Art Dolls with Popsicle Paws

Hello! Sandra Strait visiting here from the Amazing Crafting Products Creative Team today and I'm sharing a project I made with the May Frog Dog Studio Kit and Amazing Crafting Products.  

The May Frog Dog Studio kit:

(1) Stampendous, n*studio stamp set, Wired
(1) Stencil Girl, n*studio, 6x6 stencil
(1) Clearprint, 6x8 Clear Vellum Field Book
(1) PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paint, Pumpkin Soup
(1) PaperArtsy, Fresco Finish Paint, Beach Hut
(1) Imagine Crafts Fireworks Spray Mist, New Sprout
(1) Royal Langnickel Oil Pastel 12 piece set
(1) Prima Marketing Chalk Edger Ink, Pastel Peach
(1) Prima Marketing Chalk Edger Ink, Pastel Green
(3) Maya Road Metal Clips (random)
(3) Prima Wood Embellishments (random)
Valued at over $45

Amazing Crafting Products:

Amazing Mold Putty

Amazing Mold Rubber

Amazing Casting Resin

Alumilite Alumidust Powders - Orange, Copper, Lt. Green, Bright Blue

Alumilite Mold Release

From Origami to Art Doll

I was playing around with an origami doll kit that I bought while traveling. As I was making the folds, it occurred to me that the vellum paper from May Frog Dog kit would probably fold nicely.

I tried it.  It did.

And from there I used a hybrid of Origami, paper-folding and toilet-paper-mache to make an art doll.

Origami how-tos are an art of their own. Rather than recreate the origami wheel, I've included a link to a video that shows the basic folds I used, from someone who does them much better than I.

To start with, I needed a 4 x 8 inch square piece of vellum, a 4 x 4, and two sheets of 2 x 2. I removed the sheets of vellum from the Clearprint book, and tore them to size, using a ruler.

I used a kimono folding pattern, but left it open to make a dress instead. Then I folded the collar and the coat. For the head, what I had in mind was a French bulldog. None of the folds for dogs, cats or foxes quite gave me the look I wanted, so I made up my own.

I cut out a circle and a strip from the promotional

Paper Artsy Postcard included in the May kit.

I glued the circle to the front of the head, and the strip to the back. Then I inserted the strip into the collar and glued it down.

The collar fit into the kimono, and the kimono fit into the coat. I glued them all together. I cut two popsicle sticks in half, dragged them through some PVA glue and stuck them on for arms and legs.

When it was all assembled I had a strange cat-like art doll.  I know. I said French bulldog, but as you saw above, it worked as both. The paint job made all the difference.

Molding the Doll

Now I started preparing the doll for molding. I applied glue everywhere. When you use Amazing Mold Rubber, it is in a liquid state at first, and it will seep under and around all the nooks and crannies. Some overhang is okay, but you if they are too deep, your mold may tear because it's caught in a hole.

I used a brush and a toothpick and covered every bit with PVA glue.  I let the glue dry, and then went back looking for little holes and gaps, until I was satisfied that my doll was solid. (Amazing Clear Cast Resin might be a better choice for this.  I would have used it, but I was away from home, and PVA glue was what I had.)

I smeared glue on back and pasted it down on a piece of art board.

Then guess what? I had made the doll with degrees of depth – one leg in front of the other, etc. so there was distance between parts of the doll and the board. More nooks for the Amazing Mold Rubber to catch on. These had to be filled in. (NOTE: I could have gone at this a different way.  I could have put the art doll into a can that was slightly larger than the doll, figured out a way to keep it standing, and poured mold rubber all around it. I would have got a truer shape mold, both front and back, but I also would have used a LOT more mold rubber. I might consider trying it this way next time.)

I hauled out a roll of toilet paper, and began tearing off small bits, and used a toothpick and popsicle stick to push it in to fill the gaps.

When I'd filled everything in, I added more glue, wiping away excess as I went.

Now I needed to make a container for the Amazing Mold Rubber. You don't need to find a box or tin that fits – you can make your container from masking tape. Since I had an art board underneath, I stuck pieces of tape together, in a threefold way, half of each piece sticking to the art board, and half to each other.

Since my doll was made of mostly PVA glue and paper, there was a good chance it would stick to the mold rubber and tear.  So I painted on three coats of Alumilite's Mold Release, covering the doll and the board thoroughly.

When I had my container ready, I mixed up my Amazing Mold Rubber. I used about half of both the 'A' and 'B' parts.  You mix 1 scoop of the pink catalyst to each plastic cup of the thicker white goop in a separate container, until the whole magilla is a pale pink.

Then you pour it into your prepared container and let it set for several hours. I poured mine just before going to bed, and it was ready the next morning. Amazing Mold Rubber cures in 4 hours, but it can take even longer though, depending on the temperature and humidity.

Casting the Doll

I cast my doll with Amazing Casting Resin. As with the mold rubber, you mix equal amounts of Parts "A" & "B", and then stir them together until all swirls are gone, about 2-3 minutes.

I cast my first doll without adding anything

to the mold, because I knew I'd be painting it.

Before

After!

But I decided I wanted to try the Alumidust for the second doll. I brushed in Orange and Copper for Kitty's fur, and dressed her in Bright Blue and Lt. Green.

Painting the Dolls

For my Bulldog's face, I used the Jacquard Piñata 'Mantilla Black' from the March Frog Dog kit. I started out by painting the entire face, then once dry I used a white gel ink pen and a black sharpie to draw the eyes. Gel ink won't stick to resin, but it will stick to ink or paint, so it works as long as you paint first.

I painted her fashionable outfit in Beach Hut, Pumpkin Soup, and a mix of the Pumpkin Soup with the New Sprout Fireworks spray.

But what trendy outfit doesn't have texture and embellishment?  I used two of the stamps from the May kit, inking up just a portion of the stamps...

...folding and pouncing one across the skirt...

...and the other on the edge of the coat, so it looked like fancy stitching.

And what self-respecting dog goes out with smashing accessories? I glued on the wire heart shape from the May Kit to give my bulldog a fashionable harness.

For my pretty kitty's eyes, I spritzed a little of the New Sprout spray into the Beach Hut paint. I added the detail with white gel ink pen and black Sharpie. To give more of an impression of a tiger tabby, I painted stripes of Pumpkin Soup on her face and paws, then stuck a toothpick into the Mantilla Black ink, and finished up with faint black stripes.

I decided I want to stay with a slimming minimalist look for her outfit, but it needed some definition, so I added a coat of Beach Hut to the coat lapel, and a mix of all three colors to outline the folds of the blouse.

Here is a video by Winsome Yuen that shows how to fold the collar, the kimono and the haori coat.

List of tools used:

• PVA glue
• Make-up sponge
• Popsicle Sticks
• Foam Brush
• Paint Brush
• White Gel Ink Pen
• Black Sharpie

I lurve my art dolls. Hope you do as well!

For more of my work in Amazing Mold Putty, Zentangle-inspired art, and daily links to tangles, tutorials, and giveaways please visit my "Life Imitates Doodles" blog.

~ Sandra Strait

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

...........................................

Join us each Monday on the Amazing Crafting Products Blog for Mold Rubber Mondays – where we share projects and inspiration using this fabulous product!

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Resin Resource

 This month there has been a lot of resin going on! And we are not the only ones, resin is trending all over the craft world. 

 What is resin anyway? Basically, it's a plastic. It's a special plastic that is very hard and clear when it has cured. Resin is fun because it becomes very glass-like.   More specific abilities of resin depends on the brand you are using. If you have tried it in the past and been frustrated, it's worth going back to. 

 Diamond Glaze, Glossy Accents, and a few others have some great shiny effects for paper crafting. They are ready straight out of the bottle and air dry. So why use a two part product that requires mixing and curing time? Resin has the ability to cover a large surface very quickly and much more economically. I have never seen Tim Holtz (who one cannot help but adore) filling up his shadow boxes with glossy accents. 

This was from my most recent post, but I did not bring this up to imply anything against Tim. I bring it up because I did try to coat a tray with Glossy Accents. Actually two trays, for two beloved family members. The compartments turned uneven and warped. I can hardly stand to look at it now, it's such a mess.

 At the time of my tray disaster, I did not know about self-leveling, doaming, or the role of surface tension. The paper crafting products I used had high surface tension (the characteristic that causes water to form in droplets) and so did not even out (or level). Resin will level out as far as it can when you have first mixed it before curing starts. This is why you can easily get a smooth glassy surface in those jewelry settings (usually bezels). 

 The other resin ability is that we can cast with it! Casting is pouring a material into a open form that will later solidify. I worked in a jewelry store's customer service area after college, and in the shop the jewelers would cast in gold and white gold every week. At the shop you see "Clear Cast" which is the clear resin. Amazing Crafting Products also makes a white casting resin. Have you see Prima or Melissa Francis's frames, butterflies, and other white embellishments? They are resin, probably a white resin. 

 There is one other piece you need to start casting, a mold. Amazing Crafting Products makes two types of mold making ingredients, molding putty and rubber molds. The putty is very easy, clean and quick. Mix it together and use a small object to create an imprint, and when it is no longer squishy, you have a mold. The rubber mold needs a container you can pour it into to set. However the cured mold is really flexible and surprised me with its ability to mold intricate forms. Don't forget there are finished molds you can pick up in your craft store if you would like. 

 I cast with a rubber mold, a putty mold and a polymer clay texture sheet for my recent project. Pictures, fianlly!

Rubber and putty molds, all objects are the cast pieces not originals. 

Martha Stewart mold with some Pearl powder from ACP dusted on before the pour.

A mold set by Mod Podge that I dusted with metallic powder

A texture mat by Lisa Pavelka for her favorite medium, polymer clay. Even these thin little gears held up. 

Here are some casts and the originals

 The casts come out clear or white, depending on what you use. I painted mine with Viva's Precious Metals Effects paint because it is fast drying. I'm confident Pinata paint or alcohol inkers will also work. This mostly applies to castings in the rubber mold because it creates a smooth surface that may not be good for water color and some acrylics paints. 

 Now see the cast pieces in my project close-ups. 

 If you have had the patience to read this whole post, then I think you will be better prepared of what you can expect from resin! One final and really important tip: read the instructions! Prepare the things you are working on and pay attention to stirring time, the time you have before it starts hardening and how long to leave alone to do its thing. 

 And it's only half way through the month! Enjoy resin! -heather

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