Props and Tales

Props and Tales Every tale has a prop to show and every prop has a tale to tell.

Greetings!Did someone say "see you soon-ish"? Well, the old familiar tale has proven true once again: busy schedules and...
15/10/2025

Greetings!

Did someone say "see you soon-ish"? Well, the old familiar tale has proven true once again: busy schedules and posting don’t always get along.
Nevertheless, in a brief moment of spare time, we’re finally back with another fake food to explore!
Today’s unusual fake dish: pan-roasted pigeon breast with sorrel and bacon.
This prop was created for the Almeida Theatre’s intriguing production of Romans: A Novel.

The fake food was made using air-dry foam clay, then painted and varnished. The foam worked well in this context as there was no direct interaction with the food so it didn't need to be extra robust . Otherwise, I might have opted to use thermoplastic instead. For the sauce, I used epoxy, though I had a slight panic when I realised my pigments had decided to go on holiday - I just couldn’t find them anywhere!
In a moment of improvisation, I shaved pastels into powder and mixed them into the epoxy. I added a bit too much powder, which extended the curing time, so I will be more cautious with that next time.

Materials used: air-dry foam clay, acrylic paint, gloss varnish, epoxy, pastels, vinyl glue.

Now let's jump to another very exciting part of this post - to a Buddhist fairytale about the The Pigeon and the Crow.

THE PIGEON AND THE CROW

Once upon a time in the golden city of Benares, a kind pigeon made his home beside a grand kitchen, living simply on scattered seeds.In the same city lived a sly and greedy crow, who watched the pigeon with envy and dreamed of feasting on the cook’s rich meats.
One day, the crow flapped over with sweet words and false promises of friendship. The pigeon, gentle and trusting, welcomed him, and the two birds shared the same rooftop. But the crow's heart burned with hunger, and one morning, pretending to be ill, he stayed behind to sneak into the kitchen alone.
He snatched a piece of fish, but with a clatter, the pot lid fell, and out came the furious cook!
The crow was plucked bare, rubbed with burning spices, and thrown aside to suffer alone. When the pigeon returned, he realised he it’s no longer safe to live near such reckless behaviour and flew away in sorrow to find a new, peaceful home. Meanwhile, the crow stayed behind to suffer the consequences of his own foolishness.

Thank you for stopping by and props and tales will be back when the schedule allows (hopefully soon)!

Every tale has a prop to show and every prop has a tale to tell...

Slightly unfashionably, and after a couple weeks of delay, Props and Tales is finally back with a brand new adventure to...
09/08/2025

Slightly unfashionably, and after a couple weeks of delay, Props and Tales is finally back with a brand new adventure to share!

Not too long ago, I posted a short video showing a quick sneak peek of a prop in progress, along with the question (paraphrased): Can you guess what this prop is going to be?

Well, the answer is… a crown!
But not just any crown. This one belongs to the King of the Forest, and it’s as exciting as it sounds – more on that in a bit.

Over the past year or so, I’ve been noticing more and more slug trails, and I’ve developed a bit of a fascination with how they catch the light at certain angles. There is this unexpected shimmer to them - something oddly magical. Every time I saw one, I felt an urge to replicate it somehow. And recently, I finally got the chance to do just that.

MAKING PROCESS
The crown base was made from grey board. I usually prefer using Finnboard, but since it wasn’t available, greyboard had to do. I didn’t particularly enjoy working with it—it tended to separate into layers while cutting and bending—but as a last resort, it was fine.
After drawing and cutting the shape, I covered the inner sides with scrap cotton fabric. Then I overlapped and glued the fabric ends together to form the crown base (swipe for some photos to see the process).
Next, I filled the outer gaps with a mix of wood glue and sawdust. Once that dried, I reinforced the outer layer by gluing on more cotton fabric.
To create the tree vines, I used crumpled paper glued in place with wood glue, then wrapped it all with masking tape. Over that, I applied a combination of sawdust and wood glue to add texture, followed by layers of paper clay and paper mache clay.
Finally, I painted everything with acrylics and sealed it using both matte and gloss varnishes incorporated with mica powder to get that mix of earthy and magical slug finishes.

MATERIALS: Greyboard, wood glue, cotton fabric, sawdust, paper, masking tape, paper clay, paper mache clay, acrylic paint, mica powder, mate and gloss varnish.

COMPANION TALE - NOT
Today’s prop companion takes a slightly different path. Instead of being drawn from a specific fairy tale, it leads us to a figure from Finnish mythology: Tapio, the spirit - and sometimes god -of the forest or king of the forest

Tapio is a personification of the wild woods and the many spirits that dwell within them. For hunters who relied into the forest to survive, he was a powerful presence—both protector and force to be feared. He’s often described as towering like a fir tree, with a wild, fierce face like a man’s… but from behind, his form twists into the shape of an ancient, gnarled tree.

But the forest is full of trickery. Sometimes, the spirit of the woods would appear as a beautiful woman, luring lonely hunters or woodcutters who slept beneath the trees. Yet, if they looked closer, her beauty would vanish—and in her place stood a decaying, moss-covered stump.

Thank you for stopping by and see you soon..ish!

Every tale has a prop to show and every prop has a tale to tell...

Hello!Later than statistically optimum posting times... an unusual prop has finally stepped into the spotlight.There are...
22/07/2025

Hello!

Later than statistically optimum posting times... an unusual prop has finally stepped into the spotlight.

There are more fun props coming soon from the Props and Tales workshop. Meanwhile, today’s pick is… another saw!

This little tool, perhaps once a trusty companion to a carpenter, was completely covered in rust. It’s since been sanded, cleaned with a chelating agent, and reimagined as a fun EXIT sign.

Have you ever repurposed old tools into something new? It would be exciting to hear some examples!

As we mentioned a carpenter, today’s fairytale recommendation is The Wise Carpenter from Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton. It is an interesting moral teaching story with a sprinkle of gore. If interested, you can read the full story on Google Books. Meanwhile, here is the introduction:

THE WISE CARPENTER

Once upon a time in the city of Snalong, there lived a wise ruler named King Gendong. When he passed away, his son, King Genchog, took his place on the throne. In Genchog’s kingdom lived two very skilled craftsmen—a brilliant carpenter and a proud painter—who were bitter enemies.
One day, the painter told young King Genchog a strange story: he claimed that the late King Gendong had sent an angel to bring him to Heaven, where the old king now lived in great wealth. There, Gendong supposedly gave the painter a letter requesting that the best carpenter in Snalong be sent up to build a temple for the gods.
King Genchog read the letter and believed it to be genuine. He summoned the carpenter and explained the request. The carpenter, however, was suspicious and guessed the painter was plotting to get rid of him.
When asked how the carpenter should travel to Heaven, the painter suggested a fiery ritual: the carpenter should sit on his tools on a woodpile, and as the fire burned, he would rise to the skies on the smoke. The carpenter agreed but asked to perform the ritual in his own field. The king gave him seven days to prepare, and during that time, the carpenter began planning a clever way to turn the painter’s trick against him...

Thank you for stopping by and see you soon.

Every tale has a prop to show and every prop has a tale to tell...

Today’s Props and Tales adventure features a silk scarf.I have been thinking about trying silk painting for quite some t...
06/07/2025

Today’s Props and Tales adventure features a silk scarf.

I have been thinking about trying silk painting for quite some time, and last week I had an exciting opportunity to finally give it a go. It is a satisfying art form with great relaxation potential, but it also requires a steady hand and some practice to master the flow of the paint.

For this project, I had just under three hours to decide on a design, get familiar with the materials, and complete the painting. Along the way, I made some typical beginner mistakes, such as leaving small gaps in the resist lines, which caused a bit of paint bleed. Luckily (for my taste), it didn’t affect the final image too much, especially since the theme was related to the flow of water.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed trying something new and am already looking into getting more silk for further experimentation. If of any interest, my advice to absolute beginners (especially those not used to working under time pressure) would be to start with a simpler design to allow more time for exploration.

Now, speaking of silk, I have an interesting Chinese folk tale to recommend, called The Girl with the Horse’s Head or The Silkworm Goddess.

The Girl with the Horse’s Head or The Silkworm Goddess

Once upon a time in a quiet village, a kind-hearted girl was left behind while her father journeyed far from home. Her only companion was a loyal white horse. One day, in a moment of isolated sadness, she made a playful quip: if the horse could bring her father back, she would marry it.
Amazingly, the horse returned with her father, but when he learned of the girl’s promise, he was furious. He killed the horse and hung its hide to dry. But the story didn’t end there.
The horse’s skin, filled with magic and heartbreak, sprang to life…

If you would like to read a full version of the story you can find it at worldoftales.com!

Thank you for stopping by and see you soon.

--Every tale has a prop to show, and every prop has a tale to tell…

Greetings and welcome back!Today, we have a very special fake cake - not just because of its fun appearance, but also be...
29/06/2025

Greetings and welcome back!

Today, we have a very special fake cake - not just because of its fun appearance, but also because of the long-awaited idea and practice it took to bring it to life. For quite a while, I had this image in my head: a realistic-looking fake cake decorated with flowers, but without using fake ones. To be more specific, I wanted to avoid using silk flowers.
This meant I had to seriously level up my cake-decorating skills. After spending the past few days practising with mashed potatoes, buttercream, and filler, I have a newfound appreciation for all the bakers and pastry chefs out there with their amazing piping skills!

An interesting prop-making discovery:
If you mix no-nonsense all-purpose filler with wood glue - it clumps! An absolute disaster in the world of fake cake-making, but potentially a great technique for creating fake dry curd or cottage cheese. A future post of experimental curiosity awaits!

This cake didn’t require many materials - just a steady hand and patience.
Materials used: polystyrene, wood glue, wall filler, acrylic paint, and Mod Podge.

Were you able to guess from the first glimpse what today’s companion tale is?
A tall tower-like base, rosy flowers, and spiky, overcrowded leaves… If you guessed Sleeping Beauty, I’m well impressed! Perhaps it was one of the cakes served to celebrate the awakening of the kingdom?

Thank you for joining me once again and see you soon with another Props and Tales adventure to share!

--Every tale has a prop to show, and every prop has a tale to tell…

27/06/2025

Hello and happy Friday!

Confusion? Is this a fake cake? Yes, it’s 100% non-edible!

As usual, a little post with more details is coming this weekend.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek video with a touch of lovely summer breeze.

See you very soon!

--Every tale has a prop to show, and every prop has a tale to tell…

Music from (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/roman/nocturne
License code: H20AF8DRQ1CY9OO2

Waste not, want not…Hello and welcome back! Today, we have a very disappointing, yet at the same time, exciting, prop to...
22/06/2025

Waste not, want not…

Hello and welcome back! Today, we have a very disappointing, yet at the same time, exciting, prop to share which has its own story to tell.

Why disappointing?
Well… because of the prop’s prehistory.

Once upon a time, I made a fish prop for a show (you can find some photos and details in one of the previous posts). The fish was made using expandable Polycraft foam. After mixing Part A and Part B, you have about 3 minutes before the foam starts expanding (depending on the type of foam you choose).
Well, the misfortune was that I was too slow, and the first cast of the fish ended in failure (swipe for some photos). Nevertheless, it seemed wasteful and unsustainable to just throw it away, even if it was only a half-cast fish, so I kept it.
After many months of moving the incomplete prop around, I decided to adapt it into something more befitting for its grim appearance. The final result? A Halloween dead fish prop.

Although it has anatomical inaccuracies and imperfections like casting seams, the prop now has a new life and hopefully will be used as Halloween decoration for many spooky days to come!

Materials used: expandable Polycraft foam, acrylic paint, high gloss acrylic paint varnish.

Thank you for stopping by and see you soon!

--Every tale has a prop to show, and every prop has a tale to tell…

Hello and welcome back!Today’s prop is a blingy carrot cake, paired with its companion fairytale: Cinderella. It’s a sli...
16/06/2025

Hello and welcome back!

Today’s prop is a blingy carrot cake, paired with its companion fairytale: Cinderella. It’s a slightly obscure allusion to Cinderella to reflect the idea of leaving things to the very last minute - like this post, which was actually meant to be posted yesterday.

This is an older project I made a while ago, when I was experimenting with a dripping icing effect. I used air-dry foam clay to try and achieve the look. The final result turned out quite cartoonish, too thick with plenty of surface imperfections. Still, I thought it was worthwhile sharing as an example of what to avoid when trying to make fake food to look a bit more realistic.

Materials used: sponge, air-dry foam clay, PVA glue, clay, acrylic paint, gold leaf.

Thank you for stopping by and see you soon!

-- Every tale has a prop to show and every prop has a tale to tell...

Welcome back to Props and Tales!This week’s exciting prop is none other than… a fake cheese! Are you already feeling hun...
08/06/2025

Welcome back to Props and Tales!

This week’s exciting prop is none other than… a fake cheese! Are you already feeling hungry?

But what is even more exciting about this prop is how straightforward it was to make. To create the shape, I used the cardboard ring that came from a finished roll of masking tape. Then I filled the ring with cardboard and paper clay. In between the layers, I applied wood glue to keep everything intact. Finally, I sanded the edges to make the cheese smoother (scroll to see the making process in photos).

Materials used: cardboard ring, cardboard, wood glue, paper clay.

Now let’s jump to another exciting part of this post - a summary of a Dutch folk tale about a cheese-greedy boy named Klaas. The story is called “The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese,” which you can also read at worldoftales.com.

The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese

Once upon a time, there lived a farm boy named Klaas, who loved cheese more than anything else in the world. No matter how much his kind mother served at mealtimes, Klaas always wanted more. One night, after sneakily trying to take his sister’s cheese, Klaas was sent to bed with a scolding - and a belly too full to sleep.
As the moon rose, a mysterious beam of light whispered to him, “Come - there’s plenty of cheese,” and led him deep into the woods, where dancing fairies welcomed him into a magical cheese feast. At first, Klaas was thrilled, eating happily as golden cheese wheels floated down from the sky. But soon, the endless eating turned to misery, as mountains of cheese piled around him and he couldn’t take another bite.
Just as the cheesy tower crashed down, Klaas woke up in the grass with dew on his clothes, a mouthful of weeds, and a valuable lesson in his heart: even the tastiest things can be too much when you’re greedy.

Thank you for stopping by, and see you next week.

-- Every tale has a prop to show and every prop has a tale to tell...

Happy First Day of Summer!This is a very late post that was meant to arrive last week, but nevertheless, it’s finally he...
01/06/2025

Happy First Day of Summer!

This is a very late post that was meant to arrive last week, but nevertheless, it’s finally here! So, without any further ado, let’s jump straight into it!

I’d say that this week’s prop-ish prop is quite befitting of the season, the month, and of course, its companion fairytale, which you’ll find out about soon. Meanwhile, I send you greetings from a chocolate-dipped strawberry keyring!

In the past, I’ve experimented with polymer clay, but only in its basic form - sculpting desirable shapes or occasionally incorporating some pigmented resin. Just recently, I stumbled upon a very exciting discovery: liquid polymer clay! And oh, how useful it can be when creating fake food items. Of course, this product has been around for many moons already, but I wanted to share it for those who, like me, were blissfully unaware of its existence.
With liquid polymer clay, you can create translucent layering, bond pieces together, soften hardened clay, add texture and have many more useful ways to interact with it.

Materials used: Polymer clay, liquid polymer clay, soft pastels, acrylic paint, fimo gloss varnish.

Now, after that brief (non-sponsored) advertisement, let’s move on to a fairytale recommendation (one that, like many others, is deeply woven into childhood memories.)

The Twelve Months

Once upon a time, in a village blanketed with snow, a gentle girl named Maruška lived with her cruel stepmother and jealous stepsister, who made her do all the hardest chores. One bitter winter day, they sent her into the icy forest to fetch violets - flowers that bloom only in spring. Shivering and lost, Maruška stumbled upon a glowing fire where twelve mysterious cloaked men sat.

I hope the seed of intrigue has been planted and you're curious to learn more. If so, you can find a Czechoslovak folktale version at worldoftales.com—and discover what role the strawberries played.

Thank you for stopping by, and see you next week.

-- Every tale has a prop to show and every prop has a tale to tell...

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