Monday 22 July 2013

Day 388,396, 400,403 -Tool Box


Slow is when you take 3 months to finish making a toolbox. Especially slow is when the toolbox is a really broken one that look like something you can bash in a few minutes.


It all started at our dollhouse meet 4 months ago on 2/3/2013. Cinds had suggested we try our hands at making a luggage. Asuka and her even brought the materials to the Dollhouse.

We used stock card as the base, did the measurements and then cut out the templates.


Cinds and Asuka made leather suitcases and they used faux leather cloth. I wanted a wooden version. The background of this picture is actually a piece of self adhesive wood grained paper. 


Gluing the pieces together was such a pain and I made quite a mess. I kept it though because my wooden case was meant to be rather broken.That is the beauty of what I do. Mess is good.

So I painted my case and then just carelessly left it in a heap of junk only mini makers treasure.


I gave the wooden box some finishing touches only after I was done with the tools and that was more than 14 weeks later. By then, my wooden case was so abused and worn that it looked like a hundred years old.


For those of you who know me well, you will be able to guess that not only will I not throw a case like this away, mini or life size, I will gladly bring one home if I should find it in a dumpster. I bet I am not alone in this. Who can resist a wooden case, right?


So bring home I did and I stuffed it with some more hardware and rags and other things one generally will need when you want to build something with your hands. One man's broken luggage is another woman's toolbox, I say.

I slipped my toolbox under the work table and then laid my tools on the table.


Now that everything is in place, I think I am finally ready to build something. 

47 comments:

Fabiola said...

The tool box is fantastic!
I like the scene.
Hug, Faby

Sans! said...

Thank you Faby!

CWPoppets said...

It looks perfect, Sans!

Plushpussycat said...

Love it!!! Great toolbox, photos, and story! xo Jennifer

dalesdreams said...

Ah! So that is how you girls celebrated my birthday, by making suitcases. :)

I love it! <3

The Old Maid said...

Can't wait to see what you will build, dear Sam.:)
And mess in your hands looks like pure beauty to me.:)
Great toolbox! Really looks like 100 yeaqrs old.:)
Hugs and kisses

MelyGiunta said...

Hi Sans, the tool box is great!I love your work, your scene is most beautiful

Unknown said...

Hello from Spain: awesome toolbox. Great job! . Keep in touch

Margriet said...

So 100 years is about 14 weeks in miniature land??? ;-)
The box is great...you're the best at making a mess dear Sans :-)

Maria Ireland said...

Your old wooden tool box is fantastic. It is perfect for this house I love it.
Hugs Maria

Unknown said...

Cara Sans è sempre un piacere entrare nell'atmosfera del tuo blog. La tua cassetta usurata e con i suoi arnesi all'interno conferisce l'idea di un passato di lavoro alle spalle...
Un abbraccio, Manu

Kikka N said...

You have done wonderful work with the Toolbox, it looks Super!
The scene is fantastic!
Hugs
Kikka

Ilona said...

You think it took you a long time to finish an OLD toolbox after three months...??? I think it is a real miracle, that the box looks thát old and so much used after just three months :D LOL!! You did a miraculous job on this stunning toolbox, Susan, nobody could do this better than you did ;)! It is now a original "Sans!" toolbox, an original piece of work, dear!
This scene is great, I love this kind of scenes, so thank you for sharing.
Hugs, Ilona

Remco said...

One man's broken luggage is another woman's toolbox, you say... So thats where it went..... Been searching for weeks now!

No serious, a splendit job you have done here!

.... And speaking of jobs, I am ready but it didn't fit in the mailbox, so tomorrow another way of pakking it ;-)

BiWuBär said...

So simple, so true - and leading to such a fantastic result. "Mess is good" - I think I'm going to print a sign saying this and hang it over my workplace... if only I could find some space for that... Anyway, what a great way of storing your tools... now, go on and build something... but don't forget to make a mess...

Hugs
Birgit

Yolanda Morán said...

El maletín de herramientas es fabuloso, me encanta.
Un abrazo.
Yolaanda

Lucille said...

Amazing finish on the tool box! You are so talented! Now I'm wondering what you will be building with all those tools?!!

Susan@minicrochetmad said...

Another Trash 2 Treasure miniature gem!! You are so talented my dear friend.

elizabeth s said...

Ahhhh Sans! I LOVE THE TOOL BOX! You have made this case Alive with its own story to tell. It is just Perfect in its show of age and compliments the tools like they were both born at the same time. You have breathed new life into that forgotten box and given it a renewed purpose as well. I love the display of tools ON the table top where they can be seen and appreciated and yet that wonderful tool box is still showcased in it's supporting role beneath. There is a wealth of atmosphere and care and consideration that is a Signature Style of Yours Sans which I Sincerely and Greatly Admire!

elizabeth

Tessa Liduina said...

Dear Sans, I am impressed by the way you painted the toolbox, it looks so old and intensively used. The entire room you are showing looks enchanting...how I wish I could see it for real and feel the surface of things :-)
Hugs, Liduina

Drora's minimundo said...

The battered tool box is so typically you Sans, perfectly suits this house. I'm sure what's coming next will be extremely ineresting.
Hugs, Drora

Ascension said...

......dime donde encontraste la madera jejejeje
A mi me pasa igual...todo me sirve para las minis jejejeje
Me encanta, seguro que haria grandes trabajos con esa caja(maleta) de herramientas.
Enhorabuena a Cinds y Asuka.
besitos ascension

Sans! said...

You mean a perfect mess, Christine :):). I am convinced I can never do perfect :).

Daydreamer said...

If you had not shown us the Beginning of the project, my Dear Sans, I would Never have believed it was made from humble card stock! It is the parts you Add to your creations that make them so Extraordinarily humbly ordinary.. the metal handles (are they metal? Or paper too?).... the worn "corners" the rope to tie it together because the latch is obviously Broken... And in the process you have given it a Lifetime of usefulness...! Such a humble box... but so essential and worthy of storing those old tools! (They look like they have been together for a LONG Time!... the pieces all getting comfortable with each other... like old married couples... inseparable!)
Yes, I agree with you Mess Is Good! And obviously you have "Messed up" really good here!!! :)

Sans! said...

Thank you Jen!

Sans! said...

Hey Dale!!! Fancy meeting you here :):) Yes, we had a really great time on your birthday, making suitcases, dreaming of faraway places like where you are :)

Sans! said...

Ewalina, you can do mess very well too! And then even better, you can also do neat most wonderfully :). Me? I suck at neat.

Sans! said...

Thank you Mel, I just went to your blog and saw that awesome suitcase! WOW! Not a toolbox for sure !

Sans! said...

Gracias , Marta!

Sans! said...

100 years , my dear Margriet is the way I stress people and things around me. Even a toolbox looks like 100 after only 14 weeks!

Sans! said...

You are a sweetie, Maria Ireland. The silly box is so broken it can't even close properly! tsk tsk. Frankly, the bottom looks like it's going to give anytime soon.

Sans! said...

Carissima Manu, vi invierò un invito quando posso mostrare ciò che questi strumenti hanno fatto :). Avremo tiramisù, gelato al pistacchio e caffè Lavaza. Tutto virtuale in modo da non mettere su un chilo! :)

Un abbraccio

Sans! said...

((((((((((((Kikka)))))))))))))))

Thank you! Now I have to think about how I can light up the place :)

Sans! said...

Ilona, the Old Man made me do it! :)

You know, my favourite room to re-create in a house has always been the work room or the studio. In mini of course, In real life, until late last year, I have never had the luxury of space to have a work room. I just lost the use of my art room till September because someone needed a place to stay :).

That's why in all my small houses, I want to always set aside a room for art/ creating.

It is such a pleasure for me that I can convert this whole house and not just a room to a workroom/studio.

Sans! said...

Remco, I saw it on FB! Woohoo! But nope! sorry you can't have your broken suitcase back..nonononono.

Sorry :):)

But thank you for saying it's nice now.

Sans! said...

Yes, Mam Birgit! I shall go forth and multiply and make plenty of mess :).

AND what a great idea that is, making a sign that says "Mess Is Good". I am so going to steal your idea, Birgit! Mwahahaha.

Sans! said...

Gracias por el maravilloso comentario, Yolanda usted. Ahora su tronco, que es realmente fabuloso!

Sans! said...

Lucille, may I just say this, those tools surprise me :). I hope you will be here to see how.

Sans! said...

Totally honoured and completely flattered by your "very talented" comment, Susss. Do people call you that, Susan?

I get a lot of Soos, Susu (meaning "milk" in Malay) etc etc over here. My mum is the only person in the whole wide world who calls me San (pronounced "sng" :).

Sans! said...

Your lovely comment warms my heart, Elizabeth. Thank you so much.

I am just so glad I have an avenue of showing and sharing this old tool box because after it is placed under the table, I am not sure if anyone will ever really "see" it again. I mean people may notice that there is a box but they won't be going "hey can I see the box? those are interesting details you added..etc etc"

That's the nature of what we do right? When people look at your creations, they take big pictures but usually don't have the time nor inclination or are just plain scared to want to really understand your details :).

THANK heavens for blogland, I say!!

Sans! said...

Liduina, do you love faraway places? Like Singapore? and then maybe Bali, Thailand? Well, if you do, then you will and I insist, you must come and visit me and you will see everything up close and personal, including the metal suitcases I painted in white :):).

Sans! said...

Drora ....o yes, thanks to you, what's coming next next next will be superbly interesting! :)

Sans! said...

jejejejeje, Ascensión, ¿sabes una dama vagabundo con un supermercado carretilla llena de cosas? Ese soy yo!

abrazo y beso

Sans! said...

Hahaha , thank you Betsy! You know how some people can live in a mess or are really messy but always dressed really neatly? Well, I am soooo NOT like that. I am a messy dresser too :).

Dear Bets, everything added to the box (except the contents) is made with paper. Even the caps and handles. The effect of rusty metal is not difficult to create, as you might have known already, being the accomplished artist that you are. :).

For something so easy, I really took a long time :):).

Susan@minicrochetmad said...

No flattery intended Sans, I admire your artistic ability. My eyes see what you do and I love it but I can't do it myself.

Yes Sans, I'm called Sooz by friends, but Sis by brothers. I know the word 'susu' - there are words from many languages in Pidgin English and I learned to speak it a little in New Guinea. There are some funny words that I remember - mous grass(said "mouse") is beard. The word for grass skirt is also funny but I won't write it here ;)

Ana Anselmo said...

oh! Sans!!! reading your post, I can´t resist to copy some of your word that I loved (guess why?!):
"That is the beauty of what I do. Mess is good."
"Who can resist a wooden case, right?"
I am still smiling....
hugs
Ana


Marie said...

Très jolie boite à outils :) et j'aime beaucoup la pièce, l'ambiance et les couleurs !
Amicalement,
Marie

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