If you think you now know all there is about the creation of miniature animals, think again.

There's wool and acrylic yarns, felt sheets, fiber felting, cloth, sewing threads, wood, stone, paints and the ever-popular stand-by from the Jurassic period - amber! That's right, I said amber. Linda Master has carved animals using pieces of amber. Quite a difference from the usual wood she prefers, but then again, Linda also carves some animals in stone, like soapstone.

Whether trying to achieve a traditional look or whimsical look, many artisans use felting. This is a fibrous material that is condensed and packed into almost any shape you can think of. It comes in a variety of colors, but sculpting requires a special needle, called a felting needle, which packs the fibers tight enough to hold its shape.

In the hands of skilled miniaturist like Bridget McCarty, felted animals look as good as their real life counterparts. Then there's compressed felt fabric and cloth fabric. The cloth and compressed felt fabric are both easy to use, fairly easy to sculpt shapes with and come in a variety of colors. Both can be sewn or glued, depending on the users preference or need.