The Wizard's Study

This has been one of those stretches of time when life intrudes on the enjoyment of a hobby. Where did the year go since my last post? By way of catching up this post will be more "show" than "tell".

The Wizard's Study is 98% complete. Sifting through stored supplies often turns up something I wasn't looking for but is "just right" for a previously "finished" project.

Foamcore Right Exterior View
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This was a "How Do I Do That?" project. I used it as an opportunity to try many new techniques. In later blogs, I'll share the many processes I learned. This box is made of Foamcore and covered with tissue wrinkled with a glue/water solution. Two major things learned were the importance of keeping things square (I didn't) and the tissue/glue technique looks better with one-ply tissue (used two-ply on this project).

Foamcore Left Exterior View

I bought a poster frame and cut the clear acrylic to make the box's front. Although I have enough left over acrylic to make another box front, I'm looking for a cheaper source of acrylic.

Center View

Left View - Lighted

Left View

You cant see much of the floor. It is made of stained craft sticks (tongue depressors).

Right View - Lighted

Right View

Most of the accessories are hand-crafted, It's the little things that make miniature rooms special.

Wall Unit

The wall unit was made from craft sticks (tongue depressors, my favorite wood source), mitered trim and braided floss to accent the base. The shelf items include: rolled scrolls, bead jar, clay candles, skull bead, aged paper books, crystal balls, and potion bottles.

Wizard's Desk

If you look closely, you can find the following hand-crafted items on the desk: clay candles, rolled and open scrolls, framed picture (my grandfather), leather bound closed and open paged books, bead jar, ink jar and writing feather, crystal balls, and of course a magic wand.For easy reference, the all important Zodiac is posted on the wall.

Open Scroll and Writing Feather

Wizard's Hat

Paged Books (Paper Binding)

Crystal Ball, Leather Bound Paged Book

Great Wizards (Google Images)

Wizard's Study is complete in time for Halloween. When I find that black cat somewhere in my stash, I'll add it to the scene. Until then, Happy Mini-ing.

Primrose Cottage - The Electrical System

"The Little (Lil') House"

Being a detail person, I usually start a project with some sort of plan. The Primrose Cottage "Lil' House" has proved that one needs more than a plan. A little bit of knowledge "DOES" go a long way and prevents a lot of RE-working.

My initial vision for the Lil' House started as a small, house with siding, shutters and window boxes. After measuring, I used an old fashioned can opener to score lines in the first and second floor floors. They were stained a warm brown. Next, the base seemed a little flimsy, so a piece of wood was added across the back to stabilize and strengthen the dollhouse.

Support in place, tape wire was added - starting on the exterior, tape wire was run around the first floor, under the windows and outlining the perimeter of the door. .Without cutting the wire, it was attached to the ceiling - and carried across one wall of the second floor. 

The zig-zag pattern on the ceiling allows the tape to be run without making any "joins" (running connecting line). Sometime, I use my own terminology, may be a word, may not - but it makes sense to me.

The tape wire was wrapped around the left-hand corner of the second floor. Luckily, this will be hidden by the back-side wall construction of the dollhouse. When the roof is attached, the tape wire will be run across the second floor ceiling and down the opposite wall.

We have light!  For now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!