Sunday, February 27, 2011

Sunday Creation: Laminating Nathan Fillion

Sometimes, you just need to do something that has nothing to do with books, right? Other people knit or scrapbook, cook or run races. I laminate. And, thanks to an article in Entertainment Weekly that included a nearly-complete, full-length photo of Nathan Fillion as Firefly's endearing former Browncoat, Captain Reynolds, I had a project in the making! I decided to laminate Nathan Fillion and turn him into a standing figure.

Step 1: Cut out the photo of Fillion from EW, leaving a little room for error around the edges with about a millimeter of white edge. I didn't photograph the early steps.

Step 2: Using stick glue, paste the photo to poster board. I put the glue on the poster, rather than the back of the photograph, because sometimes putting glue on the back of a picture can cause tearing, even if you don't get too vigorous with the glue.

Step 3: Wait for glue to dry and then cut out the figure, again with a slight margin for error and with the addition of a wide base for propping (see first photo, below).

Step 4: Laminating plastic and a laminating machine are handy items in this house, since making bookmarks from my own photographs is a personal hobby. There was plenty of extra room to throw in a couple pre-printed bookmarks that have been sitting on the piano, so I tossed in two and waited for the machine to warm up. There's a John Mayer song about this step that you may have heard: "Waiting, waiting to be laminated . . . I keep on waiting, waiting to be laminated."

Step 5: Check for proper seal. Oops. When the green "ready" light glows, apparently that does not mean the laminating machine is hot enough. Notice the foggy areas and the halo around Nathan's head? I ran the plastic through two more times before deciding I needed to give the machine 5 or 10 more minutes to thoroughly heat up.

Step 6: Sigh of relief when laminating perfection has been reached.

Step 7: After making a third cut around the full figure (leaving a tiny margin around the sealed plastic edge around the laminated item) cut a triangular shape out of poster board. Make it nearly, but not quite, the full length of the laminated hunky subject and fold about 1/4" along the length, using scissors to press down the fold.

Step 8: Glue the folded 1/4" edge to the back of the figure. Note that because there's a margin of clear plastic at the bottom, where the plastic sealed, the poster-board stand is going to show through the plastic just a bit.

Step 9: Before glue has dried, prop up your cut-out figure to make adjustments in case he's leaning one direction or another. I had to adjust mine a few times and then I realized I needed to make a second fold at the bottom in order to get the figure to tip back just a fraction.

Step 10: Display. If you live in a home with cats, it's probably best to prop your laminated Nathan Fillion in a place the cats can't knock him down or make teeth marks in his head. I photographed him with a fairly neutral background and cleaned the background up a bit, just in case something unexpected occurs and I'm forced to redo the project. Or . . . you never know. I might want to print that photo out and make a Nathan Fillion bookmark.


©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

27 comments:

  1. Oh, my! I think that I need to laminate Colin Firth! In fact, I need to do two -- the one I first fell in love with (Pride and Prejudice) and the gorgeous man he is today. I will be watching one specific part of the Oscars tonight -- guess what it will be. Other than that, I guess I could be laminating! :)

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  2. Annie Joy,

    Oh, yes, yes. I need to find a full-length Colin Firth to laminate, too! Have fun watching him, tonight. I'll be missing the Oscars but will check the news. Hoping he wins.

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  3. This is awesome. Tiny Captain Tightpants!

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  4. You are an Olympic worthy laminator!

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  5. I want one! Captain Tightpants indeed -- I love Firefly! Best use of a laminator ever.

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  6. Anne,

    You may have guessed I'm also a fan of Firefly. ;) and thank you.

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  7. I totally love that you did this, and I own my very own laminator as well! Johnny Depp, here I come! This was such a fun post, thanks for sharing it!

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  8. Zibilee,

    Isn't laminating fun? I have a great time with mine. It had never occurred to me to laminate a photo and make it into a stand-up object to admire on a shelf till that picture of Mr. Fillion, though! I just adore Firefly. Have fun laminating Johnny! :)

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  9. LOL! I love it! And so many of my friends love Firefly and Nathan.....can I ask which issue of EW you got this in, since I subscribe to it.....my guilty read every week. I don't remember seeing any image quite like this of him. Sigh. It is a lovely figure. You are champion of lamination! Imagine all the characters we could do: *fans self rapidly*

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  10. Susan,

    It's the issue with Prince William & Kate on the cover--the most recent issue, I think. Yes, just imagine. I'm surprised I didn't come up with the idea sooner. I'm thinking full-length Wet Colin Firth would be nice. :)

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  11. So much laminate worthy potential everywhere I look....this would be the start of a bad habit for me. (LOL) Great post though...thanks for sharing! ^_^

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  12. GMR,

    Think of it as relaxing fun. Laminating is a nice, mindless activity that gets me on me feet and away from the computer -- and on a typical day, I end up with a pile of really nice bookmarks, when I'm done. :) This is the first time I've ever laminated a photo of a person. I just loved that picture and thought it would be a fun thing to have on the shelf, being a Firefly afficianado.

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  13. I loooove this almost as much as that Hugh Laurie bookmark you sent me a few years ago. Fun, fun, fun!!!

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  14. Oh, Andiloo, I had forgotten all about that Hugh Laurie bookmark!

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  15. This is fun! I love Nathan. I should watch Castle... I only borrowed a copy of Firefly. I think I need to buy my own...

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  16. Kelly,

    Nathan Fillion is an excellent actor. The only reason I can stand Castle is because he's in it (mystery/cop shows are just not my thing). Firefly is definitely worth owning.

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  17. I want my own Mal!

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  18. How adorable! As much as I loved him in Firefly, and I did, I love him even more as Richard Castle!

    cjh

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  19. Ha! Maybe I should laminate Richard Armitage!

    Really the possibilities are endless.

    Fun post!

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  20. Jenclair,

    It's easy as pie. You'd have fun making one, too, I'm sure!!

    CJ,

    Castle is more up your alley than mine, since you're a mystery lover. But, let's face it -- Nathan Fillion is just awesome in everything he does! :)

    Marg,

    So true -- endless possibilities. I'd never thought to do such a thing but I kept looking at that photo of "Mal" and thinking, "I don't want to throw away this copy of EW because of that picture." Then, I thought, "I guess I could cut it out." And, that turned into, "Yes, but what's the point? He'd just get torn up; magazine paper is wimpy," which naturally led to the thought that if I laminated him, the photo would definitely last. LOL Plus, I had fun creating the little stand! Can't beat that. And, thank you. :)

    Care,

    Thank you, dear. :)

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  21. This.is.AWESOME. A good friend was super into Firefly and almost twisted my arm enough to go to Comic Con a few years back in hopes of grabbing some Firefly goodies.

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  22. Rosemary,

    Thanks! I totally adore Firefly. You should definitely hit up Comic Con, some time. Mr. Fillion was there in 2010 and he was hilarious -- has a great sense of humor. I saw some of his chatter online.

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  23. Any home is better decorated with a laminated Nathan Fillion!

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  24. SuziQ,

    LOL Can't beat a shiny hunk on the shelf, true.

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