2012/365 - Day 211

sadly...a change of plans for the baby shower gift

I will need to make something else for the baby shower gift.  Both of these plaster cloth lamby/goaty-like guys are going to require much too much work to get either one of them done in time.  I have another idea for a gift I can make and I hope it will be something they like.

Today I wanted to insert arms into the body of the creature (now no longer a lamby/goaty).  This sort of thing worked pretty well when I added the "antlers/horns" to the Atomic Fireball Happy Hour guy.

This morning has been spent drilling little close together holes into the sides of the creature.  I know there is probably a safer, easier way to do this but this is all I could think of this morning.  After drilling the little holes I was able to slide that saw in and cut the rest of the way around.  Then I cut off two sections from one of the old Studio Snake sections that already had plaster cloth and gesso on it and inserted them into the new arm holes.  I will either add another arm section or just hands -- I haven't decided yet. 

Oh yeah...I forgot to mention I got a first layer of plaster cloth on this guy last night.  I had a lot of trouble with re-shaping the face into a flatter wedge to resemble a goaty -- I thought I'd be able to hold the shape tightly for a minute or two until the plaster cloth hardened a little but this guy was just not having it.  The surrounding plaster cloth started to pull away from the rest of the head and neck, so I had to give up on that idea.  IF this gets goatier, I will have to add on and then the head will get even bigger...the snowman effect...not sure I want that.

Now I need to clean up all the little bits of shredded plastic from the drilling...LOL  (Oh -- the green glow in the first few pics comes from the green walls and bad lighting in the studio bathroom -- there was a handy electrical outlet in there.)

2012/365 - Day 210

starting over on the lamby/goaty

Okay...I am feeling a bit better about this guy already.  I am starting from scratch, building everything as I go along...starting with trying to get a wedge sort of shape for the face.  I am using all "scrap"/leftover materials.

Yeah...I do like this guy better...and he feels more kidly.  I like the first guy, but he needs a LOT of work.  I am going to get the plaster cloth on this guy tonight and see where I am from there.  I have pulled the masking tape as tightly as I can to flatten the rounded parts but the wet plaster cloth will help to shape it better.

2012/365 - Day 209

working on the lamby/goaty guy...one more time

Here is a quick progression of the changes on the lamby/goaty guy.   I am not sure I can pull this off -- I seriously might have to do something totally different for the baby shower gift.  It will still be lamby/goaty, but just might not be this guy. 

He is definitely better than when I first started, but I don't know yet.

July 8

July 12

Today -- July  27

July 27

July 27

I might go ahead and plaster cloth him tomorrow and see how he looks.  I am just not sure about him.  I need to like him to be able to give him away.  (I "get it" now, Joan!)

2012/365 - Day 194

tweaking the lamby/goaty guy and thinking about black cats

Today I put in my application to a local cat rescue to look at two black cats.  They are both younger than Twink.  One is about a year younger, and the other one is a baby.  It has been just Twink and me for about six months now and I think we may be ready to expand our family by one.

I saw videos of both cats...the baby is SO like Twink when Twink is revved up.  The other cat is SO like Twink when Twink is mellow.  

My paperwork will be submitted to the adoption committee/board today and I should hear in about 24 hours. The next step would be to make arrangements to go back to the shop and have private viewings of both cats.  Fingers crossed I pass to the next round!

In the meantime, Sue came by to see the two cat videos.  While she was here I showed her the lamby/goaty guy and asked her what it needed to look more lamby/goaty.  We both agreed about the need to make the head more of a wedge shape.  

This is the "before" picture.  He does have a bit of a mosquito nose look.

I may have overdone it a little bit now...LOL...I can still adjust it.

I am going to enjoy putting those nubby little horns on.

He looks sort of cute from the side.

I still have a little time to work on the basic foundation shape.

I think I will think about him some more and start the plaster cloth'ing over the weekend.

2012/365 - Day 190

trying to turn a roly poly chime ball bearish guy into a lamby/goaty guy

I need to make a lamby/goaty guy for a baby shower present.  I hope I can turn this bearish guy into a goaty/lamby guy...he's already got a Fisher Price roly poly chime ball for a tummy.

I know...I know...how could I possibly have known way back when I put this guy together that I'd want to eventually try to change him into a goaty/lamby?  Well, I didn't but apparently my Universal collaborators did!

This is just the first try...I am sure there will be many, many, MANY more changes before I get the plaster cloth out.  

This is what I started out with.  I could never get this guy to balance so I put him on the "save it for later" shelf.

This is the chime ball that I gave to my niece when she was teensy...I love the sound it makes.

Oh hey...I have two sets of wooden pieces that match...they are just waiting to be legs.

I like the way these legs curve like big hooves.

I also like how tall these legs make the guy.

But both sets of legs have next to no surface that matches the curve of the ball.  I could probably put them on one at a time and fill in the gaps with plaster cloth...

...but wait -- an empty roll of tape holds him pretty well...now he has a little more surface to work with.

Better yet...this cylinder thing...but it really makes him too tall.  Good idea though to hold the ball.

Oh my...that stripey wooden bowl is perfect!

I am using tightly wadded up plastic bags and packing material to build the head/face.

Okay -- this looks very much like a long nosed bear.  

Gotta make a wedge shape for the head and nose and cover up those bear ears...I don't think I can saw them off.

Making a baby goaty/lamby forehead...wide wedge.

Looks like bandages...LOL

It is a little hard to tell from this photo, but he is looking a bit like a goaty/lamby.   I need to tighten up the nose and make it pointier and try to even out the overall outline of the forehead and the shape of his wedge.

Okay...the ears dilemma.  In the photo I am looking at as reference the baby goat has long, HUGE ears.  I cut the cardboard down quite a bit...but I think these make him look a little donkeyish.

This is a little closer to lamby (I think).

Looking down on the head you can see the wedge better.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...this is just the very first attempt at this guy.  There will be many more changes.

But I am relatively pleased with the transformation so far.

I wonder if you'll still be able to hear the chime ball...I sure hope so.  When I shake it with the guy in the bowl you can still hear it -- we'll see...