Whimsical Windflower Whirligig

The weather has been so nice in Tucson that I couldn't help but do another garden project this month - I might just keep doing them until December!  This flower is a kinetic sculpture, the inner flower petals move one way when the wind blows, and the outer petals move the other.

The materials needed to create the flower are:

Delight™ Air Dry Modeling Compound
tape
pencil
paper
tracing paper
compass
protractor
scissors
craft knife
bowl - the one I used is about 4" across the top
acrylic paints
wooden toy wheels (available in hobby stores)
- the ones used for this project are 3/4" diameter, by 3/16" thick, with a 3/16" hole.
wooden beads - the ones used for this project are 1/2" round, with a 3/16" hole
brass rod in the diameter that most closely matches the hole dimensions of the beads.
plastic wrap
rolling pin
Paverpol

Start by cutting a strip of paper, holding it in place inside the bowl, and marking the edges to get the inside dimension of the bowl.  Measure the length of the marks, then draw a circle with the same dimensions (or, cut the paper to the marks, fold it in half, and set your compass to match that distance :) )

Divide the circle into five sections (72 degrees on the protractor).  Trace the circle and divisions and set this aside for later use on the inside flower pattern. Cut out one of the sections, fold it in half, and draw a petal shape onto it as shown.  Cut out the petal shape and trace the design onto the remaining four sections.  Tape the original petal back in place, then cut out the remaining sections on the paper to create the entire flower pattern.

Mix the desired color of paint with enough modeling compound (clay) to make a 1/8" thick circle large enough for your flower pattern.  Roll the clay into a ball, place between plastic wrap, then roll it out to 1/8" thickness.

Place the pattern gently onto the clay and poke a hole in the center, marking it into the clay.

Line up the center mark on the clay with the center of the wheel and press the wheel into the clay.  Work the clay around the wheel until the wood is covered, and clear the clay from the center of the wood.  Again lay the pattern onto the clay, align the centers, the cut the clay out to the pattern shape (don't press the pattern into the clay or it will stick - another method is to place plastic wrap over the top of the clay, align the pattern, then trace around it gently with a toothpick to transfer the pattern to the clay, remove the plastic wrap, then cut out the design from the clay)

Once you have the clay cut out, cut out the petal sections of your paper pattern, fold each in half and place a small piece of plastic wrap over each folded petal.  Use these petal shapes to prop up your clay flower petals, lining them up so that the fold of the petal is half-way underneath the clay petal as shown.  Make sure you put them all facing the same way around the flower.  Set aside to dry.

For the inner section of the flower, start by drawing a second circle, 1/4" less in diameter, over the tracing you made from the first circle, then create the pattern the same way you did for the first one (cut out one section, draw petal shape, etc.)  Mix clay to desired color, and complete the steps for rolling out the clay and inserting the wooden wheel as you did for the first set of petals.  Line the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and place the flower inside.

Cut the petal shapes from the pattern, fold each petal in half and cover with a small piece of plastic wrap.  Place the petals under the petals of the flower as you did for the first set, but this time put the folds going in the opposite direction.  Set aside to dry.

While the petals are drying, paint wooden beads to use as spacers between the petals, and, if desired, cover another wheel with clay and sculpt the center of the flower.  I was originally planning on using a bead for the center, but then decided to sculpt a larger center piece.

You'll need three or four beads, or three beads and a wheel.

When all the pieces are dry, sand any rough edges, and, if desired add additional paint accents - I brushed on some ColourArte Twinkling H2O's watercolors to add some extra sparkle.

Cover both flower sections and all remaining pieces except brass rod with Paverpol and allow to dry.
Test assemble the piece on the rod as shown; bead, outer petals, bead, inner petals, bead, end cap or bead.  Make sure the petals turn freely. If not, remove them from the rod and clear the hole with the tip of your knife or a tiny bit of rolled up sandpaper.  Once the flower sections can move freely when everything is assembled, mark the rod where the first support bead will sit (behind the outer petals) then remove all the pieces.  Bend the rod if desired - the whirligig will also work well if the flower is left upright.  Attach the support bead to the rod with Paverpol and allow it to dry.  Re-assemble the remainder of the sections, then attach the end cap/bead with Paverpol.  Allow everything to dry before placing it in the wind.  Enjoy the breeze!

Unfortunately, every time I tried to get a video of the whirligig outside, all I got was gusts of wind which didn't show how the petals turned.  So I made a quick vid. using the blow dryer - which made it spin too fast for you to see the different directions...so then I tried to slow it down a bit and back the dryer off - well anyhow, here is a 13 second video so you can at least see that the petals do actually turn quite well :)  I hope you will make your own flower(s) and enjoy them moving in the garden.

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Kid's Project: Whimsical Owl

Chloe and I have been having lots of fun creating this whimsical owl wall hanging.

We started by rolling out a ball of clay about 3/8" to 1/4" thick. We made the pieces in a variety of ways—some we molded, some we cut following a pattern, some we free hand cut. For the body and the tummy piece, we cut around mixing bowls that were the right size. For the wings, we used a tart mold as a cookie cutter, then cut the clay piece in half lengthwise for the two wings.

The two circles for her eyes were molded. The head, beak, and feet were cut free hand.

Eyes	Beak and feet

We added different textures to the head, wings, and body using embossing folders and clay texture sheets.

Here are all of our owl pieces laid out to dry.

When the pieces were completely dry, we painted them with acrylic paints and glued them together using E6000 adhesive. We added a jewelry bail to the back of the head for hanging and adding her bow.

This owl wall hanging brightens any place she perches.

Carole	Chloe
Table Cell	Table Cell

"Handy" Halloween Decoration - Poseable Skeleton Forearm and Hand by Tori West

Halloween is on the way!  It's one of my favorite holidays, and I can never have too many decorations.  Good thing it's also so much fun to design and make Halloween projects too!

I figure an extra skeleton hand around the house is a great addition for this year's party, and since it's poseable it can be used in many different ways.

To make a skeleton hand & arm like this one you'll need:

Creative Paperclay® modeling material
18 gauge wire
pliers
wire nippers/cutters
sandpaper, and/or files  Sandits sanding sticks are also helpful
scissors
white glue
coffee filters (other paper may be used, but I recommend using the filters)
corrugated cardboard
thin cardboard
acrylic paint
     -  I used Delta Ceramcoat black, walnut, burnt umber, magnolia white, spice tan
pattern

skeleton pattern free pdf file

reference material - if you don't have any "on hand" gather some from the web or library;
- do an image search for "human skeleton hand and arm bones" and print out the images you think will be most helpful.  Try to get views from all different sides.
- artist's books are sometimes more helpful than medical books when it comes to sculpting reference, with the exception of the classic "Gray's Anatomy".  Some good examples of art source books are: "Anatomy" by Walter T. Foster, and "An Atlas of Anatomy for Artists" by Fritz Schider.

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Print hand and arm patterns and begin creating armature by bending wire around hand pattern as shown.  Try to keep the wires flat and right next to each other, not twisted together.  This configuration will help prevent the finger bones from twisting sideways accidentally.

Once the wire is bent, wrap with strips of coffee filter - start at the ends of the fingers, hold the strip at an angle and apply some white glue.  Fold the top of the filter over the end of the finger, then start wrapping the strip around the double wires.  Again, try to keep the wires flat and as close together as possible without overlapping or twisting.

Here is what the wrapped wires for the hand look like when completed -

Paint the wrapped wire black.
Next glue the hand pattern to a piece of thin cardboard, then use your craft knife to cut out the sections outlined in red (on the pattern in the photos there are red sections for the fingertips as well - they are not in the pdf pattern for this project because I realized they aren't necessary)
Put the pieces back in place on the cardboard, then add a line of glue along the center section of each of the pieces you cut out.  Carefully lay your wire armature on top of the pattern/sections and press into place.  Allow it to dry, then lift it out from the pattern.  It should come out like this.

For the arm bones, print out the pattern and create another wrapped wire armature as shown.  You can also use a heavier gauge wire if you choose.

Glue this pattern to corrugated cardboard with the "grain" or corrugation peaks running across the pattern (scroll down to side view showing the wire bending step).  Next cut out the red sections and follow the same process to apply the wire as you did for the hand, then glue the arm and hand armatures together making sure to leave enough space for wrist movement.

When the glue is dry, bend the wires in the arm bones (the radius and ulna bones) to show their placement according to your reference material.  You will also need to bend and cup the large end of the ulna to form the "cup" shape where the bone creates the joint with the upper arm, which is why there is no wire in that end of the armature.

When the cardboard and wire are in the desired position, add a layer of clay along the top and sides.  Push the clay into the corrugated sections to fill the cardboard completely.  Allow the clay to dry.

Add a thin layer of clay to both sides of the finger and wrist bones and allow that to dry also.

Using pliers, twist the double wires at the base of the thumb so that it points towards the hand rather than lays flat with the other fingers.

From this point on, it is just a matter of adding a layer of clay at a time and sculpting according to your reference.  I suggest building up the hand by starting with the wrist bones, then moving on to the fingers.  Sculpt the bone nearest the wrist on one finger and allow it to dry so that you can fit the bone next to it perfectly onto the dry clay.  You can sculpt the fingertips, etc. while waiting for the larger bones to dry.  Move around the bones shaping the joints by first allowing one end of the joint to dry, then forming the other side of the joint over that one with fresh clay, leaving only a small amount of space for the joint to move.  When both sides of the joint are dry, if necessary you can slide a folded piece of sandpaper in between the bones and sand until the joint moves freely.

Remember that with Creative Paperclay® you can sand, re-wet, and add more clay throughout the process and as many times as necessary - have fun, take your time, and you will be amazed with the results!  If desired, add a few thin washes of dark colors to enhance the recesses, and a few touches of thinned white paint for highlights.  Use tan, browns & black washes after the first have dried to age the bones as desired.

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Kid's Project: Creative Paperclay® Leprechaun

All our Valentine's are done and delivered. Now, moving on to St. Patrick's Day. Chloe and I created a cute leprechaun to hang in our kitchen.

We started by making the individual pieces that we'd need—two legs and arms, a body, and a head. We used cookie cutters for the body and head. The arms and legs were long snakes of clay. We shaped the hand ends of the arms to form a cone. We flattened one end of the legs to form a foot.

Before our leprechaun was set aside to dry, I pierced five holes on the body piece where the head, arms, and legs would be attached. I also pierced holes through the tops of each arm and leg, and one at the bottom of the head for attaching to the body.

We decided that he needed something more to give him a bit of character, so we made hair and a beard using the clay extruder.

When the pieces were thoroughly dry and before painting, I coated each piece with an acrylic medium to seal them.

Chloe painted the green body, legs, and arms while I did the head, hair, and beard. Painting tip: Don't overwork the paint. Two thin coats are much better than one thick one.

When the paint was dry, we moved on to assembly. Depending on the age of the child you're working with, this could be an adult job, as it was in our case. Chloe handed me pieces and jump rings, but I did the assembly work. Assembly tip: When opening jump rings, use two pair of pliers—one is each hand—to grasp the jump ring on either side of the opening and use a twisting motion to open the ring.

A bit of a haircut and googly eyes completed the face. Here he is!! Hanging in our kitchen.

And here's Chloe admiring her work.

Carole	Chloe
Table Cell	Table Cell

Conversation Hearts Photo Holder by Tori West

I have been having a lot of fun learning about Delight^TM  Air Dry Modeling Compound!  One of the things I like about it so far, is that when mixed with acrylic paint it retains the color in pretty much the same intensity when dry, as it had when wet.  While trying my paint experiments I came up with a lovely shade of pink, which reminded me of the candy conversation hearts in the stores this time of year.  For Valentine's Day I decided to make larger versions of these sweets and turn them into a photo holder  (this one holds a photo of my husband and I about to go on a romantic Valentine's Day carriage ride in Seattle!)  The "secret" to the assembly staying in place is it's weighted base.

For this project you will need:

Delight^TM  Air Dry Modeling Compound

acrylic paint - I used Delta Ceramcoat "Hydrangea Pink" and "Bright Red"

matte varnish

craft wire - 18ga. red

emery board or sandpaper

hot glue gun and glue sticks

pliers

wire cutters

masking tape

craft knife

cutting mat

corrugated cardboard

20-30 stainless steel washers

tracing paper

letter pattern

rolling pin

strips of wood or dough bands in 1/4" and 1/2" thicknesses

plastic wrap

pencil

soft lead colored pencil (Prismacolor "Process Red" or similar)

optional: ribbons, colored card stock or paper, specialty scissors

Start by cutting two heart shapes from corrugated cardboard - if you are using my pattern, note that the heart on top is slightly smaller than the one on the bottom.  The dotted lines to the inside of the hearts are the ones to use for cutting the cardboard pieces.

Use the hot glue gun to attach washers to both sides of the heart you will be using for the bottom.  Add an extra row or two of washers to the lower portion on each side, until your heart will stand in place on it's own.

While that is cooling down, mix about 1/2 package of clay with paint - for this candy pink color I used 4 drops bright red & 8 drops hydrangea pink.

Roll the clay out to a thickness of 1/4".  Place your weighted heart piece on the clay and cut out around it, leaving about 1/8" all the way around to fold over the edge.

 Repeat the process for the other side, then press and smooth the clay around to cover the edges of the heart.  Roll the clay out again, this time to a 1/2" thickness, and cover the second cardboard heart, making it the same thickness as the first.  Set these aside to dry.

If you have extra clay mixture store it in an airtight container.  When the hearts are dry, sand and do any additional smoothing or shaping necessary, use the saved clay if you need to make any changes or fill any gaps.

Apply masking tape to your pliers to avoid scratching the craft wire.  Using an emery board or sandpaper, file the end of the wire on the spool just enough so that it isn't sharp (to prevent scratches to your photos and yourself!).  Starting with the curl in the center of the wire heart shape, bend wire in double-heart and then straight down as shown, then clip to length.  Don't file this end down, the point will help poke the wire through the hearts & cardboard.

Lay hearts down on pattern sheet, then guide wire into position through the center (you're aiming for the cardboard section) hold the wire close to the heart and push a little bit at a time to poke through the corrugated sections.  Don't push the end point all the way through the bottom heart.

Trace lettering in reverse onto tracing paper.  Turn the tracing over and position on hearts, then, holding the pattern in place, transfer by going over the letters lightly with pencil.  Don't push so hard that you indent the clay surface.  (the straight lines on the letters above indicate the width I want them to be.  Tracing the center line and width is much easier and more accurate than tracing and transferring the whole outline of each letter)  The transferred pattern will be very light, but make sure you can see it before moving the tracing paper.

Now color and fill out the lettering with light, short strokes of the colored pencil.  Apply matte varnish to seal the pencil and clay.

Add ribbon and decorations as desired.  Since my photo had a primarily blue over all tone, I layered it with a piece of red card stock and scalloped white paper.

Thanks for joining me here again, and have a very Happy Valentine's Day!

I'd love for you to join me for more projects & art adventures on my personal blog

Find me on Facebook, or peruse & ponder pics with me on Pinterest

Connect on Google+ or see what new creations I may have on Etsy