In this tutorial, we will be using the Toy2r Egg Qee to create a three-dimensional stitch pattern. Were also going to bust the egg open to make it look like its oozing gooey stuff. You can do this design on just about any rounded surfaced vinyl toy. The Toy2r Earg Qee is another great platform to practice this on, and they're really cheap in case you screw up on the cutting part.

Materials:

1. Super Sculpey (not very much of it, perhaps an ounce or two)
2. Round small sculpting tool
3. DIY Toy (available at the Delicious Drips Store)
http://store.deliciousdrips.com/collections/d-i-y-2
4. Acrylic Paint
5. Brushes
6. Dremel with cutting bit
7. Heat gun

Precaution: When you cut into vinyl, it will create some fumes, so try to work in a ventilated environment during the cutting section of this tutorial. Or not&.your lungs.

Step 1: Toy Prep Work

Step 1: Etching the track
When you get your toy, use a pencil to draw the path of your stitch pattern out. Avoid doing sharp turns if possible but be creative about how your route it. You can either route it so that it intersects with itself, or you can just run a line that terminates any way you want.

After sketching it out, use a Dremel with a cutting bit to carve into the vinyl without carving through it. The cutting bit I used is shown in the background. It's basically a disc that is roughened. The key to doing this well is moving at a steady pace and making sure that you always have a good angle on the toy. You should find that the vinyl is etched really easily.

Step 2: Cut the Qee till he bleeds
Using the same Dremel bit, we find a place where we want our drips to ooze out of. Well etch a second line beneath our initial etching. On our second run around, we're going to apply a little more pressure at a higher RPM with the Dremel to actually cut the section out. Once the section is removed, you may have to pull it out of the inside of the Egg Qee.

Step 2: Sculpting Time

Step 3: Bust out the Super Sculpey
This part is pretty fun. Basically, you make a bunch of really tiny balls with the Super Sculpey. Make them around a 1/8 in diameter. They may be bigger or smaller depending on what toy you're using.

Step 4: Stick it to him
Press all the Sculpey balls onto the toy. You may have to push fairly hard. Once all the balls are secured in place where you'd like your stitches to be, then you will have to do some sculpting work to get them securely onto the toy. Using either your finger or a sculpting toy, press the side of each ball into the toy on every side of the ball so that it becomes like a flush hemisphere on the toy. This will effectively secure the little balls onto the toy.

Step 5: Sculpting (part I)
Using a round edged small sculpting tool, pull a section off of each ball on the side that is closest to your line etching you made earlier. This is where the actual stitch will go when we make those. You are essentially taking something that looks like a hemisphere, and pulling off a chunk to make it look more like a crescent moon.

Step 3: Cure and Paint

Step 6: Curing (part I)
Using a heat gun, blow on all of the Sculpey sections for five minutes. Allow the toy to cool back to room temperature and make sure that all the Sculpey is hardened.

Step 7: Painting (part I)
Paint your figure any way you like. In this particular example, we use a black base and paint over it with metallic to give it the antique brushed metal look.

Step 4: Stitchwork

Step 8: Sculpting (part II)
This part is also one of the more fun parts of the project. Roll a bunch of skinny strands of Super Sculpey that are the same thickness as the grooves that you cut out of the hemispheres in Step 5. Essentially, these pieces are going to be made to fit into the stitch grooves made earlier.

Stick the little roles onto the stitches. They will hold in place easily, but it is best to use a tool or your finger to really press the stitch into place. Do every stitch except for the ones covering the incision. On this part, sculpt some drips and place them in the incision. The reason we do this is to allow you to get a good angle at painting the entire drip. The drip is secured by just folding the piece into the inside of the vinyl toy and using a flat tool to ensure good contact with the toy.

Step 9: Curing (part II)
Use the heat gun to blow on all the stitches again for five minutes. Allow them to cool again.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Step 10: Painting (part II)
You can paint the stitches whatever color you'd like. It's nice to use a color that contrasts well with the color of the vinyl toy.

Step 11: Final Stitch
You can probably guess what we do now. Make those last stitches and place them over the drips. Once in place, heat them up, let them cure, and paint them too.

What you do with the toy after that is completely up to you. Stitches are a really cool effect to put on a toy, but you may have just gotten started with your design. Apply more graphics, or just leave it simple. It's really up to you.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it useful. Stay tuned for the next Delicious Drips custom tip.

Come visit our site to learn all about the world of custom toys
http://deliciousdrips.com