Draggin' my Heels Already...

     

      How quickly they fall these pompous souls who make impetuous promises. After issuing a challenge to myself to produce a daily project, it feels as though I'm cheating myself already.

   






      
      Though this fellow will be "D for Dragon. I must confess That I started him before today. To my credit I did spend a few hours on him this evening but a particularly grueling day with my dear Mom kept me away from my work basket til after 5. He especially needs a name so please do drop a suggestion.

     
     
      One of my friends suggested that the resultant photos will make wonderful illustrations for a children's book. With a lovely granddaughter as a willing test audience I agreed heartily.


     


      He will need finished hands, wings and eyes before I can start challenge item number three. Dragon's rainbow colors may evoke my pride friends to offer a name,.. you know who you are so get your thinking caps on!

I can't wait to finish this piece and begin the next and the next and the next till all twenty-six are here for all to see. I hope some of the kind souls who take time to follow me will name these felted friends. It's a chance to win one of your very own, if I may dare to presume that would be desirable. Looking forward to hearing from some of you soon.

"All Things Bright and Fuzziful?" - the 26 Day Alphabetical Challenge!

      Inspiration, incentive, commitment and productivity. Illusive wisps of thought these fine words. I am too easily distracted these days by the demands of an aging Mama. I am her ears and her memory. If I am not with her, I am on-call 24/7. I feel sometimes that "my day" will never come. But I will persevere and set an ultimatum. I will dare myself, demand of myself, to  complete one project a day. I made this little fella this afternoon so... Day 1. Check!

A teeny Owly friend approx 4" tall.

      The critter criteria to be met is that I strive to find some fuzzy-wuzzy wonder for each letter of the Alphabet. I haven't settled on what may represent each living thing from A to Z, ( though visions of quetzal birds and zebras may have been dancing in my head. )

An Owly butt..

     I won't commit to do them in order, I know that when I start to research subjects that some will jump out and beg me to be made. ( ..and it would seem I've already set the tone my barreling way through to "O" for Owl.. ) but One-a-Day, just like my vitamins!  I will post  pictures of each daily as well because I'd like some audience participation!

      If a challenge gets me working then maybe a challenge will encourage each of you to stay tuned. As an incentive to keep following my progress and to cheer me on if I dare to slow the pace I was hoping to offer a prize to those who might take time to help me name my little beasties!  

Amazing little fellow by Sara Jo Renzulli.

      My inspiration for this exciting idea comes via another needle felter, Sara Jo Renzulli,  whose work makes me long to strive for more! If you promise not to leave me I will note her blog for you. Its one I will be following and I do encourage you to have a gander. Her work is matchless, meticulous and utterly beautiful. Please do log on to see her work at heartfeltfun.blogspot.ca  You'll fall in love with every piece.

       I would soon like to spend a bit of time designing a studio logo and include, in the future, my contact info and a name tag of sorts for these fun fellows as they come into being. Please spur me on by taking time to bestow a moniker on my wooly friends I will promise one of the twenty-six to the person whose suggestions are the most favored. If it happens that your suggestions christen the most pieces I will offer you your choice at the end of the challenge and mail him to you to enjoy. Please take part and post your suggestions below. I will be checking in and posting daily so stay tuned and enjoy!

Funny Bunny, Chilly Willy and the Sunflower

Spring is just around the bend! I promise!

      Hasn't it been a long cold old winter? Chasing away the "February Blahs" has been a struggle. Even though I don't get down like some folks do during the dark long nights and gray weather that has been ever present this season, I have certainly battled doldrums. It seems to be that I've been in SLO-MO forever, bogged down in a rut of inactivity, lacking any real productivity for logger than my conscience allows me to be comfortable. So its time for a spring tonic and revving up for the new season ahead.

   
     Thoughts turn to renewal..a new season, new flower gardens, new seed catalogues, and mounds of new soil and transplants. With Isaac's lilies and the rest of the veggie and perennial beds calling me to tend to post winter TLC,  its about to get busy.

      Add to that the annual spring cleaning and the studio will be gathering dust unless I settle myself in for a disciplined game plan to promise time for all the wonderful things I love to do.
      Maybe that's what April Showers are for. They're and excuse to stay inside and accomplish the indoor things and not be riddled with guilt as you would be when the back forty and the sunshine are pulling you outdoors. For now, a "Heartfelt" sunflower to make peace as we wait for the warm promise of spring.

A chicken and an owl walk into a bar..

     Whooo gives a hoot,..right?

  I'm just at a loss for time and sense right now. I got so ahead of myself that I took four new pieces to our crafter's co-op this week and forgot to photograph them.!   Along with a new white sheep I had felted a sweet teddy bear, a penguin and a new owl ( because I love that first little fella so much I can't part with him. ) I will remember to photograph them at a later date to share with you.
   
       The two that remain are here for you to see. What a riot this chicken is!  When I turned up for my volunteer shift at the co-op I pulled the new inventory out to show it to my wonderful companions at the site. As they peered into the bottom of my work basket there remained just these two big orange feet. Lisa, the owner called it and ordered up a chicken by days end. What fun and a fluke that he just serendipitously developed in such a way that he can sit or stand.

       The other exciting thing is that during another enjoyable gathering of family an friends, I received commissions for more needle felted woolly critters, another pony and a llama. The llama spurred my imagination and I had to have a Google and checkout the general physiology.

       I've tried really hard to needle extensively to firm up the pieces. It's  all well and good to be sort of handy at new things and I get so excited just diving in that I forget to connect to the "right" way to do things. When I had the opportunity to see needle felting at Argyle Fine Art,  it was a real awakening to handle the pieces and see how rock hard they were. I poked and shaped and prodded furiously at this fella for seven hours until this fellow materialized. He is still not even close to as solid as the gallery pieces! Apparently, I have a long way to go and much, much more tp learn.

       Well, this was just to be a short note to share a few new pictures. I will try to teach myself the "right" way to do things. I was scolded last week for under pricing my work,  but until my critters are buff and bouldery instead of soft and cuddly I will wonder how permanent their shapes will be. When  I feel like I've really got it right I'll  be brave and blog a how-to. Til next time...Happy Days!

Fantastic Felting, Family and Friends

        So,...everybody is getting involved!

        
       Initially I mentioned that my son Isaac and his dear Mary gave me my  first needle felting kit. Mary is a needle felter as well and has shared amazing sites with me as we both learn this limitless craft. I have also shared my new interest with a dear friend that I visited early in the new year. More recently Elaine and Bob, her one-of-a-kind husband of over 30 years, returned the visit. 

Well,...her two-of-a-kind husband..meet Bob and Mini-Bob!

     
       All of the above recently convened at the home of my eldest son, Matt and his kind partner and unanimously acclaimed "hostess with the mostest" Swantje. 

       Add to this lovely mix my very youngest, Seth and my hard working hubby Mike and you have the makings of a  very merry, well needed and well overdue reunion of my very favorite souls. ( Not withstanding the forevermore stated and bittersweet absence of Sarah and Robin and Sadie, my own "hearts" beating outside of my body and this this province. ) 

 Elaine and I "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening." 

  

       These are the people who love me despite my shortcomings and are always armed and ready with good advice kind encouragement and an enthusiasm for all of the creative things  do. The other thing they're very vocal about is wanting me to "get out there" and showcase my talents. 

       They have wonderful creative ideas about display, location, Internet promotion and sales. I wish there were 10 of me to carry out the plans they made for me during numerous and very lively "brainstorms". We talked about making a "diorama" of sorts, a marketing fixture to set the scene for new pieces. We spoke about  nativity sets, mobiles featuring several pieces,  there was even talk of marketing voodoo spouses when they passed around "Mini-Bob" and became inspired.  

       As discussion turned to the humor and caricature  of some of my work then we mused about venues that would promote pieces with whimsy and "flavor".  ( It may backfire on them if I revisit these plans and delegate and enlist their help.)
       

A Monkey mobile i found online.

     

        My personal pep squad has continued to rally behind me into the week as  I shared coffee with Mary and Isaac. Mary showed me her work, which was awesome!  I hope she will create pictures of her sweet masterpieces to feature in a future blog.  
        We peeked at some websites, my favourite of which featured  Gretel Parker an amazing illustrator and artist talented.

 
http://allaroundus.blogspot.com  

       After coffee they took me on a mission to discover what's out there in Halifax. We visited  two places to inspire in our chilly downtown.


"The Loop Craft Cafe"
 - http://www.theloophalifax.ca  

Samples of felting at a "Loop" event.

   

and "Argyle Fine Art".

   - http://www.argylefineart.com

       A wonderful adventure and continued support from the clan, I am truly blessed! I am taking sometime to fill a commission in papier mache, but after that I would like to do a pictorial blog of a felting project from start to finish. I'll be blogging again soon!

A "Needling" Desire to Felt

       Go ahead, ask me how much fun I'm having.
      I have been wallowing in woolies since Christmas and the learning curve is skyrocketing straight up! The first sculptural pieces were very well received at the "Crafter's Room" as 75% of what was added to inventory had snuggled themselves into new hands only three days later. You can look into the sweetest owly eyes below and see why! Just look at that face...

        When they were submitted last Thursday I took  most of the day to tweak them. Apparently, I live in a dank dark garret of a place and the lighting in my workspace is sorely lacking. Seeing them in bright commercial lighting, it seemed every piece needed a little something before they seemed finished! (..fluorescent lights are now prominently placed on my wish list.) 

         When everyone finally passed muster they were tagged and put out for display and some shots of them were obtained as they beamed from their new habitat around the shop. We've been blessed with some new pottery pieces and my coasters found a place with some lovely mugs and cups. I couldn't resist color-matching some coasters with the display.

     The fellows below have all gone to new homes. The buyer scolded me for underpricing the pieces. What a struggle it is trying to summon the ego to put a value on things! 

        I did do the research and pieces similar to these were price at at least triple what I had decided and in truth, the time invested even at "minimum" would be worth three times more.      

   It is pleasure, far more than work but I need a business partner to do this visceral nasty pricing and promoting stuff. I just want to keep boogie-board along on the racing tide of creative "juice" that this medium inspires. See you again when the next batch of cuties are ready to upload from my photo files!

"Wool Ewe Look at These" - Felting Fever

      Oh boy, oh boy. oh boy!  I'm so jazzed by all of this woolly madness! I hope those of you who suffer through my rantings are even half as excited as I am. On first blush and still  eagerly learning, I am so excited about the variety and breadth of this new found skill and all it entails. I have enjoyed so many different art forms and tried my hand at so many materials but I have to say that this is pure joy.  I need sheep or a shepherd that wants to share fleece!  I want to wallow in wool, utterly can't get enough. ( If you're ready to send me to a padded room just make it fleece lined and I'll occupy myself into eternity!

      I am thrilled at how quickly things come together. Productivity is not my strong suit yet, in four days I've made 11 new things. Wanna see???

      These are coasters,...a set that will likely find their way to "The Crafter's Room" where I volunteer as a creative and charismatic shopkeep on Thursdays.

           
      Here are two individual ones. I'm guessing you can tell they were my first attempts.

      Today again, I had oodles of fun with Koolaid and rovings. Marvelous!  In trying to stretch my options, I managed to "brew" nearly a dozen colors. By mixing the a little of this and a little of that, then playing with the timing I achieved pastels as well as deep rich shades.  I dissolved the colors in mason jars with warm water then nuked them in two minute intervals. ( The wool can actually boil in there as long as you don't handle it or agitate it. ) The sources I read said to let it rest a bit afterward and the water in the jar will actually clear because the wool slurps up every bit of color! After it rests I just lift them out of the "dye and drop them in a bowl of water to rinse. Wow,  was I satisfied with the outcomes!




      The new colors prompted me to sort a bit before adding them to the basket. There were some odd bits that challenged  me, daring me to create anything from seemingly useless little bits. but  a bunch of the merest scraps made three "woolly eggs". and a "nest" to put them in. 


     
      My browser has giving me grief, and I couldn't post for a couple of days. In that time, these furry fellow debuted on Facebook in a new photo album called  "Wool Ewe Look at These?"  It seemed only right that one of  my first sculptures should  be a sheep, I felt my way through, ( yes, pun intended..) and came up with this fuzzy critter!



       
      The day after I made her barnyard buddy. I think I should add a mane or a "brush'.  I guess I should have executed a little research first  but felting is so forgiving that I can add it after I've completed jackass anatomy 101.  I'm just having so much fun that I can't put it down.  It pains me to relate that I have commissions to fill that need my attention. You can be sure though that as soon as possible I'll be  pluggin' away and update when a new batch of goodies are ready to post for your perusal. I thoroughly advise everyone in the meantime to  invest in some supplies, Google some tutorials and give it a try!