Star Bright

I hope you will enjoy creating this snow lady ornaments.  If you have purchased this pattern to help Wendy and Kevin Young….Thank you so very much!

snowladytree

Supplies needed to make Star Bright

  • 100 mm plastic disk ornament (about 4″ wide)
  • 1.5″ Styrofoam ball
  • Quikwood (QW)
  • Diamond Dust Glass Glitter
  • DecoArt Glamor Dust
  • 20 gauge wire
  • 1 yard of 3″ white glitter tulle
  • Round toothpick
  • Star cutter – I got mine at Hobby Lobby in the clay section.

DecoArt American Paints:

  • Blue Harbor
  • Bright Salmon
  • Cotton Candy
  • Country Red
  • Evergreen
  • Foliage Green
  • Hauser Medium Green
  • Indian Turquoise
  • Sapphire
  • Snow White
  • Soft Black
  • Spiced Pumpkin
  • Winter Blue

DecoArt Dazzling Metallics

  • Emperor’s Gold

DecoArt Multi-surface Paints

  • Coastal Green
  • Cottonball
  • Green Beret
  • Turf Green

Other Supplies:

  • Basic Painting Supplies & Brushes
  • small Fan Brush
  • Scissors
  • Sculpting Blade or knife for cutting QW
  • DecoArt Extender for blending clay
  • Super Glue Gel
  • Avon Silicone Glove – optional but helps to keep QW from sticking to hands.
  • White Glue
  • Parchment paper
  • plastic Wrap
  • old brush for applying Glue
  • Paper plates for catching glitter.
  • Baby Wipes

Quikwood Basics:

  • Quikwood is a two part resin.  When mixed together you have about 20 minutes of open time before it begins to cure.  It will fully cure in 24 hours.
  • Only cut off as much as you need at a time.
  • Make sure it is thoroughly mixed together (no swirls of color) or it will not cure.
  • Do not wear jewelry especially rings when working with QW.
  • Apply Avon Silicone Glove before starting and as needed when working with the QW.
  • Use DecoArt Extender to blend QW being careful not to use too much or it will make your QW gummy.

Video on Quikwood Basics:

Getting started:

  • Remove top of ornament.  Pour Diamond Dust glitter into ornament to desired height.  I made a funnel by cutting off  the bottom of a paper mache cone.
  • Place plastic wrap on ornament.  Cut off a piece 6″ wide and place on front, across top and down back.  Cut off another 6″ piece and place the same way on the opposite side.  Make sure you leave enough room around top of ornament where you are working. I put the plastic wrap on the ornament to prevent finger prints from the QW.

Getting started video:

Adding Arms & Shoulders:

  • Cut 1″ of QW, knead and roll into a 2.5″ – 3″ coil.  Using extender on palm of hand flatten coil until 3/4″ wide.  Try to keep one edge straight.  Lift up and wrap around top of ornament with straight edge down.  Blend where QW meets in back.  Fold excess over top.
  • Cut 11″ piece of 20 gauge wire and fold in half.  Open up to about a 45 degree angle and position on top of ornament in clay making sure arm will be coming out at the shoulders. When satisfied press into place and allow to cure.
  • Cut 1/4″ of QW, blend and roll into 2″ coil.  lay on top of ornament and blend into previous QW using extender.  Pat and shape if needed. .  As soon as you complete this step make the head and add it.  It will work much better if both surfaces are not cured.

Video for Adding Arms & Shoulders:

Creating Head:

  • Cut 1/4″ of QW, blend and roll into a ball.  Begin pinching and turning into a large flat disk.  Start at the front and lay on ball.  Press and blend until the entire ball is covered.  Blend out any bumps by rolling in hand.  Cut toothpick in half and insert toothpick in middle of head.
  • Press head on top of shoulders.  If you do not have a smooth seam cut 1/8″ QW, roll into a coil and place around neck.  Blend to head and shoulders.

Video for Creating Head:

Creating Star:

  • Cut 1/8″ of QW and blend together.
  • Roll into a ball and place on a piece of parchment paper. Put extender on palm of hand and then flatten clay.  Use cutter to cut out star.  Wipe cutter with baby wipe to clean.

Video for Creating Star:

Creating Hat:

  • Cut 1/4″ QW and blend.  Pull off a piece the size of a pea and lay aside.  Roll larger piece into a ball and then shape into oval about 1″ long.  Place on top of head and pat into place.
  • Divide remaining piece in half and roll into a long thin coil.  Make sure the coil is long enough to cover the fronts and sides of the hat.  Place middle of coil in bottom center front of hat and wrap around to back.
  • Take what is left and divide in two.  Divide one of the pieces again in two and roll into small cones.  Flatten slightly and place leaves on hat. Use tool or tip of pencil and press bottom center of leaves.
  • Roll remaining piece into coil about 1.5″ long and flatten.  Wait about 5 to 10 minutes to make it easier to make your flower.  Pick it up and begin curling at one end.  Once you have formed the  center begin pleating at bottom and continue wrapping until you use all of your clay.  Place on top of your leaves.  NOTE: Making the flower ahead of time and allowing it to cure will make it easier to place the flower on the leaves.
  • Arms – to shape hands  fold ends of wire at a right angle about 1/4″ from end of wire.  Then fold back making a loop to form the hands.  Fold wire in half for elbow.

Video for creating Hat:

 

Painting:

  • Base body and head Winter Blue.  Drybrush Snow white over head and body, apply second coat in needed.
  • Base nose with Spice Pumpkin and coal for eyes and mouth with Soft Black.
  • Paint thinned Sapphire line down left side and across bottom of coal for eyes and mouth.  Also paint eyebrows with thinned Sapphire.
  • Place Snow White highlight on the left of each piece of coal forming the mouth and eyes.
  • Paint thinned Bright Salmon for cheeks.
  • Paint hat Indian Turquoise, band of hat Sapphire, leaves Hauser Medium Green and flower Country Red.
  • Float Evergreen at the base of the leaves and a Foliage Green highlight at the tips.
  • Paint Bright Salmon on edge tips of flower, add a few Cotton Candy highlights.
  • paint star Emperor’s Gold
  • Load small fan brush and Green Beret.  Tap brush straight up and down on paper towel to remove excess paint and to open hairs of brush.  Start at top of tree with brush vertical and tap a few hair of brush to form top of tree.  Turn brush horizontal and begin tapping a few hairs of the brush to form the top branch of the tree.  Move down and tap a little wider.  Continue down tree making branches wider.  Reload brush as needed. Load brush with Turf Green tapping off excess and go lightly over tree allowing green to show through. Load brush with Coastal Green tapping off excess and go lightly over tree allowing green to show through. Then load brush with Cottonball and using same method as above add snow to branches. Add Cottonball to the bottom of the tree.

Finishing:

  • I work a side at a time and brushed glue anywhere I want glitter.
  • Sprinkle ornament with glitter and shake excess off on a paper plate. Allow to dry.
  • It always helps to have two sets of hands to do this. Cut a piece of tulle about 1′ and wrap around neck.  Place other piece of tulle (2′) around waist, with ends from neck included, and  tie into slip knot.  Then tie bow, trim ends to desired length.
  • Insert star into hand using super glue gel to hold in place.

Enjoy!

Jane Allen

 

 

 

 

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