Birds of a Feather Gettin' Together!

My beautiful cousin, Gloria, just married the most fabulous over-sit-foot man ever…Phillip!
Together, they have way more spunk than the universe knows what to do with.
Understandably, they had to have an AMAZING wedding!
And they did. The entire reception venue was a hand-built "enchanted forest" complete with real bark lining the walls, a lighted entrance tunnel made of young evergreen boughs, and mossy accents to complete the ethereal picture.

I was recruited to make the cake topper--two little love-birds nesting together. (Gloria has always had a thing for Disney birds…)

Having discovered bread-clay as the next best thing to actually eating bread, I ventured forth:

And here's the gorgeous couple about to enjoy their birdie-topped cake amidst the enchanted greenery:

Bread and WHAT?

Start with:

Mix in some:

Mess around for a bit...

And you get:

A tiny figurine!

No for reals…bread + glue = awesome air-dry clay that's super malleable, dries hard, and is totally fun to use! Add some acrylic color on top of your sculpture, varnish it with some sculpey or liquitex glaze, and kaPOW! Instant figurine!
Sure beats paying an arm and a leg for the fancy-schmancy clay at the craft store! Sculpting, here I come!

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This particular sculpture was inspired by a particular CANDLE from Bath & Body Works (I know I know, it's out of control…but I don't work there anymore, so maybe I'll recover…maybe?). It's called "Mint Chocolate":



















…Might as well be called "heaven". It literally smells like a York patty. Tasty. Wintery. Refreshing. Mmmmmmm.

After smelling the candle, I drew this:

Yes, that's how I felt :)
Then, after discovering bread clay, I decided this gal needed to come to life in 3D, so she jumped off the page, rolled around in some paint and glaze, found herself a cute little Parisian cafe table to sit at, and plonked the whole setup on top of some crooked cobblestones to enjoy her Mint hot chocolate latte in the crisp winter air.

Perhaps my itch to sculpt came from seeing Chris Sanders, the incredibly talented creator of Lilo and Stich, come out with a new mermaid figurine. As a big fan of his sketches, I loved seeing how his art could come alive in 3 dimensions, yet stay true to the spirit and style of his original drawings! I had to try it for myself. I expect many more sculptures to come :)

Enjoy!