Past Blog Posts:



Guest Designer Lora Mahaffey

Filed under Art Projects, Bella's Corner, Guest Designers, Halloween, Lora Mahaffey, Tutorials

Meet the very sassy and completely delightful Miz Lora Mahaffey who is our Guest Designer for October! As you can see in Lora’s work, attention to detail is in everything that she makes and her quirky sense of humor shows through her creations as well. For Pete’s sake, the woman has a blog named Cackle and Hoot which particularly at this time of year, is a scream!

“I’m an artist, baker and collector of interesting junk and sparkly stuff that I take home, mess around with and turn into other stuff. I like to make tiny things just because they please me. I also make jewelry, draw and I love paper and paint and fussy details. Ornamenting objects is a wee obsession, as are books, typeface, the Dark Ages (not all that dark), the Renaissance, the Pre-Raphaelites, as well as lots of individual artists, both contemporary and long gone.

Until about four years ago, my husband and I lived in Alaska and loved it, but we have relocated and now live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, in a big old friendly house with our two fuzzy monsters.

I could go on, but I’m boring myself rigid.”

And Lora has graced us with a tutorial on her articulated plastic skeletons! (Draped about her art samples for the Chipboard Potion Bottles Swap!)

Trick Or Treat Potion Bottles with Poseable Skeletons!

Supplies
Plastic Skeleton
Chipboard Potion Bottles
Halloween Papers
Halloween Labels
Spider Web Charm
Spider Charm
Thin Black Dresden Trim
– Jewelry Cable or Jump Rings

Directions (see photos below)

  1. Using a pair of cutters, clip off all the limbs or bits you want to articulate at the joint.

    I usually keep the skeleton laid out in the order he goes back together to keep from attaching the wrong bits together!

  2. Use a drill bit to drill holes in both the joint and the corresponding limb. Make sure the bit you use will accommodate the size jewelry cable you use. I also use a piece of cork to protect the surface under the drill bit. Drill all your holes before attaching any wire.
  3. Thread your jewelry cable through the joint and the limb. Pull your crimp bead in as close to the joint as needed, but not so close that you inhibit the skeletons movement.

    Keep in mind that you will want the crimp bead at the back of the skeleton unless you are displaying mostly the back, in that case, thread back to front.

  4. Hold the cable out straight and crimp. Cut the excess wire off as close the the bead as possible. This is easier if you use cutters that can get into a tight spot.

    Thread, crimp and cut until you are done. Easy peasy!

Visit Lora’s Blog.

  
Posted by MizBella, October 21st, 2012

Comments are closed.