More WIP with Charlie Chaplin

Today I've attached his hands and feet to the body armature and wrapped the body with polyfil. Next step to cover the body and then begin costuming.

I will need to find some fabric to use for his clothing. I am making a trip to the thrift shops to see if I can find something that will work. It needs to be soft but look like suiting. So while I wait for the shops to open I'll wet felt his hat. 

I've laid the wool fibres out over a styrofoam ball, add hot soapy water and agitate under a layer of saran wrap. I used some brown fibres in here too. I only had mohair in the black and it needs anchor hairs to felt properly. Since I will be hardening the felted had afterwards I will be able to add a little acrylic paint so it will be more black.

Here the hat is drying out a bit, but it still could use some shaping. 

Work on Charlie Continues

I've now got Charlie's body armature together and have started on his hands and feet well, shoes...
The shoes are baking as I type. I've build up the lower leg first and baked it, then added a foot and shoe to it and am baking them again.

I've used a rubber core for his body and drilled through it to insert the armature wires. Everything is covered with hockey tape. I find this tape super sticky and nothing moves once it's taped up. I am still able to bend the armature wired though. I haven't yet trimmed the arm wires here, and he's just got his ankles in place.  His ankles came off again so I could sculpt his shoes on them.

Working on my Charlie Chaplin Commission

It's always so intimidating to try to capture a known personality and this one so classic. I sculpted the head with Living Doll. I love this clay!! However it was so difficult to tell if I had him down or not without colour. So I baked it and started colouring.
 A wash  of Raw Umber and then in with the eyes and a little blushing and classic black coal around the eyes. I still haven't added the moustache, just a bit of coal to see if it would come to life as Charlie or not. No lowlights yet in the eyes either but I think I got it.

Once I costume and add the hair and hat it'll look like Charlie I think.

Ellen as a Muppet Puppet Up for Auction on Ebay

Ellen as a Muppet Puppet - eBay (item 180575540745 end time Oct-23-10 19:22:36 PDT)

New Ebay Listings today!

Today's task to list some of my work on ebay. I never seem to have the time and get a little complacent and just keep them in my etsy shop hoping the world will find them. Never hurts to have more exposure so I just listed my Jack Skellington Puppet, my Alice in Wonderland dolls, Red Queen, Mad Hatter and Alice, and my Satyr on ebay.
It's a beautiful sunny day here in Southern Ontario so I think I must get outside today.... perhaps after I cut a few more squares for my ornament workshop...

Prototypes for Lunch and Learn: Christmas Ornaments

My next lunch and learn series of workshops at  the office will be on November 12th. I've begun with prototypes and pattern for demonstration. Next step is buying and cutting fabrics.

Lunch and Learn Puppet Building Workshop Number two

My second puppet building workshop was held at the office today with proceeds to the United Way campaign that our company is running. We made 22 puppets and raised $300 for the campaign. Everyone had a blast and went home with their own creation.
This group photo only shows part of the group... why is it so tough to get everyone in one shot?

A puppet building kit is for sale in my etsy shop, it includes the pattern, detailed colour instructions from the workshop and most of the fabrics and materials. If you just want the pattern with detailed instructions, it's available here too. It's a simple project that you can create with your child as a gift or fun story time friend.

Judy's Petticoat in Progress

Gathers and pleats and hems oh my... still need to add about 180 inches of box pleated trim on the bottom... not looking forward to that but so far so good.

Judy, Judy, Judy

My local Doll Club started up again with a bang! What a treat! Lise St-Germaine is teaching us how to build a Mannequin, then an authentic Elizabethan Gown complete with petticoat.
Lise works as a costumer in Toronto and although her time is severely limited with her Opera and television projects she is teaching us once a month until we get this done.

Today I took some time to work further on my mannequin or Judy as I like to call it. I still need to create a stand for it. There will be dowel inserted into the Judy's base and then the dowel will be inserted into a stand. I still haven't found what I'll use for that yet. But I love the way my Judy turned out! YAY! Thanks Lise!!