Today I'm making magical polymer clay toadstool
mushrooms to use as a fairy garden accessory. Before we get started with clay, we need to
take a closer look at what we're sculpting. See how toadstools often clump together? and take a look at the variety of the shapes, All kinds of texture there, it's not just
a white stalk, and notice the white spots on top, they sit
there, almost like bread crumbs on a countertop. Why do I think they're like painted on? OK, to many video games. I made some regular toadstool mushrooms, let's
call them "muggle mushrooms" and one magical troll mushroom. I'll show you how I made the magical troll
mushroom, so that when you work alongside this video you can do either, or both, muggle, or magical
mushroom. Hi, I'm Caroline, from CertainlyCaroline.com, and I'm here inspiring you to create a miniature
fairy tale world, with weekly miniature art and doll making
videos As always, the supplies I used for this tutorial
will be in the description below. Also, I love to hear from you So do send your questions my way. When is she going to get on with it? Let's
sculpt! Since I'm working with white clay, it's important
to start with clean hands. Here I"m rolling out old clay in my hands
to get the lint off. I'm using floral wire and wrapping it with
tin foil to give it bulk. Now I"m wrapping it with white floral tape
so the clay doesn't slip around. Here I'm simply wrapping the clay around the
armature and smoothing it out. I use some white chalk dust to powder the stem, which prevents both
fingerprints and lint. Remember the toadstool's complex stem? Let's start sculpting it. I'm using my favorite wooden tool here, but
the side of a toothpick will work as well. I found many different textures on the stems
of toadstool when I was studying pictures of them. I'm adding lines that I saw in one photo. Using a brown chalk pastel, and burnt sienna
color, I carefully brush the color into the raw clay. Many toadstools have little flaps at the top
of the stem, not all of them, but many of them. It kind of looks like a tablecloth; it has
similar folds. And it looks flopped over. Adding some color to that tablecloth thingy. Now I"m starting my toadstool top. Shaving some yellow, orange, and light red
chalks. Using Premo Sculpey red here. I did the white stem before the red top so
my hands wouldn't be stained red while trying to work with the white clay. That can drive me crazy, So I found it's best just to be smart about
it and do whites first. Pushing the clay dust into the red clay here A lot of dust produces an interesting texture
in the clay which looks mushroomy. And also used a toothbrush to create more
texture on the top. Next I'm going to work on the underside of
the top. Mixing together some brown and white here,
you can also use grey and white. And shaping it and adding the red top. Adding gills with my xacto-knife. Securing the top to the stem with a bit of
soft clay here. Baking Instructions Now use cornstarch in a small tray. I used
a cupcake tray. And place the mushroom top down on the bed
of the cornstarch, by the way, baking soda will also work. And bake according to your clay's instructions. I have a whole video on How to Bake Polymer
Clay and I will put the link in the description below. While the muggle mushrooms are baking, I work on making one of my mushrooms magical
by adding a face. I envision something odd, and ugly, squatty
and trollish. A troll woman with way too much make-up. Yeah. Trolls are so easy to sculpt because there's
no rules. The uglier, the better. I'm liking this. Pretty fairies and mermaids, now those are
difficult. I'm trying something new, I'm using eyes that
I've already made. I'm excited about this, but hesitant. I researched whether or not the varnish that
I put on the eyeballs can go in the oven with the clay while it's baking. And they say it can. Stay tuned to see what my results were. So I go ahead and bake my clay mushroom, and
I really hope that those already made mushrooms are going to work in the oven, like I read they would. I check out her eyeballs as soon as she comes
out of the oven. They're looking not so clear, but I think, maybe I'll be able to live with it. Also, there's another problem. I'm not all that excited about my little troll. I realize something needs to change. I get an idea. Arms. I will add arms to her. And she will
hold an acorn. And she will look amazing. Palmer Clay is so awesome because you can
always change things around if you want, even after baking. I get out my handy Dremel 3000,
and drill a hole through the torso. then I add wire and the floral tape again. And I
wrapped all of the above with flattened out clay. shape into place and decide how my acorn
will look. I need little pancake hands for her and maybe you're thinking why did you
making cake hands? and I've got to ask you when was the last time you saw a mushroom
with any hands? so I figured pancake pans were pretty good. And I threw her in the oven
again. after baking and cooling, I lightly brush on some white genesis paint. I use a
dry brush technique, giving my troll a bit of a shabby chic look. to dry brush, you simply
use a very minimal amount of paint and just kind of sweep your brush across the top of
whatever your painting. it works beautifully to create depth and to keep those details,
so we don't end up with a ghost. See how little my brush is loaded with the paint? Hardly
any ammo there. i'll see you some red paint blending in with the wet white paint. Now
you get to hear why I regretted my premade eyes decision. They turned out yellow, after
baking. i'm not kidding you, hmmm, thought I, I didn't like my little troll again. Another
idea popped into my head. I will paint the eyes again, that's it! So. I painted those
eyes again. let's put some spots on the top of that mushroom. I rolled out a snake of
white play and after it baked, I cut it into tiny chips of white. Then I got out my liquid
Sculpey, and smoothed the liquid clay out over my mushroom top, and sprinkled on the
little white specks. I also added the liquid clay to the hands, the cheeks, the ears, and
the nose, and then sprinkled on the white specs on those. it's off to the oven with
her again. I will be applying the eyelashes next, how fun! You can find faux eyelashes
in the cosmetic section at the grocery store, and they're great for doll making. I simply
cut through them with my scalpel, and put a dab of super glue on the doll eyelids. And
then apply them, one by one. might seem frustrating at first, but once you get the hang of it,
it actually goes pretty quickly. See, I told you this was fun. once the super glue has
dried, I get out my amazing magic gloss. Using a pointy cotton swab, but would you call it?
I carefully dad the magic gloss onto the eyeball. This is to create a really cool wet glossy
look. Then, to cure the magic gloss, I put Little Miss Troll mushroom into a UFO. OK
not a UFO, is actually a UV lamp that I got at Hobby lobby, but it looks like a UFO. I
get out my fabri-tac, my faux moss, and a toothpick, and I apply the glue and stick
on the moss. Of course I want to finish with the little yellow acrylic paint, for more
realistic look. and finally, I wrap the acorn with some Spanish moss, and put it in her
arm. as always, links to the supplies I use for this tutorial will be in the description
below. Hey thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe for more miniature art and doll
making videos every Monday, or sometimes Tuesday. .