Welcome to Puppets & Stuff! Awesome stuff you've got going there. Not too worry about the foam and fabric humans. That will come quickly to you I'm sure. All of your previous experience can't help but give you a bit of an edge over the average beginner. I completely understand about the fun of learning to really use a sewing machine for the first time. I used to DREAD having to change thread colors because it mean re-threading the machine and then inserting and threading a new bobbin. Now I switch colors without so much as a second thought! It all comes with practice.

Your nose wiggler is genius! Simple is often the best way to do things.

 8)I love the sheepdog.

The boar teeth and snouts are shaped foam coated with tissue paper and a water-based flexible urethane. I prefer the urethane to latex as it has almost no odor and the material can be mixed with any acrylic paint.

That's pretty cool, I would have guessed foam and paint, but not the tissue paper. Any reason why you cover it with the paper and not just paint the foam as is?

Thanks, Shawn. I'm a bit slow, but I can learn. Here's the boar mouth showing the simple nose wiggler. It's just made of tongue depressors (Jumbo craft sticks). A central support acts as the pivot and the "lever" is glued to the foam behind it. Embarrassingly simple, but it adds a little more action to the puppets.

That's a great idea! Simple solutions for complicated problems

The urethane I use is thinner than latex and soaks into the foam to much if applied directly. The layer of tissue paper does two things; it keeps the liquid from soaking up and it acts as a matrix to stiffen the material. I've only just started using it, so I'm still learning what it can and can't do. I hope to use it on several of the puppets I'm planning for this project.
And thanks everyone for the kind words.

I think I understand now - it's kind of like adding papier mache over foam for marionettes, at least that's my understanding. I've never thought of using tissue paper in that way, so thanks for sharing!

Something new to learn every day on this site :D

These all look great, and I think the sheepdog is amazing.

I really love the little boar piglet, he is adorable and such a simple puppet, but very cool, the nose mech is such a great idea, simple, but very effective, it would be great to see the puppets in action and the nose mech working!! please? pretty please?? pretty please, with a cherry on top???

I love the mechanism, the pigs and the dog! I too would love to see the mech in action. I love how well you use the nap of the fur to help define the shape so well.
I am thinking of making a teeth, tongue and pallet with latex perhaps cast, perhaps over foam but now you have me thinking of different materials. Perhaps tissue with the small amount of latex I have or research your material seeings as I will be out of latex soon. Does it take colour easily? Latex colours with acrylics, I've even had a lot of success with liquid makeup for a good, long lasting, reasonably UV stable flesh colour...
Gear stuff and I look forward to seeing more