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Miniatures
Standing People Designs offers a full line of scale miniature wood
turnings for dedicated doll-house collectors and miniaturists. Most
of our work is done in 1" or 1:12 scale. Many of our smaller
pots will work quite nicely in a 1/2" (1:24) environment. Each
piece is unique because it was turned by hand by Bear Limvere,
the artist.
Materials are carefully chosen for these small works. Woods are
selected for their beauty, the fineness of their grain, and their
ability to be worked in small scale. Many exotic and rare woods, such
as African pink ivory, African blackwood, kingwood, and ebony, are
used to create these fine works of art. We also use other materials,
including various palm nuts ("vegetable" ivory), synthetic
ivory, and acrylics.
Bear believes that wood is a gift from the tree, and should be used
without waste and to maximize its beauty. Each wood species has its
own characteristics of color, grain, luster, and density. In addition,
each tree grew slightly differently, subject to the changes of light,
water, and soil. The challenge of turning is creating consistently
beautiful forms from such a variable substance. Miniature turnings
allow Bear to create beautiful shapes from woods and materials that
would be prohibitively expensive if turned in full-size forms.
Our vases and pots are fully hollowed, with wall thickness between
1/16" (1.5mm) and 1/8" (3mm) throughout. Careful technique
and special tools are required to hollow these forms through the very
small opening at the top, considering that the artist cannot see the
tool and what it is cutting. We use quality finishes to enhance and
preserve the natural beauty of the wood.
We use the same methods and attention to detail in the creation
of our miniatures that we use in our full-size pieces. Inspiration
for our shapes and forms is drawn from a wide range of sources,
including classical and modern turnings, pottery, and glasswork. We
strive to create miniature turnings that are indistinguishable from
full-size pieces on close-up view.
We care as much about our turnings as you do about your homes. We
strive to create miniatures that you will be proud to show in your
homes and that will last for generations.
We offer wholesale pricing to qualified retailers. Please contact
us for more information.
Check out what's currently available in our
Online Miniature Gallery
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Product Lines
Signature Series
| Signature Series |
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Bear introduced the Signature Series in early 2007. Each piece
is carefully planned and created. They are unique, and take more
time and care than our "production" pieces. Each of
these miniature works of art is signed and serial numbered. Each
comes with a card that identifies the piece, materials, size,
and includes a photo of the work.
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| Signature Bottles |
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These miniature bottles are designed with additional care
and time. Each is unique in concept, and made from hardwoods,
verneers, and natural materials.
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| Hand-carved Vessels |
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Each of these miniatures is carved by hand from rare burls. Some
are left with the natural-edge, some with bark, and some
sculpted. These pieces are inspired by larger pieces Bear saw at
an art show in Baltimore. Each is absolutely unique, organic,
and will look grand as a centerpiece. Or let you imagination
run wild...!
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| Signature Hollow Forms |
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These miniature vases are designed with additional care
and time. Each is unique in concept, and made from hardwoods,
verneers, and natural materials.
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| Signature OT Vessels |
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Each of these miniature hollow forms is decorated on a
special ornamental lathe. The piece is held steady in a jig,
and a rotating cutter cuts a "facet". The piece is
moved and the process repeated. Simple patterns may have a few
as a dozen seperate cuts. Complex patterns may involve hundres
of cuts. After decoration, the piece is hollowed, finished,
and buffed.
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| Signature OT Platters & Plaques |
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Each of these miniature platters or plaques is decorated on a
special ornamental lathe. The piece is held steady in a jig, and a
rotating cutter cuts a "facet". The piece is moved and
the process repeated. Simple patterns may have a few as a dozen
seperate cuts. Complex patterns may involve hundres of cuts.
We also offer these ornamental turnings in clear and tinted
acrylic. These may be used as holiday ornaments, "stained
glass" windows, or table-tops. That's what we came up with
as ideas, can you find other uses?
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Hollow Forms
| Pots & Vases |
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Our hollow forms (pots) will enhance almost any setting. They
are crafted from beautiful woods in a variety of styles from
classic to Japanese to American Southwest.
Sizes range from just under ½" to
1¼" in diameter, and ½" to
2½" tall.
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| Stave-laminated Pots |
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These vases feature multi-colored woods in length-wise angled
segments. Each "stave" is cut to exact angles and
glued together to create these stunning pieces. Laminations may
contain 6, 8, 12, or 16 segments. Sizes are similar to our
pots above.
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| Bottles |
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Inspired by classic ceramic forms, these beautiful pieces
are fully hollowed, and feature a neck in contrasting wood.
Sizes range from just under ¾" to 1¼"
in diameter, and ¾" to 1½" tall.
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| Bud Vases |
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Our bud vases are designed to hold a small spray of flowers.
Sizes range from 1/3" to 1/2" in diameter, and 3/4"
to 1" tall. The center hole is 1/16" bore.
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Bowls
| Fine Bowls |
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Our fine bowls are created with the same care as our hollow
forms. They would look great filled with fruit or salad on a
dining table. They also look fantastic on their own!
Sizes range from just under ½" to 1½"
in diameter, and ¼" to ¾" tall.
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| Rustic Bowls |
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Our line of rustic bowls is patterned after Bear's
grandmother's dough bowl. We make them from select maple. They
are unfinished, and range in size from 1" to 1¾"
in diameter. These bowls may have a flat or round base.
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| Plates & Platters |
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Like our bowls, these platters are crafted from woods
selected for their beauty. Forms range from classic to modern.
Sizes range from ¾" to 1½" in diameter,
and less than ½" tall.
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| Tazzas |
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A tazza is a wide bowl with a stem. They are widely used in
Europe for serving fruit and sweets. Ours range in size from
½" to just over 1" in diameter. Height ranges from
¾" to 1".
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| Salad Sets |
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Our salad sets are a large bowl with 4 or 6 matching small
bowls. They are finished with food-safe oil, just like our
full-size sets. We also offer just the small bowls in sets
of four.
Large bowls are between 1" to 1½" in diameter,
and between ½" & ¾" tall. Small bowls
are approximately ½" in diameter and ¼"
tall.
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Lidded Forms
| Canisters & Cookie Jars |
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These delightful lidded pieces are turned with a snug-fitting
lid. They will look great as cookie jars, canisters, or serving
ware! Sizes are similar to our pots.
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Goblets & Chalices
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Our goblets and chalices are turned from exotic hardwoods
and acrylics. The chalices are slightly larger, and often follow
traditional forms. Goblets are available in singles and pairs.
Chalice sizes range from ½" to ¾" in
diameter, and between ¾" & 1¼" tall.
Goblet sizes range from less than ¼" to ½"
in diameter, and between ½" & 1¼"
tall.
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Candlesticks
| Candlesticks |
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Our pairs of candlesticks will compliment any decor.
Each comes with a scale acrylic candle.
Candlestick sizes range from ½" to ¾"
in diameter, and between ¾" & 1½"
tall.
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| Rustic Candlesticks |
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Our "rustic" candlesticks are turned from small
branches, with natural edges. These would look great in a cabin
or mountain lodge home. They are available in singles and pairs,
and include acrylic candles.
Size ranges from ½" to ¾" in diameter,
and between ¾" & 1½" tall.
Rustic Sets
These candlestick sets are turned from small branches, which
are cut into 3 or more sections and turned individually. They
look neat on their own, or fit together as a unit.
Size ranges from 1" to 1¼" in total diameter,
and between ¾" & 1½" tall.
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Other Products
| Chip-n-Dip Trays |
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Our chip-n-dip trays are a delightful addition to any serving
table. They feature a small center recess for your favorite dip,
and a large outer tray for chips or veggies. Sizes range from
¾" to 1½" in diameter, and less than
½" tall.
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| Bowl Stands |
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These stands are specially designed to hold our bowls for
display. They are larger across the bottom than standard,
and will hang on a wall. Each is hand-made from jewelry wire,
and come in black, silver, copper, and gold-tone.
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How They're Made
Lathe
All of the works are created by hand on a lathe. In essence,
a lathe spins the material being formed, while the artist holds
edged tools against the piece, carving or "turning" it to
the desired shape. Many times when turning the inside of the work,
the artist cannot see the tool or what it is cutting, and so must
turn by feel and sound. Special care is taken to keep details crisp
and in scale with the turning. Specialty turning techniques, such
as ornamental turning, use different techniques to enhance a turned
piece. For example, ornamental lathes hold the piece still while
spinning an edged tool into the piece, carving regular patterns to
create fine designs and details.
Most of Bear's work is done on a full-size Nova 3000 wood lathe,
the same one he uses to turn forms up to 16" in diameter. He also
has a big Nichols/Ulery lathe, which can turn forms up to 80"
in diameter or 12 feet in length, and yes, he has turned miniatures
on it to prove it's possible. He does use a Jet Mini-lathe to rough
out wood, but prefers the stability and versatility of his Nova
3000. He also uses a modified ornamental lathe to create many of
the finely carved details in his ornamental turnings.
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Tools
Because there are so few commercial tools available for this
scale of work, Bear has had to make most of his tools, both the
tools used to shape the wood (gouges, scrapers, and chisels) and
the tools used to hold the wood ("chucks"). He shapes and
grinds high-speed steel to create the extremely small-scale tools
that he requires to create his miniature turnings.
Hollow forms, where the opening is smaller than the largest
diameter of the piece, require special tools that can enter through
the small opening and then "turn the corner" to hollow out the
larger diameter inside the wood. Bear creates his own hollowing
tools with the required bends to reach the interior areas of each
hollow form. Bear strives to create forms that have the same wall
thickness throughout, turning each piece to have between 1/16"
and 1/8" wall thickness all the way to the bottom. In fact,
some pieces are turned so thin that light can be seen through the
walls!
Bear has modified chucks from metal-working technology to hold
the wood while turning. These chucks must be strong enough to hold
the wood firmly while spinning at 2500 RPM, and still be small and
unobtrusive enough to allow Bear to access the wood with his tools
safely. Because Bear must work very close physically to the spinning
wood to see what he is doing and to be able to use his tools to shape
the wood, standard-sized chucks are too large and too dangerous,
creating a potential hazard of damage or injury.
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Finishing
After Bear has completed turning each piece, he carefully
sands it smooth. He then applies the same fine finishes that he
uses on his full-size forms, buffing each piece to to bring out
the sheen and beauty of the material. He inspects it to make sure
that there are no flaws and to make sure that each piece meets his
high standards. Each piece is then signed on the bottom, packaged,
and labeled with the wood name.
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