Marilyn Zimmerly can't remember a time when art wasn't a significant part of her life. Along with formal training as a child, she's also self-taught, learning form and perspective from the comic book artists of her youth. A budding entrepreneur with a strong creative yearning, Marilyn marketed her own line of greeting cards when she was only 11 years old. During her school years she learned to love cooking, baking, sewing and tailoring too.

Marilyn has been a miniature artisan and collector for over 20 years and her products can be found at Miniature Collectible and high-end craft shows and on her new, evolving website. Always one to jump in with both feet, Marilyn's first scale miniature project was a fully electrified, furnished 11 room dollhouse for her niece's 6th birthday. It took one full year to complete. That project turned Marilyn in to a "dyed in the wool, card carrying, miniatures enthusiast". She is a member of NAME and I.G.M.A.

The Candycane Workshop offers over 200 tiny tree decorations to delight Christmas ornament collectors and Miniature collectors alike. Only 6 to 14 millimeters wide, each hand painted design is set with up to 100 Austrian Crystals, French Glass Half Pearls and metallic studs on one piece! The ever growing and changing offerings represent a huge variety of themes and styles from dazzling to amusing. Each ornament actually has a name like "Secret Necklace" (a reference to the jewels that undid Queen Marie Antoinette) or "Wooly Bully" and "The Happy Alien". Collectors hang Marilyn's creations on miniature evergreens, small display trees, and even tiny ornament hangers. Her mail order business ships to customers around the globe for over ten years and is still growing.

In July of 2005 the new shopping website had its debut: MiniChristmas.com. "I started this site because I want to share my love of all Christmas miniatures, promote originality, innovation and creativity… and, of course, offer my own specialty - Christmas ornaments and trees in 1:12 scale. MiniChristmas.com will offer decorations, lighting and FX, tabletop & home décor, Santa and elf dolls, moving trains for under the tree, toys, gifts and kits as well as components to design your heart out and yes, ornaments and trees from my CandyCane Workshop and others from all around the world. Viva la difference!"

Marilyn has now focused on design work and is aided in her venture by her mother Elaine Zimmerly, who is semi-retired and helps in the office. Aunt Elizabeth (Zimmerly), who is a full time property insurance underwriter runs errands and helps at shows, and long time friend Mary Czarnecki; wife, mother and retail sales rep who jumps in to help as needed. They make up the core team of elves that keep the Christmas spirit alive 365 days a year.