Wednesday 10 April 2013

Slug and Jiggers......Sanding, Staining and Potion Making.

The upper floor furniture for Slug & Jiggers will all be dark wood, a combination of wood stains on unfinished white wood furniture. Plus a lot of sanding and elbow grease. I really wanted an apothecary cabinet with lots of little drawers all neatly labelled, obviously inspired by vintage cabinets and the wonderful miniatures by Jennifer Hatt of Looking Glass Miniatures.
 I had a long think about how I could create a piece myself and dug out this bookcase that was stained for another project and then never used. 
 Using my brilliant new table saw I first blocked up the bottom three shelves.....
 ......then cut out lots of small pieces for false drawer fronts, they are 1.5cm wide.
 I have lined them all up and simply glued the whole panel to the front of the bookcase.
Now I have given the false front a first stain to match the whole bookcase and I think it will work out quite well. I will finish the staining and sanding then add tiny drawer handles and labels. In an ideal world I would have loved to have opening drawers stuffed full of potion ingredients and aged scrolls but a table saw a carpenter does not make!!
 Lots of shelving obviously means lots of potion jars and I have also been busy with these. I had thought I had made quite a few last time around but this project is eating them up at an alarming rate.
They are all different sizes to try and add some variety and filled with a mixture of herbs, beads, scenic  and solid water plus anything else I found lying around my workshop. They will all have a black lid and label......eventually!!

20 comments:

  1. Love how you've done the apothecary cabinet!! You've done wonders with your new saw.. And once aged with the handle on its going to look fantastic..
    could you make a few false draws that just have tiny little side on and then stuck on the front so they looks slightly open maybe if you wre wanting to give he illusion that they all opened?

    Wow! So many jars and I'm guessing quite a small proportion of the total amount you'll need! Love all the wonderfully wacky colours you've used in them, will look great against all then brown wood work and will look so magical when the lights are shining behind them :D

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  2. Grrrr, Michael just when I was patting myself on the back you make me think......maybe I could do that!!!

    Ha! Ha! Watch this space as they say.

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    1. Haha! Oops, there I go again.
      Apologies for spelling in that last comment by the way, I forgot to preview it :/
      Oh I'm sure you could master a few open drawers 'he says giggling' :D

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  3. Brilliant Janice! I do think a few false drawers would be easy or maybe crates on the floor with scrolls and papers. Can't wait to see more :)

    Hugs,
    Victoria

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    1. Hi Victoria, I think this room will have lots of crates. All those witch deliveries waiting for the owl post! I will give Michael's idea a go if I can remove a couple of the squares. If not I will try to find space for another cabinet downstairs.

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  4. The cabinet will look great once it has its handles and labels on it.

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    1. Thank you, I am trying to source some tiny handles now but I think I will wait until KDF in a few weeks and maybe look for some in 1/24th scale.

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  5. Your apothecary cabinet is perfect. I like your jars.
    Greetings, Faby

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  6. J'adore tout ces petits pots colorés, avec quoi les as-tu réalisés?

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  7. Hi Janice! I have just joined your blog but I have been here before and have admired your work and your ingenuity! Nothing ever turns out like you had originally planned does it? I think that Michael has a really good Idea and I have no doubt that you could make it work. You have quite a fertile imagination, with the ghost coming through the door and the little man peeking through the doorway. All Quite Marvelous!

    elizabeth

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    1. I am enjoying playing with this project Elizabeth. It has been sitting on the side for quite a while so it has been such fun to unwrap all the pieces I have collected together.

      I am glad you are enjoying my blog.

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  8. II think your drawer idea is a great one!

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    1. Thanks Irene, not fine furniture but definitely wizard furniture!!

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  9. Hi Janice, Thankx for dropping by. I just love what you are doing here. My latest (currently dormant) project is also a flight of fantasy rather than being in the here and now. Isn't it fun?? You are so able to capture mood. Looking forward to seeing more! Carol :)

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    1. Hi Carol, doing a fantasy project does allow you to escape a little I think and it doesn't matter of things aren't perfect!

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  10. Love the cabinet Janice! I think you need to do some false drawers like Michael suggested. I have been commenting on my ipad but just realized none of my comments show up on the blogs I follow :(

    Hugs,
    Victoria

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  11. I'm jealous of your table saw --hope to get one too, some day. It sure came to good use with your cabinet, which is turning out brilliantly...good idea to make some of them 'opened,' Michael!

    I have no patience trying to fiddle with multiples like your little jars --so hat's off!

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    1. Hi John, how I wish I had bought this saw years ago, I can't tell you how many razor saws I have got through cutting beams and floorboards.

      Am still ploughing my way through the potion bottles. Modge Podge and labels tomorrow hopefully!!

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