BillyJack O'Lantern and Halloween Diorama

BillyJack O'Lantern

This is the last of the Halloween decorations I made this year.  I call him BillyJack O'Lantern.  This doll is eleven inches toll.  I actually started working on him much earlier in the year, but put him aside to work on my walking stick while the weather was warm.

Diorama: old house, ravens ghosts, goblins and trick or treater.

This doll is paper mache' over a mixed media armature.  This anthropomorphic figure was inspired by the pattern used for the cloth dolls I made in my last blog post.  I liked the idea of portraying a figure in motion.  Once I had made a couple of pattern dolls, I decided to experiment  see what I could come up with using different media.

The head is made from homemade clay over a small Styrofoam ball. I was experimenting with various clay recipes this year.  I wanted to test the recipes to see how well they would work for craft projects.  There are many different types of craft clay on the market, but I was trying to find something I could use that I could make at home.  My craft projects are not very large.  I find that if I buy clay for a project that I end up throwing out a good bit of it.  Some types of clay will keep for a while, but by the time I am ready to use clay for another project it has usually dried out.  I made two types of clay.  If you are interested in read about
my clay experiments, check out my blog post for April 16, 2015.

The armature uses multiple materials.  The body was created from by making an armature of muslin stuffed with polyester fiberfill.  The arm and leg armatures were made from aluminum foil.  Once all of the armatures had been completed, they were assembled using masking tape.  The entire figure has an additional layer of masking tape as well to protect the cloth from the wet paper mache'.  After that it was just a matter of adding the paper mache', sanding, painting, and
sealing.  I actually had my Halloween projects completed by Halloween this year.  That is not always the case with some of my more complex Halloween projects.

I am also posting photos of one of my other Halloween projects, an old house with a lone trick-or-treater contemplating it.  The small green creatures are goblins.  If you look hard, you might be able to see the ghosts on the trees. I completed this project in December of last year.

Starting next week I should be back to blogging on Thursdays and Sundays.  (Well, one can always hope.)

Here's Witching You a Happy Halloween

Autumn has arrived and I have been busier than ever.  We have been fixing up the cabin, raked leaves
both there and at home, gone to festivals,  and visited with friends. All in all, I'm having a great time but I'm starting to feel a need to get some rest. I'm have had to take a few days off to relax.  That is mostly why my posting schedule has been erratic lately. 

I have been working on one last Halloween anthropomorphic figure.  I had planned to have it ready for blogging about today but came up with a last minute problem.  I was down to the last little details.  The head had been painted.  All I had to do was brush a couple of coats of sealer on it
and glue the head to the body.  I don't know why, but the sealer started stripping the paint off the head.  I tried to wipe the sealer off the head, but the more I wiped, the more paint came off.  I finally just had to wait for it to dry and then repaint the head. 

I repainted the head this morning and sealed it with a different product.  This time everything went okay.  Now that the sealer has dried I can get on with assembling the figure.  I had places I needed to be today so I have not had time to get back to the figure yet.  As it is a Halloween figure, I
will move my blog post up one day and blog on Saturday to reveal the figure on Halloween rather than post on Sunday.  After that, I plan to get back to my usual Thursday and Sunday blogging schedule.

In the mean time, since Halloween is coming up, I thought I'd post a couple of Halloween decorations that I made a few years back.  Long time readers might recognize them, but newer readers have probably not seen them.  

Latest on the Cabin Upgrade

A ceiling full of slats.

Autumn is here and once again we have kicked into high gear trying to get another cabin project completed before winter sets in. Last year we put had put up a tongue and groove wood slat ceiling in the kitchen.  This year we added the same treatment to the living room and dining area.  It took six days of grueling work, but we managed to complete the project. 

We finally finished the ceiling.

October is a great time to be up in the mountains.  The weather was cool but not so cold that you needed a hat and gloves.  I am glad that we chose to do this project in autumn because I don't think we would have been able to keep up the pace needed to complete the project if the weather had been hot.  Most of the time we were at the cabin the daytime temperature was in the low seventies (Fahrenheit) but by nightfall the temperatures were dipping into the fifties and mid-forties overnight.  We only built a fire in the wood stove one day, and that was as much to heat up the new stove pipe and burn off the stove wax while we could have the doors open to ventilate as it was for warmth.  While we have the stove heated up, Bill made a batch of homemade English muffins. 
 

Kitchen and dining area are separated by a beam.

Most of the week, we started working on the ceiling as soon as the breakfast dishes were cleared and worked straight through until dinnertime.  We began with the furring strips.  We would drill
pilot holes spaced equally down the strips, drilling through and entire packet at once before removing the plastic wrapping.  Then we would take them inside.  My husband was on the ladder and I was standing on the floor.  I would pass him up a furring strip.  He would get it positioned, then I would hand him the drill and he would drill through the pilot hole into the ceiling.  The pilot whole was necessary because the old wood was so hard that he could not drive a screw into it without the pilot hole.  Even with the additional drilling, we went through seven bits on the driver.  The wood was almost too tough for the driver.  It kept overheating.  Anyway, once he had drilled the pilot hole he would hand me the drill and I would hand him the driver and he would use screws to anchor the furring strips to the ceiling.  Then he would hand me the driver and I would hand him another furring strip.  The drill and driver were not that heavy, only a couple of pounds apiece, but keeping this up hour after hour made our arms and shoulders ache.  I think there were six screws in each furring strip.  We were able to get all the furring strips up in one day, and shim half the ceiling.

The ceiling was neither straight or flat.  It took the better part of two days to shim the furring strips that are the support for the tongue and groove slats.  We brought two packages of shims with us.  We used them all, plus some we had leftover from when we put up the ceiling in the kitchen.  In some places, the ceiling was so bowed that we had to use small pieces of the tongue and groove slats as shims.  Some people would have just nailed up furring strips and started adding the wooden slats, but that would have been a big mistake. The ceiling would have been wavy.  It would have been very noticeable.  We ran the slats the length of the area.  This created the illusion that the room is longer than it really is.  I have heard that this is sometimes called the bowling alley effect.  Since the cabin is so small, it really makes the space look larger.
 
We used a string from corner to corner and around the perimeter to make sure the ceiling was level.  We also checked with a level and an eight foot straight edge.  We did the best that could be done.  When you look up at it from the floor, the ceiling looks level; if you look at it standing on a ladder, you might notice a slight upward curve at one end.  I think we might have had to shim that edge of the room with a two by four to get it right.  In old buildings, things are rarely square, plumb, or flat.  For all intents and purposes, the ceiling has been completed in the living and dining area.  It looks flat, or at least close enough.  I don't think a better job could have been done.  At the end of the second day of shimming the ceiling we finally moved on to putting up the tongue and groove slats.  I think we managed to put up three rows of the wood slats before knocking off for the evening. 

One thing we found out about the tongue and groove slats is that not all slats are equal.  Some have knot holes that go all the way through.  Other slats may be warped.  Or, there could be damage to either the tongue or the groove of any particular piece.  It was not just a case of opening a package of slats and start nailing.  Each  board had to be inspected individually.  When we grew tired, it was hard to keep focused.  We finally decided that we would both inspect the board and agree that it was accetable before nailing it too the ceiling. 

For putting up the wooden slats, my husband would be standing on one ladder and I would be standing on another.  The slat was slipped onto the previous slat and nailed into place.  The tongue and groove slats were nailed in with a brad nailer that was hooked up to an air compressor.  It took about seven nails per wood slat; sometimes more in a particularly difficult area.  In parts of the room we were able to run slats down the length of the room; only pausing to cut the last board to length.  In other areas, such as the location of the attic entrance, we had to stop and cut the board to size and start on the other side of the hatch.  After we had completed the ceiling and added the trim, my husband went back and added slats to the attic hatch. 

While Bill was working on the hatch, I went out to pick apples.  There was a bumper crop of apples this year.  Every tree in the area was loaded.  Many had fallen, but the trees were still full.  I picked hundreds of apples.  We brought back a large crate full.  There were still apples on the trees and apples all over the ground.  I could have brought back plenty of apples for making apple cider.  I'll have more about that on the next blog. 

The trip was not all work.  We took a day off to go to the Wine and Garlic Festival.  We have been to it for several years running.  This year was their twenty-fifth anniversary.  It was a nice day out.  There was a possibility of rain, but once again the rain held off.  We went early, and since it there was a possibility of rain it was not very crowded for the first couple of hours.  We always enjoy this festival.  It is so much cooler in October that it is a joy to be outside. 

Well, I am back home now and trying to get caught up after the trip.  I am hoping to be back crafting soon.  I have one more figure that I would like to complete before Halloween.  I will be blogging about that soon.

Anthropomorphic Halloween Figure - Perry Pumpkin

Perry Pumpkin

I have been working on and off throughout the year on anthropomorphic Halloween figures.  The latest one I call Perry pumpkin.  It was based on the same pattern I used for Tom Mato that I made earlier in the year.  The pattern was from a book called Crafting Cloth Dolls by Miriam Christensen Gourley.


This time I created an anthropomorphic figure with a pumpkin head rather than a tomato head.  Otherwise everything is the same.  The only change I would make for the instructions is that I would use a heavier gauge wire for the armature.  The doll is too heavy for the wire.  It sags when you try to stand it up.

Perry Pumpkin and witches

I almost did not finish this doll.  I was using some scrap fabric and once the body was completed I
thought it was going to be a boring doll.  The project sat around for a while until I talked myself into
finishing it.  Once I painted and added the head to the doll it really came together.  It showed personality that was completely missing before the head was added.  A project like this is why I encourage people to finish a project even if they think it has gone so wrong that it is useless to finish it.  Sometimes the results will surprise you.

Tom Mato

When I first started crafting, I had a lot of unfinished objects. Now I know better.  There is a point in practically every project where it seems like
it is not worth it to finish.  That is the point when you have lost sight of the finish.  When you cannot visualize the end, you get stuck and cannot go on.  At that point it is worthwhile to take a break for a short time and then come back to it; just don't leave it for too long.  After your break, visualize what you want the end product to look like.  Once you are able to see what the project looks like when it is completed you can get back to work.

My Halloween collection went up October 2nd.  I did not get any pictures of him before I put him out with the decorations.  I still have not figured out his final position in the scheme of things.  I have tried him is a few different

Tom and Perry kneeling before the witches.

places.  I need to purchase a larger doll stand if I want him to stand.  Currently he and his friend Tom Mato are kneeling before some witches.  If I choose to position him in another spot, I may use some wire to wire him in place.  I have visions of him
dancing ecstatically around a pumpkin or something to that effect.

Walking Stick Z Completed

Wood stained with antiquing medium.

This week I was able to complete the walking stick.  It has been a long process.  The locust sapling had to be allowed to dry for a couple of years.  So I guess you could say this project was years in the making, although it only took a few months to do the actual work of cleaning and putting the art work on the stick.  I started working on this stick in May of this year.  Since I make walking sticks as a hobby, it takes a while to get them done because I don't work on them full time.  Weather also played a part in the length of time it took to complete the walking stick because I work outside on the wood burning.

Wood before medium.

The last part of the project was to paint the lines of the knot work with 14 carat gold paint.  Once the

Nicks and wood grain are brought out when stained.

painting was completed, I gave the entire stick a coat of antiquing medium to darken the wood.  I used the Folk Art brand of antiquing medium on this project.  The product is brushed on, then wiped off immediately.  I worked it in over a small area and then wiped it off with paper towels.  This product was thicker than antiquing mediums that I have used in the past.  The tint was more or less a burnt umber color that was shaded slightly towards red.  When the product was wiped off, it left the wood with a color that looked somewhat like cedar or a reddish pine.  I wanted the dark color because it would show
the nicks and cuts that are the result of the hand work of stripping the stick.  It was possible to sand until the stick was completely smooth, but I preferred to show the hand work rather than hide it.  Once the medium was dry, I sealed the stick with two coats of satin varnish
as a sealer.

There are plenty of choices when it comes to finishing the walking stick.  You can use a tinted antiquing medium as I used for this project or you can purchase a clear medium and add the paint color of your choice to mix an interesting tint for the walking stick.  I considered using a tint of light green paint mixed with antiquing

Walking stick finished with a clear sealer has warmer tones.

medium for this walking stick, but eventually decided that I liked the darker color better.


There are plenty of colors of wood stain.  Some stains come with a sealer and others do not.  Make sure you read the labels carefully.  It is not actually necessary to stain or paint the
wood.  The wood can just be sealed with a clear sealer.  The sealer will give a warmer tone to the wood and bring out the grain without adding color.  I have added a photo of another walking stick that was just sealed without any added color.

Poem wraps around the stick.

Using some type of sealer is important.  It helps protect the paint that has been put on the stick.
It also seals the wood against the oil and dirt from hands as well as environmental moisture. 
Sealers also come in various types.  Some sealers are indoor only, some are indoor/outdoor sealers.  They also come in matte, satin, gloss, and high gloss.  The right choice of sealer can add or detract from the look of your walking stick, but basically it comes down to personal choice.  Some people like the shiny look of a high-gloss walking stick; others prefer a more natural wood look.  It is a little expensive to experiment with paints, stains, and sealers but I encourage you to experiment on scrap pieces of wood before you commit to something on the walking stick.  It can be disappointing to end

Photo looses detail when shown full length.

your project with an unsatisfactory finish.


All in all, I am pleased with how the stick turned out.  I had hoped that I would be able to add a poem that wrapped around the walking stick.  I never really came up with anything that spoke to me enough to put it indelibly onto a walking stick.  I decided that I would just carve in the knot work and leave the rest of the stick clear.  If I ever do come up with a poem that I think is suitable I can go back and wood burn it onto the stick.  In the mean time, I am freed up to work on other projects.  I have included a photo of my walking stick, Shaman Staff, that has a poem carved into the stick so you can get an idea of what I am talking about with the poetry.

Photographing a walking stick is never easy.  If you move back far enough to photograph the whole walking stick you lose all the detail.  At least that is my experience with my camera.  I find it best to take photos of small sections of the stick to show the detail.  Then I give one picture of the length of the walking stick just so people can see it is a walking stick rather than a wand of just a small bit of wood.

Next week I will be blogging about a different project.  Check back on Sunday.   

Walking Stick Z - Painting- Part 11

14 carot gold paint on the knot work.

Good news today.  First off, the hurricane has stayed well off shore and is not threatening my area.  We have been under the weather with a tropical storm that has been running ahead of the hurricane.  Although my area has been spared, many parts of the state, and for that matter the East Coast have had significant flooding and erosion.  Some states have had flooding at historic levels.  We have had rain for days.  However, it looks as if the storm will clear the area today and we will be in for several days of nice autumn weather.

The second bit of good news is that I have made significant progress in the painting on the walking stick.  I estimate that I have about forty-five minutes of painting left to do on it.  I have been painting between the lines of the Celtic Knot Work with fourteen carot gold paint.  It does not look that impressive at the moment.  The wood of the stick is so white that there is not a lot of contrast between the wood and the paint.  That will change once I get to the next phase of the painting.

Once all the knot work is completed, I will be using an antiquing medium on the rest of the stick.  That will add a bit of dark brown color to the stick.  Once the walking stick is darker, that gold knot work is going to pop!  After the antiquing glaze, the entire stick gets two coats of sealer.  So, if I complete the painting the knot work today, I will add the antiquing glaze tomorrow, and the two coats of sealer the day after.  In theory, I should have the walking stick completed on Wednesday.  I should have photos of the completed project on Thursday.

Walking Stick Z - Part 10

A milestone has been met on the project!  I have completed wood burning all the Celtic Knot Work onto the walking stick.  It has taken a fairly long time.  I have been working on this project on and off all summer.  I only have a few hours of spare time, and I can only do so much wood burning at one time before my hand becomes too tired.  But preserverence has once again paid off.  Working a little at a time has finally brought we to the end of this segment of the project. 

I could end the project at this point.  However, there is more that can be done here to upscale the stick.  I plan to paint the lines of the knot work with fourteen carat gold paint.  Painting will not take as long as the wood burning segment.  I expect to complete the project in a week or so.

I always try to experiment with a different product or technique with each project.   For this project I am trying using clear Gesso as a primer for the gold paint on the walking stick.  I have used white Gesso in other applications. Although you cannot see it in the photos, I have already painted the walking stick with clear Gesso.  If you were
looking at it in person, you would notice a slight gloss, where the Gesso has been painted within the lines of the knot work.  The clear Gesso is an

advantage in that if some of it gets into the wood burned lines it dries clear.  When I used white Gesso I was constantly cleaning out the wood burned lines with a bit of paper towel and a toothpick.  When I examined the walking stick this morning I did not see any areas where the clear Gesso looked cloudy.

Now that the Gesso has dried for twenty-four hours I can start painting with the gold paint.  I will be using a small round brush for this.  The brush I selected for the Gesso was a little larger and I had less control over the Gesso than I would have liked.  The painting will take a bit longer using the smaller brush, but that will pay off in time saved from not having to get the paint out of the wood burned lines.  I also have to take time for the paint to dry.  As the knot work spirals around the stick, I have to make sure that I am not smearing the wet paint as I turn the stick.  I will probably finish the project within a few days.

There is a hurricane off the coast.  It may or may not be a direct hit on this area.  It is too soon to tell.  The weather models are all over the place. We are already starting to get rain, and flood alerts are out for my state, as well as for most of the East Coast.  If I do not make the next post on Sunday, it probably means we are without electricity.  The last time a big storm came through we were without power for ten days.  I will post again as soon as I can.