like a kid in a candy store - childhood art inspiration (part 5 in a series)

In part 5 of our series on the roots of design + creative inspiration, we take a closer look at how childhood art experiences can help to shape one's artistic path much later in life.

(photo, above, of a miniature clay candy cupboard, and all photos that follow are from PetitPlat)

Today, Petit Plat's Stéphanie shares some of her creative inspirations as a child and her sheer joy at exploring different media around her. Thank you so much for uncovering some of the background to your beautiful miniature art.

Stéphanie loved "drawing houses as a kid and in the roof I always imagined a tiny private play park, with a swimming pool and many stairs which took you to different thematic rooms.
So the roof was a bulky potato on top of a normal house. Way cool."

"I used to make miniature food out of clay for my Barbie dolls. I could spent hours redoing all of the plastic toys I got from Barbie (I only had all pink turkey, all pink cakes and all pink bottles).

"I used to love making tiny crocodiles and jewelry with glass beads. I still have a massive collection of those tiny glass beads in all colors. Then, at the age of 16 I asked for an easel and oil painting and started a painting class. I went there once a week all by myself. The class was for adults and I was the youngest there. It was awesome. I learned how to use a paintbrush properly during that class."

"Creating has always been one of my main interests. I never played with Barbies, rather did something for them, or decorated the house, or made furniture. I also did learn to knit a bit and I tried my hand at calligraphy. The fact that I have no siblings may have helped, because I had to keep myself occupied alone most of the time. I'm still shivering with joy when entering a craft store. Although I already have about everything you can buy in craft stores at home."