[Thomp]

use a pallet knife or sponge brush to build depth and texture says the label snow-tex 2oz. bottle...
decoart Snow writer 2oz squeeze bottle says write with it.....

so i got some tulip SLICK, "dimensional fabric paint"

also got a bag of iridescent flakes to dust the wet paint with to make it sparkle... kinda different shades like mother of pearl

problem is the first 2 has the consistency of uncured brick mortar or cornbread mix and the other is creamy like vanilla pudding,,,

OK I'm making santa's beard and i want to make snow men as well apparently one medium wont work for both applications as i was told it would from michaels and hobby lobby,

rick in Seattle recommended pumice jell but its not available locally...

from the available items above..
the first 2 items look exactly the same if applied the same way... GRITS...
the second looks like vanilla pudding.. i guess i could just sprinkle the flaky things over it all in an attempt to cover it over like a cat dose when its finished...

its just not what i was trying to achieve, Although if i was trying to make a stucco finish on a adobe wall it would be great,,
or if i was carving a coconut cake it would suffice...

this i thought would be such a simple task, but is getting into my carving time..

i just want a hairy looking beard and a snowy looking snow man...

do i put the vanilla pudding on the Santa and comb the texture in, ?? or just go buy some doll hair?

any suggestions

[Kenny_S]

Thamp, The Decoart Sno Tex is what I have used in the pass to create asnow effect on bases of Santa and it is what you described. Easy to apply with a round toothpick on Santa and can evern create the breard also.
I accidently left the lid off and it dryed out, but was able to revive it somewhat with tap water. Just a little at a time.

[Marci MN]

Thomp, do you have sawdust laying around? Thats what I've used in the past.

Dump about a 1/2 cup of sawdust ( you can sift it to make a good consistancy) into a baggie. Then squirt some Elmers Wood glue into the baggy. Squish it around by pinching on the bag. You want this sawdust to just barely stick together when squeased.

Then, using a throw away brush, brush on a thin layer of the same glue on your project. Using either your fingers or that same brush, press on globs of your wet sawdust. Let it dry.

You can paint it by dabbing with a thicker brush full of paint. Whats nice is, you can do your darker color first, let dry, and then dry brush on your highlights for your snow. I will usually use a light blue under the white highlight.

Dont laugh, but I've used worm bedding (the kind you buy in a bag, I think its powdered paper) instead of sawdust and have gotten a good 'snow' effect too.

[Kenny_S]

Thomp,
Here is a picture of a Santa and a Tree that I used the Decoart Sno Tex on. This came from the dried up jar that I added a little water to and mixed up. It takes a few hours to dry though.
http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...9&d=1158714055

Marci has a good idea with the sawdust and Elmer's glue and then painting.

[Kenny_S]

Well Marci, that is using your head.

[Thomp]

Guss its been since 1983 that i seen snow... here in Louisiana a snow shovel could be used to rob a bank because folks wouldn't know what it was...

anyway i guess I'm trying to create a half remembered memory..haw!
the slick brand puff paint works if you got the time since my Santa was small i took a v gouge and set here for 2 hours and cut hair on it.
the Santa face ornaments was an experiment learning experience so i took it as a challenge, and used everything i could to get the 8 of them to look white beards eyes and a nose... no matter they all look like ginger bread cookies, so i made a 4mm curved eyebrow stamp out of chopstick end and dabbed eyes on with the other end, they all look kind of cross the wife says, i told her none of has been good enough for him to visit anyway...

but the puff paint is nice for faces if i would have bought different colors like red blue and black,
if the beard is painted with a good thick coat of puff paint you could use a tube and gently press it into the beard and work a pattern into the hair as the puff paint gets skimmed over i found out. but start with an oversize tube as the puff paint builds up on it..and closes inside diameter smaller..
---
using another chop stick i made another round end pallet knife looking thing or snow Tex spreader you can whip the stuff like merengue on a pie top but the thinner you make the snow Tex the less it stands-stacks up

[dewdrop]

WOW, you are really creative with those
chopsticks ! Just proves, where theres a
will--theres a way. Good thinking. I was going to tell you there is also a product available at craft store called "True snow"
that is very smooth and workable, but I think you have already solved the problem.

Jeanne

[Thomp]

Jeanne,

the chopsticks were the take out kind that have one end still stuck togather. in a rectangle chunk of bamboo or whatever theri made of,

To make the eyebrow stamp i took a 9 or 10 mm palm gouge and worked both sides of the retangle on one stick so it looked like the curve of the gouge. thinner the better. then with a 50/50% acrilic paint and water mix i used it like ink and just pushed the stick at the eyebrow area,,

this works great if you have already sealed the face, cuz if you get a eyebrow to high or low you can easily wipe it off, otherwise you have to repaint the face area.

i have been critisized for making rounded eyebrows as it makes the carature look mad,,

to rethink the stamp i would make 2 one for each eye kinda "~" looking or "L" on its side shaped.....

i love chineese food and the chopsticks are free,,, im sure this time next month ill have many different shaped stamps..

since eyes are my weakest point in carving, for the eyes i did use the same color and mix and dot the eyes on. then carved one stick to a sharp point then dotted the white light glent in each eye.. dit or line works...

[dewdrop]

Well, like I said, good idea-I'll be saving my chopsticks from now on !

Thanks for another good tip
Jeanne