Santa Claus is coming to town!

I'm posting the completed big belsnickle before he is coated with gesso. His face and coat have been completed and his boots were enlarged to balance him better. He will dry for a few more days and then we will coat him with gesso as a primer. I should have him painted by the end of the week if I can decide on a color.....I wanted to stay away from traditional red as it can get a bit boring but who knows, red it may be!

And we all fall down!

Well yesterday proved to be interesting. As I had posted a few days ago, I had an eye appointment on Tues. The morning went as usual, coffee half awake, breakfast, shower, dressing and ready to leave. Wait..have to check the mail. Somehow, someway, while leaning out the front door to look in the mailbox I managed to fly headfirst down onto the porch floor..landing on my shoulder then my back. From my waist up I was laying on the porch, from the waist down I was laying inside the door. First response...PAIN, then OMG who saw me do this? All I could think was get up and get inside! I maneuvered myself back inside the door way and then came the..help I've fallen and can't get up scream! Just like in the TV commercial. Luckily my husband and granddaughter were home. I'm sore today and all black and blue, just one more thing to add to the "list" right now. The eye is good....the rest of me sucks.

Taking a break...

I'll be taking a break for a few days from this blog.I have some orders to get finished plus Tues. I have a checkup with the eye surgeon. The gas bubble is still in my eye after 2 months and I'm hoping it will dissipate soon. This whole retina detachment is getting old! The big paper mache belsnickle is drying for a few days. There has been some cracking on the face area which is normal. I will have to go back and do some fill in work. We were working on the coat texture but there's still more to do. My store needs rearranged for the upcoming season so there's also much to do in there. Business had picked up lately and there's not enough of me to go around. It's cool and crisp here in the Northeast and we are loving it! Pie baking time! Back in a few days.......with new pictures!

End of the day...

Here's a quick picture of the next step in the belsnickle project. We have finished the head and now it's onto sculpting the coat. I have to go back and rework the boots..they are to small, but not a big problem!
The coat will be finished with folds and texture, a little more build up around the folded arm sections. Over all he's coming along fine!

Back at it!

After a few days of goofing around I got back to the big belsnickle project. I needed a break the last few days because I could not visualize how this 6 ft. belsnickle was going to look in the face. Guy was able to do some pre sculpting with tin foil in the face area which gave me a base to work from. We quibbled back and forth about the dimensions of the face but I have to admit, I think all his mathematical calculations turned out right. Today I started sculpting with the paper clay and  so far so good! Still a long way to go so keep watching!

OMG! She's trying to eat me!

                       Sadly...I have no life!

A little diversion...

I needed a break from earlier today while working on the big belsnickle. I finished these two belsnickle candy containers and wanted to post a quick picture. This time of year is crazy for "hopping" holidays..one day I'm working in Halloween and the next I'm in Christmas.The older I get, trying to stay focused is becoming a real challenge. The big belsnickle project is something I have to walk away from occasionally to remain sane or else we are going to have a belsnickle gone wild!

This old boy smells!

I'm posting  a picture in the next step of the big belsnickle project. We are fast approaching the sculpting phase. The wire armature has been covered with paper mache so you can see the belsnickle shape. Now the hard part begins, going back and sculpting all the texture and features. This is the make it or break it part! If this turns out crappy..well you won't see it again! If it turns out good..you will!

All wired up!

Here's the pictures of the next stages in the big belsnickle project. The one picture shows the boot section sculpted and ready for drying. The body of the belsnickle is all wired and contoured. This afternoon we will start the paper mache. Stay tuned!

Another tiny step...

Here's a picture of this mornings changes in the big belsnickle. Guy wants me to document every step of the way so anyone who is interested in our wacky life can see this! In this picture you can see the side view of the belsnickle so we have a more 3D look to him. The next step will be to start attaching the wire plus a few more cardboard braces. Shaping is going to be  interesting on this. There's a face involved so I'm not sure how this is going to proceed in that area. Right now I'm thinking the face area will be left just as a hollow space that I can come back and sculpt with paper clay. Check back in a few days for an update, he could look very different! Hopefully in a good way......

A little bit more....

Here's another picture of the big belsnickle project. It doesn't look like we have done much but trust me we have! Early this morning we decided we needed to be able to see this thing in 3D to get some perspective on the shape. The white foam board running lengthwise will be cut to resemble the side view of the belsnickle pictured. This will enable us to attach the wire mesh and shape it  for a rough form of the Santa...Oh hell this all sounds to technical...let's say this,  We are just wrestling with this damn thing and hope the hell it turns out looking like a belsnickle! Much better!

Waiting in the wings.....

This week has brought the wrapping up of  unfinished loose ends. A few stray jack o lanterns, witch lanterns and belsnickles finally were finished and put into the store hopefully to find new homes soon! We have started on the six foot belsnickle and oh, what a project we have embarked on! This guy isn't to easy. Right now we are stuck on how to proceed on filling out his torso area. Guy and I both have different ideas about the construction so we are battling it out right now between us. I've come up with a new idea which is more labor intensive but may have a better outcome. I'll run this by Guy in the morning after his first few cups of coffee! More caffeine equals more agreeable! I'm posting a picture which isn't much to look at right now but hey, you can at least get an idea of our craziness!

Cool and Crisp!

This morning brought a cool crisp fall like feeling. It was so nice to turn off the air conditioners last night and actually use a blanket while sleeping. I always love this time of year. After the long hot days of summer when fall arrives my thoughts turn to natures bounty. I love passing the farm stands in my Mennonite valley. I always smile at the mountains of pumpkins, squash, corn and gourds piled on flatbed wagons along the side of the road. It reminds me that there really is a simpler life if only we would choose to stop long enough and look.As for work this week I am looking towards the Christmas season. With my schedule full of shows and commitments through next Feb. it's time to get moving. This week we molded a new German Belsnickle which I will have pictures of posted in a day or two. The picture that I am posting today is one of my most favorite candy containers. We have produced this Belsnickle for many years...enjoy!

The watch!

I just wanted to post a quick picture of an old friend I found today..the watch. Years ago my husband gave me this watch for some special occasion.Honestly after 30 years of marriage I have no idea what the special occasion was or when. Could this watch be any more perfect! It says..Get in your studio and make stuff!

One elephant and three crazy pigs!

Today was a catch up and finish projects day in the studio. Late last night I spent a few hours moving work benches and paint tables just to "fluff" up the work space.I like a nice clean working environment so every now and then I go through this moving and cleaning phase.For those of you who don't know, I live in a funeral home. Our house and store was the Strunk Funeral Home for over 100 years in the same family.Our studio is where the bodies were processed and yes, we do have an embalming room which is where all the molding and sculpting is done. My store to the front was the casket show room and our home was where the funerals were held in the front parlor. Ok , yes we have spirits.Harmless ones.We have a ghost cat who made itself known the first time we were ever in the store. He comes and goes from time to time, walking into the walls. This is a cool old place and someday I'll post some pictures of it when I have the time. Here's the result of today's "catch up"..An elephant lantern and two more different pigs to go with the first pig I did. These are for you Jen!
Sweet Dreams!

It's turkey time!

I'm posting a picture of the largest turkey candy container we make. We only make a  couple of these every few years because of their difficulty, he's a real challenge! Today was a very fragmented day. It started early this morning with my granddaughter Lily standing beside my bed and scaring the life out of me! I wasn't expecting her quite so early but at only four years old she thought it was funny to see "grammie" jump awake.The morning continued on with me trying to have my cup of coffee in peace and quiet and Lily wanting me to play even when I couldn't focus yet. After breakfast, play dough, Don't Spill The Beans, glue crafts, squirt guns, Shrek2, and Scobbie Doo we ate lunch and mommy came to pick her up! By this time grammie was pooped and needed a nap. Tonight I finished this candy container..his head pulls off the front. Tomorrow will be another early day with Lily. Thankfully she loves crafts so just maybe I'll have someone to take over by business someday if we can just get past the glue craft stage!

I'm going bananas!

This week has brought a welcomed departure from so much Halloween work. I was in the studio burnt out on pumpkins, cats, witches and the likes of the Halloween season when my box of paper mache forms fell open and out popped a banana! This gave me the excuse I was looking for, to do something different! I had picked up quiet a few of these fruit forms on a clearance  months ago and thought someday I could do something creative with them. This was the day..something said..  GO BANANAS! After a few hours of  "banana play", I ended up with a pile of these guys not quite knowing what to do with them.  Here's the picture of the end result..the banana tree. The sly Zebra keeps getting in my pictures, he's a sneaky guy you cannot trust! If I'm missing some bananas, I know who ate them!