It is dangerous to friend a crafter, doubly so if they have access to a heat gun.
Way back in October, when I was wide eyed and dewy about this book idea I had, I threw out an idea to a couple of my internet friends that I'd make them a cake topper for their coming wedding. I'd try to do whatever they wanted.
And they came back with a pair of Chtulhus. Okay, okay, all nice, I'll get to it sometime in January once I've got this writing thing done. Yeah... (I will finish this book, I swear! Put down the poison tipped quills!)
I started with the basic boring shape of some clay rolled and kneeded into a blobby shape approaching humanoid. I wanted something kind of cute but not that cute. You know that really rotund polymer clay look? Yeah, I wanted to avoid that like a soul eating elder god.
It was about then when I realized that Cthulhu with his oversized bulbous head was a bit like trying to hold a baby. Every time I smoothed out an arm or stuck on a leg, I had to support his neck or the head would go rolling across the floor.
Defining shape is nauseatingly detailed work that is very necessary or you get blobby polymer clay look, but also may make a person scream in rage and throw a dental pick against the wall. Once again I left the hands and feet for later because I hate making hands. Damn fingers, why do we need five of them anyway?
If you're wondering why a box of deck protectors is sitting behind them, first off NEEEERRRDD! and second, it was because Ms. Cthulhu decided she no longer wished to keep her head secured safely upon her neck. Instead it tumbled about, crumpling up some of her face tentacles and making such a mess.
But onward, they still need their wings and eyes (I always leave eyes for last. I did it with all my adipose ornaments as well. This probably says a lot of Freudian things about me) and adorable little bows because bows are cool.
I specifically chose to make tiny wings to both up the adorable factor and because anything too large was guaranteed to get shredded during shipping. I only loss two wings and again that damn Ms. Cthulhu head in baking. But that's what superglue is for. Slap some extra clay over the cracks and good as new.
So of course this just leaves painting, again I wanted to go not that fancy. No dark shades and lumpy skin. Just some shading on the tentacles and small bit of muscle tone I gave them.
I hope the couple likes it, and that no ones head has to go rolling across the floor EVER AGAIN!
