How to Make an Air Plant Holder With Creative Paperclay

 Hello everyone, today I am going to show you how I made this air plant holder. I will 

walk you through the steps to either leave it as is, or cover it with concrete patch to 

protect it from water if you are a person who sprays your air plants while it's in it's holder.

You will need the following materials

Supplies: 

Air plant
Creative Paperclay®

Masking tape
Scrap Paper,Cardboard or foil
Sand paper

Thompson's WaterSeal (optional)

Concrete patch repair (optional)

Protective gloves

Begin by choosing your air plant and try to figure out what type of holder 

you would like to create. I went with the larger of the three and decided that

I wanted the holder to be a tall cylindrical shape for the plant.

I began working on the base by taking your paper foil or what ever you 

would like to use as the filler and wrap it with masking tape.

Begin adding clay on top of the masking tape when you are finished putting

it together. Make sure that you create the opening for the plant while the clay

is still pliable. I built around a tube of glitter and took it out once I 

felt comfortable with the size of the opening for the plant to go into.

When you are done creating the opening, make sure that it is the right size for your

plant. Quickly check the fitting of the plant in the opening while it is still moist. 

Remove the plant and make adjustments to if you need to while the clay is still moist.

Sit the piece aside and allow it to dry when you have the basic shape worked out.

Once the piece is dry, begin to work on the second layer. I decided to create a head 

so that the plant would look like hair. Once you are satisfied with the way that this layer

 comes out, set the piece aside to dry so that it could be sanded down.

Sand your piece down with sand paper until you achieve the level of smoothness 

that you would like the piece to have. Don't worry about smoothness at this step if 

you plan to cover your piece with cement as I ended up doing.

I really like the simplicity of this piece. I usually run my air plants under water for a few seconds and then let them air dry out in the window before I put it back in the plant holder. This way works great if you are concerned about damaging your sculpture with water. When 

paper clay gets wet, it begins to get soft again so you must make sure that your plant is

dry before placing it back in your sculpture. To be on the safe side, I suggest using some 

type of water proof coating like Thompson's WaterSeal to add a layer of protection 

to your piece. I would still use caution to not deliberately get your sculpture wet. 

Extra Credit: I am a hoarder by nature, so I had concrete patch under my sink. I smoothed a thin layer over my sculpture to add a layer of protection for when I don't want to wait for the plant to dry before placing it back in the holder. If the concrete patch doesn't stick to your piece, try adding a drop of water to get it to adhere to the clay. Make sure you wear gloves to protect your hands from the concrete! Set the piece aside and allow it to dry for at least 24 hours before using.

Thank you all once again for stopping by, and I hope that you enjoyed today's tutorial! You can find Creative Paperclay® at the following retailers Creative Paperclay® Online Store, Michael's, Amazon, Joann's.

See more of my work at Melandolly.com and be sure to catch updates on my Instagram page! 

Las Gemelas - Connected for Life  - Conjoined Twins

SUPPLIES: 

2 -7" Kidrobot Munnyworld Munny Vinyl Doll Blanks

Creative Paperclay® 

Masking Tape

Craft Knife

Gesso (I used Black Golden brand. )

Acrylic Paint (I used Liquitex and Golden. )

Paint Brushes (Gesso can be hard on brushes.  Use cheap foam brushes.) 

Sandpaper (I use 320-420 grits)

Dust Mask or Bandana – use this when sanding

Sculpting Tools are optional.  I use manicurists tools and knitting needles.  My friend Christi Friesen also makes some great tools. 

Rolling Pin or Glass Jar

Shop Rag – To smooth over clay.  

Krylon Crystal Clear Gloss Sealer

I used almost a full package of Creative Paperclay® for this project.  

I used 2 - 

7" Kidrobot Munnyworld Munny Vinyl Doll Blanks 

 (How cool would it be to use the 18" blanks?  I might have to do that next time!)

I really enjoy working with these blank dolls and Creative Paperclay®.  No need to build an armature and the Creative Paperclay® dries so quickly when it is used in such thin layers.  

The first step is getting rid of some of the extra body parts.  I used a craft knife to remove the ears, tails and one leg from one doll blank.  I also took off the arms.  I have been told that I mutilate them more than most.  The arms and ears are just too clunky for my tastes.  Also, in this case, the ears were sticking out in a way that prevented the figures to be conjoined. 

***TIP: If the vinyl is too hard to cut through, use a heat gun to warm it a bit.  It will cut like butter with a little heat. 

Next use masking tape to position your twins in a natural looking conjoined position.  The heads are kinda big so you probably need to tilt at least one of them to get them together.

Here is the back view of the taped together twins.  the tape needs to hold them together securely.  You do not want to have any give or movement when you are sculpting.  

Next tape over any openings where you cut parts off; ears, leg, and tails, arm can be left open as place holders for sculpted arms.  

Roll our pieces of Creative Paperclay®.  About 1/8 of an inch is a good thickness to work with.  It will allow for maximum coverage and quick drying,

Smooth the clay out using a rolling tool.  I like using a size 15 aluminium knitting needle.  It is one of my favorite sculpting tools.

Once you cover the entire piece use a pencil to mark off the placement of facial features and hoodie.  I like my features low and widespread for a child-like, puppy dog look.  

Centerline - Eyeline - Nose Line - Mouth Line - and Eye Placement

No need to be too fussy.  Thee are just general guidelines.

Next you will add facial features, arms, and any other desired details.  I created the face tutorial here: Sooshie Sea Star

After adding details, allow the piece to dry completely.  Lightly sand off any blemishes and fill any cracks.  Allow it to dry again.  

***TIP: The bottoms of the feet don't always dry because they are on the bottom without air circulation.  Lay the dried piece on it's side for a few hours.  Be sure to sand them down so that it stands up right.

Paint your conjoined twins with acrylic paints.  I used Golden acrylics.  If you need some tips on painting on Creative Paperclay® with acrylic paints please go to my YouTube channel for an 8 part, hour and a half, tutorial on painting a Creative Paperclay®bust with acrylic paints.

Last but not least, after they dry have a photo shoot.  Play with filters.  I think these 2 look great in black and white.  What do you think?  Please share some images with me.

Here they are ready to party with all of their little monster friends! 

If you decide to make your own please be sure to share a few photos with me!

I hope that you have enjoyed this project as much as I have!  I'll be back with more "What's On My Workbench Wednesday" fun on the first Wednesday of each month.

Come back for more cool ideas and projects!  Creative Paperclay® and Delight™ are conveniently available for you to purchase online and at the below listed retailers.

Creative Paperclay® Online Store

Michael's

Hobby Lobby

Joann's

Until then, stay cool and don’t forget the sun screen!  

Fin - The End

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Painting a Creative Paperclay® Art Doll Bust

Painting a Creative Paperclay Art Doll Bust

Today I will demonstrate my painting techniques for a Creative Paperclay® Art Doll Bust.
Here is a list of tools and supplies that you will need:

Creative Paperclay® Art Doll Bust
Black Gesso
Acrylic Paints - I prefer heavy body for full coverage
Carbon Black  
Titanium White
Burnt Umber
Titan Buff
Quinacridone magenta
C.P. Cadmium Yellow Medium
Phthalo Blue
Prism Violet
Fixative/Sealant - Krylon (or Hairspray) Acrylic Gel Medium or Mod Podge (Optional)
Assorted paint brushes.  
At least some fine detail brushes and some flat for dry brushing
palette knife - for mixing paint colors
palette - a ceramic tile or paper plate will work
receptacle for water and a couple of rags for clean up.




This is a hand sculpted Creative Paperclay Art Doll Bust based on a design by my friend Linda Misa.  She came to teach in my Northern California studio all the way from Australia!  That's really far away!  Anyway, it was a wonderful workshop!  If you get the chance to sign up for a class with her, jump on it!  She is super generous with her knowledge and ensures that everyone is successful with their project!

At this point the bust is dried and lightly sanded.
The texture on her bodice was done with a beautiful silicone texture sheet by my friend Victoria James. Click on the link to check out her great designs. She will ship them anywhere within the continental U.S. for FREE!

http://www.victoriajamesart.com/realtextures/

First I add a coat or two of black gesso.  I used Golden brand.  You'll notice the streakiness.  That was because I started painting her and didn't like it so I covered her up with more black.  I was also really impatient to get back to painting.  You can always sand yours down to smooth things out. 400 - 600 grit sandpaper is good.  I'm going for a more primitive look so I won't do that here. 

Supplies and intro

Flesh Tone Underpainting

Shadows and Lowlights - I use some weird colors

Flesh Tone Highlights

Highlights, eyeliner, eye whites, blush, lips, and brows

Eyes

Once you get the eyes in she starts coming to life

Final Face paint.  Isn't she a cutie?  I darkened her eyebrows to go better with her dark hair.  

I painted the bodice and hair black.


Eyes, Pupils, Hair, & Bodice

Here are the final photos.  

The bright lights washed out her complexion a bit 

but, you can see the highlights in her hair and dress this way.