Wendy Cevola - Zombie Hut movie and Sven's new book on display.

GROG thank you for checking in on us youngsters. We just make molds as thick as our heads so they last a long time like us.

MadDogMike that's how I put Dan to sleep at night.

hang10tiki I'd like to hear more about his dream. The photos are cool because its freezing in the garage.

TikiAno if Bob gives good advice then talk to him all you want. 2013 I love this new year.

Progress Report:

The hat is out of the mold

as is Severed Head #2.

I opened the rest of the molds and found one with major glug glug where the excess clay didn't pour out. Last time this happened I made two torch bases that are still on the drying shelf. This time to save it I made a new sitting Bob. Here are the photos of the steps.

The mug was super heavy so looking inside I saw I had a bad one again. This happens when the slip is too thick.

I cut out the bottom and removed the clay.

I used a round sponge on a stick to smooth out the inside of the mug.

I put sticky clay around the edge of the mug and pressed it down on a sheet of clay.

I formed arms legs and feet and attached them.

I I I sorry about that...formed a coconut mug.

Now it is in Bob's hands with large thumbs.

Photos really help. Seeing these photos show me that I need to re-shape the arms better.

I liked hang10tikis Suffering Bobs bottom so I did it again.

Now that I saved this Bob I'll be working on each Wish List request. I'm about to have a lot of fun.

Cheers, Wendy

Thats freekin awesome..........................

The sitting Bob is adorable! I especially found myself chuckling about his feet & cute little tushie!
~kele

That's HILARIOUS Wendy! :lol:

I am convinced that the butt crack photo is the start of a new contest to see who comes up with the best "butt crack" crack....You're a salty dog, wendy. A salty dog. and I love it.

hang10tiki I thank you and so does Sitting Bob.

WaikikianMoeKele I had Dan model for those I'll let him know you think he's adorable, I do!

MadDogMike this is serious art.

dartharnie this is no joke. You are my 2,500 post and you win a prize. When I send your next mug I'll include something extra. Guess what, it is a coincidence that I made your Invisible Bob today. Photos tomorrow!

My Motto is "Will Work For Comments" on Tiki Central. You all made my day special. Thank you, Wendy

[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2013-01-02 20:19 ]

Wendy, I'm going to blush every time that I see ANY pic of Dan from now on...
I'm sure that both his feet & his tushie are very cute! lol :)
~kele

Definitely looking forward to a picture of invisible bob! & family loved the sitting bob~

Sitting bob is very cute Wendy. The backside view cracked me up. Love it.

WaikikianMoeKele ha ha ha.

Holler Waller see below. I'm so happy that Sitting Bob has fans.

tigertail777 good to have you here again.

Progress Report Wish List #3 2013

Fist off I am showing dartharnie his prize for being the 2500 post on my thread. I like having contests that no one knows are in progress.

A Honu necklace made from a sculpt I did for the resin chunk lamps by Roge.

To make the Invisible Man I used a Bob and the photos that dartharnie sent to me. This is for him.

I first built the mans face.

I covered the face with strips of "cloth" leaving a space for air to the nose and did the body with a coast and ascot.

Side view.

I cast a sombrero to convert into the hat.

Converted.

I cut the top of Bob's head off and used the ring of clay(made smaller) on the bottom of the hat. This slips inside of the mug to hold the hat on the mug.

There is a layer of plastic wrap between the hat and mug. It fits!

Lenses added to the goggles.

Cheers, Wendy

Aloha Wendy!

I did get it! On New Year's Eve, right as I was heading out the door to get another tattoo. I didn't expect it to be that big! So, I promptly strung it up with the appropriate cord, hung it around my neck, and wore it for the rest of the day. I took a picture on my front porch before leaving:

It's huge, but I love it! Thank you so very, very much. By the way, someone was selling the resin versions of these at Tiki Oasis, along with some of your mugs, who was that? The person had a table with a TON of mugs. Also, are the resin ones smaller, or is my memory just bad?

It's so cool, and an excellent addition to my growing pendant collection from awesome tiki artists!

I can't wait to see the first glazed Shrunken head mug. Mannnnnnn is it going to be cool. If you need a motor to get rid of bubbles, I can send one your way if you'd like. I've made quite a few here at work for our mold room, and can whip one up real quick for you. Let me know!

(So glad the kids liked their bowls!)

Oh! Also, she loved the puffer =) I think they may both end up being hers, instead of a his and hers, because she loved them both!

We'll wear them to the Tiki Tuesday I host next Tuesday. I'll post pictures!

That is quite the pendant Hale Tiki!

Wendy, that Invisible man-Bob is looking great!

Thank you for the Turtle. My littlest one has already claimed as her own. I'm banking on her forgetting about it by the time it arrives, but I think you've made two of us very happy. (though I'm a little sad there was no "butt Crack" crack contest :D )

Invisible Bob is Fantastic. Love the clothes and the hat. I am looking forward to seeing the texture and glazes.

Thank you!

[ Edited by: dartharnie 2013-01-03 13:43 ]

Also, the two new Bob's are looking great!
The Cocobut(t) Bob is wonderfully silly.

I'm sorry I've been away! WOW what a bunch of new goodies!

Great stuff Wendy!

Cheers,
Chris

Hale- huge necklace. Looks awesome. Go big or go home

Invisible Man Bob is wonderful! (but I can SEE him!)
~kele

Invisibob (er, Invisible Man) mug is super plus double amazing. I thoroughly enjoy watching (and learning from ) your process. Thanks so much for sharing all!

Hale Tiki I love the photo. The Moai can also be hung on the wall. There is a thread on TC for tiki tattoos in case you have any to add to that thread. The fellow with all the resin versions is Mahalo Tiki who has an ad as a header on TC. I am making Ren Clark Severed Heads but now you've given me the idea to make a few also as shrunken heads in the future. Thank you! I was super happy the kids liked their bowls too. I still have the bowl I won for a dime at the state fair when I was a kid. My sister won one for a nickel 12 years before and she has her bowl too.

Hale Tiki I'll be really happy to have photos of your puffers on your tiki Tuesday out. Very cool.

zerostreet I've been admiring your latest paintings. Thank you always for stopping by here.

dartharnie sending me another Invisible Man photo changed the whole thing. Check it out and see if you approve.

Hale Tiki I could never have guessed that I would spend so much time with Bob. Good thing Dan approves.

WestADad I'm so glad you have returned. Welcome back. I have 11 Bob's to customize to finish this wish list and also a bowl and signature mug. I'll have a lot to show and I'm moving faster because of all the experience I've gained.

Yesterday I put away a bunch of molds that I've finished with and brought out others.

We poured the third severed head and started pouring for 19TikiChef62's Missionary's Downfall (3) women with tattoos bowl. I may have enough poured to finish the wish list soon. Then it will be a severed head every other day.

OK so Dan tells me the Invisible Man looks like Kermet the Frog. It does dang it.

dartharnie sends me a way better photo to work with so I start the transformation.

I work to make more strips of cloth covering the face and completely change the goggles to sunglasses.

I send this photo off to dartharnie and I think he sees that the bowler hat looks more like a cowboy hat so I need to change that too.

This morning when I got up I went down and increased the size of the sunglasses. Here the right lens is done.

To add clay I use a paint brush and put some slip in place as glue. Then I add the clay.

I changed the brim on the hat and then I needed to make the top have less of an angle. So again I added clay.

The new sculpt is so much better than Kermet. Sorry Kermet. I'm happy now I'll wait to hear from dartharnie.

To fulfill wishes I need to re-work pieces often. I'm learning how with all of you. Thank you, Wendy

hang10tiki I need to get back to your carving thread to see what you decided to do to the second pole. I still vote for Bobette.

WaikikianMoeKele you can't see him. You can only see the cloth wrapped around him and his clothing. With his hat off the top of his head doesn't show but we know its there to keep his hat on!!!

TikiAno check him out he looks very different now.

Progress Report Wish List #3 and the Severed Head

Invisible man looks cool
Great idea

Still not sure about the next carve.

Jon

He was much more handsome than Kermit-The-Frog, but I like the improvements :)

On 2013-01-04 09:31, danlovestikis wrote:
WaikikianMoeKele you can't see him. You can only see the cloth wrapped around him and his clothing. With his hat off the top of his head doesn't show but we know its there to keep his hat on!!!

Wendy, I'm reminded of how my then 5 yo daughter (Stacey is now 37. married & has an almost 2 month old son, in 2 days) explained to me that there is a DISTINCT difference between an invisible friend and an imaginary friend. She had invisible twin friends as well as an invisible elephant.
~kele

hang10tiki dartharnie comes up with these projects. I have two more on the Wish List to make for him. They are fun to do.

MadDogMike thanks Mike its always worth the work to get it right. The last photo he sent made a huge difference in how I did the work.

WaikikianMoeKele your daughter had a wonderful imagination to separate the two. I never had either and wished that I did. I just made things in clay.

Progress Report:

I opened the molds yesterday and cleaned up the casts. Now I'm down to just pouring the Missionary Downfall women (for 10Tiki Chef62) and the Severed Head. This was head number 3. The Frankoma War God is for Professor G. I will try a third time to get his white with blue spots statue done.

Yesterday we went to Alpha Fired Arts the best supply store in the Sacramento area. They have everything for ceramics. They also sell on-line.
While Dan got the gallon jars filled back up with slip I picked out glaze for the Severed Heads and other projects. I'm a glaze junkie. This shopping spree was my Christmas gift from Dan.

What I bought except for 20 gallon jars half filled with slip. We only half fill them so I can add water to make them the right consistency for pouring. If I don't add water all of the casts end up with slip that will not pour out.

When we got home we couldn't unload the car because I had no place to put anything. So Dan consented and we put up a shelf that we've had waiting since September. It was fast and easy. I moved some of my glaze test strips and we put up the brackets.

My job was to mark where and Dan drilled. Then we put the brackets in place and he screwed them in. All four in place.

Then I marked the shelf. We took it outside and he drilled the holes.

Back in Place. HI THERE!

The back edge of the shelf is sitting on quarter inch plywood for my glaze strips. This shelf is sturdy and will hold a lot.

I also had two small shelves to install. One on top of the other and one screw did the job. I moved glaze over here and now I have anther shelf I can fill with what I bought yesterday. The numbers on the containers correspond to the glaze strip tests on the wall.

I love art supplies. I wish Alpha was in my backyard.

I have errands today. If I have time I'll start another project later this afternoon. Thank you always for the visit and comments, Wendy

On 2013-01-05 10:00, danlovestikis wrote:
I wish Alpha was in my backyard.

Looks like it's already in your garage!

You guys rock. Happy New Year!
Buzzy Out!

I did a twelve hour shift at the restaurant (I don't think I sat down once). I get home, and do I turn on the t.v.? Make a sammich? I don't do either . . . I pull up TC and check to see what those crazy Cevola kids are up to. It's the happiest thread on TC and my favorite show. The new work is beautiful as always, Wendy. Thanks for sharing it with us.

The "Wendy & Dan Show" is the BESTEST show on the web! :)
~kele

busy busy busy

Bay Park Buzzy you are right that I have a miniature Alpha here. We are running out of space and places to add shelves. Happy New Years to you and Christina.

Professor G what an honor to have you choose us over TV. As one who loves TV your post was very special. Did you notice that I have poured another War God statue to try the White and blue dots again? I'm still working on the Wish List. If you have changed your mind let me know. We are happy. It is funny but Dan likes his tikis with mean faces a contrast to his own face. I hope you have gotten some rest now.

WaikikianMoeKele you are so kind. Thank you. By the way you are not an invisible or imaginary friend, just a real one.

hang10tiki we were too busy for clay yesterday, horrors. Hopefully today will be better.

I better get working or our show will be canceled! Cheers, Wendy

No messages ):

Progress Report Wish List #3 and the Severed Head

Three drying on the shelf.

2 days with the fan dries out the mold for the severed head and Missionary's Downfall woman.

We poured Severed Head #4, now we are getting somewhere.

I started the next project and it is again for dartharnie. When I customize a Bob mug sometimes it messes up the inside of the mug. This is a great tool for smoothing inside the mug. It just needs to have water or slip on it so that it will glide easily.

Yep next up is Dracula. As dartharnie says it is all in the eyes and eyebrows. I need to add hair to the top of the mug and ears to the sides.

I have no side views of Bela Lugosi so I'm guessing from a couple of 3/4 views.

I've just begun to rough him out. He had to firm up over night. I hope to continue this afternoon.

Watch your neck, Wendy

W-
Vamp should like this one

I'm so glad I could inspire, even if it was a slip of the tongue! I didn't even realize I said shrunken head until I read your message.
Been making a lot of shrunken heads lately, I guess it was just on the brain. Lol.
I'd imagine you'd need to resculpt the jaw line to sew the mouth shut, but it's be a pretty outstanding mug.
4 down, 21 to go! Or, at least I assume it'll be a run of about 25.

I'm hosting Tiki Tuesday tonight, so we'll have our bits of Cevola on! Pictures to follow.

I'm starting my first chunk lamp today, I think I've found an excellent material for them, and I have some ideas that are pretty kooky, so I hope it works out!

Oh, and I need to start drawing ASAP for those two very special mugs I was telling you about roughly a month ago for the wahine and I. I just wish I could come visit to pick out the glazes in person :)

hang10tiki maybe one day Vamp will want a female Vampire mug.

Hale Tiki you have so much to share. I can do anything when the clay is still soft. I haven't decided on the run number yet but there are always failures so I have to make more than the run so I can pick only those that turn out perfectly.

I'm looking forward to your Tiki Tuesday photos. I loved the ones you posted on Ohana. I'm freezing when its 50 degrees.

Good Luck on the chuck lamps. Start an "other crafts" page and keep updating it with progress photos and instructions.

Congratulations, I'm watching for the drawings.

Progress Report:

I've started building the top of the head so I can add hair.

Eyeballs are rounded so I use this wooden tool to round back the corners.

Now the eyeballs are rounded.

I've tilted the head forward so that when he looks up with just his eyes there will be a rim of white under the irises.

dartharnie found a side view for me so I'll print it and go check the sculpt for needed changed.

I can use it for the ears and hair too. Thanks Derek. Cheers, Wendy

Those severed heads are looking really good! Glad the mold turned out. Bela in mug form is shaping up to be a classic as well. Keep up the good work!

AWESOME!!!! YAY!!!!
"I vant to suck 'em up! BUWAHAHAHA!"
~Zero

Aloha!

Thanks for the compliments. I'm an idea man for a living (industrial designer/artist), and so I always have lots of ideas I'd love to do, but don't have the time. I'm just happy that you found some ideas of mine that were helpful, and that you liked enough to use! =)

I guess you can turn your imperfect ones into the shrunken heads if you pick only the best for the production run! I have lots of ideas for that one if you'd like to hear them when the time comes.

I think I just figured out what to do for her mug after looking through your thread yesterday. She's not super big into tiki, but really likes it, the drinks, and the people. So there's not a lot for me to draw inspiration from for her, but I think I've got a solid concept.

Here's a picture of us from last night. I told everyone about your pendants, though most follow your post here on TC, or at least have in the past. There's at least one more person who wants a severed head mug, you should be hearing from her soon. Anyway, glad to see things are moving along!

lunavideogames five severed head have now been cast and the molds have been drying since 9 am. It's the best mold we have made so far. No leaks. I'll keep working hard on Dracula.

ZeroTiki only red drinks allowed in that mug.

Hale Tiki that's a super photo. You are a beautiful couple.

Thank you all for cheering me on.

Progress Report:

We finally got the car unloaded. The slip stayed in the garage but all the glazes came into the house for book keeping. I have to mark them in the catalogs so that I know I have them and then assign them a number for the glaze test.

I number the bisque fired test strip on the bottom and I get a paint brush for each new glaze. This makes it faster.

The bottom gets three layers of glaze the center gets two and the top gets one. When I glaze a piece with well help me decide how many layers to use. Some of these are tests for glazes that I bought because they matched the original Severed Head. It will be a long time before I fire these but they are fine to sit and wait out in the kiln shed.

dartharnies Bela Lugosi is a challenge. I'm using so many photos of him at so many different ages. I'm blending them. One will have a normal hairline and one with a point in the middle. I liked the point so that what I used. Here I'm back to changing the mouth to lower the lips and I added nostrils to the nose.

I've done the older Vampire but I use this young man photo for nose shape from the side. Shadows can effect what you do if you don't take them into account. There are many shadows in this photo under the bottom lip and nose. The photo even cuts off part of his jaw line. I just refer to all the photos that I have.

I worked on every part of his face yesterday. The greatest impact came with finishing the eyebrows and lips. He still looks strange because there are no ears. When I add those then his hair and cheekbones will become wider.

This face has many changes yet to come.

I hope to make a lot of progress today so I better sign off and get to work. Cheers, Wendy

Looking very good Wendy, I envy your sculpting ability :o
I get to see you and Dan in about a month! :D

DraK lookin good

Wendy, reading your step by steps is both inspiring, saddening, and sometime infuriating. Inspiring, in watching you sculpt and carve amazing faces with uncanny likenesses (Bela Lugosi easily recognizable, in one of your earlier photos (well, to me)). Saddening, since I have the opposite level of carving skill than you. Infuriating, since I'll NEVER have said skill. :)

Either way, I'm happy to watch all of the progress and hope to absorb skills via electronic osmosis. Actually, I know it works since my work has gotten better by watching (and reading) all of your posts (and others, too). Thank you!

Excited to see what comes up next.

Wendy,

I've been a little busy since I've been back to school so I had 4 pages or so to catch up with. I just love the sitting bob, he's adorable! The invisible man is looking great as is bella lugosi! You are always amazing.

:)
Lori

MadDogMike thank you it just comes from practice and never giving up. As you know clay is very forgiving and allows you to change it over and over again.

hang10tiki (: he thanks you too.

TikiAno never be afraid to try. Just pick something and work with the clay. It really comes down to practice.

LoriLovesTiki dartharnie allows me to have a lot of fun making these special characters. Bob is the perfect shape for customizing. Welcome back.

Progress Report:

We continue to pour Severed Heads every time the molds dry enough. When I open the mold today there will be six.

dartharnie's Bela Lugosi is almost done. Every time I take photos and study them I see what needs to be changed. Today I found that the bow tie is too small, I'll increase its size. Otherwise he's close to being finished. I'll check with dartharnie tonight.

I added ears. Rule of thumb is that ears start at the eyebrows and end at the base of the nose. The angle of the camera skews these.

Thumbs next rule is that the end of the jawline runs as far back as the ear. Not straight down but at this angle.

I removed part of the jaw.

Dracula wears a lot of layers. First I did the shirt and tie and then I added the vest.

Next I added his arms, suit and cape with collar.

More photos.

Every bit of clay that is added runs the risk of cracking. These need to dry really slowly. Checking my recent project I found that Sitting Bob had a bottom crack.

I was able to dig this crack out and fill it with a mending product.

Then I looked inside the mug and saw another crack in a different position. This is strange because the cracks were not where clay was added. I think as it dried the thicker clay of the legs and butt pulled and made the thinner clay crack. I've worked to also repair the inside. Time will tell if it is repaired.

Thank you all for checking my work and for the comments that make my day special. Wendy

wow....count bobula is stunning! Stunning!
thank you. It's better than I imagined.

W
Thanx, u saved me, busy at work, needed a get away, saved by the Wendy and Dan show. Back to the mayhem.

Very Impressive Wendy! Amazing process shots!

How embarrassing for Sitting Bob that you are showing his crack to everyone! :oops:
But I was relieved that he didn't have a crack in his cute little butt crack. :)
~kele

Great work as usual Wendy. The Bela Lugosi mug is outstanding. Fingers crossed you won't have any problems with it cracking. I had to use some of the Magic Mend (which i was able to buy when MadDogMike so graciously took me to the ceramic store in San Diego when i was there) on a couple of things just this week. Fortunately after the bisque fire they seem to have come out OK.

Anyway, i digress. Here's a pic of the Bumatay pendant you gave me when i stayed with you. I wasn't happy with the colour after giving it one coat of Rockingham Brown so i gave it a few more.

I still have to glaze the other piece you gave me. I couldn't decide on what colour to use but i have now. I'll post some pics here when it's done.

Also, my custom super-craved Tiki Bob arrived. Thank you so much, he's great. Here's a pic of me and your Bob and also a pic of him next to my Bob 'O' Nut. Who thought that i'd EVER have a Bob in my collection, and yet now i have two. :lol:

Dracula is looking great. He seems MASSIVE though. He must weigh a ton! I know how heavy your regular mugs are. Lifting this one will be quite a workout.

:)
Lori