Side Story: “Leticia’s Pocket Watch” / Production Log
T/n: T/N: I’ll add everything the author mentions.
Author Brief Notes
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This side story is similar to an activity report or afterword. It documents the creation of an in-story item, but the story’s characters don’t appear.
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Because this uses photographs, it’s not intended for formats that don’t support images, such as vertical-writing PDFs.
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In that case, please imagine the photos based on the context of the writing.
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I take liberties in these production logs. Please bear with me.
Greetings, I’m Mizuki Aoi. This is the first production log for “The Villainous Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine.”
This side story documents the process of creating props and other small items that appear in the story. I’ll share photos of the finished product, along with photos of each step of the process, from design to completion.
I believe this format will be especially enjoyable for those who appreciate DIY, crafts, and budget-friendly projects.
While this is the first time I’m doing this for this story, chapters in my previous work, “Lord Of Disease,” with “/Production Log” in the subtitle followed a similar format.
The same applies to the spin-off series, “Essay on Self-Publishing a Novel (Grimoire) on a Low Budget with a Hardcover and Leather Binding… Well, Cloth Binding Resembling Leather: ‘Lord Of Disease’ / Production Log (with photos).”
So, what I made this time is “Leticia’s Pocket Watch.”
While it only appears in the first chapter, it’s a matching item for the sisters and a key element in their meeting, making it fairly important.
A lot happened during the production process, so I’m not sure if this is the official design, even though I, the author, made it.
Anyway, I did a location shoot, so here are some photos.
Photo Gallery
The pocket watch closed. The Vanderwaals family crest, the little gecko, turned out cute.
Here’s the size. It fits perfectly in the palm of my hand.
It’s 5.5cm in diameter, which is a bit large for a pocket watch, isn’t it?
Since it’s for a woman, I wanted to make it a little smaller. However, a larger size looks better in photos, so it’s a dilemma.
Incidentally, the size of small items like watches is also a tricky issue in illustrations.
Depending on the composition, simply making it larger makes it stand out… but it loses realism…
Haven’t you seen the White Rabbit (including anthropomorphic versions) in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” sometimes carrying a huge pocket watch? It’s like that.
Here it is open.
I really like gears. So, I hope their appeal comes across.
…These gears don’t actually mesh or move, so true gear enthusiasts might scold me, but I like them not just for their mechanics, but also for their design…
By the way, the hands are stopped at about 10:03 PM, which happens to be my usual update time.
Tilting it slightly, the crystal reflects the scenery.
This is a park on a mountain, so the trees and sky are beautiful.
The crystal is actually removable, giving a clear view of the internal mechanism.
This isn’t a real watch, by the way.
A close-up of the gecko. It has the weighty feel of rusted metal!
It’s not actually metal, though.
Among the shadows and dappled sunlight created by the trees.
So calming. I could just stare at it forever.
By the way, the piece of wood behind it is driftwood I picked up and washed for the photoshoot. The pocket watch can’t stand up on its own…
On a wooden deck.
The deep shadows cast by the wall create a beautiful contrast between light and shadow, making it a great spot for photos.
The things in the foreground are those seeds that spin when you drop them from a height.
Just because. (?)
Opening the lid to reveal the inner workings beneath the crystal is always a thrill, and I can lose track of time just changing the angle and taking photos.
The scenery reflected in the crystal, blending with the gears and hands, adds to the effect.
…Oh, the seeds are gone.
I just realized I completely forgot I was going to play with them after the photoshoot…
When a cloud covers the sun, the light weakens, and I have to stop shooting, but the subtle change in lighting seems to enhance the clouds and sky reflected in the crystal.
Gently placing it on a leaf.
Ah, I love how the gears are visible through the contrast of the trees and sky…
My brain is starting to melt. Hang in there, brain.
From a slightly higher vantage point, like an observation deck, with the mountains in the background.
While it’s tiring to constantly adjust the position for the changing light, it’s worth it when I get a good shot.
I often go up and down this observation deck.
The stairs… the stairs are steep…
Why I can’t do everything in one go is a mystery. It’s probably because the schedule manager in my mind is slacking off.
Some say such a position never existed in the first place.
Removing the crystal again to look at the internal mechanism.
Just looking at the multi-layered structure of the hands, face, metal fittings, and gears is restorative.
My SAN value might be increasing.
…By the way, the reason there are several photos without the crystal is that the inside fogged up.
I had to remove it and wipe it clean to continue shooting.
The design makes removing the crystal a matter of luck.
What if I couldn’t remove it?
…I would have about 100 fewer photos from this shoot.
And far fewer photos with the lid open.
It’s fun, no matter how many photos I take.
Strange. Is it a bug?
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A few more photos. (14 photos)
I hate those “Excuse me, do you have a moment?” sales pitches, but seeing myself doing something similar makes me think humans are weak creatures.
Production Log
“What do I want to create?” is an important question in any creative endeavor.
While there’s a strong mental aspect, in DIY, for example, if you want to build a step stool to reach something high, using weak materials could lead to a serious accident.
Similarly, the construction must be sturdy.
However, if it’s just a decorative stand for something light, a cardboard box is fine. It depends on the purpose.
…What about me?
――I want to make things that come to mind.
I want to try out new techniques.
I want to expand my repertoire of skills.
I want to experiment with different materials.
――I just want to create something, regardless of logic or reason!
…The fact that my creative motivation isn’t “to make life easier” or even “because I want this” makes me seem like a mad scientist.
Just to be clear, this is about crafting, which is separate from writing the main story.
Probably.
Anyway, the budget for this project is 200 yen.
Two hundred yen.
While I enjoy making things, my priorities are: 1. writing, 2. illustrating, 3. crafting.
And my biggest expense is probably illustration (tablet and other peripherals).
All of that impacts the budget for my crafting projects.
If I had a bigger budget, things might have been easier… or perhaps even more difficult.
But there’s a certain enjoyment in working with a limited budget.
――As a matter of principle, I like low-budget projects.
Upgrading by increasing the budget is more scalable than downgrading by reducing the budget.
And, more importantly, a low budget lowers the barrier to entry, making people think, “Maybe I could try that too.”
So, if reading this makes you think, “I can make something like that even on a low budget,” and inspires you to create something, I would be very happy.
Now, let’s delve into the production process, starting with the design phase.
…Feel free to learn from my mistakes.
Basic Design
I start by sketching a rough design and refining it.
I arrange the elements on graph paper…
Designing the face, gears, hands, and so on, trying to make it look good…
Is that level of detail really necessary?
…Unfortunately, there’s no one to ask.
I’m using both 1cm and 1mm graph paper, so the face is a little under 4cm in diameter.
I add a few more parts and print it on A4 copy paper.
For the gears, I use the combined version as the blueprint and the separated versions as the actual parts.
The hands are for reference.
The multiple gears and faces are spares.
These spares will save me later.
Due to design changes or simply messing up the cutting… spares are important.
The part that looks like a lid is a remnant of a discarded design.
…There are things people can do, and things they can’t…
Clock Hands
So easy!
Just cut out the shapes from 0.5mm thick black cardstock, following the blueprint.
…“Just” that.
Easy to say, hard to do.
Do I have too much faith in myself?
Or am I simply unaware of my own limitations?
There’s no way I can cut with this level of precision; this design is ridiculous… This is the design phase: try your best, and then stare blankly ahead, utterly defeated.
(Maybe not)
I give up and redesign.
I compromise by making the hands larger and changing the design.
The top is the actual size printout. The bottom is the cut-out parts.
They’re much bigger now…
But I tried my best.
Even these are about 1cm…
I drew guidelines with a mechanical pencil and painstakingly cut them out with a craft knife.
If there’s a trick, it’s… to use a sharp blade.
I try to keep mine sharp.
They’re supposed to be replaceable blades, but I don’t remember ever replacing them.
Gears
So easy!
Just cut out the shapes from 0.5mm thick black cardstock, following the blueprint.
…“Just” that. (Déjà vu)
This time, I managed to stick to the design…
Here are the parts cut out after gluing the printout onto the cardstock.
Some parts are left uncut because they will be hidden.
This is for efficiency and to maintain structural integrity.
The larger gears are 14mm, and the smaller ones are 12mm.
This is madness.
…I considered using gear-shaped charms (metal parts for accessories).
But I didn’t have any.
And my favorite craft stores and 100-yen shops didn’t have them either…
As for online stores, the shape or size wasn’t right, or the price was too high (the cheap ones came in huge quantities).
So I gave up on buying them and decided to make my own.
After finishing the gears, I went to a 100-yen shop, and they had some amazing gear charms in stock.
Oh.
Oh…
There’s the issue of thickness…
Painting them, blissfully unaware of the tragedy (or comedy?) that awaits.
I just squeeze black acrylic paint onto some baking paper, dab it with a small piece of melamine sponge, and then dab it onto the parts.
This is my favorite painting method; as you can see in the photo, painting black and then gold gives it a metallic look.
Like antique gold or tarnished brass. Love it.
If you want silver instead of gold, you can paint silver over black. The part with the holes (the face?) is painted silver over black.
The hands are just black acrylic paint, also applied with a melamine sponge.
Paint is not included in the budget for this project.
I might factor it in if I use a large quantity…
I like the melamine sponge method because it uses less paint than a solid coat, while still giving it a nice texture.
And not using a brush means I don’t have to clean a brush.
Crystal
Step 1: Buy a thermometer/hygrometer from a 100-yen shop.
Step 2: Remove the crystal from the hygrometer.
Done!
So easy.
…No hidden pitfalls.
The design is based on this crystal.
It cost half of my budget: 100 yen. (excluding tax)
Assembling the Gears
Here’s the back.
I try to stick to the original design, but I also make adjustments…
I changed a few things—the angles, positions—because I thought it looked better this way.
I use a glue stick for adhesion.
While I’m a bit concerned about the strength, it’s very easy to use, so I trust it. That’s what glue sticks are for.
Holding it with tweezers and shining a light through it.
Yes, this sparks joy.
In a standalone creative environment, the trick is to make things that motivate you.
That being said, a lot has happened in the meantime…
Actually, more than a year passed between painting and assembly…
I properly stored the finished parts, so I was able to complete it without any problems.
Next, I’ll glue on the hands.
And during that year, I lost the hands from the hygrometer, which I was planning to use.
So, I need to improvise a base for the hands.
I was planning to make it a working clock, at least sometimes.
But no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find them…
…More moving parts mean more chances for things to go wrong. Fine, I’ll give up.
Leticia’s pocket watch officially has stopped hands, so they don’t need to move. I tell myself that.
In a standalone creative environment, accepting design changes in the name of flexibility is also important.
The face cut out and the hands glued on.
I added a piece of round cardstock to create some height.
The trusty glue stick comes in handy again.
Exterior
The material for the metallic-looking exterior of this pocket watch…
…is mainly clay.
Nothing strange about that. It’s a perfectly normal material.
It’s just that this is the first time I’m using clay for a craft.
When I first opened this clay, I thought,
“Have I found… my crafting soulmate…?”
It was wonderful.
Lightweight, smooth, non-sticky. And it held its shape well.
I was excited to have found such a great material.
And after I finished working with it, I thought,
“I don’t want to touch clay for a while…”
I’ll explain later, but it wasn’t a bad clay…
It was my fault for not testing it properly before incorporating it into the design, trying to save money…
This clay also cost half of my budget, 100 yen. (excluding tax), same as the crystal.
While I have about 70% of the clay left, I don’t know what I’ll use it for.
Since the budget for this project is based on the materials purchased, not the amount used, the next project using this clay will start at zero yen.
I cut out and assemble the cardstock like this.
I don’t even know what kind of cardstock this is.
I have a stash of tissue boxes and snack boxes, so it cost zero yen.
As you can see from the spring, this pocket watch initially had moving parts… (the thing at the top that looks like a crown is a bead).
After some… adjustments, it still moves a little when you press it.
I think the mechanism design was sound.
It was just that I didn’t have the materials, tools, equipment, or skill to assemble it as designed…
Furthermore, due to remnants of the original mechanism and design changes, the structure was very unstable.
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…Hot glue! Bring me the hot glue gun!
Hot glue fixes everything!!
Hot glue is one of my most trusted materials.
Thanks to hot glue, I was able to maintain structural integrity even with the drastic design changes!
As a self-proclaimed hot glue evangelist, I’ll explain how to use hot glue and a hot glue gun while showing you how to make the gecko on the lid.
This is an adhesive where you insert a glue stick (not visible in the photo) into a glue gun (top of photo) and pull the trigger to dispense and shape the glue.
The part near the ‘muzzle’ heats up, and the glue comes out.
You can create shapes by squeezing it onto baking paper… but…
Even I have to admit, shaping it is incredibly difficult.
It’s so small that even the slightest tremor in my hand affects it, and I can’t hold my breath for too long.
The trick is to control the recoil with slow, shallow breaths, and instead of using the trigger, to push the glue stick from the back, millimeter by millimeter.
Even so, I messed up the legs several times, even in the photo, and had to peel them off and redo them before attaching the body.
…The level of perfection depends on how many retakes you’re willing to do.
Also, after dispensing a certain amount, the glue gun cools down, so it’s important to take breaks and wait for it to heat up again.
The body was made by squeezing the trigger…
…but I couldn’t bend it that way. (Sharp turns are difficult)
So, I forcefully bent it.
While hot glue fully hardens in about 10-20 seconds, it can be melted again with heat.
I pressed the tip of the hot glue gun against the body, melting and almost severing it to bend it, and then added a bit more glue to fill the gap.
I also added more glue to the head.
I trimmed the head, tail, etc., with a craft knife, and the base was complete.
The clay is also finished in the photo.
…Since both my hands were occupied, I didn’t take any photos while wrestling with the clay.
I also have no memories of that process other than wanting to cry.
The back.
The lid is especially rough, because I gave up on making it perfect and just made it larger, trimming the edges with scissors to shape it.
It was more like ‘reshaping’ than shaping.
The clay is lightweight, becomes quite sturdy when dry, easy to cut with scissors… it has many good qualities.
However, it dries incredibly fast, and if you add water to slow down the drying process, it becomes a gooey mess. After adjusting the water content so it wouldn’t stick to my hands, just when I thought I could finally start shaping it, it would dry out again, incredibly fast… Screams internally.
I covered the rough edges with hot glue. Squeezing out an appropriate amount, I pressed it against baking paper to create a flat surface.
I also trimmed this with scissors. The photo is before trimming.
Hot glue can be cut with scissors or a cutter after it hardens. (Spreading the good word)
Next, I was going to place this on baking paper on a hot plate (not for food) and melt the gecko onto it.
…That was the plan.
Apply… heat…?
Then what would happen to the hot glue I just applied…?
It would melt.
Yes, it would melt.
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How… foolish…
Being able to acknowledge your weaknesses, your foolishness, your powerlessness… that’s crafting…
(Maybe)
Now.
I had to attach the gecko…
I could still do it as originally planned…
If I was willing to accept the disastrous results… (I wasn’t)
…A burner.
Bring me a burner (for cooking) and a gas canister (for cooking)!
Burn it.
Burn it! Fire solves everything!!
Crafting makes it easy to acquire dangerous ideas.
(Really depends on the person)
I heated the air above the gecko and lightly touched its legs, tail, and head with the flame, one by one.
Too little heat, and it wouldn’t stick. Too much, and it would melt.
The tail drooped, the head tilted, and the legs melted and stuck together. …All that hard work… ruined…
While thinking, This wasn’t the experience I wanted, a voice in my head said, “Be happy. This is what you wanted. You wanted to ‘expand your repertoire of skills,’ didn’t you?”
Experiences… can’t be chosen.
Done… somehow…
The gecko’s hands are a little squished because this part was incredibly difficult…
…I don’t know how it would have turned out if I had used the hot plate.
I also added hinges to both the lid and the body.
The hinges are homemade, made of paper.
Just wrap a toothpick with black paper (0.1mm thick). Easy.
The loop for the chain? That’s paper-wrapped wire and hot glue. Just squeeze out some glue, and it looks surprisingly good.
Painting
Learning metallic painting techniques expands your artistic possibilities.
This is also done by dabbing paint with a melamine sponge.
I let it dry for about 30 minutes, sometimes a little longer.
Set a timer and do something else while you wait.
Now, the procedure…
Ideally, it would go like this:
Ideal Painting Procedure
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Dab with black acrylic paint. (base coat)
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Dab with silver acrylic paint. (add a silver sheen)
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Dab with diluted black acrylic paint. (darken slightly)
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Dab with water-based varnish (walnut). (seal and add a rusty look)
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Apply nail top coat. (seal and add shine)
The final result depends on whether the top coat is glossy or matte.
If you want a matte finish, rub it with a cloth.
You can stop at step 4, or use water-based varnish (clear) for the final coat.
Since I’m planning a location shoot, I want a durable finish.
Actual Painting Procedure
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Dab with a mix of 7 parts silver metallic paint and 3 parts black metallic paint. (Panics, thinking, Is it too dark…?)
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Dab with silver acrylic paint. (add a silver sheen)
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On a whim, tries to draw patterns with a black permanent marker. (Regrets it immediately)
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Dab with a mix of 7 parts silver metallic paint and 3 parts black metallic paint. (covers up the mistake and starts over)
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Dab with silver acrylic paint. (Feels relieved that it’s finally going according to plan)
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Dab with diluted black acrylic paint. (darken slightly)
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Dab with water-based varnish (walnut). (seal and add a rusty look)
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Apply nail top coat. (seal and add shine)
9. The top coat melts, and the botched permanent marker lines reappear. (Huh?)
…Uh, what?
What just happened?
I could understand if it were just the metallic paint, but the acrylic paint too? Melting? What?
To recover from this failure… I need to find the cause…
Perhaps… the top coat is old…
You can adjust the consistency of old top coat by adding thinner.
I added thinner… too much thinner… because I wanted a thin coat…
…Did it become remover instead of top coat…?
I’ll start over.
I have another bottle of old, thickened top coat.
I’ll mix them to adjust the consistency.
(Foreshadowing)
The base coat isn’t completely dissolved.
(Famous last words)
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Dab with a mix of 7 parts silver metallic paint and 3 parts black metallic paint. (Starts over again, with renewed determination)
11-13. Applies top coat, following the same procedure. (Prepares for the inevitable)
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The repainted surface melts again. (Redeems the foreshadowing)
…Ah, yes, I see.
I was foolish to cling to a failed plan…
16+. Does the best she can with the remaining paint. (Memory hazy. Probably the same procedure)
20? 30? Applies water-based varnish (clear). (seal and add shine)
Finally finished painting.
I have some progress photos…
But from the point where the paint started melting, the number of photos is clearly less than the number of coats applied, so I must have given up on documenting it.
…I don’t remember how many coats of each I applied.
But I think next time, I can achieve a similar look and durability with half the steps.
The tense moment of removing the masking tape.
The face was masked the entire time I was working with the clay and paint, so I could only imagine the finished product in my mind. This ‘reveal’ is always nerve-wracking.
The crystal is safe. I breathe a sigh of relief.
Peeling off the tape to reveal a clean surface is satisfying.
Finally, I use a glue stick to attach the toothpick core, which I painted along with everything else, to the hinges.
Finished!
Congratulations!
Take a moment to appreciate the finished product. Admire your handiwork.
In my case, I do a location shoot, organize the photos, and write up the production log.
All this experience for just 200 yen! Low-budget crafting is fun!
…Expensive… a very expensive lesson…
That’s how I feel right now…
This is how it usually goes.
I remember the struggles… I think…
…But creating things is fun… isn’t it?
Some people say that looking back, everything was enjoyable, but that’s not the case for me at all.
The difficult parts… remain difficult, even if the passage of time dulls the sharp edges.
That should apply to creating things as well, but…
The insane design that placed all the responsibility on me, the arduous process, the unsuitable materials, the terrible mistakes… even as I document all of this, engraving it in my memory so I don’t repeat the same mistakes…
…when I hold the ‘finished product’ in my hand, the only word I can think of to describe the entire experience is “fun.”
Some might call it mental contamination, or a psychological defense mechanism.
Well, anyway.
I hope that you, having read this far, will spare a thought for the matching pocket watch, somewhere in a distant world, that sparked the bond between two sisters—the other half of the pair, now missing its chain, rusted, its hands stopped.
――The next chapter will return to the main story, the beginning of Volume 2.
Also, in the previous afterword, I wrote, “I plan to have a resolution in the second volume,” but I’ve officially added a third volume.
I’ll leave it to your imagination to figure out the reason for this ‘design change.’
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