• Meet Neadeen Masters
• http://www.neadeenmasters.com/
• Facebook Group: Neadeen’s Dollhouses and Miniatures

article from Neadeen. . .

• Article and photos reposted with permission of Neadeen Masters
• ©2026 Neadeen Masters

“The ‘Just In Case’ Empire: A Miniaturist’s Confession” by Neadeen

There comes a moment in every miniature enthusiast’s life, usually while elbow-deep in a drawer labeled something like “Tiny Brass Things – Possibly Useful”, when a certain realization quietly tiptoes in and makes itself comfortable: this is no longer a hobby. This is a lifestyle. Possibly a condition. A very organized, beautifully justified condition… but a condition nonetheless.

Because for those of us who live in this world, you know who you are…we know our tribe…there is no such thing as “a few supplies.” What we have are collections. Thoughtfully acquired, deeply meaningful, and absolutely essential items that we are keeping, for very good reasons, “just in case.” Just in case of what, you ask? Well, just in case we suddenly need to build an 1820s seaside apothecary with a back room for herbal tonics and questionable life advice. It happens. One must be prepared.

And so the studio grows. Drawers become bins, bins become boxes, boxes become cabinets, rows of cabinets and cabinets become entire ecosystems. Each one is carefully categorized in a system that makes perfect sense to us and absolutely no one else. We have fabric scraps that are far too small to be useful and far too beautiful to throw away. We have miniature items that are “broken but fixable,” a category with no timeline, no urgency, and no intention of ever being addressed, but very important nonetheless. And then there is that elite, mysterious grouping of objects that defy all explanation. We don’t know what they are, we don’t know where they came from, but we know, deep in our soul, that they are critical to something. Someday.

Naturally, this entire operation is supported by our projects. Not project, (singular) projects. (Plural) There is the current build, of course, the one we are actively working on. Then there is the next build, the one we’re thinking about while working on the current build. Then the backup build, in case we become emotionally overwhelmed by the current build. And finally, the grand, sweeping “someday” masterpiece, a project so ambitious it requires skills we do not yet possess but are fully convinced will arrive suddenly, perhaps at 2:17 in the morning, fueled by determination and a questionable amount of caffeine. To us, this is not chaos. This is delicious vision. This is preparedness. This is having our creative life completely under control.

And then… the children walk in.

Our children, the ‘minimalist generation’, the ones who believe that owning more than two coffee mugs is a slippery slope into emotional instability, step into our studio and immediately stop in the doorway. There is always a pause. A long, cautious scan of the room, as though they have just stumbled upon an ancient civilization and are unsure whether it is safe to proceed. Their eyes move slowly, taking in the shelves, the bins, the drawers, and, inevitably, the barrels. So many barrels.

You can practically hear the thoughts forming.

Why are there so many chairs?

Why are none of them functional?

Is that a loaf of bread?

Why is there a drawer dedicated entirely to doorknobs?

And then, with complete sincerity, comes the question that cuts straight through generations of creativity like a dull butter knife: “What is this for?”

For.

For???

This is for imagination. This is for creativity. This is for the very real and urgent need to have seventeen varieties of miniature fabric on hand in case a fictional Sea Captain suddenly refuses stripes and demands something “less citified” at a moment’s notice. But to them, it is just… stuff. Tiny, confusing, slightly alarming stuff.

And in that moment, right there between the jar of microscopic buttons and the box labeled “IMPORTANT – DO NOT THROW OUT”, a new thought quietly creeps in. A sobering one. What happens to all of this when we cross over?

Because let’s be honest. Our children are not standing there thinking, “What a magnificent artistic legacy.” No. They are quietly doing the math. Can this be sold? Is there a market for tiny barrels? Why are there this many tiny barrels?

You can almost hear the future conversation:

“Hi, yes, we’re clearing out our mother’s studio… yes, she had a lot of… small things… no, not small, like really small…miniature… yes… including an entire fish shop… and 4,000 tiny plants…and…”

And somewhere, in the great beyond, we are absolutely losing our minds, shouting into the void, “Don’t you dare throw out the drawer labeled ‘Odds & Ends’, that’s where the good stuff is!”

Because here’s the truth. Every single piece, every scrap, every bead, every slightly suspicious thrift store find we insisted had “potential”, meant something. Each one was a possibility, a spark, a tiny building block in the creation of entire worlds that existed because we imagined them into being.

So maybe they don’t understand it. That’s alright. Because we do.

And if, in the end, they only keep one thing, just one small piece of this glorious, confusing empire we’ve built, let it be the box labeled “IMPORTANT – DO NOT THROW OUT.” Because yes, it probably contains absolute nonsense… but it also contains at least three things we’ve been looking for since 1998… and quite possibly the entire reason we started this madness in the first place…

1. How long have you been creating miniatures

• About 12 yrs…My 40 yr career as a professional Artist morphed into minis…

2. What is your favorite scale to work in?

• I only work in 1:12 scale

3. Do you have a favorite theme for creations? What inspires you? 

• I love exploring themes that tell stories…especially those with a vintage vibe.

4. Do you use any 3D printers or laser cutters when creating?                

• No, everything is cut by hand, except with standard electric saws.

5. What is your favorite step when working on a miniature?        

• Planning how I will execute or approach the mini. Thinking about the steps needed.

6. What is your favorite quote that might pertain to mini-making or artistic creation in general?            

•  “What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.” ― Hans Urs von Balthasar

7. Do you belong to NAME or IGMA, and if so, what is your favorite part about being involved in the group?

•  I do not belong to any organization.

I hope that you enjoyed this little piece on Neadeen and that you will take some time to not only join her Facebook group but also visit her website!

• http://www.neadeenmasters.com/
• Facebook Group: Neadeen’s Dollhouses and Miniatures

Till next time . . . happy mini making!

Teri