Tuesday 22 May 2012

Professor Fizziwillig's exploration box

Good morning everyone
I hope you are well, yesterday was spent on class samples and other commitments but at about 10 pm I'd had enough and moved on to finishing this: Professor Fizziwillig's box....
(Yes you've seen it in bits and pieces but here is is finished at last; well I'll add some more story to the book but essentially it is complete!)
 So here is the outside of the box, just for those who perhaps have not seen it before.
 Opening the box to reveal the treasures within. The lid is lined with tattered maps, I like to think that these were the good professor's starting guide on his travels. Inside is a notebook, unusually covered along with a pen, and some vials the contents of which we shall get to in a moment.
 The lids of these vials are most unusual and caught my eye immediately. Though tarnished with age they appear to be human; though from whence they came I cannot say, I have not seen the likes of them in this land before......
 The pen, crafted from some exotic bird's plumage, is well used though there appears to be no more ink in the box. The base of the box is crafted from some form of metal, again rather tarnished with age, the markings remain fairly clear.
 The book itself has an unusual cover, it appears to be made up of some form of pressed flower though not one indigenous to this land. The first few pages are written in the professor's own hand. Unusually the first page is a warning not to open the vials as things are not always what they seem. Curioser and curioser.......
 There is also a sheet of photographic negatives of the men who set off on this adventure, remarkably well preserved for the age I have to say.
 And the vials; containing some unusual leaves and what appear to be claws in the top. The second has more of the plumage that the pen has been crafted from. Then there appears to be some kind of reptile skin and preserved paws in the next one.  The last contains a cunningly crafted arrow, along with some unusual paper like bark. I can't help but wonder if perhaps the bark is used to manufacture some sort of poison for the arrow........
My curiosity has definitely been aroused; I think I'll have to see if I can dig up some more information about this relative of mine...... in the meantime I do think I'll heed the warning and leave the vials alone; at least till I know more........

I'm going to enter this into Simon says Stamp and show, a summer holiday; I'm sure the good professor was enjoying a bit of summer on his voyage!

17 comments:

CraftygasheadZo said...

How wonderful! Love all the details and the history behind it. Fab. Zo x

Candy C said...

Neil, your box is AMAZING! I so love the outside of it with all of it's intricate design and textures! The inside...oh my goodness...it is fantastic! I love all of the elements you've discussed in your blog piece. Great pictures and an intriguing story! Thanks so much for sharing your art with us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 Candy

Rita said...

What an heirloom this is Neil. Absolutely Fantastic. Hugs Rita x

Belinda Basson said...

If I thought the box was fantastic, the story you tell is even better...LOVE it!

ESS said...

Neil, Love the box and the entire mystery behind it. Makes me want to know more about the strange worlds he visited.

Inkypinkycraft said...

This is amazing, so much detail here and all stunning! Hugs trace. X

christ said...

i take time to tell you how much I adore your box. There are so many details. It's simply great. And good thinking!!!
Hugs from france

Crafty Loops said...

Wow Neil this turned out really incredible. I made my very first Steampunk inspired box and used the cogs and gears on the front with a chunky chain around the gears and I have to say.....it was the most frustrating and awkward part to do on the whole box. It was infuriating, lol. But it did turn out ok. I wasn't 100% happy with it as my first attempt but them what crafter ever is! lol. This really is an incredible box, you've put a lot of hard work into it and all the details are amazing. Lee x

mark gould said...

I love the story to go with everything. Definitely a lot of thought gone into this project in both imagination and in the crafting.

Elly said...

Brilliant!! I searched your whole blog for this finished box. Now i know, why i couldn't find it (:o) Oh my..all the beautiful details and i love the pen (:o)

Zuzu's Blog said...

Very cool indeed Neil. and those vials are too die for... very nicely done.. I love items of curiosity and you have made this piece very intriguing indeed.

Dragon said...

Well I love it, and that's that
Love and light
Frankie
xx

Jennifer Rogers said...

Hello, Neil: I am a new commenter (plenty of visits, though)-- love the box: am pretty sure your exotic plumage belongs to a bird that visits my garden quite a bit: a Guinea fowl. Greetings from Lonehill, Johannesburg, S.A.

Marjie Kemper said...

Stunning! It's like a treasure box with all those gorgeous textured map pages lining the inside.

email: Steph@SimonSaysStamp.com said...

This is truly interesting! I love how much can be discovered with each piece...it's like finding attic treasures - mysterious and they stir the imagination! : )

Thanks for sharing your creativity at the Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge!!!
-Sarah

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Lynne Forsythe said...

AHHHHHHHHHH!!! Neil...this dodad box it OUTTA THIS WORLD....your attention to detail is just AMAZING!! LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!

Thanks BUNCHES for playing along with this weeks challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show!!

Shoshi said...

Neil, this is just brilliant. I went on an embroidery course years ago where we learnt how to make 3-D embroidered boxes, and the teacher said "every box should contain a surprise." Yours certainly does this! It's just the sort of thing an eccentric Victorian professor would collect. Do please be careful with the poisoned darts lol lol!!! What an imaginative piece, altogether!

Shoshi