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5/27/07 Rudest Comment about Your Minis


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I think a lot of people don't understand that miniatures CAN be theraputic for some people. I have had people tell me that they could NEVER do something so tedious and time consuming. And it is! But for people who find such work relaxing, it can be very theraputic.

My houses become a whole other world that I can retreat into when I am stressed out. I can focus on something other than my own problems, and when I come up for air, the problems usually come back into perspective. There have been difficult times in my life that my dollhouses have saved my sanity, since I could divert myself for awhile and come back to the problems later. At this point in time, my houses divert my thoughts temporarily from my son in Iraq and my worry about his safety until he finally comes home. Otherwise, I think I'd go crazy with worry.

I feel sorry for the people who CAN'T appreciate this magical little world...

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Making and enjoying miniatures is very thereaupetic I believe for all of us. It's a way of getting into the mind and pulling upon talents you only scratch the surface with! I find it relaxing and a heck of a lot of fun. Let the others be rude, they don't know what they are missing....or perhaps they do, and are just being insulting to try and hurt you.

I hope I never "grow up!"

Wolfie

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If people make rude comments, how come so many people oooo and awww at the fancy ones that are set up at Christmas time or other holidays. The ones in Williamsburg only come out at Christmas and they are outstanding reproductions of things from 1700s. They say that the lines to see them are very long, so long that they published a book so everyone could enjoy their beauty! :lol: to all the rude comments.

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I'm usually looking for some little thing at a store, fleamarket, yard sale etc... of course I'm measuring as I find possibles, and someone always shows up to ask if they can help, and whatcha looking for? When I tell them, the response 9 times out of 10, is oh, how old is the child? I always say it's my dollhouse (haven't learned, lol) and that tends to send them running the other way fast, with a look of shock and disbeleif on their face!

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Wow, I'm surprised by some of the things people say about this hobby. I usually get the 'oh, really?' with a smirk when I describe what I love to do, and I'm offended by that. I couldn't imagine how I'd react if someone said something really rude to my face!

I meet so many people who have no hobbies at all, and always seem either stressed out or, quite frankly, bored. A lot of people can't see any reason to invest so much time in something that, for many of us, doesn't turn a profit, which goes for most hobbies in general. I just feel bad for people who can't understand what it means to put your heart and soul into creating something that is your own.

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  • 3 months later...

Why is it taking you forever to build that house??? It doesn't take any time to put together a model airplane! You're just slow! I wouldn't be surprised if you worked at that speed at your job! (Comments from a "loved one" :p who never supported my hobby in the first place).

...just another person who is jealous of my talent. :unsure:

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Years ago I had a "friend" who absolutely hated her mother. When her mother died she had to go sort out things and had a big sale. Her mother wasn't into mini's but had tons of dolls and other collectibles. I went over to help her sort and at least 100 times she said " why did she have to have all this crap anyway?" I finally told her it wasn't crap to her mother and she should just shut up about it. She also used to make comments about my mini's and once said when looking at some of my dolls that they looked like dead babies. After that I didn't seek out her company very often. It put the idea in my head though that someday someone would probably say that about all my things when I'm gone and it makes me sad. I told my daughter I'm thinking of putting little price stickers on all my "crap" so she won't just give it away or throw it in the dumpster (she's not into mini's or dolls). She could always find someone that would love to have it. I think some of these people who say such mean things are just really not too happy with their own lives and it bugs them to see somebody who has something that makes them happy.

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So far I haven't had any really rude comments. When I started dating my boyfriend I kinda told him about my hobby, kinda. The problem was that was in April and I'm a mostly fall/winter miniaturists. Now I am so absorbed that I sometimes wake him up out of sleep to show him my works of art. Grrrrr.....he is so supportive though and he doesn't mind, yet lol. He is going to build me a OOAK house someday, or so he says. My dad who always is very negative about the things I start up surprised me. I told him about my miniatures and showed him some stuff I made and waited for him to say yep and walk away, but he held it up and smiled and said that it was neat. That Christmas he bought me a scroll saw for making my furnature and for my birthday he bought me a carry-all with wheels to tote my stuff around.

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I can't recall any rude comments about my minis. Maybe I have never received one, or perhaps I just have a poor memory or let them roll of my back.

If anything, I am the rude one. My friend at work always complains that I don't tell her about the miniature shows because she would like to "go do something girly." I do tell her, but she never wants to go because they are on Sundays and she wants to watch football. Today I was telling her and my mini friend, who has the cube across from her, about the Tyson's show and the neat things I bought, and Crystal and I made plans for Frederick, MD in two weeks. Anne checks her schedule, nope football game that day. I told Anne that girly girls do not plan their mini-ing around football games, we do it BECAUSE there are games on tv (not true, but we don't let football get in the way of our miniatures). I then told Anne that if she changes her mind, that she could drive to my house and leave with me, and then she could stay at our place for dinner after we return. Now she's thinking about taping the game to view later, LOL.

The nicest thing anyone said about my minis was said by my niece, Brooke. I made her a dollhouse when she was six, and when I gave it to her, she asked if I made it for her. I assured her that I had, and she said, awestruck, "you did a lot of work!" I knew she would like the dh, but I never dreamed that she would appreciate the effort that wen into it!

DH is very supprotive. He goes to shows with me, helps me find the right mini, and gets on my case to get back to mini making when I let it go for too long.

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The rudest comment I had was from a man who said to me: "You make these dolls?" I said yes. He said "Don't you have anything better to do with your time? Why do you play with dolls?" I said, "Because I like them better than rude people like you." He walked away......LOL

I love it!

I've been lucky thus far and most of my family is supportive of my little creations and my creativity - even my Dad, who is notorious for the saying things like, "You're wasting your **expletive** money!" and "Now what are you going to do with it; put it on a shelf as a dust catcher?" But when I started my foray into mini's, he gave me a coping saw and said, "This should help with the trim and any little stuff." I nearly fell out of my chair!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Most of my family and friends are politely supportive of my mini obsession - they say "oh yes, that's nice" in a vague, half-embarrassed way. They mean well.

As my birthday loomed closer and closer, my MIL asked me what I wanted for a gift. For the past two birthdays they've given me a gift cerificate to the dollhouse and miniature store in town. I hate to say what I would like, and so I hesitated - all the while thinking, another gift cert. please! - and she looked me in the eyes and said, "You're not still doing minis, are you?" Obviously, she doesn't think I should be. However, when my birthday arrived, they gave me a generous gift cert. to the mini store, so I can't complain!

At a recent family get-together, my younger brother stopped me in the kitchen to ask whether I could make use of a little Christmas ornament he didn't want. It's a small plastic bookcase, with a few wrapped Christmas presents and a teddy bear, etc. sitting on the shelves. I was pleased, and told him I could use it in my Christmas house (when I get around to building it). One of my older brothers has a new girlfriend, and she was passing through the kitchen. She stopped to look at what we were talking about. When she realised what it was, she gave a dismissive laugh, shook her head, rolled her eyes and kept walking. I now know not to discuss my minis with her.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yesterday one of our esteemed neighbors dropped in as I was making up a little mini Christmas display using my tree and the doll decorating it........ Anyway I served her some nice coffee (perhaps I should have put rat poisen in it) and some cookies and she said to me: "Why don't you put your toys away" and come and knit with me again?" Well I got my fur all riled up and was ready to go for her throat when the next comment was "You know you could hang this on your Christmas tree" and no one would know it wasn't an ornament. So now the fur is riled up and the eyes have turned a blazing green, and she left knowing how upset I was getting! I was so upset and mad I just couldn't function for the rest of the danged day! She ruined my whole afternoon! Witch! Oh gee, I misspelled that, but I won't change it. this is not the first time she has visited and made nasty remarks like this, and there were other things too. She has said that she thinks I must be going crazy, siting here in the house building my toys when I could be out snowmobiling with her and the rest of the neighbors. NO THANK YOU! I see more people staying at home now because of broken limbs, etc. Oh I'm getting angry all over again!

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Gina, it sounds like she wants your company - but by going about it in such a rude fashion, she's sabotaging herself. There are some people that you just can't be friends with - I try to be friendly with everyone, but I've actually given up on a couple of would-be friends, because they're just too rude and inconsiderate.

Just makes the Greenleaf forum all the more special, don't you know!

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You know when these things happen, I usually just do something else to try and take my mind off things. Like today I'm making about 10 pounds of jerkey - with Doug's help - and will probably be off for a while today. But while I'm off my mind strays little from my life and my hobby which is the best therapy for lonliness and depression I know of. And I have my mini friends here with me too!

Thank you Greenleaf for providing this "safe haven" for all us mini nuts! And NUTS to the rest of the world!

Wolfie

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I thought my dad might have a rude remark when I said that my DH and I do the houses together but he really looked it over and said that we did a great job on it (FIRST HOUSE). My dad could say things sometimes without realizing how much they hurt. So this comment meant alot.

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I very RARELY get a negative comment...BUT...You have to realize the "ONES" who do lack imagination and (probubly) real joy in their lives, are the ones who would say such things! Most the time critisim comes from jeliousy and emptiness in the deliverer's life. I was reading back at the beginning of this topic in May and the person Deana(Chesterfield zoo) talks of , matches my deceased aunt (Dad's sister)to a T. She very rarely had anything nice to say, I KNOW she wasn't a happy, nor content person on the inside.

She caused many a tear for my mom. I'm grateful that she is no longer here, somtimes, to cause riffs! :) just go back to the link of the Dollhouse gal in New York to cheer you up and remind you what a Special GIFT this is and how few know that. :rolleyes:

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I don't think I've ever gotten a rude comment....

Hubby isn't rude about my hobby, but he has said that he doesn't understand the fascination.

He supports my interest (financially and otherwise) and he'll occassionally ask me what plans I have for a house or he'll ask me how a particular house is going. He'll even give me advice if I have an decorating idea that I want to bounce off of him. So he's not rude about it, but he has said..."And what are you going to do after you've put all that effort/money into it? Just set it on a table and go ooooh....ahhhhhh?

I chock it up to him just being a man.... :wicked:

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not to far back after i finished fixing my ashley my i went to show my cousin and was told lat out by her that at my age i needed to grow to h**l up and stop wasting money on toys i blew up and told her i would rather spend my money on minis then spending 200 bucks on a pair of jeans 2 sizes to small. we'll you can all guesse the things that came next we have yet to speak sence.

this is also the same girl that left the catholic church which does not bother me to each is own what bothers me is the fact i had to here all the time afterward everything that was wrong with my faith. thinking back on everything i guess us not speaking anymore might be for the best

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  • 2 months later...
And what are you going to do after you've put all that effort/money into it? Just set it on a table and go ooooh....ahhhhhh?

I get that a lot. My parents are politely supportive. Issues of money and space come up. "Where are you going to put it?" "You dont have room for it." "Do you plan to sell it when its done?"

Why would I sell it after I put so much of MY money, hard work and heart into it?!?!?! Im only 19, Im in college and I work only 16 hours (about $115) a week and I still manage to pay for (my share of) my car insurance, gas and If there is anything left it goes to minis. I think my interior design major is the only reason they tolerate my minis.

I do plan to do a few extremely detailed primroses or adams. One for myself and the rest will be sold to make some money.

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Hi JewelsRus, it must be a western thing...

It must be. I can't say anything for central or southern California, but in Northern California it's pretty much the same. You only find a bit, sometimes, in railroad sections of mishmash hobby shops (you know...everything from art supplies to cheap airsoft guns to rc stuff.)

Edited by Tako
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If any one wants to be rude again tell them we might have our dollhouses but we are also in the realm of being Architects we just never spent the time in school doing it.

We are also model builders we can build a sceen for a movie with our knowlage. where do you think they learned it from! If a man did it it !!!!

(Sorry guys just venting) but you get my meaning.

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You know, I don't know if it's actually rude but, it's really frustrataing and insulting. Every single time anyone see's the little houses, I get "Are you going to sell it, or donate it to a museum!?"

What?!! I just spent 9 months of my life completing the Lily and you expect me to sell it or donate it??!

What the...?!

jeez

I kind of expect them to say "Wow, I would hold on to that for ever" or something kind like that.

I mean this comes from EVERYONE including strangers, family members and friends.

Kinda wierd huh?

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You know, I don't know if it's actually rude but, it's really frustrataing and insulting. Every single time anyone see's the little houses, I get "Are you going to sell it, or donate it to a museum!?"

What?!! I just spent 9 months of my life completing the Lily and you expect me to sell it or donate it??!

What the...?!

jeez

I kind of expect them to say "Wow, I would hold on to that for ever" or something kind like that.

I mean this comes from EVERYONE including strangers, family members and friends.

Kinda wierd huh?

Sadly, I think this is an example of how some parts of society are today, and it explains why hobbies such as miniatures are dying out (or seem to be - hope I'm wrong on that one!) There doesn't seem to be any appreciation for things that take time, or that don't make $$$$$$. Oh well, we know what makes us happy and that's what matters. :yes:

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So far... my rudest (and please remember I just started) came from an uncle... basically, it went like this....

"Why does she want a dollhouse now? She should've gotten that when she was little."

Some people have never understood me. :yes:

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