Trick or Treat...Smell my feet

I just love this time of year...Halloween is so much FUN!!! The Chazman's class is having a party on the 31st and he wanted me to "make" something for him to take. OF course, it couldn't just be cookies or cupcakes. I'm a good cook...I love to cook...cookies and cupcakes would be a good thing, ri iight?? He wanted me to come up with an idea that would be different and unique. One where his classmates would slap him on the back and say "WOW...Chazman...this is AWESOME". Hmmmm, after he made that statement he decided he might not want a slap but perhaps a shoulder tap or high five...that would work. He said some in his room could probably hit hard. OK I"m getting off on one of my tangents again...sorry!!! I sat down with my "idea book"...that's a big notebook that I keep ideas in...hehe...no...really....it is. Well...I can't keep ALL my muse whisperings in my head. She already has it so full that my body has expanded to keep some of them stored. ANYWAYS....several years ago (about 20 to be exact) I had made some candy containers for a friend  to give as party favors at a Halloween party. They were a hit....well...who wouldn't like to take their "MUMMY" home. HAHAHAHA...I just couldn't resist...sorry...AGAIN!! The Chazman thinks they will be a hit this time too.

Isn't he a cutie? Soooo simply to make and I'm going to prove it to you. By request of a friend (one that doesn't want to be named...I think she plans on making them and wants her child to think she did it all on her own...LOL...I don't mind...I love to share) I'm going to do a tut for you. OMGOSH...a tut....on a mummy....get it????  Tut...Mummy.....King Tut!! OK so I'm quirky...ya knew that already...let's get started.

Here are the supplies you will need. Most you may have on your messy desk already. You will need.......

Card stock paper

Pencil

Fine point marker

Watercolor pencils (small brush) or crayons

Scissors

Crepe Paper (or creepy paper as the Chazman calls it)

Toilet Tissue holder

Assortment of Candy

Now.......... if you aren't one to save those empty toilet tissue holders (GASP...I can't believe that everyone doesn't) then no worries. You can make some using your card stock paper. A toilet tissue holder is a tad over 4 inches long...that makes a good mummy body....so here's what you do..

If you do have ONE toilet tissue holder then place it on your cardstock paper and mark the length or if not then take a ruler and mark off 4 inches. 

Cut your paper and then roll around the empty holder or if no holder then just roll up until you think it looks like a toilet tissue holder. Imaginations people...imaginations!!! ^_^  You can tape the seams or glue them. Me personally...I would tape them...much faster!!!

Since this is a "Trick or Treat...Smell my Feet" mummy then we need some stinky feet. I like to do one original pattern on cardboard (that way I can keep it for future use) and just trace the outline and fill it in where I need to. This is if you are doing several of something...which I am in this case.....24 to be exact. You are more than welcome to copy and save my pattern and use if you like. Remember..I like to share!! To make your original pattern, take your holder and place it on the paper and trace around the bottom. Then simply add some toes. I go over my pencil tracings with a fine point marker. Then I use my watercolor pencils to add some "age" around the toenails. For the eyes I just do a bubble (make sure you measure on the holder how big you need to make the bubble) and then draw my eyes inside it. I use my watercolor pencils to add some color to them. Crayons will work just as well for this...especially if little hands are helping you. 

After you have cut out the feet and bubble face....you place the feet on the holder. I like to add a small piece of paper under the feet inside the holder to give it some support for when you add the candy. Don't let it come out on the side with the toes...they will be enough support for that side. I then take a piece of the crepe paper and glue it across the feet and up the sides of the holder. Turn over and glue on your bubble eyes. 

I know everyone has their way of doing things but I always like to give the right way  suggestions and tips that I have come across. Do not open the crepe paper...I mean...yes you have to open it but do not take the wrapper off of it. It is easier to use if you cut the center and pull the paper out like a tissue box. I pull about 3 arm lengths out when making one mummy...seems like a lot but wrapping a body takes some paper. Even the small bodies..^_^ Also, if you don't just happen to have any laying around, I found mine at Wal-Mart in the party section for .97 

Now back to mummy. Take the end of your long piece of crepe and fold into a triangle and put glue on it. Place just inside the holder off to the side. 

Now place the candy inside the holder. I put about 4 different kinds inside...it's really all up to you but you don't want it to heavy. Once the candy is inside then you take the crepe paper and wrap it twice around the openings...start the wrapping at the bottom and going up the other side to the top and back over. You can pick up the mummy while doing this but sit it back down once you have it started so that you can tighten the paper some around it. Be gentle!!

Once you have wrapped the openings then you can start to wrap the body. I wrap one time all around the holder with the crepe paper flat. You will have to twist the paper near the eyes. We don't want to cover up his eyes...now do we? Once you have wrapped the body completely then you will take the crepe paper and fold it in half and start to wrap it again. The folding makes it look more like mummy wrappings. Keep wrapping until you get to a small tail that will hang over the top of the mummy.

Take some glue and apply to the top and then press the tail over and let it hang down the side. I like to cut it and make it look like old strips of wrapping.

Mummy should look like this...or close to it. Now he would be great to give like this but the Chazman wanted a tag with the saying "Trick or Treat...Smell my Feet" on him. So I sat down and drew out a tag...a simple one and you are more than welcome (AGAIN) to copy and use mine. I ran mine through my printer so it is two sided. One side with the saying and one side with the cute scrapbook Halloween paper print. (the one behind the finished mummy pic) I also aged the tag..well..it is going on a mummy!! I just tied it around the mummy and it's that simple.

Don't ya think it's an easy project? Ok ok...maybe if you copy and paste and take all my babblings out then it would be but I just have to babble. I LIKE it...hehe!! Now...if you will excuse me I have 19 more mummies to make. Have FUN!!!

Until next time.....Happy Halloween Hugs, Regi

This post is linked to a great spooktacular blog hop....hop on over and see all the other awesome artist.

Making clay Hands

I have received several compliments about my doll hands and thought I might pass along how I do them again for those that have asked here recently. Mind you, I'm not a teacher or one of the great doll artist... yet ;)...but I think that I can show how you can use everyday supplies that most artist have on hand. So, here goes, my first ummmm second EVER tutorial. I hope it helps someone with the making of hands.

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 and I am a hand person. Hands can show so much of a person. OK, back to the tut.....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 detail as I can...no one may see all of them when they are complete but I will know.
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.



I hope that this helps in trying to make hands. They aren't hard...they just take some time and patience. Take an afternoon and just work on hands. Practice makes perfect....well....not perfect but close....besides the small imperfections are what makes each artist works unique and their own!!

Until next time.......Hugs,
Regi

Santa's Hands..the starving artist ways

After being told to get up from the computer...LOL...I was able to work on my Santa hands for my newest ooaks. I have received several compliments about my doll hands and thought I might pass along how I do them. Mind you, I'm not a teacher or one of the great doll artist... yet ;)...but I think that I can show how you can use everyday supplies that even a starving artist has on hand. So, here goes, my first EVER tutorial. I hope it helps someone with the making of hands.

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.