Cauldrons!

Check out these fab cauldrons i bought last week. They arrived a few days ago and ever so pleased with the quality. The large cauldron is from the 1:12 section and the smaller ones are from the 1:24. Even though they are meant to be 1:24 i love them because they are great for 1:12 stoves, tables and potion making scenes. Just got to think what to do with them now.
The small ones measure2 cm in height, and the big one measures 3.5 cm in height.
Normally when i go to the Kensington Dolls House show i always visit the Village Wheelwright stand . I dont buy much but they always have a nice selection of hand trowels, cutlery and other little bits i can mix into my work.
They offer a mail order service and are ever such a friendly couple. All it takes is a letter, email or phonecall to place your order.
The stock some wonderful items for blacksmith scenes, Tudor houses, Lighting, 24th scale furniture, and a nice mix of other mini's. The cooking utensils section is fabulous.
Check out this fabulous spit roats which turns just like the real thing.



Here's the link again to the website: Small Scale Miniatures
and the Village Wheelwright


While on the subject of cauldrons check out the smoking chimneys for mini's. I would imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to fit these into cauldrons for that extra spooky effect.
Here's the links: http://www.houseofzoe.co.uk/products.html

Debbie and rust it up!

A few days ago i was ever so sad to hear about Debbie and since finding out i have not stopped worrying. It's great that Ben is keeping us all up to date and i know we all appreciate this from him. Debbie is a wonderful friend and hoping she will soon be back on the mend and home again.
Poor Ben though mentioning the washing machine and how it works, lol. I'd say i would come and give him lessons but i'm equally not in the know about keeping up with the mountains that are thrown at me every day. It seems a task i'm not cut out for.


Anyway onto mini's which i know always pleases Debbie.

I've not really had a chance to work for a few weeks and so far I've only squeezed in one day. Mostly i did prep work and a few potion boards but it was great just to sit at my desk.
We have been going out on day trips, shopping and just enjoying the summer break and by the time the day has finished, all the house jobs have been done there has been no time for working.
The kids go back to school and college next week so come 9am i will have a few good hours to get going again every day. The school day has been shorted though so instead of the six and a half hours it will now be just five and a half they are out.

I went to a craft village last week. Here's the link: http://www.barleylands.co.uk/craft_village.htm. Sadly the dolls house shop was closed but almost everything else was open. There was on particular shop i really liked and the lady was ever so helpful giving me quick tutorials on various products that are new to me/
Here's the link to my fave shop there: http://www.craftarena.co.uk/home.html
I loved this one product that you can use on various surfaces like paper, card, metal, material, plastic etc. Its rusting powder and similar to the product made by deluxe materials but you get much more in the pot and its cheaper.


I forget the name of the glue recommended for this product but i just used watered down pva (white glue). I painted on the pattern i wanted on my material with the pva and then sprinkled the rusting powder over, then tipped off the excess onto paper and put back in the jar.
Then you spray with white vinegar and wait 10 mins for it to rust up.
I also bought a lovely stamp that you can paint with the pva and press onto material then do the rusting again. You can see this on one of the smaller bits of material in this pic. It the one with the tiny swirl pattern.

I'm going to be using this procuct for quite a few of my larger potion jars (not minis) and hoping to have them ready for sale long before Halloween.
In the picture above you can see the material with the blue background which i dyed using these products.

These can also be used on card and paper and probably other surfaces like wood, wool and tissue etc. I only have these three colours but there was a vast rainbow of colours available and most of them with a bit of sparkle added.
I dyed the blue material using these and then did the rusting once dry. You just spray where needed and wait for it to dry. The material has a subtle sparkle with specks of bronze and specks of extra sprarkly green.
While shopping i also picked up a selection of grungy material, twines, thread, banana tree fibres, beads and accessories for the new big potion jars. Hoping what i see in my head works when i finally get to make them.



Heres a pic of the crows feet potion boards i managed to make. The light is not great here today and can't get a good photo.



Heres a great link to a blog where the blog owner has also been using the above products mixed with various other materials and paints etc. Beautiful things happening there!
http://purplemissus.blogspot.com/2009/07/crafty-notions.html


Heres a link to crafty notions to buy the rusting powder: http://www.craftynotions.com/rust.htm
They also have some other great products for mixing with all the above and some great ideas. It's going to become i reckon a fave website of mine.

Mandrakes on etsy and inspirationl pictures and props

I finally managed to put a few little things on etsy this afternoon. Normally i would do it in the evening but won't have the time later.
I really like these mandrake roots and think they look brilliant scattered around a witch/wizard garden or potting scene.


Check out this fab link for more Harry Potter pictures and the children having a bit of fun pulling mandrakes. Its a fantastic big potting table.
Click on the gallery once at the site for more inspiring pictures and props.
http://www.harrypotterexhibition.com/

In reply to previous post and how to.

I've had quite a few emails asking how i did the surface for the walls and floors of the potion room room box.
This is an explanation to one of the people and thought it would be easier to post here rather than lots of emails.

I used paperclay on the walls but not a lot.What i did was make the room box out of mdf. I then covered the whole box with papier mache and just used toilet tissue for this because it is cheap. I did a thicker layer of this papier mache on the corners of the outside. Once that was dry i just broke up little bits of paperclay and smeared them on the walls here and there leaving lots of little gaps. I then used a stippling brush and stippled to get a rough texture and smoothed down some bits with my fingers. I then did the same again on the outside of the box and tried to make the edgesot too sharp so it looked rustic.
Once it was dry i painted a creamy colour. I didn't have a suitable paint to mix with the white to get the cream so i mixed coffee into the white paint. In a cup i put three teaspoons of coffee and a tiny bit of hot water to make a really thick coffee. I then spooned it into the white until i was happy with the cream colour.
While i was painting the entire room box i used my stippling brush and stippled here and there while the paint was still wet. This was so i didnt lose too much of the texture. You can use a regular household paint brush if you dont have a stippling brush (large stencil brush), and just cut the bristles a bit shorter.
One it was dry i used coffee again and brushed it over the walls and dabbed here and there with baby wipes to remove quite a lot and leave the dirt in the cracks and crevices. Once this was dry i then used the coffee again and focussed on the corners and the wall where it meets the floor and again dabbed off with baby wipes what was not needed.
But if you want green damp walls around the base, before you do the tea and coffee brush here and there with a green acrylic paint and dab off whats not needed with a wipe. Then do the coffee.
You can use acrylic paints instead of coffee or tea which i sometimes do, but i really like what coffee and tea does.
Because all of this is not waterproof and the coffee stains could be wiped off by accident i sprayed the entire room box with a matt sealent spray. DO IT OUTSIDE AND SPRAY FROM FAR AWAY SO ITS JUST A VERY LIGHT LAYER. You just need to seal the coffee and tea.
For the floor i used paperclay and cut out lots of little floor tiles. While they were still damp i stuck them on the floor with pva glue (white glue)working at around 3 tiles at a time and used a small brush to stipple and get a rough texture. I left the little gaps for grouting.
Once these were dry i used pva (white glue) and brushed it into the grouting lines and dabbed off any glue that got onto the floor tiles. I did this because in my opinion it makes it look more realistic. You can use grout mixes suitable for this purpose, but because i will paint it later it doesnt matter that its not the right thing to use.
Once it was dry i then painted the whole floor a light grey. Once that was dry i then dabbed here and there with a draker grey but the brush was almost dry. Just rub most off onto tissue. I then dabbed here and there with a darker grey again but added a little bit of brown to the final mix.
Once it was dry i painted in the grout line with a dark grey acrylic paint mix and dark brown (equal parts). I used a baby wipe to dab off the paint if it went onto any of the tiles.
Once it was dry i used my coffee again and dabbed here and there and especially into the edges and corner and again dabbed off what was not needed. Then sprayed again with a matt sealent but just a fine mist.
If you dont have a spray you can use a brush on matt sealent/varnish. Rather than brushing and sweeping i would dab on a minimal amount over the entire surface with a brush or fibre fee cloth
I know many perfectionists out there will be in shock at the way i go about building.
But i always like to make good use of the materials i have. Quite often i can't wait for a certain material to arrive in the post and so just experiment.

You can also use polyfila instead of paperclay. A lot of people tell me it cracks, but i find it doesn't as long as you mix pva (white glue) into it. You would apply it in much the same way as the paperclay and then paint and stain exactly the same.
You can also use other types of airdrying clay but i can't advise which makes will crack. But if you do get cracks you can just fill them easily enough for this type of rough wall surface.

Busy, busy, busy!

It's been ages since i popped in and did a post. Ive been so busy with everything non mini related and not had much to blog about.
I've been checking out everyone elses posts though and all the fab mini's and art work everyone has been showing recently.
A few days ago i started making a potion room room box. Its a little further along that whats showing here but i cant find the updated photo. Ive also been making some mandrakes on newspapers, crates and pots and some potions. Hopefully these will be finished in a few days. I've also been having a go at making my own furniture and quite pleased with the results so far.
But, i decided to make a few non mini items today which are still witch related.
Here's some potion bottles that measure around 15cm in height and have just put them on etsy. I shall see how these work out and then perhaps make more if they sell well.
Think i have another 10 bottles so will need to get my thinking cap on what to fill them with.



Its been fun making these with them being nice and big compared to mini's. I thought they would be a lot easier and quicker to make but these have proved the opposite.
I really like them and now on the look out everywhere i go for bottles.

Picture Challenge!

http://bearcabinminiatures.blogspot.com/ and
http://rosanna-theredhouse.blogspot.com/ and
http://whittakersminis.blogspot.com/
Debbie at http://piskies-and-poppets.blogspot.com/
have sent me the picture challenge where you need to open your 4th picture file and pick your 4th picture.
Mine is a miniature picture of some work i loved. I tend to store anything i see and love while searching on the net.

I have to now pass this onto 4 other bloggers and so pass onto:
http://creagerstudios.blogspot.com/ Jodi and creager studios.
http://katthehatlady.blogspot.com/ Kat the Hat
Judy at http://earthdailynews.blogspot.com/
Katie at http://katiesclaycorner.blogspot.com/

Working with paperclay and makes of.

Before i talk about paperlcay just thought i would vent some frustration about my day first.
The phone rang this morning and it was my mum telling me she is coming tomorrow with my sister and two neices. This is lovely news but i am so disorganised in the house at the moment and went into a state of mad panic. I've spent since 9am this morning up until now scrubbing, ironing, sorting bedding, hoovering and moaning alongside lots of other jobs. The house is now like a new pin and can not believe how much i have done in these few hours. Could have probably done this frantic spring clean quicker if it were not for the three boys undoing as i did. I'm shattered now and it's like i have the Queen coming TOstay and not my family.


So, onto paperclay. Before i go on i'm in a bit of a hurry so please excuse all waffling, (i'm good at waffling... lol).
I promised one of my customers i would post here all about what i know so far from all the paperclays i have tried, with hints and tips for each.
Say for example i was making stone floring i would roll out as much clay as needed. Then i would cut out each slab and then secure in place with pva glue to the floor, then i would stipple each slab while working to a few slabs at a time. You can create stone effects by stippling with a firm brush, or sandpaper, maybe even crumpled tinfoil here and there.
You need to keep the clay fully sealed to prevent it drying and only use a small amount at a time for this type of work. You can make up lots of slabs and then place in a food bag only taking out a few to work with at one time.
Brush any surface with pva first and you shouldnt have any problems.


First off there is Creative Papercaly

I think this is a favourite of Rik Pierce. Its a fabulous paperclay and perfect for almost everything you can imagine with regards to miniature work.
It's drying time is quick, but still leaves enough time to work you textures and shape as needed. You can slow this down by spraying lightly with water as you work. You can easily stipple with a brush or sandpaper to create a stonelike texture or even crumpled tinfoil. It sands wells and can easily be carved if needed.
Its tough too once fully dry and one of the best out there.

But my favourite is Pearl Paper clay and it's a little cheaper than the creative.

It's equally as good for all i mentioned above, but the drying time is a little slower. This slower drying time is perfect in my opinion and you dont feel you have to rush so much. It too can be sprayed lightly with water as you work.
Its my favourite because i feel its easier to create a texture and you can create more detail where needed. I also feel its smooths (if needed) better than the one above and is less gritty. It also drys really strong.

The third one i have tried is Delight.

I wouldnt suggest this product for miniature work such as stones and flooring. It doesn't take texture well, it dries too quick and when it does dry its kind of like foam. Its also a lot cheaper than the other two but i think its better to spend a bit more and get what you really need.
It doesnt sand or carve well either.
I would say its good for kids and for other sculpture work but i really wouldn't want to use this on a house. I also find its not as strong and can chip easily.

There is one more paperclay product i've heard lots of good things about. Sadly because i have not used it i can't compare to the three above. Its called Diamond paperclay. I believe it dries a lot stronger than the pearl and creative so would probably be great for areas you are more concerned about breaking.
If anyone has used this product can you leave a comment with your views. Thank you if you can.


Here's a link to a site that sells all four of these, with more info and the prices.
http://paperclay.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CPP&Category_Code=MC
You can also find each of these on ebayuk and ebay.com. Plus other craft websites.
Because it is heavy i would try and source it to the country you live in otherwise postage can be quite expensive.

Here's another useful link for more info: http://miniatures.about.com/od/materialsforminiatures/gr/cpaperclay.htm


Also, if you use an old food blender and mix paperclay with water you can create a slip like with real clay. This is good for a variety or surfaces and can be used like a glue to secure bits of the clay to each other. You can also mix this with a pestle and mortar, but i tend to use my hands and squish around for a while.
Also paperclay shrinks a little when dry. Its isn't much but i would suggest running a test prior to fully covering a wall or roof.


Further info
As requested by Casey in one of the comments for this posting i thought i would also mention Das. But before i do check out this link for various air drying clays and paperclays http://air-dry-clay.com
/brandnames2.html

I'm not sure to be honest what the difference is between das and what we we are all terming as paperclay. I know that paperclay is a mix of real clay and paper pulp and that das is clay from the earth that also air dries. I believe they are similar i suppose and both are equally good around a miniature house.
I also use das which comes in white or terracotta. I find it a little more messy than paperclay but it is equally as good for achieving as above with the paperclays mentioned. I don't however think it is as strong. For example if i made a roof tile with my favourite paperclay above and a roof tile with das, then the paperclay one would be harder to snap and the das tile easier to snap. But if its applied to a surface such as a roof or wall then there is little chance of it being broken because the wall would be giving it strength. But on the corners of a roof for example the tiles could break more easily. Its a lot cheaper so is more economical and it will give the same effects. I suppose you could do the majority of work with das or other similar air drying clays. Then use a stronger clay for the corners. It will all be painted anyway so would be much more economical.


I also found this. If anyone has used this product would you mind sharing your views.
I know this is going right off track from paperclay but it sounds fabtastic expecialy for items that for some reason or other cant fit in the oven.
http://www.claycompany.com/lumina.htm


Oh what a day! Off for a lovely bubbly soak. Nikki x