A Miniature Escape: My Weekend at Europe’s Largest Dolls House Fair

 Hello everyone!

How are you all? I hope you had an amazing weekend. I have to say, mine was absolutely mind-blowing—especially after just getting back from Germany. I'm so thrilled to share that I attended the largest Dolls House and Miniature Fair in Europe for the very first time!

I visited the 1 zu 12 Die Messe 25 in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany, and it was simply incredible. There are so many reasons why I love traveling and attending dollhouse and miniature shows, and this event reminded me of every single one of them.

It’s always wonderful to reconnect with artists and old friends—especially those you rarely get to see. Coming from the little (and often forgotten) island of Malta, where dollhouses are still considered a bit of a taboo, I often feel isolated in my miniature-loving world. That’s why visiting these shows uplifts me so much. They remind me that there’s a whole world out there that sees what I see, especially when it comes to miniatures.

When I attend a show, I’m no longer the “weirdo” who loves playing with dollhouses—I’m part of a vibrant, creative community. I meet people who think like me, who share my passion, and with whom I can discuss and exchange ideas freely. It’s incredibly encouraging, and one of the best feelings is when someone recognizes me, we strike up a conversation, and I walk away with a new friend.

My favourite part is always finding the friends I’ve made through the years—and I’m happy to say, that number keeps growing. Two days never feel like enough, but I always leave with a full heart and something to look forward to: the next show.

Of course, the biggest disadvantage of the show—apart from how quickly it flies by—is the temptation to spend! Unless you’re very disciplined, you might as well throw in the towel and wave goodbye to your bank account. 😄

That said, I was more mindful this time—especially since I’m hoping to attend two more shows abroad before the end of the year. I also try to remind myself that I love creating pieces myself whenever I can.

Still, I couldn’t resist picking up a few treasures!

Here’s what came home with me:

• A handmade vintage pram by the Dutch duo Han Goergen and Jeanet Dekker. Han crafts the pieces, while Jeanet adds her charming shabby chic style. 

Han, Jeanet and me.

I’ve known them for years, and it’s become a tradition to collect one of their creations.

• Some beautiful laser-cut kits from Melissa’s Mini World. Melissa Verhoeven is an absolute delight—always smiling and full of positive energy.

• Printed miniature fabrics by Italian IGMA artist Susanna Alberti of Fashion in Miniature. Her warm personality is as lovely as her delicate fabrics.

• Supplies for chandelier-making from Bindels Ornaments by Marijke Bindels. I have a big project in mind and can’t wait to see how they turn out—fingers crossed I do them justice!

• A tiny, intricate pop-up book by Japanese artist Yuriko Kitano of Miniature Pop-Up Book—a true gem that becomes a miniature paper house.

• And finally, some hand-painted miniature pottery by Danish artist Lisbeth Pedersen of Minipot. Her work is always stunning and incredibly detailed.

And now for the biggest surprise of all…

I’ve been invited to exhibit at the fair next year in 2026!

At first, I felt completely overwhelmed by the idea. The pressure! The expectations! I almost said no. But in the end… they won me over. So yes, it’s happening! I’ll be exhibiting for the very first time, and I’m both nervous and excited. It’s going to be a completely new experience, and I can’t wait to share that journey with you as it unfolds.

I’m sure all these beautiful pieces will eventually find their perfect spots in my miniature scenes. But for now, I’m off to get back to my workspace and dive into some mini-making!

Thanks so much for reading, and make sure to stay tuned for the next update—I’ll be sharing a sneak peek of my latest ongoing project and some exciting things on the horizon.

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

A Peek into The Folly 1:144 Scale

 Hello Everyone,

How are you all? I hope you’re doing well and finding moments of creativity in your week. Things are good on my end — busy, but in the best kind of way! I’ve been steadily working on The Victorian Miniature Parlour, which continues to be such a joyful (and sometimes all-consuming) project. As always, I find myself getting completely absorbed in the tiniest of details — especially with all the micro-scale dollhouses and accessories I keep adding. They’re fun to make but definitely take time and a lot of patience!

Today, I wanted to share one of my recent miniatures that I’m particularly proud of: The Folly, made in 1:144 scale.

 

For this piece, I used a printable design from Alison Davies Miniatures, which I carefully downscaled to better suit the needs of my project. I’ve admired her work for quite some time, and I was eager to see how the intricate design would translate at such a small size — and I’m thrilled with the result!

Despite the tiny scale, the architectural features came through beautifully in the print, and I couldn’t be happier with how much detail survived the downscaling process.

Once printed, I hand-painted every inch of it — a time-intensive but incredibly rewarding process. I paid special attention to the ceiling and the arches around the doorway, adding layers of color and shading to bring out the texture and form. It’s amazing how even the smallest touches can completely transform a space, no matter how tiny it may be.

I’ve also started adding miniature furniture and interior accessories, all painted by hand. These pieces are almost impossibly small — think match-head size! — but they make a huge difference in creating a sense of life and purpose inside the structure. Eventually, I plan to add lighting, which I think will elevate the atmosphere even further and really make the architectural features pop.

I’ve put together a short video showing The Folly’s progress as it came together. It includes some close-up shots of the interior work and the painting process — I hope you enjoy watching the transformation. Let me know what you think!

Next week brings something I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time — I’ll be traveling to Rheda, Germany to attend the 1zu12 Miniature Show! It’s the largest dollhouse and miniature show in Europe, and I’m absolutely buzzing with excitement. Not only is it a great chance to see some of the most incredible miniatures out there, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and fellow miniature artists and collectors from all over the world.

If you're attending, please do say hello — I’d love to meet you in person! I’ll be sure to take plenty of photos and videos to share in an upcoming post, so keep an eye out for that.

That’s all for today’s update. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to follow along on my miniature journey. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little behind-the-scenes look, and I can’t wait to share more with you soon.

Take care, stay creative, and see you soon!

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

Creating a Quarter Scale Display for the Miniature Victorian Parlour : Tutorial

Hello Everyone,

It’s been a wonderful week, and I’m so pleased to share this easy, cute tutorial just before the weekend!

As part of my ongoing project The Miniature Victorian Parlour, I’ve been working with various small scales such as 1:144 and 1:48. While the micro scales are perfect for tiny dollhouses, I find that for small displays, the 1:48 scale (also known as quarter scale) is just ideal. It works beautifully with 1:12 scale dolls and adds such charm to miniature scenes.

This week, I completed my very first quarter scale display for the shop — and I have to say, I’m thrilled with how it turned out!

🛠️ What You’ll Need:

• Thin plywood (for base and back wall)

• Stanley knife

• Acrylic paints (white and gold)

• Mini wallpaper and flooring printouts

• Wood glue

• Miniature cabinet kit (from Melissa’s Miniworld)

• 3D printed busts, frames, and pedestals

• Patience and a steady hand!

🎨 Step-by-Step Tutorial:

1. Preparing the Base & Back Panel

I began by cutting and designing the base and back of the display using thin plywood.

2. Scoring & Folding

Using a Stanley knife, I carefully scored both sides of the back panel, folding them in to create angled side walls. Then I gave the entire piece an undercoat with acrylic paint.

3. Wallpaper & Flooring

I resized some lovely wallpaper and flooring designs to fit the quarter scale, and applied them to the interior walls and floor using glue.

4. Assembly

I glued the base to the back wall and let it set completely, then painted the outer edges with gold acrylic for a lovely finish.

5. Printing & Painting Minis

While waiting for the glue to dry, I printed out and painted some tiny accessories: busts, pedestals, and frames.

6. The Cabinet

The star of the display — a miniature cabinet kit from Melissa’s Miniworld — was fun to build and turned out so cute after painting.

🪄 Final Touches

Once everything was dry, I began arranging the pieces. 

The busts looked adorable, and although placing such small items can be fiddly, it was absolutely worth it.

And here is the end result.

Here is a short clip step by step how it was made. 

It now sits beautifully as part of the Victorian Parlour project — I couldn’t be more delighted with the result!

That’s all for today! I hope this inspires you to try a quarter scale scene of your own. Stay tuned for more updates and tiny adventures in my miniature world.

Take care and see you soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

Progress on the Work Shop at The Victorian Miniature Parlour

 Hello Everyone,

I hope you're all doing well and having a lovely week. I made some great progress on my ongoing project, The Victorian Miniature Parlour, over the Easter break and wanted to share the latest with you.

I've been focusing on the first floor, which will serve as the workshop and private quarters of Miss Julie Montague. This charming little space sits just above the shop. While it’s not a large area, it offers so much potential for creativity and storytelling. I'm still deciding on all the details, but I know for sure it will feature a sturdy worktable and a cosy stove to give the room warmth and character.

To begin, I wallpapered the room using a simple yet fitting pattern that complements its utilitarian purpose. I also built a small corner wall to house the stove – it’s a subtle touch that really helps define the space. The addition of skirting boards and a cornice helped bring the walls to life and added a lovely finished look. I also installed railings for the stairwell, which added a nice architectural touch.

At the moment, I’m still experimenting with furniture placements to see what works best. I also have a few micro-scale dollhouses planned for the back wall, which I’m excited to build. They’ll bring a fun layer of detail and depth to the space.

The wall lighting has now been installed along the back wall, and I must say – it’s already giving the room such an inviting and lived-in feel. The glow adds just the right touch of atmosphere.

Meanwhile, I’ve also been working on the shop downstairs. I focused on the counter area, adding a few miniature furniture pieces and, one of my favorite additions so far – a beautifully built miniature National Cash Register. It’s such a charming detail and really brings the shop scene to life.

And this is how the interior of The Victorian Miniature Parlour looks like so far. 

That’s all for today’s update! I hope you enjoyed this little peek into the progress. There’s still much more to come, so stay tuned for more updates and the latest news from The Victorian Miniature Parlour.

Thanks for following along!

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

The Miniature Dutch Baby House Cabinet

 Hello Everyone,

How are you? I hope you are all way. I am very excited to share with you my latest works. I have been working on my latest project which is the The Victorian Miniature Parlour. This is a small shop that sells dolls houses, furniture, accessories and dolls. 

On my previous post I shared that I would be adding a Dutch Baby House Cabinet which I consider it to be the Wow Factor of the room. I have to say it took me a few weeks to complete but the end results are spectacular. 

After completing the exterior of the cabinet it was time to decorate in the interior.

The Exterior of the Dutch Baby House Cabinet

It took me several days to down scale wall paper and flooring for each room. I added interior doors to the side wall wall papers inline with the central hallway as there were no openings to the rooms. I also added decorative papers to the interior of the cabinet doors. I made it a point that the wallpapers are in pastel colour scheme but match.

The interior of the Dutch Baby House Cabinet

Then the tricky part came. Electricity! It was not a joke wiring the tiny thing with led lights and  jewellery for chandeliers.  Every ceiling was wired and lit and I have to say I wasn't expecting it to work or turn out even better than what I hoped for.

Adding lighting to the Cabinet

I made the tiny furniture pieces and painted them. The furniture is 1:144 scale.  Printed tiny painting to decorate the rooms and made tiny flower pots with tiny beads.

The Complete Miniature Dutch Baby House Cabinet

Furnished rooms

Every room was decorated individually. Apart of the hallways, you will find a sitting room, a dining room, a study room, the main bedroom, a little girl's bedroom and the bathroom. 

The Sitting room

The Dinning Room 

The Study

The Main Bedroom 

The Little Girl's Bedroom

The Bathroom

The Hallways

Adding the Dutch Baby House Cabinet to the Shop was a very special moment. Even if the shop is not even close to completion, it made me fell very happy and excited.

Here is also a short video that I took of the Dutch Baby House Cabinet.

Today I also wanted to introduce you to the lovely lady who will be running the Shop. Meet Ms. Julie Motague. A prodigy to the Miniaturist Lady Adelaide. By now you all know The Miniaturist in my Regent Street however I will be sharing their story line some other time. 

Miss Julie Motague

I hope you like what I have done so far. I can't wait to share with you more of my progress on this lovely project that I have really close to my heart. So this is all for today, make sure to keep tuned for the next updates and latest news.

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx