Sylvia’s Photo Album – 1:12 & 1:24 Scale Miniatures

These are photos of just some of my (Sylvia Henderson’s) miniatures vignettes that I’ve built.

I’ve been building mostly 1:12-scale miniatures since 1977. I love the woodworking though I’ve never been trained formally in woodworking, and have only taken two miniatures-focused woodworking classes ever. My dream is to attend the Miniatures week in Castine, Maine one day. Being self-employed, that dream may be awhile in the happening. So, here are brief descriptions of just a few of my creations and collections. I have many more all over the house. Each is a labor of love; I don’t sell them.

Enjoy!
Sylvia Henderson

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I found this painted cabinet at a reclamation center and it “spoke” to me! I passed it three times before going back to purchase it. The inside was completely empty – white interior. I have no idea for whom it was built or painted. The table accompanied it. It’s heavy…1/2″ wood. The wreaths on the doors are from my Christmas tree.

I created the entire interior. First I made each floor interior out of foamcore project board so it slips in and out for decorating. I decorated the interior walls and floors myself. The items inside are all collectibles. This is one of the few displays in which everything was purchased. Many items were handmade by artisans. My primary retail resources are Miniatures.com and my local shop Forever Friends in Olney, MD.

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The African-American Santa is my first and only Glenda Hooker figure purchase. It was the most expensive item I had ever purchased at the time…back in the early ’80’s. The roombox was a purchased kit that I put together and customized. Everything else came from my head! Lots of miniatures shows purchases.

Inside I made the plexiglass counter (so as not to hide what’s behind it), the wall cabinets, the bookcase, Christmas cards and the Christmas tree. The tree lights.

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This Country Kitchen is one of the first vignettes I scratch-built. I made (from scratch) all the cabinets, the stools, the left wall shelf, and the microwave oven. The refrigerator was an inexpensive purchase that I painted at least 8 times to create a look of metal. I suppose the cat poster and the Corgi dog don’t exactly sync but I wasn’t thinking of that when I created the vignette.

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I purchased this terrarium at a yard sale and – coincidentally – we were having a deck built on the back of our (full size) house. I watched the carpenter build the deck and decided to do a deck scene. I built the deck from scratch; the underside of the deck, which no one will ever see, was built exactly as our carpenter built our real deck. Fencing is tongue depressors and coffee stirrers. The tree I built from scratch, twisting wire, wrapping with floral tape, and sprinkling model railroad greenery in stages. I did the landscaping with miniature brick and model railroad track bed and grass.

The grill, pink flamingos, bird on the fence, bar-b-que supplies, food, window & doors, pond, and deck furniture were purchased from multiple miniatures shows over the years.

 

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Where do miniaturists display all their miscellany? Either in an attic vignette (which I’ve done – not pictured on this page) or a garage sale. Voila!

I built the storage shed & the garage from scratch inside a room box kit. I just can’t seem to cut plexiglass very well so I need to use room box shells. I bricked the “exterior” you see on the right. I made the tree on the left from scratch. The interior of the garage is framed exactly as my full-size garage is framed; I went out to my garage and measured the framing, then found one of my Handyman Magazine(TM) issues and studied how to build a garage. The items scattered about are misc. show purchases, jewelry discards, and “things” found around the house.

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Back in the 1980’s (I believe) I wanted a Toyota Celica something fierce. Couldn’t afford a real one so I built one. I’d built a couple of model motorcycles before so I figured I could tackle a model car. (Motorcycles are in a garage vignette not pictured on this page.) Since most model cars are 1:24 or 1:48 scale, I picked 1:24 so I could use half-inch scale miniatures in the vignette. It so happened that I came upon a garage kit that was 1:24 scale so I got the kit. It had HUNDREDS of tiny parts to it…just what I love! For example, each tool was a separate break-away that needed to be painted. Some tools came in multiple parts. The car rack and engine stand were multiple parts. I had no idea what these were and built them on faith (and with the kit directions). I build the roombox from scratch and did my version of putting a plexiglass cover together for dust protection.

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While I don’t celebrate Kwanzaa, the club to which I belonged at the time – long defunct now – was doing December holiday vignettes. Being the only African-American person in the club, I felt I had to “represent”. I did the needlework on the wall hanging from scratch. I built the bookcase on the left, the food table, the Kwanzaa candleholder and candles, and the wall shelf from scratch. The vignette case and glass front was a retail purchase.

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This office setting shows my skill-level increasing over the years! Compare the cabinetry to that of my country kitchen. I built the bookcase and cabinets on the right side from scratch. I also built the barrister bookcase from scratch. THAT was a project; the “glass” doors open and slide back as in my real barrister bookcase.

The desk, leather chair, wood chair, and wall mailbox are artisan purchases from shows. The desk & chair cost as much as my full size desk! Window treatment is a show purchase. The room box was a raw-wood show purchase that I bricked and finished. The left foyer pulls out to show a back room – also completely finished. I built the back room desk and cabinetry from scratch. Items on the shelving are combinations of show purchases and house finds. Photos framed are of my partner, my mom, and my past dogs. Yes…I am a Star Trek fan so a 1:12-scale miniature of the Starship Enterprise was a must-purchase at a long-ago show. As my career advanced in the corporate world, so did my income. The silver is all Acquisto silverware. The books on the shelf are Barbara Raheeb (?) books – completely printed on the inside.

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This log cabin is my 1:12-scale masterpiece! It took 5 years to build…from scratch. I could not find a log cabin kit that “spoke” to me so I took on the challenge. Every log was “hewn” from what I’m told was 100-year-old wood. Ditto the flooring…laid wood piece by wood piece and then I planed until “roughly smooth”. I framed the ceiling. The chimney was cut out by someone else but I stoned it stone-by-stone (it’s heavy). It’s hollow with the intention of putting a model railroad engine smoke device inside one day to generate smoke. The roof shingles…laid shingle-by-shingle (though I purchased the shingles in a bag rather than cut each shingle). The dormer was added to the original roof design which I did from scratch. The copper roofing is copper sheeting from MicroMark (one of my favorite tools and supplies suppliers). I used Home Depot quick-set wall spackle inside the stones on the chimney and for the logs.

I built the fireplace, the back table, and the ladder from scratch. Anything cloth – bed, couch, chair on the porch – is purchased. I decided long ago that my forte was wood and not cloth! The retro kitchen is all K&J Minatures and I cannot find them anymore. Bummer! Throughout are lots of miniatures shows purchases here and there. The motorcycle outside is an inexpensive toy but 1:12-scale motorcycles are hard to find, so I bought it. Yes…I RIDE. So I figure I would arrive at such a get-away log cabin by motorcycle as it would be at the end of a winding mountain road.

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Finally…are there more? YES! I have over 25 1:12 and 1:24 scale vignettes throughout my home. Plus I have a 1:24-scale modern house. I’m sure I’ve left something out from the following list as I’m listing these from memory. You can contact me HERE by email if you’re really interested in learning more.

Sylvia’s other vignettes / houses: All are 1:12-scale unless otherwise noted

• 1:144-scale Gudgel houses (collection)
• Harley Barbies & Kens
• Hallmark Ornament houses (railroad layout)
• Dome – Corgis (Spencer & Katie) + window seat & bookshelves – indoor and outdoor scene in a dome
• Vignette (room box) – antique shoppe
• Vignette (room box) – teddy bear shoppe
• Vignette (scene inside books pasted together & carved-out) – coffee shop
• Vignette – Christmas fantasy (scene in an open cigar box; club project)
• Vignette – fantasy playhouse (a N.A.M.E. convention centerpiece project)
• Vignette – garden shed (a N.A.M.E. convention centerpiece project)
• Vignette (room box) – Girl Scout living room
• Vignette (room box) – garage with motorcycles
• Vignette (room box) – Halloween shoppe
• Vignette (room box) – hobby & craft shoppe
• Vignette – front porch scene (replica of the real front porch of my Philadelphia summer nights)
• Vignette (room box) – restaurant & bar
• Vignette – troll bedroom
• Dome – garden scene
• Dome – sitting room (a N.A.M.E. regional event project)
• Vignette – roadside motorcycle hangout
• Vignette – corporate office
• Vignette (roombox) – living room (a N.A.M.E. convention workshop)
• Vignette – teddy bear Christmas (with Noah’s arks & mini tree w/Acquisto ornaments)