Woolnimals

Oh Possum! Here's my next little project. Possums are really, really hard to capture. They can look a little like a mouse if you're not careful. I think with this guy I'm going to do something unprecedented - I'm going to add HANDS and FEET! I know, it's crazy. He just needs some cute little paws. The tail does not have any wire in it. Anyone who needle felts can appreciate the time it took to make that tail. Hoo boy! My co-worker says there aren't possums in Vermont, which is absolute rubbish. Last week as I was driving home, a Possum ran out in front of my car. "Run" is a bit of a stretch. He rambled out and crossed the road with a single-minded pointedness that tickled me. They're so cute. Coming Soon!

I've been kicking around the idea of a Pet Raincloud for a while. I'm a melancholic soul at times and love a good rainy day. I also love 3D wall hangings, so I combined these joys into a new art piece. Behold - the raincloud: The frame, for reference, is 5 x 7. This is my test run, so the writing on the bottom may or may not be there when I make these to sell. Also, my handwriting is pretty atrocious, so I have to work on that. It says " even today there is cause for joy ." It's a sentiment I must say to myself ten times a day. It's a good thing. I love it's plushy bumpy poofiness. It's pet-able. Here's a room shot. This is my "work in progress" shelf in my art studio. You can see a jar of dyed vintage doilies on the left. The little mouse in front of that is a piece I hope to finish this weekend, and that little chubby squirrel (yes, it's a squirrel) is from one of my favorite Etsians, Erin Ellis. Visit her shop, it's really cut...

"Finest lace there is," said Dad quietly. And he was gesturing up through the trees above to show them how it was woven across the sky or how the sky was woven into the trees, he wasn't sure which. But there it was, he smiled, and the weaving went on, green and blue, if you watched and saw the forest shift its humming loom. ~ Ray Bradbury , from Dandelion Wine The last wild creature you expect to find in the woods, tucked in among the bushes on a log - a grey and white cat. The funny thing is, my husband and I had just finished a conversation about someday wanting to have a grey and white kitty. Then *poof* one magically appears in the woods. He obviously already belonged to someone, but it was still strange. More shop updates are coming soon. I'm finishing up a special order first! I'll be listing a super special fox. I say this very, very quietly because a LOT of people want foxes and they take a VERY long time to make and I get a lot of requests for them ...

This is a new concept for me - I've never done traditional dolls, but I love Matryoshka (Russian nesting dolls) and thought I'd try to make a set out of wool. Of course, these dolls won't actually nest. Beside the doll is an example of how bad a sketch artist I am. It's atrocious! The leaf is my favorite part because it looks like I added it, but in fact, it was created by felting the green down all around it, giving it an applique affect. Neat, huh? This doll stands about 5 inches and so far has taken about three hours of work! Phew! I'm hoping to finish this one up this weekend and start work on the smaller ones. We'll see how that goes!