SketchUp:

Once again, I took to SketchUp to work out the general dimensions and construction to calculate materials needed. This was a basic ‘blocking study’ that included major structural components. I did not waste time detailing out the model.

The Potages window display is a topsy-turvy stack of cauldrons, so the plan for this window display is to utilize the plastic cauldrons we have accumulated over the years. We have plans to make the top cauldron ‘self stirring’ but that mechanism is still on the back-burner of projects…

The Slug & Jiggers Apothecary windows are full of baskets of herbs and potion bottles, but there isn’t a feature element drawing attention to the display. However, there is another window in Diagon Alley (leading into Knockturn Alley) that is for the shop “Potions for All Afflictions.” This window features “Skelegro” with a whimsical character sitting in a cauldron. A potion bottle hovers magically in the air above his head, pouring the potion into his gaping mouth. I loved this window display and was bent on making it my Slug & Jiggers feature. My husband was skeptical, but knows better than to doubt my crazy ideas.

*The reason we didn’t make the window a ‘Potions for All Afflictions’ storefront is that I wanted the pop of the ‘Slug & Jiggers pink’ against the Potages charcoal facade. I wanted to make Diagon alley full of color and whimsy, in contrast to the dark and dreary Knockturn Alley shops.

Building Begins:

I drew up a sketch of my idea for the window to get a feel for the color combination and layout, and then we got to work building!

Husband and I boxed out the frames, and I ‘dirtied up’ some hardboard faux stone panels to make them look old and dingy.

We painted the basic components and began to assemble the window framing. The apothecary also included shallow shelves to display potion bottles.

SkeleGro Feature:

The next component to include was the feature potion drinker. I started with a scrap of insulation foam as the body and a couple of additional smaller scraps for the arms. I used a pencil to hand sketch the character and then cut the foam to shape.

Once the shape was cut out, I used acrylic paints to paint him. I used a picture of the original and my drawing as references to complete the details.

The arms were two separate pieces of foam, which gives the character a more 3 dimensional appearance. I used a screw and bolt (with washers) to join the arms to the body. They were spray painted matte black to blend in with his suit jacket.

Once the character was completed, I used a smaller scrap of foam to make the potion bottle which would be floating above him.

On the original character, the bottle appeared to be pouring the potion into his mouth. I wanted to achieve the same effect. To do this, I purchased a clear plastic tube from the plumbing department and covered it in hot glue ‘drips’ to give it more of a liquid-flowing appearance. Once the glue was cooled, I fed a color-changing LED strip light through the tube. This tube was adhered on the backside of both the bottle and the character to connect the bottle to his mouth.

After some time, the tube began to slacken and droop, so i strengthened the tube by feeding a wood dowel through it as well, to give it structure. The glue drips on the clear tube give it enough of a haze to conceal the light strip and dowel hidden within it.

While the Slug & Jiggers window display was underway, the Potages cauldrons were getting coats of spray paint to make them different metals (copper, pewter & silver). These will be stacked and displayed in the window soon, but I am still working out if I will add aging or ‘bubbling over’ on them to give the display some additional character.

The next step is to detail out the faux doorway between the shops and to complete and hang the sign above the storefronts and add molding/trim details to finish it out…

{To be continued…}