Potions Cupboard

Last year I was in a Potions Class swap, and I decided to have a go at making the Potions Cupboard, complete with a set of knitted scales, jars and boxes of ingredients (all filled with beads and such - including popping candy for the Erumpent Horn, and peppercorns for the Bezoars).

Here are a few pics...

Triwizard Tournament

We are nearly at the end of the Triwizard Tournament Swap on Reducio on Ravelry.  Here's what I made and sent to my swappee:

Ministry of Magic Unregistered Animagus Case

Here are the things I made for a Transfiguration Swap in which I decided that my swappee was an unregistered animagus:

Hogwarts Headmistress Professor McGonagall's Office

Here are some things I made for a Hogwarts Headmasters/Headmistresses swap, I chose Professor McGonagle:

Harry Potter Replicas

I've been making lots of replicas over the last year or so for the various swaps I have joined in on Ravelry.  I love the satisfaction I get from finishing a project, and seeing how the person I've sent it to likes it. 

The replicas I've found most enjoyment from are of the wonderful books referenced in Harry Potter. 

I started by making some miniatures for the Reducio swap...



Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them,
Quidditch Through The Ages, Monster Book of Monsters,
The History of Magic, Advanced Potion Making

Then I graduated to larger versions, made by recovering notebooks...

Hogwarts A History

The Healer's Helpmate

 

Advanced Potion Making

Home Life & Social Habits of British Muggles

Practical Defensive Magic



Quidditch Teams of Britain & Ireland

Enchantment

Dobby's Very Harry Christmas

My spoilee in the December 2012 Reducio swap has just received the package I put together for her, one which I particularly enjoyed putting together around the "Dobby's Very Harry Christmas" theme. 

For starters, this swap package had to be contained within a Christmas Stocking, so I set off on making one from stash.  I had some red and green wools in fingering weight, which I doubled up to make into a stocking, and embellished with a snitch using duplicate stitch with gold and silver 4 ply...

Then the dilemma - what to fill it with?  I spent lots of time reading through the accounts of Xmas in the Harry Potter books for inspiration, and ended up with the idea of filling it with a selection of presents that Harry received, along with other items that made Christmas at Hogwarts so special - Xmas pudding, Xmas crackers, and to stick with the Dobby theme, his "Very Harry Christmas" baubles as strung up in the Room of Requirement.

To make the baubles I bought some very cheap (75p for the box!) mini gold baubles, and printed several copies of Harry's face and the legend "Have a Very Harry Xmas" onto tatto paper, which I then cut out and applied to the baubles.  The Xmas pudding was a challenge as my spoilee is a celiac and also allergic to dairy, so I ended up buying one over the internet as I couldn't find any in our local shops!  The cracker was easy though - I just pinched one from the box we had bought for our Xmas dinner!

For Harry's presents I started with the one that indulged my latest fad, which is re-covering A6 size notebooks to replicate books which are referenced in the HP books.  Harry received several books for the various Christmas's we know about - but being British, I decided on making "Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland" which he received from Hermione in his 4th year at Hogwarts.  I couldn't find a clear image of the film prop online, so I made a replica from scratch in Powerpoint using a map image I googled for, and various clipart images...

 

My next favourite gift to make was the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes box which Harry received from Fred & George in his 6th year when he spent Xmas at The Burrow.  As I had already planned to include various edibles in other gifts, I hunted for references to non-edible products of theirs that I could replicate, and plumped for a Muggle Magic set, Peruvian Darkness Powder, and a Patented Daydream Charm.  For the magic set, I looked up some rope trick instructions, and printed a set of "number magic" cards onto card, and added instructions for use, and made a box which I labelled with a Muggle Magic logo I found using Google.  For the Peruvian Darkness Powder, I crushed some lavender bath crystals I already had, and printed a Peruvian looking design to relabel an empty lip balm pot to contain them.  For the Patented Daydream Charm, I made a box which I labelled with an appropriate image (described in the HP book as "a handsome youth and a swooning girl on a pirate ship"), labelled a tiny potion charm bottle with another image found via Google, and added a cotton wool ball and instructions (mutter "alucinatio mentis" whilst holding the cotton wool to your nose, end by taking a whiff from the bottle).  Lastly I made a Weasley product box to hold it all in, again embellished with an image found via Google...

 

Then I made a broom pencil for the Firebolt from Sirius, using paintbrush bristles, wool, and craft glue. I did several mini knits (close-ups of these are are on my Ravelry project page) - an Invisibility Cloak from Dumbledore made with grey fingering and silver thread carried with it - an emerald green jumper from Mrs Weasley - and the socks from Dobby combined for a book mark (red left sock with broomsticks pattern and green right sock with snitches pattern).  I made an Every Flavour Beans box with an online template and filled it with beans from Ron, and a brown paper box for some Nut Brittle from Mrs Weasley, plus another brown paper box for some gummy maggots from Kreacher.  And for fun, I added the gifts from the Dursley's - a 50p coin, toothpick, and a single tissue.  Then I wrapped everything up in red tissue paper, and included the relevant text from the Harry Potter books with each gift.  Here it all is before wrapping:

I love swaps - they really push me to be creative, and it is so much fun to come up with an idea around a theme, and turn it into a reality.  Even better is the glow that I get when my spoilee receives the package and says how much it is appreciated!  And then of course there is the other side to swaps - getting something from your spoiler, and in this swap I was very lucky to be spoiled by the wonderful Xen.  Read all about the fabulous package I received from her in the Reducio swap forum on Ravelry.

Warner Brother Studios - The Making of Harry Potter

Yesterday was one of the most wonderful days in my life so far!  It was the 1st September, the day when wizarding world children in the UK set off from Platform 9&3/4 on the Hogwarts Express for the new school year. 

For the Wychwoods (and the Wigworthys - my sister's kin), it was our last chance for a summer holiday family day out together.  So we took the opportunity that a train trip to Kings Cross provides, by adding an extra leg to Watford Junction to see how our Muggle friends made the famous films about the life of our hero, Harry Potter.

I was amazed at how these Muggles have managed without magic to make something so magical!  The day they offered us was wonderful from the very start.  On presenting our tickets, our little ones were each given a Passport full of activities to keep them occupied throughout their visit, including stamping the pages with embossing presses at various points through the tour, and hunting down lots of golden snitches which appeared to be in flight around the studios.

Even before the tour began, we were treated with exhibits from the movies.  Here's the Ford Anglia that Harry and Ron flew to Hogwarts in...

And here's the Cupboard Under The Stairs - on display whilst queing for entry...

Once through the queue and the cinema presentation, you get to go through the Great Hall Doors...

Which are abutted by the Statues of Hogwarts, suitably shown in nightlight given the timing that the students arrive after their boat trip on the lake...

The Great Hall was fabulous, it was so magical to walk in and see it presented ready for the students, with the tables laid and the Great Fireplace adorned with all the crests...

 

At the end of the hall my little wizard loved posing in front of Dumbledore, McGonagle and Snape - of course it was only their costumes on mannequins, but it was still a great sight!

 

 

And I got some pics of other costumes - here are the first ones ever worn by Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, the Grey Lady dress, and Madeye/Trelawney/Flitwick...

After the Great Hall we were given all the time we wanted to browse around other sets and props.  It started with the Great Hall ceiling...

And then some sets from the Yule Ball, with the beautiful ice decoration and drinks, and various dress robes warn by the champions and their escorts...

 

 

There was a section on wigs and costumes too.  I loved seeing Snape's wig, and the beautiful outfits and accessories worn by Luna...

 

 

 

There were the gates to Hogwarts, another photo opportunity for my little wizard...

And then to the places that Harry and Ron saw on their first night at Hogwarts - the Pendulum (which was swinging), the Gryffindor Common Room and the Boy's Dormitory...

 

 

 

 

I kept coming across places that filled my eyes with tears because I hadn't expected them to be on display, with so much detail, or so accessible.  These included the Potions Classroom, The Burrow, and Hagrid's Hut, with many features that were in motion such as potion stirrers, knives, and of course the knitting needles (squee!!!)...

 

 

I had expected to see Dumbledore's Office, as this features in so much of the blurb I have seen online about the tour, but it was still spectacular, right down to the Griffin entrance, the headmaster's portraits along with Gryffindor's sword, the Memories Cabinet (I'm gutted that I didn't take a pic of that), and the desk and telescope...

 

There were so many props on display as stand alone items due to their size, or with a collection.  You're bound to recognise all these...

The Ministry of Magic had quite a large area devoted to it, with the Might is Magic statue, the fireplace entrances, the gloriously tiled areas, and Umbridge's Office...

 

There was a gorgeous props cabinet, stacked to the gunnels stuff such as Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Daily Prophets, Quibblers, school books, Dumbledore's Will, and the tear-jerking letter from Lily to Sirius...

 

 

 

 

 

Outside they had some major set pieces too, including the Knight Bus, the Ford Anglia, Hagrid's Motorbike, Hogwarts Bridge, Privet Drive, Godric's Hollow, and Wizard Chess.  My little ones loved many of these, and had to have their pics taken, and I got mine taken on the bridge...

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped for a drink of Butterbeer which was being served here - the children loved it, whereas we adults found it a little sickly!  On from here we went into the creatures shop which was full of amazing gadgetry and lifelike models used in the films...

 

And this was followed by a trip along Diagon Alley!!!  Being an employee of Gringotts, one would think that I get to see this pretty much everyday, but the truth is that I never set foot outside the place, as I disapparate in and out for work!!!  So here are my pics of the wonderful shops in the alley...

 

 

My absolute favourite part of the tour was seeing the huge model of Hogwarts Castle.  When I walked into this room my breath was taken away, and I had to wipe my eyes for fear of embarassing my family with tears on my cheeks!!!  I got lots and lots of pics in here, where the lights kept changing to show the castle through daylight and night-time...

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, there was a trip through Ollivanders before exiting to the Studios own shop, where I spent a small fortune purchasing a wand for my little wizard, a mirror of Erised picture frame for my little witch, and a time turner keyring for me!  Here's Ollivanders - it is actually a room with a wand for every single member of cast and crew who were involved in the making of the films...

So that's it.  Well not really - I took stacks more pictures and will be sharing a link on Ravelry for my friends!  I heartily recommend that you visit the place yourselves, you are sure to enjoy it!