Original illustration Stromple will be based upon.

I am very fortunate to be working with the very talented children’s book author Stacey Geist. Stacey is publishing her first children’s book “Stromple and the Super-Huge Temper Tantrum.” She has asked me to create a puppet to help her market her book. The puppet will be a great way for her to introduce children to the main character of her book. As part or our collaboration on this puppet, Stacey has agreed to allow me to document the process of making the puppet, from beginning to end.

To give you some background information, please visit Stacey’s blog: Stromple’s Spot. Stacey has chronicled her  journey through the publishing of her book. The blog isn’t just fascinating, it’s informational and a great resource for anyone considering publishing. She shares her experiences and knowledge openly and honestly.  Now to the puppet.

Here are the original sketches that I submitted to Stacey:

Sketch of final puppet

These sketches are very preliminary but give me a plan of attack. To build the puppet, I will use foam with a skin of fleece. I will be using the cut and tuck method. That means I will shape the foam up into the basic shape I want and then cut and re-glue it together to get the curves that will define Stromple. This is a great method to use if you are doing a single puppet. It does require some knowledge, but comes easier once you get the hang of it.

It’s important to note that although the puppet’s appearance might change from the original illustration in order for the mechanics to work right, the final product will retain all character and be an accurate representation of Stromple.

The red lines indicate where I will make cuts and folds and in some instances, reveal the underlying structure. The notes are notes to myself, however I felt they were important to share in order to understand the process a little better.

I will collaborate closely with Stacey on all aspects of the puppet as client input is very important to me. I look forward to building this wonderful character and sharing my experiences. 

The next step will be mouth construction.

Structure and note's to myself for Stromple Puppet.