And now for something completely different

[Sojourner]

Last one - I won't inflict any more on you.....

"Cutty Sark"

[rcperryls]

Keep inflicting us please!!!!!! These are fantastic. When I was around 12 or 13 two of my friends and I were constantly making miniature rooms and houses, though we didn't make everything that went inside. I love miniatures. There is an awesome miniature display at the Art Institute in Chicago and we would visit the display (68 historic rooms) and spend hours marveling over it. I think my fascination started with the "Million Dollar Doll House" on display at the Museum of Science and Industry and has remained with me. My husband used to create little Christmas Villages as part of our holiday decorations. Most of the pieces were purchased but he did sculpt some himself. Your pictures have brought back many wonderful memories. Thank you. and keep those pics coming!!

Carole

[Sojourner]

Oh, OK then...

This is 1/144th scale dolls house dolls house. Approx 850 pieces of wood in it, and individual floorboards made from strips of shavings. Scale shown by the 50pence coin.

[Sojourner]

A better picture:

[Sojourner]

The other side...

[tiffstitch]

Stunning work!!

[wendywombat]

Wonderful dolls house!!

Floorboards from strips of shavings!

Now that is a labour of love!!!

[rcperryls]

Carole

[fccs]

Amazing is an overused word, but that's what I have to use to describe your work. I don't know how you can have the patience to do something like that...and the skill. j Wow!!!!

[Sojourner]

Thank you all for your kind comments - balm to my ears...
My wife says this miniature work will drive me mad (some would say I'm already there )
Plenty more pics in a similar vein, if you can stand it....
Now back to the cross stitch, only 46000 stitches to go on the Monet.

[fccs]

Amazing is an overused word, but that's what I have to use to describe your work. I don't know how you can have the patience to do something like that...and the skill. Wow!!!!

[Mabel Figworthy]

I absolutely LOVE things in miniature and yours are beautiful specimens, what skilled work they show!

[lavenderbee]

Wow, those are fantastic! What a wonderful hobby. Thanks for sharing. Would love to see others when they are done Funnily enough, recently picked up the novel, The Miniaturist from local charity shop. Never thought I'd see pictures of a miniature dolls house on my laptop. What patience is must take but well worth it when you see the finished result.

[Sojourner]

chessmen can be played, with 2 pairs of fine tweezers....
This is 1/12th scale again, bureau is about 3 inches tall.

[Sojourner]

Conundrum: how did the peg get put into the cork? The one inside the bottle.
or indeed, how did the gypsy caravan get into the bottle?
It's not trick photography, the caravan really is in the bottle.

[Sojourner]

More detail from the diorama:

50 pence coin again

[fiddler]

These are amazing well done

[Rose]

I have no words to describe this work!!!!!!

[richardandtracy]

This is how I would get the peg in the bottle:

1. Drill 2 parallel holes in the cork, adjacent to each other but not co-linear.
2. Find two springs just shorter than the depth of the two holes.
3. Glue spring to bottom of hole.
4. Glue short peg to spring.
5. When caravan is in bottle & everything is hunky-dory, compress both pegs into cork, push into bottle neck. When through, they'll deploy & you'll never get the cork out again.

How to get the caravan in the bottle...

1. Get someone else to do it.

When I was a brat in Germany I used to love the HO scale model houses available as kits, and ended up getting a little model railway to make the houses more realistic. I have all those models in my loft still. One day I'd love to get them out again. My favourite was a ruined castle by Faller (http://www.osbornsmodels.com/faller-130 ... 5955-p.asp). I hope someday soon to build that as a reduced scale folly at the top of our garden from brick to a height of 3.96m (doesn't need planning permission when under 4m high and more than 1.8m from the boundary).

Regards,

Richard

[Sojourner]

Richard - wrong answer, but a good try.
Completely different method, but if I told you, I'd have to.........blahblah
The caravan size was dictated by the wheel diametre - the largest that would pass though the neck, as the wheels definitely had to go through in one piece. (in fact they were made from thinned down plumbing olives, 15 and 22mm) The rest of the thing went in piece by piece, joined together inside.
Many observers accuse me of cutting off the end of the bottle, or even - get this - blowing the bottle round the ship/caravan!!