Come in, take your shoes off...

Come in, take your shoes off and stay awhile. I have been working on another one of a kind whimsical doll.

First off, most ask me "Where did you get your inspiration?" Well, inspiration comes from everywhere but in this case, my husband (the enabler) brought me a real turtle shell just about the size of your palm and said "Surely you can find something to use this on..." Okay, it did sit on my desk for two or three weeks while life was going on but all along i was thinking...Do I turn it up, down, sideways, upside down....Then it hit me. Turn it sideways. Make it sit up. so, I started a sketch (something I rarely do) about what this creature should end up looking like.

Next, the materials...Sculpey III Oven Bake clay. It really doesn't matter what color. It will all be painted later. I also used a very course covered wire and a vintage measuring cup for him to sit on.

I cut a slit in the top of the vintage measuring cup just big enough to hold the turtle shell. I formed an armature and slipped it down through the turtle shell and filled all the openings full with the Sculpey clay.
Now for that precious face.

Watching what I had already sketched out on my paper, I worked on it until I came close to what I thought it should look like.

Sculpt hands, feet and a smile and when satisfied, place him in the oven at 165 degrees for about 30 minutes. Look at him soaking up that sunshine.

 Let him cool down now. He's ready for some new "skin". I am using Tim Holtz Distress Crackle paint in Antique Linen. This is a wonderful effect but extremely fragile in this instance. He will be under a cloche so it will be okay this time.
And now,  I will be giving him a banjo. I can hear the music. I used a piece of round styrofoam (from my stash) and a stick . Color the stick with copic markers and make a front and back to the instrument.

And now world...I present......."Telly Turtle and his magic banjo".  Hope you like him as much as I enjoyed working on him.