Burrowing Owl Youth Gang :-)

I've been busy. . . .

I didn't want to post about this little gang until they were all  finished !

It took some time because the weather was so fine and I wanted to make my garden pretty again as well.In the meantime I played with them . . . . .

And here are the final mug shots :-)

They will be in my Etsy shop  :-)

Helen XXX

What can I say.. . just love them

In my Etsy shop :-)

Apologies for my absence, I was in Germany and had a lovely time.

Pics will come soon :-)

Twins . . . . . .

I wanted to make more Sloths, twins !

And a bit smaller then the other two, the other two are life size 4 Months old and these  about 1,5- 2 Months.

I found the noses where good ( especially the first sloth baby) but it took forever to paint, paint again, paint again and varnish.

So I decided to experiment with rubber/latex ?!!

I made a  nose with a bit of mouth out of clay, then a plaster mold of the clay nose/mouth.

The liquid  latex must be applied with a brush in a thin layer on the inside of the plaster mold. 

You have to let it dry and apply another layer, eventually you have to build up eight layers of latex.

I did two layers :-) , quick dried it with the blow dryer and then poured the latex in the mold and poured it out again. Again the blow-dryer on the hottest temperature and VOILA ! 

The rubber nose has a softer feel but I didn't figure out yet how to paint it. I used a skin-coloured latex and painted it with acrylic paint , it holds but I don't think you can get an even layer.

You can not use oil-based paint on rubber ( oil is a NO NO on rubber) so that is something I have to figure out.

Here is a close-up :

 You can glue it with the liquid latex on the wool ( very firm) and and . . . . with the reverse felting needle you can pull out wool through the rubber and make it a bit hairy :-)

So, if anyone is interested I can make a photo-shoot from the entire process ! ( I don't think I described it very clear)

Well, here are the twins, not ready yet but cute so far

Helen xxx

Little Vacation

I'll be in our German house ( I must come up with a name for the house soon) until March 10th.

I will take my wool with me ( addict!) but I'm not sure I have time for needle felting.

We are planning on painting the bedroom, making curtains and explore the area ( as in hiking).

 Oh and  Mama Barn owl's eggs have hatched :-)

See you then sweet readers :-)

Helen XXX

Spring is in the air

Yes, you can definitely feel it, smell it, hear it and in my kitchen there is a sign . . . . . 

I'm so pleased with the new "reversed "barbs" needles I can't stop making the new needle felted Barn owls .

You can see the difference : both wings are needle felted with the "ordinary" needles and after that I used the Reverse needle on the wing on the left side. See how the colours blend in ? 

I particularly love the part around his head and on the chest. All fluffy and soft looking :-)

Here is Mom laying on her nest and Pa and the "real " stuffed :-( owl are watching the progress.

She needs a beak and the little dots on her feathers.

I couldn't needle felt the dots, the fluffy effect would be gone so I used Norwegian sock wool ( it's a mixed colours wool) and I embroidered the wool on the grey parts.

Here they are : Mom and Dad :-)

The only thing I have to do is attach her to the nest .

Doesn't she look happy and comfy ?

Helen X

Almost finished !!!

All she needs is another ear and a firm neck :-)

I must admit, it becomes spooky to poke in this head

needle felted Pinky. . . . again ( additional pic)

So far it's going okay except Pinky won't let me look at her head anymore, I have to use my Flickr photo's :-)

Sometimes I want to make something big. . . like life size.

I try to make the owls and gnomes (!?) life size but I wanted really big his time.

Pinky is my ideal model but I think the amount of work to make her really life size is too much right now.

So I decided to make just her head. It might sound creepy to have just a head but I think of it as a portrait, like a painting. 

I made a pattern and sewed it from felt, stuff it with wool and needle felt wool onto the head.

Pinky sighs and I laugh, given her an extra cookie. . . . 

She gave me the stinky eye :-)

So far I'm having fun 

to be continued. . . . .

The complete little owl family

 Above : sleepy baby

 Above: curious baby

 Above: puzzled baby :-)

 Above: Petronius :-)

Above: Mama owl

In my Etsy- shop now :-)

Petronius shows his family. . . . .

From the left to the right:

Mother, Suzanne,baby, Petronius ( in the background and asleep as usual), The Sandman, baby, mother Holle with baby