The Potions Room

As per usual I was making things, then got distracted, then made something else.

And this potions room happened in all the making.

Ok, not so much a room as a wee magical corner... but BAM! It happened.

There are a boatload of magical ingredients mentioned in Potter potions on those shelves.

There's a nice wobby stack of bottles (looking very much like the stacks of containers in my tupperware cupboard.)

Tucked atop there are important scrolls, magic books, a pillar candle, toadstools and a crystal ball.

The bottom door do open, but I've left them empty. I thought it would be fun, in case someone wants to hide a surprise inside.

The Potions Room is listed HERE

But if you'd like to create your own magical corner, here are a bunch of the supplies I used to create this piece:

Corner Room Box
Mini Oak Hutch A whole whack of stuff from HERE
Old Fashioned Grocery Cans
Little Potions Collage Sheet
Fairy Godmothers Cupboard Collage Sheet
Handmade and Set of Miniature Books (to make your own check out my Miniature Openable Book Tutorial)
Tiny Wooden Bowls

This isn't a complete list of all the doodads used in this piece. Some elements are old or odd bits. Have a poke around AlphaStamps miniatures selection, there's loads there. Have a wander through your local $ store and see if there are wee things you can plunder. For the rest, hobble and cobble bits together to fit the picture in your head.

Punch and Judy Theatre

Today I have a wee Punch and Judy theatre made with goodies from AlphaStamps

I made a Punch and Judy theatre eons ago (there's a tute for that one too) but this one is larger and much less fiddly... and slightly less violent.

If you aren't familiar with Punch and Judy it's a sort of violent puppet show which can be dated back to just before the 1700's, reaching a height of popularity during the Victorian era. More recently, they have a bit of a shout out in Gone Girl.

To look at these two you'd think butter wouldn't melt in their mouths... you'd be so wrong!

To make this piece I began with the Punch & Judy Theatre kit. Then covered it in Red & Ivory Narrow Stripes Scrapbook Paper. I've actually added two headers here. One attached to the rear from the Punch & Judy Theater Collage Sheet. A second one on the front of the the theatre from the The Grand Guignol Collage Sheet.  I think it gives a good feeling of frantic fun, perfectly suited to Punch and Judy.

The wee Union Jack flags are a public domain image I scaled down and attached to toothpicks. So fancy, Nichola!

The wee figures inside are removable.

  

Once again I get super duper fancy with my techniques  by simply folding the "stick-end" of the image from the The Grand Guignol Collage Sheet. Easy peasy!

I finished off the piece with some red dresden trims because everything is better with dresden. (I would trim myself in dresden if at all possible.)

And that is it! Fairly easy and you can make this project with all the bits found HERE. Or here are the supplies bit by bit:

Punch & Judy Theatre
Arch Top Theatre Facade
Half-Round Dresden Borders - Red
Punch & Judy Theater Collage Sheet
Red & Ivory Narrow Stripes Scrapbook Paper
The Grand Guignol Collage Sheet
Thin Looped Dresden Borders - Red

Additional supplies:

Toothpicks

Glue
Union Jack image
Black acrylic paint

Happy Toadstool Friends

I've been cleaning my studio and trying to complete items that haven't received all of my love or attention. I made these mushroom guys ages ago but wasn't completely happy with them. They'd wobble and their tops refused to stay put.

During my cleaning I rediscovered them and FINALLY got them sorted out. Their tops are now firmly in place and they are far happier paired in a tiny mossy plot than they were plonked on a surface.

They're made of polymer clay and sit on a mound of real and artificial moss.

I do think they're much happier together.

Just look at how content they look nestled next to one another!

Except this dude. This guy wants to smell the summer air and feel the sunshine in solitude thank-you-very-much.

All the toadstool guys are available in my etsy shop HERE

Romantic foldy thing-a-ma-bob and box

I'm exhausted so the best I could do for a name today is "Romantic foldy thing-a-ma-bob and box". It might not be terribly eloquent but it's apt. Managing apt is pretty damn good after the past few ultra hectic days!

But it is romantic. I mean, just look at this cute little cherub butt spreading love!

And the little thing within IS foldy.

I stand by my name choice.

I've kept things really simple here. The whole box is covered in Nature Garden - Meeting a Fairy Scrapbook Paper. I've given the top of the box quite a bit of dimension, using foam squares to prop up the nude little dude, and those flowers just sort of pop right out. (Those Small White Mulberry Blossoms are really cute!)

The ATC Scalloped Trinket Box is an adorable size for precious small things, but I'm keeping this shabby ATC Ticket Journal inside

I really put the ATC Ticket Journal to the test with loads of wet washes, smooshing and experimenting. It held up pretty well after all I put it through! And all of those fussy cut bits look sweet as can be together.

You can see the smudged and flicked and distressed paint here.

I just glued a bit of scrapbook paper into place and just went to town experimenting and playing with fussy cut elements and a bit-o-paint.

I like how cheery all those mixed up elements work together.

Want to make your own? See something you need to get your hands on? HERE is where you can find all the bits. And below is a list of all the elements I used.

ATC Ticket Journal

ATC Scalloped Trinket Box

Sheet Moss*
Nature Garden - Meeting a Fairy Scrapbook Paper
1/2 Inch Pale Peach Paper Roses
Small White Mulberry Blossoms
Collage sheets:
Butterflies Collage Sheet
Pink Fairies ATCs Collage Sheet
Pink Roses Collage Sheet
Seed Catalog ATCs Collage Sheet
The Language of Flowers Collage Sheet
Vintage Postcard Fairies Collage Sheet
Words Collage Sheet
Acrylic paint
Glue

Fairy Spying Spoon Wands with Tutuorial

I am in a bit of a tizzy today. I should have spent the day prepping and cleaning for this weekend's open house. (If you're near on Saturday, stop by, gimme a high five.) But instead I was lured away from the laundry and dusting by the fair folk. It's May Day, I should not be surprised.

So instead of the cleaning and the sorting and the organizing, I made fairy spying spoon wands. 

If you're not familiar with spoon wands, I totally swiped the idea from a child. His mum told me about how he was used a wooden spoon as a wand and I've been making my own ever since. 

Kids have the best ideas, and I do believe spoon wands are brilliant. I mean, something to stir and fold and mix and direct? That's exactly what I want a magical tool to do.

Today happens to be one of the very best days of the year to spy faeries, so I made some faerie spying wands... but there are soooo many possibilities here! 

Consider the magical properties of the colours you use. Add charms and bits of magic and whimsy. Incorporate knot magic! Embellish with runes and symbols to enhance your magical workings!

Or, you know, just make something cool as heck.

Jump over to my YouTube channel for all my tutorials and walkthroughs.

Darkly Delightful Bathing Machine for Grim Days at the Beach

The April showers might bring May flowers but right now they are making my landscape rather grim. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of grim things and rainy days. Rather than fight against the current weather conditions, I'm going to embrace them and make something darkly delightful.

This little "Bathing Machine" is based on the 18th and 19th century change rooms wheeled into the sea by by-gone beachgoers. But what if the Adams' ancestors went to the beach? Or the Munsters? OR MARY SHELLEY OR EGAR ALLAN POE OR... well, you get the point. I'm sure they'd all visit the seaside on rainy days. I'd like to think they had a creepy little space for changing into their wading attire and doing a little fortune telling to see if the water was fine.

Gypsy Soul does have a proper Gypsy Wagon available if you're feeling more ambitious, but I like this little fella. It's a fun kit and there are LOADS of customization possibilities. Travelling snake oil salesman, a tiny portable library, a sideshow trailer... oooh, so many ideas!

Two tips I will mentions.

1. I am terrible at applying hinges so I glued my door in place and ajar. If you do the same, just be aware of the door placement so that you can still add the stairs.

2. I used the Chipboard Shingles - Half Scale Sampler for the shingles. One package is enough to do the entire roof. You might want to position the bottom row of shingles lower than I have. (Don't tell anyone but I think it would have looked a bit better with more of an overhang.)

If you'd like to see the process to create this particular piece, the walk through is available HERE.

And here are all of the supplies I used to create this version of this project: 

Bathing Machine

Chipboard Shingles - Half Scale Sampler

Round Table & 2 Chairs

Leafy Corners
Faux Metal Number Plates 1 to 25

Miniature terrain grass
Moss and faux flowers
Bead caps
Thin Looped Dresden Border
Black Zig Zag Dresden Borders 

Paper straw

1/8" doweling

Graphic45 - Rare Oddities
Acrylic paint

Glass marble

Miniature Novena 7 Day Spell Candles.

It's FINALLY spring and I have a head cold. Despite my nose is being an absolute jerk, I've been working away, making a butt ton of these adorable miniature novena candles.

They are in real glass and made with real wax but there is no wick so they cannot be burned. But really... gah! they are just so cute!

I've made a whole range of Saintly ones.

Like my favourite dude Saint Expeditus.

Our Lady of Guadalupe and a slew of others.

You can check them all out in my etsy shop. 

There are also a bunch of wee magic 7 day candles too.

Who doesn't need a tiny Jinx Removal candle?

If you don't know which saint or spell you'd like, but want need some miniature non-burnable candles for your doll house I have a discounted listing for 4 randomly selected candles available.

And now I am off to edit video and do battle with my sinuses... it's a hardcore rockstar weekend!