MECO Meeting - Jack-O-Lanterns

Author Unknown

Jack, Jack, Jack O'Lantern,
I wonder if you know,
When you are all lighted,
Your crooked teeth all show!

Jack-o-Lanterns from image at "Deck the Holidays" Blog

 Ah, pumpkins. Magical orange fruit of my heart.  One of my favourite "p" words (the other being "Pony") . You can be baked into pies, cakes and cookies, slipped into coffee (think I may have mentioned - I have a weakness for pumpkin lattes) or ice cream. Your seeds are divine, once roasted. And you are the ultimate icon of the Halloween season. If I could marry someone - well, it would probably be Colin O'Donoghue, have you SEEN that man? What eyes... ! sigh...wait...what was I saying? Oh yes. Pumpkins as the ultimate Halloween icon, and more precisely - the Jack-O-Lantern. 

The Jack-O-Lantern has an interesting history. Did you know that originally it wasn't a pumpkin, but a Turnip that was carved and lighted? It was meant to light the way of a displaced soul who was neither welcome in heaven or hell - the displaced soul managed to be too cruel for heaven, but blackmailed the devil not to take his soul -  which meant,  without a destination, he was doomed to wander ever more, with the Jack-O-Lantern to light his way. How cool is that? Come to think of it, I have been on vacations like that, so I guess I have a little sympathy for Jack. 

I am glad, however,  someone eventually decided a pumpkin was easier to carve, because I have to say, I am not fond of turnips at all. Blah! 

Which brings me finally to the topic of discussion today - how to make miniature hollow - yes, I said hollow - Jack-O-Lanterns out of polymer clay. Our fearless leader, Barb, taught us the technique. Here are the models she brought to show us:

Really Bad Picture of Examples 

You know? Sometimes I brag about my camera being amazing for small items, and then it gives me this, sigh. But you can see where we are going with it all. 

Ah, here is the better picture:

Better-ish picture of examples

 

The Jack-O-Lantern starts life as fimo and styrofoam ball. The styrofoam balls (just a little bit under an inch in diameter) were purchased at a large craft store chain. They were rough, not smooth, which is important because the smooth do not work as well. 

Polymer Clay colors - orange, brown and green

Worked Polyclay with Styrofoam balls

Some of the crew working studiously on pumpkins

 We didn't use straight orange for the Jack-O-Lanterns, but a mix of orange with a titch of green and a smattering of brown, just so they were a little more realistic. The balls of Styrofoam were  covered with thinnish, but not too thin (for they then could be too fragile for carving) poly clay. We flattened the bottom, made pumpkin ridges around the pumpkin, and started the carving process. We did not cut all the way through, however - just scored the lines, and those made it easier to cut out after we baked them.   We also added stems, or other embellishments (remember, if you are going to cut out the top, place decorations judiciously - it is a terrible thing to have a perfect vine full of glorious leaves and then realize you are going to have to damage your work if you want to carve the access hole on the top of the pumpkin). Once we had the Jack-O-Lanterns to our personal tastes, it was off to the oven they went! What happens here is science. *The heat from the convection oven causes a change in the molecular structure of the Styrofoam,  which temporarily fluxes from solid to semi-solid, repositioning bonds and displacing air bubbles,  and settling into a more compact form - in short, it shrinks away from the sides, leaving a hollow space. This Styrofoam can be removed after baking.

*Probably true. Or I am making this up.  You never can tell with me. Either way, the Styrofoam does shrink to leave a hollow pumpkin.

Angry Pumpkin and Happier Pumpkin

This is a good place to put in  a safety tip  - melting Styrofoam and cooking Polymer clay means you need ventilation! The lungs you save may be your own! End of Motherhood statement. 

Jack-O-Lanterns ready to be baked

Once they were out of the oven, and cool enough to handle, we started the carving process. Some people found it easier to carve the face first, and then cut the top access last to remove the shrunken Styrofoam. Some of this depends on how thick your pumpkin walls were when you covered the Styrofoam in the first place, of course.  I had no problems cutting the face out last, but again, use your own best judgement.

Pumpkin carving in process

Use a sharp knife, but another Motherhood Statement - be careful with the knife. DO NOT force a knife. Always use a sharp blade, and let the knife cut for you,  and keep your fingers clear. Pushing on a knife  where it just does not want to go can have bloody consequences, and an expensive ride to the hospital where some kindly but overworked ER Doctor will have to stitch you up and mutter about "kids these days". 

My finished Jack-O-Lanterns!

Is it just me, or does the guy on the far left of your screen not look happy to be sharing a table with the two nastier Jack-O-Lanterns on the right? 

Of course, you needn't make a Jack-O-Lantern if you do not want to, never let it be said that I stifle anyone's creativity. If you leave the pumpkin uncut, you have  something for your garden or for a produce barrow. Or you can break the pumpkin in some creative way, and make "seed goo" pouring out of it (perhaps being eaten by a mouse, or use it in a compost heap, etc.).  Make a hollow pumpkin and use it as a vase for a floral display (one recent magazine suggested painting a pumpkin for an elegant fall centerpiece on your Thanksgiving table, although I am not sure I would want to explain the baby pink color they chose for their model to my guests, but to each his own I suppose).  Make smaller solid pumpkins for your decorating pleasure, or in smaller sizes for your tinier endeavors.

One final tip or two in using Polymer clay - wash your hands with baby wipes between colors, and when your hands get too covered with the solvents and pigments of the Polymer clay. This keeps your work cleaner, and makes it easier to work with clay. Also,  don't use utensils/baking sheets for Polymer clay and then for food. Mucho bad idea. Make sure you clean your hands well after you finish working with the clay, so you don't accidentally ingest the product. The package may say safe, but they really mean safe after cooking - you don't want to be eating unprocessed Polymer clay. Well, don't eat the cooked stuff either, come to that. Just don't. End of final Motherhood Statement (today). 

Have a spook-tacular Halloween, and I wish you a most sincere pumpkin patch! 

Dias de Los Muertos (Day Of The Dead) Part 1

Zanzibar Trading Company Photo

Dias de Los Muertos is fast approaching (October 31 - November 2).  I have known about the custom for years of course, but being Canadian (and a small town one at that), well... it is not something I see in practice here. I knew it vaguely fell around All Saint's Day and Halloween, but this has absolutely nothing to do with the Dias de Los Muertos celebration its self, and more  to do  with the disturbingly limited number of days in the year  when any one thing can occur.  What gave me the desire to explore this fascinating custom further  was when two miniaturists (from the club  the next town over, known endearingly in my own mind as 'the gals from Penticton')  built their own Dias de Los Muertos dioramas and kindly brought their creations up to our show and sale to display. They have inspired me to strike forth and create my own as well. I must admit, the colours, the whimsy, and the beauty was what first attracted my eye, but then the left side of the brain took over, read the literature with much gusto (see link above for a summary, but also "google" it for better detail) , and was fascinated with the tradition - it definitely rivals Christmas in its complexity, and there  is significance and meaning in almost everything, which of course pleases left brain immensely.

Dias de los Muertos by Ruell

Dias de los Muertos by Judy

Day of the Dead Figurines

Aren't these pieces lovely? I haven't gotten very far with mine, I am obsessing over a figurine at the moment. I do have my box cut down, and I have a vague idea of what the interior is going to look like, but of course as always, and as is common with the average miniaturist - shiny things keep distracting me. But below is what I have so far...

 DDLM Box from the front

DDLM box from the back

Miscellaneous additions to DDLM 

As you can see, a start anyway. I will post more on this as I proceed. 

Until the next time I post, I remain yours in small ways, kind viewers. 

Zanzibar Trading Co.  photo "Sugar Skull"

Halloween!

Local Produce Stand

I love Halloween - the colors, the smells,  the costumes, the pumpkin lattes - oh, those pumpkin lattes!  Granted, the celebration has deteriorated from a perfectly good pagan ritual (recognizing the end of summer and harvest, with the serious business of warding off of various malignant entities who are attracted  by the weakening of the border between the spirit world and our own with the changing of the seasons and the lengthening of the night) into what is commonly thought of  now as a "child's event". Pfft. Next thing you know, they will be telling us that fairy tales and doll's houses are only for children too! I say if an evil spirit gets you because you refuse to put on a festive fake mustache for the poor reason you feel "silly" doing so 'cause you are all grown up , then you deserve what you get...AMIRIGHT? Can I get a Holla? ....?

Cricket chirping

Anyway.... As adults we get robbed of our whimsy too often, so join me in taking back that thrill of dressing up like a belly dancer (nee upcycled green sheer curtains from the 70's, put unwillingly on over a parka and scarf because your mother makes you, even though you think it rather spoils the overall effect), that wonderful exhilaration of running through the night making thinly veiled threats to the neighbors, doing serious accounting work  on the swag, subsequent  mad trades of hated candy for the good stuff with your little sister (who could put day traders on the NYSE  to shame), and finally hiding your well-earned treasure in your most secret hiding place, well away from siblings and parents alike who like to help you "share"....!  Yeah, yeah, yeah - I know the whole door to door begging schtick  is a  North American thing... but again ... Whimsy!

Jack O' Lantern with a Surprise

It's A Halloween Party!

Of course, with all that racket next door, the neighbors might complain....

"Muddy End" by Cate

What a Witch!

Witch of the Northern Spring by Cate

I guess there is nothing for it but to go to our local eatery and complain about her to our friends, right?

"Witchsteria Lane" by Kimi B

MMMM! I can't think of anything better than sitting in my favourite Booo-rista's establishment (yeah, I went there)  for a little witches' brew,  apples, and some good old fashioned candy and gossiping after a hard day's shopping. 

Upstairs Downstairs - Green Sock On Left Foot On Tuesday Club.

You know while we talk we will be whispering about how yes, she keeps a neat house....but does  Ms. Perfect have any secrets that she isn't telling us? 

Upstairs/Downstairs Green Sock On Left Foot On Tuesday Club.

Ah Ha!!! I knew it!! 

Esme by Cate

Well Deary, you know what they say, its always the quiet ones....bwhahahaha! 

Until next time,  my children of the night!

Saving Your Hard Work From the Ravages of Dust

Inspiration hits.

Tea By The Sea - by Kimi B.

Now, the enemy of all Miniaturists raises its ugly allergen-promoting, mini-destroying  head - DUST!

DUST!

Okay, that might be a little overkill. But still, we don't like dust.

Our first meeting of the season dealt with how to protect the little teacup scenes we had made, in the form of a display case. Certainly, these are expensive ventures when you can find them, and often the more available ones from the craft stores are geared for that teary-eyed sports enthusiast who managed to snatch that foul ball out of the air at the "big game"  (or out of some poor sad little 7-year-old kid's hands, as the case may be), got it signed by the players who were nice enough to do so, and will eventually sell the ball on an on-line auction site for beer money. What was I saying? Oh yes. Display cases.

The solution that was presented to us was - using cheap (inexpensive) wooden picture frames from the dollar store, 4 in total,  hardware removed, glass removed (carefully put to the side), glued together to make the box. Lengths of strip wood was cut and painted, and used to secure the glass (which, as you recall, we saved to the side)  back into the frame. This will leave you with one short piece of glass, but no worries - art stores often have precut glass that isn't "that" pricey, or a glass repair shop might - if you ask them nicely and bring them cookies - cut you a custom piece from otherwise unusable scraps.

Raw Materials For Display box

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here is the frame box jigged up.

5 x 7 frames fitted together to make a box

Neat, right? My caveat to you in this venture is to make sure you have frames that are not warped. Warped wood tends to like to stay warped, and it will be a pain to glue. Also, determine how you will secure the top of the display box to the base. Clever chickens might make it a top loadable display case, secure at the bottom, so no one grabs the top portion and sweeps everything on the base to the floor in a heart-sickening "crash". You could make the whole thing permanent by gluing everything down good and tight. Or you could leave it as a bottom loader, and maybe work out some way to secure it semi-permanently. One might even try to hinge instead of glue one side, so access can be had then. The benefit of course of access is that you can transport things separately, and double your chances of transporting a piece safely when required.

You will also need a base on this - just a simple square of wood will do, or you can get one of the fancier plaques from the craft supply stores if you like. If you go the square piece of wood route, you can doxie it up with trim, paint, whatever. The world is your mollusc of your choice. If what you need to display needs to be protected from scratches, a piece of felt glued in would work remarkably well.  However, you could take this in all sorts of directions - make the base part of the scene, for instance.

Sorry about the "after" picture (well, "lack of"), I haven't really finished it completely, and it seems my camera card has had a small meltdown.  The above gives you a good idea where we went with it, however.

Until next time, gentle readers,  a picture of early fall instead....

A Local Creek