D-A-M-E member Christine Davies put these questions to Lesley Hughes of Ooak Diddy Dolls.

What started your interest in miniatures? 

  I never really played with dolls and houses as a child, I was a bit of a Tomboy , but I have always liked things in miniature they appealed to me, but I never knew why.

 

 Are miniatures your full time occupation or do you have to fit them around other commitments?

  I have a lovely husband and three children eldest girl is 14, my boy who is 12 and my little one, she is 4.

I am a stay at home mum and very happy to be that, I try to fit in my miniature makings around my family, usually into the early hours of the morning, I could do with a 48 hour day

Have you had any special training or are you completely self-taught?

  I have not had any training but having the world wide web at my fingertips has been fantastic, there is an amazing amount of information out there from artists who are willing to share their knowledge and skills.

I have a small amount of books I can refer to these are also my bedtime reading, my most helpful ones would be: CREATING LIFELIKE FIGURES Katherine Dewey, 12th SCALE CHARACTER FUGURES James Carrington, and FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN POLYMER CLAY by Maureen Carlson.

I also have a set of James carrington DVD's given to me by a very dear friend, which I find very inspiring and wonderful to watch.

Can you tell us a little about your workplace? And any favourite tools or gadgets?

  My workspace is my kitchen table, yes I have to pull everything out to work, then put it all away again at tea times, but this is my happy place, mind you, I do have to cope with the ongoing dust, having a family and a couple of small dogs, but we make the best of what we have. I have to say my most favourite tool I use is my handmade one, a fimo handle with a darning needle inserted, I also use some soft shaping tools and double ended ball shaped tools.

 

How do you photograph your miniatures?

  This is usually done at my table if the lighting is good, if not out come the lamps and any extra lighting I can get my hands on.  I do like to take the photos outside in the summer when the weather is fine.

 

Do you have a website, exhibit at Dolls House/Miniature fairs, or sell on eBay?

  My making of my web site is also something  new to me and an ongoing learning curve which I am enjoying my address is:  www.ooakdiddydolls.moonfruit.com

I also use ebay for the selling of my works. My user name is bostock2000

 

Is there anything you most enjoy making?

  I enjoy trying to make everything from start to finish, I have enjoyed making furniture for my own doll house right up to the sculpting and dressing of dolls.  I love to try new hobby's and at the moment I have been teaching myself needle felting which I have found to be very addictive and painful for the fingers too .

 

 

 

 

And have you made anything that you simply had to keep for yourself?

  All the furniture in the kitchen of my Edwardian doll house I have made myself, and could never part with it. I was so pleased with it all as these where really my first makes in my mini world apart from my fimo foods and accessories I made too.

 

 

Where does your inspiration come from?

  My first real look into the miniature world was about two years ago, my mother bought herself a doll house kit, as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have one too, from then on its all been a fabulose journey of learning what goes into this tiny yet beautiful mini world.

  I saw my first ever handmade sculpted doll on a visit to a free printout web site , I was searching for wallpapers for my house, I fell upon a wonderful site www.jennifersprintables.com  this lovely lady has a most fantastic market scene, and it was there she showed you how to make a doll. Well that was it, I thought "I have to try one" and its snowballed from there, I am very grateful to jenny as she was my inspiration to start what I love doing now and that's sculpting and dressing character dolls.

 

Do you have a dolls house or other miniature collections? Or maybe a completely contrasting hobby?

  I do have a dollhouse which is still needing my attention, I have tried to set it in the Edwardian period.  I also have a doll house shop, which a friend bought for me, That kit is together but untouched as yet, I think my houses will be  ongoing projects for many many years.

 

 

Is there anybody from the miniature world whose work you really admire?

  This is a hard one, I admire everybody who has the heart to show their work, I have learnt so much from people I will never know or meet and also from my new found mini mad friends I've met through making my mini's too.  I value any advice given from any source, I couldn't possibly name names here as there are too many wonderful artists out there.

 Do you have any special future plans and ambitions for your miniature making?

  I am happy to carry on making in my own time and maybe one day have a selling table at a miniatures show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With thanks to Lesley and Christine

If you would like to see more of Lesley's work please take a look at her members page and her website www.ooakdiddydolls.moonfruit.com