Monday 18 March 2013

Luggage for Hogwarts.....New Plans for 2013

I have put the potions that I have completed away and returned to The Leaky Cauldron. My plan for the next couple of weeks is to dress the upstairs bedroom where my two Hogwarts students are packing their shopping keen to start the new school year.
 I purchased two matching pieces from Sue Popely, The Luggage Lady from Miniatura a couple of years ago. They are beautifully crafted and it was with some trepidation that I began to'dirty' them!!
I brushed a thin wash of acrylic paint onto the pretty cotton inner fabric and attacked the smooth leather with and emery board!! 
 The outsides have been 'decorated' with various labels you might expect to be popular with Gryffindor Hogwarts students. I am now going to fill them with an over flowing selection of witchy girlie necessities.
While out and about last week I saw this in The Range and being a bit of a craft materials junkie I had to bring it home with me. Clay Foam.....very cheap and cheerful. No idea what it does or what I am going to do with it. Anyone used it?
Inspired by the amazing buildings of Jo Medvics  of Pocket Pygmies and Debbie Wright's fabulous project I have decided that my project for 2013 will be a complete self build. So far I have completed the draft plans and drawings and made one purchase from one of my favourite artisans, Nikki Rowe
A big clue I think!! My mind has been full of the ways and means of copying this building....
......I am not going to make the whole building as it would be much too large so I will limit myself to the tall bay windows and a steep pitched roof with a smattering of dormer windows.
This is the first HP project where I intend to stay very close to the movie/Hogsmeade representation as I cannot resist the now iconic colour combination and pink spiral staircase!!
I also have a question.....
........I have spent the weekend scouring the internet for all things lollipop but I have not been able to find out what to use for the sticks. Cocktail sticks seem too fat, I can't find any dowels that seem thin enough, is dental floss used? Where do these tiny sticks come from? These lollies came with a couple of dolls I purchased, I think, with wooden sticks on the left and a plastic?waxed? stick on the right (it is wobbly). Any ideas anyone? Have a whole load to learn how to make so all suggestions will be gratefully received.
Last but not least, I have been accumulating miniature tutorials on my Pinterest page that you might find useful or inspirational for your own work. Please feel free to visit and browse.




28 comments:

  1. I love the luggage and the aging you did to it. All those stickers are such fun. I look forward to seeing what you put in the cases.

    Clay Foam.. That must be new and what colors! I wonder if it dries hard or squishy. LOL

    I am sure others will have a better answer but... If I wanted to make those lollipop sticks I would go to the model train store and buy K&S brass wire and spray paint it matte white. They might even have sticks of wood that thin there.

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    1. Hi Catherine,
      I am hoping that the Foam Clay will make sweeties and textures for book covers. I would like to have a little play but clay seems to go off in this house at an alarming rate so I am being patient!
      I found the model railway wire, gosh it does come in such tiny widths and is very good value. I will definitely be buying some of this, the copper piping would be fun in Slug and Jiggers too.
      Thank you so much.

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  2. Brush bristles make good lollipop sticks. Your new project looks fascinating!

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    1. Hi Susan,
      I see them exactly now!! Off to Poundland to see what I can pick up!! Thank you so much.

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    2. Janice, brush bristles from all different sorts of brushes come in different colours and thicknesses. So many miniature uses from fine toothbrush bristles for mini cotton buds in the miniature bathroom to dishbrush bristles for lollipop sticks!

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    3. Went out with my list today Susan and you are right, once you start looking I could see all sorts of uses for the bristles. I managed to buy a brush with black plastic bristles with a rounded purple end which will make great liquorice sticks!
      Plus in the Pound Shops you feel you are getting such a bargain.

      I must remember to think outside of the miniature box!!

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  3. When I made some lollypops I used white florist wire for some and for some others I found I had to carefully cut tiny slithers of wood for the sticks as I couldn't find anything fine enough. The cases look great and I love the picture of the building with its random dormers.

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    1. The roof might be the death of me I think!. I will definitely try the florist wire of the thickest gauge I can find. Thanks for the tip.

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  4. Thank you for the link to the tutorials. Will definitely check it out. I love the luggages and you did a fab job aging them.

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    1. Thanks Sans, I like the way they have turned out too.

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  5. Absoloutely love the trunks Janice! They're going to look great all dressed upstairs in the leaky cauldron!
    Hogsmeade! I did wonder when I saw your album in pinterest :)
    I can't wait to see your version of it.. I really wanted to have a pink spiral staircase in mine too but alas, I just didn't have the space to do it :/
    For lollipop sticks, people normally seem to strip down cocktail sticks with a craft knife until they're small enough :)
    It's great when people are doing similar projects as its nice to see everyone's interpretation on things :D
    Can't wait to see more!

    Michael :)

    Can't wait to see what you collect for honeydukes either :)

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    1. I am enjoying thinking all things pink at the moment and so many kind bloggers have left lots of lollipop tips.

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  6. Hello Janice,
    Great choice with the luggage it looks lovely. I cannot wait to see you start your next project. The building is beautiful and I look forward tos eeing your interpretation.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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    1. Oh Giac, I am a terrible one for starting projects!! This will be my first from scratch so I will be doing it in between my other Alley shops. I have just finished the interior of the Cauldron so now I am moving on to Slug & Jiggers with Honeydukes on the side!

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  7. Hi Lisa Marie,
    How silly I am. I have green florist wire and never even thought it might be available in different colours! The good thing is this stuff comes in different thicknesses too.!
    Many thanks for leaving this tip.

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  8. Hello ,
    I wonder if you could use some plastic rod from the
    train store and heat and strech it to a satisfactory diameter. As a modeler for many years I have used this
    method to make car antennaes and such from the plastic runners that the pars come on. It has been fairly sucessful for me. Good Luck
    Ed

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    1. Thanks Ed, This sounds like a definite possibility for all sorts of miniature uses.

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  9. I've been using white paper covered florists wire for lollipops too, works beautifully!

    The foam clay..never thought of using it on minis..hmm.. I've worked with it at work with the kids. It is such a therapeutic substance to roll in your fingers ;)
    It dries up hard, but will stick to fabric and wood wonderfully.

    Oh Honeydukes....can't wait!

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    1. Hi Susanna, I am looking forward to playing with the clay now. I like the idea of using it with fabric. I have ordered some thick grade florist wire so I will be adding that to my try out pile!!

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  10. What a brave woman you are attacking the cases! I like your idea of cramming them full of "witchy girly necessities". I'm curious to see what they will be.

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    1. These cases will be filled with all the items you expect of a Hogwarts student. Over filled in fact as we know they all have Mary Poppins bags!!

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  11. The two lollypops on the left (red and green)were made by me. I carved them out of toothpics.

    Lotti

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    1. Hi Lotti, I think they may have arrived with Silke's dolls?? Gosh that is very fine carving, they are so delicate.

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    2. Thank you for the nice compliment for the lolly sticks :0)

      I make the candy for Silkes dolls.

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  12. ... the lollipop sticks on the right side are white nylon (staves ???) from a hairbrush. I do´'t know how it called in English.

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    1. Lotti, I think you might very well be right I am off to investigate hairbrushes. The English word would be bristles I think but maybe not for brushes that have single nylon/plastic 'bristles'.

      Who knows but it is a very good idea, thank you.

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  13. Janice, you can use the Bristles from a plastic scrubbing brush or thin florist wire. you can get it in white, but it need to be quite firm. Good Luck with Honeydukes..

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  14. Hi Debbie,

    I have green florist wire for flower making but I have ordered some thicker gauge. Scrubbing brushes, good idea. Will add that to my Poundland shopping list.

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