CARLISLE (CBS) — The small town of Carlisle, with about five thousand residents, hasn’t changed much in the 371 years since it was first settled.
There are no apartment complexes, no malls and no traffic lights. Thirty percent of the land is permanently protected open space, perfect for animals and wildlife, especially mice. But not real mice.
At “Wee Forest Folk”, or as they call it, the Mouse Factory, they make beloved tiny collectibles. Each is handcrafted, painstakingly assembled, painted and then shipped worldwide.
It was founded by Donna and William Petersen’s mother in 1972. William Petersen told WBZ-TV “it seems very important” to carry on his mother’s legacy.
Annette Petersen is now 102 years old and is still very involved. She started the business for fun in her kitchen almost 50 years ago. But now her small studio, run by her two children, is producing products like she never could have imagined.
The connection with the characters is always the secret.
“I just remember when Mom was carving, when she really loved what she was doing, she started talking to the mouse, ‘You’re not cute!'” Donna Petersen told WBZ.
They’re cute, detailed, and incredibly accurate. Each is hand painted, down to the tiny embellishments on the little outfits. There are Christmas mice, singing mice, mice in cars, sleeping mice, and any other family event or holiday celebration you could want.
One of the mice made at Wee Forest Folk in Carlisle. (WBZ-TV)
The Petersens started off slow, selling only through gift shops, but once Wee Forest Folk went live, the world took notice.
They are cute and inspiring, both for the collector and the creator.
“They write such beautiful letters and they say it brings them such joy and brings people together. It feels so good to know what it means to these people,” Donna said of her clients.
To learn more about Wee Forest Folk, visit their website.