A few of the Santa's I've made in the past.

[putrid]

One of the nice things about getting this computer fixed is having a real working CD unit. I saved these scans from my old computer before it died a few years ago. Didn't know if I'd have them or not. Took a bit of finagaling but I finaly got them to JPG format. There kinda small but they'er all I have.

Each Santa is between 18 to 19 inches tall. Each face is hand sculpted using Sculply.
This is my first and ONLY flower covered Santa. Each rose was hand made from Sculply. Friuts are store bought. My mother in law Barb wanted one with roses.

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=3

This next one is my second Santa.

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=5

Here are two more of the Santas I've made,

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=7

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=8

One of these days I'll accaly make one of these for my self.

[Mummy deer-est]

Putrid, these are fantastic! I hope you are selling them for big money!

[Elvira]

WOW! Very nice work! Very talented you are. I adore the last one. So awesome all of them are. You made the faces? Holy mackeral!

[Sickie Ickie]

Awesome work, man! :idea:

[putrid]

Thanks everyone. Haven't sold any for big money yet but had made a few costume ones for folks in the past. Most have been gifts for family. Going to make myself one or two this year. Prob is they take me really long to make. And with everything else that's going on right now I might have a few made for myself by 2010. LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

I could picture a big stalkabout Santa! :D

[bethene]

wow, Putrid, I am very impressed they are beautiful!!

[Mistress Muffy]

Oh Putrid, those are beautiful!

Muf

[putrid]

Thanks forks. The hardest part is the sewing. The first Santa was glued together. If you look at the mantle it sticks out like a Chinese war lord. LOL I use the mantle on all the Santas I've made to hide the fact the the coat sleeves are glued in place at the shoulders. I even glue the mantle down. LOL Everything else is sewn. The coat, hat, elastic strip to hold the coat mantle and all the fake fur trim. Because I use upholstery and heavy velour materials it takes a long time to get my cheep sewing machine to go threw without bending the needles. Still go threw one or two per Santa. LOL The only Santa I've done that I didn't use a heavy material is the first one. And only because I couldn't find that color in a heavy velour. Barb has the only pink Santa I'll ever make.

[bethene]

What are the "bodies" made of, does he have legs , and the base, is it clay?

[putrid]

The body starts out as a 2x4 and a wood dowel that's used to hold the head in place. The base is 3/4 inch plywood. Usually covered in a heavy corduroy or sometimes stained. Two of the Santas above have the base covered in white paint and white glitter to look like snow. I pad out the body with batting and duct tape. Arms are heavy wire that's also padded out with batting and duct tape. The face and mittens are Sculply clay. No legs. Not yet anyway.

[bethene]

Thanks Putrid!!

[Sickie Ickie]

amazing what you can do, Putrid!

[putrid]

Believe me folks those results didn't happen over night. I still have the first few faces I tried to sculpt. And one of these days, if I ever feel like dropping my pants in public, I'll post them. LOL In all truth a guys face is easy to sculpt. He can ugly as sin and all you do is put a beard on it and a Santa suit and you got success!

[rachael24]

Wow those are beautiful!

[Sickie Ickie]

Believe me folks those results didn't happen over night. I still have the first few faces I tried to sculpt. And one of these days, if I ever feel like dropping my pants in public, I'll post them. LOL In all truth a guys face is easy to sculpt. He can ugly as sin and all you do is put a beard on it and a Santa suit and you got success!

http://bumpinthenightproductions.com/imgMid/BOO_201.jpg

I see what you mean...NOT! :p

[Mummy deer-est]

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

[putrid]

Now that Santa looks more like me than Santa. LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

So THATS where you get your name! LOL

[putrid]

How often do you get the chance in life to say to someone,
" Hi, I'm putrid."
with a straight face? LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

Try Sickie Ickie. LOL

[putrid]

LOL Yep, that'll do it to Sickie Ickie.

I found a base and body armature in the garage. I'll get a shot of it and post it sometime this morning to let ya'll see what they start out like. Funny, I painted them both white and I don't remember why. It's a sign of age. LOL

[putrid]

Well you know the old saying, 'out of sight out of mind'? I went to log back into the forum and THEN remembered I needed the pics. LOL Well here they are. Real dirty too. This armature was probably made 3 or 4 years ago and I still don't remember why. Or why it's painted white or why the base is so small.

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=9

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=10

It's scrap wood. You can tell by all the nail holes. But at least I'm able to show ya'll what the bones of my Santas look like.

[Sickie Ickie]

Dude! I keep forgetting that sometimes the best looking things are recycled underneath. :)

[bethene]

Thanks Putrid, It looks good and sturdy, I have made santas also, but have boughten the heads, never thought of making them from clay. Course it was before i got so big into halloween and learned about sculpting. so maybe ought to give it a try sometimes.

[Sickie Ickie]

boughten? .

[bethene]

Yeah, I know, the fingers fly faster than the brain sometimes! LOL! (and by the way, a excuse for one post closer to 1000)

[Sickie Ickie]

keep on keepin' on B! LOL

[putrid]

Remembered I have two more Santa leftovers. My first attempt at making an armature with legs. I figured I'd have to make the boots first with holes in the bottoms. Position them on the stand then screw the legs in from under the base. Didn't get much farther with it than what you see. The coated armature is one that has damage to the material.

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=11

This shot shows that I don't take the expensive material all the way around the body. You have to cut costs somewhere. Some of the material I've used was almost $30 a yard.

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=12

This last pic is of all three together. The legs on the one with legs, (ok the only one with legs. LOL) are to long. But it was just an experiment.

http://www.christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=13

As far as I know this is all I have left from when I was making these. One of these days I'm going to make one or two to keep.

[Mummy deer-est]

At first, I'm thinking, "he don't need no stinkin' legs," but then I thought that a nice plump santa with some velvet overalls would be awfully cute!

[putrid]

Velvet overalls? I'm having a hard enough time trying to sew pants. LOL

[Mummy deer-est]

lol, sorry putrid...us non-sewers forget how hard it is sometimes! I always just hand my sewing stuff to my mom, and it comes back like magic!

[putrid]

If I handed it to my mom it'd come back looking like I did it. LOL

[Mistress Muffy]

I'm the same way guys I can't sew a stitch. I bought a pattern last year to make those big huge full cloaks for my monks and in the garage is my Grandmothers old sewing machine. My Aunt claims she had it fixed before she gave it to me but I never found out cause I don't sew.

Now Joe worked in surgery for 17 years and so I figured if ya can sew up people surely how different can sewing up material be. Last halloween I have a picture of Joe sewing elastic on my witches hat so it would stay in place all evening as I took pictures om my tot's. His Dad worked on commercial sewing machines and also was an ulpholster so I figure between the 3 of us surely we could read this pattern & sew these 6 cloaks I need.

Jerry is gonna bring the sewing machine in next month & we are gonna start in on them....I'll keep you guys posted as to how bad we mess it up!!

Also wanted to add that I love these Santa's Putrid & do you know that halloween gal on the net known as WormyT? SHe uses some of her halloween decorations & transforms them into Xmas decorations. She takes her mausoleum and for xmas she puts a big ole snowman in there and decorations for xmas. I would love to build that snowman she has, she puts snowflakes all around him.I would have to hunt but I will keep an eye out for her link. She was in last months online halloween magazine. I sure wish we could all do an online project together like that kinda help each other out!!

Muf

[Mistress Muffy]

Here it is hope this works!! Thinak we could all build something like this via online & help each other?

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v237/Wormyt/Wormyt%20as%20the%20CHRISTMAS%20ELF/?action=view&current=DSC00324.jpg

Muf

[putrid]

Yes I know Wormyt!!! I've had the privilege to talk to her over the phone. You know she's also been on HGTV's Halloween special? I had a gathering of prop builders at the house a few years back. Wormyt couldn't make it so she called me up on that day. Honestly I haven't talked to her sense and know she was going threw a lot at that time. Ya, her fling snowman is totally cool.

[Mistress Muffy]

Yup I remember that too Putrid what she was going thru because her hubby was spreading it in the halloween forums I know it was a rough time for both of them. I have always thought she must be a terrific person to know ....if ya go to photobucket & look at all her photo albums ahe just looks like she enjoys life to the fullest, she always looks so happy & enthused in all she does. SHes creative as can be. I mean the amount of projects this gal does is really something. How nice that you were able to talk to her.

Muf

[Sickie Ickie]

BTW That project WT does is in a "how-to" in the SP site under animations. heh

I write back and forth to WT every so often, but it's been awhile now. She's even a member here, but hasn't visited back again after 2 posts methinks.

BTW I was so fed up with TOTing year before last, the special with WT in it made me get into haunting. :)

[putrid]

The first and maybe the second Santa there was no sewing. I used a strong glue and plastic clothespins to hold and hem the fir and coat together. The biggest downfall doing it that way was the impressions left from the clothespins. The one thing I have learned from playing around with a sewing machine. It's easier to do if you go faster. Unfotunately when the machine nor the needles I use are designed to go threw that think of materials it's also easier to bend the needles. LOL It's like sewing threw 5 layers of blue jean.

[Sickie Ickie]

Well, at least you can stitch yourself up after the needle breaks on the machine and slices through your skin! :p

[Mistress Muffy]

Putrid this sewing machine I have is a regular kind but my father in law has one of those industrial ones for sewing fabric for ulpholstering. SO I realize the difference

Muf

[Sickie Ickie]

wow. when I was younger I met someone with an industrial sewing machine. He could sew right through thick plastic and plexyglass!

[putrid]

Be totally cool to have one just for the Santas. Wouldn't improve my sewing any but it'd make it a lot faster. LOL

[Elvira]

I like the idea of sewing, but I too suck at it. LOL

[Mummy deer-est]

Yeah, I hear ya Elvira. I think, though, I suck so bad that I don't even know I suck. People take pitty on me in that way. :)

[Elvira]

My secret santa gift required some sewing...... NO laughing when you get it my little elf! (not telling who that elf is). Man, I wish I could sew, some of those civil war dresses are amazing. hmm ...maybe I'll buy a pattern off ebay and attempt one out of an old bedsheet, this way if it doesn't turn out I can turf it and not be out 100's of dollars for fabric. (gotta learn somehow I suppose). :D

[putrid]

Sounds like a lot of trouble for a toga party. JK LOL I do alot of learning on scrap and cheap materials. The scrap usualy comes from messing something up so I have plenty of it. LOL

[Elvira]

You ain't kidding putrid, by the time I get done with the civil war dress, it probably will look like something you would wear to a toga party! LOL Ahhh....but, I got that covered I'll pitch it before anyone can ask where the toga party is at. :D

[putrid]

Wouldn't pitch it. No sense in going threw all of that just to toss it out. Keep it as a Halloween costume or something for a prop. Besides sometimes the best learning tool is going back and re examining what you did. I keep boxes of half done and failed projects just for that purpose.

[bethene]

I can sew alittle bit, craft type things, pillows, easy articles of clothing, wish I was better, I think I am to impatient for all the little steps that make it look better,.

[Elvira]

I think you're right bethene, thats what it is.... impatient! I really like the thought of a detailed sewing project, but getting to it.... thats another story. I want it done, and I want it done now.

Putrid... if I keep every "OOOPS" project I did, I wouldn't have room for anything else. LOL yes, theres been a few :D

[Sickie Ickie]

For every serious prop builder, there's been quite a few! LOL

[Elvira]

Hmm.. does every serious prop builder wanna slaughter someone when things don't quite as planned? LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

..er..no :p

[Elvira]

I know there is a category I do fit into! LOL This one isn't it apparently. :D

[putrid]

Slay? no, pout? yes. LOL I put it in a box and the only time I see it again is when I put the next one in the same box.LOL

[Elvira]

LOL putrid I would love to see your boxes! I would be rolling on the floor laughing no doubt! Easy for me to say because I dispose of all the evidence! :D

[Elvira]

I really think you should sell santa's! Heres one my DH bought me several yrs ago, and he paid..... are you sitting down? 200.00!! There are ppl out there who will buy them and my DH is a prime example of that.

http://christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=6&pictureid=37

[Sickie Ickie]

Have to respect people that look for the fun of Christmas! LOL

[putrid]

Elvira, really that Santa doesn't look bad at all. Can't tell by the shot if the face is hand done or it's size. And there's probably not as much glue holding things together as there is on mine. LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

Viva la hot glue!

[Elvira]

Hes about 3 feet tall, and the face, I believe to be hand done. In any event, I still think hes way to much money! LOL I love him, but holy mackeral, DH must think I'm worth it!

[Mistress Muffy]

Elvira.....for sure you are worth it!!

Muf

[Elvira]

hehehe thank you Muffy.

[bethene]

great Santa Elvira, and yes, you are worth it!
If projects don't go my way, I want to throw things, or kick things, etc. And have!
I go alittle crazy wth the hot glue on projects too! Don't want it to fall apart or anything!!

[Elvira]

heheh Bethene, you sound exactly like me, with one exception, I do throw things one project... I threw it across the room, hit my target, the garbage can :D

[Just Whisper]

Wow. Impressive.

[woodmizer]

Nice job on the Santas!

[putrid]

Thanks for the comps folks! Because I'm spending all my free time working on the basement I wont be able to make me one this year. But if ya'll want to know how the faces are done I put up a small web site at,

http://home.earthlink.net/~claysantaface/index.html