About Texas Tiny

Over a decade ago, my father unearthed a dollhouse he had purchased for my youngest sister, and finally assembled it for her daughter.  I got involved in the project and found that I enjoyed it.  Around that same time, my five-year-old son surprised me with a request to climb a lighthouse while we were on vacation and we successfully made it to the top. When we returned home, I decided to build a 1:12 scale miniature lighthouse.  Kits were available, but they provided limited options so I designed my own using concrete forms for the exterior structure.  It is being finished for my son's children. (Yes, it is a generous time table.) The lighthouse is almost seven feet tall and over two feet wide.  My daughter begged for her own dollhouse and "Mi Casa Azul", a bright blue Mexican-style stucco, was created, with thousands of multi-colored roof tiles molded over dowels and baked in my kitchen oven. At my family's request it was entered into the 2004 State Fair of Texas, and won "Best of Show".

My husband and I have always been rabid collectors.  Fossils and minerals (purchased and collected in the field), books (including extensive Texana), Mexican pottery, Central American fabrics and huipils, glass paperweights, French postcards, carved boxes, masks, horns and antlers, and unique photographs fill the rooms of our house.  More of our collected fossils and minerals spill into the yard, and the house is surrounded by my ever-growing collection of irises and salvias.  These interests are gradually being represented in miniature form.

Extra furnishing and decorations that I developed for my niece, the lighthouse and Casa Azul were sold over the years in our local store and at seasonal events.  From these sales Texas Tiny evolved and opened as a sole proprietorship in February 2008.

The majority of the items sold by Texas Tiny are handcrafted by me in 1:12 scale.  Crafts and the arts have always been an important part of my life. The years I studied at the Atlanta College of Art provided a marvelous background for this work, and I received extensive training in design, aesthetics, and the use of many mediums.

My creations are supplemented with purchases from national companies, such as Aztec Imports, and I actively seek out other independent crafters/artisans with Texas-related items. Purchases are also made from Mexico and Guatemala.  As a self-taught miniaturist, I have depended on books on dollhouse history, crafting techniques, and Texas themes to develop my ideas.  I recognize the value of books and offer a changing selection.

MINIATURE QUESTS:

In this troubled economy and with a hobby like ours that needs more promoting I urge you to purchase at your local dollhouse/miniatures store.  If you do not have one available or are looking for specific items, please visit the Aztec Imports site to see if one of their products fits you needs.  If so, please contact me with the item number.   I will then produce a bid and time frame for shipping and take the payment upon your approval. If you are questing for an unusual item that I might make or come across in my purchases, please let me know and I will put it on my list, with no obligation to buy the item.

Affiliations and Training:

The Atlanta College of Art (Union of Independent Colleges of Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (BFA)
Cottage Industry Miniaturists Trade Association, Inc. (CIMTA)
Downsizers of Dallas
International Guild of Miniature Artisans, Ltd. (IGMA)
National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (NAME)
Society of American Miniaturists (SAM)