Small, but Beautifully Formed... by Karen Richardson

I was thinking really hard about what I could give my husband Dell for Christmas, because he's not easy to shop for (but then is any man easy to shop for? - NOPE). I was down in the Caroline studios one evening looking around at the room and everything in it, and remembered something that Dell once said to me in a conversation. He said "Nothing is forever" so in light of that I then decided that I would make him a miniature version of the Radio Caroline studio for posterity, thinking (in the long term) that he would always be able to remember his days as a Radio Caroline DJ through the 'mini' studio.

It was not easy to keep disappearing up to the spare room to make bits here and there, and I had to tell him that I was working on something important and secret and until I said so, he was not, under any circumstances allowed into that room - or he'd spoil it all.

Mercifully he respected my wish as he didn't want to disappoint me, so he stayed away.

I had already bought a "room box" and then set about over the next few weeks regularly visiting the Notcutts Garden Centre in Maidstone, where they have an excellent craft shop and through that shop got to know Paula who worked there, and she proved to be really very helpful in my quest for various bits'n'pieces - so Thank You Paula for all your help.

My confidence was not so good when it came to making my "Dell" doll, so I commissioned the very talented Judith Laird to make my doll for me. I duly sent full length photos of Dell, from the front, side and his back (he obviously was quite amused, thought I was going round the bend to take such photos - and was naturally curious as to what the heck I was up to).

Consequently, in time, Judith sent me my doll - Isn't she just brilliant! I was so chuffed with the end result. Judith sculpted him perfectly, right down to the turned-up jeans and greying hair (he won't mind me saying that ha ha).

I lined the walls of the room box with blue Aida cloth. This was the very next best thing to the hessian that is in the 'real' studio.

The studio desk was made by me using Bass Wood. This wood is lovely to work with. I worked out the scale by eye, by thinking that the desk (in relation to the room size) was just under half the width and the depth was worked out by making sure I left enough space for a chair to be moved in/out from the desk, but leave enough room the opposite side of the desk so that you could walk around the other side. I hope this is all making sense? This was my rule of thumb.

I bought a foam sheet in grey for the floor, and just cut them into little squares to make them look like carpet floor tiles. The pictures on the wall and the two Denon CD players (on the desk) were made by me taking photos of them on my digital camera and then downscaling them on my computer to fit the desk that I'd made. I even made the frames myself, mitred corners and everything.

The next bit presented me with a bit of a problem. Hmmmmm.... What could I use to make the tiny buttons and slider bars on the mixer desk? Aaarrgh, this caused me a bit of a headache (but not too much though) - it suddenly came to me 'PING' I know, I can use the tiny beads that I have (another hobby - don't ask). So I sat with a needle and picked out the relevant amount of beads in the relevant colours and just stuck them onto the desk, after firstly having drawn out the layout with a very thin black marker. Consequently I was really pleased with the end result.

Now it was starting to all come together, now was the time that I felt a bit like Frankenstein when he created his monster and never left the laboratory till the work was done..... Poor 'ole Dell started to wonder where I'd gone to, I was always muttering about the next thing I needed to do, and the poor guy knew he couldn't ask me what I was mumbling about - 'cos after all, it was a secret wasn't it!

I will not admit to having made the computer screens - I bought those, but Dell was a little confused as to why I suddenly shot upstairs (to my laboratory) with the metal tea strainer - which never saw the light of day again, because it became the end part of the microphone. This in turn led to my next dilemma, as I climbed the stairs this time for the bathroom - yes we all need to go there sometimes don't wee - ha ha. Anyway back to my dilemma... What can I use for the desk lampshade? Well, you know how when you think really hard, your eyes look upward at a right angle and your fingers are curled round your chin tapping thoughtfully, well, as I was looking up - there it was! the answer to my prayers! yes, you've guessed it - I could use the light-pull plastic bit that lives on the end of the string to make the lampshade. Eureka.

Again, poor ole' Dell wondered why odd bits and pieces from around the house were suddenly going missing, but he knows better than to ask. The lamp-base was made from an old button and the stand of the lamp was made by just using a bit of old copper covered wire that I had hanging around - see, us miniaturists don't throw anything away you never know when you'll need it.

The best furniture makers used to put something of themselves into the pieces they made, so I thought I'd do the same, so I reduced down a picture of myself, put it in a tiny frame and stood it on the wall shelf by Dell's side. I'd signed my work I suppose you could say.

Now was the time... "Christmas" I came down the stairs with the finished mini studio, saw Dell, who still remembered me, (glad about that) and presented him with his gift, and got exactly the reaction I hoped for "Where's my Christmas dinner?" - no, I'm joking - he didn't really he was thoroughly amazed, and finally (for him at least) all my disappearances, mumblings etc. all made sense. He's still chuffed with his studio even after two years.

I hope that you will like the 'mini studio' pictures as well. It was a great project to work on.