Kimberly Carlson DHM97  Due 11/28

Back in May on a trip to Cape Cod, as Kimberly Carlson was looking around in a thrift shop, she spotted a beautiful life-size antique steamer trunk for sale. Its purchase led to her creating antique reproduction travel trunks and luggage in 1:12 scale. One of her
collection lines is called Now Voyager, with each piece in this collection line with its own name: “ Lemon Squeeze”, Fore N Aft”, “The Time Traveler”,“The Midight
Rider”,“The River Queen”, ,“The Grand Tour”,and finally “X Marks The Spot”.
How did you come up with the idea for this piece?to be able to buy it. Once I got the steamer trunk home, and began exploring it inside and out, I  started to think about making one in miniature. From there I looked at 100’s of pictures of authentic antique steamer trunks, and I designed my first one (The Time Traveler); I was off and running from there.
Her antique reproduction trunks, hat boxes, and luggage are completely handmade by her, a she does make some of the locks  on a few.  When she does buy locks, keyholes, and the rivets, she completely transforms hem, as they look nothing like they did when purchased when she is done them. She makes the handles, the straps with the buckles, the corners, basically every single element is made by her, by hand and by eye, except rivets! Each trunk takes an incredible amount of time, thought,  and consideration every step of the way.
Materials used to make her trunks are: wood, cardstock, paint, glue, and paper.
Kimberly shared her  technique for creating the piece. “I have been crafting my technique and working on it for a long time. This was self-taught after many hours of trying and failing, until I finally developed my very own signature look. This aging process takes many different steps. I want my work to look as authentic as I could possibly get it to look.”
While her creating processes are not unconventional or unique for creating any of these pieces, her vintage and antique style miniature trunks have a special look of their own. “I  make them because I love and adore vintage, antique, and vintage-style miniatures. Kimberly says the hardest part is making the tiny buckles. “I have never made anything in miniature this small until now, and I'm still on a journey to make more luggage. I have so many more ideas, and I’m improving and learning as I go. The more I make, the better they come out, as I discover little tricks and what works best along the way.”
She loves when she looks at them, they look so reala and she has fun looking for authentic old travel stamps. “Ephemera is my favorite to work with,  as I have made other miniatures using it.”
She has sold a few already. “I have a very nice small circle of miniatures friends,and we buy, sell, trade, and gift with each other. I have sold for $100.00 and up, depending on style, and I display them in my dollhouses”.
What’s next for you and your creations? For me I’m  always coming up with new ideas for things to make, the trunks are only one of many miniatures I have made, it never stops for me.”
What new skills did you learn while making this? I learned a new method of securing the tiny things that can be so fragile when handled like the rivets.
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you or this piece? Every thing I make is a one of a kind piece no 2 can ever be the same, each time I make one I never know how they will turn out. I start out with a vi-sion and wait and see where it takes me I let each one take me on a its journey and its always a surprise to see the finished result. 

What is your most valuable tool or what tool could you not live with-out? I would have to say my awl; I use it in so many different ways.
What’s the biggest difficulty involved with working in miniature? Probably lighting; ithout the proper light it makes working with tiny ob-jects very difficult.I have good lighting in my craft room and a wonderful magnifying light.
What do you think about the future of miniatures? I could only hope to inspire others to get involved and try to make some-thing miniature, because you will never know if you can until you try-you may just be surprised, I was! and don’t give up you can improve and get better at it,  did! 
What’s next for you and your creations? Been busy on the journey making trunks I have been missing tending to my 6 handmade antique dollhouses. My next project will be the magic room in my 1800’s house I call Driftwood Hall it will be something else with lots of things I have made and will feature many pieces of hand thrown pottery a dear friend makes and will have lovely unique antique furnishings 
Do you have any formal training in your miniature field? Digital Design 
When did you first become interested in miniatures or how were you introduced to the hobby?  I have always loved all things small since a little girl, having collections of little ceramic animals and other types of figures. My very favorite are mice people, as a adult I started a collection of miniature Wee Forest Folk (mice people) after my father gifted me my very 1st one over 30 years ago since then my collection has grown and grown, but how I started my min-iature and dollhouse collections was about 5 years ago after looking on Ebay for minis for fairy gardens I had been making for several years I came across a 3 inch tall Parker Levi Doll I named him Finn, from there I created a entire world around him and my adventures of finding doll-houses and dollhouse miniatures began. 
What do you do for your career? I was a hairdresser but no longer work in a salon 
What does your family think of your interest? My family supports me and sometimes they are amazed at what I create 
Who is your biggest fan? Not sure I do have several followers on Facebook that enjoy my work and my dollhouse displays I have a small group called Miniature Adventures with Kim Finn and friends 
Where do you find inspiration? I find inspiration from real life, family, my childhood, growing up in the 70’s I love primitives ,antiques,history,the past,going to thrift shops, tag sales,flea markets, I love looking around at all the stuff nobody else wants. When I find something that interests me I will google and look at real life pictures, I do not like to feed off of other miniaturist's ,I like to be original, don't think its fair to copy someone else’s work that they spent hours of time thinking about and creating its not fair. 
 Have you made anything that you can’t bear to part with? Yes that is why I have a large collections of trunks 
Describe your workplace. My work space is a large craft room with 2 big windows lots of light (messy) a nice big table with my comfortable chair 3 large shelves on the wall filled with projects in the works and supplies - another floor shelf filled with fabric, paints unfinished wood miniatures My table is covered with everything I need when I start creating - paints,brushes,glues,pa-per,sissors (messy) boxes with different tidbits of stuff all within reach..i do not want worry about if I get paint on something or glue I can't create that way and my work space shows just that I would say it’s a organized mess did I say (messy) ? 
Where do you sell your products? I don’t really sell my trunks worldwide I have sold to only to a few friends and family 
Belong to any groups or clubs? No clubs but  many Facebook miniature groups.
What do you love most about miniatures? I love antique handmade dollhouses and miniatures the best over mass produced simply because they were made with love for a child or chil-dren long ago. They tell a story. The housees have no real scale, and I like that because I like to mix scales. I love that you can create a theme or story about one tiny little miniature, I especially love old miniatures, and I'm fortunate to have many, some with stories. They are a part of our past his-tory which I think makes them even more interesting. I love artisan hand-made miniatures, also unique and one of a kind.
 you?