RADCLIFFE'S Judith Haslam is a real homemaker in more ways than one!

The artist's home in Byron Avenue contains a home within a home thanks to her model-making skills.

Mrs Haslam (59) is a qualified dressmaker who used to own a dressmaker's shop on Church Street, but it's her skills at creating lovingly crafted interiors that gives her most pleasure.

Her workshop is a converted summer house in the back garden. That is where she toils away for hours creating her mini masterpieces.

She is pictured with the lovingly-crafted shop she created for her daughter, Tina.

But the showpiece is the three-storey house she built in 1986, which depicts different periods in her family life.

"Everything is to scale, even the bricks and slates," she said proudly.

"The ground floor is a shop from 1962, the year my daughter Tina was born. I researched it thoroughly, looking at old copies of the Radcliffe Times to make sure I got the prices right.The first floor is based on the living room I used to have in 1982 and the third floor is of Tina's bedroom when she was a teenager."

That project whetted her appetite, meaning her interior design skills are not limited to the miniature house.

"I did a tapestry showing a cross-section of a 1900-style house and because I wanted to make more model rooms I decided to use the tapestry as inspiration."

This accounts for the kitchen within her kitchen. Built into her cupboard the attention to detail of the model is outstanding.

"I got a copy of the famous household management book by Mrs Beeton to ensure I used authentic ingredients so that the food on display, which I made out of clay, was right for the period. I also knitted a little tea cosy."

Tucked into alcoves and units in Mrs Haslam's lounge are three models of the other rooms from the tapestry; the parlour; parents bedroom and children's room.

"I've used dolls to represent me and my husband and Tina and Darren when they were little."

And there's no doubt as to the owner of the model bedroom as it's filled with sewing and dress-making paraphernalia.

Mrs Haslam has also made a tapestry of Radcliffe's coat of arms and a clay model of Radcliffe Parish Church which lights up and is musical.

"I'm one of those people who can't be idle. Life's too short to sit around doing nothing. I've already got my next project lined-up. My son wants a poultry shop."