Some full size stage figures. One for sale

I've been working on several full size figures. One was for a customer in Canada and the other for a gentleman in Italy. The older fellow will be going to Europe.

The younger one is for sale. He is available to anyone who wants him for 450 dollars. a great deal for a full size figure. He is about 40 inches tall.

Here are some stages of each figure.

Hope everyone had a great memorial day. As always, if you need help with figure making or ventriloquism or you want a look alike figure or one made to your specifications contact me at gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com I answer all emails!

More Jimmy LightShow

Here are some more of Jimmys figures. I am finall finished Jimmy, sorry about the wait.

He sent me this beat up old head from a 1980's Jerry Lane dummy. The orange haired guy is what I created. Here are your beards and your repaired head. If you only knew what i had to go through to make them. Elkton and Delaware don't seem to have fun fur this color anywhere. I had to kake the beards from clown poms. The kind you glue on to fabric. I dismantled them and glued them on in strands to a "beard pattern" I made, then added the velcro. I noticed that I had to seperated the mustache from the beard as well so the mouth would move. You have a purple one, a red one and a green one.

Here are your twins. They don't look the same anymore.

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day! Semper Fi!!!! As always, If I can help anyone with figure making or ventriloquism problems,or you would like a custom figure made, contact me at gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com

Hello everyone. The challenge of looking for another job with benefits is getting weary.

Seems like half our county is out of work! Since the newspaper businesses aren't looking for help (they are all closing) I am getting back into manufacturing management. I have about 20 years of experience in that field so something will come along. (I pray)

Anyway, Jimmy Lightshow has sent some more figures for new looks and wig sets. He also asked me to give them crossing eyes. Here is one of them. I gave him bigger lips, ears and a wideer nose. The other one I gave buck teeth. I also took an old beat up Layne figure and gave him a completely new look as well as crossing eyes. Jimmy is a talented vent entertainer in Canada and someone I feel lucky to call a friend. Here are some pics Jimmy. They'll be packed on Monday and enroute to Canada. Thanks!

Hello again...

Been awhile since I posted a blog. I have been very busy. Working in the shop, filling orders and looking for a new job. Yes, I am one of many Americans in the newspaper business who has lost his job due to the internet. Why buy a paper when you can read it on line? So at 50 plus, I will be embarking on a new career. I will always make vent figures. Thats my passion. Unfortunately, Gepetto doesn't have any insurance which at our age we desperately need.

So much for me. I have filled the store again with discounted prices which you will not see anywhere else. My prices are lower than anyones and i guarantee my work. All springs, pulleys, brass and triple braided cord are used in making them so they last. Enjoy these prices for the summer, because they will go back up again in the fall.

Here are a couple of guys in my store right now. As always, If I can help anyone with anything pertaining to figure making or ventriloquism, email me anytime at gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com and visit my store on ebay or http://www.gepettosworkshop.net/

have a great day!

The store is finally open!

I took the time to set up my store this weekend. I hope you all enjoy it. You can now purchase our figures with credit cards as well as paypal, money orders and personal checks. I will be making figures to your specifications as well as selling figures that are in stock.

I think I am finally starting to get the handle on this new fangled electronic world.

I will be adding new figures to my store on ebay as well this weekend. As always, if anyone needs help in making figures or in any aspect of ventriloquism, I am here to help. You can email me at gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com I answer all emails and if I don't have the answer, I will direct you to source that does. VIVA VENTRILI !

Oh... I almost forgot The store link is: www.gepettosworkshop.net

"Shamus" is finished

Shamus, a great Irish name, is finished. We hookedthe mouth and the eye centering spring to the existing hook in the back head plate, We matched up his paint color and gave him a 1st rate touch up. His ears, a small crack in his lip, the gap in his mouth and his eyebrows have all been repaired and formed with magic sculpt as well as the anchors for the eyelets in the head for the eyebrows. I outline them with hotmelt to give them more support. It makes a difference.

We put the back of his head back on and painted his hairline out as requested by Brian so it doesn't show up with his wig.. err... hair.. sorry about that Shamus, I didn't mean to give away your secret (hair club for dummies)

We removed his arms and gave him new arms with my hands, and dressed him back in his clothes. Top o' the mornin to you Shamus! your alive as life himself!

I received a call from Brian in North Carolina. He wanted to add raising eyebrows to his Jerry Mahoney and give him a new set of arms with realistic hands.

He also wanted to change the format of the eyes which started all the way to the right instead of self centering

He changed Jerry to a Leprechaun by giving him points on his ears. I was asked to finish the work.

The first thing we do is close up the gap on the mouth by using magic sculpt

We run it along the sides of the mouth and smooth it so the gap closes and it stays true to the jaw.

We remove the jaw, let it dry and sand it to fit.

We drill holes in the forehead and place brass tubes through the holes. Brass wire is run through the tubes and bent to form the eyebrow skeleton. The inside of the head has a support bar added for the eyebrows.. The brass wire is looped on bothends and a spring is added.

We then build up the eyebrows with magic sculpt.

Brian wanted to keep the eyebrows true to the Jerry style painted eyebrows. It will result in a thin eyebrow that once dry has to be handled carefully.

Brian didn't want to repaint the figure which made it a difficult job. The paint that was on the figure had to be matched perfectly. I used fleshtone, antique rose and honey brown to age it slightly. Here's what we have so far while he's drying

Creating a Website

I have decided to create a website to sell my figures. Ebay is a great way to advertise, but they don't have enough controls for buyers. Non paying bidders seem to be able to get away time and time again with no repercussions.

They say they "warn" them. In my opinion, its a binding contract (ebay says that themselves) and the payment should be taken from their account if they don't pay within the seven days.

It's a shame. But that's the way it is. I am coming up on 6 non paying bidders since Christmas!

That's not good for business. You have to re list, apply for a refund ect...ect....

I am working with someone to help me set it up and God willing, it will be up before the end of March. My prices will be lower than anyone else who sells this type of figure and you can bank on a quality product. I use no rubber bands. All stainless steel, brass and now even metal pulleys and support bars inside the head.

I got a letter from David Zeller the other day asking about blending colors. He said he is painting his dummy and he wants Rosy cheeks and not just red blotches on them.

The best advice I can give you David is to paint the cheeks with your flesh tone. Use two brushes. One for the blush and one for the fleshtone. Keep pulling the blush into the flesh tone until you get a blended color of the two that looks natural. Take your flesh tone brush and whisk it back and forth from the side of the ear up to the color line of your blush. This will pull the colors together and give a gradual change from flesh to blush without looking like blotches. It takes practice, so if you don't like the first outcome remember... paint is cheap ( ;

Good luch David. Send me a picture of the outcome.

Finishing up some orders

I finally got a chance to make an old woman. I haven't made one for a couple of years. No requests. I really enjoyed this one. Along with her are several others I just finished.

I am working on some stage figures as well. When I finish them, I will post their pictures.

As always, If there is anyone in need of help with figure making or ventriloquism, feel free to contact me anytime at gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com Have a great week!

Antonio's look alike "Tony"

Antonio was looking for a look a like this summer. We tossed around some ideas and then went to work. Although it seemed like forever before Tony finally arrived, he now resides with Antonio, a ventriloquist in Italy. Arivaderce Tony!
Hope everyone had a happy new year! My wife and I are making up our list of lie... I mean resolutions. I am going to get back in shape. So is she. The nice thing about that resolution is you never say what kind of shape. (;