Putty...Paint...FIRE!! - Flintlock Pistol Update (as promised)

Just wanted to show the results of the repairs to mom's Flintlock pistol I posted about for "Talk Like a Pirate Day". She didn't like the hole exposed by a missing chip where the fake barrel cuts off under the wood. So, I sculpted the missing part for her with some wood filler putty. I had some of this stuff left from a past repair we made to one of our doumbek drums. It's truly amazing stuff. After letting the putty dry, I went back and sanded it smooth and added a little paint, marker and such to match the color of the wood.



You should always ALWAYS have good lighting when working on stuff like this. I failed to notice some small nicks in the putty. You can see the small nicks around where the putty meets the wood. But, anyhow, I think it makes it look more like a knot in the wood or something. Oddly, the color match is really better in person then on screen. Hmm..hate that. :)



The last quick thing I did was grind of the annoying "MADE IN CHINA" stamp on the top of the barrel. Why they put it there of all places is beyond me. I put a little paint over the spot to match the aged pewter, since it would take WAY to long to let is age on its own. :)

Now we just need some butane to fill the lighter with!

In other news, we're making some ongoing improvements to Yurtle, the yurt. It's getting a face lift. And, I got some awesome bargains on upholstery fabric and some free carpet. I'll have pics of that project hopefully sometime at the beginning of October. **knock on wood putty** Should have some new Witch BOOt pics to show, too. Until then, thanks for stopping in!

Ahoy, me hearties! I be ARRRmed and dangerous!!

Aye, tis true! Fer Talk Like A Pirate Day, I be repairin' me dear mum's flintlock fer faire this October. So, pard'n me fer soundin' a squiffy n' butch'rin' me up some landlubbin' pirate speak. (I'm terrible at speaking pirate, if you can't tell.)



This pistol was found in a shop whilst belayed in foreign ports (the local flea market). She nay be a workin' weapon, but she be a fine beauty of a torch all'da same, she is. (Actually, it's a cigarette lighter.)



Shiver me timbers! Feast cher scurvy eyes on that bleedin' hammer thar! Me mum be 'bout addled in 'er brain after spyin' it. She be likin' her elephants, she be.



It be havin' a bit of a chip missing off the starboard corner that I be fer fillin' with wood putty.



Still need to sand 'er and make 'er pretty. Avast... that be all fer now. I'll be fer showin' the finished piece when I make port again.

Now, bring me that crafty horizon! ARRR....

House Elf Triplets and More !!

We had a request to make some House Elves for a little boy's birthday. He and his brother are big fans of Harry Potter. Being very difficult to find house elves in stores, his mom had an even more difficult task of finding one that could be played with safely. And, his mother wanted two to have an extra just in case. (Smart mom!) We couldn't say no to her request, so mom got busy making some like our own Dobby and Kreacher with a more suitable fabric for the rougher play of a young child. We were worried about having the two elves turn out completely different. Mom decided to make three for her to choose two from. Besides, it should be fairly easy to find a home for the third. :)

Well, of course they turned out completely different in expression and/or personality. So here are the three:


The Angry Elf - Must be a long lost descendant of Kreacher. Grumpy and persnickety as can be, he's the leader of the group, and he's the oldest.




The Sad Elf - As a middle child, he always gets overlooked. But, he's eager to prove himself as a good servant.




The Shy Elf - We think this one is a girl. But, it's tough to tell with house elves. She seems to be afraid of crowds, which is odd coming from such a large family. But, once she warms up to you, she's very friendly and helpful.



Mom put these elves together pretty much all by herself. I was very impressed. I love her toes. I helped her with the eyes, which turned out to be the least successful part of these dolls. As I mentioned, we used a different fabric, and it was difficult to get the eyes just right.

Mom also made two other house elves of other remnants she found while at the fabric store. One is thin and vinyl-like with a wrinkled texture, while the other is faux suede with a thin layer of padded backing. They're the top middle two in the pic below. They turned out really cute. She's still working on their outfits. Please excuse the left ones nakedness and the right one's chef design (It was the leftover part of the towel she used to make the other outfits).



Above are all the house elves we have here at the moment (minus one that's living in Kansas with my sis and her daughter) including the one that elwynceltic made for us in our Harry Potter Holiday Potter Craft Swap (right end on the top row) . He's the one that started this all for us.

If mom keeps this house elf making up, soon we should have enough to fill the staff in the kitchen at Hogwart's! Thanks for stopping by!

Witch BOO't Tutorial/Pattern FINALLY Available on Etsy.com!!

By request, I put this tutorial/pattern together to help those who'd like to try to make their own paper mache witch boots. Yay! It's been a looong time in the making, but it's finally one more thing off of my todo list.



I'm going to keep it listed on Etsy.com here at least until Halloween is over. Not sure if I will keep it available much longer than that. It will depend on the demand for it. So, if you want it, go and get it. I'd be happy to answer any questions that may arise.



To celebrate this tutorial's completion, I will be hosting a giveaway of a small boot. So stay tuned in the next week or so for the details. And, thanks so much to everyone who has dropped by and commented on my witch boots. If I could, I'd distribute this tutorial for free to all of you. But alas, my family won''t let me. :) So, like the tabistry tutorials, the money goes to pay for the daughter's college education.

Take care and happy crafting!