The Nutty Toymaker is back......it's about thyme!

The Nutty Toymaker was a Zim's piece that I painted several years ago. 

I often displayed many of my original pieces that I painted over the years in my STUDIO year around. I would then use them in seasonal displays throughout my home.

Everything I had in my STUDIO was destroyed by a FIRE in our home in 2013

I found my Nutcracker among the charred sooty remains of my STUDIO after the fire.

In order to even try to keep something after the FIRE it would have to go thru a process called "chem sponging" by the Fire Restoration Company.

Chem sponging is a costly process but necessary as it removes the toxins left by the fire and also removes the smell of smoke.

I decided to try to salvage my nutcracker as I knew that Zim's pieces were no longer available.

I have had my Nutcracker stored away for a few years because quite honestly he brought back some painful memories of a time when our entire house looked like him, sooty, burned, charred and destroyed. Much of the varnish had bubbled , he had burn marks on him from the intensity of the heat. His hair and beard had melted so I had to remove them.

I decided that this was the year that my Nutcracker was once again going to be a part of my Christmas MAGIC

Step inside the STUDIO and you can watch him come back to life again!

My Palette

DecoArt Americana Acrylics

Lamp Black, Dusty Rose, Shading Flesh, Victorian Blue, Burnt Umber, Rookwood Red, Graphite, Honey Brown , Country Red, Uniform Blue, Williamsburg Blue, Deep Midnight Blue, Hauser Dark Green, Hauser Light Green, Antique White, Titanium White, 

Metallic Lustre

and

Dazzling Metallics

Silver Spark, White Frost, Splendid Gold

I began the process by taking small sanding sticks to sand the entire surface which was all bubbled. If you look closely at the picture you can see the bubbled surface on his jacket by his neck. This was an extremely tedious process given all the tiny details on the project. I then cleaned all the surface pieces using a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol.

I then base coated the main areas all over again. I decided to give my Nutcracker a "new look" I changed some of the colors but the biggest change of all was to his face. 

I decided to change his eyes.

I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see the "MAGIC" happening as my Nutcracker came back to life!

I also decided to make some changes to the "toys"

The toys as I was painting them again

I made some changes to the tiny toy train also

The train after the fire.....even the tiny tree on the right melted

Working on the train and tiny toys!

I changed some of the colors on the train cars and added some Splendid Gold details

I even added a tiny tree to one of the cars!

The finished train!

I changed the color of the base of my piece. 

I did the "stroke work" on the base with a  stencil! 

I dry brushed it on 

with 

DecoArt Metallic Lustre Silver Spark.

Working on the toymaker sign

The toymaker sign is hung back on

Toys completed. 

I re- drilled the holes in the tray so I could glue the toys back in.

Side view. Working on the base and train.

I applied several good coats of 

DecoArt spray matte sealer 

to my finished project

I have added the Nutcrackers new hair!

He now has a beard again!

Are you ready to see the MAGIC????

The Nutty Toymaker is back!!!

DecoArt provided me with the paints to complete this project as part of their 

Helping Artist and Blogger Outreach Programs.

Thank you Rosemary Reynolds and DecoArt!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my Nutty Toymaker come back to life again

I am glad to have him once again be apart 

of the 

MAGIC of Christmas!

If you would like to see pictures of the FIRST time I painted the Nutty Toymaker click 

HERE

Happy Painting!

Lynn