Making Cat Head:
To start cat I am using a 2 ½” Styrofoam ball and a 2” length of a 3/16” dowel. Insert dowel into center of ball with about half of it sticking out. Mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a 1” coil. Wrap around dowel next to ball. Begin blending onto ball and then up dowel. Pull any excess down unto ball. Allow to cure.
For the cat teeth mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a 2” coil. Position on ball, slightly below the center of face. Lay coil on cat with the ends turned up. Press with palm of hand to flatten, the center width should be about ½” wide. Using Exacto knife cut through center of mouth (horizontal cut), then cut in center. Divide each side of mouth into three sections by making two more cuts. The cuts should be on an angle following the shape of the mouth. Allow to cure.
For the cat ears mix ¼” of QW and divide into 2. Roll one piece into a ball then shape into a triangle with your finger. Repeat with the second ball. They should end up being ¾” by ¾”. Position on top of head, and press into place. Reshape point of ears. Press tip of little finger into front of ear to indent. Blend back of ear onto Styrofoam.
Mix I/8” of QW and pinch and press over Styrofoam around the mouth and on the face up to and between the ears.
To finish the cat mix about 3/16” of QW and divide into two. Take one of the pieces and divide into two to make the lips. Roll into a coil about 3” long and lay next to bottom teeth, gently pat into place. Roll remaining clay into 3” coil and lie next to top of teeth and gently pat into place. Cut off any excess clay. Blend ends of coils together using extender if needed.
Divide remaining piece into three. For the nose roll one piece into a ball and then begin flattening and shaping into a triangle. Lay above mouth with the point down. Roll remaining pieces into balls and lay on eyes above and on each side of nose. , gently pat and flatten. Allow to cure.
Mix additional QW if needed to cover the rest of the head.
Making Birds:
Lay parchment paper over pattern for tail and wings. Mix 1/8” of QW and divide into 3 using one part for the tail and two parts for the wings. For the tail roll one part into a 1 ¼ ” cone and lay over pattern and begin pressing and patting and filling in shape. Roll remaining two pieces into a ball and lay over wing pattern and begin pressing and patting and filling in the shape. Using blade divide wings in two following pattern. To make scallops in tail and wings use a pointy tool, and indent at each of the lines on the pattern. Go back and pull tool from each side of indent to round scallop. Reflatten if needed. Allow to cure.
To cover birds body mix ½” of QW. Roll into a ball, and then into a flat pancake. Lay ball on clay and begin patting and pressing to cover ball. Roll with hands to smooth. Insert tail into back on an angle. Allow to cure.
Mix 1/8” of QW for head of bird. Roll into a ball and place on front of bird opposite the tail. Shape and blend edges to body using extender if needed. Reshape. Allow to cure.
For the beak mix a sliver of QW and pull off a ¼” ball. Roll into a small cone and place on front of head. Blend edges to head and let sit five minutes before cutting beak open. Using exacto knife start on one side at the point and cut back, repeat on other side and lift open with the blade. Reshape if needed and allow to cure.
For the wings mix a sliver of QW and pull off 2 small balls about 1/8”. Lay on front corner of wing and shape to fit wing. Attach to the body. For the eyes pull off two very small balls and place of top front.
Repeat for second bird.
Note: Some of the videos will show the birds with legs, I started with legs on the birds, but in the end the birds did not have legs.
Adding features to pumpkins:
For the smaller pumpkin’s eyes mix 1/8” of QW and divide into two. Roll into an oval and lay on pumpkin. Pat into place making the eye a dome shape with it being fatter in the center and thinner at the edges. Repeat for second eye. For the nose mix ¼” of QW. Before making nose pull off two very small balls for the pupils and place in upper left of each eye. Roll remaining clay into a 1” cone. Place in center of face and have nose turn up.
For the larger pumpkin’s eyes mix ¼” of QW and divide in two. Pat into place making the eye a dome shape with it being fatter in the center and thinner at the edges. Repeat for second eye. For the nose mix 3/8” of QW. Before making nose pull off two very small balls for the pupils and place in upper right of each eye. Roll remaining clay into a 11/2” cone. Place in center of face with the nose pointing down. Allow to cure.
Adding Cat and Birds to Pumpkins:
Note: I attached the cat head, added the arms and then added the tail. It would be easiest to add the tail, then the head and then the paws.
The ideal way to attach the cat to the pumpkin would be to drill a hole into the pumpkin and then insert and glue in place and then wrap and blend clay around neck.
If you don’t have drill trim dowel to ½” on an angle. I use Super Easy Cutter made by Midwest Products to cut wooden dowels. They are easy to use, and you can get them at hardware stores. Mix 1/8” of QW and roll into a ball. Place on pumpkin and insert dowel into ball. Bring clay up around dowel. Shim and allow clay to cure.
Using Super Glue Gel, glue birds to the small pumpkin. I added one to the pumpkin and the other to the top of the stem.
Allow to set.
Adding Cat Paws and Tail:
For the shorter paw mix ¼” of QW and roll into a small cone (about 1 ¼”) and lay on front of pumpkin and then bend back. For the second paw mix ½” of QW and roll into a 3” cone. Lay paw at front, bend and go up side of pumpkin and connect at the neck. Using exacto knife or sculpting blade make small notch on inside of each paw and then divide front of paw in three. Allow to cure. For the tail mix ½” of QW. Pull off two small balls for the cat’s pupils and place in center of eyes. Place parchment paper over pattern and roll remaining clay into coil. Attach to pumpkin and curl out following pattern. Allow to cure.