Mott's Miniatures -- A retail store in LA, CA. You can order directly from it online store or phone, fax, or mail in an order. Or you can just walk into the store! You can also order a print catalog from Mott's Web site, but it's not free. Cape May Miniatures -- A retail store in Cape May, NJ. It offers an online catalog that you can order from via e-mail, fax, or phone. Petite Elite -- A retail store in LA, CA. Affliated with the Carol and Barry Kaye Museum of Miniatures, you can order directly from the online store. DD's Dollhouse --An online emporium of dolls, miniatures, and accessories in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It has merchandise from most of the top manufacturers of minis. You can order online, too. DollHouseDesigns.COM -- On this site for do-it-yourselfers, you can get floor plans for 1:12 dollhouses. Prices are reasonable, and you can pay online and download for immediate gratification.
ArtisansBrooke Tucker -- Brooke Tucker is the grande dame of miniaturists. Her creations -- roomboxes and accessories -- are beautiful and distinctive. She has many pieces for sale, which you can buy through her Web site. She also creates custom roomboxes. Want to pick up her techniques? You can attend one of her workshops. Check her Web site for the schedule. Miniature Wildlife Sculpture -- Mary McGrath makes gorgeous tiny sculptures of animals and plants. Each sculpture is a one-of-a-kind! Mary removes it from her gallery once a sculpture has been purchased. To order, you'll need to send Mary e-mail.
Collections and MuseumsMott's Miniature Museum -- The museum really doesn't exist as such anymore, but the Motts have some of the collection in their retail store in LA. One of the coolest collections around. Read about it in "A Wee Obsessed." Unfortunately, much of the Mott collection is being sold off. Carol and Barry Kaye's Museum of Miniatures -- This museum in LA, CA, advertises itself as the largest museum of contemporary miniatures in the world. Whoa! The American Museum of the Miniature Arts -- A Dallas, TX, musuem that features a permanent collection of minis and dollhouses, both contemporary and antique, in addition to travelling exhibits. Are any of these urls defunct? Are there others I should add? Let me know! |
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