Muggle Magic Swap Unboxing

I've been following an amazing youtube channel called Muggle Magic hosted by Danny.  He shares Harry Potter themed tutorials/DIY's mainly focused on replica papercrafts, though he has shared other projects as well.  The best part is he shares most of his stunning files for all to print and enjoy!  (WB has restricted his sharing, but he still has some alterable files and does regular give-a-ways of what he makes.)

I found I just had to contacted him to inquire about doing a craft swap with my mom and I, and...I just received my box from him!  Prepare to be amazed! (Sorry, it's a bit pic heavy.)



The project that really struck me was his version of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Playing Cards.  His attention to detail on this deck showed not only his love of Rowling's magical world, but also his knowledge of muggle card tricks and of proper poker decks construction.  :)  (I have found memories of  my granddad teaching me a couple card tricks when I was young, so I appreciate the art.)  His version of the deck not only fixed many of the mistakes made in the licensed version, but even included optional trick cards, which is something the Weasley Twins would of course had to have in theirs.  He does a side-by-side comparison, if you want to see all the ways that the licensed version was goofed up.  Then, Danny went and had his version professionally printed!   I have collected card decks for years, and this one is my absolute favorite now.  The deck shown here is the professional version we received in the swap.



Also included was a colorful copy of the replica Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Product Catalog.  Here is a pic of the cover and another inside page spread.  I believe there are 12 pages including the covers.  You can see the rest at his channel.



Here is a close up of the details.  Believe me, they look even better in person!



Another simple astounding project he shared was a full-size replica Marauder's Map!  THis is a huge undertaking!  This one is also more accurate to the movie version, than the licensed Noble version which also seem to have minor errors.  Frankly, this is the best version I have seen.  He also did a mod of the Noble version to fix some of the issues and add to it.



I really love Danny's alternate cover hidden behind the other.  This 2nd image is what Snape saw when he tried to read the map.  Such a nice addition!  It also includes lots of flaps hiding footprints of some of the more prominent characters and even show them in appropriate locations.  He plans to add more features in the future, like pop-up staircases, etc...



If that wasn't enough for our swap box, he also included a fully readable Quibbler!  The illustrations in this are amazing!  So much to look at!  You should definitely go check it out!



Even includes the Spectre Specs inside.  :)  Though, for display I may replace the glasses included with the modded version I created with ChromaDepth lenses.  Will be fun to see what the glasses do to the colorful images in there.  :)



Here is another surprise item we received.  A Borgin and Burkes Product Catalog with all the creepy items they have available for your Dark Arts needs.  :)  I still can't get over the detail in these items.  Again, you can see the full version on his channel.



To me, the hand of glory has always been the most fascinating item in their shop.  Wonder how much one of those would set me back?  :)



And, being a Ravenclaw, I just adore this Hogwarts composition book alteration.  Just have to keep it away from the daughter and rest of our family!  LOL  (I borrowed the quill and bird from the daughter for the pic.)  :)



The book even includes replacement end sheets in front and back.  Better get my name in there quick before someone claims it!



Just when I though I had reached the end, I also found some smaller items like a SPEW flyer, Detention Notice for Harry, Time Table, and a teeny tiny Marauder's Map hidden in the book!  That Map!  It's so cute!!  :)

I'm so pleased with all of it.  I hope Danny is equally pleased with what we sent.  Can't wait to display everything proudly in our HP shelves!  We sent some plush house elves and a few bits and bobs. You can view the unboxing of what I sent to him on Youtube.  Or, you can check out his pics on Instagram.

Hogwart's Letter and Sealing Wax Recipe

For 6 years I have been meaning to revisit Hogwart's Acceptance Letters.  I wanted to improve on the old design I had created here.  It would involve making my own envelopes as well as improving my wax seal.

It's strange that the version of the letter MinaLima sells as a replica print is different than the one pictured in the film.  It is suppose to be handwritten script, which is even different from the writing in the book.  :/  I went with the MinaLima version, since it was easiest to replicate when they use mostly existing graphic elements for their work.  I found a free font online that someone had made, but it is a bit pixelated looking, and missing some characters, like the hyphen.  So I attempted to trace and replace the letters and add in the missing ones.  I was also able to find a decent picture of the envelope front and back to get the logo and some of the address letters from.  I will try to get some pics of the letter soon.

But, for now,  I wanted to share the envelope and sealing wax.

I found a recipe for making DIY sealing wax melting together crayons and hot glue.  That's it.  Just these two in the right quantities works great! I then use a little gold Rub n' Buff to highlight it.

So, I made myself a sealing station using some things I found 2nd hand.  Found an cast iron candle holder (I think).  The tea light sitting in it puts off just the right amount of heat to melt, but not overcook the wax in the pots.  The pots were something I already had, but never found a use for til now.  The seals themselves are made from polymer clay, for now.  I glued them to champagne corks with E-6000 to make it easier to hold.  It helps to rub with a little cooking oil or water before pressing in the wax, to prevent it from sticking.

I melted the wax/glue into pots and poured that into tiny molds to make small melts that measure about a teaspoon, which is more than enough to make a seal.  This makes it much easier to use than the stick I originally made using tin foil as a mold.  The stick tended to catch fire and fall on the paper, singeing it.  To seal an envelope, I remelt the wax melts in a spoon over the candle (takes about 2-4 minutes) and pour onto the envelope.  I can also dip small bottles into the jars to seal the bottles.  

This is such a great use for all the old broken crayons the daughter brings home at the end of the school year.  And also use up the large gluesticks I have accumulated, but don't have a gun for.

Crafting Update - Yes, I'm still alive!

It's been a while since I've posted some of my crafts on here.  Been busy working on new things, just finding it difficult to get pics and share them before we are off creating something else.  It really has been easier to just share WIP pics on Facebook.  THough I may contininue to post the WIP's on Facebook, I do plan to still share more elaborate posts and tutorials here.  They don't get lost as easily.

Most of what you will see on our craft tables is Harry Potter related at the moment.  (Sorry to those here for other crafting.  I will get back to other things, eventually.)  Been helping my mom make her magical creatures and also decorations for our annual parties.  Here are a few things we've been working on that I will hopefully be elaborating on more in later posts:

Improved Kreacher House Elf

We've been making improvements to the houses elves, especially Kreacher.  Really liking the expression we can get from them.  :)  We are currently working on custom eyes for them.  It is so hard to find the right eye and they can be crazy expensive. (like $20 a pair!)  The tutorial that I've been promising for so long is still just nearly finished.  The eyes, and face in general, are what is keeping it from being available.  I hate to share it and then change what we do.  This not only confuses user, it makes it frustrating for me to have to keep track of the versions. But, when we are satisfied with them, we will be sharing our techniques.


Fantastic Beast Planner/Journal/Coloring Book...and other items




This was a huge undertaking for a craft swap.  I decided to try it because my mom and sis also wanted one to use.  It was a lot of fun researching planner.  I still would like to make some changes and add more things.  We are thinking of making an HP themed one, too.  I'm sharing the pages I created for those who would like them.  Just ask.  I will add a link to the post coming up.

Various Papercrafts




Like the MACUSA Wand Permit bookmark included in the pic of the FB Journal Swap, I've been making some random printed props.  Improved our Chocolate Frog box and Wizard Card Template as well as redesigning the bottom of our Bertie Box and a new Eyelops Owl Treat box for our tiny macrame Hedwigs.  These are great for our parties as well as to add to swaps and along with purchases of our creatures.  We never know what little extra tidbit we will throw in on a whim.  :)

Future plans include more magical creatures.  First up will most likely be a Murtlap and a revisit on our Doxies to look more like the FB movie version.  Somewhere in there I will also be trying to make new costuming for faire and add some new improvements to our Yurt.  Wish me time and luck!  :)

Our Yule Ball - 4th Year Hogwart's Party

Had a FANTASTIC weekend!  Just wrapped up our 4th annual Harry Potter themed party.  We hosted a Yule Ball to celebrate two of our family members b-days.  Also got to go see the new "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" movie!  Thought I would give a quick preview of all the stuff we made and received at the party. My sis and her daughter overwhelmed us with some of their awe-inspiring creativity!!! (I'll probably post some more better pics when the dust settles.



As we have done for the past three years, we decorated the whole house Hogwart's style.  And, each year the theme and activities of the party match the corresponding book.  This year was all about the Tri-wizard cup, Yule Ball and Mad Eye Moody.  :)  We had a DADA earthworm fountain, foe-glass dark detector, goblet of fire for choosing champions, and much more!



We made a couple golden dragon eggs.  I used paper mache over an 8 inch tall plastic egg.  The top clasp is polymer clay.  I wanted to make it open, but found it to be too complicated for the time I had to make it.  But, I may go back and cut one of them open at a later date.



My mom and I also worked on our first attempt at a Grindylow.  He was a mixture of a couple of our patterns for the gnome head and the house elf's jointed arms.  The tentacles were a big challenge.  We plan to go back and make another slightly larger version with larger tentacles and head.



Since this was first and foremost a Yule Ball, we spent a great deal of time turning our Great Hall into silver dance hall with decorations and lighting.  :)  We taped silver wrapping paper to the walls and made faux ice castle sculptures out of plastic beverage containers and icicle lights.  We also had an extensive wizard rock and HP parody playlist for the evening.  (If you'd like to hear some of the songs:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5bioASvRaQqMoQGlhpkkf6ne3L2xv3ZL)

Since Harry receive b-day cakes from all his friends while Dudley was on a diet, we asked the guest to bring 3 cup cake each for a competition.  One for each birthday person and one for a "cake walk" or exchange where they could receive a different cake.  We had some really clever submissions.  (I will get the pics soon.)

One of the last tasks we planned was a "Pin the Nose on Voldemort" or "You Nose Who".  We had guests stick it to Voldemort by hanging two laminated Voldy Faces on the wall with a selection of noses to pin him with. (Will get pics.)



For the last task, I drew up a quick Ministry banner on brown paper for above our cemetery laden mantle.  (This awesome instant cemetery is the work of Crafterella.  I received it in a craft swap a few years ago, and I just love it.)

And, speaking of craft swap, we received the craziest, coolest, most amazing items from my sis and her daughter this year!



They made us a faux stain glass mermaid window like the one in the Prefects' Bathroom.  It is so cool!  They used Gallery Glass on a textured plexiglass.



And this amazing piece!  I'm still reeling from this one!  I've wanted the hog-headed pumpkin juice pitcher since I saw it in the first movie!  She did an unbelievable job on the head details!!  :O



She even had the time to make us a textbook cd box which is perfect for our growing Wizard Rock and Audiobook collections!  We were so spoiled this year!



My sis also made some Mad Eye Moody Eyes!  She even had the thought to make a spare one removable so we can put it on the door for year seven.

So many wonderful creations.  My niece even made us another baby dragon to go with the other I posted before.  (I will get pics up when I get a chance.)  I loved everything so much.  We definitely had Xmas early this year!  (Notice the bowtruckle in there? See below.)



If you saw the bowtruckle in the book pic above, it was my first attempt at Pickett as soon as we got back from the movie.  LOL  He is simply made by cutting/wrapping a couple flower stems I had in my craft stash.  We call him "Stick-ett" (Pickett's cousin).  I did make a more detailed one for my sis later that day using wire, tape and fabric paint.  I will hopefully get some pics of that one soon.  Until then, have a Harry Holiday!

If you want to see more cool stuff, please go check out my sis's facebook page, Creepy Creations.  Jamie makes some really awesome Halloween themed stuff, too!

New Witch BOO'ts for 2014 painted by J.Moore of Creepy Creations!

Not only is this pair the first witch BOO'ts finished this year, they are the first matching set of small boots, as well as the first collaboration with my sister, Jamie Moore of Creepy Creations.  My mom and I sculpted this small set for Jamie to paint for a commission.  I then helped put some finishing touches on them.

 

There are two scenes that mirror each other on each boot.  One side is of a witch holding a spider in front of a cat.

The other is a graveyard scene with an owl in a tree and a cat sitting on a tombstone.



For this set I added brass eyelets to the lace holes, which I don't normally do.  It's difficult to get them in those tight spots and tough on my hands.  (You probably won't see these eyelets on many of my pieces.)  I then tea stained some tiny lace for the lacing trying to match the antique white of the moons.  The ends of the laces were wrapped in masking tape and dipped in a metallic gold fabric paint to make them look like metal tips.  I couldn't find a gold to match the eyelets, so I mixed black with the bright gold.  It ended up a pleasantly close match.



Jamie is planning to paint some more witch BOO'ts in the future.  We've been talking of doing more collaborative work together.  So, keep an eye on her Etsy shop, Creepy Creations.  You may see a large boot, another small pair, or even an adorable ornament size we're working on.  Can't wait to see how they turn out.

I also hope to have a pair of small Witch BOO'ts and a shoe available in my own shop this week.  Just need to do some finishing touches.  Wish me luck!  I'll post here on my blog when I do.

Viking Inspired Helmets in Paper Mache

I've been so busy that I failed to share some costume helmets made for a viking themed party we attended back in December.  They were fun to make....and in no way historically accurate.



First, the helmets are made from cereal boxes and paper mache painted with acrylic paint and decorated.  I love working with cereal boxes.  You'll probably notice I use them frequently.  They're just so darn convenient and easy to work with.

 

My helmet was painted silver and light blue to match the tabistry corset I wore with it.  (Sorry I didn't get any pics of the outfit.  I just used pieces from my ren faire wardrobe and fashioned an apron dress out of an old tan rayon tank dress I had.)



Of course our helmets had to have the obnoxious horns, which are formed from wadded up newspaper taped with masking tape before paper maching.  I painted my horns off white and stained them brown.  Then, I applied a thick coat of translucent fabric paint that made them shiny, rubbery and GLOW-IN-THE-DARK!  Afterall, what's a party costume that doesn't glow.  :)



Then, I made a friend a custom bunny-eared hat inspired by her nickname.  Yes, it appears to be a steampunk robot bunny viking hat!  Hehe

 

I used some white faux fur and pink velvet scraps for the ears, and embellished the hat with painted hot glue rivets and some silver rimmed pink jewels



The last and largest hat was for Mr. Sam.  His has a purple and black glitter swirl and striped horns that also glow-in-the-dark.  It was quite the sight to see.

In true viking style, we also raided another party, actually a masquerade birthday ball, the same night before heading over to meet up with the other vikings.  We got a few stares.  LOL!  Hope to wear these again for other parties.  I want to eventually make matching shields and sword, but I didn't have time for this event.  Hopefully I will get caught up on other projects to share on here.  In the mean time, keep being crafty!

Miss Witch's Ogrehide Witch BOO't available in time for Halloween

Miss Witch's Ogrehide Boots

Miss Witch met an ogre named Clyde,
who quite unexpectedly died.
He was useless in life.
Always caused others strife.
But, his hide made fine boots when dried.

Miss Witch then went for a ride
in her new boots of green ogrehide.
She blushed top to bottom
when asked where she got'em.
"Off an ogre named Clyde", she replied.

by mieljolie, ©2012



New Witch BOO't finished and available on Etsy!  This is a small sized one standing about 8" tall and 7.5" long and is painted to look like an ogre's hide all stitched up into a boot.  It has an eye peeking out on one side and a colorful spider on the other with a few flies landing everywhere on the sides and tongue. 


There are two more flies on the tongue in front.  I used a brown nylon cord for the lace. I had thought about using a color that would match the bright green stitches, but decided the brown would tie in the tree stump heel better.

Close up detail of the spider and a fly on the left side and of the eye on the right side. (Click images to see larger versions)  I think I've been inspired a lot by the many spiders we seem to be finding around our house these days.  We've seen orb weavers, wolf spiders, cob web or house spiders, and our family favorites the many colors of jumping spider, among others.  Jumping spiders are the only ones we allow to stay inside.  The are fairly harmless, secluded, and territorial.  So, they keep all the other creepy crawlies at bay. The rest get cupped up and sent back out to the "wild".

It was rather relaxing (and just a wee bit tedious) painting all the stitches.  I may revisit this theme again in the future.  But perhaps in a more deliberate symetrical fashion or just on portions of a boot. 

I'll be trying to finish up some larger BOO'ts next along with some costuming.  One boot may have a haunted house theme.  Hope to have at least one more completed by Halloween.  **Knocks on ogre-hide boot's faux wood heel**  ;)