Wednesday, October 28, 2009

WIP on Mr and Mrs. Claus

Being a ooaks (one of a kind sculpt) artist fills you with so many emotions. I get so excited when I start a sculpt.....get anxious to complete the sculpt and then feel sad when it is complete. It's really hard to let them go live with others too...but  it's nice to be recognized and to be selling. I wasn't sad from lack of sculpting for to long.....the Santa bug has bitten me and I'm already designing my next sculpt. It is going to be of Mr and Mrs Claus and I'm sure there will be a pumpkin pie too.....seeing how Santa just got back from his garden adventure.  Here is Mrs Claus....all smiles and warm hearted.

More WIP post are coming as this piece moves along. As always, thank you for stopping by and looking and a big thank you for all the comments. I LOVE to get feed back...especially the kind that just makes me feel all warm and toasty inside.  ^_^

Hugs,
Regi


Santa and the Pumpkins aka Fall Santa is Complete.....

Fall is a wonderful time of year. The air is clean and crisp...the leaves fall and float about in their hues of orange, browns and reds. It's a time to walk in the woods....listen to the rustle of the fallen leaves. Sit and watch the small creatures scurry about. For one man this is the perfect time of year...the only time that he relaxes and enjoys everything around him. It signals a long family tradition. The visit to the pumpkin patch in the well tended garden found a bit southward of the old homestead.  He and his Mrs. love to garden....it's the one thing they do all by themselves without any wee ones assisting. Today is the day that he gets to go all alone....to find the perfect pumpkins. He can already smell the aromatic spices mixed in with the pumpkin meat baking in what is probably the worlds best pumpkin pie. After cutting two from the patch, still with dirt on the tips of his fingers, he sits a spell.....fires up his favorite pipe and watches as the forest creatures begin to venture out.

The above picture is the base of this ooaks. It is made of pine and wiped down with an green acrylic paint. Silk leaves are attached to the base as well as hand sculpted pumpkins...and the glass garden box/seat.

Santa is loved by not just children but all the furry animals of the forest. Two rabbits just had to come and say hello to this jolly old soul. If you have been following some of my WIP (work in progress) post on this piece then you will recongize the rabbits. They are two of my needle felted characters. I think they added a unique quality to this piece. Santa's boots are made from felt and the cuff is lined in fur....the top piece of the boots are hand tooled genuine leather. His belt is leather with the same hand tooled pieces adorning the front.

Mrs. Claus always packs Santa a bag for his outing to the garden. She packed his journal....Santa loves to write down his adventures. One day he plans on writing a book....ohhhh the stories he will tell.  Of course, he has his favorite box of cookies and some sugar plums. It's getting close to the big day...he has to start putting on his winter weight so his red suit will fit just right.  The pouch is  hand sewn from genuine leather.



Santa is one of my hand sculpted pieces, no molds were used. He has a strong wire armature underneath a bulb'z body. His face, hands and feet were sculpted using Prosculpt clay. His face was painted using acrylic paints. His hair and beard are mohair wool. His cap is made from fur and his boots are made from felt, fur and leather. His outfit is hand sewn using silks, wools and cotton fabrics. Santa would be a little over 12 inches tall if standing....sitting he is right at 10 inches tall. He can be removed from the base and sat on a shelf or small chair. A COA (certificate of Authenticity) will come with this ooaks and will be signed by the artist, that's me. I found a wonderful small supply of tiny vintage Santa books and am presently using those to place the COA in.  If you are interested in adopting this Santa please email me and we will arrange the travel agenda for him to come stay with you. As always, thank you for looking and remember to check back often. I have several Santas planned for this year. I only do a few a year so don't miss out on having a unique and truly one of a kind of your very own.  Hugs, Regi

Price: $225 plus Travel Fare

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Weebies are here....


Football is BIG here in the South and one is never to young to start with the age old argument "My team's better than yours".  Going with this age old battle I designed a group of small ones to represent a saying not that my team is better than yours but "My Pop is Tuffer than yours". Hence, the weebies were brought to life. My little ones have smiles on their faces as one tussles with the other and growls that his Pops is the best.
They are wee ones for sure as they are a smidgen over 2 inches tall. These are my desk sitters or computer top sitters. I also have a series I do for Christmas as ornaments.

                                    





Price: $20 plus travel fare

If you would be interested in adopting one of my weebies just post a comment or send me an email. I do all kinds of baby animals/mascots but seeing that I live here in Alabama it seemed fitting to post the Elephant and the tiger!!!

Check back for the ornament posting and some of my other ooaks I'm presently working on. Until then,

Hugs, Regi

Friday, October 23, 2009

Kaiden's Keepsake

We have a beautiful blue eyed Godson that turned one on October 20th.  What a blessing to be a part of this lil man's life. We were both so honored when our good friend asked us to be his Godparents. We have two names now that we are called on a daily basis....mommie/daddy and now GG/Gpaw. Life is good!!!

This is the keepsake I made for Amber for Kaiden's babyshower. A tiny lil baby faery, yes with tiny pointed ears which I think is the reason that Kaiden was born with tiny pointed ears too and I will never ever be able to live down now...LOL!!! He is laying on a sculpted grape leaf and his wings are real preserved butterfly wings. I love using butterfly wings but they are so hard to find. In the Native American culture the butterfly represents eternal life so I guess God brings them back home to him body and soul when their time here on earth is done. I attached silk ribbons to the piece so that it can be hung on an ornament stand or on the Christmas tree as "Baby's First".

I loved making the first keepsake so much that I decided to make it a yearly tradition for him. Since he is a October baby then of course the thought came to mind that doing a sculpt of what he is for Halloween would make an excellant memory piece. Amber has picked out an adorable costume for him this year....he is going as a giraffe. I sculpted a tiny giraffe costume out of clay and then put baby hands/feet and a sweet face on it.
Of course he is holding up his finger for how old he is.....ONE!!!!!!!!  I sat him next to the spool of thread so you could get an idea as to his size. I know it's hard sometimes to imagine just how big or small ooaks are.
                                     
                                     
Here is a side view. I think it turned out really cute. I hope that Amber will like it and I hope that when Kaiden gets grown she will let him have them...LOL!!! His keepsakes from his GG.
                                    

As soon as I pull out the Christmas ornament boxes I will find the ornaments that I have done for Chaz over the past six years and post photos. I love doing keepsakes....if you would like a ooaks keepsake done drop me an email or leave me a post. As always, thank you for looking. Hugs, Regi

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Some more WIP photos...as promised.

I'm having so much fun with this sculpt. I love using different materials in my props and with this one I'm doing just that. These of course are the pieces going with the Fall Santa or Santa and the pumpkins. I think I have called it both...LOL!!!

Santa has an antique glass garden box/seat that he always takes along with him whenever he goes to garden. He has found the most perfect two pumpkins for Mrs. Claus to bake her famous pumpkin pies with. Why two?? you ask...one is for Mr and Mrs Claus and the smaller one is for the elves. I think there would be a rebellion if they didn't get their very own. Yummmm, can't you just smell that pumpkin spice in the air!!!!


The glass box is an antique keepsake box that I found at an estate sale. There is a tiny tin watering can. A gardening book that I made, a seed bag, a garden shovel and a tiny swing blade. Santa always puts his gardening tools back in the box and then sits on it for a spell to listen to all the wonderful sounds coming from around the nearby woods.

Santa loves to smoke a pipe. He loves Mrs. Claus but she doesn't love the pipe so much. That's one reason he loves spending time in the garden....he gets to smell the freshly turned earth and the smell of his aromatic tobacco. He never has to buy his pipes as his elves make them for him. Unique and different, each one. Today Santa picked up one that was carved with a jolly ole face of him....HOHOHO!!!

Today I hope to start outfitting Santa. I love making the costumes almost as much as I do sculpting. OK, ok I love doing anything that requires using my hands and my quirky imagination. Check back soon...completed pics soon. Hugs, Regi

Monday, October 19, 2009

WIP on Fall/Pumpkin Santa

WOW....I can't believe that a week has gone by....it feels more like a month. Whew...so happy to be feeling normal well let me rephrase that...human again...LOL!!!! I want to take a minute too and say THANK YOU to my followers that I have taking the time to read this quirky artist's blog. I love all the comments, so please keep them coming and pass me along to your friends so they can pass me on to their friends and so on and so on and...............

I'm working on the Fall/Pumpkin Santa and as you can tell he is coming right along. I'm having a very difficult time deciding if I want to do full clay feet/boots or do clay feet and felted boots. My muse is pulling me in both directions which makes it really hard to decide. Since the feet are being a really "stinky" problem right now....get it....stinky....feet...ok ok I know ;) I think today will be one of working on his hands and some of his pieces that will go with him. I'm toying with him smoking a pipe since he is out in the patch away from Mrs. Claus. I need to make some of his garden tools too to put in his work chest he will be sitting on. It's a small glass chest so the pieces will be seen. So many ideas dancing around in my head so I guess I need to go and get busy. Check back soon for more WIP notes on this ooaks and as always thank you for looking.

Hugs,
Regi






Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Boo Tree complete...so BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!


Our Boo tree is complete. Chaz and I had such fun making this together. I'm so proud that he has the artistic gift....and everything that comes with it. Such an imagination this child has. I just can't imagine where he gets it from...;P I think he came up with some really unique characters for this year's family Halloween ornament. We have "Party Crow" overseeing the festivities. Bat boy and Punk Rock ghost just hanging about. Witchie Poo and monster hand are handing out the candy. Mummy boy and Dragonaling (that's a baby dragon for those that don't know the Chazman language yet) waiting for their fair share of the goodies. Black cat is keeping a sharp eye on itsy bitsy spider...she loves atomic fire balls. Also, BEWARE that you don't park near the designated Witches post.....the sign reads "Witch Parking...others will be TOAD".
Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!! Hugs, Regi and the Chazman

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Some of our Halloween Decor....







I haven't been able to work on the Chazman's Boo tree due to being caught up by the flu bug. What a nasty bug it is too. Please make sure that everyone in your home is taking precautions in fighting this nasty critter. Wash hands every time you get near a water source...LOL....and use GermX....lots and lots of GermX. I hate not being able to work in my studio especially when I have so many designs in the works and with Halloween just peeking around the corner. So in the absence of any new BOO work done I thought I would share some of our Halloween decor with you. Happy Hauntings!!!!! Hugs, Regi



Thursday, October 8, 2009

Boo tree is here....




Well Mr. Chazman's Boo tree is complete and he LOVES him...whew!!!! Now I have to get started on the tiny tree ornaments and the trick or treaters that will be around the tree. These are going to be so tiny that I think instead of my sculpting skills I'm going to have to call upon my carving skills. You see Mr. Boo Tree stands at just a smidgen over seven inches at his tallest branch.....so that means I'm fixing to go BLIND!!!!! Hugs,Regi

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

WIP of Boo Tree


The fog was so thick that a light mist was falling.....the sky was a gray almost as though you were looking through a thin veil....as the breeze blew through the trees you could hear the leaves rustling....in the background the sounds of dogs howling!!!! What a perfect day to be sculpting a Boo tree. I have the wire armature done....all the taping complete. Now for a coat or two of glue to seal the tape..let it dry and then it's sculpting time. Chaz wants his tree to have a face....so a face it will have. Trying to decide if it's going to be a happy, fun face....or a grumpy, snarling face. Maybe a combination of the two. I found the perfect wooden base to use for the sculpt and it will have enough room to do some tiny sculpts to sit...stand or whatever ghouls and goblins do around a tree. Hummmm...maybe a game of ring around the tree!!! Check back as this design unfolds....more WIP pics will be posted. Now to go downstairs and stop my dog from howling..enough of the special effects already......LOL Hugs, Regi

Sunday, October 4, 2009

It's going to be a Boo tree.....


The Halloween bug has chosen a victim and it has chomped down hard. It seems as though the Chazman thinks we just don't have enough decorations soooooo he wants us to make some more. I'm so proud that he thinks "Mommie" can do anything......there might be some things I can't do but believe you me I sure will give it my best. LOL!!!!!!!!!!! Several, several SEVERAL years ago I made this really cute Boo tree for someone I worked with. He wanted something unique to give his wife for her birthday. She was born on October 31 (sooo not going to tell the year...it was a long long long time ago...hehe) She collected all things Halloween and his job was to find something different each year. I always kept one of my ooaks sitting on my desk so he came to me. I came up with this really unique idea for a wire tree with tiny Halloween ornaments hanging off it. She loved it!!!! When Chaz was asking questions about what we could make I remembered this gift from so long ago. So Santa move it on over because Halloween is taking over!!!


Hugs,

Regi

Friday, October 2, 2009

Orange and black...black and purple....oh the colors of Halloween!!!

Welcome to the month of Halloween. It's so funny that I have a child that on most days has no clue as to what month or day it actually is BUT let the first of a month roll around that we can decorate for and he knows!!!! It's so much fun to decorate and Halloween is one of our favorite times. We pulled out the old worn out box of goodies and put them here and there and everywhere. Chazman has already put in an order for some more decorations so I think that will be a project for this weekend. Since I have the characters from Resyculbinz just hanging around we decided to use them in our decorations....figure might as well....they will probably like being downstairs in all the turmoil...LOL!!! Hope everyone has a wonderful month of tricks and treats.

Hugs,
Regi

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Bunnies for the Fall Santa

The needle felts of the bunnies are complete.....that will be with the Fall Santa I'm working on. One of the bunnies Santa will be holding and the other will be resting on the toe of his boot. I still have my muse singing of perhaps a squirrel sitting on a pumpkin being added to the piece but for now she is letting me work on the old man himself. With the weather getting a tiny bit cooler here (keyword being TINY BIT) it makes working on this piece even more fun. I love fall and everything it brings with it....unfortunately here in our Southern state we don't see it for long...LOL!!!!