Just two days left to get everything ready for our trip - our goal is to leave early on Saturday morning. Byuri is all set in her new Cheyenne ensemble, and the other little BID "Hobbit/pioneer" outfit is done too - the cloak is drying on the heating duct.
I finished Isar's weapons. The bow is wire covered with Aves Apoxie Sculpt. I hate working with that medium - it's like trying to sculpt with chewed gum - but when it cures it has amazing strength, and can be carved and sanded, and it takes paint really well. So I use it from time to time. The arrows are made from wooden skewers with paper "feathers". I used to use bits of real feathers, but that was a total pain. I learned the technique for using paper from Vaughan Tyrer. I first draw all kinds of diagonal lines on cream-coloured regular paper with sharp natural-coloured pencil crayons. Then I cut thin strips, and glue sections onto the ends of the skewers. After they dry, I shape the edge of the paper and clip the entire length from top to bottom. Then a bit of diluted paint for the final "real feather" look. When everything is totally dry, I apply a coat or two of matte water-based varnish to give the paper more strength and give it the semi-shine of real feathers. The arrow tips are made from Apoxie Sculpt. Because I find the stuff is so difficult to work with, I just shape rough arrow-head-shaped ends onto the ends of the skewers, and when the Apoxie is cured, I carve and sand the points to shape. One of my tips broke when I was carving it, so it's just a stubby little arrow-head now. The ones in the quiver don't have tips.
I finished Isar's weapons. The bow is wire covered with Aves Apoxie Sculpt. I hate working with that medium - it's like trying to sculpt with chewed gum - but when it cures it has amazing strength, and can be carved and sanded, and it takes paint really well. So I use it from time to time. The arrows are made from wooden skewers with paper "feathers". I used to use bits of real feathers, but that was a total pain. I learned the technique for using paper from Vaughan Tyrer. I first draw all kinds of diagonal lines on cream-coloured regular paper with sharp natural-coloured pencil crayons. Then I cut thin strips, and glue sections onto the ends of the skewers. After they dry, I shape the edge of the paper and clip the entire length from top to bottom. Then a bit of diluted paint for the final "real feather" look. When everything is totally dry, I apply a coat or two of matte water-based varnish to give the paper more strength and give it the semi-shine of real feathers. The arrow tips are made from Apoxie Sculpt. Because I find the stuff is so difficult to work with, I just shape rough arrow-head-shaped ends onto the ends of the skewers, and when the Apoxie is cured, I carve and sand the points to shape. One of my tips broke when I was carving it, so it's just a stubby little arrow-head now. The ones in the quiver don't have tips.
Now I have to still prep parts of the Tedros commissions so I can take them along in case I ever find I have an unexpected chunk of time and need something to do. I'm also trying to figure out some more of the Iplekids Alphabet photos, but I don't know if there will be time to take any of them - they aren't high priority right now.
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