Tuesday 8 November 2011

All Kinds of Everything........

.......is keeping me busy!
I had always planned to have a couple of projects on the go at any one time but it has never happened because I always get distracted playing with the interiors. The broken wrist means that at last I have been forced to focus on the main construction and exterior planning of my Diagon Alley Shops.
This means I have many fingers in many pies at the moment as I work around drying times and lots of thinking time!
 This is all the woodwork and windows for my Apothecary, shop number three. So far they have all been given one coat of cream and gold acrylic paint. They are waiting for coats of black and brown and lots of distressing. This is a hugely time consuming and eye-crossing stage but worth it in the end! 
 The main carcass of the Apothecary has been totally sealed and primed ready for decoration. I have wallpapered both rooms in a dark brown paper I bought at Miniatura what seems like ages ago. It is by the same manufacturer as the paper I put up in The Leaky Cauldron and goes up like a dream.
This paper looks and feels like old leather and while it might seem a bit dark at the moment, the shop will be filled with all the vibrant potions and ingredients plus lots of sparkling glass.
 Here are the floorboards for The Apothecary. These are reclaimed floorboards in mahogany from the very enthusiastic and helpful Paul of Wood Supplies. I love the fact that so many of his supplies come from antique and reclaimed wood.
They now need to be sanded,cut and laid.
These are all the for the fireplaces....eventually.....stained wood chippings and glitter coal. 
The lighting of The Cauldron Shop has been put on sick leave for the moment so these will have to be put away now they are dry.  
The Cauldron Shop is still a work in progress too and I have switched my attention to the roof.
I have put lead flashing around all three chimney stacks and covered them in Art Mache to match the house.
This product needs quite a long time to dry but I can't write highly enough of it. Easy to make and super easy to apply plus soooo economical.
Still the tiling of the roof to do. I really want to try the Paper Clay method a la Rik Pierce but I am not sure if it might be a bit too fiddly at the moment.
Mmmmm, maybe I will wait until the cast is off. 
Last but not least, I have papered both room ceilings and have been adding layers of wear and grime little by little.
With the Cauldron Shop maybe having to wait for a roof I might move on to shop number four which will probably be the second corner shop and the Magical Menagerie, I think! 

9 comments:

  1. Wow lol how can you do so much with a broken wrist. You are doing fantastic work. I enjoy reading your blog.
    Hugs Maria

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  2. You have so much going on I am dizzy. I wish I could just get a few things done LOL. I can't wait to see the Apothecary with all the bright potions and glass. I love the reclaimed wood flooring.

    Hugs,
    Victoria

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  3. Hi Janice, love the colour choice for the windows.. Wondering if I should have gone darker with them myself now :/ I've always loved the sid Cooke shop range and it's great to see how different they can look after all the different techniques are added. Those bay windows are brilliant, such a good shape and size for an apothecary window display!
    I love the three chimneys, just adds to the crazy harry potter look. (are you marking brick into the mâché or leaving them as plaster? )
    Look forward to seeing how all our apothecarys differ from each other and also seeing the magical menagerie start to take shape; another brilliant shop from the streets of diagon alley.. and this one I've never seen recreated in miniature before.
    All the best, Michael :)

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  4. At least that your broken wrist led to an advantage: the construction of your shops.
    I'm loving track the progress of your work.
    Despite this I desire that your wrist gets better soon. ;)
    Hugs

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  5. Hi Maria,
    Thank you for popping by and leaving such a lovely comment. I am glad you are enjoying my Blog.

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  6. Hi Eliana,
    I am taking full advantage of all my "free" time at the moment. Luckily most of the pain has gone now and it is simply awkward and achy by the end of the day.
    I wouldn't recommend it as a way of gaining "mini" time though! Ha! Ha!

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  7. Hi Victoria,
    I have rather taken over a large space at the moment! The paint work is the biggest job as it is so slow plus everything has to dry completely before moving on to the next coat.
    The evenings are so grim and dark now it is a good thing I have something to do!

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  8. Hi Michael,
    I love the round bay windows and I have not found any other kit that has this style of front. Also these kits are a manageable size which is important with a whole street in the planning.
    The chimneys will be sanded down a bit smoother to match the rendering of the main house.
    The main shops will all be the same with round bays, only the two corners will be of a different style as I wanted a sense of continuity.

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  9. I've not been around Blogland of late, so I apologise for any tardiness!

    You are a miracle woman! lol You manage to work on your projects with mostly one hand...amazing!!! :o)))

    So your forging ahead so fast,yes I agree with Victoria you make me dizzy too! Your apothecary will be vastly different from mine..that's only going on the walls! So I can't wait to see more...all very gloomy but with added colour!

    I had real problems keeping down my veneer mahogany floorboards...I used resin glue in the end.

    You've done far more than me. I'm having my craft room revamped..day bed to be removed and large chests for storage and diagon alley and more going on the top with a further wide shelf above. So, I aim to work a little more organised....and erm labelling...I must get that done now!

    So pleased you are mostly pain fee. :o)
    Michelle xx

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