child's play

[hopelance]

Hi,

Remember that 'bowl' :cool: we decided to make re: our last evening TAW discussion (chap. 6)?

The paper mache? ... well, I tried mine yesterday. It's truly pathetic! :rolleyes: LOL

I remember cheryl telling bunnybear about the gummy consistency ... well something happened to my 'gum'. I never even got to melting (!) those crayons, we've been talking about!

First of all, in spite of the thick consistency - it ran down the sides, :eek: so I ended up with a plate & not a bowl. I had crushed some leaves, put some natural fine leafy stuff from some potpourri I had, to get that 'natural look' :evil: ;) so fashionable today. Do you bake it? I did - & the place soon had a great aroma! On cooling afterward, the 'plate' smelled odd though ... not 'bad' (really) just 'odd' - a combination of both 'nice pie' and 'leaf'.


Let me know if any of you succeed (!) I had hoped to scan the BOWL (!) today.

Naturally, I will be trying again. :rolleyes:

[paintfool]

LOL Bois! Sounds like you're putting your best into it anyway! :D I haven't had time to do my bowl yet but i did gather the materials. I will probably do it Saturday night. Anyone else being 'childish'?
Cheryl

[paintfool]

OK well, i started mine tonight. I cheated and bought some paper mache stuff from Walmart. It came in a white block. It appears to be paper and some sort of binder (flour type stuff) you just mix water into it with your hands. Lots of fun squishing it between your fingers! I know it's not the old fashioned way but it is fun. I have covered half of a balloon with it and attatched a wooden candle stick holder to it for a base. All in all it's pretty ugly at this stage of the game and i don't expect that to improve. :D I will paint it when it's dry (Don't know what color yet). I seem to like weird and 'ugly' things so i just may have a winner on my hands!!!
I think i'll wait till it's done before i post it. Is anyone else doing one?
Cheryl

[Gisela]

After over $200 in useless tech support calls to $@#%^microsoft, i still can't view anything with Java, (chat) so please, do tell...what is the bowl project? :)

Gisela

[hopelance]

Hi!

So you got some paper mache stuff from Walmart? That's really convenient cheryl ..esp. since the first time was such a 'flop' for me, :D fun (!!) at it was! LOL

My balloons are old or something ? I ended up using a foil pie (should have stuck with the balloon).

I'd let you know how things turn up if the kitchen doesn't explode or something - good luck with your own bowl!

'Talk' to you soon - have a great weekend! ;)

[hopelance]

Hey Gisela,

this bowl' thing was borne out of our last TAW evening chat session, in which chap. 6. was being reviewed. On looking at the chapter you will note that $$ is discussed here, how we spend it, what for, etc. :o Tasks 1 & 2 mentioned creative luxuries. For my luxuries, I collected some nice smooth rocks & leaves. That particular task is indicative of how luxury is perceived - that simple things can also be 'luxurious'.

During our chat, I mentioned that my pebbles & pines cones looked great together, :D & paintfool suggested that I put them into a nice bowl. Shortly after, the idea for the paper mache bowl came up. MAKE the bowl!! (BTW, we had discussed doing crayola crayon drawings in one of our previous chats. It is quite clear that we frequently regress :evil: :D during these sessions!! )

Anyway, before the chat session was over, we decided to each attempt (!) to make a paper mache bowl. Colour could be optional ... paintfool mentioned that we could also melt (!) some crayons ... one of the ways to 'colour' these bowls. I think she's going to paint hers ... I may still throw stuff in to see what the (colour) outcome is. hope this helps ..

Haven't done this in years (!!) so it's great fun!! :clap:

[paintfool]

Yes Gisela, TAW meetings tend to bring out our artist children often! We've even done our morning pages in crayon. :D I'll have to admit that allowing myself a bit more playtime has been really good for me. Even my husband smiled when he saw this bowl. He's stopped questioning the strange little things that i do. :D
I sure wish this thing would dry!!!! It's not even close. I'm anxious to get rid of the balloon and carry on. I tried putting it in a low oven yesterday and then remembered that air expands when heated and thought that the balloon would get too big and crack the bowl. I'm feeling a bit impatient right about now.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/21-Oct-2001/bowl.jpg
Cheryl

[hopelance]

Way to go cheryl!!! :D

I'm doing mine tonight.

Mine tends to be a bit shallow (that is, the depth - which is how I want it to be to some degree, so that the pine cones, and some rocks will be visible.

Hope to post before 'class' all relative to drying time ..
:rolleyes:

[BunnyBear]

Sounds like I'm not the only one waiting on my bowl. I found 4 different recipes for making paper mache paste online and went with the one that had to cook, waiting for it to cool took FOREVER (at least I thought so at the time). I set up my balloon in a cup and spent two hours forming the bowl.

On Sunday afternoon it didn't appear any drier (still on balloon) so I spent another 1 - 2 hours blow drying it. An hour later it seemed nearly as wet. I Then gently deflated the balloon, prayed and removed it from the bowl. The bowl (mostly) held it's shape.

Now Monday evening I'm still waiting for it to dry. Maybe I'll post it in its naked stage tomorrow.

Wish everyone else better luck.

[Gisela]

Thanks for the info everyone.

Cheryl, love the pedestal on your bowl! :)

Gis

[paintfool]

Thanks Gisela. :) I think i'll put a light stain on it allowing the grain to show & then varnish it. It finally seems to be drying! I think i MUST be anxious to put some paint on this thing because this has become my routine: Wake up, make coffee, check phone messages, check emails, check the bowl. Read the paper, do laundry, clean the house, check the bowl. Cook dinner, clean the kitchen, take a shower, check the bowl. Go to work, come home, paint for a bit, shower again, check the bowl, go to bed. Think about the bowl. :D Silly? i suppose, but it's kept me from worrying about a lot of other things.
Cheryl

[Peggysue]

Years ago when I did a paper mache with the kids, I was an expert, first time out. This time, it's time out period. The paste never did paste. An amazing mess that is slowly, slowly drying. I'm embarrassed explaining what it is to anyone. My husband was hoping it wasn't dinner.

[MissMouse]

LOL I thought I was the only one who worked in the kitchen. My hands a stained red from the tissue paper and the bowl is drying I hope to take it off the mold tomorrow and cut it down.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Oct-2001/bowl.jpg

[hopelance]

>hey Peggysue,
your experience pretty much sounds like mine.

When I decided to 'invent' :rolleyes: my own recipe (felt more like inventing than making ... in spite of cheryl's mentioning the 'walmart / paper mache'), I wondered if I was a martyr in another life, to put myself through that.

Having had the paper mache 'run' on me the first time :confused: , I made it thicker the second time. It was so thick at one point, that when I was making the base ... I created holes in it, whenever I pulled my fingers away. But heck(!!), I had a good time with this thing!!
-----------------------

BunnyBear is your bowl dry as yet? I thought my bowl plate was dry, but I noticed that the colour was still changing (!!) in different places at the time. I didn't use a balloon, since I wanted something a little more shallow. That's another story ...

I'm going to include 'some type of image' :o soon - I'm not exaggerating when I mention 'some type' ... I don't have a digital. I held the scanner lid up, then propped the 'bowl plate' up a bit, and managed to scan a PORTION of the thing. As a result, you will see texture, & not form people (which is my intention anyway ;) ). Yeah right :D ).

I have since bought a little blank puzzle to paint. It's actually postcard size. I may go with that this week, but still feel that I would like to MAKE something. I have a 'lighting thing' going. (miss mouse knows about that (cafe> shed some light) or a bird house, ... chimes, decoupage, paper weave .. not sure ...

My niece left a little craft book here. Maybe, I'll find something there - & post ...

It's "The Child's Play Project" ... "I'm so scared" :crying:
shriek, shriek, shriek (music)

[hopelance]

wow MissMouse, show off!

That's a GREAT (!) looking bowl ;) - love the colour application! The surface is sooo even .. what did you do? It's deep too - you could mix a cake in there! :D


I'm looking forward to seeing your 'final'. (Maybe I'll bury mine now). :rolleyes:

[paintfool]

I love it Miss Mouse! VERY pretty! here's mine. I just finished it and then filled it with acorns. I painted about half of the acorns gold but i don't think you can see that from this photo. Lots of fun!
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Oct-2001/acorns.jpg

[MissMouse]

Oooops I posted my bowl in the cafe' sorry that is what you get when you have more than one window up on the computer and doing 10 other things at the same time you are drinking wine and eating a grilled cheese sandwich : ).

I usesd a stainless steal bowl for the base (coat it with oil)than I took gauze and put it in white glue. Put that over the bowl let dry. Now I Took the glue and spread it over the gauze again than layered the tissue paper (you can also use photos or mag pic) over that. Next I let it dry. Poped it off the stainless bowl in the AA and cut the sides down. now painted the inside with cheep acrylic black. Spray it all with fixitive and You have a bowl. I have been teaching childrens art classes for a long time and this is always a fun project. WARNING NOT FOOD SAFE.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/29-Oct-2001/bowlsm.jpg
Paint I love yours too and the gold acorns GREAT idea
ps: I put plastic wrap inside the bowl before I put the hot peppers in it.

[Peggysue]

The pictures look great. Everyone is having so much fun with this. It's obviously been a good project for the "child". I'm not going to be able to send any pictures or even to finish mine at this time. Been called back to the east coast for settling an estate. See everyone in two weeks. you guys are terrific.

[hopelance]

hey cheryl,

I was quite wired earlier this week (chat) as you know... Anyway, I've been meaning to post reply re: your bowl, but didn't return to forum after my last visit there.
 
I really looked at your bowl. You already know I love the aqua! (felt as thought I could dive into it!!:D ). It's the pedestal which I looked at (again) - nice touch. I thought that you were using it only for drying (?), at the time? Imagine a stand for a paper mache bowl (!!) of all things! Talk about mixed media!
 
(as for painting EACH acorn > one word > guts! :D - the browns relate well to each other 'top & bottom' ..)
 
It was good to see the 'before / after' development as well. I tried scanning again - not good. :rolleyes: In spite of this, I have decided to post the images (?) vague as they are. Like you, I did some 'before' ones ...
;)

[paintfool]

lol! Bois :D thanks. Waiting on your images.....
Cheryl

[hopelance]

Hi,

Haven't got a digital, but I scanned anyway I could (upside down) :o .

Bowl 1
this was the first one I attempted.
(a) > used a foil pie mould since it was shallow - you might see the (pie) grooves. :(

(a) & (b)
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/02-Nov-2001/bowl_1_a_copy.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/02-Nov-2001/bowl_1_b.jpg

(b) > Then I painted the bottom with a little black since I was going to 'leaf decoupage' the bottom, & some were quite yellow (for contrast).


Finally, (c) experimenting with leaves .. stems still need clipping.

(c)
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/02-Nov-2001/bowl_1_c.jpg:eek:http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/02-Nov-2001/bowl_2.jpg(Bowl 2)

Re: bowl 2 - Tried 'propping' up with tissue boxes. bowl 2 was a combo of newspaper, white tissue & dry BV powder paint thrown in, to 'freckle' the colour here & there. The newspaper looks kind of neat, peeking through in particular spots - including a fax number.

(sorry about the shots)

[MissMouse]

Very cool I like the leaves. Do you think they will hold thier color as they dry?

[paintfool]

Oh! Definitely very cool!!! I think the leaves ought to keep the color. Time will tell! :) If not you can 'spruce' them up with a little paint. :D get it? 'spruce'? hehehe get it?
Cheryl

[MissMouse]

Got it, spruce.... .heheheeeeeeeeeee good one!

[hopelance]

>> 'spruce' them up with a little paint <<

Yup, we can always count on cheryl to 'spruce' things up! :D :D :D
Good one!!- well time for me to 'leaf' now (okay, okay bad joke :o - just couldn't resist!! ;) ).

[paintfool]

LOL! :D
Cheryl

[RuthT]

You have all done a terrific job :clap: :clap:

Sad to report, I haven't unpacked my camera yet:(

See you all on Tuesday, if you will let me in :D

[paintfool]

(((Ruth)))!!! :D

[MissMouse]

I just thought I would post this here too. I painted my bowl colored pencil and thought you might like to take a look. This was a fun thing to do we must do others.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/14-Nov-2001/peppers3jpg.jpg

[RuthT]

Looks great MM - I like the cloth too :)

[hopelance]

Just saw this missMouse!!

It looks sooo-ooo-oh GOOD! What a great idea!! :clap: :D