(Xinyi Scott - Sinny’s Mini Greenhouse)
A Greenhouse of Glass and Gleam
by Pam North
Xinyin Scott has been crazy about little things since she was a child in Shenzhen, Guangdong. Her parents brought her to a museum, and the focus of her interest was exclusively miniatures. She didn’t know yet how big the miniature world was until 2013, when one day she walked into a Hobby Lobby store and saw shelves and displays of so many incredible minis. “My happiness just came back,” she exclaimed. “I had just lost my voice; and as a professional singer, that was such a painful period for me. Falling in love with miniatures saved my life and my soul!” 
She has had no formal training in the miniature field other than one class at a miniature show, but that hasn’t stopped her from learning. She now owns an online miniature shop (www.SinnysMiniArt.com). “I started on Etsy in 2015, and finally decided to have my own website in January 2020,” she explained.
Xinyi’s most recent accomplishment is the 1:12 scale piece she calls Sinny’s Mini Greenhouse.
Because she originally was from a hot weather locale, she has an affinity for a warm climate. “I’m always wishing to move to a place where I’ve been dreaming to live in real life, maybe somewhere in Florida - somewhere that has no cold winter, is close to the ocean, and has a lot of tropical plants.” She even reflected that sentiment in the tiny Florida license plate displayed on the table in her mini greenhouse.
The starting point for her Sinny’s Mini Greenhouse was the Conservatory Kit by Houseworks. The easy-to-assemble unfinished kit includes pre-assembled MDF wall panels, pre-cut acrylic panels for the roof, windows and doors, pre-assembled roof trusses, pre-cut and mitered trim pieces, and is ready to paint, stain, panel, paint, wallpaper or texture with stone or brick. Other materials Xinyi used to make the piece were wood, clay, paper, ceramic, and paint. The flooring and table are her original designs from her website. Xinyi’s husband, Daniel, is an aircraft/space engineer, and is proficient in laser cutting and 3D printing, and his assistance is evident in items such as the longer table and the mat covering the floor of the greenhouse. He also designs all the kits sold on Xinyi’s website. In addition, Xinyi bought other items from all over the world to complete her greenhouse piece. The result is a perfect microcosm of a gardener’s ideal workspace.
The piece evolved over time as Xinyi worked on it, and it turned out close to how she had envisioned it, except for a small elemental change she wished she could have done. “I would love to have made it more tropical with a great number of giant leaves, but the space was limited. I would say I am about 85% pretty happy with it.”
As for any special technique she used for creating the piece, her comment was, “Nothing special but patience. The hardest part about making this miniature was trying to decide which pieces to put in. As a perfectionist, it is so hard for me to make decisions!” Due to neck/shoulder problems she experiences, she has more difficulty working in miniature scale, but her love for it is unconquerable. “Isn’t it amazing that we can display so much in such tiny spaces?” she observed.
She had the most fun creating several pots that she hand-made on a mini-wheel. “I sometimes go to a nursery, take pictures of full-size pots I like, and make them in mini sizes.” She also learned to make flowers. 
She has no plans to sell her mini greenhouse, saying, “Nope, this piece is priceless for me, but I do have kits of some others on  my website.” Her website features many products for sale, from $2 pots to a $1200 chandelier, a range suitable for all different levels of miniature enthusiasts.
She often contemplates the future of miniatures, hoping for an optimistic outlook for it, and a continuing involvement for herself therein. “There are so many shops that have closed. I really think we need to get more young people into this great hobby. I wish I could open a real shop, and create a Dallas/Fort Worth miniature club someday.”
She now has a large element in her life, having become an enthusiastic rider of horses. “I love the extremes of big and small,” she declared. “ I think it’s my extreme personality!” Her hope is to have a real horse of her own.
As for what’s next for her and her creations, she is contemplating creating a horse barn and a pottery studio in miniature. She plans to work hard, collect more top quality minis from all over the world, and create many more pieces in her shop.

Contact information:
Name: Xinyi Scott
Business name: Sinny’s Mini Art
Email: sinnywang1020@gmail.com
Website: www.SinnysMiniArt.com
Instagram: sinnysminiart
Phone: (682) 556-5030, (817) 991-3134
Address: 1706 Indigo Ct. - Carrollton , TX 75007