I wanted to share a really cool technique I learned. The art of needle felting. It's not as hard as it might appear.
First, go to your local craft store or online store and buy a basic needle felting kit. It will come with everything you need for a small project. You can also buy individual packs of wool roving at the store or online. I found a good store online at Maine Woods Yarn and Fiber. I also like AC Moore.
First, decide on something simple. My first softie was a little blue bird. Sounds hards, but if you break the bird down, it's pretty easy.
Start with the body by making an egg shape. Take a bit of wool roving and fold it into the shape you want, and start needling it with the needle. Be careful, because there are several barbs on the end of the needles, and when you poke yourself, it hurts! Trust me! I have done it several times! lol
The barbs are meant to catch the fibers in the wool roving and attach them to each other. So, each time you poke the shaped roving, you are making connections that will hold the shape together. After you have poked your shape a bit, it will start becoming more solid and not so loose. You are getting there!
If you are satisfied with your shape, you are done. The first part, anyway!
Now, move onto the head, which will be a circle shape. Repeat steps you used to make the body.
Next are the wings, which I make like half a heart. Again, repeat steps for body and head.
You should now have 2 wings, a body and a head.
You can now begin to attach the parts together by placing the head and body together. You will want to poke at the bottom of the round head to attach it to the body. Don't poke the top of the round head, or your bird will have a very flat head!
Next, come the wings! Just poke at the widest part of the wing to attach it to the body!
After I have all the pieces together, I add the eyes and the beak. You can use beads for eyes,a bit of embroidery, or like me, tiny bits of flat felt!
I cut a diamond of flat felt to make the beak and poke it in the middle. Look at the photo, so you will see what I mean!
Now, I attach a stand to my softies and glue them in place. Be careful, once glued, that's it! So make sure the softie can stand on its own before glueing!
If anyone has any questions, I am question friendly!
I hope this has helped you on your way to a new craft!
Barbara
Whether you just pick them up or sift for them, you find lots and lots of fossils. We, Katie, Barry and I, have found shark teeth, dolphin teeth, impressions of shells, and the insides of shells (they filled with mud, and then the mud fossilized), coral, fish scales, bits of sand dollars, and bones!
This is where I go for my fossils that I use for bookmarks, pendants, and magnets! I am so looking forward to warm weather again! Then I can go kayaking and be in my favorite place!
