Mad About Miniatures

A "Dollhouse Takeover" is happening at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts this fall. The collection spans three centuries and is coming out of the museum's vaults for the first time. It is a project 11 years in the making.  My guest is Lindsey Jancay, VP & Managing Director, and we talk all about this special event and the Elizabeth Johnston Prime Dollhouse Collection featured in "Art of the Dollhouse". 

Host Becky...

Miniature Model Maker Kayte Sabicer talks about how mini models are used in movies and tv shows to create realistic special effects.  She has worked on some big blockbuster movies like Inception,Hugo, Dark Knight Rises, as well as some of the Star Wars movies & tv shows. Join me as we enter the world of Hollywood and discover how miniatures help deliver movie magic. Kayte is on Instagram @Kaytesabicer. You can also find he...

Join me in a world where Barbie has as much attitude (mostly bad) and sass as she does beauty and style. That's the funny & fabulous world of Matthew Keith from Dolls On The Brain (FB & Instagram). Matthew's tongue in cheek "slap scenes" and humorous definitions have gained him a large & devoted following. Matthew discusses his filming process including how he actually "auditions" various Barbies for roles in his videos...

Years ago Troy Schmidt took a pottery class when he was a recent college grad looking to start his career in science. By the end of the class he was obsessed with pottery and  fast forward to now where he has been throwing pottery for more than half his life. He's a teacher of both pottery and mini pottery, and we talk clay, glazes, kilns, and the joy of doing what you love! Troy is also a teacher at the world famous Internati...

Miniaturist Marie-Louise Markhorst wanted to learn how to make tiny metal hinges for her miniature furniture. Before she knew it, she was taking a three year jewelry making class to learn how to work with metal in miniature. We talk about her tiny copper pots, tiny ladles, cheese shredders and more, her time on a miniature tv show in the Netherlands,  as well as her recent project to furnish a miniature version of Anne Frank's...

After beating two separate types of cancer, Natasha was healthy but had lost her enthusiasm for life (understandbly). By revisiting her childhood love of minis and making it a priority, she found joy in her life again! This past Christmas Natasha was in People Magazine for building a dollhouse from scratch in 3 weeks for her 15 year old differently abled son. The fact that the dollhouse was for a boy caused a surprising amount of c...

Miniaturist Hannah Lemon is on a  a great new television program about miniatures, called The Marvelous Miniature Workshop. It's her second tv show - she was previously the winner on Best In Miniature, season two. In this new show Hannah recreates in miniature two buildings that are abandoned and/or gone, to surprise people for whom those buildings hold happy memories. Hannah gives us the behind the scenes scoop on this heartw...

The first Annual Festival of Miniatures is underway in Brattleboro, Vermont, for the entire month of December. There are over 80 miniature window displays and a slew of activities in downtown Brattleboro.  I was invited to be a judge for the festival and was privileged to see how minis transformed downtown - bringing visitors, raising spirits, and causing a whole town to fall in love with miniatures! Join me as I talk to minia...

Join me as I talk to Crystal Cox about her business selling "spooky cute" and tiny things. Halloween has long been Crystal's favorite holiday  - she even got married in an abandoned building lit with candelabras on Halloween (Dracula vibes, anyone). We also get serious for a moment and talk about an artist's worst fear, which is someone stealing their work. Crystal talks about her experience and how you can educate yourself to...

Do you ever feel guilty about the time & money you put into miniatures? Well, no more! I talk with Dr. Dalia Iskander, a medical anthropologist at the University College of London about her recent study of miniaturists. We talk about why we are driven to create miniatures, the pleasure and benefits we derive from them, and why we love tiny things! 

Host Becky Gannon is on Instagram @madaboutminiatures. For more on Dr. Iska...

Join me as I talk to Niki Faller about her work with indigenous artists in the Amazon rainforest. She is coaching them to make miniatures of their traditional arts (basket weaving, carving, tapestries, etc.) thereby opening up a new market for these talented artisans. The journey hasn't been easy as many of the communities are isolated and building relationships and trust take time.  But, now in year three of this project, Nik...

Casey started her career in fashion designing handbags and now she's designing mini totes, handbags, and other fun mini accessories that make your dollhouse feel like a real home.  She's especially known for her tiny "ugly shoes", miniature versions of Crocs, Uggs, Birkenstocks, and more!  Join us as we talk about all things mini.

Casey is on Instagram @smallishminiatures and host Becky Gannon is @madaboutminiatures. ...

Master Miniaturists Kevin Mulvany & Susie Rogers are an English husband and wife team. They create magnificent miniature palaces and historic mansions that are displayed in miniature museums and private collections all over the world.  They are known for their incredible precision and accuracy in recreating historical architecture, as well as their ability to create a sense of life and beauty in their miniature buildings.&...

Miniaturist and successful author Elise Hooper has written a fascinating book about secrets hidden in miniatures and what happens when they are discovered.  Elise and I talk about the book, The Library of Lost Dollhouses, and how she was inspired to get back into miniatures by renovating her family dollhouse as part of her research for the book. 

Elise Hooper is on Instagram @elisehooper and host Becky Gannon is on Instag...

Kia is rescuing the 111 year old dollhouse made by her great great grandfather and passed down and played with for several generations. Besides scraping away paper and mildew, she has big plans for new ways for it to reflect her family history, including making furniture out of the family tartan, and turning old hand painted wallpaper scraps into art for the dollhouse walls.  

Kia is on Instagram @windyhillwhimsy, and hos...

Author Renee Rosen takes us behind the scenes to the absolutely incredible story behind Barbie's creation as detailed in her new book "Let's Call Her Barbie". This story proves that truth is indeed stranger than fiction and is full of more gossip, in-fighting, and twists and turns than the juiciest soap opera. A fun & fact filled interview that will leave you wanting more! 

Host Becky Gannon is on Instragram @Madaboutminia...

A quick rainy day trip to a dollhouse festival near her house led to the purchase of a dollhouse for her baby girl, and the start of Lucy's obsession to build the best dollhouse she had ever seen.  Then came the call that House & Garden Magazine wanted to feature it, followed by an invitation to the Homo Faber Design Festival and an exhibition at Harrods in London. Join me as I talk to Lucy about her extraordinary miniatur...