2017

Well it's the start of another year and I'm hoping for it to be a life changing one, well part of my life anyway.

I have had a busy christmas, busy felting that is. 

Here are some of the things I've been working on. Some are for future workshops too.

For workshop details check out my page

Www.facebook.com/feltsforever 

Trying something new. Washing fleeces!

I am trying really hard to take positive but small steps to make my felting journey a wider one. So when my friend told me she had some fleeces I could have, I jumped at the chance, not knowing what one earth to do with them.

Thankgoodness for you tube and wool/felting sites, I read and watched tutorials until they arrived.

Here they are 6 whitefaced woodland and 1black Zwartble. 

All a bit wiffy but I kind of liked it.

First step, skirting, evidently this means getting rid of all the bit you dont want.

 Poo bits, very dirty bits, small bits that the shearer has caused, VM ( vegetable matter) etc.

I probably threw away about two bin bags full and wasnt sure if I had thrown away good bits and kept some rubbish and I found it really hard to get the bits of VM out but its all a learning curve.

I ended up with 4 bin bags full to the top!

I 'borrowed' my husbands building tubs and filled them with really hot water then added washing up liquid before gently adding the fleeces. I tried some in lingerie bags and some 'free' 

After leaving them to soak, I repeated the process again before leaving them to soak in plain water.

 I did this until the water was clear(ish)

I used my washing machine spin cycle using the lingerie bags full of squeezed fleece.

Its been a lovely weekend ( thankgoodness) so my garden became a fleece drying zone.

They are looking better arent they!

I'm busy finding out what the step is now.

Watch this space....

I'm such a wimp!

Making it up as I go along and constantly putting off felting the hands and face.

I'm such a wimp!

What to do next?

I don't how other felters feel but after I have finished a large project that has taken up a lot of my time, I always feel at a bit of a loss what to do next.

Yes I have lots of ideas, too many really and I think thats the problem. So many ideas so little time.

So what do I do? I sit there stabbing core wool adding pieces until it morphs into the start of something.

This is where I'm up to today..

It's looking to me a bit like it could be a bust of someone. But what???? Thats the next dilemma......

Felting fun in the sun.

We went to Egypt on our holidays this year and I cannot resist taking my felting stuff with me.

Sat by the pool with a sponge on my knee looking like I'm stabbing my tummy certainly caused a few strange looks but also sparks off a few good conversations.

I never quite know what I will create as I have nothing in mind when I start. 

This is what I ended up making .

I gave him to a Welsh lady I met who had watched him progress over the two weeks.

My felting view!

Thought I would share with you my view while felting this afternoon.

After a lovely walk with the dogs, crunching in the snow we had lunch.

My other half had 40 winks..... More like 4000... 

And our ducks Lola and Fernando wanted to come for a bit from the cold. Im sure they think they are dogs...

You never know? One for me the result!

A while ago ( 22.7.14) I started a 'one for me' felt sat in the sun.

Today as the sun shone again I finished him.

I love doing pieces like this where I never know what the outcome is going to be. At first I was heading down the troll line but now Im not sure. 

I like him and Ive enjoyed making something for me for a change. I will be taking him along to a local show tomorrow, Ive been asked to spend the day demonstrating, so a full day felting for me! Cant be bad.

Back to my orders now!

Lisa xx

Making steps

I came across a photo today of the first craft show I did.
On the first look I smiled and thought 'yes it didn't look too bad' then as I looked closer, I looked at the work on display and I thought, 'wow I have sold all of those now and wow look how far I have come'
It's hard to put your own work on show for others to see and I was amazed at the great comments I had after the fair. but looking back at that work, has made me realise how much I have improved which is good for me to know.
So another small step in the right direction. I wonder what I will think of todays work, next year?

Funny!

I was preparing for an Artisan market I am attending this weekend and trying to have a tidy up of my 'fluff' as my other half calls it. When i came across this...

Yes you can laugh!

This was my very first attempt at needle felting, the day I got my wool and needles.

I think I have come along way since then.

A Womens Institute Easter.

I have such a busy week ahead, working more hours, dentists and hospital appointments to attend. I thought i had better start to get myself organised for a needle felting class i am doing at a local Womens Institute over the Easter holidays.

I did my first one for them before christmas and they said they loved it so much, they have asked me to come back.  For the one i did at christmas we made a felted christmas bauble, as it's getting closer to Easter and they already have a little experience, they have asked if they could make something Easter related and a bit more difficult.

After giving it much thought and doing a bit of research i made this.

I call it the bunny-egg!

So today has been spent making samples, tutorials and making wool packs up.

Making sure each lady will have the right amount of wool. Carefully weighing how many grammes are needed. Then packing them up.

I now have a box full of twenty packs and a tutorial ready for printing.

I still have more work to do but i feel better knowing i have made a good start.

I will blog the results later.

Lisa xx

Sweeper dog!

Its not a very well known character from Alice in wonderland but it was certainly the strangest felt i have ever made!

What do you think? 

Lisa x

Still some work to do!

The queen of hearts is appearing slowly.......

Its the first time i have took photos of my work in stages and its really quite strange looking back at them. I suppose they will help me in the future if i ever made anything similar. 

Anyway here she is more photos soon! 

Thanks for looking 

Lisa x