Finger Print Tree

So, apparently, being pregnant makes you tired....
I've been falling down on my studio time a bit, but I did manage to whip this up for a friend this week :)
Hopefully I can get the energy up to start working on some more jewelry at home, too.

Dragon Puppet - First Steps

After a week of vacation, I decided to take on a big project: making a large dragon puppet out of a model for a large T-Rex head. One of the perks of having a studio at the McGuffey is getting to work around a bunch of very generous people and I happened to come across this dinosaur model in our free pile.

I decided to use the plastic skull base as the form for my dragon head.

The first major obstacle was engineering a mechanism to allow the head to be "worn" on a puppeteers hand. This required making some large holes, inserting padding and working with elastic to achieve a comfortable fit.

Next step, adding on horns, ears and other anatomy, after which I will get to make the dragony skin!

Marionette - Styling Completed

Completed figure combined the polymer base with experimental use of mohair, paint, fibers, and beads. Whereas the green coat was hand-stitched from a pattern, much of the clothing was glued directly to the figure, as it will be a permanent fixture for long-term use. 

After much consideration and some trail and error, the face and body were finished with the use of acrylic paint in hues of purple and blue. The blue "freckles" work well with the hair to fulfill a sense of other-worldliness or the supernatural. Next time, I might experiment more with the use of translucent clay to heighten this effect.

Marionette Continued - Clothes and Hair

A Necklace for a Friend

Project Number 2 this weekend. With custom wine cork, egyptian jewel bettle wing, brass findings, lapis lazuli, green garnet, labradorite and Swarovski crystals.

Thumbprint Watermelon for a Baby Shower

One of my many projects this weekend. The watermelon seeds will be the fingerprints of the people who come to celebrate with the new-mom-to-be. :)

Fae Puppet - The First Few Steps

I finally started on the road to learning how to make puppets!
Here is what I did today with wire, aluminium foil and polymer clay.

The next steps will involve fibers (hair,) paint, sewing clothes and figuring out the puppeteering bit with the string...