For 22 years Shirley Putnin enchanted visitors to her West Perth attraction It's A Small World with rooms filled with dollhouses, miniature fairytales and electric toys.
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The homage to all things miniature closed its doors in 2000, but Shirley is still weaving her magic.
She recently ran a workshop in Bassendean guiding fellow members of the Western Australian Miniaturists Association in making a tiny battery-operated lamp.
"When It's A Small World closed, I thought I was going to retire but it didn't last long," Shirley said.
"This is my passion. I have a warehouse that I work in and a small shop called Miniature World in Kardinya.
"I just love making things. Last year I made fountains and a frog that squirted water from its mouth."
Shirley was not into dollhouses as a child. "I was a bit of a tomboy and I liked being out and about.
"All this started when I was making kindy equipment. A teacher showed me a black and white photo of a dollhouse her mother used to have and asked if I could reproduce it.
"I loved building it and realised it was what I wanted to do. I started building houses of the world and also got into animation."
Shirley has fond memories of It's A Small World.
"Adults loved it as much as kids. There was a rocking horse that had to be specially reinforced because adults liked riding it.
"It took me a year to come to the decision to close down. My husband wasn't well, we'd had a few break-ins and it was becoming difficult to keep going."
Turns out there are many others who share Shirley's passion.
"A lot of women are getting dollhouses for their 50th, 60th and 70th birthdays," she said.
"They always wanted one as a child and their families club together so they can finally have one. Husbands also get involved.
"I supply the bits and pieces and they help choose wallpaper and start making things themselves."
The Dollhouse Miniature Show is at South Perth Community Hall, August 17-18, 10am-4pm - wama.org.au
