Translate

Sunday, May 22, 2016

For the Birds

The stand for this little birdcage just doesn't have much presence, does it?


So, take a bamboo skewer , a scrap piece of 1/32 diameter dowel and a small cap. Add a scrap of cardboard.

Make a cradle out of Play dough or Fimo by rolling a piece to a 1/34 inch thickness, cutting a strip about 5/32 inch and ... long. The length will depend on the size of the cage.  Lay the cage on its side and see where you wish the cradle to be. Poke holes in either end and in the centre, and form the strip in a semi-circle around a generic paint bottle. Let dry or bake.
Soak the dowel in warm water and shape it around a paint bottle and so that the ends will fit into the holes you made in the cradle strip. Let dry.
Glue the dowel and the cradle to form an oval.
Drill a hole in the cap and insert the skewer. Cut the the other end to the desired height, and insert/glue into middle hole of the cradle.
Attach the birdcage to the top of the dowel oval with a piece of thin wire.
The assemblage should look like this.


You may need to add weight to or widen the base to prevent tipping.
Paint the stand and age by dry brushing.
Here is the finished product.


Saturday, May 21, 2016

Escape to Gretna Green

For Regency Romance fans....

Take a Cinderella carriage wedding favour.


Coat it with Gesso inside and out.




Paint black. Do the same with 4 horses..
Dry brush with white.


The coachmen are sculpted from Playdough.
The snow is paper machè. The bushes are sisal rope.








Now for the fun part - who are the occupants inside? Are they in love, or is the lady being kidnapped by a dastardly fortune hunter? You decide.....

This scene is designed to fit inside one of those plastic containers which store fresh greens.