I should look a little familiar...I did my research around this site!   Not stealing...just borrowing!  I first sculpted the head from a carvable foam I found at Dick Blick Art Supplies.  It didn't have a name on it, but it's almost the consistency of florists' Oasis. I layered Modge Podge on that to make it a little more durable before I molded anything on it.  Finally, I did my details in Paper Clay...which I'm shamelessly in love with.  What a great product!  It's so easy to manipulate!

I am very pleased you are using the process.  I too am in love with Paper Clay.  One thing to keep in mind with this process which I don't think I have mentioned before, is that often the nose gets quite a bit of Paper Clay built up on on it.  I like to put a string from the tip of the nose to the control to help balance the head. When the PC is still wet I take a long doll/teddy bear needle and push it from the tip of the nose to the back of the head. This creates a channel that later once things are dry and painted a string can be fed through. When I am stringing a puppet I make a knot (in this case at the back of the head) that I then glue down. This secures the string where you want it.  Actually the full process is this:

1) Knot the string
2) Thread on long needle then bring the string through a small square of felt till it hits the knot.
3) Glue gun the knot inside the felt by placing a small amount on knot then folding felt over it and pressing flat.
4) Trim down the square (now more then likely odd shaped) felt into a small circle.
5) Starting at the hole in the back of the head thread the long needle through and out the front of the nose.
6) Pull through till the felt circle is close the back of head and then place a bit of glue gun on felt and then pull it tight against back of head.

You do want to make sure you have more then enough string so you can make it all the way up to the control. Often I place the nose string in pretty early in the process before I am actually stringing and so I wrap the excess around a small piece of card stock to keep it tidy and close to the nose.

Some times the channel through the head can be a bit hard to navigate after it is dry so coming in from the front of the nose then out the back again works easier.  In such a case you thread the string through the head then apply the felt bit to the back and glue.

I string and knot with the same method on other parts of the body also. Sometimes the felt square is can't get real close to the surface you want it glued to but if you put the dab of glue on it and then pull from the other side it draws it up to the point where it need securing.

Feel free to ask questions if any of that is confusing.

Ok I have more unwanted advice for you.

I see by your sketch that you want to show the upper shoulders, neck and cleavage of the puppet.  When I want to do this I sculpt all that including the neck as one piece (same process you used on head).  This means that the attachment of the head needs to happen at the head and top of neck.  The top of the neck would be rounded off and then on the underside of the head is a concave the the neck fits up into. I attach the two together with a heavy piece of twin/rope (You are familiar with tie-line right ... that is what I use) but not too snug. The head then has decent radial movement.

I think you are early enough in the process that you could do this if you wanted to. Wish I had some good shots to show you want I mean. My gypsy dancer is made this way.

You read my mind!  I've been stuck with this one, trying to figure out exactly how I'm going to do it...and now I know! 

Hmmm... I must be psychotic... I mean psychic.   Glade it was useful to you.

Ok I have more unwanted advice for you.

I see by your sketch that you want to show the upper shoulders, neck and cleavage of the puppet.  When I want to do this I sculpt all that including the neck as one piece (same process you used on head).  This means that the attachment of the head needs to happen at the head and top of neck.  The top of the neck would be rounded off and then on the underside of the head is a concave the the neck fits up into. I attach the two together with a heavy piece of twin/rope (You are familiar with tie-line right ... that is what I use) but not too snug. The head then has decent radial movement.

I think you are early enough in the process that you could do this if you wanted to. Wish I had some good shots to show you want I mean. My gypsy dancer is made this way.

I wish I had a picture of this connection.  I'm starting the body of my puppet and I'm hesitant to carve a hole in the base of the head.  It just makes me nervous...whithout being 100% sure I know what I'm doing.  How big of a hole in relation to the width of the neck are we talking about?  How do you get up there to tighten the connection?  Since, because of the period, her hair is up and I don't have the luxury of covering my mistake with her weave, I just want to be sure I'm doing it the right way.

Kyle,
Have a look at this video over on my blogTV account: http://www.blogtv.com/Shows/737575/buZwbeRvaeXwbuTGZX&pos=ancr 

I was actually doing a ball joint here and you won't see the finished head but perhaps it will give you some insight. I do have two of the finished ball joint heads here and I'll take some pics or video later and show them to you. It is the same concept that I used on Magda above but I use connect the two useing the twin/tie line instead of creating the full ball joint. There is really no ball with the method I used before. The top of the neck just rounds off.  I think that if your neck is really visible that this is a cleaner look.

Thanks a million, Shawn, I just got an idea (based on the vid) that might just solve a big problem I had...

I think I just might have it!  Thanks so much, Shawn!

You are both welcome.