A trip to the 100th Miniatura

 

Last weekend my mum and I took a trip to Miniatura - my favourite exhibition of the year. This one was particularly special as it was the 100th show and lots of the stallholders had made a real effort to recognise that - as you can see from the photos above.

Miniatura began in 1983 but if I'm honest, I've lost track of how many shows we've been to. We started going when it was at the NEC but Stoneleigh - the exhibition's home for the last few years - is definitely a more relaxed experience.

There's so much room to move around so even if your favourite stall is a few people deep, it never feels uncomfortable or over-crowded. This year there were even more places to sit and the catering had been brought inside the main hall which worked really well. 

After a long drive hampered by heavy traffic on the Saturday, we arrived with just under two hours to explore and were relieved we had bought weekend tickets, which are great value.

My mum had a shopping list whereas I wasn't really sure what I wanted. I mostly need things for my modern art deco house but there are still gaps in my diner and as I've said before, I'm not sure any project is ever completely finished. 

One of the first stands we spotted was Scrappy Create but there was a queue of people waiting to see their tiny treasures. I've followed them on Instagram for ages but had never actually seen them in person before so I didn't waste the opportunity and waited my turn.

Their products are BEAUTIFUL. I grabbed a pot (the equivalent of a shopping basket if you were in a 'normal' sized shop) and filled it to the brim. Not only are their miniatures gorgeous, they're also very reasonably priced. 

Everything above was from Scrappy Create - from the meal deal to the 'Minizon' boxes, both of which made me laugh. I was very pleased to get mini Alice some dog food and some Biscrok treats as life-size Alice is rather partial to those. 

All of the above came to £42. If you're not into miniatures, that may sound a lot to spend on a tiny sweet bag full of items but trust me, it's an absolute bargain. My mum also found a bottle of ketchup which she's been looking for for ages for her burger stand 'Munchies'.

She also found her 'burger man' who she'd been on the hunt for for years. She eventually found him at Smallsorts which was full of lovely dolls. He started life as a butcher but they very helpfully removed the sausages from his hand and he'll soon be moving into Munchies.

One of the best things about Miniatura is that nobody thinks you're crazy when you're standing staring at a tiny man wondering if he has the right kind of face. We decided he definitely did and my mum has named him George (originally Fred but she changed her mind once she got him home.

As well as a myriad of stalls where you can purchase almost anything you can think of in miniature, there's also plenty to admire. I loved this tree and the whimsical signs just add to the charm.   

I was in absolute awe of the hyper-realistic scenes by Graham Bolton Miniatures. He was very generous in allowing people to take photos (miniature etiquette demands you should always ask) and I completely believe his claim that the scene below is one of the most photographed men's loos in the world. 

I also loved Graham's room boxes below. The joy I get from minis is all about collecting and putting a scene together so I wouldn't buy a complete scene like this, but I admire the many hours of work that has gone into them. The price tags may seem a lot but when you think about how long something like this would take to create, I expect it's not much more than minimum wage.  
 

Another new stall I hadn't come across before was Honey I Shrunk the House. I spent ages going through their lovely artwork and children's books and ended up with quite a collection. Who doesn't want tiny copies of The Hungry Caterpillar, Where's Spot?, Elmer and The Tiger Who Came to Tea?! I also got a couple of recipe books to pop in the kitchen.  

At the end of day one (which for us was just a couple of hours) we returned to our hotel with bulging bags and feeling very pleased with our purchases. We probably would have been happy without going back but after a big breakfast, we returned on the Sunday for another couple of hours' shopping. 

Another favourite stall that we hadn't come across before was Pauline's Miniature Packages. It was huge and we both picked up quite a few essentials. I have space on the shelves at the back of my diner so picked up some tins of coffee, hot chocolate, salt and water. They also had some fantastic and original fun fair stalls including Hook a Duck, which was a childhood favourite of mine. Understandably they weren't allowing photos but they were being admired by the many people who stopped to take a look.  

I also picked up this pink chair from Pauline's and was delighted when I found a trolley to match on another stall. They'll both be going in the modern house's office, because comfort is important when you're working from home and I feel like my family will need a decent office.
 

A trip to any dollshouse show isn't complete without stopping by our favourite seller - Shepherd Miniatures. We've bought so much from them over the years that it's getting increasingly difficult to find things we need that we don't already have. I've had my eye on a viewmaster for quite a while though and this weekend I gave in - look how tiny it is! I also got a free 100th Miniatura bag which they were giving out if you followed them on Instagram (which I've been doing for years). 

 
I love being invited to 'have a go' so obviously I had to try the light switches on Creative Dolls Houses' stand. Their houses were beautiful and not for the first time, I found myself wishing I had more room in our actual house.

Something we didn't try - despite being tempted - was the Modelu stand where you could be scanned and buy a tiny version of yourself. I think a 1:12th me might be a bit weird, but I do quite fancy a tiny N gauge me for my train set. Maybe next year...

Sunday is usually about running round buying things we spotted the day before, or making it to stands we didn't have time to visit the day before. I stopped at Tumdee Miniatures to get a few bits for my diner, as well a couple of jugs for a cabinet in my tudor house.

I also picked up a beautiful bassinet from Thimblemins. I already have a highchair and a baby changing mat from them so I feel like this completes the collection. 

As well as a baby, my house has a young boy with a penchant for dinosaurs so even though he doesn't have a bed yet, I had to pick up this lovely bedding.

I also have a huge roof terrace so couldn't resist this tub of flowers, as well as a houseplant. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the stall but the work is very detailed and the prices were very reasonable.

Finally, I couldn't leave without getting a present for Tim. His spooky castle is still a work in progress (something I'm determined to fix) but I knew he'd love this little pile of books. 

I also took some photos of this haunted house, partly for inspiration as I loved the cobwebs in the attic, but also because I loved the note that went with it. 

In case you can't read the below, it says 'This haunted house was created by two families - three generations. You can see our ages and abilities and our own tastes are different. Just how we like it!'

For me, that sums up the hobby beautifully. 

All in all, it was a very successful weekend. Congratulations to the organisers for creating such a warm and friendly atmosphere and for reaching 100 shows - that's quite an achievement! I spent far more than I planned to, but came home with a renewed passion for my miniatures. And my mum came home with a new shop, which means we'll have to go back next year to find things to fill it.