Painted Mini Garden Gnome

This little project was just for fun. My friend over at WhollyPiecemeal gave me this kit:


Notice you have to be over 3 years old and that it comes with three colors of paint and a plastic brush. Well, I'm over three so that's covered and the paint and the brush went straight to the trash.

I used 12 colors of acrylic craft paint plus mixtures and about 6 brushes to paint my little fellow (he's 3 inches tall) and this is how he turned out:

I like how he looks woodsy and his little (and I do mean little, as in small and difficult to paint) face has personality. Yes, there are tiny white highlights in his eyes!

What are you doing just for fun? Leave a comment and let me know.

Gnome Craft – In My Garden!

I took a little break from finishing up the latest book, Let’s Crochet! and did something completely different. This is a little gnome doll made with a wire armature body and wool felt clothing. He posed in my potted plant

and then had to take a stroll in the garden.

The inspiration was a book called The Gnome Craft Book" by Thomas and Petra Berger. I found it at my local library and thought it looked interesting. Turns out it was first published in Dutch and translated into English. That explains a lot.

It’s not like the craft books we’re accustomed to. There are lots of techniques and the authors assume that readers know how to do quite a few different things from knitting and embroidery to simple wood carving and wire work. Even the little fellow here would have been quite difficult if I hadn’t already known how to make wire armature dolls and had the proper tools.

The dolls eventually suggest their names but he doesn’t have one yet. Any suggestions?