New Pictures

Just wanted to show two new pictures. Recently finished and framed.
I'm not happy with the framing of the Sunflowers,  may change it...

Catching up...

Oh dear! I'm so behind, do not even know what to talk about... OK, what's gone is gone, I'd better tell you what's on and what is coming.
I'm in the third week of online course on Fantasy Fish. It's the final week so it's time for a brief summary:
- am I happy with the course - not exactly;
- do I know what should have been done differently - no;
- am I going to run another course, later - not sure.
Very positive, isn't it?

The second show of Crafts in the Pen is coming next month. I was quite happy how the last year it went and was looking forward for this one. Now it's close and we've got a brochure and I'm growing  more apprehensive as it nears. 
At first it's huge this year 176 participants instead of 105 last year, and many of them (myself included :( ) have double pens. It means vast space for visitors to cover and it's not indoor meaning a lot of customers will just give up before checking on the all stands.   
Then the selection of exhibitors is a little bit strange to my taste. I do admit that the last year show was a mixed bag, and the standards of this year is much higher but it's much closer to art show than to Xmas craft fair. I do agree that artistic quality of, say, paintings or prints, is much higher than, say again, of decorative candles, but we are there for Christmas! I'm sure people would prefer more festive staff which means - cheerful, cheaper, even slightly kitschy. I myself was exhibiting at art show earlier this year but at Crafts in the pen I'm to present very different stuff.
Anyway "happiness comes from having low expectations" and my expectations are really low!

To end on more optimistic note I'll show something cheerful! Sunflowers tea cosy, just finished:

Framed Picture

It's my first picture  properly framed! Properly means in proper frame with a glass and a mount. I'm quite happy with the result and thinking about the next one!

 

And this is the close up of the felted picture itself.

Mid Summer Treat

Mid summer is a quiet time in my garden. Th late summer beauties - rudbeckias, fuschias, hydrangeas are not in full flower yet, so it's just daisy, crocosmia and viticella clematis, which are in front row. And they are a joy to watch!

And I've made two tea cosies with a new poppy design! I 've shown the first one on Facebook 
and the second one is here:

Enjoy the summer!

Tea Cosy "Poppy Morning"

I aim to perfect my poppy images so this is a new tea cosy!

Not a cob-web!..

I try to make a cobweb scarf but with no success so far... Here are two small scarves made of lovely wool/silk blends. This one is more solid and the black one is softer and fluffier.

Sold



Both scarves are complimented with a similar decorative detail - a rope with a flower. It might be used as a scarf fixing or as a separate bracelet or necklace.

A Rose

I call this method "A ribbon". The simple way of making these flowers is to felt a very fine and delicate strip (or ribbon), then fold it and form a rose, very much the same way as fabric flowers.

This is with what we start with - three very thin layers of fine wool (pink first and cream on the top):



These are the next stages of felting:



When it's dry and ironed I fold it and get the flower, like this:



Or these:

Multilayer Flower

The next one is what I called "Multilayers". To make something like this:



I use a few layers of resists with a hole in the centre so that all layers are felted together eventually. Starting to lay the first layer of wool:



Then cover it with the resist and keep going until you are happy with the number of layers (or just tired!).



All layers are felted as a one piece and become connected in the centre. Remove resists, form the petals if you wish and now you've got such a flower!



These are made the same way:

5 ways of making felted flowers

I am sure that there are more then 5 ways of making flowers, but this is my classification (kind of!). This is NOT a tutorial! Today I will write about the simplest one, I call it "Circle".



Usually this is a first try to many new felters and very straightforward. The wool is placed in circle evenly (as you can manage!):



After usual routine (soapy water and rubbing) you get something like this:



Use a scissors to form the petals and start fulling:



And eventually you will get finished flower. I tried to make a courgette flower using a new (for me) wool. I am quite happy with the result, especially with the stem attached!