Atlanta Miniature Society's 36th Annual Show and Sale, 18th-19th September 2015

After much faffing about how to get there - road trip two days each way? or flying? - we eventually flew out of Fort Myers on Friday arriving in Atlanta an hour and a half later.  Lovely 'bus ride' by air.

The show was held at the Wyndham Galleria hotel which proved to be a delight.  Good looking place following a ten million dollar renovation.  That's a lot of room letting to recoup that!  Nice staff and restaurant - an all round very pleasant stay and all for a silly low deal price of $74 a night - incredible value.

We arrived in plenty of time for the 'kick-off'.  The show began with a Preview evening on the Friday for two-day ticket holders.  At 6.15pm we were eating our complimentary desserts (brownie to die for) and then looking around the wonderful exhibit room.  There must have been something like fifty exhibits there each more inspiring than the one before.  This is truly a show as well as a sale and would be worth the entry price alone just to see these pieces.

There was so much to see and do during the two-day event that I need to make a list rather than write about each thing, otherwise you will be stuck in my blog for ages:

• Exhibits open throughout the show and preview times
• Friday 6.15pm complimentary desserts and welcome to the show
• Friday morning classes
• Friday 7- 9pm two Sales rooms are open for preview ticket holders ($12 for two days)
• Sat 19th 10 - 12am Demonstration
• Saturday 10 - 4.30 pm two Sales rooms open for general public ($6)
• I counted over forty traders and most of those had more than one table
• a silent auction was held for lots of lovely pieces
• there were door prizes given throughout Saturday
• there was a 'work the room' give-away
• a raffle for several very nice houses and other pieces: the proceeds to charity 
• a children's make and take table on Saturday

The vendors were all of a high standard with an eclectic mix on offer.  It wouldn't be possible to leave the show empty-handed.  I hope they all did well.

Sadly this was a show where two long-time and exceedingly important figures in the miniature world said their farewells.

Fred Cobbs has decided to retire from travelling to shows but will work on the occasional commission - and has three already in the pipeline.

I was personally even more sad to know that I wouldn't see David Krupick and his work at any more shows.  He is having difficulty with his hand and is retiring after thirty-six years of creating true masterpieces.  He is the most charming and erudite and gentle man and will be greatly missed by anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting him.

He reminded me that there is something like 3,600 or more of his pieces out there so there may still be a way to acquire a treasure in the future.

I saw a couple of old favourites, new favourites, a lot of new-to-me and in the flesh versions of people I had heard of so it was a really interesting show for me.

Picking a sample for each is difficult........

One old favourite would be Clara's Cuties.  I wrote a profile piece on her maybe two years ago (?).  She is an astonishing lady of some 83 years who is still making the tiniest most perfect flowers petal by petal. 

Clara's tray of pick your own individual blooms

A new favourite for me is Talley's Turnings where I bought these:

In the new-to-me category were 

Gingerhouse Antiquities' Paper (!) dolls

I am in love with these dolls and hope to write a profile on their creator - I am pretty sure the vendor said they were just $32.

Another new-to-me was Lynn McEntire's incredible work.  The absolute tiniest of dolls beautifully wigged and dressed - crochet, knitting, sewing etc etc

She showed me a piece she had made for a lady who was collecting it from the show:

inside a very small (1930's?) lady's gold cigarette case

As for 'in-the-flesh' I managed to meet Bradley Meinke whose name I knew from N.A.M.E. (National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts) and who I had seen working on their Facebook.  Now here was the fruition of one of his pieces  .......

such detail in the crazy quilt

This year was the club's 36th Show and Sale and it was just astounding.  I want to shout my thanks to the two show co-chairs, Linda Backelant and Margaret Jones and, of course, their zillion helpers for giving so many people so much joy.  Remember all these ladies and gentlemen are simply members of a club and volunteer their time, energy and many more things to make all this happen for those of us lucky enough to be able to get to their show.

As a testament to their success they had to turn away vendors this year but (the lovely) Margaret promises an additional room next year so it will not only be as fantastic but bigger!!

As a footnote...  if you are ever lucky enough to get to this show build in some time to go to the Botanical Gardens for another blow-you-away experience. 

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Please take a look at the wonderful things on offer in my photo album for the show:  Atlanta Show  

To see what I bought at the show:  Dalton House

To read an account of my trip to Atlanta and follow a link to the Botanical Garden photo album:  My Clavering

There will be a published review of the show in Dolls House & Miniature Scene magazine at some time.

Atlanta Miniature Society Annual Show and Sale

Hurrah it seems like I am off to another show!  We are flying out of Fort Myers to Atlanta and back next weekend for this show:

Annual Show and Sale

Click on it and take a look.

If I understand it correctly it is run by a miniature club - the Atlanta Miniature Society - who are also a chapter of NAME.  It appears to be being run as any commercial one is with classes before the event and a desserts and preview evening for those so ticketed.  I am just waiting to hear if I can buy the ticket on the day or need to do it in advance and if I can take photos for the magazine.

Watch this space.

Bought at the Orlando Show

If you want to see the few items I bought at the Orlando show click here:  Purchases

Orlando Miniatura 2015 - 4 - 6 September

When I was typing the date of the show I realised it isn't strictly accurate.  American shows are much more than just an opportunity to sell/buy things.  This show really began on the 2nd.  Rather than just prattle on about the heap of things to do, I thought I would bullet point what was on offer at this show:

• reduced hotel rates at the venue itself
• complimentary tickets to a Disney park
• you can pick any thing you want to do separately from anything else - all a la carte
• special exhibits
• 14 workshops from the 2nd to the 4th
• tour of the President's Hall of Fame
• themed luncheons with artisans sharing techniques
• banquet
• 3 hour preview Friday night with hors d'oeuvres and bar
• one hour preview before opening to the public on Saturday
• three huge raffles, pick what you would like to win
• buses from the resort to get around Orlando
• airport pick-up
• east or west coast beaches just over an hour away
• back to back sunshine
• charming vendors/artisans to buy from and chatter to

What's not to like!

As a 'grumpy' English person I don't take advantage of most of the things on offer but I do understand their appeal.  I also imagine that if you were travelling on your own to the show you would still have a great time from the minute your feet touched the floor as you are surrounded by like-minded people who are overjoyed at the prospect of talking minis with someone who's eyes don't glaze over at the mere mention of them.

We arrived on Thursday so I was 'rested' for the shopping and chattering on Friday.

Rested was vital as the convention centre was huge

thank heavens for directions

We were Mickey tagged on arrival.  You get a band (with your name on the back) which electronically opens gates, hotel room and allows you to pay for anything any where within Disney.  Clever marketing - painless spending.  

The preview, as always, was a delight and the four tables of food on offer stupendous.

one of the best crab cakes ever in the centre dish

The organisation and labelling of the whole show is superb; an absolute newbie to the game can find their way around and know what they are looking at.

There must have been a dozen (?) exhibits of people's lovely work such as these two

detail of a complete house and garden in 48th

front of a lovely house built from plans

From that table I wandered off into the show proper and found a couple of my favourites:

Michael Reynolds

Michael Reynolds always has a new piece of magic.

Tom Walden

I hope to be able to get to a show next year where I can do a Tom Walden class. His work is incredible.  I would like to do some 'finishing' with him.

Tom again

I wanted to show you this piece in particular.  I was blown away by the fact that this is not stained or painted wood - just lightly varnished ebony and holly.  I was especially in love with some other holly pieces.  His selection of wood not only for their intrinsic qualities, but then further selecting for the finest of grains so they are in scale, is stunning.  The time and patience needed for that alone wows me.

Two 'blow me away' vendors who were new to me though not to the mini world - were:

Elle Piccolo Dolls

This lady's creations are the best I have seen bar none.  She is a painter so, in addition to her unsurpassed modelling skills, beautifully sourced fabrics, immaculately made clothes, she is able to make their faces so life-like.  A huge amount of their credibility lies in their eyes.  They positively look back at you, full of life.  Check out this link:  Elle Piccolo

My other 'find' was Talley's Turnings.  This photograph, in no way, does the pieces justice.  There are quite a few people doing this sort of work now but you can see that he has an extra something even from this example.  The work is very thin (when it should be) and the colours glorious.  They cry out to be held and admired.

Talley's Turnings

I am particularly cross with myself that I came away without buying a couple of pieces.  I have tried to find a site for him but can only find an email.  I will email to ask what other shows he will be at and cross all my fingers it may be one I can get to.

I am sorry this has all been 1/12th related, I know how frustrating that is for other scales.  In my defence, because this was the birth of a show it was a small trader base and yes, there were quarter scale people there but they were onew we already know and love:

• Desert Minis
• Jill Castoral
• Robin Betterley
• Young at Heart
• The Quarter Source
• Stewart Dollhouse

The next morning I went back to the show (during the preview) and bought ten dollars worth of raffle tickets for each group of prizes.

Members of the Miniature World of Central Florida and Lakeland Miniatures Guild had donated some lovely work for raffling.  For my twenty dollars I had twelve tickets for each of the groups.  It is done in a brilliant way in that there is a box beside each item and you drop your ticket in the box belonging to the prize you would like.  Those twenty-four tickets took me a very long time to post.

I did choose this one (among many) for my grand-daughter.  Perfect gift from a few days in Disney.

I will never know which I won!  Yes, I did win one.  I had an email from Kim on Sunday saying I had won a prize and to go and collect it.  Unfortunately we had to leave the show early on Saturday so I never got to do that.

If you would like to see more of these prizes and other stuff from the show there is a photo album, just click here:  Orlando Show 2015

Kim also always give you a plan of the floor and list of vendors with their contact details.  I can not tell you how much work that saves me after a show.

If you didn't make this one, there are three more due up:

Philadelphia Miniaturia, Nov 6 - 8th 2015

Venice Fun in the Sun, Jan 16th -17th 2016

Orlando Miniatures Festival, Feb 13th -14th 2016

Orlando Miniatura 2015

This is just a link to the photos from the show as I know a couple of people are waiting to see them.

Orlando Show

We have only just about got to the condo and are in the throes of getting set up again for the season so I haven't had a chance to write it up yet.  I hope to do it tomorrow.

I am at the Orlando Miniaturia

..... And about to set off for the first Preview night 6 to 9 pm.  It is a great venue at Coronado Springs Resort Orlando.  Makes a good holiday place to visit and get in a show at the same time.  91 degrees today!