This is sad. They carried a lot of nice things, interesting items that weren't available anywhere else around here, and hugely discounted, formerly expensive dolls. We're losing one in Columbus, where I go to Tuesday Morning, but not one of the locations I ever go to.
Now, on to today's subject, which is, the gift I made for Emma for her birthday. I have to explain first that I had had this thing designed in my mind for about 2 and a half years! I think I developed the idea when Hallmark came out with their Muppet Christmas Carol ornament in 2017.
The Hallmark ornament. Kermit's head is too big. |
Tweezers, and I actually cut the clay with those little scissors. By the way,that's my mom's pin cushion. It was always in her sewing box and I use it all the time. |
Yes, that is what you think it is: one of those plastic hanger things from a package of some sort. I used it to cut the clay because I couldn't find my blade, which I had even pulled out to use the day before I started on the ornament.
I was able to get a lot of different colours by mixing some of my sister's more unusual clay colours with Fuzz's more basic colours set. Here are all the colours I used, except the dark red I used straight from the pack for the inside of the mouths.
Various shades of brown and green. |
And then there was this:
The egg carton was to make the fake cobblestones on the spool. I've been wanting to try making stone with egg carton for ages, but this was my first try. I used the Fabric-Tac to glue the pieces of egg carton to the spool. Afterward I painted it with a mix of green and black acrylic paint to get and old, dirty, mossy stone look, but then I covered it with white glitter anyway. I couldn't find my other white glitter either! So this glitter has too much of a green shine to it, so the snow looks too green. I told Emma I would touch the spool up with some better, whiter snow looking glitter before Christmas.
I used a box that something from Bath and Body Works came in to put the ornament in.
It ties shut with a ribbon. |
So how did the ornament turn out? For reference, before I show you the ornament I made, here's a still from the movie:
I took out the flocked plastic inside the box, and lined it with polyfil, which I covered with vintage satin. |
And there's where the wire from the take out box came in! |
It turned out pretty good. Kermit ended up being about 4 or 5 inches tall.
Little Robin is slightly over an inch, and with about a half an inch of leg length, I think.
At least Kermit's face turned out fairly good.
It's harder than you think to make a Muppet and have it actually look like the Muppet it's supposed to. They aren't as detailed as people, but they still have a particular look. I had to do adjustments as I worked, making Kermit's mouth slant downward enough and getting his eyes forward enough on his head. And those eyeballs had to be tilted just right.
Robin could have been better though.
Kermit's hat turned while baking, from the weight of it, and it tore Kermit's thumb off! The thumb was still attached to the hat, so I had to paint it black to disguise it!
I goofed on Robin's butt. It ended up being too big, so I cut a hunk off, thinking I would be able to cover the chop because his bottom would be sitting on Kermit's shoulder. Of course, then he didn't fit on Kermit's shoulder properly, so his bottom shows!
I also didn't think about the fact that I'd have to make checked pants!
That wasn't so easy. I got all over confident after making Kermit's checked vest, which peeks out between his coat and the top of his his pants.
The pants were a lot harder! I see I also should really have used that Sculpey stuff that smooths the surface and gets rid of the fingerprints, etc. It sort of melt s the surface of the clay though, and I was afraid it would take over and I'd lose detail. All I needed was to get all finished, and then make the whole thing so slimy it couldn't even be held on to.
Kermit's coat changes lengths in the movie! In the scene where he's walking down the street, that this ornament represents, his coat is short, and nowhere behind his legs. I think that was so you could see his leg movements better. In the other scenes, and in the publicity still I showed you, above, his coat is long. I compromised by making his coat long, but flying up behind him
Little Robin is slightly over an inch, and with about a half an inch of leg length, I think.
At least Kermit's face turned out fairly good.
It's harder than you think to make a Muppet and have it actually look like the Muppet it's supposed to. They aren't as detailed as people, but they still have a particular look. I had to do adjustments as I worked, making Kermit's mouth slant downward enough and getting his eyes forward enough on his head. And those eyeballs had to be tilted just right.
Those checked pants are terrible! |
Robin could have been better though.
Kermit's hat turned while baking, from the weight of it, and it tore Kermit's thumb off! The thumb was still attached to the hat, so I had to paint it black to disguise it!
I goofed on Robin's butt. It ended up being too big, so I cut a hunk off, thinking I would be able to cover the chop because his bottom would be sitting on Kermit's shoulder. Of course, then he didn't fit on Kermit's shoulder properly, so his bottom shows!
I also didn't think about the fact that I'd have to make checked pants!
That wasn't so easy. I got all over confident after making Kermit's checked vest, which peeks out between his coat and the top of his his pants.
The pants were a lot harder! I see I also should really have used that Sculpey stuff that smooths the surface and gets rid of the fingerprints, etc. It sort of melt s the surface of the clay though, and I was afraid it would take over and I'd lose detail. All I needed was to get all finished, and then make the whole thing so slimy it couldn't even be held on to.
Kermit's coat changes lengths in the movie! In the scene where he's walking down the street, that this ornament represents, his coat is short, and nowhere behind his legs. I think that was so you could see his leg movements better. In the other scenes, and in the publicity still I showed you, above, his coat is long. I compromised by making his coat long, but flying up behind him
Oops. Looks like Robin has a hole in the seat of his pants! |
As you can see, there are still fibers stuck to them from the polyfil I laid them on to bake. I also had to stuff it between his legs and under the tails of his coat, so they didn't bake to each other.
His coat tails actually stick out farther than I intended.
I think I should have jointed Kermit's legs only at the knees...or maybe only at the hips. In any case, I even tried the alternating bumps in the sidewalk, and it still didn't make him 'walk'.
And I got so excited when I finally finished the ornament, very late on the night before Emma's birthday, that I forgot to put on a loop or hook to hang it by! I ended up having to hang everything from Robin's arm!
His coat tails actually stick out farther than I intended.
I think I should have jointed Kermit's legs only at the knees...or maybe only at the hips. In any case, I even tried the alternating bumps in the sidewalk, and it still didn't make him 'walk'.
And I got so excited when I finally finished the ornament, very late on the night before Emma's birthday, that I forgot to put on a loop or hook to hang it by! I ended up having to hang everything from Robin's arm!
I hope it doesn't break off! I also forgot to put tails on Robin's coat! Oh well. Little boys did wear those short coats back then. |
Um, that is awesome! He really does look very Kermity, and you did a very good job.
ReplyDeleteAlso using the "wrong" (ugh) tools, means you can improvise and be practically creative, which makes you an amazing artist.
I don't know how 'amazing' I am,but I try. Thanks!
DeleteIt is very, very good! I've only tried Sculpey a couple of times, and let's just say I wasn't as successful as you were. We'll draw a veil over the results of my doll sculpting.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteDon't give up. Maybe you just need practice.
Awsome Kermit. You are great at sculpting.
ReplyDeleteWell thank you.
DeleteYou did a great job! You can no longer say that you are not an artist. You certainly are an artist! I am sure that Emma loved her gift.
ReplyDeleteThanks! She said she loved it,but I was disappointed he didn't 'walk'.
Deleteyou DO what most of us dream to do..your Ooak art is amazing! That you do this for your kids/family is beyond awesome..keep sharing, LOVE the behind the scenes/how to's..
ReplyDeleteThank you! I look at other people's work and feel bad about mine! I guess I'm never satisfied with anything I do.
DeleteWow, you did a fantastic job, that came out amazing!!
ReplyDeleteHee hee, as they say . . . it's not easy being green! But what a wonderful project you pulled together Tam. :) You shouldn't be so critical of yourself, it's a well done from me!
ReplyDeleteBig hugs,
X
This is really brilliant Tam, I'm very very impressed and bet Ivy was really amazed to receive this as her birthday gift. You are so clever!!!
ReplyDeletexx
I think its awesome! You really are your own worst critic. I think you did an awesome job on him. It looks like he can't walk because he's just a bit too far from the spool to actually "stand" on it.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job with their outfits. Everything you point out is tiny and can't even be seen if you weren't right on it.
Thank you. I have been told before about being my own worst critic.
DeleteI think there's more to it than his feet not touching. I don't know why it is.