When Harry Met Alli

For Allison's birthday, our friend's, Danny and Katie, gave Allison a gift certificate to a bookstore called The Reading Reptile. We were saving it until Allison got bored of the books she owned and a few weeks back we went to check out the store.

I cannot express how amazing this store was. It's laid out like a reading paradise. There are tons of new books, trendy books, pop-up books, classic books, and there is something for everyone. Nathan and I decided to hit up the classic book section and we each picked out 2 books from our childhood that we had loved to read.

While in the store, I was amazed at the paper mache characters that covered the space. There was Olivia the Pig, characters from Alice in Wonderland, and the ENTIRE room (set) of Goodnight Moon. It was incredible. I found out that the artist who does all the paper mache offers weekend classes for $200. She's amazing but that is way out of my price range but I was really inspired and decided to take the inspiration from the store, and the inspiration from one of the books I chose - Harry the Dirty Dog, and try my hand at paper mache.

I wanted to make an Allison-sized dog and it was easier to create the pieces when it was larger (but it definitely added a lot of extra time to the project).

To make the inner shell, I used 3 feet of chicken wire for the body, a plastic bag filled with paper for the arms and head (shaped with tape and yarn) and I used empty water bottles for the hind legs and stuffed it with paper for the full shape. I researched making the shell before I stated and was amazed at the creative ways people put items together.

 

 I covered the wire with duct tape because I read that it was really hard to get the first layer of paper mache to stick to the wire.

I didn't have stacks of newspaper lying around so I checked out a few recycle bins and they had been cleared out! So I tried the local library. I approached the (consistently grouchy/strange) man who works the main desk and explained that I was looking for old newspapers. He said that they save them all week and then on Saturday mornings, the just put them out and people can take them. I said I'd be back on Saturday. He told me that I would have to get in line at least 1/2 hour before the library opened because people want the papers for articles. "Because of the elections, companies hire archivists to save clippings, and things like that." I thought this sounded strange, but I asked, "so when the elections are done, the groups won't be lined up for papers?" "Ugh, people always want the papers, I was just trying to say it in a way you'd understand."

This is not a unique interaction between patrons and this library dude. I went back to my research to look for newspaper substitutes and found that brown wrapping paper works. I decided to go to Walmart and pick up a pack of 100 brown lunch bags for $1.50 and rip them into strips - the whole project only used half the pack!

I used a flour and water mixture for the glue and each layer took around 45 minutes and took just over 12 hours to dry. I really enjoyed the project. It was relaxing and I liked doing something new.

After I finished 4 layers of glue/paper, I covered Harry with a homemade gesso layer. Gesso is just a foundation layer that firms up the surface and gives it a texture for the pain to adhere to.

 I used 96 cent spray paint to paint Harry white. It took nearly 3 cans but it was the perfect base.

I used acrylic paint for the eyes and spots - 50 cents at Walmart, and then Harry was ready to present to Allison.

Allison loved him immediately. Each time she goes into her room she rubs his nose. Allison and I spend at least an hour each day reading books and anything I can do to encourage her love of books is worth it!