Interviewing the owner of the photo number 500: leneUx8

Hi leneUx8! How does it feel to be the owner of the photo number 500? Believe it or not it felt like winning a raffle! Woooohoo! 500th! I have never been lucky enough to land on significant numbers like that before. Congrats to minitreasures on 500 uploads!!! And to Johanna for being such a great moderator!

Tell a little about yourself: who you are, where do you come from and what do you do? I am an Industrial Designer who recently left her whole design career in the Philippines to marry her long-term boyfriend of 7 years. Currently I’m starting a new life in California as a happy newbie housewife who's addicted to miniatures and jellybeans. Now I'm trying to create my own line of modern minis in Playscale and listing them in my recently opened Etsy shop-Dragondee or posting pictures of them in my Flickr account. ^_^

Do you have any other hobbies than miniatures? Aside from learning how to cook and trying to meet new friends, I also enjoy doing photography, graphic design, various crafts, and the occasional mini figure modeling in polymer.

When and how did you start doing miniatures? I have always been a miniature enthusiast even at a young age, but it’s only after migrating to California (about 4 months ago) that I started making modern playscale miniatures of my own. Needing to wait a couple more months to get a work permit to legally work in the US, I was stuck at home facing a ton of free time in my hands. Being a natural worker and a believer that life is a game of SIMS, I saw creating miniatures as a way of preserving and upgrading my creative skills and at the same time, actually having fun in the process!
What is the best thing in miniature hobby and what is inspiring you? Having people appreciate your own handmade creations and wanting them for their own collection, I believe, is what really keeps me inspired. Like most artists, you get passionate in creating something when you know it makes people happy. ^_^

What is your latest/next mini project?
Most of my miniature creations go well with Re-ments but not 12” dolls like Blythe. Jackie, a new Flickr friend is requesting slightly bigger furniture for her Blythe girls. ^_^ I’m excited to do that for her next and maybe create a few new designs at the same time.

How did you find Mini treasures wiki and what is your favorite page in the wiki? I think I found the minitreasures group in flickr first. I joined the group because I wanted to meet people with similar interest. I’ve even become immersed with other crafter’s amazing works that I never knew existed! I love seeing innovative and resourceful creations. Who knew you could turn an old watering can into a room box!

What would you like to see in the wiki in the future? Hmmm…it seems to have everything already. Maybe just a page dedicated to modern miniatures. I think it’s really a new trend for miniaturists, be it in any scale.

Thanks for the interview and hope you have fun time in our wiki! Thank you too! And I am definitely having fun in the wiki. ^_^