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psichick78 Aug 1, 2005

Hey guys. I have to say I love embroidering noses, but since my background is in sculpting, I figure I should try and sculpt some noses. Problem is, I can't really think of anyway to attch them.
How do you guys do it?? Is it as simple as adding your own wire in before baking? Would that be stong enough? I thought of using apoxie, but I don't have any at the moment and was hoping there was another way.
Thanks in advance for sharing your secrets,
Heather

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 1, 2005

There was a recent article in which it was suggested to use a glass eye, with loop already attached, for this purpose.  I just tried it for a sculpted nose I'm using on a real fur bear and it worked like a charm; simply sculpt with polyclay around the eye.  I wish I could remember who suggested it -- it might even have been our own Christine Pike -- but I'm afraid I can't verify that.  It was published in a recent issue of one of the US mags.

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 1, 2005

Yes, I believe Christine wrote the article for the August issue of Teddy Bear Review.

kbonsall Aug 2, 2005

I take a cotter pin and make turn it to a snail (like if you were jointing a bear) and then stick it into the fimo clay ball and shape the nose and bake.... then after cooling, of course, I lacquer it and viola, a nose!

Jill Aug 2, 2005

Kim -

Then what do you do?  Insert it like an eye or glue it on?

Jill

kbonsall Aug 2, 2005

Both!  I use really strong upholstry thread and put a little glue underneath just before tying (you can't glue after tying, it will be too tight)

psichick78 Aug 3, 2005

You guys are great!! I'm going to try both, the cotter pin and the glass eye. I like the idea of the cotter pin, as they are nice and cheap. Saves me money so I can buy MORE MOHAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOL

kbonsall Aug 3, 2005

That is why I use the cotter pin... much much cheaper than eyes!

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 3, 2005

True, true.  BUT...  isn't there always a BUT...

The nice thing about the eye is that the loop is preformed and simple to insert into an awl hole.  And it's very easy to cover the glass dome symmetrically with your clay. 

Whereas with the less expensive cotter pin method, you are instead working around an oddly-shaped curl of metal, which might -- if you're not a proficient and/or experienced sculptor (which I am not) -- be more difficult to symmetrical cover with clay.

So, just some thoughts, to mess up your clarity of thinking on this...

kbonsall Aug 3, 2005

True, true, but I am pretty good at sculpting with clay (I took two years of ceramics in high school *sigh* I wish I could afford a wheel and kiln!)  and haven't had problems but for a simpler way, an eye would work better... preference really

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 3, 2005

Yes.  It IS a matter of preference and there's no right or wrong way.  It's whatever works; simple as that.  I was just playing Devil's Advocate... a favorite role of mine.

There are a thousand ways to... I really don't want to say "skin a cat" cause I really love cats, and my kitty Emme's death is still very raw and painful ... so let's say, "butter your bread."  If that isn't a saying, it should be.

kbonsall Aug 3, 2005

So, was this "Evil Shelli" speaking LOL j/k  Too bad there isn't a devil icon...

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 3, 2005

Speaking of devils -- am I hogging the board again? -- check out this hideous picture of my son Noah, which I morphed, at his request, into a demon of the most horrific kind last Halloween.  The base photograph was of him in ghoulish makeup, and with black swirly horns spirit-glued to his forehead, but the truly awful stuff (pasty face, sharp teeth, pointy ears, bald head) is courtesy of my favorite software.  Totally disgusting... just as he wanted it!

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 3, 2005

Yikes . . . that software is . . uh . . something, isn't it??!! 

kbonsall Aug 3, 2005

holy c#*(&  that scared the begeezez out of me!  I'm awake now!!!

psichick78 Aug 3, 2005

Shelli, thanks for giving the 'flip' side of using cotter pins. I'll try both.
I do have a question for you though.
How did you learn to use photo shop?? I'm taking a course on it at work, and it's soo very complicated, and I work for and IT help desk!!! Did you buy a book? Take a course, or just play with it tonnes??
Thanks
Heather

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 3, 2005

Hey Heather.

I don't begin to know the first thing about PhotoShop and some of the very most useful functions, like "masks" -- which I won't explain here -- I can't figure out at all.  Happily, that hasn't hindered most of what I DO want to do.

I have played around with PhotoShop a lot, just tinkering.  There are a gajillion websites on the web which have brief tutorials.  If you type in "PhotoShop glass button" you will probably get references to a ton of forums where people post how-to tutorials on just that subject.  I printed out a lot of those, and just check into them from time to time.  I've gotten to know my favorite features.  Brushes are hard for me; don't entirely understand that stuff, either.  But I'm coming along.

I do have a few books but none of them leap out at me as a GREAT reference point.  I just make it a habit to play with it a little bit every day or so, and do digital scrapbook pages.  I do have one great book -- Photoshop Elements 3 Down & Dirty Tricks.  It's very helpful, even though I don't have Elements.. I have the full program.  The functions and buttons and menus are pretty much the same, and it's a great way to glom onto how to do super effects without killing yourself.

I think the harder stuff is the technie stuff, like Levels and Curves and sizing.  You can do all of that by "feel", of course, but I'm sure there's some science to it that I miss entirely.

I do believe you could spend your entire life learning this program and never use even 25% of it.  It's kinda like the human brain in that way, I guess.  The only limits are your own creativity!  There's even a way to do animations... which I tried to figure out one day when I had a few spare mintues, and gave up on quickly, because it became clear to me it would be a huge investment of time, of very short supply for me of late (despite what my posts here might otherwise suggest!)

Let me know if I can help you in any way as you proceed, but mostly, just be patient with yourself.  It helps to have a person to phone and say, "How do I make a photo bigger, again?", rather than having to look it up or figure it out by yourself.

Can I ask... how are you able to take a PhotoShop course at work?  Do you work in a creative field?  Just curious.  I'm jealous, because I learned things piecemeal, and there are some gaps in my foundation knowledge I'd love to get filled in.

psichick78 Aug 3, 2005

Yes Shelli, I am very lucky. the company I work for values improving yourself. So we get 2 hrs per week to take courses they offer. Anything from programming, business to windows etc. I was happy to find 2 photoshop courses, one beginner and one advanced. I'm just about to take the final test, and still feel I have barely learned anything. Like you say, you could spend your whole life with the thing, and still only use 25%.
I don't think I could send you the course, but if there are things you would like to know. maybe I could copy and paste some info for you. Just email me privatly if you want. I'll see what I can do.
I've learned all about layers now and all kinds of good stuff. Although, judging by what you already do with it,  you may not need any help anyway. But I'll help you in anyway I can. It's nice to return favors.
Thanks for replying soo fast too. How do you get all those sweet bears done?? Amazing!
Heather

kbonsall Aug 3, 2005

You are a lucky duck indeed!  I would love to take more computer courses, especially "fun" ones.  It is even better if someone else pays for it!

Just Us Bears Aug 4, 2005

Heather and Shelli,
If you are going to share any secrets about mastering photoshop...I would dearly love to be in on that. I have been playing with it a lot lately trying to soop up some of the pics I'm using for a slideshow presentation for my nan's birthday and it can be so frustrating. I wish I could just hop into both your heads and scoop out all that info! :lol:
Trouble is..even with some ability...I come up zero in the imagination stakes...Shelli, you have such a great imagination and it shows in everything you do.

Bumpkin Bears Aug 4, 2005

Hi all,

I've got a nose baking in the oven as I type this that is a clay/fimo one!!  Once it is cooled I'd like to give it a shiney appearance, what do you gals use as a varnish?  Do you all use glue as well as the thread to attach the nose, what kind of glue do you find works best?

Thanks,
Bear Hugs,
Catherine

rufnut Aug 4, 2005

Catherine, I believe you can purchase a clear vanish for polymer clays,  I believe they have their own brand, I have not tried it though.

I have used a quick drying adhesive that cannot be removed, we call it super glue here in Australia, it drys withing minutes, so placement has to be very accurate.  Did you use an eye or cotter pin underneath the clay to allow you to sew in? If you did I would sew and  glue at the same time, hopefully its not too messy.   Hope that makes sense. ;)

Good Luck

Bumpkin Bears Aug 4, 2005

Thanks, I have now found some varnish I used to use to cover decoupage and it seems to do the trick   It is going to be interesting trying to sew and glue the nose at the same time ... oh well nothing ventured, nothing ganied!

Hugs,
Catherine

psichick78 Aug 6, 2005

Hayley, I will share I promise. I guess I just didn't think anyone would be interested. Computers can be so boring, but maybe that's because I work with them all day. LOL
We might even want to start a new thread about photoshop. That way we can all help eachother. I'm happy to share anything I've learned.
Speaking of work..............back to it!
Heather

Just Us Bears Aug 7, 2005

Thanks Heather...much appreciated!