About
Basically, I'm a treasure hunter and collector, a dabbler in science and history, an informal educator, a life-long learner, an all around curious person, and fascinated by the world of miniatures. I find and present beautiful, unique or curious natural history specimens for collectors of scale miniatures. I have been involved in the dollhouse miniature community since 2000.
I remember collecting tiny fossils from our driveway gravel when I was about seven (I kept them in a matchbox), finding antique treasures at jumble/rummage sales as a teen, and going on geology club collecting trips in school.
I've always been interested in an unusual combination of subjects, to the point where at school in England I focused on the strange combination of maths, physics and history. This was actually perfect for studying Archaeological Sciences, the application of all kinds of science to a social science, and later anthropology.
After moving to the USA I started to collect sea shells, took my children fossil hunting and had my own business teaching hands-on science programmes in preschools. I also worked as a science museum educator. Dollhouses came into the childrens' lives and of course they needed furnishing. A wonderful local shop, The Dollhouse Factory in New Jersey, and a family trip to the Philadelphia Miniaturia show in 2000 were eye-openers, and I was hooked on scale miniatures.
Initially I made tiny silk pillows and developed a technique for truly floppy tassels. I then had an "Aha!" moment when I realised that some of my shell collection specimens were small enough for the dollhouses. I now source all kinds of tiny genuine natural history specimens suitable for 1:12 scale or smaller from around the world.
People most often guess that I am a teacher, and I do love researching and learning about all kinds of things, and then sharing these stories with others. If someone tells me that they have learned something new or find something I relate fascinating, I'm happy!
So Wendy's Miniatures allows me to treasure hunt, collect, research and learn, be curious and share unique and unusual natural history and curiosities with others in the miniatures community who see beauty and fascination in the natural world.
I should add that it is important to me to be conscientious about environmental issues, so I mail purchases in recycled packaging and do not knowingly encourage damage to the environment. For example, all seahorse species are endangered or threatened and I refuse to buy wild caught specimens. I was recently able to obtain seahorses that died naturally from a breeding programme, so those are what I offer to publicise their plight and appreciate their beauty.