Tree Trimming Santa with Christmas Light String

Here is my latest Santa. I can't think of a good name for him, so I'll just call him a Vintage-Look Santa with Light String.

I just love the tiny little Christmas lights he's holding. The bulbs are plastic, or resin with one tiny air bubble inside each bulb. Very realistic. They are Jolene's, and made for scrapbooks, but I think they're just the perfect scale for this Santa, who stands approximately 10-3/4" tall.

I chose not to use crackle finish on this guy, and I went for a less shiney look. I sealed him with one coat of brush-on satin sealer, then rubbed antiquing glaze on him, wiping it off immediately. The antiquing glaze soaked more in the areas that had fewer coats of paint, like the fur trim on his hat and coat, which had been painted with one watered down coat of white that soaked into the paper mache.

I had planned on using glitter on him, but after antiquing him, I decided against it. His finish looks exactly like a vintage painted bisque santa from the 60s that I have in my collection. Of course, this Santa is made from paper mache clay. I finished him off with two light coats of a satin spray sealer.

I went for a simpler, primmer look when painting him, including his face. I like the result. He'll be in my Etsy shop in a few minutes.

In case you missed my August 20% off sale, I've decided to extend it through Labor Day, tomorrow. Any item in my Etsy shop can be purchased at a discount of 20% until midnight on September 3, 2012. Just use this code when checking out: AUG0812. Discount will be applied to all items purchased in my shop (and on my blog).

If you're looking for something that isn't currently in my Etsy shop, but you've seen it in my posts, just email me and I'll let you know if it is still available.

Thanks for dropping by to see my newest Santa. I hope you're all having a great Memorial Day Weekend.

Later,
Maggie