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 :-)

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

Barn owl wool :-)

I finally found the right colour wool to needle felt a Barn owl. I made them of woolfelt but never needle felted one.

I couldn't find the right colour, up until last week.

I only ordered a pound of each colour but the box was huge !

 Yummy yummy colours ! I immediately made a "test"owl and used my newly discovered  felting needles with inverted barbs.
(http://www.etsy.com/listing/91478286/felting-needle-inverted-reverse-40-groz)
 

These needles pull out wool and create a fluffy look and . . . . and ! you can blend the colours.

I needle felt very firm ( if you want to cut a needle felted animal I made in half, you need a chainsaw) ( Mmmm who would want to do that you might ask) because it's so firm the surface colours don't blend in that good. Now with these "inverted"needles you pull out the core colour and it becomes much more "one".

So, I'm happy and the owl goes to a very generous Birthday girl. ( I can't tell who of course)

Because she is but half an owl I put her in this box and I like the way she is taking a peek :-)

Helen XXX

Telling a story.. . . . . .

Introduction: 

The gnome's name is  Lumikello, that means "snowdrop" in Finland. He is born in Finland but he has been travelling around the world for ages.

He asked the little critters to call him Ukki, that means Grandpa in Finnish.

He is settled in here and has a room of his own which he happily shares with the little ones. 


Okay you sweeties, are you ready for a story? 

 

 Well, some years ago I had to go far away for a meeting with some other gnomes.
I was in Siberia,it was Winter and very cold, there was this huge Blizzard and I couldn't see more then a foot ahead.

Suddenly, without making a sound , this large Barn Owl landed in front of me.
Wheew! Who are you, beautiful bird? 
My name is Alba and I will lead you through this blizzard she said.

And so she did, she flew in front of me until I was at the right place.
So, little ones, this is what people say about the Owl :
Barn owls are the ones who see without seeing and hear without hearing; the ones who can hear what is not spoken and ones
that see things without physical sight.

 She knew I was lost and had to go to that meeting, but no one has told her.

In Siberia they say the Owl is a helpful Spirit.

Goodnight little ones. . . .  



The Barn Owl is in my Etsy shop

The cutest little critters are made by Barby Anderson

Great spotted woodpecker, barn owl etc.

After I made the Gnome with the woodpecker feathers, I had to make a woodpecker.

In the back of my head there was also a little voice saying I had to make a Barn owl for someone but I couldn't find the "someone".

I checked my emails but no !

I hope if the "someone" sees this post she gives me a message :-(

So, after I finished the two birdies I had to make another bird : An European Blue Jay.

Pheeeew, this also came from a little voice in my head ( what is going on up there !!??! )

I adore the Jay, it's a intelligent, curious, beautiful bird and they can mimic other birds.

When I lived in Utrecht, I had a water fountain in my garden and these shy birds came to play and bath.

One day there were six of them, and one of them started to sing in a most peculiar way, it was beautiful, I'll never forget.

I really fell in love with the Jay and despite of my neighbours complaints about them ( they eat little birds)

there were plenty of little songbirds around.

I've read a research paper that concluded there was actually an increase of songbirds in the area where the Jay lives.

Mmmm I can really get upset if I hear people are hating this bird and crows and magpies.

I used to live in the country side and the local farmers hang a dead crow in their fields to scare away other crows. I think they don't understand that the crows are eating insects like the larva of Maybugs etc. that eat their crops.

Okay, enough with the venting of my frustrations.

Here are the BIRDS

The not yet finished European Blue Jay:

Little owls again

Well, we are still waiting for the arrival of my Gnome friend, in the meanwhile another little owl did arrive.

Arthur is introducing him to the rest of the gang, Ginny is offering him some comfort food and Higgins, well Higgins is always a bit cautious. . . . . . .

( in my Etsy shop today)

Another find !

I was sitting quietly at my kitchen table when suddenly little Ginny appeared on top of the table

  Oh my goodness ! What is going on Ginny !

Aaaaw Look at those sweeties.

Don't worry Ginny, the Mom will find them.

But Helen, shouldn't we take them inside and feed them and comfort them?

No no, little owls fall out often and the best you can do is leave them, don't touch them, the mother or father  find them and take care of them.

You see? Everything is going to be fine little ones!

You know what, I write a letter to a  Gnome friend and ask him if he could stay here a while with you and teach you all about the animals.

p.s. The owls are going to be in my Etsy shop March 31 at 3:00 CTZ

Third little Owl

The third little Owl is finished and looking quite nosy!
Yes little one, this is your home for now and these are your new friends.

The Barby-mice are a bit cautious. . . . . .


p.s. I have to make a little gnome woman now, post will follow.

Owls !!!

I'm in over my head with owls!
This is today's Barn-Owl, last week I made little owls.

Pics of the little owls will be here tomorrow !