Steampunk Octopus!

I've been having fun making this Steampunk Octopus, designed by Susan Barmore, of Frowning Frances Patterns!  I love Susan's work and have made several crows - and magpies!

   So after I had stuffed it and added the suckers, here it is Gesso'd and hanging to dry!

 Dry and waiting for painting

 Painted black and grey.

 Don't know what happened with the colouring here, but it is grey, not blue on the underside!

Had fun finding bits and pieces to make the eye.  Used a large ring of some sort, a curtain ring and a done after I had marked the sides of the clay.  I inset a plastic dolls eye under the rings.

Here is the finished Steam Punk Octopus!  

With Elena's doll Pippi, who is not in the least scared of this wild creature!

The gifts

Look who arrived at my place during the week!  Pippi Longstockings!

She made herself right at home!

 Sprawled all over the floor!  The dog was well behaved!

 Gave some cheek to Marie Antoinette!

And when she unpacked her bag - all this wonderful stuff came out!  She's telling me that my friend Elena Makarova sent it all to me from Russia! Fabrics I haven;t seen here and souvenirs, a delightful little Martryoshka doll with five tiny dolls inside - love those, and a beautifuly warm neck scarf!  Such unexpected pleasures!  Did I mention chocolate too!  I'm so spoilt!

I love the way this wee doll bends and moves about in great poses!  Elena tells me she is a Jill Maas pattern who she turned into Pippi Longstockings!  Elena also sent me the fabric she made her from too - a nice one-way stretch, knit fabric that I have not seen here, but will look out for!  She sent me other fabrics too, that I will have fun with!

Thank you so much Elena!  Marie Antoinette will be making her way to you in exchange shortly!

Gypsy Rose is all finished, bar the stringing!  

She thinks shes a photographer's model!  LOL!  Like her shoes?  Hard to se in this light, but they are green!

Well, she looks the part, but she's just showing off her dress!

I love the flexibility and pose ability of these jointed  dolls!

This is the controller, all ready to string her up tomorrow!  Can;t wait!  Might have to get up early!  Hope it works!

What do you think?