7th annual DG Christmas Workshop..now elves need to get busy

Oh dear, I'm in trouble now. This is the part I will really mess it up.

OK, my face looks wicked! Truly malicious! Guess I'll start it over!

Morning all

Coffee and donuts are out, help yourselves

Let's finish our snowman today..

Karen, what part did you think you would mess up?

Everyone, if you are unsure about the face why not get a piece of paper, size it to the face, make a few, then play sketching the face..when you get one you love place it over your snowman face, slip the graphite
Under the paper and trace..just make sure the actual graphite side is placed towards the snowman

This message was edited Dec 6, 2013 6:33 AM

Thanks, betty! I repainted, then traced. Looks so much better! : )

Good morning Betty. How are you doing with these storms? And LK and all of you west of me I hope you are able to keep nice and warm and inside. The news reports are horrendous for you between the cold and the rain, ice and snow... Please keep safe....It is still only rain here today but changes to snow tonight. I was hoping Sean could be here tomorrow but it doesn't look promising...

Morning everyone. Cold here, 36 but not moisture yet.

I have started painting, but I do not have two pieces for the scarf, so I too will improvise, and find some fabric to wrap around his neck.

I really knew better Betty, this simply isn't my forte. Now if it was on the sewing machine....... I'll try tracing the face and see if that fares any better. I know it's bugging me because I dreamt about it last night. I have solved problems in my dreams before but no luck this time. I'll most likely pass on to my younger DD as she is the one with the artistic talent.

I am off tomorrow. I will start painting then. I am copping all the instructions to put on the big screen tv with the pictures. That way I can do the whole snowman easier.

So far instructions are great and the pictures help alot too!! ;)

Barb maybe Sean's schedule will change and you will get to do your snowmen..know how you enjoy the one on one time together..

Weather is heavy here but not snowing and after 50 degrees yesterday hardly and snow..

My family isn't happy, all we're hoping to go snowmobiling.

OH no Karen, please please. This project is to not stress over it, have you seen faces on items in the store, all goes

Tell you all what, if you would like me to e-mail you the face patter and sign pattern d-mail me your email addy and I will send it off to you

Remember, you are looking at it closely, examining every nch of it from about 2" away and you see all the imperfections, please don't do it, p,ease don't give up, I promise, he will be the cutes little snowman when finished

Can't get better than a 'I PROMISE YOU!'

Having someone dropping in for quick coffee/fresh out of the oven muffin and then I'm all yours

This message was edited Dec 6, 2013 8:15 AM

Betty, how many wooden scarf pieces are there supposed to be. I only received one, and going back through the pictures, it looks like part is painted on the snowman, then other scarf piece is added?

Don't distress over me Betty, I'm pretty tongue in cheek with this. I made a fence post scarecrow many years ago and I guess it was OK as someone stole it off the porch. LOL

I will use the tracing paper idea you suggested earlier for my face so I can get it on the first try.

You can do this Karen.

Just google snowman face, there are so many styles...


https://www.google.com/search?q=snowman+face&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=pOmhUv2fGIHK2gXfhIHYCQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1097&bih=540

Thanks Linda Kay

Only 1 piece for the card

Around the neck and the shorter piece is painted on the piece, the additional q piece I sent you is painted to co ordinate with what you did on the snowman..when glued to the piece it adds dimension

Company just left

Because they were going to town and saw I wasn't moving very fast they too my list of todo's and will drop by on their way back with the items..can't beat that!

guess we could work on the hat band..

turning your snowman so that the hat is facing you find the end of a brush (wooden part) or the tip of a pencil/pen we will decorate the hat brim

Photo 1: set white make dots which will form hearts..in groupings of 2
as per photo 1

Photo 2: while the dabs of white are still fresh with a pin or a toothpick or a brush (not sure what you are all working with pull lines to form

Photo 3: now with your piece having hat facing away from you add on the top of the hat a larger dab of white and pull from it creating almost a comma stroke, then with the tip of brush or pencil end make several dots getting smaller as you go..snow do same for the lower brim

now set in two rows of line work..remember these lines don't have to be perfect or straight..

now to shade the body..

if you have a brush, let's say 1/2" or larger, add a titch of water to your brown paint and work it on let's say a stero meat tray or plate, work it until you have what I'd call 'a wash of brown'
with your fingers press on the right 1/2 of the brush to remove most of the paint wash,
now lightly just touch the edging of the snowman so it can grab some of the color..

at this time I also put some ochre/yellow between the scarf sections..now on this piece you will see the neck part and one of the ends of the scarf that is painted directly on the snowman

if you painted the back of the snowman don't forget to do it as well

This message was edited Dec 6, 2013 9:50 AM

now to get the look of legs from body, set a piece of tape as shown in photo, then shade as you did up above..remember, paint is ink consistency

I also gave a little shading around the scarf and patches and don't forget both sides of your arms

this adds a bit of dimension to your piece but not necessary if it makes you feel intimidated

Photo 1: mitts..I also did two bands of ochre/yellow around the mitts..


when dry I shaded around them in a darker shade, added a titch of black to brown

I'm starting to get anxious, he's looking better isn't he?

finishing touches will make all the difference

with a liner brush, those not having a liner brush (by the way, you can find them at a $$$ store)
or with a toothpick, set mini lines to bring out the sections of the scarf and gloves

take a rest, you've earned it

Photo 1: pushed in the ends of the socks about 1" in so it looks as though it has a finished edge

Photo 2: because some of the holes in the shoes and in the body might have paint in them thus making it difficult to set in the dowels I sand the ends of the dowels a bit..don't want to break the edging of the holes in the snowman, shoes, even a bit of banging with a hammer...yikes...NOT the snowman though

now did I mention we need to do squiglies all around his body front and back..think I did lol


Photo 3: socks are crinkly, looking good
photo 4: just testing, wan to see what he might look like, I'll take him apart right away as now I'm more anxious to see him finished

best I take him apart and finish him

Photo 1

dipped the edge of a brush into brown/green mix (can be any dark mix or paint)
and shaded along the edge while pulling inward a tad, leaving a little space then doing again so my signs look a bit weathered

also dabbed my brush in a bit of yellow, wiped most of the paint off then ran it across the yellow on the mitts so the yellow grabbed the wood and highlighted the bands

Anybody with me this morning?

This message was edited Dec 6, 2013 10:52 AM

Waiting on paint to dry, pretty cold here today! I need to paint the face, and scarf. Not too far behind you!
I am going to trace the pieces and make a few more I think. These are always so much fun to do!

That would be fun indeed..glad you are enjoying, makes me feel warm in the heart!!!

Going to take a bit of a break and so I thought at this point I'd glue the dimentional piece of the scarf onto the snowman and while I'm add it, add the bows to the shoes

Waiting on paint also. Got the scarf made.

Photo 1:

sign #1 Heaven Sent

sign #2 1 Flake at a time

here is where a permanent marker might do the trick but if you have a liner write out the saying then with end of the brush dab a dot as per the photo at ends of the wording

did a bit of dotting in white, added a few hearts and voila the signs are done

Remember now, I am doing all this rather quickly in order to finish the instructions for you..

work at your own speed

Photo 1: add the arms
I took 2 wires and criss/crossed from the front to the back..note top wire goes in top
drilled hole on the snowman and bottom of the snowman arm, add the 2nd one and
twist from the back Photo 2 , then snip off excess

You can take a nail or end of brush and wrap the wired around it a few time to create loops, now put the length of wire through your sign and create loops from the back, with the remaining wire put through drilled hole in the mitt, create a loop or two so that the sign is now secure

now when all was said and done I decided I didn't like my snowman so white

Photo 1 - took some brown/yellow (I had a honey brown)..added water and washed my snowman-snowman body ONLY

Photo 2: see the goldy color wash

Photo 3 see how the white is now toned down

Photo 4: sanding the top/bottom of the dowel down so I didn't have to force it into the shoe/body

**** at this point I didn't like how tall my snowman was re legs
had I known this I would have cut them down before mailing
not end of the world but if you do have a saw maybe you'd like to cut 1 1/2 " off the dowels


Guess I'm all but done except to answer questions

one could also put some glitter on him, you know me and glitter

How did you do the patches on the front of the snowman?

Up near the top of the posts is a picture

I too a ruler and made a square, painted it grey then when dry I did it color of choice
Then when dry I took a ruler and made another square overlapping the 1st block and did same, grey then color of choice

I took an old scruffy brush and with paint on the brush wiped and wiped an a towel/rag until there was hardly any paint on it I lightly went over each square to highlight it

Just did lines around the 1st square but on the 2nd just do any pattern you wish

Got er done except for the signs, goofed them up so doing a re-do. Hubby thinks it's cute. Since it's a snowman I did snowflakes instead of patches.

Karen that is beautiful. Love the snow flakes.

Awww Thanks Linda, If I sit way across the room and don't put my glasses on it looks pretty good. I'll haul it down state with me and see who wants to take it home.

I have it all Betty but I can't find where you said to paint squigglies all around. What is that?

Dec. 6 11:16 A.M. It's up there Barb

I'm so smilling Karen

He's just so adorable..now look how creative you were!

Thanks Betty.

Good job, Karen! He has personality, I think they'll be fighting over who gets to keep him.

I saw that message Karen but I thought that was just for the scarf. I was referring to squiggles all around the body that she mentioned at 11:32 am above. I'm not quite sure what you mean there Betty. I don't see any on the photos or I'm not looking where I should....

These squiggles, Barb. At 11:16 she called them mini lines.

Now I see what they are!!! Thanks Karen. I guess my figure-it-outer has gone on vacation this week. Sometimes I need all the help I can get!