I have many hang-ups. Here is one thing you can do with your hang-ups.

Tools: hot clue gun.

dcarch

For those who have a sewing background, this w/be a little easier. I used to sew all my clothes, so I related the proceedure to making a pattern to cut a dress. All her structures are a double layer of the mesh, so do everything in twos. The wire mesh is the galvanized lathe - diamond-shaped stuff used to plaster walls. To make a life-sized person, Riana begins by sorta measuring her face, cuts a piece of the mesh and begins to shape the face by folding the chin area into sorta a v-shape, cutting darts where she needed to fold and overlap for stitches, etc. To shape the forehead she cut a piece to size, leaving enough to bend and lay across to shape the forehead enough wings to attach it to the face, w/stitches made from 19 guage wire. She cuts a piece about 6/8" then turns in about an inch w/the pliers, pinches the folded end to make a "hook needle" that she pushes through the layers, to catch the pieces and then she can pull it through to wind around a couple times w/the pliers then cuts the ends off w/the cutting part of the pliers as close as possible w/o cutting the "knot". Use as many stitches as necessary to hold the piece to shape. W/each additional piece of mesh to shape the ears, nose, leave "wings" for attaching it to the base of the face. Sculpturing the face/head she then goes on to the shoulders by just bending a piece into an arched piece the length from shoulder to shoulder so the head w/be able to sit in the middle by cutting, shaping, darting so it sits properly. Remember - double layers of everything. The neck w/be a short tube you w/cut around bottom/top for the wings to attach to the head, then cut and darted to fit the shoulders once the head is attached. She goes through the whole process of sculpturing the whole body, darting, patching, pinching, folding, punching to shape, etc. The recipe for the mud mixture to be gently pushed in between the two pieces of mesh layer and smoothes over the mesh (not to completely cover) is: 1 part Portland cement to three parts of mason sand. She was using local stuff so the sand was course, and b/c the metal mesh wasn't available there, she used hardware "cloth" metal mesh - ungalvanized - 1/4" holes. After pushing through and smoothing out the structure, she covers w/plastic to dry over night. There were spots of the mesh not completely covered w/the concrete, and that was ok. It is a just a very thin layer on the outside, thereby making the statue light enough to move around easily. Next day, in most cases, it is ready to be refined or smoothed out the rough edges, especially trimming the "stitches", bumps knocked off, it is ready to be mosaiced. She doesn't cover all parts in mosaics. As shown in ROSIE's photo of the statue she made of our hostess Sam, bird and dog, she uses different colored grouts and exterior house paints to finish her pieces. She uses powdered colorants, and paints when she can't find grout in colors she wishes to use. On the arms and legs, she showed us how to use a runny mixture of grout to smooth over the skeleton to cover the mesh and concrete that won't be covered by mosaics. She makes her own grout w/one part type 1 Portland cement w/one-two parts silica sand or you can buy a regular sanded grout. For mosaicing she uses cement-based polymer fortified tile adhesive for adhering. The local stuff wasn't great, and when an occasional piece fell off, she used Weldbond to put it back on. The climate there is mild, so ...... She didn't even know what a pistol-grip glass scoring tool was. Her only tools are a hammer, a tile nipper, the tile cutter w/the little wheel to score and a trowel for mixing the cement/sand mixture - VERY BASIC TOOLS. Ask away, if this isn't clear.

If you enjoyed looking at this file and I have not made some part clear enough email me and I’ll be happy to try to answer any questions.

Robert

Here is a link that might be useful: How I did it.

How about any of you? Is there an old woman leaving her stuff around in your house?

Leslie/KS

How about any of you? Is there an old woman leaving her stuff around in your house?

Leslie/KS

Here's the 411:
I took two shutters I had, and basically used them to determine the scale of the birdhouse I made the shutters into the sides of the house, I used scrap wood as a base and back to the birdhouse and nailed the 4 pieces together. Then I found an old triangle shaped birdhouse in my "junk Pile" and nailed it to the top, above the shutters to make the roof slant shape, It already had the Triangle Shape I needed. I used a picture frame for the front with scrap wood nailed in behind it. Then I attached small scale Garden fencing for the roof. Painted it out and added the brass plate as embelishment, also purchased at a garage sale. The spindles and gingerbread and Finial are from my stash and also purchased at Flea markets or Garage Sales.

So to summarize, Make a box, put a triangle on top and then a roof, embelish and you are done.:)

You can see this project and more at my web site below

Here is a link that might be useful: My stuff

I took the liberty of linking your posts with the photos to this thread.

Fairy House 4

Fairy House 3

Fairy House 2

Fairy House 1

I considered putting all the photos here, but they're pretty big and might give some of those on dial-up a fit, waiting to load. I decided not to link directly to your photobucket site, either, leaving that up to you.

I know there are those who don't like to click and go away from this page. The trick is to RIGHT click on the link, click on 'open in a new window' and see it without leaving this site. Close the window when you've viewed the photo post.

Nell

Progress. More sticks needed at the base.
I learned a term for this kind of construction: "Improvisational carpentry" in which you start with a pile of sticks.
As you feel it needs a little something it grows, like sculpture.

Once it's done, must choose plantings. Wisteria will pull the whole thing down. Confederate jasmine stays green all year, but when it blooms the fragrance is overpowering and you could not sit under it without swooning (or sneezing). There's already a grape arbor nearby made of old metal porch posts, with scuppernong grapevines on the back side and roses on the front with a mandevilla in the middle.

Here's what I'd really like to plant: rose and clematis combos as suggested in those mailings from Wayside Gardens.
I could still plant sweet peas in November, to bloom in early spring.

I'll keep you posted.
Nell

Momof6 started it!!! LOL Sharing

The Adventures of Felix P. Flamingo…
Felix Part 2…
Felix Part 3…
Felix Part 4…
Felix Part 5…
Felix Part 6…
Felix Part 7…
Felix Part 8…

Felix on the move…
Felix in PA…
Felix in CO…
Felix in LA…

Family remarks…

I think I found most of the threads, or at least the ones with pics. That should bring you up to speed Bugpugmom… Enjoy!

Image link: Leprechaun Paver (56 k)

It bends quite easily: when I first saw it, it was rolled into a column.

I'd want to use it whole or almost whole rather than cutting it up to create smaller things.

I can bend rebar and my husband can make anything --- and he would definitely help make this into something because he's a little tired of seeing it just propped up in different places around the garden!

Your ideas are very welcome!

The pump just sits on the bottom of the bucket by the suction cups on the bottom of the pump. You can also pile some stones around the pump to stabelize it. I have one in a watering can. Hubby drilled a hole toward the top of the bucket for the cord to run through....Also have one in a old coffee pot..cord just come out the top....