chestnuts roasting on an open fire…
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009After completing the last art/handmade/craft show of the season (and for a while) I finally had some time to play with the Creative PaperClay I bought nearly two months ago. I have been chomping at the bit to experiment with art dolls and have seen PaperClay used as a medium quite often so I thought I’d try it out. It’s sort of awesome and sort of annoying. I’m obviously on the fence and still figuring it out. Anyway, this fellow was the result of my first experiment. I was supposed to be comicking but couldn’t put the PaperClay away and at some point I thought, “Why not use the lil’ guy I just made?! I’ll simply scrape off his nose and…”
Once the deed was done, I felt pretty awful. I’m looking at him right now with an apology on my lips. I wonder if artists like Beth Robinson (StrangeDolls.net) ever have a hard time bloodying up their dolls. I’m sure I’ve blogged her work before but her work is incredible so here’s another taste:
Beth Robinson - the Accident Series
Beth Robinson - Specimen
Oh well. Hopefully this little guy sees the humor in what I’ve done to him and wont chew off my own nose tonight while i sleep.
Keeping with the art doll theme, I made several doll head pendants available in my etsy store. Here’s who you’ll find:
steam punk annie
sasha
mykkie
bleep
You can find those girls in the new Doll Head Adornments section of my store.
That’s all for now. To those celebrating Christmas, have a very merry one!
(Maybe, I’ll put a new nose under the tree for my lil friend here so he stops looking at me like that….)
<3 calan
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:30 am
Its times like this and seeing steam punk annie that make me wish that i had a job that paid me money instead of chump change that i get paid to watch children. Lovely work as always and i hope your holidays are warm and toasty because florida should not be this cold its like a crime.
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 am
That gent surely will have you regretting your nose thievery.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:02 am
I love working with paperclay, and many MANY people swear by Creative Paperclay. I have yet to figure out the secret to working with it, or perhaps I haven’t used it on the right sort of project. I’ve stuck to using it on large items, and I always end up with cracking (despite the thickness of the application).
Since you’re working with small items, you might want to consider experimenting with Delight paperclay. It’s light as air, so you really need to make an armature for something like a doll (it isn’t as good for bulking up a project like Creative paperclay). It starts to dry fairly quickly, so you need to work somewhat fast and keep the open package sealed up, taking out only as much as you need as you go along.
It’s my personal favourite as a paperclay product.
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
chee, i kinda thought jack frost nipping at your nose meant he was tongueing it or licking it. or even that your nose turned red while drinking the christmas punch. i never imagined he’s actually bite! ewww.
jack frost teethy lad
my nose you will never see
hidden in a scarf
by the bye… merry christmas calan, and to your family. and to gingerdead & friends. and same to your wonderful readers.
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:35 pm
ghoul friday – i got cracking too. it was easy to smooth out once it was dry by smearing on some more. what i dont like is how fast it dries and that adding to it seems impossible when it’s moist. i can make the perfect shape but say i want to then add a nose or bulk out the cheeks by adding more clay, it just sort of rejects the addition..doesn’t stick. i can force smear it but it will easily break off then. it seems you have to form, allow a few hours to dry and then add on to. i’m partial to regular clay i think but i have no kiln. i used air dry clay with the bunny a few weeks ago. next i’ll try the super sculpey which i’ve been using on the doll head pendants. the Delight looks interesting too but i think i’ll be working larger as i want the dolls to be at least 6 inches to a foot…hell i’d like them as big as me. O.o
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Sera, thanks for the haiku and merry wishes. hope yours is lovely too. we’re keeping it pretty quiet here which is how i like my christmas. that and loaded with pie!
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
my little CalanRee- I LOVE the new paper clay jack frost and am happy that you get to experiment with it now that the shows have slowed down. I, too amd working on bigger less crafty fare
Yay!
I’ll take a stab at a haiku based on our idea for the photo shoot with you and Jim:
in the spectacle
they both glance at the future
only art and love
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:35 pm
yay Demi! we should have art day at your cozy pad soon!
as for your haiku…my breath has been taken
you thief!
December 26th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Merry Xmas!
December 27th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Nip away Jack Frost
inside you’ll find some small gifts
yummy it is not
December 28th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
it is not…it is snot….ewwwwww Jim!
December 29th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
pie. yumm.
we still have some frozen cakes and cookies in the freezer, so i will be eating “holiday food” for at least another monh.
what the hell, she said
pulling a cookie with holes
from the freezer shelf
my cookie has holes
she cried, peering down inside
oh! it’s jack frost’s nose!
October 13th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
seraphine- i think it would be pretty weird to find someone elses nose in your cookie….
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:17 pm
hello! amazing stuff! i would really like to purchase a steam punk annie pendant, how may i go about?..
September 24th, 2011 at 12:10 am
hi daniel and thanks! that series of doll head pendants have all been sold. you can find some of what i have available over in my etsy store – http://www.gingerdead.etsy.com nothing there quite like that pendant though. maybe i’ll do a new series before the holidays.