Second Friday Tutorial -Mushrooms and Butterfly Kisses

Hi everyone, it's Susie Krichbaum from Art by Susie K and it's Second Friday Tutorial Time!

I love to upcycle items and turn them into art.  I pick up things from thrift stores and probable save way too many bottles and jars.  Today's tutorial is created by recycling a bottle, tin foil and cardboard

I hope you enjoy this little mushroom fairy home and add you own details and colors.  Nature is full of amazing color themes so don't be afraid to have fun with it.  

Supplies:
bottle - I used a Pierre bottle because I like the shape and color
Card board
Tin foil
masking tape
18g wire (good weight yet easy to bend)

 Creative Paperclay®

basic clay tools, or other tools that make textures

shape cutters (optional)

small razor knife

Gesso (optional)

acrylic paints

paint brushes

string of mini lights / I bought wine cork string lights on Amazon.  

Armature:

Start building the armature and get an idea of the shape you are wanting.  Card board, tin foil and wire held strong with masking tape.  

Bulk out the structure with tin foil and cover with making tape.   

For the mushroom that sticks out to the side I re-enforced with wire and plenty of foil.  

Cut out the area that you want to represent windows and have a little light peeping out.  Now your armature is ready for clay.

Adding Clay:

Start rolling out some clay and build up the walls of the structure first.  Adding texture as you go so the clay won't be too dry.  Run a pin or other sharp tool down the clay to create mushroom stem texture.

Have fun with adding rocks 

Add texture around the windows on the back as well

For the mushroom caps I went all smooth and other added texture on the bottom side.  Texture in the form of shingles/ flower petals with cover the caps as you move along.  

To create the petals / shingles to the house:

I have this handy little shape cutter, but you can create a shape with cardboard and press that onto the clay and cut out.  Or simply form a shape with your fingers.

Start on the outer edge when layering the shingles/petals

Add texture while the clay is still wet.

Larger shingles for the main mushroom

Layer and texturize

This is where I found that cork was way to visible and needed a little cover. Started to form a foil cone to fit

Created a little cap over the cone with some light card board (file folder).  covered in tape to keep the moisture of the clay from distorting it as it dried.  I also added a generous piece of wire so I could create a stem.  

Fashion a couple of leaves from wire, cover in foil and tape.  Bend the wire how you like to create a cute little flower cap

Underside of flower cap  

More petals for the flower cap

Add texture

I decided the main roof look too plain so I added flowers and more texture

Stand back and take a look.  Make sure it isn't too heavy on one side and wants to tip.   You can always weight the bottle with rice or beans

Texture and more texture

I thought the butterfly was a good touch, totally optional

Painting Time:
        grab a bunch of fun colors and some gesso.

After the gesso has dried, start by adding a light layer of your base color.  This will change in saturation as you blend, shade and add other colors.  

Here I am shading under each petal and making sure the texture lines have the darker shade sinking in.

EMAIL: Susiewhc@gmail.com

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How to CREATE a Totoro Creative Paperclay® mini figure #ArtByGloricom 2/3

 

Here I will link al 3 tutorials once each one of them becomes available online.

 Part 1

How to SCULPT a Totoro Creative Paperclay®  Tea Light Fairy House #ArtByGloricom 1/3

 

Part 2

How to CREATE a Totoro Creative Paperclay® mini figure #ArtByGloricom 2/3

 

 

Part  3

How to PAINT a Totoro Creative Paperclay® Tea light Fairy House #ArtByGloricom 3/3

  

 

 

 

Hola! It is Gloriann from #ArtbyGloricom here to show you how to sculpt this little guy for you to pose in your Creative Paperclay® Tea Light Fairy House. I will be sculpting a cute wood spirit my girls love so much. His name is Totoro and is a very cute character in the Studio Ghibli film titled My Neighbor Totoro. With these instructions you can make a small Totoro or a use more clay and make a bigger version of him to display or just enjoy him. This is the second part of a three parts tutorials but not to worry because I will be linking every single one of them at the beginning of each tutorial.

Enjoy them and if you like them fee free to share them with all your friends.

Now let begin.

 

 How to CREATE a Totoro Creative Paperclay®

mini figure Tutorial Part 2/3

 

 

Materials

 

Creative Paperclay®

Bamboo skewers

Wire cutter

Water Bottle Mist

Small Brushes

Xacto Hobby Knife

   

 

Start by rolling a little ball of clay and shaped it like an egg.

Grab 2 of the bamboo skewers and Cut 2 sharp tips about a half an inch long. 

The bamboo skewers will be the ears for the wood spirit Totoro.

 I like to use bamboo so the ears are stronger and not so easy to brake when the piece is handled.

 

 

 Now shape the egg into a pear like shape. For the little legs we are going to roll a very small round ball and with a sharp hobby knife cut it in half. doing this will ensure that both legs have the best equal amount of clay.

 

 

To attach the legs grab your brush and get both half balls wet and attach them to the fat part of the pear shape Creative Paperclay®. Work the clay legs secure with the wet brush by stoking and shaping the legs in place.

 

 

To sculpt the hands roll a little bit of Creative Paperclay® into a snake shape about the same length of the pear shape from head to toes.

 

With a Xacto knife cut the snake in half.

 

 

Smooth and curve the end of the now 2 shape little snakes.

Now to attach the 2 little snakes and make them look like little hands is simple by using a wet brush and using light pressure to add the hands to the pear shape body.

 

 

Shape his head like show in the above photo. To attach the bamboo ears get the ends wet and apply light pressure to the head until you achieve your desired ear length. To shape the eyes just simply use the excess cut off bamboo and press the round end to the eyes. Use the Xacto hobby knife  tool and cut little slits in for the little claws and shape  triangle nose.

It is best to add to the

 

 

It is best to add the Totoro to the dried Tea Light Fairy House when he is still wet. That way you can shape him in place and add and adjust him to fit just right. Once you are satisfy set aside and let him dry before your paint him. I will be sharing the step by step painting process in my third and final Totoro fairy House Tea Light tutorial.

 

 

 

I hope you like this series of full step by step photo tutorial and feel free to stay tune for more surprises I have in stock.

 

Find more of my Creative Paperclay® creations search 

 #artbygloricom or follow me @artbygloricom and @bygloricom

Feel free to share with us your own Creative Paperclay® creations using the #creativepaperclay Hashtag in all your social media.

 

Thank you have a joyful Crafting!

Sincerely

Gloriann Irizarry

 

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