Airship Three! So much fun to make, and I added even more customizations to this one (including brackets made of clock hands and very cool baroque brass angels). This is not a toy and not a Christmas ornament; it is a completely hand built miniature model and priced as such. Available here: [link]

More about this piece:
The ship's hull is made from pieced, sculpted and carved leather, dyed and painted with acrylics in brown, black and gold, sealed (just like my masks) with a clearcoat for durability. Inside; two levels of stained wooden decking. Below, two graceful leather flight fins bolted onto the the hull with brackets made from brass clock hands, to keep the airship on an even keel.

The ship is adorned with real brass fittings, including an anchor on a chain, brass angels on the prow for a figurehead, and a tiny brass ship's wheel at the helm. It also has lovely 3-d sculptural brass floral decorations on the stern. In back; a tiny brass propeller mounted on a copper "housing" and it actually spins (not motorized...just cute!).

I made bronze wire-wrapped lanterns from quartz beads...red rear lanterns and a white "hurricane lantern" hung from the bowsprit. The rear lanterns hang from brass brackets made from clock hands, bolted to the stern.

The ship is suspended from a "helium balloon" made of paper mache, decorated with gears and brass findings, painted cream with gold details and decorated with black baroque 3-d sculptural swirls and crystals. Hand-knotted netting of brown embroidery yarn supports the top and bottom copper gears. The ship is suspended from the bottom gear by five bright brass chains (approximately 5 inches log each) which are attached prettily to the ship by five brass eye bolts firmly screwed into the hull.

The dimensions (in inches):
Ship hull...length: 5", width: 1 & 3/4"
Ship and fins...length: 5", width: 3", height: 5"
Balloon: 4" round
Entire piece including chains: approximately 13", not including the anchor which hangs from a 4" chain

The whole sculpture weighs about 13 ounces. It will come with a gold ribbon for hanging. Although it has tiny delicate parts, the construction is solid with all pieces firmly bolted and cemented. Care needs to be taken with the paper mache ball, though it is sturdy because the ball has a hard plastic core.

This is NOT a toy. There are tiny parts on this piece, and it includes metal gears with sharp pointy edges. It should never be displayed anywhere in reach of children.

This piece took days to build and can never be repeated again. Signed dated and numbered "Airship Three"