I made a thing! - A Crafty Photodump

Hi!  Sorry for the lack of updates this month, but it has been a bit of a crazy time at Chez Victoire.

As of late, I've been getting very artsy-fartsy again.  I guess it was my unofficial resolution to be more serious about my crafting, particularly thanks to ... a thing... that happened... (sorry I can't be more explicit, but at the moment it's still a secret!  Don't worry; I'll share all the juicy details later).

Anyway, until I can reveal more about that, I'll reveal another big thing I've been working on, inspired by one of my favorite films:

A Christmas film AND a Halloween film all in one!

So, SJH's birthday was today (and hopefully he'll be too busy at his party to be reading my blog today). A few weeks ago, we had a really brief conversation about NBC, more or less boiling down to, "I wish I had a door to Halloweentown!"

Wish granted!

I got the inspiration when I stumbled across this gem traveling toward a trash bin:

Sorta.  I kind of knew that I wanted to make a holiday door, but I wasn't sure how.  This was just the kick I needed.  It's actually a pretty thick-walled tube - not your standard paper towel roll.  I tried using an Exacto blade at first, but that was taking FOR-EH-VER.  In fact, it was so thick, I needed a Dremel to cut through it without killing my fingers.

To get the tree shape, I used aluminum wire.

And to firm it up, I papier-mached the shiz out of it:

Ten layers of painting later...

Why yes, the door DOES open to a nice little surprise:

I would have been satisfied to leave it at that, but the leftover wire was just... staring at me... daring me to do something more...  Of course, I had to answer the call.

Given that it's really the first time I ever made a wireform sculpture, I'm not too disappointed that it's a little lumpy.  The pinstripes was probably one of the hardest aspects, but fortunately, Jack's actual outfit is pretty wobbly, too.  The actual hardest part was piecing it all together.  Since his limbs (particularly, his hands) are so thin, it is a pretty fragile piece.  As with most things I make, it was about 2% planning and 98% jumping without thinking.  In the future, I'll probably be a bit more judicious about the baked clay thickness and how that will affect strength.  Still, all things considered, I'm quite pleased with how the final product turned out!

And because I love playing with my toys so much, here's a little story for you:

While walking through the woods one morning, I stumbled across a rather peculiar sight.  A cluster of extraordinary trees, adorned with very bizarre doors:

As I approached, I was given quite the fright.  Seemingly from nowhere, a towering skeleton, clad in the most remarkable pinstriped suit, materialized before my path to guard this unusual gate.

I gave a little shriek and almost turned to flee, but he spoke with all the graces of a true gentleman and bade me stay and listen to his tale.  Intrigued, I made the creature's acquaintance.  He told me of his home, a world most frightening yet merry.  I could scarce believe it true, but then again, I was talking to a living skeleton.

Just as I watched him, he regarded me, curiosity somehow shining through his eyeless cavities.  Before long, he, with this lengthy gait, lumbered toward the tree, and with his spindly, bony fingers, he opened the door and gestured to the dark threshold.

See the full set at my photobucket

"Shall we?" he offered, stretching out a cold yet welcoming hand.

I glanced between him and the door, my interest piqued.  Still, I was hesitant.  "Curiosity killed the cat."

Giving me a wide, mischievous, toothy grin, he replied, "I know."

And hand-in-hand, we leapt.

Until the next.