Ruffled Feathers

Sometimes, I wonder what some people in the doll world are thinking when they tell blatent lies? Do they think we are stupid and will actually continue to believe them? Do they think in these days, where the internet records everything, that they won't get caught out? Or is it that they just don't give a damn about anyone but themselves?

To be completely honest, I have had enough of it! Receiving repeated lies and rediculous explanations about delays in shipping dates, has put me right off buying dolls from two Korean companies (even though they have the most beautiful sculpts). They seem to have this attitude that once they get your money they can do and say whatever they like, because they know you can do absolutely nothing, but wait until they are ready to ship.

I don't think it's anyway to conduct a business, especially if they expect to receive further orders. They must remember this is a highly competitive field and there are many artists with the capability of producing beautiful dolls, who also care enough about their customers, to provide accurate shipping times up front. If these deceitful businesses continue to let people down time after time, they will soon find they no longer have a business.

Tutorial: Sculpting an Ent (Cont.)

After hunting around for something suitable that I could use to cover the base, ordering and being bitterly disappointed with the wired moss, I actually found an imitation grass tile at Bunning's. It was quite large, but I figured I will probably use it for other props down the track.

Because the tile was quite stiff, I had to remove the Ent and mushroom from the base. I then used the wooden base as a template to cut a circle of grass and glued the grass onto the base using PVA glue. Using a scalple I cut a hole where the Ent was to sit and then all that was needed to finish the edges was a little touch up paint, which I mixed to match the grass.

I glued the Ent and mushroom back in place with my glue gun. Then using a couple of different brown acrylic paints, a little harvest gold, a touch of the green that I'd used for the edge of the base, I added streaks of the different colours all over making sure to get in all the grooves. Then I painted a blue grey wash over the top, before adding a final wash of pearl white. This made the bark look shiney, as if it had been weathered smooth by wind and rain.

The Magic Sceptre

I wanted to make a sceptre in a suitable size for a RealFee to use, but it had to be a tall one, at least head height. So with an idea formed, it was back into my stash where I found three pretty acrylic Christmas tree decorations, one clear, one red and one blue. Then I came across a packet of 6mm doweling, a couple of packets of Primo and a little sack of Swarovski crystals.

Having found the perfect items, I began by cutting the doweling to the right length, then made a long bead from the Primo. I baked it in the oven while on a piece of the dowel, as I wasn't sure if the Primo would shrink during the baking process, making the hole too small.

Once the bead was cool, I inserted the narrow part of the clear decoration into the bead as far as it would go, then using my glue gun, I put a squirt of glue into the other end of the bead and pushed the dowel in tight, making sure everything was aligned straight. When the glue was dry, I gave the bead and dowel a couple of coats of gold acrylic paint.

More time was allowed for the paint to dry, before I glued the crystals on. I think it's not a bad result for a few hours of pottering. :)

I think I will use the red decoration next to make a dark or evil sceptre. Perhaps I'll  make a scull bead and paint the dowel a gloss black. The blue may well do nicely for an ice or water sceptre.