got any nuts??

as my free time (what there is) has been spent making this –

Hannah, Chloe and Grace are in a production of the Nutcracker Ballet next week.  Their company needed a nutcracker mask, and I volunteered (I’m still wondering what on earth compelled me to sign up for that part!).  Let me tell you — making a mask of this size is no easy task.  I had three trial run masks before this one and ended up wanting to make one more after this one.  My family emphatically told me no.  I listened. 🙂

Chloe outside before modeling the mask
(photo courtesy of my Hannah)

Here are the details — read with caution. 🙂  Paper Mache mask – three layers.  Base is made from molded plastic (from a cut up milk carton).  Nose is plastic.  Face is built up with foam and covered in plastic before the paper mache was applied. I painted it with acrylic paints.  Beard and hair is faux fur from Joann’s.  That part is very messy — I vacuumed numerous times and in fact, vacuumed the head to pick up the free hair.  (It still looks like we have a dog with black hair here.) Crown is layers of gold poster board painted with acrylics.  And the red part was a hat that was existing that I attached.  That part still needs a teeny bit of work….  The mask attaches via an elastic band and then the crown/hair attaches over latching with screws and then being tied under the chin.  Ignore the imperfections in the mask — you need to remember that this will be on stage and no one will see it up close.

Chloe modeling the mask.
She is the Nutcracker next week. 🙂

Have you discovered that I might be a wee bit of a perfectionist?  And now you know why I write on not being too much that way….

Want to know how many hours this took?

12 hours.

Want to know how much it cost?

$32

Want to know the song I belted out when I was finished?
That would be the Hallelujah Chorus. 🙂

Now I need to start making cookies….without nuts…

(feel free to leave any “way to go” and “you did great” or “you’re nuts” comments….hee hee hee…sometimes I crack myself up…)