In the Studio #4: FAIRIES!!!

Heyyy kids! It's Spring Swap time again! And you know what that means - it means Cyra's taken on a new and somewhat complex project that she's never done before and sharing her successes and failures with the world!

So this is my third Spring Fling. My first year I went for something simple - just a pretty violet unicorn with some swirls, who I named Delilah (as I kept screaming "Why why why" when working on her... she had a bum hoof and I dremel-ed a bit too deep into her boy-parts.) For whatever reason I can't find any pictures of her. 

Then last year, I decided to do a winged horse, who was named Crispy Bacon. "Why 'Crispy Bacon'?" you ask? Well...

I tried to lower his leg by first holding him over a candle. His leg flopped for a moment and he was promptly taken to the burn unit. His crisped bits were sanded down, though, and he turned out fine. I also ripped some wings off a Safari fairy, repainted them, painted him, and assembled. 

Look at the glossy goodness. He then flew away to... Texas, I think? Either way, he flew home, and his mom loves him.

This year, I'm trying all sorts of new things. I don't usually get any ideas until I find out who my partner is, then the gears start moving and breaking and come loose only to fly all over the place. This year I got a victim from Canuckistan Canada! As usual, I had an idea in a few days. I decided on a fairy pony (which differs greatly from a butterfly pony, like Crispy up there). But this time, I wanted to make my own wings. Don't be fooled, those wings on Crispy Bacon may look simple, but they were a pain in the rear to paint (having OCD doesn't help).

So, how does one make fairy wings? Let me go off track for a moment. I'm a big fan of Emilie Autumn. I was searching her videos on Youtube a few years ago and found a segment she did on a DIY show on HGTV years ago. It was how to make fairy wings (and sushi soap). 

So with that in mind, it was off to the races. I snagged the body I needed off eBay (although he came with two other horses. Their fates are yet unknown.)

Since yesterday was freezing out, I did most of my work inside. So, prep work it was. First step was to sand. Luckily this guy had no seams, but I still wanted that darn logo gone. I was cast into the dungeons went into the basement (my studio space is in a small room with a bird and a guinea pig, and I don't want them breathing in any yuckiness), sat on the steps, and sanded.

Let me tell you, this guy STUNK. I was sanding away and my goodness, did he reek. I took a look at how the paint was coming off (yellow, then white plastic underneath) I wondered if he may have been painted over. Still not sure. Then I decided it was time to clean the ponies.

Whenever I get new horses, be they bodies or for my own collection, I like to wash them, especially after sanding. This allows me to get off any dust left over, and really, I have no idea where these horses were before they got to me. For all I know a little kid stuck them up their nose. So they get a bath.

It's a simple process. I turn on some warm water (not hot. I'm always worried that if it's too hot, the horses will melt or something. Plus my hands are sensitive), then put dish soap on a toothbrush and scrub. Dawn works very well, and the toothbrush is usually some off-brand that I got from my dentist's office after my last visit.

"Ahm all soapeh!"

Then after that, rinse, and dry off with a clean towel. I just use a washcloth.

"Now ahm a green burrito!"

While scrubbing, I noticed something else on my body... chestnuts.

I don't recall seeing these on any other SMs, but then again I don't always have the best memory.

Now that the ponies were washed and dried, it was back to the drawing board - quite literally, as my desk is a drafting table.

(I suppose they think that by hiding behind a paint barricade, they'll be safe. That's certainly true of the Schleich and the rearing Arab in the back - the Arab's from my own collection.)

Now it was time to make the wings. I made a rough sketch on a post-it note, and held it up to the model to see if it would be the right size for him.

Looks good to me! I got out my pliers, straightened out some wire, and went to work. In the meantime, I came up with a nickname for this fella - Crocker. I don't know how many of you remember the show Fairly Odd-Parents, but I used to watch it all the time. If you watched it, certainly you remember the fairy-obsessed lunatic teacher, Mr Crocker.

Also, now would be a good time to mark where you want the wings to be. This way you'll know where you want them positioned when you go to drill. My victim being black, I just used a white oil paint pen.

I found the process of making wings to be challenging, but I kept a few things in mind while working that I think I should share:

1. Be patient. Nothing great is going to happen quickly. Take your time with it.
2. Don't strive for perfectionism. If both your wings don't line up perfectly, that's okay. Wings in nature aren't always perfectly symmetrical.
3. Remember what fairy wings are - organic and natural. Allow for some bumps and kinks in the wire.
4. Don't fight the wire. It works with you, but it also has a mind of its own.
5. You can fix it later. Wire is malleable and you can always go back and tweak it at a different time.
6. This is the most important - have fun. If I've learned nothing else as an artist, I've learned to have fun working. I could compare a piece I've done and hated the process of, and a one I've had fun with, and the fun one will always turn out better. Another thing to remember when doing these swaps is that they're all about fun, and they're not a contest. Some people simply put paint and glitter or nail polish on a pony and send it off, some people hack apart horses or turn them into completely different creatures altogether. Don't sit there and say "But [name] did better than I did!" Just do whatever you think your victim will like, whatever you like, and everyone will be happy.

It was a slow and tricky process, but eventually it came along.

Looks good! Now to hold it up next to the pony and see if it will work.

And it does! I cut the other end and twisted the wire together. I left a long twisted bit so I could have something to shove in the holes in his back once they were drilled.

Now onto the second wing. I just held the first wing up to it and tried to replicate the shape. After first playing with the wire, much to Stormy the Bird's confusion, because I'm a mature adult.

Again, I'm going to stress that you shouldn't strive for absolute perfection and symmetricality here. They're not going to both turn out the same. And I think the little differences make them look good - it shows that they're hand made.

Alright, time to put them up to the horse and make sure they're okay.

As you can see I just used masking tape to hold them both in place for a minute. I thought they looked good, so I marked which wing was left and right and set them aside.


Stay tuned for part two!

Customs for a Cause: Prince Fluffy Kareem

Hey all. So you know I like to keep things on a more humorous note here, but today I'm going to talk about something a little more serious, which involves a model I'm working on.

We all know about the political uprising in Egypt that's been going on since 2011. What most people don't know is that what's happening behind the scenes. Egypt is a third-world country, immersed in poverty and difficult living conditions for all. It's easy to find stories about the people living there and hear their stories. The stories we don't hear are the ones from those who speak in voices we don't understand.

Cairo, home to the famous Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, is reliant on tourism. Since the 2011 uprising, though, tourism has declined significantly. This means less money comes in for people who's lives depend on tourist's wallets. Some people can barely afford to feed themselves and their families, let alone their animals.

Many people in Cairo own horses, donkeys, and camels, who are used as cart-pulling animals or rides for tourists to and from the pyramids. What happens when a man who rents out his animals to tourists has no one to rent to? He and the animals suffer. Many animals have to go without food, because the owner could only afford enough to feed his family. They're worked all day in the desert sun, quite literally to the bone. They become famished, develop sores, injure themselves. They suffer from coughs and colds when the temperatures plummet at night. They come down with malaria. They root through piles of garbage looking for something to eat. They're given home remedies that don't work because the owners don't know what to do. Some of them are simply left to die, because the owners have nowhere to turn and no money to support them. 

But if you look hard enough, in any darkness, you'll find light. A faint glimmer appears. That glimmer is known as Prince Fluffy Kareem.

  

Prince Fluffy Kareem is a small organization of people who have dedicated their lives to helping the animals of the Pyramids region of Cairo. They offer free clinics almost daily to the owners of horses, camels, and donkeys in the area, providing the animals with the care they so desperately need, while also offering education to the owners on how to better care for them. Everything from wormer to saddle sore treatment to hoof care, Sherif, Marte, Emma, and the rest of Team Kareem work tirelessly to better the lives of the working animals of Cairo. 

But it doesn't just stop there. Prince Fluffy Kareem offers foster schemes, and even purchase or rescue horses, camels, and donkeys. They currently have dozens of horses animals living with them, who receive daily care, and are nursed back to health. They even have some little ones who were born at PFK, who will never know hunger or pain.

If all of that didn't warm your heart: These wonderful angels work strictly off of donations and their own money. They make no profit whatsoever. They do all of this out of the goodness of their hearts, simply because they care.

Now you may wonder, "What does this have to do with model horses?" I'll tell you. Money is tight for a lot of people at the moment. I myself am no exception. Yet I check PFK's page daily (yes, daily), and my heart aches and yearns for a way to help these animals and support such a wonderful cause. Then it came to me. I could use the power of the model horse community to help me. I dug through my body box and found a few Arabians. It was then that I decided to do custom portraits of some of PFK's beautiful babies to auction off and help support them.

Meet Na3na3 (pronounced "naa-naa"). In May 2011, she was found barely alive by a member of PFK and bought on the spot. Na3na3 was emaciated beyond belief and could barely stand, and was suffering from equine malaria. During her first month at PFK she hardly stood or walked. Yet somehow she still had spirit . Gradually she recovered, and has been in excellent health since. In September 2013 (after an accidental pregnancy), she gave birth to a beautiful little colt.

I will be doing a custom set of Stablemate portraits of both Na3na3 and her son. Once finished, they'll be put up for auction, and every penny they bring in will be sent to Prince Fluffy Kareem to help support all the wonderful creatures who call PFK their home. I will keep you all updated on the progress of these models in my "In the Studio" posts.

If you would like to learn more about Prince Fluffy Kareem and what they do, here are some links:

(Warning: Photos on these sites may be gruesome.)

Prince Fluffy Kareem on Facebook

PrinceFluffyKareem.com

(All photographs © Marte Kjoell. Used with permission.)

In the Mail #2: A Belated Christmas

Again, I'm three months late and three dollars short here, but I figured I'd do my Christmas "In The Mail" post. Better late than never, right? Right.

So Christmas was small this year at my house. There's not a lot of money coming in, but all the same, it was nice. I received a package from my Secret Santa, which was quite heavy, but was instructed not to open it until Christmas day. "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine," I said. I wound up having to hide the thing in my mom's closet to prevent any accidents involving an XActo knife, broken rules, and an open box.

At last Christmas day came, and hoo-boy, was I spoiled!

First thing to open was the card (as instructed). I'll post the message here, since it has her last name on it and I don't exactly want to give that out...

"Cyra, 

I hope you enjoy your gifts this year! I got a couple things you probably expected,

and one I know you will definitely be surprised by! Please open the bubble wrapped item last

and I hope you like all the candy, it was tempting to eat myself!

Merry Christmas!

Kelsey ------"

Anyone who knows the first thing about me knows I'm one of the biggest Tolkien/Middle-earth fans you'll find. I have an extensive collection of all things Middle-earth, and my partner catered to my addiction. So, I opened the non-bubble wrapped presents first and found...

"Letters from Father Christmas" and "The Letters of JRR Tolkien"!!! I'd been eyeing these books for a time, but just never got around to buying them. "Father Christmas" is a darling book filled with letters Tolkien used to leave for his four children every year at Christmastime, all the while pretending to be Santa Claus. He'd include maps and paintings and drawings, and talked about his friend the Polar Bear, goblin battles, helpful Snow-Elves, and other wonderful North Pole adventures. I began reading it that night and couldn't stop  smiling until I had finished it. "Letters" is a book filled with just that, the letters Tolkien wrote to various people throughout his life, mostly around the publishing of his books. I've not started reading it just yet, but I have resorted to using it when debating my Tolkien knowledge with relatives (they dare to challenge me, ha!)

Next it was the candy. Now, a few months prior to Christmas I discovered that I was slightly overweight, but knew that with Halloween and Christmas coming, I might as well put off dieting of any kind. Good thing I did.

Chocolate, glorious chocolate! (And a little snowman figure, he's next to the Lindor truffles). Along with the other chocolate I was given, it took me well into January to eat everything. (Funny enough, I've discovered I've lost ten pounds since then. Fancy that!)

Then it was on to the mysterious bubble-wrapped package. I opened it up and found:

A medallion! My very first! I noticed he looked familiar, and when I spoke with my SS, she told me that he was a portrait of my darling boy, Tequila, that she had done herself.

(Opposite side, but you get the idea.) I was practically in tears at that. I hadn't seen my boy in a year due to health problems, and one of my holiest-of-holy grails is a portrait model of him. Getting a portrait medallion was just as special. I couldn't thank her enough for how generous she was.

And, of course, it being Christmas, I was given other horse-y gifts by my family, might as well include them!

Blurry picture, sorry. But these are obviously horse earrings. What isn't so obvious is that their legs move and "gallop"!

Picked this guy out as a stocking stuffer a couple days before Christmas (my parents have me do that sometimes). Yes, that's the Gold Mini Whinnie! I'll admit, I knew the code, so I kind of cheated. Although it did take me and my brother and boyfriend about ten minutes to root through the whole case to find the Gold horse.

And last but not least... the forgotten horse. My parents have gotten me each Holiday Horse since 2009 (I think? When did Nutcracker Prince come out?), and when the present-opening was done, I felt something missing. I asked my parents about him. My mom let out a very colorful word and ran off to her closet, handing me the box minutes later (she had a rough year. She also forgot the tshirt she got me and one of my dad's gift cards.) Either way, I got Holiday on Parade. Needless to say I'm in love. And now I have an ASB!

So that's it for now, kids. I haven't bought any new horses since December, but I do plan to change that soon. Plus it's Spring Fling time (I type as it's stopped flurrying). Now to find a body and get to work to keep myself from guessing which Swap Pony is mine.

In the Studio #3: Lotsa Dots

Good gracious, how long has it been since I've posted? -sigh- You can blame Winter for that one. If it wasn't the hectic holiday season, it was my depression which always worsens during the colder months. But Spring is... springing... so I'm back, and I come bearing multiple projects!

So the last time I updated, I was working on Obi-Wan. He's been finished and shipped off for some time now, but still, I owe you all progress shots and blog posts.

I mentioned that Obi-Wan is a fleabitten grey, and my first one, and let me tell you, this little guy was a challenge for me. 

The problem with fleabitten greys isn't that they're difficult, it's that they're time- and patience- consuming. I quickly found that, while working on hundred upon hundreds of tiny little dots, I actually have the patience of a saint if I put my mind to it. But even so...

Hundreds...

...of tiny...

...dots.

But! As with all problems and butt-pains, this trial passed, and just as I was at my wit's end and about to throw the little fella out into the snow to think about what he'd done, I realized I'd made my last dot. I can't be certain, but I think the heavens exploded into a chorus of "Hallelujah". Perhaps the dots had made me delusional and I was just hearing things. But either way, he was done.

Well, dot-wise, anyway.

After this, the little bugger just needed detail work. As you can see in the two above pictures, I'd started shading. This time around I used the pastel method, and quickly I fell in love. Usually I'd have used acrylic but that would mean covering up all those little dots I worked so hard on, and I wasn't having that. So with the help of one of those cheap spongey things you get with an eyeshadow palette, it was off to the races. 

Then it was time to do the eyes, hooves, and blaze. These were done in acrylic. I'd say he looks much cuter now.

At last, the little bugger was in the home stretch. After a bit of a... discussion... with my dad, I wound up sealing him in the basement of our house. (Bad idea. The basement stunk for days. But being that it was winter in the Northeast and 20 degrees or below, outside wasn't an option.) Once he was nice and dry, it was time to finish his eye. I use a dab of clear nail polish for this. It glosses the eyes, giving them dimension, and just making them look more realistic (horse's eyes are wet, remember!)

I frequent a group on Facebook for customizers and artists, and while dotting I wondered if a fleabitten grey's - uh, boy parts - were also fleabitten. I asked in the group, and who should respond but Obi-Wan's owner! She actually checked "the real Obi-Wan" and said he was just grey. I did get a kick out of the idea that she should answer a question about her own horse.

If you remember from my Friend of Mine post, I bought a spool of red ribbon for a devil costume that wound up being just a cape. That only took a small amount of ribbon, so I had a ton left over at Christmas time. (Still do, actually!) So, what's the solution?

Put bows on ALL THE THINGS!!!

And I do mean ALL the things. I tried tying the ribbon but upon discovering my ineptitude when it came to ribbon, I resorted to hot glue. I added little bows to all the presents, cards, the scroll (she has young kids so I sent them a scroll from "Cyra the Elf"), and, of course, Obi-Wan.

After that, he was wrapped and sent out with a bunch of goodies (including a Lego set and a pony for the aforementioned little ones, and of course, chocolate). His new mom opened him on Christmas Eve and was absolutely delighted by him! As I said before, I love when my victims tell me how much they love their horses. I get a sense of pride in my work, and I also know that I've made someone's day, and collection, a little brighter.

Now that it's Spring-time (I say as it's flurrying outside), it's time for the Spring Swap, and I have a charity set I'm doing, so stay tuned! I promise I'll be updating this time.