Guinea pigs

I sold my "Welsh the rabbit" charm recently to Anna from Half an acre - (part of our merry go round group). She showed it to a friend and the friend asked if she could commission me to make her a similar charm but of a guinea pig.

Hmmmm I thought..guinea pigs aren't really what you could call a shapely animal!!! Wonder if I could make something distinguishable as a guinea pig......

So I checked some photos online of numerous guinea pigs and then tried in regular polymer clay to see how it would work......

It is interesting to see how you look so much more carefully at something when you have to try and make a likeness. I mean, we all know what a guinea pig looks like - I've certainly seen plenty of guinea pigs - but your memory doesn't hold those little details like that their ears are really more on the side than on the top, that you sometimes see their feet - but not a lot of them, that the largest part of them is their head....and that they don't seem to smile!! :-D (maybe they smile internally!)

Anyhow - after a couple of tries, I went for the silver clay. I hand formed this little guy, dried him, and sanded him then, yes, I'm afraid to say that I had to fire him!! He did pretty well at 1650 degrees and after a little polishing etc - you can see the cute little guy survived it all OK - and, I think, came out looking like a guinea pig!!!

This last photo looks like he's asked to come home with you - "please adopt me......"

I've asked the lady who requested him what her guinea pig is called but haven't heard yet...but maybe you have an idea for a name......poor little nameless guinea...he needs your help.....