Stick Mask

One down and one to go. I finished embellishing the purple mask yesterday morning and took a trip to Michael's for the final bits I needed. The customer wanted a longer mask handle so I needed a long dowel, some ribbon, hot glue and my trusty dremel tool. I used the dremel to cut the dowel to length, flatten and smooth the edges and then I started with the ribbon and hot glue. It just took a bit every few inches to keep the ribbon wrapping around the stick. Then it was back to the dremel to drill some holes in the top edge which I used to sew the mask to the stick.

I feel I must also point out that none of the pictures you've seen so far accurately depict the color of the mask because it is truly impossible to capture with my phone camera. In case you were wondering, it is the Lizbeth dark purple that I've used before. If I use my real camera it comes out just fine, but never with the phone and in progress pictures are so much easier with the phone. Since it's not being listed all you get are these phone pics. At least they show you that it was a successful enterprise to make a tatted mask stiff enough to stick on...well, a stick.

I spent rather a long time figuring out the best way to pack the piece. If the stick had been a mere 12 inches it would have been much easier, but luckily I had an old priority box on hand with the dimensions to make it work. Of course this still required creative packing to ensure nothing is bent and extra stuffing to keep the piece in the center of the box away from potential harm. The plan is to get it out this morning.

Once all that was done it was back to the other mask. I've been teasing the facebook fan page with images of it without explanation hoping that at some point it becomes obvious what I'm trying to make. So far no one has gotten it in a way that reassures me that the depiction is good. I'm getting a bit worried that it doesn't look like what it is suppose to, but I'm hoping that the embellishments at the end will fix that. I really would hate to go to all the trouble and have people just look at it and ask, what the hell is that suppose to be?'. That would be disappointing indeed.

Anyway, I got the fill in bits done and the eye wires covered. Next up is covering the larger wire and then it will be onto the embellishment phase. I might take a break on it though as I've been neglecting the business of remaking sold items. There haven't been a lot of them, but they are beginning to pile up on me with the masks and the vacation, so I really ought to buckle down and get the things that actually make me money done. Yes, I'm aware if these large masks sell they will also make me money. History, however, tells me that these masks are art pieces and will be around for a very long time before they sell if they ever do so I can only devote so much time to them. So steady remaking today it is, but hopefully I'll have some mask progress for you by Monday.