"It's great to have a dedicated space where I can dream and plan my projects and make as big a miniature mess as I want without worrying about putting my things away to serve the evening meal!

"I did use our kitchen to make the dollhouse but weeks on end of that drove me crazy. I like to keep my work and home life separate and my studio lets me do that. If I had to work from my kitchen I'd be distracted by things other than creating miniatures. This way if I don't see the laundry piling up I don't think about it!

"But if I'm working too long my husband sends Nikki, our Australian Shepherd, down to my studio to tell me it's 'quittin' time!'"

Her favourite tools include dental tools for carving and adding texture, a magnifying glass/light and double-sided tape to remove clay debris. But her favourite material will always be the pastels.

"Deadly as they can be with toxic metals, etc., artist pastels are one of my favourite things to work with. They are magical when creating mini foods. My favourite brand is Unisons, which are handmade in England. The colors are magnificent. I wear gloves and a face mask because the dust is what you use and the dust is the most toxic aspect."

Palesch finds inspiration in bakeries, pastry shops, magazines, the Food Network, cook's catalogs, foods she or friends have prepared or just about anywhere. A bigger challenge is taking photographs of her completed pieces.

"Lighting and depth of field are a real challenge when taking photographs of such minute items," she added.

In addition to CDHM, she is a member of the International Guild of Miniature Artisans (IGMA. Sandi sells her creations on her website which can be accessed through her CDHM Gallery.