Ladureé cart update #2

After the fiasco of the too-tall legs, I had to pry them off the cart, sand them, and attach them again.  That did not take long.  Then I started crafting a cover for the roof, and more covers for the edges.  It was very easy to print some cardboard and paint the pieces mint green:

Edges...

... and roof cover

 I attached everything with regular white glue, and the results were very good:

Edges before...

... and after

Roof covered successfully!

Now,  I could probably do some more details to the cart to make it look even more pefect, but I was happy with what I have achieved here.  I think this is the most time I have dedicated to set up a scene ever.  I am very proud of the results, and with all the modifications I made.  I really did not expect for it to look this good:

I have two shelves left, that were supposed to go in both sides of the cart, so people could use them to support stuff, but I am not glueing them just because the real Ladureé carts do not have them - in a way, I agree, they break the lines of the cart.  So I will just keep them, in case I can use them for some other thing, or if I change my mind.

Now, since the construction of the cart took many days, and since I simply hate painting and glueing, I dedicated the time between sessions to print and assemble loads of boxes to decorate it.  All the boxes come from Zena's Miniatures - she has plenty of macaron boxes.  However, I changed the logos to feature the Ladureé logo.  I had bought these printables almost a year ago, and I was dying to make them!

Aren't they adorable?

The green set to the right was bought a long time ago, and it is no longer available, but I wanted to include it as well.  I also could bring out the fabulous clear display, the trays and the tongs:

The trays fit perfectly!

Waiting to be filled up with delicious macarons

The shelf unit and the contents all come from Beautifully Handmade.  Of course, I still have to craft all the tiny macarons that will be on the trays, but I will do that when the heat of Summer decreases, so I can work the polymer clay easier.  

While searching for inspo, I found this picture:

 

Detail that was very inspirational...

 

This tote bag really got my attention.  Specially because one of my providers sells a bag that is practically the same design!  So I bought it, and tried to recreate it to the best of my ability.  This is what I made:

 

The boxes are part of Zena's kits, and the bag and the bottle come from Tienda de Casitas.  The bottle was originally like this:

A camping thermos (stock photo)

I designed a label with the corporate green color and Ladureé logo.  I printed it on latex adhesive paper, and it looks so nice you cannot see where the edges meet.  So happy with it, and so proud of myself!  I removed the cup, and used it in another scene.  I used this bottle in the display counter as inspiration:

And here are some pics of the whole cart, already filled:

Poster taken from a Ladureé real menu

 

The poster with the macarons was made by scanning a real menu that I was given with my order in July 2025.  

Now, except for the mararons, it is practically finished.  I am thinking of trying to find a glass counter like the one in the real picture and fill it up with stuff.  We'll see if that is doable.  In the meantime, I am so happy with my cart!  

Japanese roombox. Day 3

Yesterday I almost wrapped up.  So I just finished putting the finishing touches in the last wall - a couple of decorative beams, and voilà!  The Japanese room is finished!  At least, the construction process itself:

A vision of beauty! ♥

What is left to do but glue all the walls?  Well, the ceiling, naturally, but that will have to wait.  I was so, so excited to start decorating! So, while the glue was drying up, I unpacked all the accessories that I had been collected for this moment, and started the display.  First off, a lovely table, also the creation of Ana, was put in place first.  It is all paper and foamboard.  It took me about 30 minutes to do, and I finished it off with some Mod Podge so it would look shiny:

Love it!

A little bit of food - it was almost lunch time!

Oh my.  How long I have waited for this...

The pictures and the book are also Ana's creations.  I won't hang the pictures until some more furniture has been placed, as well as the lamps that will iluminate the scene - that is something that I am planning to do from scratch!  The cabinet is a spice cabinet full of tiny drawers and pigeon holes - I am sure I will not be able to find anything so small to fill them.  The tiny tea box on top of the cabinet is from Zenas Miniatures.  

It was so exciting to start thinking in little details to add, and decorations too!  I made a couple of sake bottles after lunch:

I spent the afternoon window shopping, and I have already ordered some little details to display, as well as some furniture.  I can't wait for them to show up, but it's going to take some weeks!  In the meantime, I'll keep thinking of little things to add!

I am so happy with everything.  Tomorrow, the only thing that is left: the ceiling.

Scene: Apothecary

Today I finished another scene.  This one I wanted to do for a long time, but I was always doubtful about where I would put it.  So I opted to make a similar one as I did for the haberdashery shop: a self-contained scene that could very well be put in the wall.  It would not be too big, but cute enough to display pharmacy stuff, which I adore.

I am very happy how it turned out:

This time I even put a sign on the door!

I love all the tiny jars

My favorite thing is the brass scale - the arm moves!

All the porcelain jars, like in real pharmacies! And some laboratory bottles

And more tiny bottles

It took a while to find everything I wanted to include.  Some stuff was bought on purpose, some other I had lying about, and some I designed myself.  Most of the display boxes come from Zena's Miniatures.

Very happy to finally have a little apothecary!

Nursery scene - a gift for a coworker

One of my coworkers recently had a baby girl.  I made a little scene for her that she could use to decorate the baby's room.  

 For the room I used a small coin bank with the coin slot side as bottom.  I dressed up the walls, sides and ceiling with paper - I used one of Zenas Miniatures downloads to make the baby items.  Then I took a couple of frames to hang some art in the walls (one of them features the baby's name), and bought some commercially made baby items to fill the basket; and of course, a teddy bear.

The food packages and the diaper box I designed myself with images found on Google.

 It was super easy and fast to do.  My coworker loved it.  I hope her child can appreciate it too when she grows up :)

The final touch for the ballet studio

This was the only thing that the ballet studio was lacking: a ballet barre!

I wanted to order a custom-made one, but in the end I finally decided to try and make it myself.  It was easier than I thought.

My coworker Carlos cut the wood for the bases for me.  Then I drilled some holes on them, as well as in the wood sticks:

My husband's drilling tool came in handy!

Then I used a couple of toothpicks to hold the side bars in place:

Then came the gluing, painting and staining part, and voilà!

I think it looks very nice!

The studio finally has all the furniture that it needs! 

Also, this beauty arrived all the way from Italy:

It is the child of Minimariba.  Her shop is full of beautifully made dresses and shoes.  Go check her out!  Also, see the tiny ballet box? That is a free printable from Zena Miniatures, so go and grab it right now!  And, this is the most amazing thing ever:

A box of convertible ballet tights!  Just when I think I cannot find anything else for the ballet studio, I find the most incredible things!  Also the creation of Zena.

Love the ballet studio!

Interlude: Stand for the soap shop

The soap shop is a project that goes on and off depending on my mood.  

After the haberdashery shop was complete, I knew almost inside out Zenas Miniature website, and upon searching for printables, I found a lovely product line called Aqua Spa.  And it being in a beautiful shade of turquoise, I simply had to have it for the soap shop.  Last saturday I purchased it, and I spent a couple of days crafting a display stand to showcase the products with the help of Corel Draw.  It only took four tries (it would have been three if I had not messed up the cutting of the last one) for it to be just perfect.

Today I finished up the mounting of the boxes, and I love the finished look of the set up:

Lots of self-care goodies!

The shop is coming along great...

The aquarium with the jellyfish has moved to Kassandra's new house.  She says everybody should have an aquarium in their home.  Hopefully the work there will resume this weekend...