I'm working on the outfit itself now. I have chosen a handsome brown/black/red/white plaid for his trousers. A soft red flannel for his ruffled shirt and a green/black sock for his sweater. Yes, I said sock for the sweater...LOL!!! It is amazing what you can use for doll clothes. Of course, it is a new sock...not a smelly stinky used one. I would never do that or at least I would never tell anyone that I did ;) Hugs, Regi
In this next photo he looks like he is waving at you but he isn't...well...I guess he could be BUT he isn't...LOL!!!!! I have his hand placed where it will be when he is completed. He will be holding Chester up. Chester was designed by the elves for a little boy that asked for a playmate. Chester is almost as tall as the little boy he will be going to stay with. So Santa will be holding him up and Chester will be sitting on the arm of the chair.
OMGOSH....Santa is trying to climb over the chair....I don't think he likes me showing him to all the world.........NEKKID!!!!!! Really I just wanted to show you his cute lil hiney....HEY...he needs that hiney to make his pants fit right ya know.
I hope my little notes on how I do some of my doll making is helping others. I love to share my knowledge and yes of course my weird, unusual and quirky ways. I think that's one thing that makes the artist community so wonderful. From the starving artist to the famous ones....we all believe in sharing our gifts with one another. That's a good thing.....you never know what that sharing might just spark our muses to start whispering about. Just the simplest thing can spring a new idea into forming.....from a few words that had no idea that it was hidden amongst them.
This is Henry...he is the leader of the snail patrol. Don't let the name fool you...remember we are amongst the faery realm dwellers. Henry is a ooak design sculpted out of Prosculpt clay without the use of any molds. He has a strong wire armature underneath. His eyes are handset and hand painted using acrylic paints. His outfit is made of pure wool blend yarns and felts. His hair is a wool blend yarn. His wings are made from preserved butterfly wings and then adorned with feathers and beads. His companion and ride is Sammie the snail. Sammie is a fully sculpted ooak design made out of Prosculpt clay. He has a strong wire and paper mache armature underneath.
This is Chamie...she is the Queen of the fern garden and the winner of the faery races for the past 100 years. Chamie is hand sculpted out of Prosculpt clay without the use of any molds. Her eyes are handset and hand painted using acrylic paints. Her outfit is made from pure wool blend yarn and dyed silk. Her hair is pure wool blend pulled yarn. Her wings are hand sewn using silk and then embroidered and adorned with natural tiny precious stones. Her faithful companion is Sebastin....a turtle but not just a mere turtle...his legs have the power to carry him from fern to tree in a blink of an eye. Sebastin has a strong wire and paper mache armature underneath a fully sculpted body made from Prosculpt without the use of any molds. He is painted with acrylic and fine MICA powder paints. His eyes are handmade, handset and painted using acrylic paints. He wears a fine top hat made from a natural acorn top. Their base is made of pine, painted and then covered in natural elements such as moss and acorns and adorned with silk plants.
6.jpg" border=0>
Materials Needed: 22 gauge wire....wire cutters...floral tape....toothpick....sculpting tools (what I use: large doll sewing needle, wooden knitting needle, sculpting tool, stiffened paint brush) sculpting clay in flesh and in transparent (not going to mention what kind...we all have our favorites)
It's always best to make the head first so that the hand proportions will be correct. I myself make the hands a bit larger than life because that's how I see Santa. Cut six pieces of wire. Five are for your fingers and one is to make a small holder for the fingers. Wrap this piece around a toothpick to make about 8-10 loops...keep them close together. Make sure to leave some of the ends hanging....it makes it easier to hold onto when removing from the toothpick.
Hold the toothpick at one end and one of the long pieces of wire in your fingers and simply twist the toothpick until the wire slides off. Of course if you use a different gauge wire then you might have to use something other than a toothpick to make your holder. I have just discovered that the toothpick is perfect for the 22 gauge. Trial and error...we all know that phrase ;)
Take your five pieces of wire and place them inside your holder. Crimp the holder to lock the wires in place. Spread the fingers apart. Take about 12-15 inches of your floral tape and wrap around the holder first and work your way up to the palm area. Stretch the tape as you go so you will get a nice snug fit. Wrap it around the palm and then start wrapping around the base of the fingers. Like a basket weave pattern until all the tape is gone. Cut the wires to the desired lengths. I like to take the tips of the fingers and gently bend the ends down and then crimp. This helps you not to get stuck and to keep it from poking through the clay so easily.
Take your flesh colored clay and make a thin roll twice the length of each finger. Take one and fold it in half and place over one of the finger wires. Smooth the seams on each side until the finger is shaped and secured to the palm of the hand. Repeat this for each finger. Shape two pieces of clay into a balls about the size of a quarter. Flatten them in the middle and place one in the palm of the hand. Gentle push with your thumb to give it a palm look. Place the other in the front of the hand...make sure you place this at the base of the fingers (this helps make knuckles) and against the inside of the thumb. Make another ball about the size of the bottom of a acrylic paint bottle. Roll the ball into a cylinder shape and cut in half. Place a piece on each side to make up the wrist and partial arm. Smooth and blend until no seams show. Remember, these are Santa's hand...a man with some age so if there are a few imperfections then it will just add to the aging of them. Using your sculpting tools and looking at your hands make the details for the knuckles, wrist and fingers. I like to add vein lines to mine. Look at your hands also in the position that you are going to place Santa's in.
Don't forget to give the palm some detail. I like to make sure that his hands look real. I do this even if they won't show. I love to do as much details as I can to bring my Santa's to life.
Here is where the large sewing needle comes in. I use one of the big needles I use when making teddy bears and large cloth dolls. Take the eye part and gently push back the cuticle of each finger. Again, look at your own fingers to see what they look like. Take the transparent clay to make the fingernails. Roll a long piece out and cut tiny pieces off. Shape the piece into a tiny fingernail. Make sure you blunt cut the tip before you place on the finger. Take your sculpting tool or stiffened paint brush and gently push the nail into place. Once you have all the details of your hands complete, it's time to bake. Bake according to the clay manufacturer's directions. Once hands are cooled then if you need to you can file Santa's nails...just in case he got a hangnail during baking. I put several coats of varnish over the nails...make sure that each coat is thoroughly dry before adding another coat.
