ann wood

There have been a couple questions on the particulars of yarn/glue acorn making so here are a couple of tips based on my recent experience. First I wrapped the balloon entirely with one layer of yarn. For the first layer I thinned the Elmer’s with a little
water and painted it onto the balloon, and then the yarn, soaking it completely through. I let that dry over night ( this is by far the hardest part for me). For the second layer, balloon still in tact, I used the glue full strength, painting it on in small sections and pressing the yarn in so the surface stayed glue free an pretty. The second layer took most of the day to dry (agony, again, for me) then I popped the balloon, separated the sections with an exacto knife, and though it was sturdier than expected I reinforced the inside bottom, top and hinge point with a little wool felt. For kids I recommend thicker yarn than I used for the base.

Here’s the second layer in progress. It’s important that the balloon is still inside because the first layer softens again.

And I re- did the sprinkler painting.

For this week’s whiplash “yarn” I used the old yarn and Elmer’s glue on a balloon technique. The last time I did this was at Camp Nyati in 1975. I had fun making it, popping the balloon inside the hardened yarn was entirely satisfying, it made a dramatic, unexpected noise and everything. I had originally not intended to make an acorn but as soon as I started to wrap the randomly chosen green balloon it declared itself.

For some added whiplash fun, If someone would like to have this little acorn box for their treasures I’m offering it as a gift. Just leave a comment if you’d like to have it; if more than one person wants it I’ll draw a name on Friday.

*clarification* The acorn box is still up for grabs. If you want your name in the hat just say so in your comment and I’ll pull a name on Friday.

I’m doing a major re-organization ( the re is generous) here. I have to many things going, I can’t find anything and the mess is clogging my brain. These little paper guys who I had forgotten about emerged from the chaos with sad broken little legs. They got a little paper mache fix up late last night.

Being two horses behind was driving me nuts. It couldn’t be helped though, the drive home on Friday was a miserable all day downpour type of affair so they had to wait till this morning. I’ve got 16 now and have a better sense what 100 is going to look like; much bigger than I had imagined and I’m starting to have some thoughts about what, if anything, to do with them when it’s over.

#15 Darger

#16 Finn

I went to the flea market and here’s what I got for $6.50.

Finally back to ship building! This one is a little brighter and more translucent. I’m going to try to get another frame built today.

These are some key ship building tools- The clamps were a gift but I think they came from home depot. I don’t know what I ever did without them. They’re light and have little swively grips. And floral tape, I love floral tape.

Wow, thanks for all the comments and kind words. The encouragement really means a lot and the other great thing about this whiplash deal is all the great blogs I’m seeing that I probably never would have. Amazing, inspiring stuff. I wish I had discovered this community a long time ago; it’s an incredible resource in lots of ways. I had to go out of town for work and I’m slightly brain dead now from an overly packed day and long drive. Tomorrow I’m hoping to finish early enough to go on a thrifting expedition on my way back to NY and if I’m very lucky maybe a brief visit to Ikea (need shelves desperately).

I plan on making up today’s horse tomorrow ( just can’t do it in a hotel) and then I’m hoping to have a weekend of ship building.

I hate having a post without a picture so I’m including this little study for a ship.

I finally finished my sprinkler painting

And horse # 14 Dell

Thanks to everybody who commented on the bird party, I feel welcome and encouraged and excited about my brand new blog. All the “chic to classic” entries are great. It’s fun and inspiring having a little window into everybody’s imaginations. I love stuff like whiplash, not because it’s a contest, but because I love an assignment, having a theme imposed maybe sends my thinking somewhere new and the quick deadline makes it impossible for me to get obsessive and suck the spontaneity out of my little project. Given enough time I can suck the spontaneity out of just about anything.

Tuesday’s horse (#13) is giselle. I think this is my favorite horse so far, it’s a little color study for something else I’m working on.

It’s my first whiplash competition! The theme is “chic to classic”. My entry
is a little bird party, some birds quite chic and others more comfortable in
something classic.

And here’s my first pretty much done ship:

It’s Monday, so I made a horse. That little plan is working out for me in lots of ways: I’m making 100 so there’s no fear of a mistake and even if I don’t like the horse
I make it usually generates an idea, no do-overs allowed so I can’t obsess endlessly, I think the discipline has been good for me and it’s a fine way to start the day.

I had a great ship building weekend and finally, pretty much, finished one. I’ve been thinking about, and working on these for a long, long time. The do-overs became endless. I ran out of daylight today so I’ll probably post it tomorrow but here’s a preview of a couple sails, a silhouette and some stuff I got at the 3rd St. ( Park Slope) flea market .

Yesterday, there was a post about Tinsel Trading Company at Posie Gets Cozy that reminded me of my first visit there a few weeks ago and inspired today’s sparkly horse, “Moon”, horse # 10.

It’s day 3 of mandatory horse making. None of them have ended up being the horse I thought I would, or intended to make when I woke up. Today’s horse “Sunday” was going to be sort of a collage but ended up with a poem by Robert Hayden I saw on the subway the other day.

Those Winter Sundays

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love’s austere and lonely offices?

Robert Hayden (1913Ð1980)

What I’d like to do with the rest of today is finish a painting of the big yellow sprinkler at the water park by the west side highway where my friend Judah plays (present for his mom) and finish the paper mache ships I’ve been working on forever (I’m so close).
What I’m going to do is make drawings for $’s for a Jimmy Dean Sausage commercial and get my hair dyed brown as I’ve done every month since I was 25.

92 to go.