the Crocorator

From the very depths of our studio swamp, the Crocorator was born. And this weekend, he was finally put to the ultimate test.

We're talking the annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. This is where the cub scout fashions a racing car of his choosing from a kit containing a block of wood, wheels and axles. (In some cases the scout is given two kits when Dad cuts crocodile teeth too deep into the axle joints, but I digress...)

Brendan's crocodile car design was once again inspired from the pages of Ed Emberley (an all time favorite around here.) After Dad cut the wood to match our scout's rough sketch, Brendan and I held a creative meeting. My cub scout wanted the eyes to stick up like headlights so we used clay to fashion the eyes and nostrils. After the clay pieces were baked, Brendan attached them with adhesive. Then, I showed him how to use a few different colors of paint to create a leathery gator skin. I loved seeing that spark when Brendan noticed how the layers and different colors of paint added an interesting dimension. He was sooooo proud of the final piece. And while this reptile didn't end up being the fastest croc in the swamp...

...he did win a trophy for design which was carried around the rest of the day. There's absolutely nothing like a trophy smile : )