The Bottom Line
The Dolls' House magazine is a monthly publication of the Guild of Master Craftsman Publications in the UK. It contains a wide variety of dolls house miniature projects at several levels and features an artisan and a regular everyday collector each month. The projects feature materials which are easy to find.
The Guild of Master Craftsmen Publications also produce soft cover books of dolls house projects taken from, or related to the magazine.
Pros
- Lots of projects for many levels of interest and ability.
- Good information about artisans and shows in the UK
- Excellent photography and layout, clear instructions.
- Interesting coverage of club projects and activities
- Good coverage of a range of collectors, not only specialists.
Cons
- Difficult to find on North American newstands
- Not much web presence, although major articles are listed by issue.
Description
- Large format monthly magazine featuring quick as well as detailed projects.
- Good coverage of new introductions, as well as specialist artisans and companies.
- Interesting articles on clubs and projects from various parts of the world.
- Good coverage of new items seen at the major shows.
Guide Review - Review of The Dolls' House Magazine
The Dolls' House Magazine is great for miniaturists who like to work on projects. The clearly laid out and well photographed tutorials cover a wide range of projects, from room boxes and unusual living quarters to knitting and needlework projects. John Cutts, Janet Harmsworth, CaroDoug Miniatures, Sue Johnson and and Jean Nisbett are regular contributors to the magazine. In many cases, the projects are themed to work together for a scene.
Each copy features an interesting collection, created by someone who fits the reader profile rather than a specialist. There is also a monthly feature on a specialist artisan or company. Clubs or club projects receive regular coverage as do new items introduced by popular artisans. For the past year, the magazine has also been running a regular page of cut outs.
The magazine does an excellent job of appealing to miniaturists at several levels. The majority of the projects are aimed at the UK miniaturist and there tend to be more Tudor, Georgian or Victorian projects than modern, but no area is left unexplored and many of the projects are unlike those found in other magazines. With tutorials ranging from finishing techniques to painting portraits in miniature, there is something for everyone, explained clearly, and often with interesting background detail.
The magazine is usually 70 - 90 pages in length, with advertising only on full pages, leaving articles clear and easy to follow. Subscriptions are ₤41 for twelve issues in the UK, ₤51 ~ ₤58 in Europe and the rest of the world ( ~$102 US). Back issues can be ordered singly from the magazine's website at a cost of ₤4.95 per issue, ₤5.45 overseas,(~$9.70 US) price includes postage.
