Return of the Giant Silverware

Alrighty, I am back to working on the giant silverware again.  When we last saw the giant silverware I was attempting to smooth out the handles using Bondo.  The Bondo was stinky and a little expensive and I was having to build it up in layers.  Lumpy, bumpy layers that were going to need TONS of sanding.Round 3 – This time I will be using homemade paper mache clay.  I had thought of paper mache in the beginning, but thought that strips of newspaper would be lumpy and I didn’t think I could count on store bought clay to get the results I wanted.I just globbed it on, this is about two rolls worth of clay.  It was really easy to find the supplies and mix up, and I can think of a lot of great ways to use this stuff.Using a palette knife and water I shaped and smoothed the clay.  This is where I started getting excited, it really looks like this might work.  It has taken forever to dry (a week and a half).  I am excited to start sanding, priming and painting, but first I need to finish the handles on the rest of the spoons and forks.
I think I am finally on the right track, I would really love to get these finished and hung soon, I think the only hold up will be drying time.  I can’t wait to get more stuff finished for my kitchen.
Have a wonderful, crafty holiday weekend!  I’ll see you guys next Wednesday!

Personal Swap Package Received!!!

I got a very special package in the mail yesterday from my friend Tiffany (mieljolie).  We have swapped before and honestly I will always swap with her for the awesome witches boots she makes.  I am hoping to have a whole collection someday.  We anyway, enough chit chat on to the package!
Here is my brand new witch’s boot, isn’t it stunning!  I had requested black cats or skeletons and she did both.  I can’t begin to describe how beautiful this is, the pictures aren’t doing the boot justice at all, I had to use the flash (ugh) and a lot of the little details are lost. I had also asked for a Teesha Moore styled binder cover.  There are so many rich and textured fabrics, it feels really nice and she embroidered my name on the back, isn’t that great?!?  It has a tab that buttons on to keep it closed, I really like that I can take it all the way off if I want to, now I just need to decide what to use it for.  I originally wanted it for a journal, but I want to display it and I know I couldn’t stand anyone casually flipping through my journal.  I’m sure I’ll figure something out. Here is a beautiful ornament that she calls a ladybird house.  Doesn’t it look like metal or maybe polymer clay?  She made it out of card stock, cereal boxes to be exact.  I think she needs to be selling tutorials for this technique in her etsy store.  It’s really funny that she made one of these for me, I had seen one she made for a different swap and was disappointed that I hadn’t seen it in time to ask for one.
And here are the final pieces.  An adorable jack-o-lantern wearing a witch’s hat polymer clay sculpture.  It looks old and very delicate in person, the leaves look real, I thought they were until I touched them.  The box that the Ladybird ornie came in that her daughter decorated for me, aren’t those birds sweet?  And finally a polymer clay embellished pen.  I love it so much I’m kind of scared to use it (afraid I’ll break it).
I love everything so much, it’s all just perfect, thank you Tiffany!!!
As you can see, this was a pretty big swap and you know I made some fun stuff for her too, but she hasn’t gotten her package yet, so no peeks.  I’m definitely getting anxious for her to receive, hopefully she’ll get it today (the tracking says it en-route to be delivered).  I’ll share what I sent her once she has a chance to open her package.

A Productive Weekend

I had a really productive weekend, but I don’t have any finished projects to share today.  I am on row 91 of my new knitting pattern.  There are 139 rows total, so I’m making good progress.  I love the detailed border, so simple and elegant (and difficult to photograph).  I can’t wait to see this one finished. Here is what is left of one of my super thick toilet boxes (the bottom of the pile).  I know it looks silly stacked up like this, but I needed a lot of weigh.  Hoping to start on the fun painting part later today.

While it may not look that impressive, that was what I did this weekend.  Stay tuned for what’s going on with the toilet box, really, it’s going to be awesome!

Kokeshi Doll Tree Toppers

I have been finishing up some of my paper mache projects from last week.  My hat models have receive their second coat of paper mache and now are awaiting finishing and I added some paper mache clay details to some of the other pieces.I lightly sanded them to remove some of the larger bumps, primed them with gesso, and then started painting.  I really love the metallic sequin black paint from Folk Art that I used to paint their hair, it is super shiny. Some kimonos and fancy painted flowers finish them off.  The lighting in here is terrible (sorry), but I promise, they are super adorable.  Now I need to decide which one I like the best and have a “professional” photo shoot to really show them off.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Paper Mache Play

I really love paper mache! In elementary school I hated it, but I’m going to assume it is because they didn’t explain the process well and they wanted us to make super bulky newspaper bases and what I ended up with was a damp, lumpy mess that did not look like a unicorn. Today I covered some balloons on Pringles cans to make more craft show displays (these are child head sized) and I also covered some thread cones with Styrofoam ball heads and some wooden peg dolls.  I really like the texture that paper mache gives to a finished piece and how well it integrates the separate parts together.  I think that they now look like giant game pieces and now I want to make some of those, these are going to be something else. I used the paper mache recipe from The Big Ass Book of Crafts from Mark Montano, it’s a basic flour paste with a bit of white glue added in.  I did one layer last night and it has dried rock hard, I will add at least one more layer to the displays and then some paper clay to smooth it out and add some details to my other pieces.  There is a recipe for paper mache mush in the book that would be great for that, but I have some paper clay on hand that I have had forever and I want to use that up.

I would also like to note that I have been doing some cleaning and you’ll notice that my normally cluttered dining room table is clean, we could eat dinner at the table if we wanted, I know, it’s crazy!  Now to work on the rest of the house, I finally figured out the psychology of why my house was cluttered (no, I don’t want to share) and I expect to make a lot of progress in the next month.

I should be busy working on these projects all weekend, what will you be working on?  Have a super crafty weekend, everyone!

Paper Mache Wrap Up

I coated my paper mache with some light weight joint compound, which probably wasn’t the best idea.  The moisture leached into the paper mache and weakened it, but I’m still using them.

They kind of look like I frosted them.  It took and entire day for them to dry and this morning I sanded them smooth.  I used black gesso to paint/prime them.  I will need to go back and do some touching up and finish the bottoms, but I wanted to share this today.

I really like how these turned out, I wish I had more time to work on them, but I need them to be ready for tomorrow to display my hats.

I had wanted to paint faces on them, but now I’m glad I just went with plain black, my table cloth is also black and I think that it will really make my hats pop!

It’s time for me to start loading up the car, have a great weekend everyone!

Current Events and Paper Mache

It has been a long week and unfortunately it started off on a sad note.  Pookie’s (my cats) health started rapidly declining this weekend and on Monday I said my final goodbye.  She was my companion for over fifteen years.

Here she is, on the right, with my other cat Kiki in their recycled sweater bed.

I have also been preparing for the 19th. Annual Frost Frolic Holiday Market in exciting Fairbury, Nebraska, my home town.  Working on some new ideas on how to display my work, (more on that next week) and finishing up some last minute projects.

Here is what I just started working on last night.

Here is my base, balloons and cardboard tubes.  I then broke out the paper mache and went to work.

  I didn’t finish the sixth one, I just ran out of steam, besides odd numbers of things look more visually pleasing, right?  They have dried nicely and are pretty stiff.  I think I’m going to give them a coat of spackle to smooth them out and maybe after my Lincoln Handmade Team meeting tonight I can start painting them.  Can you guess what they are going to be?