From the Dragonkeeper

Lucian 'the Dragonkeeper', as he is known by his friends and enemies, keeps in scarce contact this time of year. Knowing that it is the time of year the dragons hatch their young he's wise to do so. None can get close to the nest of a dragon like Lucian and fewer have a scorched tale to tell of failed dragon egg theft. He has a sort of knack for it and if you're in the need of a dragon egg then there's only one wizard to go to.

Draco Niveus - the dragons of the Nordic mountains... Draco Serpens which slither in the low black rocks of China... Draco Albion - the great beasts of the British Isles... name any of the seven species of dragon and Lucian knows where and how to steal their young. 

Enough about the sordid Dragon Trade. If you want a crate of eggs you know who to come to. I am selling them in store now.

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Interested in the making of? I blogged about them a few weeks ago here, and it's worth remembering that a full tutorial will be available towards the end of this year in a miniaturist magazine (I'll say who and when nearer the time). ;)

Sorting through my Hats!

Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin... which Hogwart house will you be sorted into? Find out by purchasing a Sorting Hat from me, handmade in one inch scale.

I don't usually make 'Harry Potter' themed miniatures, preferring to make miniatures based on my own characters, such as 'Myrtle the Witch', but I started making a limited run of these for a fantasy fair here in LA and they've been so popular!

I'm making a couple more for my Pixie Dust Miniatures Etsy shop so if you're a Harry Potter fan then how about a perfectly tiny little Sorting Hat in miniature?!

Fantasy at the Fair

I mentioned in my last post that I'd share photos of the fun fantasy fair I took part in over the weekend. It wasn't a miniature convention, but one for fantasy enthusiasts, particularly of the Harry Potter variety.

It was held at a brilliant store here in LA called 'Whimsic Alley' on Wilshire Blvd. This buzzing marketplace of muggles is what LA Weekly referred to as the "best substitute for Diagon Alley", in 2009.

Here are some photos of my table in the Great Hall, which incidentally had floating candles beneath a sky facade. Absolutely brilliant! I've also included two snaps of my prep for the fair - posters and signs... ;)

Making Fairytale Jewelry

I usually only exhibit at miniature shows for serious miniature collectors, but this weekend just gone I was pursuaded to participate in a fantasy fair in Hollywood. It was great fun and I met some cool people. I took some of my fairytale jewellery (or jewelry in US English). There were tiny glass jars of Floo Powder as pendants, magical toadstool earrings in numerous colours, and jack o lantern pendants as well as the Leprechaun shoe range. They sold well and I'll list the leftovers at my Pixie Dust Miniatures online store.

I also made Sorting Hats just for this fair. I sold a few but there are 3 left over so will either list them online or feel free to email me to order one direct. (I'm offering a 5% discount on these hats to those who order directly from me and pay via PayPal instead of going through Etsy).

Will share photos of the fair tomorrow. :)

The Potion Table

For those of you that read my personal blog or like my personal page on Facebook, you will know that I just got back from 8 days in the UK. Had a wonderful time catching up with family and eating good food despite the sad reason for my trip (it was to attend the funeral of my grandfather).

Whilst adjusting to jet-lag, I decided to list my very special Potion Table. I made it to a very high standard as a piece to take to the Good Sam Show in Chicago later in the year (this amazing show demands the very best in quality) but decided to list it at my online Pixie Dust Miniatures shop and make similar tables for the show. It's not until October after all.

This table is in one inch scale. It was hand-painted in layers of black and 'duck egg' paint, aged and filled with all sorts of gorgeous items (everything is attached).

The Potion Table includes:
three hand-blown glass vessels (two of which were stained-glass painted by myself),
eleven different handmade potion bottles,
six handmade spellbooks,
aged scrolls,
a golden key,
a signature / trademark Pixie Dust Miniatures dotted spoon
and spell-tags on golden or silk threads. 

Have a look at all the photos below. It's very hard to capture on film, but when the sunlight touches the little glass potion bottles they cast tiny rainbows of light on the surrounding area. I tried to show this in the first photo below.

This Potion Table available for sale here.

Potions, Tonics, Ointments and Poisons...

I hope people have great little spellrooms / witch towers / apothecaries.... because you can now have quite well-stocked shelves....!

I have just finished listing 11 kinds of potions at my online Pixie Dust Miniatures shop.

From Love Ointment, Envy Antidote, Bottled Fame and Eternity Potion..... you'll find it all in the new Potions Range here at Pixie Dust!

Each bottle is carefully made by me using a glass base, mixed media and finished with a brush of gold / bronze of silver-tone dust. They are in one inch scale, but look carefully at the Potion Chart below and you'll see that some are significantly smaller than others and could work in a half inch (1:24) scale scene.

As an introductory offer, all potions are 10% off for today only. This offer expires at this time (noon PST) tomorrow. Click to this section of my shop, click to buy potions and then enter the code: POTION before you pay and 10% will be deducted from your potions (but not shipping).
Coupon only applies to potion bottles, not on other miniatures.

Thank you!

My Workspace - Potion Room

Hi everyone,

What a crazy day in LA! It's pouring with rain - big, fat, heavy rain, whilst it's sunny and pretty in England. My mum just had my sister and her husband and baby over for lunch and they ate outside in the warm sun. Whereas I am listening to the loud rain attacking my LA apartment and clinging to my cup of hot tea! It's good though... it's good when it rains here on occasion.

Anyway, I'm making a potion room and wanted to share a few photos of the process of the back paneled walls. See me here adding gold paint details over the acrylic paint. It's made using card-stock mostly. I took a snap of some of the floor as well. Another swirly tiled floor as I have recently done before but this one is painted pale like sandstone.

If you're interested in knowing more about slightly larger pieces, then please take a look at my professional filmy blog here and stop by the Facebook page as well. I'm building miniature rows of witchy houses, an enchanted forest and all sorts. Watch my progress and then eventually watch the film they all belong to!