#paper trek

[annegris]

Looked at paper Spones in the bowl and decided I needed my bowl back. So I took them out of it and now they are like this

Like, Bones is just lounging prettily and Spock is like "wtf is going on here"

[annegris]

TL;DR: here you can get a Spock paper doll printout for free or make the world a better place and do something nice in return.

I've been thinking of ways to sell digital stuff like stickers and paper dolls online, but there's one problem: because of where I live, I can't seem to find a way to actually get money from people all around the world. Which sucks, but it's not what this post is about.

So, after some thinking, I had an idea.

Here's a link to a pdf file with a Spock paper doll printout. It's free to download, just don't resell either the file or the doll (if I'm not getting paid for it, neither is anyone else, lol). Or you can download the pictures directly from this post.

And here's the catch: if you can, consider donating to a charity of your choice. My personal favourite is cancer research and treatment (my cousin had cancer and she lives because of these things, so), but you can choose for yourself, obviously. Also, you can take a look at Sera's post, where help is really needed. And no, you don't have to make a donation, especially if you don't have enough money. Actually, please don't donate money in such a case. If you feel uneasy about it, you probably can do something nice for someone you care about instead. Walk your spoonie neighbor's dog. Call your grandparents. Brush your cat. Take care of yourself. Or, if you're a generally healthy person, maybe try donating blood (if you haven't).

This way, you can have a Spock doll, and I can believe I've done something good (it's been long since I was able to support any charity consistently, so this is a nice way out). Everyone wins.

If you need more instructions, stick around. I'll be making one myself when my back lets me and I'll try to remember to take wip photos.

UPD.: instructions!!

UPD : Bones

[annegris]

Tumblr tells me that I have 500 likes! Thank you, wonderful people, and have this Spock

Also, here's a printout for a Bones paper doll. I'm still working on the post with instructions, but it exists in my drafts and will be finished soon, I hope. Meanwhile, this article explains the basics of making an articulated paper doll.

The rules are the same: you download the printout, you do something nice for some person/organization (donating money - for example, there's Sera's situation - or things, helping someone with something, being kind to people and/or animals). If you can. If you cannot but still want to make a paper Bones, it's okay. Also, reblogs are good.

The printouts are designed for A4 format.

Spock

[annegris]

It's McCoy's turn

I have this bowl that says DEAR HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU. I think when he's done, I'll just put him in it. I promise to take a photo.

[annegris]

I managed to go out today, finally. I now have my double cap flat rivets. I also finally know what they're called in English, whew. So I assembled Mr Spock, yay!

He's big, people! (And our calendar still shows August.)

The flowers are my Mom's.

And he did this while I was struggling to fasten the last rivet.

All in all, I'd call it a success.

[annegris]

Kirk printout is finally done! Now there's the whole triumvirate available!

The rules stay the same: the printouts are free, but if you can, maybe do some extra good. I've been thinking about Sera a lot, so if you can, please consider helping her. There's also a lot of other people and organizations that could use your help. And, as always, it doesn't have to be about money. Sharing information, helping someone who has a hard time getting things done, and being kind in general are all good things.

But if you're low on spoons, money, mental health, or some other resource, then do something good for yourself, please. It's also a way to make the world a better place.

Instructions

Spock

Bones

[annegris]

The making of articulated paper dolls: true story of how it happened

I printed the doll body parts out on adhesive paper in black and white. Then I colored the skin and the shirt (killing my favorite blue marker in process and forgetting to colour in the strips on the back parts of the arms; yay me). After that, I pasted it all to a sheet of watercolor paper and put sticky tape over it.

Then came the part I find the most boring: cutting out each part and glueing front and back pieces together. I used a binder clip for some pieces so they would fit together nicely. I also painted over the sides with a black marker.

Assembling smaller joints

It should be possible to do this part with brads. However, I connected the hands to the wrists and the feet to the ankles using polyester thread. The thing about synthetic thread is that you can melt it with a lighter. So I melted one end of the thread, lightly pressing on it so it resembled a nail. I don't know how to explain it better, sorry.

Like this.

Then I used a needle to pull the thread through both pieces and cut it off leaving a small length...

... Which I also melted and pressed down. It sounds tricky, but it works okay. This kind of joint will have some give, but otherwise it's quite good.

Assembling bigger joints

The easiest to use are brads, I think. But they cost more than what I find the most aesthetically pleasing: double-cap flat rivets. Rivets are used for leather stuff and jeans, and probably for other things. It's a good idea to use a specially designed device to install them, but hey, it costs money. So I use flat-nose pliers and it mostly turns out okay.

For Star trek dolls, I use 6 mm rivets. They can probably be colored with uv nail polish or uv resin. I haven't tried it yet but I don't really see why it wouldn't work.

I couldn't manage to write how to use rivets for doll making but I did manage to make a scheme.

And then you press them together.

You can use snap buttons or eyelets in pretty much the same way. With snap buttons, though, you have to make sure the paper is not too thick for them.

The head

I like making my paper dolls with a movable head. If you're not interested in this part, just glue the head parts over the neck and forget about it.

If you're up for a little challenge, though...

There's a small button-like circle on the printout for Bones (I might change Spock's printout as well later). It is for this part. You'll need to have it cut out to go on.

I colored the backside of the head parts with black marker. The edges of the lower part will be visible, and they don't stand out as much when they're black. Then I made one hole in the neck, two holes in the back of the head, and two holes on the "button". Let's call the head holes h1 and h2, the neck one N, and the button ones b1 and b2. Starting at the back of the head, I pulled the thread through holes h1, N, and b1. Then I went back through b2, N, and h2. I will either tie the ends of the thread together or melt them close to the back of the head.

And to give Bones a prefrontal cortex and these blue eyes, I glued the front part of the head to the back one. To do this, I spread glue on the top ~half on the head and on the ears. Then I just pressed the two parts together with everything I could find and left it to dry.

I think that's all. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!