#puppet making

[poodlepincushion]

La La La La La La

[starlingpuppets]

Aliens might be my favorite type of character to make, hehe

[komakesthings]

Introducing my new Robin replica! After remaking my Kermit earlier this year I knew I'd be getting around to making an F3 fleece Robin eventually. Granted, I didn't think it's take me two whole seasons to get around to Robin... but hey, that just means I got to take some fun winter shots with him, which contrast nicely against the summer shots I got with Kermit.

I did have to add the snowflakes in with Photoshop in these pictures. I had hoped to do a photoshoot with actual falling snow, but the weather wasn't cooperating and I was getting tired of waiting for a perfect snowfall (Watch as we get one right after I post this). 

Robin is decked out in some American Girl doll clothes, which was a decent fit from the get-go but I did have to take in the shoulders a bit. Feels kinda funny seeing him in a winter coat and sweater, but no boots! 

If the weather cooperates I'm hoping to get a few more shots of Robin outside enjoying the snow. (Hopefully next time I don't forget my snowpants, my behind was pretty frosty after the first photoshoot). I didn't take many pictures while making Robin because I mentally just needed a project where I didn't worry about documenting the build process, but I'll include a few pics I did take below:

My Robin is essentially a stuffed plush with some wire inside to pose him. He started off as a green peanut, before getting his arms and limbs attached. Fun fact, I sewed on his arms/legs a total of 7 times because I'd sew a limb on and only realise afterwards it was crooked or asymmetrical. In fact, one of his arms is still wrong, but I was tired of sewing so that'll be something for future me to fix one day.

The last pic in this batch of photos has a weird ol' wire sticking out the back of Robin... I though "Oh maybe I can just make a thin wire stand that'll wrap around Robin and be nearly invisible in the snow". But that ended up just being a big pain in my butt that didn't work out, so I made a white stand with a wooden dowel plugged into a wood circle. Painted white, and covered with some extra snow, that wooden stand blended in beautifully with the scenery (And only required a tiny bit of editing to remove from the final pics).

Below is the unglamourous "Behind the scenes" shot from Robin's photoshoot which I always like to include because I think it's proof how much the right lighting (And a bit of photoshop magic) really make or break a prop photoshoot. If you're not happy with how your prop photos are turning out, try learning a bit of photography! It's really helped me see the full potential of every prop I've made.

[virulentvoidarts]

UPDATE VIDEO AS WELL RAAAAH

[rowdy-rumble]

Finally took a nice video of meow wow in action!

He's made from upholstery foam and boning for the neck. He has jointed legs so he can, an eye blink mechanism and a magnet in his tongue so he can have treats. The magnet also acts as a weight so his tongue has a bit of secondary movement! I need to learn how to work this guy properly I look a little awkward

[my-dearest-squids]

EDWORM!! :) New worm!

Edworm likes scurrying around on rocks and biting things :)

He is a fleece worm with a tubular shape and i think could be a fantastic starter puppet. This guys head shape is very standard and with ears and arms he could be a whole different critter.

The learning curve for making a worm is practically flat too and in a couple hours you go from having a sheet of foam and some fleece and end up with an entire Guy with its own personality and expression

[cyanwyrmy]

Oh Look! A Video!

A video that should have come out in the summer...BUT we are still here and having a gay ol' time! Enjoy this unboxing and forgive my amateur editing!

[janebugstitchery]

The Forgotten Astronaut

So, howdy there, folks. This one is a bit different, but if you don't try new things then you'll never learn new things, right? I wanted to work on my character design for this one, as well as attempting to create my first ever marionette. Luckily, the structure of the dolls I make lends itself very well to marionette, so really all I had to do was add the strings.

As for the character herself, this is Opportunity! Or Oppy, to her friends. As a lover of science who is currently in my second year of a STEM degree, I love to incorporate my interests into the things I make.

For those who don't know, Opportunity was a Mars rover who greatly outlived her life expectancy by over 14 years. She was sent up with her twin rover, Spirit, and was tasked with looking for evidence of previously life-supporting conditions. I only thought it fitting to personify such an important piece of scientific exploration as a character of her own. I like to think she hangs out in space and explores the universe with Laika by her side.

It's not my best, but it was fun!

Hope you like her, and see you on the flip side ✌️