Miniature Miniatures

Miniature Miniatures Hand Crafted Miniatures in 1:144 Scale
www.nellcorkin.com

On my third attempt, I finally managed to build a doorway that I like. I decided to go with the window, which is a piece...
07/03/2026

On my third attempt, I finally managed to build a doorway that I like. I decided to go with the window, which is a piece of etched brass in the shape of a butterfly. Very appropriate for art nouveau. There will be more to it eventually, and also more trim around the windows.
The next step will be to assemble the house. I install floor and wall coverings (and sometimes curtains) as I build upwards, so today was mostly spent looking online for things I can use. The internet has become a wonderful source for these sorts of things. You can see some pieces I'm considering on the left.
Because you can see the entire interior of the house at once, it's important that each individual item looks good with everything else.
It can take quite a lot of time and thought to work the whole thing out.

The windows are mostly done for now although they still need a bit of cleanup. Time for a little extra research. This bo...
07/02/2026

The windows are mostly done for now although they still need a bit of cleanup. Time for a little extra research. This book has amazing pictures of doorways and arrived just in time for me to start working on the door. I haven't quite decided yet whether it will have a window on top or something sculptural.

Today, I'm making windows. I often use n scale model railroad windows and doors for my houses, but this is a French buil...
07/02/2026

Today, I'm making windows. I often use n scale model railroad windows and doors for my houses, but this is a French building and the model railroad people seem to think French people don't want to build layouts.
I use strip styrene to build windows. You can buy it cut to specific lengths and widths, which is a huge help. I use the setup you can see at the left, with a ruler mounted to a chopping tool, to cut the pieces to the proper length.
I use special plastic glue that bonds the pieces by melting the styrene a little so they form a single piece. I have to use a tiny amount of glue if I don't want to wind up with a sad little puddle of plastic instead of a window. My solution has been to use a nail polish bottle and cut down the brush to just a few hairs.
I do the actual building on double-sided tape mounted on a clear plastic box. I use a square to mark the top and side of each window and then assemble it with great care.
I won't be installing the windows until after I have the floors and wall treatments finished. There will be some additional trim on the inside of the windows, of course.

Today's project: cutting out the windows. This is my least favorite thing to do. I've tried many methods over the years ...
07/02/2026

Today's project: cutting out the windows. This is my least favorite thing to do. I've tried many methods over the years including scroll saws, miniature jigsaws and other things. I finally decided that really, it's easier to just cut the doggone things out by hand. I use one blade per window because wood dulls X-Acto blades very quickly. In the background you can see my new toy - a small electric sanding tool that I purchased online in a moment of misplaced optimism. It's underpowered and vibrates a lot, but somewhat useful in trimming up messy edges. I suspect it would do a better job on plastic parts, which is probably what it was designed for

Life has stopped interfering with art, so I've completed step one: cutting out the front and side walls. Not a very exci...
07/02/2026

Life has stopped interfering with art, so I've completed step one: cutting out the front and side walls. Not a very exciting photo, but it's crucial that these parts be extremely accurate and square to each other to avoid big problems as the house progresses. To make sure of that, I rough cut them on my miniature table saw and then sand them to true with my variable speed disc sander. I can't say enough good things about the Incra 6" ruler and 3" marking square. Both are a huge help with everything I build

It's high time for a new project. This is going to be a little Parisian house in the art nouveau style. I've never done ...
07/02/2026

It's high time for a new project. This is going to be a little Parisian house in the art nouveau style. I've never done an art nouveau house before, so this will be an exciting new adventure. The finished piece will be more elaborate than the drawing suggests. I like to start with the basics and let things develop as I work. Stay tuned!

Wellspring Cottage is finished. That was an amazing piece of burl, but I think I did it justice. I have been saving thos...
07/26/2025

Wellspring Cottage is finished. That was an amazing piece of burl, but I think I did it justice. I have been saving those bracket fungi for years, waiting for just the right piece, and this was it. If I were half an inch high, I'd move right in!

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