About me
My Story
Not many people know the real me and my life so far and how it has made me the person I am today......so let me take you back to 1979 the year I came in to this world........ and 18months later my mother through depression and alcohol and probably not in a mental state of mind decide to put my hand in to boiling water to which left me with a server burn and disabled right hand,I was then taken in to care till I was 16 and moved around the uk I spent most of my childhood and teens in and out of hospital having over 17 operations which where for skin grafts and bone straightening and ligament tightening,Years later.
I first met my mother not long after my 17th birthday and released then that her condition had worsened but I forgave her for her mistakes as we all make them and what was in the past stays in the past after she was my mother then a few years later she sadly died.... I also then met my father as they where not together,I met him and his wife most weeks for a couple of years and again he sadly died and me and his wife had become very close and she was the closest thing I knew as a mother as she looked out for me as one of her own and we still see each other every weekend and her children have become my extended family.
Over the years I also started to meet own family I had 3 half sisters and 4 half brothers of which one brother sadly committed suicide at age 20 and I also learned about the tragic death of one of my sisters 4 children in house fire and I also got to meet many nephews and nieces and cousins,so as you can see it's been a tough road I have been down but that's not the end of it...... after I was born my mother had 3 more children after I was born a boy 6yrs later who was taken straight in to care when born and adopted by a loving family and a girl 4 yrs later also adopted by the same family sadly my mothers other child died a few hrs old, I was lucky enough to meet them when I was 10 and again at the age of 12 and then I did not see them again but as far as I was concerned they where happy and loved,then out of the blue a few weeks ago I had a message off my niece saying that someone was trying to find me and had been for a few yrs and low and behold it was my younger sister and brother 25yrs later, I was shocked and so happy to find them again.
So all I can say if life for me had been a traumatic start and a rocky road to travel down but I wouldn't change it as it made me the person I am today and I couldn't be happier.
I started miniature work late in life, as I have always tried turning my hands to most things to give it a go even with my arthritis, as I knew in time I would not be able to manage them.It was only after a simple dolls house made for my niece in 2010 that I started to become interested in miniatures.In the world of miniatures there are so many scales to work with, but I found that 1/12 scale was best suited for me.
My first project was once again a house, this time to keep for myself.Over the years of building it I picked up new skills, and with help and advice from other miniaturists off Facebook groups, I posted my progress to them.
I then started to experiment with different materials including detailed plaster work, stone and slate.
The house took me three years to complete and once finished I was so overwhelmed with the amount of attention and publicity that it gained, I decided to do something more compact and settled on musical cabinet miniatures which was something completely different and a new challenge.
Over the years as my skills grew, the publicity in magazines and newspapers was making me realizemy achievement.
Now I knew that with all my projects sold I had the satisfaction that they would bring others enjoyment that I had felt when making them.My first cabinet was a grand royal bedroom suite decorated in ornate plaster ceilings and walls with 24ct gold leaf detail.After this I decided I needed to do something more challenging and different from the norm so I decided to try a Cinderella musical cabinet this time with hand made moving dolls which was a new element to add. So after watching the latest Disney Cinderella movie the ideas started to evolve.
I spent many hrs researching different rotating platforms and also spoke to many friends on Facebook to find the perfect miniature doll maker and I was put in touch with Tanya Harvey.I was fascinated by her work and we exchanged many messages and photos till we reached a final decision which was perfect.
The cabinet sold within minutes of going up for sale and I then had the urge to try something else.
I then decided to do something from one of my favourite Harry Potter movies. I yet again spent hrs re-watching the movies which I always loved doing and eventually decided to do the Gryffindor common room.
A little outside of my comfort zone to my usual cabinets I soon found it to be enjoyable to do using a range of miniature stone from Richard Stacey’s miniature masonry, and using contacts I had made through the miniature community.
I had miniature tapestries printed on to canvas the same as the movies and managed to find so many miniature items to put in my cabinet it was soon completed and yet again sold quite quickly.
I also had lots of media coverage from local papers and magazines and after some advice from a work colleague, I set up a Twitter account and tweeted about my Harry Potter creation and the response was astounding.
After having so many wonderful comments and phone calls I decided to do another one which was the Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom.
Using the skills I had developed it was finished quite quickly but my imagination was starting to fade on the subject matter and a change was due so I decided to do some more Disney cabinets. These include Sleeping Beauty and Beauty & The Beast,Yet again, I was astound by the coverage they had.
Sadly though due to health reasons and arthritis I had to take some time away from miniature making and after a few months off, I started to get phone calls and messages about doing commissioned cabinets to which I was delighted to do so I went about planning out my next piece which was going to be one of my most favourite of all, this time Dumbledore’s office.
Armed with a mountain of photographs from friends who have been on the London Studio Tour, screen shots from the movies I set about drawing up plans for the room.
Whilst I was out shopping, I spotted an antique oval cabinet which was perfect for my miniature to be made inside of so after a few weeks of drawing up plans I was ready to start.
The cabinet itself was transformed with new mouldings made the same as Dumbledore's memory cabinet,the cabinet itself was covered in 24ct gold leaf and had display windows around the sides with potion bottles in.
The inside was made with a wooden framework using MDF for the walls with a real stone overlay. The columns where made from wood and plaster with a textured stone paint,the curved bookcases where made up of two lots of 4 bookcases glued together and extra mouldings added to give more of a Gothic look.
The ceilings was a challenge as I have only ever done one with plaster and wood so a new skill was needed.
Dumbledores desk was made using a shop bought desk with the doors removed and custom made panels where made by Gary white of DHD (dolls house direct) using his laser cutting machine.
There are many hand made items from other artisans in the room which ignites it’s magical feel and brings the entire cabinet to life.
It has taken a few months to complete and it's proud new owner is actress and one of the largest Harry Potter collectors in the U.K. Victoria Maclean.
I will be starting another Harry Potter room soon as there are so many to do.
Sean Valentine
