Wizards, Elves & Robins

Here's a little fellow I created out of Fimo as a bit of fun. He's a Wizard (hopefully that bit is obvious) but I've made him look like my OH who has lovely long dark brown hair, a neat little goatee and specs. I couldn't resist it as my man always says he's magic. He hasn't seen him yet so I'm wondering if he'll see the funny side....... :-)


The model below also made from Fimo, took me a lot longer to do and still needs a lot of work on her yet. I need to make her some arms and legs and will probably make a fabric body over a wire skeleton. To finish I'll probably use some mohair for her hair and make so suitably Elvish garments for her to wear. When she's finished I'll have to think of a name for her or maybe ask my blog readers to name her? Maybe you could start thinking of something suitable and drop me a comment?!!?

Finally, but not least of all, I had my first customer for the bird food I put out a few days ago. I normally start feeding the birds about now as it's started to get a bit chillier and there are less bugs for them to eat.

It always surprises me how long it takes for them to build up the courage to start taking the food. On the menu they've got a choice of various seeds and several fat balls with bits and bobs in.

So there I was absent mindedly staring out of the window when I saw a flash of red and there gripping on to a fat ball was a lovely Robin. He was swinging about and pecking for dear life. Then he was gone again as quickly as he arrived.... although I could still hear him singing somewhere nearby.

In a way I'm glad a Robin was the first to dig in, as I think they are such lovely birds..... or 'tweets' and they are fondly known in our house. I'm sure he'll be back and no doubt he'll have told all of his mates about the new food source. Hopefully I'll get a photo of him and his friends digging in but I've just got to pop my camera on charge.

Anyway that's it for now. Cheerio
Jen

I think my head's going to burst!

Hello Peeps, apologies for not posting for ages and ages. (seems that way even if it was only last week !)

Anyway, I think my head's gonna pop. I don't know why but I've got so many ideas buzzing around my brain that I can't seem to settle on any one thing long enough before my mind wanders and I find myself thinking about something totally unrelated to what I am working on. It's very frustrating, as the new idea then seems to take some of the shine off of what I'm working on at the time........ does anyone else get this?


Sometimes I think it would be nice to just have one area that I really feel is my thing... my specialist subject.... the thing that I put all of my effort and energies and creativity into but no...... I'm just greedy and want to have a go at everything and I want to do it NOW!

Soooo at the moment I have a few half finished projects which will one day, (hopefully soonish) feature here.


So for now here's something else I prepared earlier. It's a painting I did from a flickr photo that I thought was so special that I had to paint it. The picture was taken by Raymond Larose and I imagine that the lovely dog in the photo is his very own Jack Russell Terrier.




Everyone that's seen this painting seems to love it. The way the pup is just looking up just says 'come on then lets go and play!'

Anyway hope you like it. HOPEFULLY I'll be posting again in the next day or two!
Hope you are all fine and dandy!?!

Jen

More Felting

I'm having a week off from work but not going away anywhere as my man isn't able to get this week off from work, so I've been enjoying the lovely weather and doing a few crafty bits and bobs.

I thought I'd be blogging every day but there seem to be very few moments spare, what with one thing and another. I was hoping to get loads done but I've been suffering from crafter's brain. Too many options and not enough deciding and getting down to doing it!!! Trouble is there is so much to inspire both out and about and on the NET that I get caught up in all of the wonderful ideas and techniques. I don't think I could just stick to one thing, creatively speaking. I'm sure it would drive me potty.

Anyway here are a couple more felting critters that popped out of my head. The handsome redhead is Reynard the Fox and the little cute mouse is Appley Dappley. He's a pressie for my sis who is a little stressed out a the mo. It's a character from one of her favourite childhood books. 'The Black Hunting Whip' (can't remember who wrote it, sorry!) Anyway she mentioned this character the other day so I thought I'd create him for her.




Hopefully tomorrow will be a good creating day. Have fun! Bye for now!

Autumn Faerie Slippers

I knew I would fall for felting and so I did.

Here are a pair of little faerie slippers, just right for a jaunt in the autumn leaves! Well probably not as they'd get very wet!

They are inspired by the lovely faerie slippers of Annette Emms http://rowanspatch.blogspot.com/. Unfortunately I didn't get her faerie slipper pattern that appeared in #50 of Stitch magazine, drat, they'd sold out! So I've improvised and designed these ones which came out OK.

Hand stitched and made from felt and faux suede with glass seed bead embellishments. They measure about 6cms long (2 and a bit inches in old money :-} ).

They are of course what your fashionable faeries will be wearing this autumn!

(They're not just faerie slippers they're M & S faerie slippers - that's Munchkin and Sprite the famous faerie shoemakers, but you knew that didn't you?)

I just love the bright orange felt. It just reminds me of all the lovely fat pumkins that are beginning to appear in the shops now. Anyway must dash - have a creative, fab week!

Cheerio

Little white hare and more cards

Here's Harry my firstborn felt creature. I've been so inspired by Sweet Pea's Creations http://itsawhimsicallife.blogspot.com/ that I just had to try it for myself and it is very theraputic indeed........ except if you happen to stick a felting needle into your finger..... but it was ok, I didn't get any blood on Harry which is good as it might have looked like he'd been shot or something and really that wouldn't be the effect I was hoping for. Not very ahhh ...... more eughhh!!! Anyway I think I'm hooked so you'll no doubt see some other felt bits and bobs here at some time or other.

When I was running my rubber stamp business I would sometimes be asked to design the odd stamp or two as a one off special or maybe because their was a gap in the market. The handfasting card was made using a poem I made up for a friend who wanted to make her own handfasting invitations but couldn't find any stamps suitable for the pagan occasion.

The Pisces card is another one of my stamp designs, which was part of a set of 12, (mmm..... a bit obvious I guess!)

Again embossed onto heat proof acetate and coloured from the back. This was one of my favourites out of the horoscope designs. I'm thinking of maybe redoing it using some embroidery type thingy. We'll see.....

Anyway I have to scoot. I'm trying to post a bit more but life has a habit of getting in the way.

Toodlepip!

Spiders,Webs and Washing - Bits 'n Bobs n' Beads

Today I have been mostly washing things, mainly laundry, dishes etc but also my little car Lola.

- Poor Lola has been a little neglected of late, mainly because I do a car share and usually have to use our big car to fit in the three burly blokes, well actually two burly ones and one smaller chappie to get to work. Lola only has a little engine and is small in size so there would be legs out of the windows etc. (no smutty thoughts please!!!) She would also find the load difficult, especially with my weight.

- Anyway because Lola is parked up down the lane next to hedgerows she was beginning to look like a cobweb factory. Autumn is a particularly busy time for spiders... probably because of all the lovely fat lazy flies that they want to catch but it was getting beyond a joke so I took her to the local pressure washer and zapped her clean. So there I am thinking how lovely she looks all shiney and black, I'd even hoovered out her insides too! So I was feeling rather proud of my efforts. Well to cut a long story short. There she is all gleaming as I parked her in her normal little spot, however.........next morning I come out to go to my art class and hey presto, Lola is once again covered in delicate webs, all sparkling with dew. The little buggers! Ah well I guess that's my lesson learned and really the webs looked quite magical glittering away in the early morning light!

- Now speaking of Arachids, it seems that Autumn also seems to give them the urge to take up residence inside my cottage. Now I'm not what you'd call a spider person......in fact they completely creep me out, so although I love Autumn I dread the influx of the big spider brigade.

- In the last two weeks we've had three really big hairy beasties pay us a visit. But I AM PREPARED this year as I have purchased a spider vac. Yep it sucks up the multi legged bug eyed monsters and keeps them at bay until you can liberate them outside. BRILLIANT!!!

- Sorry about the pic but I just wanted to show you the one I cleared out from the kitchen last night........ hairy little so and so isn't it?

- I guess living in such a lovely rural area means we have to share our surrounding with all sorts of creatures, some beautiful and others.......well not quite so attractive. I wouldn't want to give it up though.... I'm really lucky.

- I recently put together the above necklace using some turquoise, lapis and amber chips, separated by some silver Bali beads which were shop bought. The pendant at the end I made some time ago but it has been sitting in my bits box waiting for me to do something with it. Its made from sterling silver with 3 little 9ct gold balls and an amber cabouchon. It sits quite long but looks lovely against a plain top!

- The little earrings are stirling silver and just an experiment. They remind me a little bit of ragged Chinese boats...... but that could just be me! ( the flowers are just coloured parchment paper punched out, layered and glued. I think they look quite sweet!)

This is a recent painting of a Unique Orn (sorry that's my warped sense of humour) Like my Raven Moon painting its a mixture of alcohol inks for the background and acrylics for the actual beastie. He did start out as a straight horse head painting but I became possessed with the spirit of fantasy, which made me paint the horn. Honest.... really.....

Anyway that's enough from me for today. I hope everyone's having a fine creative time? No doubt I'll be back soon with the next installment, which I think may have a little hare involved.... I'll say no more! Byeeeeee!!!

Night Flight faery

Just a quickie posting from moi.

This was an illustration for one of my rubber stamps. She's the Night Flight Faery... as always the moon seems to creep into my fae drawings but what the hell.... I am a bit of a moonstruck bunny!

I made this for my sister's birthday by stamping on heat proof acetate. sprinkling with embossing powders and then heat embossing it. Then on the back I painted using iridescent acrylic paints. Just added some natural handmade paper and embellishments and voila .... this is the result.

Hope you like her!