www.cdhm.org May 2010 CDHM The Miniature Way imag, Artist Profile May 2010, Page 2

In addition to her childhood fascination with chocolate, she was also fascinated with miniatures.

"Ever since I was a little girl I've been fascinated with miniatures. But the bug really bit me when I volunteered to make a dollhouse for my husband's CDHM artisan and IGMA Artist Sandi Palesch creating under the business name of Natures Mini Harvest she creates dollhouse miniature food in 1:12 scale granddaughter. After I completed it I wanted to find some items to put inside. At the same time I was making jewellery and looking for tiny teacups I might use in a charm bracelet I was making in memory of my grandmother and her beautiful teacup collection which I luckily inherited.

"Looking on the Internet and eBay I discovered a world of miniature foods I'd never seen before. I was determined to give it a go and that was all it took -I've been creating miniature food ever since."

In addition to chocolate, Palesch is partial to fruits and vegetables.

"I also make fruits and vegetables including a variety of apples like Granny Smith, Pink Ladies, Honeycrisp… Depending on what's being whipped up in the miniature kitchen like caramel apples, apple pie, apple tart, baked apples.. or just for decoration. I love to make peaches and sugar plums - gotta have those for cobblers and pies. And who could forget grapes, lemons, limes, strawberries, oranges, pears. . ."

CDHM artisan and IGMA Artist Sandi Palesch creating under the business name of Natures Mini Harvest she creates dollhouse miniature vegetables in 1:12 scale Part of the fun for her lies in the degree of challenge required.

"There are all kinds of foods that I still haven't tried or mastered and some I never will. But I love the challenge even if it can be frustrating. I really enjoy making cheesecakes and crème brulees because the challenge is in creating just the right consistency from the clay to look realistic. I also make roasted turkey and other poultry, either raw poultry ready for the oven or roasted and ready for carving. I love making stuffing, again because it's a challenge to get 'right' and mashed potatoes with melting butter and parsley or gravy," she added.

Her goal is to never allow herself to become complacent but to keep challenging herself and learning new tricks. She is self-taught, based on "a LOT of trial and error" with a little help from her friends.

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