Pepper, the Poodle

      This Saturday is my granddaughter's birthday. She just loves dogs and they have a new puppy. It is a miniature poodle named Pepper. Karen Burniston and I had a conversation back in July about how to make a black poodle. I hope she will not be too disappointed in the result.

Pepper, the Poodle

   I started off by purchasing a digital paper for the poodle panels. This is from Etsy. I use Etsy digital paper frequently.  I thought this squiggly print was just like Pepper. This paper is printed on white card stock in a printer, so it has a white core. I inked all of the pieces, so the white core would not stand out.

   I am not going to describe the entire process here. You can check out Karen Burniston's how-to video here.

   In order to make this dog a poodle I used black yarn to wrap the top of the ears and to make 2 pom poms. The diameter of the pom poms are 1.5 inch and 2 inches. The larger pom pom is for the top of the head. I just pierced 2 holes in the top of the head, pulled the yarn through and tied a knot. Easy-peasy!

     Making the tail was a bit more challenging. I had a vision of how I was going to accomplish this, but the end result was totally different. I wanted a spring for the tail so it would bounce. I was thinking the spring that come in pens would be good. I told my husband I was looking for a spring. He says, "You can look in my 'SPRING BOX' to see if there is something that will work." ---a SPRING BOX! Is that a thing????

YEP - IT IS A THING!!!

   I constructed the tail before closing the bottom bitty ball. The materials I used were a 1.5 inch pom pom with two long tails, 1/8 inch hole punch, 6 hole reinforcers stacked to make sturdier, dental floss threader, and a spring.

   I punched a hole in the bottom bitty ball about 1/4 inch from edge, centered top to bottom. Make sure hole is going to be on the back of your poodle and not in one of the panels with the folded wings. I then used scissors to cut a slit from the hole to the edge of the panel.

   I slid the spring into the hole from the slit.

   Making sure that the hole is visible in the spring, use the dental floss threader to pull the two yarn tails of the pom pom through the spring.

   Push the spring as far into the hole as possible (away from the edge of the panel). Cut a slit in the hole reinforcer. Add glue to the reinforcer (The adhesive on the hole reinforcer will not last.) and slide the reinforcer through the spring. The reinforcer will stick out of the edge of the panel. Trim it flush with the edge.

   Wrap one of the pom pom tails around the spring, getting it caught in the rings of the spring. Finally tie the 2 pom pom tails in a knot. Trim the tails.

   I assembled the ball as per Karen's instruction video. It may have been easier to connect this panel first, but I didn't do it that way. Ultimately I hesitate to recommend this. I have a feeling that it would be easier to do that panel first.

   I am sure there are a dozen different/better ways to add a poodle tail. I am happy with it! It doesn't hang down and it bounces - these were my goals.

   I did not put the poodle in a card. I attached it to the top of the gift box. My grandkids don't really like getting the bitty balls in cards. They would prefer to PLAY with them. The first time this happened I had to destroy the card to get the bitty ball unicorn off of the card. What a waste of time!!! 

I attached Animal Crossing digital paper to the top of the gift box. Animal Crossing is so new that gift wrap is not readily available yet. When I want copyrighted prints, such as Cat in the Hat, Mario, Pokemon, Yogi Bear, Doc McStuffins, John Deere, and now Animal Crossing, I raid the Etsy digital paper stores. If you search "digital" on my search box at the top of this page, you will see examples of this.

Materials:

   Patterned Paper: Black & White Digital Paper Pack by pointandpoem (Etsy Store)

                              Animal Crossing Themed Digital Paper by Findings Photo Designs (Etsy Store)

   Card Stock: My Colors - Black Magic

                                           Snowbound

                                           Firecracker

                      Specialty - Holographic

                                        Shiny Black

   Dies: Burniston - Bitty Ball Pop-Up

            The Stamps of Life - Foxes 2 Stamp Dies (alphabet)

   Ink: Distress - Black Soot 

   Embellies: Black Yarn

                     White Gel Pen

                     Spring (1/4 inch diameter; 1.5 inch long)