Wednesday 15 August 2012

Wet Felting Work Shop




My friend Ali makes the most wonderful felt art (you can see it here ) and she offered to do a day of showing me the basic principles of this old craft.  When  I had  tried some wet felting  before by myself I hadn't enjoyed it and I really needed a bit of help.  I followed the instructions in one of my felt making books and I found the whole process rather tedious and the felt was not really what I expected.  So I contacted her and she was very enthusiastic.  So on Monday I got in my car and made my way to the deepest, darkest ... No, no just kidding, it only felt like I was driving for miles along winding Welsh roads.  Well anyhow I got there and had a wonderful time, so lovely in fact that I forgot to take fotos until halfway through, silly me.  Here are a few though:


 Here I am making pre-felt

I  blended three different colours with carding tools

Partially felted
Shapes cut out ready to go onto my  background

 I forgot to take a photo of the background making but that was made with a layer of needlepunch felt and a nice layed of blended colours (black,charcoal and grey) with added silk, bamboo an mohair fibres

Here the tulip pattern had started to felt nicely but it needed a bit more work.

Here it is, felted and fulled, my first finished piece!
Not bad for a first try is it?    I did a multi coloured "sausage" as well as a rope,

A rope in the colours of a twister ice cream
The "sausage".  It has three colours on the inside





























I will leave you with a few photos of Ali's workroom as I found it a wonderfully inspiring place

A drum carder, to lay out all the fibres nicely


Imagine this, isn't it lovely?
Lots of lovely colours
A basket full of inspiration.


Monday 13 August 2012

Home Sweet Home- There's nobody home but us chickens.

Today not inside but in my back yard.  It is rather overgrown and messy as we are still trying to get it fenced and made safe for the chickens and geese.  But they don't care.

 The cockerel is called Button and he was our only chick that we have had hatch.  He's taken over from his dad Chirpy who died about 6 months ago.

These two lavender ladies are called Cinders and Charcoal  and they are perched on top of the gate to get to the weeds that make a tasty snack for them.  It is hilarious to see them squabble to get near to the end of the gate.
The geese (Sid and Gussie) like to patrol the area an keep the chickens in check.  The chickens depart swiftly  but they do return as soon as they have passed!

Home sweet Home is an idea of Barbaramama, you can find a list with all participants on her blog!