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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Haunted Hats

These sweet-creepy hats have been a joy to create. Made of Strathmore Art Again black paper, they are tediously decorated with spiderweb sequins, vintage thrift shop tulle, pipe cleaner, tiny poms, jewels, ribbons and cord. The feathers, flowers, spiders and bats are all paper, detailed with iridescent paints, (Jo Sonja). Enjoying my work means slowing down, having fun and accepting a challenge. Cone-shaped hat, I tamed thee.
The cone is tricky, especially with the stiff paper these hats require. I use a paintbrush handle and a bone folder to break the grain of the black card stock. It takes a few repetitions to curl into a cone shape. The cone has to be held in place while the glue sets. Though the paper is conditioned, it takes patience to keep everything in line. After five hats, I use a tiny clothespin to secure the base of the cone. This helps a lot.
I am proud of that big spider on this finished hat. Mag is a 1/3 scale doll and it fits her as a dramatic over-sized hat. She wears it well. Look closely and you can see her eyes are a little unsettling. This hat was designed to be a "fascinator" for a real person. It has two loops on the inside to attach barrettes or hairpins. A fascinator is a miniature hat or embellishment that does not cover the entire head.
Aaaaahhhhh! Infestation! I love these spiders, but they scare the heck out of me when they venture off on their own. And they do. Those little legs stick on my clothes and end up in the strangest of places. I said I would keep track this time - but the spiders think otherwise.

1 comment:

BonnieH said...

OOOOOO! I love these! For the first time in years, I'm getting into Halloween! Your hats are amazing!