Saturday 18 May 2013

Pottering Around Slug and Jiggers......

I have been Spring cleaning my real house this week but after so much hard work I decided it was time to return to doing some of the things I really want to play with. I hate housework with a passion, I know many people look around and feel a sense of achievement as they work through their chores, me? I just wish I had a cleaner!!
Anyway, I have stained and varnished the pieces for the upper room. I have sanded them down over and over again to distress them but the stain seemed to really bite into this wood. 
 I am not sure whether to tile the back of the sink or not, as it will be covered with gunge, debris and all sorts of bits and pieces I am don't think I really need to.
 I have also added the owl stand by Michael Mortimer as I think Mrs Slug would like a companion in her work. I bought the tiny brass handles at KDF from Pheonix Models and finished off the apothecary cabinet. I really wish I had tried to make a couple of open drawers but it is too late now. Next time!!
 The haberdashery counter has stained really nicely but I do think it needs a proper work top rather than the acrylic top. I bought the counter from Apollo Miniatures a long while ago.
 This is the back view which I really like, it seems a shame to hide it. The chiminea is a piece by Nikki Rowe and the pictures really do not do it justice at all. The coals look amazing. I have had this piece for a couple of years now but I think I have finally found the right place for it. 
 The skirting boards are now in and I have added some LED lights to the upper floor. I also gave the walls and floors a pasting of PVA and water mix to toughen up the interiors.
As I am now looking at the 'dressing' stage of this project I have been looking through various boxes getting together the pieces I have been collecting. This is great fun and sometimes a little shocking, but I do end up spending a lot of time playing.
I found these gorgeous wooden barrels and troughs by S and S Eismont whose work I absolutely adore so........do I put them outside? I want to fill the troughs with miniature herb plants but the barrels are so beautifully made I really don't want to mess with them.
 Barrels and trough?
 Trough high and barrels low? Decisions, decisions......
 I have also added a small table to the downstairs shop as an additional display counter. I even managed to match the paint effect quite well this time which was a bonus!
My next job will be to make some hanging herb sprays for the walls and ceilings and have a major play with all the bits I have been stashing away. I also want to add some copper pipe work upstairs, make a work top and decide where all my grunge, spillages and debris is going in the upstairs potion room. 
Oh and begin dressing all the furniture. More potions to make!!

23 comments:

  1. Wonderful work as always Janice, the furniture looks greats painted up upstairs.. I don't personally think it needs tiles as it has the little wooden splash back anyway doesn't it :) the chimney by nikki looks great upstairs and the handles have really finished off the cabinet you made! :)
    I love the extra table you've added downstairs, will add a nice display place plus im sure customers can just about squeeze around it? :)
    I personally prefer just the barrels outside but maybe once the trough is filled, it will look different again? :)
    Can't wait to see how you decorate the upstairs :D

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    1. Hi Michael, no I don't think I will bother with tiles as the sink area will be covered with all sorts of stuff. Too many decisions to make at the moment and I am finding that as soon as I get started on one thing I get distracted and move on to something else!

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  2. Love what you've done :) with you on the housework wish I had a cleaner too :)

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    1. The trouble is I only want to play with my little houses, the big one is just boring!!

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  3. It's a wonderful job, it is getting gorgeous!

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  4. Everything looks beautiful.


    Greetings Xandra

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  5. Janice, great minds think alike. I also brought some of those Barrels. They are really lovely. I remember Nikki, making those Chiminea's. Its all coming together wonderfully. x

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  6. C'est génial , j'adore le fantôme qui sort de la porte .

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  7. This is coming along really nicely. Love your attention to detail. Best wishes, Carol

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    1. Oh Carol, at the moment I feel like the devil is in the detail and I must stop over thinking and just do!!

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  8. Everything looks great! I really like the counter from Apollo...from the back! lol
    Um, did I see figures in there at some points? LOL!!

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    1. Hi, there will be lots of customers eventually!! I have a fabulous Mr Slug and Mrs Jiggers ready to start work when the decorators eventually move out!

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  9. I like the progress. The counter is fantastic.
    Bye, Faby

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  10. Wow Janice! You have been busy and how nice is it to finally have the opportunity to unearth your treasures and have a place to at last showcase them! I love your barrels and the trough and the craftsmanship of them is wonderful. I agree that a proper work surface is needed upstairs. And I can hardly wait to see how you grunge up the sink and the surroundings with all the neat ghoulish and ghastly goodies that you have been collecting.

    elizabeth

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    1. Hi Elizabeth, I have added a plain work top and I agree it will work better. I am going to work hard at the grunge and dis-order a look that I really struggle with. It has been fun unpacking everything though!

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  11. It's looking fantastic. You've created real atmosphere with this.

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    1. Thank you Irene, it seems to be moving along very slowly at the moment.

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  12. Hi Janice,

    This is a great project, and looks fabulous. I have some barrels just like yours and love them too! They look good outside, but you do need to keep the lids I think, so if you want potted herbs I look for something else, the trough would be great filled with herbs though! I also love that bow window!!

    regards
    Andy

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    1. Hi Andy, I agree the barrels are too beautiful to mess around with. They should be allowed to stand on their own. Herbs in the troughs though definitely. So many ideas, so little time!!

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