Gate to the Abandoned Tunnel

This is the start of a gate designed to close off a tunnel which ends in an endless crevasse, out of which, at times, poisonous fumes emerge. Well, you have to have a story, right?

The gate frame is made of left-over wood, although I have to fill in a bit around the key-stone. The key-stone is a scrap of foam board, with relief layers of cereal box cardboard, and a code made of nail jewels and sewing thread. My story, and I am sticking to it, is that the three clear stones on the left indicate the tunnel is 3 leagues in length, when it ends at an endless crevasse; the open-ended sewing thread design (you may have to click to enlarge the picture) indicates it is bottomless. The two purple amethysts, triangular in shape, within the funnel design, indicate poison gas, with two stones meaning unpredictable gas exhalations. The red stone means, don't go in, you idiot! I am creating a sign language that I hope will add some additional colour and sparkle to the book shelf insert.

The barred gate - which needs hinges, a hasp and a lock - is made of cereal box cardboard strips and skinny sticks from a window blind sample, that I used the raffia from in my Japanese vignette's gate house. The unpainted tabs on the right are for me to hold on to when I paint. The paint job at this point is experimental, I need to make the lintel and doorposts look more like stone, which means adding some carvings.

If I don't have a padlock, I'll have to design one. I will make loops on the left, and create some wire bits to represent the door hinges. On the left, I'll need to make a plaque for the padlock, with a hasp coming from behind with a loop for the padlock. This assembly is currently intended to go on the left-hand wall of my book insert. Almost opposite it - I have to think about my limited space - I'll add another door which will not have a gate, as the gallery it opens on to is safe. The plaque for this door will have some green stones. Along the walls will be some geometrically carved surfaces. For this, I may use some jewelry findings from the scrapbooking department, and if space is there, I'll make some floor-to-ceiling pillars, with decorations, shoring up the roofs. That leaves lots of corners for dust, stones, and similar stuff....

The counter-top for the candy shop has its first coat of paint; Real Life interfered with my time for mini-ing today, so I didn't get as much done as I hoped for. However, so far, everything is from my stash or left-over, and from the recycling box.