After a short hiatus, I’m happy to be back to making delicious inedible treats. I wonder what event these freshly-baked cufflinks are destined for…a Philly-themed wedding perhaps?
Fresh out of the oven and shipping out today!
Halloween Craft- Muppet Costumes
Halloween is a holiday made for craft dorks- and I am no exception…except this year.
Last year I had the time, the creative energy- and a vision: The Muppets!
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant, Beaker- to be exact.
Here are the materials I started with:
Some white glue, newspapers, an orange wig and some punch ball-sized balloons.
Why? They’re bigger…and you’ll need a balloon that’s big enough to accommodate your head.
This is me cutting the orange tracks out of a wig for Beaker…alternatively, you could not wait until the last minute and find a wig that’s actually the right color.
Back to Bunsen:
The papier-mâché process has begun!
It’s really simple- wet strips of newspaper in a solution of water and white glue and then drape them over the balloon, overlapping as you go.
Patience is key- you have to let it dry completely after each layer.
I did the last layer with a roll of those thin industrial paper towels, just so it would take the paint better.
When it was dry, I popped the balloon and cut out a hole for my head…
And tried it on. Aren’t I stunning?
A view from inside the mask…look closely. If you’re making this for a child I wouldn’t recommend using the seedy back pages of your local weekly newspaper.
Finally I painted him green, cut out a hole for his mouth, gave him a nose, ears and a pair of glasses… and apparently stopped taking pictures.
Beaker was made from a painted rolled up piece of posterboard, topped with orange hair and styrofoam features.
In both costumes, the trick-or-treaters are looking (and breathing) out of the muppet’s mouths.
Meep!
My man is taller, so he wore the beaker costume. He also provided the ties and labcoats- and was generally a really good sport.
The costumes were a big hit with the adults, and even though they weren’t supposed to be scary, children found us terrifying.
It was awesome.
Happy Halloween!
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Tagged beaker and bunsen, costume, halloween, muppets, other crafts, Papier-mâché
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Sneak Peek
This year I am working on some cheesesteak Christmas tree ornaments…
More to come!
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Gnome Terrariums!
Last month I completed my biggest custom project to date: 20 toadstool mushrooms, 10 gnome figurines, 6 gnome homes, 3 miniature woodland creatures and a cake topper…
And these were only some of the smallest details of an ultra-cute gnome themed first birthday party for a very special little boy.
The fabulous Shannon from Bottle Pop Party Company came up with a great idea for the claywork- terrariums, which she grouped together to serve as these whimsical table centerpieces.
Here is the birthday boy enjoying his log cake with a custom cake topper:
Every aspect of the party tied into the theme- the food, the desserts, the photo booth complete with gnome costumes for guests to try on- even the water bottles were adorned with photos of the birthday boy dressed like a gnome. It was adorable without being over the top, and the details really made it a fun and memorable day.
For more photos of the party, or to plan your own awesome themed event, visit the website for Bottle Pop Party Company or check them out on Facebook.
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Sneak Peek
Here’s a sneak peek at my latest custom project:
‘shrooms
gnome homes
gnomes!
These are going to decorate terrariums for a gnome-themed first birthday party for an adorable little boy.
There is much more to come on this project, but for now:
Check out Shannanigans to see how they’re going to be used.
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Custom Cake Topper
My friends Emily and John got married last month and I was incredibly honored to be commissioned to make a custom cake topper for their wedding cake.
It was a garden wedding on a gorgeous Philadelphia estate. The bride, domestic goddess that she is, made sure the wedding had lots of beautiful and whimsical details, including lots of handmade stuff.
They incorporated wooden signs, seed packet favors, woven palm fans and mason jars full of colorful wildflowers.
It was so lovely, unique and memorable, and I was thrilled to be a part of the happy couple’s special day.
Check it out:
The favors, how cute are these?
It’s done!
Here it is on the cake
Cutting the cake!
They even had this special sign above, recognizing all the folks who contributed to the wedding on a table with all their business cards. Mine says, “Isrut Designs- cool claymaker of cake centerpieces”
Awesome.
Good luck guys, and thank you so much for making Isrut Designs part of your celebration! (And for letting me drink and dance the night away!) I had a ball.
If you’re interested in a custom design, click here.
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Happy March!
Here are some St. Patrick’s day things I am working on:
Guinness Charms
Corned Beef and Cabbage Cufflinks
Detail of Corned Beef and Cabbage
And because I had leftover corned beef, I made a couple mini-versions of my favorite sandwich of the moment: The Corned Beef Special.
Half a Corned Beef Special, served on a penny
The cole slaw was made by cutting very thin, already-baked sheets of orange and green clay, mixed together with my new favorite medium, Translucent Liquid Sculpey.
I also used it in the example below, for the donut’s frosting. I dyed it pink by pouring it into a depression in a chunk of red clay, and then scraping and mixing until I got the desired color:
Donut Cufflinks
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Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
These hand-made box-of-chocolate earrings I made for Valentine’s Day won first place in Polymer Clay Central’s February Competition.
I will receive a $50 gift certificate to spend on clay and some other tools and things that I haven’t experimented with before. I’m so excited to try some new techniques and make more cool stuff!
Thank you to everyone who voted!
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