(Emanuela Festa Sundell - MiniaturesByEmy)

Diminutively Delicious

by Pam North

It would seem that Emanuela Festa Sundell somehow might need to create extra time and sleeping hours rather than miniatures. She is a full-time administrator in the daytime, a part-time group training instructor in the evening, and has a small business selling jewelry. All of those activities in themselves seemingly would constitute a schedule that could include little else, yet Emanuela, a resident of Ludvika, Sweden, somehow additionally manages to create wonderfully realistic miniatures. A supportive family helps; her husband, Göran, is an avid model builder (trains, boats, planes), and he encourages Emanuela’s work. “We often share tools, materials, and ideas, and are each other’s consultant and fan,” she elaborated. 
Emanuela first became interested in miniatures in 1999, when she bought an issue of Nutshell News Magazine, and became fascinated with tiny things. Even with no formal training in the miniature field, she has learned to create amazingly realistic tiny food replicas, plants, carpets, bed covers, and interior decorations such as baskets and doilies. “I am the first one in my extended family who is creative. I never was encouraged as a child. I am completely self-taught in anything I do. I met my husband when I was 20, and he introduced me to the wonderful world of hobbies, an interest he shared with his beloved grandfather,the owner of my highly appreciated metal ruler.” The old steel ruler ro which she referred has been her most valuable tool so far. “It has both centimeters and inches marked on it, and it belonged to my husband’s grandfather, Gunnar Nyström, who probably bought it in the 1920s. I don’t know what I would do without it, since my main market is in the United States, and we use the metric system in Europe.”  
Combining home life and miniature life isn’t always easy, to which many miniaturists will attest. “The major problem is time,” Emanuela explained. “I wish I had more, but then who doesn’t?” She is lucky to have her own workplace, a very large hobby room just for herself, about 400 square meters. “I am able to leave all my ongoing work on the table every day, which is good because inspiration can strike at any moment. All my machines, equipment, materials, and books are there, all very well organized, if I may say so myself. I love my hobby room, and feel very privileged to have so much space in which to work.” Inspiration comes easily to her. “ I find it everywhere, but mostly in my head,” she remarked.
Emanuela sells her  products on Etsy at prices ranging from $4 to $300. She also sells at the Swedish Miniature Fair, which takes place in Stockholm twice a year. At present she does not teach any workshops, but said she has been asked to do so, and thinks it would be great fun. 
She has made a few special items. “A lady who runs a very small miniature museum in Sweden bought one of my barbeque scenes. I have had three custom orders so far: cinnamon buns for the game ”bun in the oven” at a baby shower, a carpet with a Christmas theme, and some food in 1:24 scale for a garage setting. I love custom orders and hope for more!” There was one item which she admitted that she regretted selling: “I sold my favorite carpet to a lady in Australia, and I shouldn’t have.”
The pieces highlighted for this article are an accumulation of many of her ideas: miniature plates, cakes, plants, carpets, crocheted items, and a cheese assortment. She usually makes all of her items from scratch, with very few exceptions. “I have used flower kits from a few different artists, and the charts for my Oriental carpets were made by Mr. Harry L. Whalon (now deceased), from whom I bought the charts in the early 2000s. I often use materials and tools meant for scale train models, borrowed from my husband.”
As for what’s next for her and her creations, Emanuela said, “That’s so difficult to answer, I have so many ideas! Just now I’m creating new plants and flowers, made of different materials and in different techniques. I am developing new charts for carpets of my very own design. I have to keep busy, as I’ve just invested in a lot more tools!”