pricked fingers

Beading with Felt

I've become really interested in making some felt beads and necklaces, so I've been doing a little research...I found a wonderful felt bead tutorial on The Sampler from Lili la Malice, and another from the DIY Network.

For inspiration, I found some really cool pieces in Cheryl Avenue's Etsy shop, like this felted ring, and this witty little felted lampwork bead.

And I love the Wilma Flinstone-ness of this pink felt bead necklace from Tomgirl's Etsy Shop. 

Hopefully I'll have some projects of my own to post soon.

Cupcakes!

I was really excited to find this free pattern today: Crochet Cupcake.  Anapaulaoli, who makes adorable amigurumis to sell on Etsy, was nice enough to share her pattern for this totally adorable cupcake.  I want to make a million of them, so my cupcake-loving friends, who know who they are, should be expecting some pincushions very soon.  :o)

Eeeek

I had no idea, but it looks like someone beat me to the needlefelted sock monkey game: Needlefelted Sock Monkey Tutorial from HGTV. 

Such an obscure project to occur to more than one person at a time.  :o)

Sock Monkey

My newest needlefelting project is a tiny (less than 2") sock monkey. I was inspired by a wool roving mix that I have that's very reminiscent of that mottled, red-toe sock beige.  Anyway, I'm happy with how he came out, so I'm sending him over to etsy...   

Felter's Fling

I was just forwarded some info on a conference called the Felter's Fling in Williamsburg, MA in August.  I've worked myself into an absolute tizzy over it, since it's going to include instruction not only in most felting techniques, but also some mixed-media techniques, including flame-worked glass beads.  It's a little bit pricey for my meager budget, but pretty reasonable really.  I WANT TO GO SO BAD! :o)

Oh, well. For anyone interested in the full details, the brochure is available as a PDF here: Felter's Fling 2007.

2007 Softie Awards

If you haven't checked out the 2007 Softie Awards yet, you should do yourself a favor and do so immediately.  I've entered a few of my needlefelties and amigurumis, but I have no delusions about my chanes of winning, since there are already over 1,000 entries in 12 categories, with two more weeks left to enter.  But I'm just in awe of how many gorgeous, creative sofites are being created by such talented artists.  Boggles my little mind.  I've included a random assortment of some of my favorites here.  

Banished to Etsy

Here are a few of the felties and amigurumies who have been sent to the Island of Misfit Toys that is my Etsy shop.  I really need to take a moment and figure out how to better promote that store, because I haven't the faintest idea how to shepherd people over there.  That is, other than to say here: GO VISIT MY ETSY SHOP! 

Just a gentle nudge.

Peanut People

I loooooove unazukin dolls, the little Japanese weeble-looking nesting dolls.  They don't seem to be very well-known here yet, but they do have a cult following among the kawaii devotees, who adore all things Japanese and cute.

SO, when I decided to try my hand at a felting project that is not a bear (although I'll be posting many, many bears), I decided to make unazukin-inspired minis.  Which ended up being even more mini than I thought--the smallest one is only 1/4 inch tall.

I think they may look more Ukranian than Japanese, but they were fun to make.

My inaugural post

 

Just to start off, I should say that the focus of this blog is going to refine over time.  I hope.  But for now, I'm going to be using it as a place to show off both the things that I've made, needlefelted and otherwise, and things that I find, needlefelted and otherwise.

Ta da!