Natural history cabinet project

Do you know the curiosities table Kassandra has in the drawing room?  I wanted to do a natural history cabinet after seeing this magnificient piece of furniture from The Miniature Maker:

I fell in love!  But I wanted to make my own, so I searched for an empty, unfinished cabinet to use.  I finally got one from Beautifully Handmade on eBay:

As you can see, it is a very modern style, but the antique looking ones were out of my desired price range.  So, I started by staining it with a Scalecolor ink (I used the Inktense Chestnut shade), and let it dry.  I love how intense and soft the color of this shade is; and then I replaced the wood knobs by brass handles, to give it a more antique look:

Finished this, my favorite part started: assigning a theme to each drawer and designing them.  Originally I wanted to divide the drawers with wood slots as the original one has, but I finally decided that that would rest space for the collection, as the drawers are not that big, so I decided against it; and instead, I was content to line the drawers with textile-textured scrapbook paper:

Trying out the pattern

Lined drawers

Pattern for the big drawers

Final look

So awesome!  Now the real fun begins: the collections for the drawers!  I started with some minerals and gems.  Some I had around; some others were kindly donated by a co-worker.  I wanted to do just one drawer, but I ended up doing two because I liked so many of them I could not fit them all in just one.  I organized them, and then I started making little labels to identify each of them.  The labels come from Vectoria Designs, simply reduced to the minimum expression.  Even though once printed the lettering was not readable, I assure you each of them has the name of the specimen, a date, and whether or not they are donated and by whom.

Trying out the labels

Aren't they amazingly pretty?

Two done, four to go!  The next one had to be, of course, marine specimens!  I used real tiny shells, and I glued a faux pearl to one of them to simulate an oyster.

Spell under the sea!

The next one came as a surprise.  I was talking to another co-worker about this project, saying I wanted to try and find real fossils for one of the drawers, and she was so generous to offer to donate a real fossil she found in a trip when she was cursing her biology degree.  Naturally, I accepted immediately!  It was a little big for a 1:12 scale standard, but there are big size fossils too in real life:

It fitted just well enough!

See the label attached to the back of the drawer?

On to the next one.  This time, butterflies!  I found a very pretty butterfly classification chart, and searched for suitable pictures of each one that I liked.  Then I made the labels with the common name, the scientific name, and the distribution of each species.  It was a challenge to cut and glue each one!  I even added little antennae using the bristles of a toothbrush, which I painted black:

And, there is one drawer left!  This one is going to have a collection of bird eggs.  But, since I have to sculpt and paint each egg by hand, I still haven't started with them, since it is going to be time consuming.  But I wanted to share what I have thus far.  

More pictures when I finish the last drawer!

Working in the soap shop

As I have said before, the work in this shop goes in batches!

For one reason or another, I always take up the work when I am on holidays.  This time was no exception, and so I started working on the little heart soaps:

Made of polymer clay and sitting in black-painted wood bowls.  The little basket has little shell soaps made with this mold.

I also printed (finally!) the designs of the towel boxes and the sheet boxes - they had been finished for ages, but I had never tried them out, to see if they fit into each other.  I had to fix the top of the towel box, but the rest was perfect!  I made the towels with printable cotton paper, rolled them and displayed them in the box - I even covered the window with a bit of plastic.  The little boxes have an Art Decó style design; I found them on Google - they are real vintage shell soap boxes, which could not be any more adecuate.  I simply cleaned the lines and reduced the size on Photoshop:

Then, more little bath bottles!  This time in green, and with a label for the Absinthe collection; and a couple of jars with bath salts (it is really salt, painted with a chalk); I love the little bows and the labels:

And here are images of everything in their final places:

I also made a little decoration for the round display, which I think gives it more character than just having it painted all white:

I do not have any decorative washi tape, so I made the decoration simply with Corel, and printed it.  I love that you cannot say it is just printed paper, even from a close distance!

The shop continues to grow, slowly but surely!

Absinthe journal

Following up the re-discovered love for absinthe, I took the time to make myself an absinthe journal.  This is something that I have wanted to do for some time, but did not know how.  Now that I have dedicated some time to scrapbooking, my experience crafting journals is limited, but I am able to do something pretty and fun.

I used a botanical drawing of Artemisia absinthum for the cover:

The font is Aquiline 2, and I used the same green shade as the one in the wormwood leaves.  Here are some inside pages:

Wormwood Society logo

Some of the sections on the journal

It is mainly blank pages, with some sections, as you can see in the pics.  I have already started writing in it, and it is truly a pleasure. 

Absinthe makes a comeback

It was a loooong time since I dedicated a post to absinthe.  

Recently I started perusing the webs again for old absinthe friends, and found the Wormwood Society on Facebook, as well as a page for Absinthe Originals.  I lost no time in requesting membership, and it was graciously granted.

I shared this pic of a marvelous absinthe spoon made by the talented Nalladris:

It measures about 1 cm, and it is made of sterling silver.

I was happy to see that people was very accepting and engaging on Facebook posts, so in the last days I have made a re-connection to all things absinthe.  I started ordering a new absinthe bottle (Francois Guy), a spoon and a mini-spoon keyring from Absinthes.com; it followed an order from Absinthe Originals; this time, a Losanges 37 spoon:

Picture from the Absinthe Originals website

Then, the book Absinthe Antiques by Scott MacDonald - which is beautiful to look at.  And thanks to Facebook, I have found a vendor that had my much sought-after Cordon glass (on its way here).  And today I was very bad, and purchased a new book and two more antiques - more info on that when they arrive...

The thing is, I love absinthe spoons, but I barely use them anymore - I like my absinthe now without any sugar.  But they are so lovely that I wanted a way to display and enjoy them.  Up until this weekend, they were sitting inside an spoon holder (a pewter goblet I purchased in Virginia).  But I had an idea that would make a pretty and affordable display to showcase them.

I went to the equivalent of a dollar tree store, and bough a picture frame meant for photographs - you display them by hanging them in a cord with clothespins; well, I removed the cords, and covered the bottom of the frame with adhesive cork sheets:

And used brass tacks to hold the spoons in place.  I wanted to be able to remove them, for show or for using to drink a glass of absinthe - one never knows.

Trying out the brass tacks

It was easy and simple.  I just hammered them down a bit - since the spoons are not heavy at all, the tacks did not even pass the back part of the frame.  And lo and behold, I loved how it turned out!

You can see the new Losanges spoon at the bottom

I love the organic feeling of the cork.  Absinthe bottles are always closed with cork, so that is a bonus!

I am currently working on a hand-made journal for all things absinthe.  More on that very soon!

Customized closet

I love me some vacation time!  It gives me the opportunity of having some crafting time  :)

Today I made something that I had forgotten I wanted to do; but I was doing some back up on my computer and found the file I needed to use by chance.

I had seen this beautiful Tuscan cabinet in Lilliput's Treasure shop.  I have a closet in my dollhouse that is almost the same model, and I wanted to do something similar.  I searched online for wood panels, and found something that was similar in style.  So this is the before:

And this is the after:

I love how it turned out!!  The image is a Parisienne fresco found on Google (distressed green with red).  It is something very subtle, but it gives character to the closet.  Here is a detail:

And the closet in its place in the room:

Wonderful!!

Tom Bishop's Show 2018

Once more, I am back from another Tom Bishop's Show!

Even though my mom and I had a great time, I was kind of sad that each year less and less artisans are showing up to showcase their work.  We have a lot of national miniaturists, but I miss some great names that we had in the past, and that they say they are too busy, or it is not worthy anymore for them to come.

I am glad I have their websites, and some of their pieces, and that I can write an email and I can have another piece of art from them.  But I miss to chat with them, and see in real life all the beauty of their work.  

Anyway, here are this year's founds:

A candle and a dome glass by 64tnt Miniatures

A Christmas wreath by Miniaturas PQF

A toiletry bottle kit by ViliaMiniatures

A trunk kit and a dominoes kit by Cinderella

Hardware for the trunk by Bindels Ornaments

A glass funnel by Beatricce Miniatures

A resting cat and silver handles by Chic Dollhouse

Hopefully there will be more next year.  Oh, the plans I have for the trunk...!  I cannot wait to start!!