lock it up

Hi dear miniature friends,

Last weekend i spend at Unicorna, attending a wonderful workshop making a bone casket with Bill Robertson. He taught that same project last june, in Castine, US (annual IGMA Guild School). I was fortunate to be at Guild School, but not in that particular class. Co-blogger Elga did, back then, and it was great to see her chest evolve. And it also gave me the chance to see what i'd be doing a few weeks later, so i was very keen to get at it!

It turned out marvelous. All the various techniques i've learned under Bill's watchful eye, and watching him at it of course. All these different materials, treatments... new skills, tips and knowledge i have taken home with me and i can use for future projects. Those things are the most treasured assets from any workshop, but this time the result does look veeery cute; this tiny bone casket with real working lock;

I didn't got round to finish it completely so I made the lock and handle at home. I even added flowers on the lock. I also kept the metalwork black from the annealing and aged the bone too, to add to the used look.  Just as the original little relic chests, which were meant to keep the remains of saints, like hairs or bone (splinters). Or other subject associated with that person, like fragments of clothing. In this case a carved love spoon i'd made not so long ago. Cos i believe in love. So next time i'm gonna make this one :D

Enjoy your weekend,


ps, we were given a really pretty and fitting key to open and close. But the cast metal it's made of is relatively soft and i don't want to bend it. So for demonstration purposes i've made one out of steel. For good looks i've put in the real key :)