Other upcoming projects (not all ACC related)

Scattered thoughts about some projects that I really need to get going on (once my current batch of custom orders is finished!):


--Zibellino fox: I've tried several times now and I just can't seem to get a vintage fox with high enough quality, yet low enough price, to be feasible for a zibellino.  So, after poking around the internet and looking at some taxidermy sites, I thought, "Why not use a taxidermy head form inside a modern garment-tanned fox pelt?"  The form would give the head a hard shape I need to attach my zibie head onto, and if it works well I can finally make zibie foxes for those people who've asked for them!  I ordered a head form (over $30! yikes!) and I'm supposed to be able to pick it up tomorrow!  I'm hoping I can use glue and small tacks to attach the pelt's head to the taxidermy form,  I'm thinking that there will be an ugly bit/gap under the chin though, so I may have to cover it with cloth? trim?  We'll see how big the gap is.  I'm also going to try attach a large alligator clip under the chin so he can clip to his own tail/leg like the vintage stoles.  More on this project as I play with it!

--Zibellino marten: In the 1547 inventory of King Henry VIII's "Quenes Juelles", there is an intriguing mention of a clock in the head of a zibellino: "Item a lytle square Coofer coured with nedell worke having in the same two sables skynnes with aheade of golde being a clocke in each eye a rocke rubie and about the color three smalle table rubies and iij small table dyamoundes with iiij fete of golde."  Now, how can I pass that up???  I do have a sable pelt, but he's rather small so I'm opting to use a really nice stone marten that I've been saving make a zibie for myself.  Martens are closely related to sables, so I think he'll work nicely.  I found a pretty little watch face that I think won't be too distractingly modern:

 The idea is that I'll plant it right in the middle of his forehead (since the inventory doesn't mention where the clock is).  I figure that if I cut out the area where the watch back will be, then insert the watch face, I can then change the battery just by removing the zibie head from the pelt!

Venetian flag fan:  If I can talk Noelle out of a chunk of her parchment, I'd like to use it to make the "flag" portion of the fan.  I'll have to rely heavily on my scribal friends (you know who you are!) to help me make it pretty, then I'll attach it to a handle possibly made with one of these two choices:

I'm going to try my metal powder on the wood since it's supposed to be able to anneal onto it as well as the clay; that way I'll have a "metal" handle!  I also might attempt to make a feather fan as well...heaven knows I have plenty of feathers kicking around, as well as an excellent source for them!