The canopy is just a simple wooden box structure that I painted and then attached pieces of paper with lettering to straight from the computer.

Individual items such as the box office, bar, seats (which really do move up and down), cinema screen, ladder, cash register and film reel storage are all made from scratch. I can’t detail every step of every procedure here, but basically I start off by sketching out how I want something to look and then work backwards deciding which materials to use and the best way to construct it. I use a lot of basswood of various thicknesses and mounting board that I either clad with paper or paint with acrylic. Acetate, foam board, felt, metallic papers and pens, beads, washers - virtually anything I can utilize I do.

As a final touch, using the computer again, I created the posters advertising films and other graphics.

I have always had a fascination with little things but the most enjoyable part for me is the designing and making. I have very fixed ideas of how I want something to look and the Dolls House Emporium kits are great because they provide a really good basis to start a project from. They are good quality, easy to construct, easily adaptable and excellent value for money.

I’d sketched out the basic design and working from this cut and glued on the individual components which I then painted. Two questions I’m asked are “Were making the arched doors a nightmare?” and “How did I get the wording for ‘THE AMAZING MINIATURE CINEMA’ on the building?”.

Answers: Yes the arch doors were a nightmare. I cut four pieces out of wood so each door is double thickness with a piece of acetate in between. I then had terrible difficulty in attaching the hinges and mainly due to time restraints ended up fixing the doors on in a way in which they don’t actually open, but this is something I intend to put right at a later date.

Getting the wording on the building was actually quite easy although very time consuming. I printed it out from the computer and cut the paper around the lettering so when in place it would be bound all round by the wooden relief fixtures on that particular section of the front panel. So, the edges of the paper are not visible and with a small illustrators brush I then painted as close up to the edges of the lettering as possible. The result is that this paper section actually looks like it’s got the same painted finish as the rest of the front panel.

More to come next week

I basically followed the same procedure for the middle floor as for the ground. To make the false walls I constructed a totally separate section out of foam board which I then clad using the same materials as on the other walls. To finish off I glued it into position and once again added skirting and coving. I also added vertical strips of thin wood as an additional architectural feature.

The top floor was much more simple as this was intended to be an attic which would be a storage area. I decided to use a wood effect paper for the floors and inside roof with a brick effect paper on the walls. Using the floor paper I created a small trap door in the corner, although this doesn’t actually work it’s just for effect.

For the external roof covering I cut strips of thick black card, scored on the individual tiles and glued each strip slightly overlapping.

More next week.

The next step was the bar area in the foyer for which the archway created a perfect setting and everything else followed on from there. I decided to put in two false doors either side of the bar to suggest that there were toilets and other rooms at the rear of the building as there would be in a real cinema.

I then glued the ceiling in place and using strips of foam board clad in thin basswood added coving which I also positioned around where the stairs had been attached. This helped secure everything, neaten it all off and hopefully it adds to creating a more realistic finished effect over all.

I have to admit that in making this project I used a bit of artistic licence with scale in places, something I hate doing. This was mainly because I was actually trying to put a little too much into the space available, but the one thing that was imperative to me was that the stairwell was ‘real’, so I spent ages working out how the false walls should be constructed and fit in place.

Come back next week for an update.

I also cut a section from the ground floor ceiling to create the stairwell and cut in small channels for the light cables. I then glued the sides and back section to the base.

With the ground floor ceiling in position, but not glued, I made the stairs from basswood by working out the gradient and carefully measuring and gluing each individual step. These were finally painted, covered in a marble effect paper and fitted with carpet.

On the walls I used a combination of thin corrugated card that I’d painted black, gold and black card and marble effect paper, which I also used for the floor. I fixed these into position with strong double-sided tape instead of glue to prevent buckling.

Come back next week for an update.