Starting off

One of the things that makes traditional puppet shows and stop-frame animations so fascinating is the old-world craftsmanship involved. You can imagine the techniques being handed down generation after generation. I decided to give the marmots a typically traditional looking Tirolean house to live in, inspired by the many alpine houses that I have visited and the Mitteleuropa animations that I have watched. Here I am in my Southport workshop sawing the wood needed to make animation set number one. Once the pieces for the set were ready for assembly, doors, flooring, window panes and furniture needed to be planned, measured, cut and pieced together.

Putting the first set together

Making the door

Bench progression

In Iselsberg every house has wooden wall panelling and benches like the ones in this kitchen.

Painting spoons

The Leeds workshop where cutting, sticking, varnishing and painting take place. A lot of the items needed for the animation have been made, but there are still plenty of accessories that need designing and creating. I feel like I have become a carpenter and decorator on a miniature scale over the past few months.

Varnishing

Tiling the hert

What a job! Not having any experience of tiling I forgot to use adhesive the first time round and pressed the tiles into the clay. Low and behold I woke up one morning to find that the majority of the tiles had dropped off. There were tears, but once i'd overcome my frustration I returned to work. Now the marmots have a heater to keep them warm.