These are the latest photo's of my almost finished Dial O'Crock - I found some fantastic fabric to make him a stomach

I finally sent off these three images to Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Puppet Challenge. I am not yet happy with the photo's so I'll change them when I manage to take better ones. So far I have spent two or three days taking photo's that just don't do justice to the troll.

 

I made a last minute change to the mouth, which delayed the video, but he didn't look right with a mouth that didn't open.

 

Although the mouth mechanism was very time consuming I am very glad I took the risk - I am very pleased with the final result.

I realised a few days ago why it was that I did not feel the representation of the troll in the Ladybird book lived up to my idea of what a troll should be like. I realised that if the red nose was just a little bit smaller and the hair was taken away from the top of the head, then it looked just like my grandfather. Although I was very young when my grandfather passed away I loved him very much and often think of him in happy childhood memories.


This is the unedited video I made with the help of the family - technical difficulties and lack of time has delayed the final cut, but I hope to post it soon. It is well worth watching

So I am back where I started from - but I've finished !!!

Just needing a little dirt to smudge under the nails

This weekend I will re-string him and  take photographs and the really short video

This is my test video - since this was filmed the Troll went through drastic changes to try and achieve the desired appearance and movement to my satisfaction. I am therefore running a little behind schedule and the final video performance will probably be a short demonstration of the marionette rather than a full production of the Three Billy Goats Gruff

Unfortunatly I still haven't ben successful in posting my short video. Here are a few shots of the troll and the Dial O'crock. I have started preparing the little puppet show but think the story may need a little 'tweeking'.

This is how the troll was looking last month - now he has been strung up to see how he moves and I have decided he needs a little more movement in his feet as walking is quite difficult with such short legs and big feet.

 

I will post some more recent photo's soon, and hopefully the short video of him in exploring the herb garden

 I have been a little sidetracked with the construcrion of my Dial O'crock, my first attempt at a hand puppet, and although I have continued work on my troll I didn't find time to update the blog

He was inspired by the dials he wears as a necklace, though may be a clock would have been more suitable.
The control mechanism is based on a pistol - I will add a short video when I learn how

I managed to progress a little with the feet. I love the texture of the surface, but as I want to use this chiseled finish on the beard and eyebrows I will probably soften the effect a little. I also need to find a matreial to use as toe nails/claws - probably copper.

PUPPET CHALLENGE

I was recently accepted onto Clive Hicks-Jenkins Puppet Callenge. I am really excited about this puppet challenge, although I made several puppets in the past I needed something to get me moving again.

My character is the troll from "The three billy-goats gruff", which I really loved as a child but never found the illustrations in the fairy tale books quite as I saw him.

( I am still trying to find out how to edit this and correct my spelling mistakes)