At the Show - Folk Art,Toys and Holiday Decor

IGMA Fellow Karen Markland has been a dealer at the Good Sam Show for more than twenty years. Using her own original designs, she creates imaginative one-of-a-kind handmade furniture, accessories, and holiday decorations in 1:12 scale. She prefers a country-casual or folk-art style with a large dose of whimsy. Tel: 281-492-8496

Handcrafted and hand-painted Noah's Ark. 

Dresser hand-painted with rabbit mother and children. Bunny themed toys.

Hand-painted birdhouse, toy box and toys.

Cupboard with hand-painted Brambly Hedge mother mouse and child. Shelves loaded with whimsical mouse decor.

Hand-painted and decorated Easter basket with bunny and flowers.

Halloween cupboard with hand-painted witches and ghosts. Filled to overflowing with fabulous Halloween decorations.

Handcrafted Halloween tree and ornaments. Pumpkin ghost, black cat and witch putabouts.

Hand-painted bench with snowman theme, snowman tree, and wee snowman mouse. Painted wood rabbit.

Handmade and painted wood snowman pyramid. Shelf unit filled with Christmas decorations.

Father Christmas cupboard with handcrafted and hand-painted holidays decor.

At the Show - Anthro Animals,Toys and Holiday Decor

Paulette Svec has been a regular dealer at Good Sam since about 1996. She makes whimsical anthropomorphic (anthro) jointed animals ranging from less than an inch to six-inches. She also makes charming holiday accessories, small stuffed animals, doll trunks, and more. Do stop by her table and take a look. psvecmini@yahoo.com

Little girl mouse, 1-3/8" tall. Trunk, 1-7/8" tall. Both by Paulette. Painted wood bear, wee mice and toys by Karen Markland. Joint N.A.M.E project.

Giraffe father, 5-1/4 inches tall. Mother, 5" tall. Little boy, 3" tall.

Well-dressed bear couple. Mrs. Bear wears a hand-crocheted sweater, 3" tall.

Holiday Bear, 3-1/2" tall, with hand-crocheted Christmas stocking (sold separately).

Mama bear, 3-1/2". Little boy 2-1/4". Baby bear in pram..

Rabbit couple, 3-1/2" tall. Little girl bunny, 2-1/2" tall. Mother and daughter wear sweaters hand-crocheted by Paulette.

Charming Rabbit couple, 3-1/2" tall, with little boy in period costumes.

At the Show - Structures and Display Cases

Bill Greenan, Collectable Display Cases, has been a show dealer for at least sixteen years. In addition to the items shown here, Bill sells an unfinished 1:12 scale tissue box, potting shed, and the Ultimate Room Box in birch with bay or picture window (15"W x 10"D x 10.5"H). He also sells acrylic and wood display cases, some of which are designed for miniature scenes. See website for styles and sizes. All products can be modified to your personal specifications. bgreenan@comcast.net, www.collectablecases.com

Unfinished roadside stand. Board & batten siding, simulated tin roof, platform mounted, 11" x 9" x 10-1/2". Custom design available for a nominal fee.

Finished roadside stand. Sold unfinished.

Phantom stairs give illusion of stairway leading upstairs. Right-hand and left-hand applications available. Sold unfinished.

At the Show - Structures and Furniture

Carole and Larry Zydek of Tiny Timbers were new dealers at Good Sam in 2011. Their 1:12 scale structures include a Chicken Coop, Garden Shed, and Tool Shed. They also make work benches, potter's benches, garden chairs and benches, lemonade stands, peddler cart, garden cart, wall shelves, and bird houses. Tel: 360-923-9547, Czydek@comcast.net

One of the Zydek's best sellers, their chicken coop was on the cover of the February 2012 issue of American Miniaturist.

At the Show - Exhibits

This vintage dollhouse was exhibited at the 2011 Good Sam Show in its unrestored state. It is a replica of the home Girl Scout Founder Juliette Low lived in as a child in Savannah. Her father was a soldier in the Confederate Army.

After the show, miniaturist Judy Pick took on the task of refurbishing the dollhouse to celebrate the 100th birthday of Girl Scouts in 2012. She spent all her spare time from then until now wiring, painting, furnishing, and getting its 17 rooms ready for display. This past Saturday (May 5), it was put on display at the Alameda County Fairgrounds for a birthday bash of around 17,000 Girl Scouts. It will reside permanently in the Heritage Museum at the Oakland Office of the Girl Scouts of Northern California.

Here are some fascinating Girl Scout statistics from Judy Pick, an active Girl Scout for 52 years now. Per the San Francisco Business Times, March 16-22, 2012: 80% of female business owners were Girl Scouts. More than 2/3's of the female U.S. Senators and female members of the House of Representatives were Girl Scouts. Every female astronaut who has flown into space was a Girl Scout.

Front of dollhouse.

Back and left side of dollhouse.

Child's bedroon.

Dining room.

Original cardboard table and chest.

Miniature oil painting of Juliette Gordon Low, the remarkable founder of the Girl Scouts (after Edward Hughes, 1887). By IGMA Artisan Johannes Landman, Canada.

At the Show - 2012 Featured Workshops

The three exciting Featured Workshops announced in today's posts are being held between Oct 8-10, 2012 after the 2012 Show. We have a spacious facility for our workshops in Morgan Hill approximately 15 minutes south of downtown San Jose on Highway 101. There are classrooms, a kitchen, and ample rest rooms. For students coming from out of the area, round-trip transportation will be provided each day from the Doubletree Hotel to the classrooms.

The workshop application form and additional information can be found on the Good Sam Show website at the bottom of the Featured Workshops page.

The Friday Oct 5 Workshops will be held at the hotel. We expect to post a list of the Friday classes in early June.

Trinity Circle 1/4" Scale - Featured Workshop 2012

Trinity Circle - A Martha's Vineyard Campground Cottage in 1/4" scale,

taught by Premier Teacher Debbie Young

Dates: Monday and Tuesday, October 8th & 9th

Time:  9am - 5pm each day

Cost: $165. 

Furniture for the house is sold separately.

The Campmeeting Association on Martha's Vineyard is made  up of over three hundred of these tiny unique cottages originally built between 1865 and 1880. The cottages are barely larger than the original tents they replaced and were built according to strict specifications. Using the same specifications, join Debbie and build your own unique campground cottage. This cottage is actually made by putting two cottages together - a common practice when more room was needed. The cottage has four rooms viewed from the side and an additional two rooms viewed from the back. Choice of gingerbread trims and color makes every one unique.


Students will learn about the history of the cottages as well as historic construction techniques. Using historic measurements, students will build their own campground cottage in much the same manner as those found in the campground of the Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association. A selection of reference materials will be available.

Note: All skill levels may take this class. A few very experienced in 1/4" may complete the project in class, some will leave with it virtually finished, and some will have a small amount of work to do when they return home.

Student Supplies and Tools Needed:  Bring a basic tool kit containing your favorites as well as an X acto knife, extra blades, ruler, tweezers, an assortment of paint brushes (for house paint and detail work) and scissors. To create unique cottages, students are encourages to bring their own selection of paints.

Making Pottery - Featured Workshop 2012

Making Pottery from Start to Finish in 1" and/or 1/2" scale,

taught by master potter Craig Roberts, The Hairy Potter

Dates: Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, October 8th, 9th & 10th

Time:  9am - 5pm each day

Cost: $479 for all the pots you can make

In this class you will actually turn marble sized balls of clay into wonderful finished stoneware and porcelain pieces. We will make bowls, jars, vases, plates, pitchers, jugs, mugs and whatever else you'd like to try. Craig will show you how to make handles and lids on the 2nd day, and start decorating and glazing the pots from day one. Each student will make between 30 and 100  pieces in this class, the sky's the limit. This popular class has lots of one-on-one time with Craig, as well as lots of practice for everyone. The numerous handouts and the DVD reinforce everyone's retention of all of the information Craig covers over the three days. AND YOU WILL HAVE FUN! Pottery is an age-old craft, which can just mesmerize you as you learn how it's done. Opening the kiln is just like Christmas. This will be Craig's only west coast pottery class in 2012.

All Skill levels may take this class. Learning would include wheel throwing techniques for miniatures, including centering, opening, raising the walls, shaping the form, making/attaching handles and unloading of the kiln, a real 12 step process.

Teahouse of the Paper Moon - Featured Workshop 2012

Teahouse of the Paper Moon in 1" scale,

taught by master builders Jon Fish and Larry Osborn of The Guys From Texas

Dates:  Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, October 8th, 9th, & 10th

Time:  9 am - 5 pm each day

Cost:  $975

How could we resist another wonderful building by The Guys From Texas. Jon and Larry are offering this Japanese Teahouse for you. We only have a drawing so far, but pictures are coming soon. This is a tranquil teahouse and garden of the Edo period. It has all traditional, formal elements including a shoji enclosed porch for the guests to remove their shoes and wash before entering the teahouse through the low sliding door. The host and tea master's entrance is on the opposite side where there is a small water room where all the supplies for the ceremony would be kept and some food would be prepared. The tea master's tatami incorporates a small stone hearth set into the floor and the two guest tatami border it and the tokonoma - the alcove where a flower arragement would be placed. There is also a round window with sliding shoji screens on the inside.

The exterior features post and beam construction sitting on river rock footings, an elaborate tile roof with detailed ridge and "cloud" carving on cresting. A small space for a garden is provided as well as a lantern at the guests entrance.

Skill Level: Please, Intermediate and Advanced Students Only

Students will learn how to make shoji, tatami, and a glazed tile roof, as well as to assemble the entire building.

Student Supplies and Tools Needed: X-Acto knife and sharp blades, metal ruler, medium sized plastic cutting mat, small scissors, Crafter's Pick Ultimate glue, small artist brushes (round and narrow flat chisel tip), 3 rocks of different sizes and shapes 2" to 4". The Guys will provide everything for the building except the rocks and landscaping.

From the Chairman

We expect to have the featured workshops on our Website and Blog by May l. The featured workshop teachers this year are Debbie Young of Young at Heart (quarter-scale), Craig Roberts of The Hairy Potter, and The Guys From Texas.

We have signed contracts with the Doubletree Hotel for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Each year, the show is the second weekend of October, so there will not be a conflict with NAME Day. The dates are October 12 & 13 of 2013, October 11 & 12 of 2014, and October 10 & 11 of 2015. Pass the dates on to anyone who might want to know.

The best news is that the hotel room rates will remain at the $89 level for 1 or 2 people through 2015. The rate for the ballroom will also remain the same. Other costs will rise, like electrical, publicity and printing, but having the ballroom cost the same means any rise in dealer table fees will be slight--if at all.

Just a reminder to keep checking our Blog for updates.  New postings appear every Saturday.

At the Show - Fine Arts and Enameling

In 2005 and many years prior to that, plus for the last three years, Ligia Durstenfeld, Ligia's Miniatures, has been a dealer at the Good Sam Show. An IGMA Artisan in Fine Arts/Enameling, she works on copper, silver and gold to create reproductions of well-known artisan and museum pieces.  ligiasminis@att.net

Cabinet with pietra dura (inlay) front panels of 24K gold and relief enamel cloisonné similar to one at Buckingham Palace .

Fine enamel pomegranate bush by Ligia. Wheel thrown porcelain vase by Troy Schmidt, Red Dragon Pottery. http://www.reddragonpottery.com/

Working enamel clock on fine silver with 24K gold hand-formed filigree wire around the face along with four diamonds, and ivory top. Based on a Faberge original.

Blue-green fine silver "lily pond" bowl decorated with 24K gold cloisonné wire fish, lily pads in silver foil and single silver lily.

Faberge-style objects: Mosaic Egg. Lilies of the Valley in an opalescent silver bowl with 24K gold trim. Blue silver bowl decorated with 24K gold, fine silver and titanium foils.

The figure Hope in enamel-on-silver. From the stained glass window triplet "Faith, Hope and Charity" (William Morris Company, 1870) at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, England.

At the Show - Ceramics

IGMA Fellow Troy Schmidt makes wheel-thrown miniature porcelain ceramics. Each piece of 1:12 scale pottery is individually hand-crafted on a full-sized potter's wheel from fine English porcelain. Doing business as Red Dragon Pottery, Troy has been coming to Good Sam for more than 13 years. For news and updates, check out Troy's Facebook page. RedDragonPottery@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/RedDragonPottery, http://www.RedDragonPottery.com

Roman amphorae ceramic storage vessels.

Hand-thrown Asian ginger jar with wood handle, ewer with dragon handle, and bowl with bamboo handles with Chinese matte yellow glaze

Porcelain artwork glazed with rustic orange and verdigris patina glazes.

Two dichroic bowls and amphora on metal stand.

Face jugs with an iron brown and two contemporary glazes inspired by19th century Southern folk art grotesque face jugs.

Porcelain pots with a matte lavender glaze.

Bold red and black glazed wheel-thrown pottery.

Pottery bowls with a three dimensional reticulated glaze.

Brickware inspired by ancient ruins found throughout antiquity.

At the Show - Furniture

IGMA Artisans Judee Williamson and Nicole Walton Marble of Williamson Walton Marble have been dealers at the show for the past three years. Their imaginative 1:12 and 1:24 scale handcrafted designs range from 18th century French to modern day. Styles include Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, country and contemporary. For fun, they sometimes add in a bit of whimsy and fantasy. williamson-walton-marble.com

West Indian baby cradle made by Nicole, dressed by Judee.

This lovely bed was made by Nicole and dressed by Judee specifically for Isabella and her baby. Figures by IGMA Fellow Sylvia Mobley. www.sylviamobley.com, sylviamobley.blogspot.com

Gilt Bergere chair with a gilt carved stand and carved unicorn.

Whimsical dog table with an Asian-inspired wine rack.

Humorous Chippendale side chair inspired by the work of Cabinetmaker Jake Cress of Virginia.

Polished stone-topped sofa table holding a gilt carved armadillo with a carved camel for company.

Modern caned Lincoln rocker and whimsical "hand" table. Calico cat by Good Sam dealer Sylvia Mobley.

Spectacular Entry Table. Vase of tulips by IGMA Fellow Michele Carter, PepperWood Miniatures. She will be at the 2012 Show.  www.pepperwoodminiatures.com

Handcrafted gold-leaf chair upholstered in antique petit point.