Making a set of Angel Wings - wall decor

    I saw this project on Pinterest. Not sure how it's going to turn out, but it looks easy enough. I found some shapes I like on the web, and I taped together about 4 sheets of newspaper to make one large sheet for me to sketch my

shape onto. 

     I sketched a preliminary angel wing shape, then tweeked it a bit by cutting and taping here and there - mostly so the shoe fit onto the cardboard box I had in mind to use.

     I traced it onto the box with a Sharpie, cut it out two of them with my

box cutter, and here I am, ready to cut out individual feathers. I plan to glue them on with a hot glue gun, then paper mâché to unify the wing. Wish me luck. I was planning to hang it in my

daughter's room but she is very opinionated, and she's telling me that they won't fit. We'll see - if they don't, maybe I'll find someplace else to hang them!

Finished Paper Maché Trout

I finished another project.  I'm not sure if I like the paint job, but I'm giving myself kudos for finishing this.  Sometimes you just have to get over your original picture in your head and move on.   Here's how it went:

After my last post, I sanded the fish a bit.  Not too much, just enough to take the really rough spots off.

Believe it or not, this stuff dries hard enough that I could have sanded for quite a while before I got a really smooth texture.  I might use a top layer of something smooth next time if I want a really smooth texture - I could probably use the back side of used copy paper…

Next I researched online to see if I could find any pictures with colors I really liked.  My favorite was this one.  

I liked all the colors.  

I started painting….

… and I was really lukewarm about the results.  When you layer the paint on thick, it does tend to soften up the paper maché layers again, which added to my annoyance.  I had to let it dry and think on it.  

I decided to water down the dark green color and add some spots.  I briefly thought about painting over the whole thing in a less realistic, more folk art color scheme, but then enough is enough, you know?  I have a couple of other things I want to work on, and now this fish is standing in my way!

Now that it has those few added features, I can live with it.  I added some Mod Podge for shine, and I was thinking of maybe putting on some fine, clear glitter.  But then again, I might not.  I'm not sure the hubby wants it in his den, so, since it is 4 feet long, the big question is…

What do I do with it?  

LOL

Progress on the Paper Maché Trout...

Here's an update on my paper maché trout.  It's going well, and moving along quickly, thanks to the dehumidifier in my basement!  It's just about 48" long from nose to tail.  I'm still finishing the Bounty paper towel layer (the back side of what you see is still just covered in the craft paper.  The front portion is impressively sturdy - almost like thick plastic.  I'm not going to strive for absolute smooth perfection, although I think I WILL sand it a bit when the paper towel layer is finished and dry.  I think the slight bumps and valleys will contribute to the hand-done look.  I'm anticipating being at the painting stage by the weekend.  My spouse better deem this "Den Worthy" or I may have to put it on Ebay.

I can't wait to try more shapes!  

Revisiting the Paper Maché Fish Idea

I've had a hankering for some paper maché…  baking, although it involves squishy flour and water mixtures, is just not cutting it.  But how does one decide what one wants to make?  I keep picturing a very large fish hanging up like someone just caught it - but this one is very colorful - a joy to look at, so that's what I decided to make. Plus, this reminds me of summer!

My last attempt at a paper maché fish was not coming out the way I wanted.  It's still in the basement, unfinished. (I guess eventually I'll finish it…) With that fish, I was trying to make an armature I could use again and again, and I wanted the fish to be very light - paper maché ONLY - nothing inside.  With this one, I decided the armature would remain in the fish - so much easier and sturdier that way.

I started with a fish shape I liked.  I wanted the shape to be realistic, so I settled on this picture of a rainbow trout:

I found it with a quick google search.  It's the kind of fish shape a fisherman might get - you don't usually see fisherman with giant angelfish on their hooks.  

I bought a roll of poultry wire with 1" holes from Home Depot, cut a piece the length of my fish including the tail.

I folded the piece in half lengthwise, and sewed it closed with some floral wire.  This does not require any advance sewing skills - just loop the sides together with your wire.

 I stuffed the middle with a few bunched up pieces of wire to keep it from flattening.  

At this point, I had a tube with a tail.  Next I squished together the front end and tightened up the bulky, pointy sections by grabbing sections of wire with my needle nose pliers and twisting them slightly.  I tried not to do TOO much cutting, since experience has shown me that cut pieces of poultry wire are a pain - literally!  I wore my gloves whenever possible, and my fingers are very happy!

Then I consulted my picture and added some necessary fins where appropriate. 

Once I had the shape finished, I ripped by craft paper (from a package we received that used this as the packing material - recycling at its best!) into long strips and circled it around the fish.  I attached it by taping the ends and/or side edges with double-sided tape (LOVE my scrapbooking ATG gun!).  Where I couldn't attach to another piece of craft paper, I tucked the paper through the wire and taped it back into itself inside the fish.  It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and it saved me loads of time by 1. giving my first layer of paper maché something to stick to, and 2. providing a separation between the goo and the table, making clean up SO much easier!

First I covered one side with a layer of paper maché, then I put it downstairs near the dehumidifier, and about 8 hours later, it was dry enough for me to cover the second side.  

Going to cover the remaining holes now, then look into my options.  I AM going to finish this fish, I promise!!  

If anyone has any ideas, techniques or questions, post away!

Later, friends!

I'll wait right here for ya, Dad...

I don't know how he does it, but in our house, Dad is always the favorite human.  I'm not sure how he does it - maybe it's the three meals ("Are you hungry?  Do you want some cookies, too?")… Maybe it's the belly scratches or maybe it's the fact that he's around for part of the day when the rest of us are not.  Whatever the reason, this little girl has become very fond of her car rides with dad.  So fond, in fact, that when anyone rattles their keys, she runs for the door and then tries to hop in the first open car door.   Yesterday I was heading out and didn't want her to come with me, so before opening MY car door, I opened dad's car door and she hoped right in.  She did NOT want to get out, even for her dad.  Doesn't that look just scream, "I'll just wait right here, dad, for when you're ready to go."

I LIKE Dandelions...

I was just getting in my car to go get something for lunch today when I noticed this and I stopped in my tracks and squatted down low to get a picture:

…a lawn full of happy little dandelions!  Now don't hate me; I know dandelions are the scourge of almost every home-owning suburban man and many a suburban woman as well, but I really don't get it.        I actually like them.  Ok, I have, on occasion, picked them out of my "lawn" but that's because my grass needs all the help it can get.  In my humble opinion, they make this grass so much more cheerful. Plus, if you don't douse your lawn in chemicals (I know lots of people do) you can add the leaves to your salads because they're really good for you.  Kids love to pick them.  I believe they are usually the first flower a child picks for their mother. Who out there does not remember being a child and picking a dandelion flower gone to seed and blowing on the seeds while making a wish?  Think of all the people who could get wishes from this lawn!  Not to mention how cool they look when you set a seed head aflame… (I've never done it, but the pictures I've seen are cool!)


So don't be a dandelion hater - must I remind you that just a couple of short months ago, this great big expanse was covered in dirty snow? Ah, gotcha.

Windy Spring Afternoon

I've decided to post about those small, wonderful things we tend to overlook as I rush through my daily activities.  It's been a crazy week so far, but the weather has been beautiful - sunny, in the 60's and sunny with a nice breeze.  I went to the marina on my lunch hour.  The water was choppy - the birds were sunning themselves on the sand and it smelled like the ocean.  It was made all the more beautiful by our just ended harsh winter.  Happy Spring!