Speaking of a new creation. . .the puppets are done March 19, 2008

We finished up the Zooplosion puppets last night!  Here’s what they look like:

    

    

The sheep:  This one is the simplest (most simple?).  No moving parts, just a handle on the back. 

The parrot:  I think this one is my favorite so far.  The head moves.

The elephantlionostrich:  It’s big.  The trunk moves.  The elephant’s name is “Little Orphan Elephant” because he doesn’t have pupils in his eyes.  You know, now that I look at it, none of them have pupils.  Hmmm.

The anteater:  The head and the tail move, and theoretically the tongue goes in and out.  I’m not sure if I will actually do that though.  For one, it’s tricky to hold the puppet and do the tongue movement at the same time.  For two, it looks kinda weird, in a bad way.

The trickiest part was gluing the paper front to the styrofoam back.  First I tried spray adhesive, but it was not strong enough.  Plus I could not stand any more complaining about the smell!!!!  You know who you are!  I finally settled on contact cement.  It worked very well, as I knew it would.  I was very entertained by the chemical reaction that took place when the contact cement touched the raw styrofoam.  Or maybe the fumes were affecting my brain.  And by the way I used the contact cement outside so as not to disturb the delicate senses of some people in this office.  You know who you are – Michele!

Thanks to Maddy for helping me glue, and thanks to Tena and Sica for helping me paint!  Big ups!  And not thanks to Michele for whining.  Big downs!

More Zooplosion March 5, 2008

Here’s the next step in the puppet-making process:

         

First I painted and cut out the picture of the animal, which you have already seen.  Then I traced the picture on some construction foam.  I chose to use this because it is lightweight and cheap.  It is not very durable, but most of the puppets will be used for a very short amount of time.  I also get to use my favorite toy – the styrofoam cutter.  I probably could have made one myself if I had known how easy it was.  It is a very simple tool, but it is very fun.  The wire heats up instantly when you turn it on, and it cuts through the stryofoam like butter.  The next step is to glue the picture to the foam and attach a handle to the back.

Zooplosion! February 27, 2008

Here’s what I’ve been working on this week:

      

The next series in KidsPointe is called Zooplosion and includes 8 animal stories from the Bible.  For the first time we will be performing the skits ourselves, and this is going to be one of the puppets in the first skit.  This one is actually more of a set piece because it is so big.  My job is cool.

P.S. The elephant’s trunk is detached because it will be able to move when the puppet is finished.  I didn’t want you to think that you missed the Bible story where the elephant’s trunk gets removed while the lion and the ostrich laugh at him.

What You Need, When You Need It February 7, 2008

Here’s a little puppet skit called, “What You Need, When You Need It.”  I worked on it a few years ago at the O’Neill Puppetry Conference.  The conference is only a week long, so we focus on concept and performance rather that amazing puppets and a beautiful set.  Everything you see was developed and rehearsed in one week.  The idea of the story is that no matter what challenges we face, God always provides a way for us to get through it.  There’s not really any sound, so don’t worry about turning up the volume if you don’t hear anything.  It’s about 4 1/2 minutes long.  I hope you enjoy it.

Go puppets! January 31, 2008

        

Here’s the first look at the first puppets I’m making for Pointe North.  They’re pretty simple, but I’ve got to start somewhere.  It’s been a while since I’ve made a puppet. 

Anyway, these and many more will be used for our next series, Zooplosion, when we move into our new, temporary facility.  All the puppets will be two-dimensional.  The different sections will be hinged together, so each puppet with have one to three moving parts.  The outlines of all the animals are on the CD-Rom that came with the curriculum, so all I had to do is print it out on transparent paper and shoot it onto the wall with an overhead projector.  Trace it onto paper that is pinned to the wall and paint.  Pretty easy so far.  Later I’ll show you what’s next for those who are interested. 

Yeah, this is my job.  Aren’t you jealous?