November 2006 Birthday Swap

[gossamer_gull]

The Baron is awesome - push the stick up, and he appears.  Pull it down, and he goes away.  It even looks like his head and hands will glow in the dark    My flash washed out his face, but it actually is quite detailed.  Thank you, gossamer_gull!!

You're welcome! I'm really glad you liked the package. I didn't think my sewing skills were good enough for me to attempt an art doll, but a Voodoo puppet seemed doable.

The Baron's head and hands are, in fact, made of glow-in-the-dark Sculpey. (This is the first time I've used it, and I'm very pleased: it doesn't take much light to "charge" it, and it glows quite brightly in darkness.)

The incense, by the way, is honey almond.

Again, I'm glad you liked your surprise. Happy belated birthday!

-- Lori

[alwaysinmyroom]

I think the puppet is wonderful!! I never heard of glow in the dark clay--how fun is that?  Did you have instructions to make such a puppet?  I am curious how he disappears...

and honey almond is a great smell!!

[gossamer_gull]

I think the puppet is wonderful!! I never heard of glow in the dark clay--how fun is that?  Did you have instructions to make such a puppet?  I am curious how he disappears...

Thank you!

Yes, the clay was really fun. I had no idea what I'd do with it when I bought it, but it was something I just had to have.

To make the puppet appear and disappear, you hold the cone in one hand, and the bottom knob in the other. Then you just move the dowel up and down to raise and lower the puppet.

I didn't have instructions, per se. I found a puppet of this type in a surplus store for just a couple of bucks. The one I bought was a clown...creepy in its own clowny way. Basically, I deconstructed the clown and used its various parts as templates and guidelines for my own.

The rod I used is a foot-long 3/8" dowel. I glued a wooden knob (with a pre-drilled 3/8" hole) to one end, and sculpted the puppet's face around that. (I baked the whole thing, dowel and all, in the oven.)

Next I cut some sturdy cardboard to make into the cone (using the flattened cone from the store-bought puppet as a template), which I shaped, glued, and painted. I used the clown's clothing as a rough guideline for cutting and sewing the Baron's, though I gave this puppet longer arms.

I glued the top of the garment around the neck of the puppet, slid the cone over the dowel, and glued the bottom of the garment around the upper rim of the cone. Then I added fabric and ribbon to the cone, slipped the clay hands inside the sleeves (securing them with strong mosaic glue), added details to the jacket, and glued a wooden knob to the bottom of the dowel.

The hair is fine black yarn, twisted like wee dreds. The hat is a felt doll/bear hat purchased at a craft store. The dowel and knobs were also purchased at a craft store. I used acrylic paint and a variety of glues (wood, fabric, mosaic, and spray adhesive).

< / ramble >

[Dulcinea]

Crumpet13 is apparently having difficulties getting pictures to post - so she emailed me
pictures to post for her.

here are the fingerless mitts that Miss Mermaid Strikes Back made for her:

http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/69113100_0253.jpg

http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/69113100_0254.jpg

[alwaysinmyroom]

gossamer_gull--this just goes to show how smart craftsters are...how many time have all of us looked at something and said "I can make that..." ha ha

thank you so much for you details--I am always looking for projects of interesting crafts for my youth crafting class--I think they would have fun with this and we can use up our bits of yarn and fabric as well!

I like the hand warmers!! Good for a person who needs to type but has cold hands! Are they sewn together or do you have to plan the size ahead of time?  I have such small hands....everything seems to not fit but if I could sew them shut, I could adjust them?  I am trying the pattern your daughter sent me to see how it works...can you tell I am a newbie at knitting--so many questions--ha ha

[Miss Mermaid Strikes Back]

I like the hand warmers!! Good for a person who needs to type but has cold hands! Are they sewn together or do you have to plan the size ahead of time?  I have such small hands....everything seems to not fit but if I could sew them shut, I could adjust them?  I am trying the pattern your daughter sent me to see how it works...can you tell I am a newbie at knitting--so many questions--ha ha

linda, the pattern i gave you should be for about a six inch wrist, if you need it smaller than that, go down a needle size.  if you need it smaller i would try knitting it on about a size four needle. or just knit it flat, and seam it when youre done, you can do that too.

[gossamer_gull]

thank you so much for you details--I am always looking for projects of interesting crafts for my youth crafting class--I think they would have fun with this and we can use up our bits of yarn and fabric as well!

You're welcome. This would probably make quite a good craft project, as creativity matters more than experience, and the materials aren't terribly expensive. (I got about a dozen dowels for only $1.99, and the 4-packs of knobs were only a buck or two.)

If you do make any, I'd love to see them.

[kelsorama]

ok...
I am bad, bad, bad, because I received from indieanajess and Miss Mermaid Strikes Back a looong time ago.
So... no excuses, here are the photos....


This is the beautiful scarf from my Wists, that I received from indieanajess.  I absolutely adore it, and wear it wear it almost everyday(and you can see that it's needed with all the snow!).  She also sent me a couple of other goodies which I didn't get pictures of.  My favorite thing by far though, is the air freshener that has a big pile of crap and says "My shit really don't stink!"  I love it.  Thank you!!!!



And here is what I got from Miss Mermaid. Wow, I was spoiled with this girl.  I absolutely adore them, and wear a different one everyday.



And here is the package I just received from ashestoashes.  I love the stickers, and the card is going to look great in my car!

Also, I would like to state for the record that I have gotten all my thank you notes from everyone.  
And... as if I didn't get enough from everyone, silentdementia sent me a beautiful nest pin from my wists as a thank you!  I absolutely adore it, and it goes great with my purple peacoat and the scarf indieanajess gave me.

Thank you everyone!

Kelsey

[indieanajess]

I'm glad you liked everything! I'll admit my ignorance and state that I had no idea it snowed in New Mexico, so I'm glad the scarf came in handy!

[alwaysinmyroom]

Doesn't she look so cute in her coat and scarf!?

And the pins are also so handy and since she got so many of them, nice to wear a different one each day!

And who doesn't love stickers!!!? Looks like Winnie the Pooh, right?