Would you believe, painted ribbon??

[Callynne]

I wanted to share how I did the reins for this piece. They are painted ribbon and I'm really happy with how they turned out!!

I was worried about how to do this piece, how to make decent looking reins that would match the carved harness on the reindeer. Then I remembered, a couple years ago, a carving buddy of mine, Dale Docter, did a carving of a horse drawn sleigh and that was how he did the reins.

I think it's a very good match and easy to do. The ribbon not only takes the paint perfectly, it also took the antiquing and matte varnish just as well.

I just wanted to share Dale's great idea with you, hopefully it will come in as handy to you someday too! Deborah

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Really an excellent and clever carving. My only worry about painted cloth is that it becomes brittle over time when painted and especially varnished. If I can venture a suggestion it would be to use dyed leather which you can buy at Tandys. I have a piece thats just about the same scarlett color as what you used. Years ago I bought a womans leather coat at a Goodwill store and it's been the source of all my bridles, reins and any other leather I might need for my carvings. Just a suggestion.

Again, an exceptional carving.

[bigEd_H]

Very nice carving and neat idea on the reins. Thanks for sharing.

Ed

[LMiller]

Excellent detail in your carving!!! I noticed the lines in the antlers of the caribou. Are they carved or painted?

Very nice piece!!!

[Callynne]

Thanks guys, glad you like him! Thanks too, for the suggestion Lynn. Only problem I'd have with the leather is, I'd probably end up painting it too, to get the color I wanted! Ha! Ha! Seriously though, I think the ribbon will hold up well, since I have years worth of acrylic paints and water based varnish on every pair of pajamas I own (I love to paint in the evenings watching television with the hubby) and it's all still there and hasn't cracked yet!! The ribbon took the paint more like a stain than paint though, so that should help too! I do agree though, leather would be great to use!

LMiller, the lines in the antlers are woodburnt. When I painted them the dark lines were covered over (but not filled in) and when I antiqued them, they showed up again.

Thanks again for the compliments guys and your great suggestion, Lynn!! Deborah

[Donna_T]

Deborah,
Great carving. You did an awesome job on it and every detail enhances the overall concept. Thanks for the idea about using ribbon. I saw a pict on FB but these pictures are easier to see. Thanks for sharing and it's so good to see you posting again. So are you through babysitting and ready to carve up a storm?
Donna T

[Callynne]

Thanks Donna, I'm glad you like him! Yes, my time is much more my own again, I am carving up a storm and I'm soooo enjoying it!! Deborah

[Irish]

Wonderful idea Deborah. Most ribbons today are synthetic and more likely than cotton to hold up over time. I also believe that the extreme thinness of the ribbon is far more in proportion to the carving than leather lacing or strips would be. Without some attention as oiling leather can become dry and brittle as well as begin to decay by becoming small dusty little bits.

L. Irish

[susieq]

Oh Deborah....wonderful piece of work!!! I love him. Thanks for the idea of painting the ribbon. I might try it sometime. But Lynn's idea of using leather is a good one too, I have done it. If you get a roll of "calf wallet lacing", it's in perfect proportion to the work. I have used it for the stirrup straps and reins on a rocking horse accessory to one of my santa carvings and it was the perfect size, even for the small rocking horse...and it can be thinned some with a razor knife if need by. I did that where I needed to fold the lacing over to make a loop around the bit ring and the stirrup, a little dab of contact cement and it's good to go. These lacings come in a wide variety of colors by the way. I used to do a lot of custom leather tooling and have a bunch of that stuff left over.

But your piece is stunning! Great job!! I think the paint on the ribbon will remain flexible also, because it is acrylic.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Thank you for the tip Deborah, the carving looks awesome !

Dave