Thursday, April 25, 2013

It has been a wonderful busy few weeks. A lot of things accomplished!
I have been looking on line and with Etsy.com on how to make wings. Thank goodness for you-tube. Garden of Imagination has some great feed. I have found a huge amount of ways to adorn creations with wings but my favorites are using transparency paper and printing on it as a start to the wing; using fantasy film and liquid fimo or gallery glass and then the sewing kind which is a lot more little kid friendly.

Good luck fairy bear

As usual the trying to strike a balance of beautiful fairy looking wings and being something a young one could play with is the challenge. I am starting to think that the wings have to be removable. Sewn/quilted wings sewn onto the body work. Any other type is more for display : )

 
 
This is "Lady". I have been working on fully jointed puppies to add to the collection of the small fleece un-jointed ones. I have made some in the past as gifts but feel the pattern is now ready for me to list.
 

"Penelope" is one of our dragons. She has a green brother that I donated to E's school for a fundraiser. It seems like he was noticed and he went for a good end bid! I am delighted as I know schools all need the money. Penelope has another of my favorite kid of wings- made from liquid Fimo Polymer clay. Then you add micro glitter and bake it. Very much stronger that the fantasy/Angelina film used on the green one. I have been making wings- haven't I ?

 
I have also managed to finish the "Spring Bear" in our series of seasons bears...


And this is Sunshine dragon. I am happy with the body pattern now but I am still developing heads.
 
Another project I am working on is a Mouse that would be in the French Court of Marie Antoinette. I am using Tissavel woven back fur in summer squirrel, supplied by Fabric Empire. I buy online as it is not always easy to find what I want in my neighborhood. She is getting her face needle felted and feet and hands are sculpted from polymer clay.
Marie Mouse needle felted head with glass eyes.
The inspiration for the mouse came from Beatrix Potter's Tailor of Glouster illustrations.
 
 
This scary stare is from another needle felted face project. I have started, stopped, undone and restarted so many times now! Polar Bear Queen will have a fully sculpted head and paw pads. She is also made from tissavel fur from Fabric Empire. Fabric Exchange and Intercal trading also carry some tissavel fur.
Polar Bear queen sits a whopping 26 inches high and she is fully jointed with a double jointed neck.
I will keep posting as I move along on these two projects. the dress is cut for the mouse and I am ready to joint her. She is going to be fully jointed but with the split pin and washer system rather than safety joints. the original pattern I used for her is the same as the mouse I made for E's birthday party. just adapted to felting by changing the fabric and adding sculpted feet and hands instead of sewn ones...
 
I hope everyone who reads this has a fabulous and productive time as I have. I will be slowing down as my best bud in my studio- my pooch Mushu- just had a huge tumor removed from his leg. This is not his first ad he is an elderly gentleman now. I wait for the test results anxiously and find it hard to work as all I want to do is sit with him and give him love.