July 30, 2001 Hittygirls was started.

 So--what shall we do to celebrate?

It's our 14th year...so let’s do something related to the traditional gift, which was ivory, but since endangered elephant populations make this an unethical choice, it is now Animals.

In honour of Hitty and her first 100 years, the Huron County Hittys propose a “Faux Ivory” challenge.

Let’s make something for Hitty using Faux Ivory, or perhaps make a pendant or pin or wishing stone for ourselves using Hitty as a subject.  You may also wish to dress your Hittys in elephant, walrus, or whale print dresses,
or perhaps ivory coloured dresses for their photo, to mark the occasion and stay in theme but this is entirely optional.

The technique we will use is Scrimshaw. Whalebone and whale teeth, and walrus tusks were all used for scrimshaw. We could use tagua nut or deer antler or bone, or recycled piano ivory keys, but for most of us, I am suggesting polymer clay….  

Remember Hitty’s footstool? When she was on the whaling ship, one of the sailors carved Hitty a bone footstool. We don’t know what it actually looked like, so we can use our imaginations, as long as it is in Hitty scale. Kjerstin suggested using a wooden footstool and inlaying a slab of scrimshaw on the top. I have seen a craftsman carve lovely 3-piece footstools entirely out of bone.

Perhaps Hitty would like a faux ivory hand mirror? Inlay the top of a small box or trunk? Jewellery? Picture frame?   Do you have other suggestions?

Here are a few tutorials that you may find helpful:

http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/scrimshaw.html

 http://jamberrysong.blogspot.ca/2011/01/tutorial-make-faux-scrimshaw-pendants.html

 http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/faux-scrimshaw-with-makins-clay-r

 https://www.pinterest.com/leontine2/scrimshaw/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Scrimshaw-for-Beginners/

http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?4104-basic-scrimshaw-a-tutorial

http://eskimoscrybe.deviantart.com/art/Scrimshaw-Tutorial-106531424

Let’s have fun celebrating Hittygirls’ 14^th Anniversary, and experiment with a new skill at the same time!

 

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