A hoarder creates tiny sculptures of everyday objects made entirely from trash

The Philadelphia artist draws upon a collection of scraps that her late mother collected and hoarded, and has spent 30 years following in her footsteps. "I collect trash and leftover bits from crowded junk drawers, dusty supply closets, and the occasional neighbourhood trash can," she tells Creative Boom. "I clear out space in my messy studio and transform this ephemera into tiny tributes to times past."

Taking things like paper, glue, broken staples and the "backside of almost anything", she crafts tiny artworks of everyday objects. From little hairdryers, typewriters and motorcycles to dodgems, ice skates and aeroplane seating, the sculptures are usually based on memories, fears or dislikes. They're not exact replicas, built to scale; they're more "tiny tributes to the mundane".

"Each piece is sized to exactly how big the object and the memory need to be, and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand," says Lydia of her work. "These sculptures of everyday objects aren't precious or precise, but rather rough-and-ready approximations that somehow feel truer than exact recreations. They're messy and imperfect – just like our memories."

Lydia loves to share her latest creations on Instagram where some are brought to life through animation. Find out more at www.fromscraps.com.