FiSele is from a clan best described as "warrior monks"; they've managed to purify and crystalize various types of magic to be stored and used at the will of those who are trained to call upon them. It takes a great deal of mental and emotional control to be able to build up enough will to direct magic of such powerful purity, but that's why they're started young. FiSele bears the proud marks of several years of study and practice with the crystals that have since quite literally become part of him. The headdress is worn for formal and spiritual affairs, though its origins are from the days when war was commonplace. The anklet is simply a gift from his mother upon reaching maturity, though he simply wouldn't go anywhere without it.

FiSele is the product of 30 days of work. Not including days off, or days when I was working on commissions (in part to save my sanity)--30 days of actual working. What used to be a whole lot of yarn, stuffing, wire, a bit of clay and assorted beads have finally become something I only half-planned about halfway through the process of creating the body. As my creations will do, he took on a life of his own and I simply went with it.

Let us address the size of this guy, first. He's roughly 19 inches long from nose to tail, and the wingspan is about 47 inches when they're fully spread. Luckily he can just wrap those wings around him, otherwise I would be completely screwed for space.

Please be aware that the wings will need to be supported when he's being carried! The wings turned out much, much heavier than I was anticipating. There's springy braided wire beneath, so they're stable; but they can't hold up under their own weight. After braiding apparently about 50 inches of wire or so, I then created a crocheted wrap for it. Then was actually insane enough not to use fabric and save myself many days of work, but crocheted the webbing as well. And speaking of wings, the interiors are lightly highlighted with blue and purple iridescence, while the exterior and wingtips reveal spines. These can either be in a resting or defensive position, as the fourth picture shows. On the inside of each wing are crystal cases that hold dormant power when he may need to call upon them to enhance magic he's already mastered. Important things, these.

Look at them legs! I'm happy with how they came out. The front legs/feet are my favorite, as I just love the way the claws look with the toes. Don't judge me. Granted, I adore the back legs too. They are as they are because that's... just how they are; but also I recall, many many years ago when I was just starting to play with sculpture, there was one very loud person who told me the feet were too big. I have since taken pride in making big feet. Mmm, happy artistic "screw you"s. Anyway, clearly the legs are stuffed in such a way that they can support him in a standing position, but can also be bent to allow him to sit or crouch. The claws can manage to be moved into a number of positions, just in case... anyone wants to move them, I guess.

So. Many. Embellishments. Swarovski crystals as far as the eye can see (251 crystals on the body alone)! And a few of those glowy acrylic "materia beads" too, which come across quite well in a few pictures. Yes, they do glow in direct light. Painfully, at times. But the crystal sparkles!

Of course my creations need their own jewelry. I mean, come on. The headdress (an additional 15 swarovski crystals) started off as a piece of wire and... evolved. Obviously. Just enough sparkle and twist to keep it interesting, I think. The wire itself is relatively soft, so it can be reshaped if someone for some reason wants to. I don't know why you would, but I am not judging you. Directly. The anklet is comprised of glass beads and 13 gorgeous red pearls.

This is the first time I've made my own polymer clay eyes, enhanced with iridescent pigments. The purple pigment was also used to highlight FiSele's belly. A light blue was used on the wings, but... it's almost invisible in the pictures. It always has to be something.

While it's not terribly clear in the pictures, his upper and lower jawed are wired for a number of expressions. His ears also have a thinner wire in them which will allow them to stay in place. And of course he has a tongue, because... well, how else would he taste his food? Pft, seriously.

(A note on shipping: I have NO IDEA how much this guy will be to ship. Made of mostly yarn or not, he's still got to be packed well and protected during his travel, and that means a large box. It is my experience that shipping prices vary vastly in ways that seem almost arbitrary, so $35 for shipping in the US is asked; any remainder will gladly be refunded to the buyer as soon as he ships and the actual amount in known. If you are outside of the US then please contact me and I'll see if I can get a RELIABLE estimate.)

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