Soap Shop Fixtures!

Boy, I wasn't joking around when I said I wanted to get going on the soap shop! The ink from my last post hadn't even dried and I was auditioning kits and planning for fixtures inside the store!

The Left and middle kits are REAL Old (probably about my age - not yet 50 but creeping up on it!) and they smelled like it, too! A test of the vegetable stand told me that I was going to need to make some alterations. As many of you know, the Sugarplum kit is on the small side of 1/12th! No worries! I cut down the legs, added slats (skinny sticks) on the bottom supports for shelving, and now it works perfectly under the front windows!

The fabric stand kit was really just too large for the space. I contemplated ways to modify and shrink it down, but it was just too nice a kit! I decided to hoard hold onto it a while longer and use it in another project...

I had a couple of crate kits that I'd been holding onto for this project, too. I employed the use of the largest one (from another really old kit) to beef up the display counter - it was really short! Adding the crate underneath gave me more display space, too! Win - win!

I used the largest of the three crates to raise up the counter.

Newly configured cash register/POS display.

Still needing a LOT more display space and/or shelving, I decided to make more crates! What could be more Shabby than crates? The stuff to make them Chic will go inside! I made nine more of them, and for a few hours had a crate factory going!

Six of the nine crates flanking the vegetable stand display.

Now I was getting somewhere! 

WAIT! That's only ONE wall!!!

No time to pat myself on the back - I needed to make MORE!

Because of the space constraints I knew that I was going to need to make some custom displays. I had in mind to make a card/ribbon/gift wrap display, but I ended up deciding to make two of them - one on either side of the bay window opening. I took some measurements then drew up a rough sketch using parchment paper over my mat.

This way, I could draw using the measurement marks for scale and figure out just how much space each "section" would take up. This is a great solution if you don't happen to have graph paper on hand, or if like me, you are too lazy to go looking for it! I took those measurements over to my pc, and using shapes in the corresponding measurements, I created a scaled pattern (sorry Mrs. Martin! You were right! I really do use geometry in my life! Oh, and I really did know who TP'd your house that Halloween! Sorry again!)!

Printed pattern and added side diagram with primitive cut list.

I doubled and taped two basswood sheets together so that I was cutting both sides at one time, and each display would match perfectly.

Pattern taped to basswood sheets for cutting.

All pieces cut for one display. Er, maybe not...

Bottom piece? Duh!

Display in it's home. All is well that ends well...

When I get to adding ribbon, cards and wrapping paper rolls to this display, I'll create a How To .pdf with the pattern and pieces you'll need to make one for yourself!

I was getting someplace, but there was still the middle section of the shop to figure out. I had some more kits (boy do I have kits! I can't resist 'em!) to try. I LOVE The Daisy House kits, so I pulled out a few to see if they might work.

After a few modifications, I ended up using the sofa table kit and the jelly cupboard kits. I'll need to add some interesting legs to the jelly cupboard, but I am waiting for them to arrive in the mail! :O/

In the meantime, I have a pretty good idea what's in and what's not...  And there's plenty to keep me busy in the form of textured STICKERS and CHALK paint! I will be thinking of her amazing talent for bringing shabby up a few thousand notches, and keep asking myself "What would Elizabeth do?"!

Fixtures now sanded and shaped, waiting for stickers/appliques and chalk paint!

Have a great week everyone!

Jodi