Hocus Crocus, a witchy herbalist cottage

Somewhere, deep in the woods, there is a witchy cottage named Hocus Crocus. You’ll find it only if you are meant to, but be sure to bring an offering with you, just in case.

The resident herbalist specializes in potions and spells, cooking up concoctions in cauldron.

Her familiar, a lovely black cat named Seamus, is a bit of a trickster and a pushover for treats.

However, he’ll keep a close eye on you whether you brings treats or not.

It seems that each year, I start in one direction for the miniatures.com Creatin’ Contest then either completely abandon my entry or restart late, working at breakneck speed to make the deadline. As it turns out, 2023 was a restart year. :D I built this cottage in two and a half months.

The cottage started as Martin’s Market Stall.

I bought one kit to start the first idea, but then I had to buy a second kit when I restarted. To that end, I had nearly two kits worth of parts, so modifying the structure was pretty straightforward. I added a single casement window, a vintage Houseworks sliding window, a half scale square window and a vintage door kit by One-Of-A-Kind Wood Shop.

I added to the depth, changed the roof pitch slightly and added a foundation. I did egg carton stone for the foundation and used clapboard siding sheets painted and aged in deep forest green. The trims are in dark brown.

I built a rustic porch and added a chimney, which I split so the roof can remain removable.

I didn’t have the time to do a full stone chimney, so I’ve opted for a storybook stucco and stone finish. The chimney toppers are from Miniature Crush. I added some subtle soot. I would like to add some aging and color to the chimney still but ran out of time before the contest deadline.

Yep, I decided to do a shingled roof on a tight deadline. This is a mix of Houseworks shingles from miniatures.com and some new old stock from eBay of the same Houseworks shingles. Two different Minwax stains created a lovely aged finish.

The front porch detail was inspired by a real life cottage called The Herb Crib located in Georgia. I wrote to the owner, and Karin was wonderful. She sent me some photos of the porch wing detail so I could fashion something similar in mini.

The landscaping was a lot of fun to create. I wanted a forest floor look with wild shrubbery and random flowers. I painted the landscaping foam a mix of black and brown then scattered railroad scenery mix. With the greenery shrubs from A Little More in Miniatures bought at the local shows, it’s so convincing. The frog is from Spencer’s Nook, the sundial is from Judith, and the birdfeeder was made by me (and you can find these in my etsy shop). Robina gave me the owl statue.

One of my favorite features of the landscaping is an outdoor spigot with soap dish made from 3D printed pieces. The print files were designed by Teensy Weensy Baby, and Debora and her husband printed them for me. I painted it to look like weathered, water-stained metal, but I loved the idea of having a bright red wheel handle. Debora also made the small potted lavender and tulips you see in this picture.

Since the cauldron and its fire are 3V LEDs that run on coin batteries, I built a shed to hide the battery pack and switch. There’s a regular power strip for the 12V lights besides.

The delightful floral brooms are from 64tnt.

The lovely door wreath is from A Clockmaker’s Daughter.

The roof lifts off to access the interior. The braided rug made by J Curdie was a lucky eBay win. Much of the art is from The Graphics Fairy.

I built the fireplace mantel back in 2013 for a project that didn’t come to be. I dragged it out to see if it would work, and it looked like it was made for the space all along. It had notches for beams for the old build and there was a crack in the front near the top. I decided to take it apart to repair it, removing the notches in the process. I finished the metal-look arch, added a firebox with herringbone egg carton brickwork, and built a slate hearth from cardboard.

The cauldron is a Tim Holtz piece; I added handles and repainted it. I built a stone circle to hold the embers, adding LEDs from Evan Designs to create a soft flickering glow.

The cauldron has a color changing LED from Evans Designs to simulate a potion in process.

I had planned on built-in bookcases all along, but a stroke of luck saved me so much time. I found two bookcases from Manor House Minis that were the exact size I needed. I stripped the finish, removed the upper trim, and stained them a new color.

I had wanted to make potion bottles and herb jars, but I had no time before the deadline. So, I shopped my extensive collection and filled the shelves with all things quirky and mystical. The clock is by Halls Miniatures, the horse is by Neil Carter, the copper patina rat was made from an Art of Mini kit.

The candle box was made from a kit by Arjen Spinhoven, the letters and scrolls are from Looking Glass Miniature, the rust piggy is by Van T Potter, the green handled jug is by Elisabeth Causeret, and the remaining items I’m not sure of the makers.

The pumpkin is by Sallyanne Ceramics, the birdhouse is by Celtic Juju, and the hourglass is from Here Today Gone Tomorrow.

The rabbit travel case and boxes were made from Art of Mini kits. I don’t have a lot of experience with paper kits, so it’s good the art naturally lends itself to gentle aging. I think they look well-loved.

These are excellent filler pieces.

The vintage corner cabinet and herb table were mini show purchases. Seamus, the black cat, is by Michal Gvir. The footstool was made from a Puppenstübchen kit.

The spell table was built from a Realife Country Living Room kit. I changed the color of this table way too many times. :D These kits are not the best wood (and age doesn’t help), but they work well for old, worn furniture. And, I did replace the top with better (not warped) wood. Wood filler and dark paint colors are your friends when making these old kits.

This was so much fun to decorate. The gold platter is from Judith, the yellow mushroom is by 64tnt, the bottles are by Thyme Soul Miniatures, and I made the wild mushrooms.

The mortar and pestle is by Jane Graber, the cat statue is by Randall Zadar, the dandelion is by Lamis Minis, the green bowl is by Alex Meiklejohn, and the printed spell is from Spells8.

Debora sent me the spoon and spoon rest years ago, and the brown bowl is by Rina Vellichor. For the other items, I’m not sure of the makers.

The book table was built from a Mini Mundus kit. The lower portion isn’t a drawer as I thought it was, but the top lifts to reveal a space to store books, ink or pens. It’s such an unusual and inviting piece. The book is by Looking Glass Miniature. Around the cottage, you can see Meghan‘s herb bundles. The mouse in the teacup is by Beth Freeman-Kane. I made the African violets. The blue ceramic set on the second shelf is by Carberlin Miniatures, and the two animal jars are by Jane Graber.

Debora made the delightful Hallowdini plant, which I added to the herb table.

The stained glass window is a found image printed on transparency film. I couldn’t determine the original source, unfortunately. I located several other similar designs, but this was the one I liked best. I thought about trying to make it dimensional, but the lines were too fine to get a clean look with Gallery Glass paints.

Next to the door, there’s a small sink and cabinet. I added shelves with a light underneath.

Next to the vanity is a small settee with a velvet pumpkin cushion.

———

I am pleased to announce that Hocus Crocus won Second Place in the 2023 Miniatures.com Creatin’ Contest. I really didn’t think my dark, magical little cottage stood a chance, but I am so honored to have won a top prize! :D You can see all the winners and entrants here.

Thank you to my friends and family for all the support behind the scenes as I tried to meet the deadline, and thank you to the wonderful people at Miniatures.com!