My Wizard's Conservatory

 

With Halloween approaching fast, I thought it would be a perfect time to share with you all some photos of my latest wizard project. It is a small project which I work on mainly in our Bear Cabin Miniatures Dolls House Club. We sell these kits in our shop and I had taken quite a fancy to one, so here it is being transformed into a conservatory fit for a wizard! I hope you'll enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoy making it.

 

The basic kit is very simple to put together. It simply screws together and the roof is hinged, though I decided to leave the roof and back unscrewed whilst I stained and aged it all, simply because it was easier to get to all the corners that way.

 

 

 

I then enlisted Hywel's help to put down one of his realistic looking floors inside the conservatory and once dry, I painted and aged it all through, so that it looked old and worn in places.

 

 

 

When that was all done, it was time to begin on the vines that will eventually crawl over the majority of the walls and roof. This was perfect as a club project, so I took some materials down to our monthly meeting and we had great fun in the club making all sorts of fabulous vines for our various houses.

 

 

 

 

I also began work on staining and aging a couple of chairs to make them look old and used!

 

 

 

 

Once that was all done, I added some gorgeous plant pots which had been a lucky find at the Thame Dolls House Fair and one of my own pumpkins.

 

 

 

 

The look I wanted to achieve in here is now staring to pull together, though I do have to finish the vines. I will then pop a wizard into one of those chairs and I think he should have a good book to read as he sits back in this special little Wizards Conservatory.

 

Julia xxx

 

 

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The Tower

As you all now know, this year you can follow our creation a 'Good Witch' Tower in the AIM Magazine

We are thrilled at being asked to do a regular monthly slot and the series will begin with the kit review. We have purchased a Dolls House Emporium Gatehouse Kit for this, of course, we wouldn't be Bearcabinminiatures if we didn't alter it a little to make it into The Tower! :) The series will follow the construction, decoration and furnishing of the Tower, with everything handmade or adapted by ourselves or fellow AIM members. I have all my plans and ideas laid out, I just have to get busy making them all now!

I will be working on the Tower regularly throughout the month, but I won't be sharing until the articles are out in the AIM Magazine and then I will do a little 'extra' 'Tower' post here :)

So, to wet your appetite, here are a couple of special items that will feature in the Tower...

The AIM magazine is published for free online at the beginning of every month, I will give you all a gentle reminder when it's out :)

Hope you all have a great weekend,

Julia xxx 

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It's a little quiet around here!

It's a little quiet around here lately....

The doors are firmly shut....



and the wizards look as if there is a plan afoot....



Aunt Agatha is on her travels somewhere...

and over at Gertie's, one of the dragon's is anticipating great fun ahead...

Whilst the other is mediating and hoping for peace and quiet...

So what's happening at Hazel Hill to cause all this whispering and travelling?? Some new building work is on it's way, I think... :0)

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Apologies for my lack of substance to my posts lately, my posts of late have been quick and really just to say thanks to all you wonderful people out there for sending me gifts :0) The reason for me being quiet of late is that over christmas I was put on new medication for my illness and it wasn't that great in terms of side effects.. I spent alot of time resting up and just chatting on FB, or trying to manage with day to day household stuff and just 'dressing' some little bits for me. But, the medication worked (fingers crossed) and I am feeling better each day :) I am also now on a new Elimination Diet, which is quite an experience LOL

But, I do have plans afoot and very soon you will see the beginings of a new project, which I am really excited about and I hope you will be too. Hubby and I have spent the whole weekend putting together the plans for this new project, which will run throughout the year alongside my other projects and interests. Hubby don't half come out with some ideas!! LOL

Here is a sneek preview of a little added extra that hubby dreamt up ...

I'm hoping that those of you that can, will get involved again, as you did with Gertie's Cottage last year and there will be plenty of 'what do you think of this...' and 'do you want to swap....' posts for us all to have some fun with.


:0)

Julia xxxx


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A deserted Wizards and Wands Bookstore?

Its very quiet by the Wizards and Wands Bookstore!!
The lights are on....














There is a new delivery of wands and candles to be put away.....

but the shop is deserted!!

But.. wait... I spot Christmas Decorations....

and a Wizardly Old Santa arriving....

It must be the Wizards and Wands Christmas Party...... :)

Poor Aunt Agatha just dropped her book in surprise...

everybody has gathered here....

Little Maddy has her new bear ....

Sambucus Spearwort and Wizard Polemonium are arguing over which cake to eat first.....



and Gertie has brought her favourite pet Dragon to the party and is chatting to Aunt Agatha....



So I think a good time is being had by all...

Merry Christmas from my Wizards and Witches at Hazel Hill and thank you for all your comments and encouragement over the past year on their antics :)


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A cosy room above the Maysage and Birch Store

I have been busy editing photos today for a special something ( more on that in December) and whilst trawling through my photo albums I found these from last week and thought you might like a look :0)

It's the little room above the Maysage and Birch Store. It is meant to be a little cosy staff room, so that the storekeeper can put her feet up at the end of a busy day :)

Remember that old, dirty battered dresser I bought from an antique shop some months ago? Well, it didn't end up going in Gertie's cottage because it just didn't match.... so it has sat, hidden away in a box until now! I think it looks perfect in this room along with the little whitewood sideboard which I have stained with a dark Jacobean Oak Woodstain.

Then there is a comfy chair by the fire... which needed one of my squishy, comfy cushions :)

And a pretty little wall hanging..... and that is as far as I have got with my little staff room above my little store :)

I hope you like it :)

Julia xxx

Steps up to Maysage and Birch

My little Maysage and Birch shop is raised up next to Wizards and Wands. Underneath, hubby is going to do a little bank, but that is his project, so I'm to stay away from it LOL But I thought I would show you some pics of the steps up to my little shop that hubby has made involving art mache, wood, card and a lot of swearing!!!! From him, may I add !!

Bear in mind, he never waits for me to take photos, so I have to catch him off guard....

He made the front wall of the bank and attached the steps to it using wood for stability and cardboard for the bendy bits. Under the steps will be an arch shaped doorway...

Then he covered everything in Art Mache so that it blends in with the walls of the Bookstore and Maysage.

Then he toddled off to work..... and I interfered and painted it!! hee hee

He did approve when he got home ! :) LOL

Julia xxx

Playing around with Ideas ~ A Wizards Store Sweet Shop?

With this photo, I'm sure lots of you will recognise our tentative steps a couple of years ago into the world of Wizards and Magic, with the creation of our first ever Wizards Shop! Well, this shop has been on sale then off sale and has sat in the under stairs cupboard awaiting a decision on what it will become.

Now I have been thinking..... that the little village at Hazel Hill needs a little Wizardly Sweet Shop, so I am playing around with the idea of making this Wizards Store into a sweet shop... what do you think?

I already have a sink, for the sweet maker to use and I could get hubby to make a little table for the sweet preparation bottles and bowls.

There are lots of shelves already in. so these could be filled with boxes of candy fingers and Spidey cakes!

But... hubby reckons I should take the skele shelf holders out, as they don't fit with a soft and gooey shop!!... But, I like them!! So they could stay and perhaps get a bit of candyfloss hair to soften them up? :)

So here I am... playing around with ideas.... of how to wave a magic wand and make our lovely Wizards Shop's stark interior turn into something all soft, gooey and wizardly edible :)

....and now I must fly, for I have an article to write!!

Have a great day,
Julia xxx

Haunted House Online Party ~ Gertie's Little Halloween Bash and Giveaway draw

Come with me.... down to the bottom of Hazel Hill...

 past the pumpkins...

over the bridge.....

Oh look... there is Pumpinella bringing her best pumpkin cake to the party...

Let's glance through the window....Gertie has been busy baking sweets and cakes...

Even the dragons and owls are joining in the fun....

Through the door and everyone is here.....

There is Pumpinella, Mischievous Maddy, Hubbywitch and Aunt Agatha all joining Gertie in the fun....

Now Pumpinella has been given the very important job of holding the bowl with all the Giveaway names...

and Mischievous Maddy is pulling the name out for the draw....

and the winner is ......

Dark Squirrel Victoria   :0)

and because Maddy is very mischievous indeed, she reckoned 269 followers was close enough to 275 so she pulled out a second name for a smaller prize.....
and that is ...

Jane at Witchery Grove  :0)

Congratulations to Victoria for winning the main giveaway of the little sampler and congratulations to Jane for winning the 'extra' draw, I will send you a little surprise something.
Please could both of you email me with your addresses. Thank you to everybody who joined in and left comments, I had heaps of entries and our little Meg had fun pulling the name out and yes, she is the real mischievous one who said there had to be two names drawn! LOL

So, let's leave the girls to their party food now...

and pop over to see what the boys are up to at Wizards and Wands...

Hmnn... as I thought, they are about to tuck into my Spidey cake!

Now I'm off over to Kat's to see everyone else's Halloween online parties :0)

Happy Halloween to you all

Thank you for coming, I hope you have enjoyed our week of Halloween :0)

Julia and Hywel xxx