Would You Stand At This Bar?.....The Leaky Cauldron

The visitors of Diagon Alley are likely to work up a thirst and a healthy appetite shopping and meeting up with old friends. The bar of The Leaky Cauldron is full of goodies to tempt even the most cranky of magical folk.

 I bought this bar unfinished on Ebay and have chopped it down to size as it was originally too long. It was also a little too low so I have lifted it with four ready made crates, these have been filled with very cheap, mass produced bottles. An excellent wine rack and now the bar sits at a better height for the customers.

 This wonderful plant was made by TallulahBelle she is simply gorgeous. There is one of Nikki's dragon bottles with its eyeball stopper, dragon vinegar goes perfectly with cheese I am told! The plate  of stuffed figs is by the hugely talented food artist Kiva as well as the loose fruit on the plate. The stirring wizard mouse is one of my favourite pieces. He is so tiny and has a sweet cloak and is by Georgia Marfels. The teeny corkscrew is one of David Edwards miniature masterpieces, I was so pleased to be able to add a small piece of his miniature mastery to my project.

 The other end of the bar has a beautifully crafted barrel by Elizabeth Causeret a French artisan who does not have a website unfortunately but at the last Miniatura she had a video showing how all her pieces are made. I have always loved her work, I have a few pieces now, but I did not realise that this delicate miniature ceramics are actually made on a potters wheel. Absolutely amazing. There is also a wooden barrel tankard that is so lovely I could not bring myself to fill it with a scenic water concoction, it should stand on its own. I bought this at Kensington I think and is one of Eismont Miniatures pieces, they have a fabulous range of rustic pieces. At the end of the bar is a butterbeer and pumpkin pastie board by one of my favourite food artists, Eve of AfterDarkAfterAll.

 You can see the board in better detail here. The pastie is even dusted in sugar! The cheeky ginger cat is by MissSallyWorld and he looks perfectly at home atop the bar!

 This bird's eye view shows the show stopping rustic board again made by AfterDarkAfterAll. Perfect for hungry wizards enjoying a tankard of butterbeer at the bar. 

 The frothing beers and jug were an Etsy purchase and they look very refreshing. They are the work of Lisa McQuaid of Everyday Gourmet. Lisa makes a whole range of filled glasses and tankards, I am very pleased with them.

 The whole display looks very colourful and welcoming and I hope I have shown all these marvellous artisans in a way that they deserve.

Only two pieces dressed so far but it has been fun. I have also finished all the tinkering with the carcass now but need to tackle the bottles, decanters and tankards. That means playing with scenic water again.....hmmm, I will need to refresh my memory on that!! Once I have filled the bottles I should be able to finish the shelves for behind the bar and fill all the crates I have planned for the walls. 

I hope to be able to start tomorrow but I have to arrange my time around the other time consuming mini in my life. My dog, Lily, has a play date!! Her puppy friend, Kip, is coming over for tea. Can you believe it? Well at least the grown ups will get to share cake and a chilled bottle of Prosecco!