Needle Felting Fans Blog

My First Dolls Video

2008-04-14T19:47:00.001-05:00

My Dolls, originally uploaded by needlefeltingfans.

(Just click on the photo)

Handmade by me! :-)
2 of them are cloth dolls and the others are needle felted dolls. You'll see my needle felted rose and doggie too. My doggie's name is Ole Blue. Hope you enjoy it.

Baby Bella

2008-03-16T20:01:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends,

Just wanted to share a baby doll that I just finished today.
She is 100% needle felted. Has a removable bib and diaper!

Hope you like her!

Find more photos like this on Cloth Doll Artistry

Ms Sally - My First Needle Felted full-body Doll

2008-03-05T16:38:00.005-06:00

Hello Friends,

Just wanted to share my newest doll with you. My first doll was a Doll Bust, but this one is a complete doll, 100% needle felted by me!

Hope you like her!

Find more photos like this on Cloth Doll Artistry

Skeleton Dance

2008-02-29T19:26:00.007-06:00

The link to this video was shared by a member of NFF recently and I thought all of you would enjoy seeing it too!

They say Laughter is good for the soul.

So here's your Laugh for today:

Let me know what you think of it.

Leave me a comment!

Thanks!!!

Barby Anderson's Newest baby Bunnies, Mouse and Hamsters!!!

2008-02-26T20:57:00.018-06:00

Just had to share these adoreable Needle Felted babies by Barby with you. Barby's creations never fail to amaze me. Their cuteness factor alone, just steals my heart. Enjoy!

Baby Bunnies!

Sleepy Baby Mouse all dressed up!

Baby Hamsters!

You can see all these and more in Barby's ebay store:

http://stores.ebay.com/Quilt-Patterns-and-Wool-Designs

Please let Barby know you found her thru Needle Felting Fans Blog! Thank-you! :-)

Cell phones - New Law

2008-02-18T09:33:00.008-06:00

**Thanks to Annie of In a Pickle Web Design for posting this 'Vital information' on the Folkart Square Forum **

According to a proposed new law that would go into effect Feb 1, 2008 you will no longer be able to use a cell phone while driving unless you have a 'hands free' adapter. I went to Circuit City and they wanted $50 for a headset with a microphone for my cell phone.

Having a friend in the cell phone business, I talked with him and was able to come up with an alternative, working through Office Depot. These kits are compatible with any mobile phone and one size fits all. I paid him $0.08 each because he bought in quantity. Then we tried it with Motorola, Sprint, Verizon and Nokia units and they worked perfectly.

A photo is attached so scroll down & take a look and let me know if you want one. Also, forward this to anyone you know, who has a cell phone, and who may want one........

Hey for 8 cents each, I call that a steal. Please be sure to let Annie know if you want one!!!

LOL teeheeheehee ROFL!!! :-)

PS: Annie says JoAnne of My Primitive Home first told her about it.
Thanks JoAnne and Annie for passing this 'News' on to all of us! :-)

I've Been Tagged! So here goes...

2008-02-16T13:33:00.005-06:00

My dear darling sweet friend Carmen of Shweet Doodles has tagged me. (arghhh.. Just Kidding!)
So I have to list one of my favorite recipes to share with all of you! :-)

Fireside Coffee for Lovers

Ingredients :
2 c prepared Hot Cocoa Mix
1 c prepared Instant Coffee
1/2 ts Cinnamon
2 ts Non-dairy Creamer
1/2 ts Nutmeg
2 ts Sugar

Preparation :
Mix together the hot cocoa mix, instant coffee, cinnamon, creamer, sugar, and nutmeg.

Then pour in 2 mugs and you and your favorite Valentine sit in front of the fire on the loveseat with a good ole warm quilt wrapped around the two of ya and sip your lover's coffee together and Enjoy!!!

Carm? You writing this down??? Ha! Ha! :-)

Artist's Interviews!

2008-02-11T19:23:00.000-06:00

Great News!

I've just added 2 Artist's Interviews to my website on the 'Showcase' page. Amy Rawson and Lita Ashley were kind enough to allow me to interview them. Please check it out! Terrific information for needle felters is offered in both interviews. You don't want to miss it!!! Here is the link to the 'Showcase' page.

http://www.needlefeltingfans.com/showcase.htm

Then just click on their names to view their interviews and photos.

Here is a sneak peak at some of their artwork, with much more to see on their showcase pages along with the wonderful info shared by both of them.

Amy's Art:

Lita's Art:

Many Thanks to Amy Rawson and Lita Ashley!!!

Big OOPS!!!

2008-02-11T19:13:00.000-06:00

Hello my friends,
I had an OOPS with my blog and didn't even realise it. I was doing some house cleaning in my picturetrail acct recently and accidently deleted images that were in use by my blog which caused my blog to show a huge mess for those of you who had not visited before. For those of you that had visited before that, my blog was probably in your cache and so you didn't see the mess. I believe I have corrected the problem now and hope it is now showing correctly for ALL of you. If not, will you be so kind as to email me and let me know? I am so sorry for the mess and hope you will visit again real soon. I appreciate your visits and your comments. I try very hard to keep a tidy blog and offer fun posts as well as educational posts for you all.

Have a Great week and Thank-you for your patience!

Nostalgic Valentine's Video

2008-02-09T13:01:00.002-06:00

Hello Friends!
On the Felting Forum, we are having a felting challenge for the month of February with the theme being Love, Love, Love! A friend of mine there, Kay Petal, reminded me of a great song from the 50's titled 'Stupid Cupid'. It's a really fun song! I found this YouTube video of the song which brings back memories of the soda pop fountains, old fifties cars and sock hops. Hope you enjoy it!

PS: Original video became unavailable so I replaced it with this one on 2/26/2008. Same song, different artist. These girls sing so Beautifully.

Barby Anderson's Creations

2008-02-04T11:23:00.001-06:00

My First Scarf!

2008-02-03T14:06:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

I participated in a monthly felting challenge at The Felting Forum and also took a Seaweed Scarf class there with Carlen Lesley. So I wanted to share my results. This is my scarf made in Carlen's class, which I submitted to the challenge.

I didn't have anyone here at the time to take my picture with my scarf, so Mr Mummy, from our Halloween decor, modeled it for me. Not so sure he really liked it though!!! Ha! Ha!

Please disregard the date stamped on the pics. I don't know how to change or remove the date stamp.

I would highly recommend you check out The Felting Forum. They have wonderful online classes, whereby very talented artists, teach and share their knowledge and techniques with their students. Barby is also an instructor there. It's a wonderful place to learn all kinds of felting!!!

Till next time,

Happy Felting!!!

Needle Felting 101 on YouTube

2008-01-26T18:51:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,
I found this Grrreat video tutorial on needle felting on YouTube!!!
This is offered by Ricë Freeman-Zachery. She has her own blog which you can find right here!

I hope you enjoy it!!!
Happy Felting!

FREE Needle Felted Eyeballs Tutorial

2008-01-23T15:57:00.000-06:00

Hi Needle Felters!

Got another FREE felting tutorial for ya. This one is from Regina Rioux Gonzalez of http://www.monstercrochet.com/ . I must give my friend Linda Walsh of The Best Free Craft Articles Blog credit for this one. I first saw it on her wonderful blog and got hers and Regina's permission to share it with all of you on my blog. You can visit Linda's blog here: http://freecraftarticles.blogspot.com/ . Her blog is just Super!!!

This FREE tutorial is called: Needle Felting LadyLinoleum Style. You can find the complete instructions with pictures on her blog here: http://tinyurl.com/24so9g

I think wool is such a fabby medium to work with. So much diversity can be obtained with wool as our art medium. So many Wonderful items can be created with it.

Regina starts with a small puff of wool:

And ends up with these cool monster eyes!!!

You can visit Regina's website here: http://www.monstercrochet.com/ and her Blog here: http://monstercrochet.blogspot.com/

Let Regina know how much you liked her tutorial and that you found her thru Needle Felting Fans Blog!!!

Have Fun needle felting! :-)

Needle Felted Hats!

2008-01-20T23:53:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

I found these Gorgeous needle felted Hats at: http://www.highlandfelting.com/hats.htm

Pat also has needle felting hat kits:

I Love this!

You can purchase the kits thru her website: http://www.highlandfelting.com/index.htm

or thru her ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Patz-Felting-and-Fibre-Supplies

I just had to purchase one. The kits come with everything we need to make a hat to include the needles, wool, instructions, and a hat form. Pat said the hat form can be re-used to make 10-12 hats before needing to replace it. I ordered mine with the denim wool and ordered red wool from her to make a red one too. I decided I wanted to be part of the 'Red Hat' society. :-) I am so excited!! I love trying new patterns and techniques and this will be so cool because I will be able to wear my artwork!!!

Pat is in Australia, but shipping was very reasonable and she was very fast to respond to all my emails and questions. I really enjoyed my shopping experience with her and look forward to making my very first needle felted hat!!!

Thank-you Pat for all your help. :-)

If you visit her website or ebay store, please let Pat know that you found her thru Needle Felting Fans Blog and that Linda sent you. :-)

Ebay Items For Valentine's Day!

2008-01-18T23:34:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

Barby has listed 2 New needle felted items in her ebay store. One is a Valentine's Rose Pin and the other one is a sweet little baby mouse on a pink Valentine's pastry. They are so lovely and either one would be a joy to give or recieve this Valentine's Day!

Take a peek...

Barby Anderson is a very talented artist and pattern designer. Her wonderful creations are made with the finest of materials and explicitly detailed. I promise you will not be dissappointed. Her lovely creations are a Joy to own and make Wonderful additions to your collection of fine handmade items.

Please visit Barby's ebay store to see these, plus many other items she has for sale.

http://stores.ebay.com/Quilt-Patterns-and-Wool-Designs

Don't forget to tell her NeedleFeltingFans.com sent you!!!

:-)

Felted Soap!!!

2008-01-16T18:25:00.000-06:00

Hello Needle Felters!

I found another FREE felting tutorial for us. Amy and Andrea Mielke of http://www.mielkesfarm.com/ has put together a Wonderful tutorial for felting SOAP!

Who ever heard of felted soap??? Well when I heard about it, I had to go check it out. Well what I discovered is that felted soap makes a great scrubby, loofah and washcloth with soap all in one.

Granted this is actually wet felting, still it is a Very Cool Idea!!! So here's the link to the tutorial:

http://www.mielkesfiberarts.com/felt_soap.htm

Amy and Andrea have great pictures showing step by step how to do it. Starting with all your supplies, your wool and bar of soap:

You will end up with this:

Amy and Andrea gave me permission to share this with you. Thank-you Amy and Andrea!!!

You can visit their website and learn even more about felting here:

http://www.mielkesfarm.com/

In browsing their website you will notice that they carry everything we need for felting; needles, wool, books, classes, etc. Please visit them and let them know you found them thru www.needlefeltingfans.blogspot.com/ or www.needlefeltingfans.com/ .

I sure wish I lived closer to them so that I could take one of their classes. I haven't found any classes in my area, but it would be so nice to be able to attend a class and participate in person, learning this craft. Amy and Andrea are in Wisconsin and I am in Alabama. BooHoo!

But if any of you Wonderfully Kind Thoughtful Generous folks out there in cyber world would like to sponser me for a trip to Wisconsin to attend one of their classes, just let me know!!! :-)

Hope you enjoy this FREE felting tutorial. I would love to see pictures of your felted soap. I'm going to make some and will post my felted soap here on my blog, so check back for that update!

March of the Mousekins

2008-01-13T20:53:00.000-06:00

(Click picture to see it full size)

Look at this adoreable photo brush made using Barby's white needle felted mice! Suzi Wollman of http://www.suziwollman.com/ made this and sent it to us as a gift. Isn't it adoreable!?! Suzi makes lots of photo brush sets and scrapbooking sets too. She is a digital artist and designer.

If you would like to see more of her art, you can visit her blog at the above link. She also has an etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5239753
Suzi has also created art work for http://www.faithfullyyours.net/ (under the name "Designed for Him").

I read her bio on her blog and would like to share this part of Suzi's bio with you.....

Who I am
First and foremost, I am a Christian. When He asked, “Who shall we send, and who will go for us?” I answered, “Here am I. Send me.” And He did. Until three weeks ago, I lived in the city of Simferopol, Crimea, in the southernmost part of Ukraine. My husband, Jeff, and I have two little dogs and we serve Christ in whatever He calls us to do, whether here in the US or abroad, including helping with a small church called Zhivaya Loza (the Living Vine).
I am also the mother of five wonderful, grown children, four of whom are married and of those four, three have given us eight awesome grandchildren. We homeschooled our kids on up through high school, and they have all become our best friends.

Isn't that beautiful? It really touched me and warmed my heart. We are so blessed to have such lovely people like Suzi and her family sharing this world with us. Thank-you Suzi for the caring, the kindness and the love you share with people God brings across your path. And Thank-you for the beautiful photo brush you made us. It is adoreable!

Spiders For Sale

2008-01-11T18:15:00.001-06:00

Hello Friends,

No it's not Halloween....yet! But I am selling Spiders! Want some? I've got giant hairy ones and itsy bitsy spiders. Better hurry up and send in your order before they're all sold!!! ;-)

And if you believe that....I've got ocean front property in Arizona that I'll sell you as well. Hee! Hee!

Ok so what's this about? you ask....

Well we have had torrential downpours here in SE Alabama and the spiders have come out of the trees, bushes, sky, (wherever they come from) and have decided to take up residence in my home.

Oh my, Oh my, I've been wringing my hands and spraying spider spray till I'm about to colapse for lack of fresh air. Whew!!! Called hubby at work, and cried 'Help, we've been invaded!

Well Thank Gooodness for my wonderful hubby who rescued his damsel in distress and sent in the army with heavy artillery (Cook's Pest Control :-)

I'm telling you I was ready to evacuate! I don't mind spiders outside minding their own business, but I don't want them in my house! I guess it was all the rain we've had, but I just know we've never had this happen before. They came with all their relatives, friends, and aquaintances too. I've been freaking out!

Well Cook's fumigated the house and put down what they call 'spider traps' (they looked like glue boards to me) and said we had to stay out of the house for a few hours. I said "No problem. We'll stay out till tomorrow." We've got a place up at the lake about an hours drive away, so that's where we are now as I write this. Sure hope when we go back home the spiders will be back outside where they belong.

In the meantime ..... Want some Spiders??? Just let me know and I'll send them right over. :-0 LOL!!!

Have any of you ever experienced anything like this before?

NFF Photos!

2008-01-08T18:01:00.000-06:00

Hello Needle Felters!

Got some great photos for you from the members of NFF (Needle Felting Fun Yahoo group...see the link on the right sidebar to visit this group).

I tell you these people GOT TALENT!!!

Karamel by Litaashley28 .......................Reindeer by Leafdancer2002

Yorkie by Hilde................ Gray Horse by Hilde

Blue Bear by threethornys..... Little Love Carp by bluwoodruff

Piggy Sue by countrycreekbears..... Cat by truecanadiangoatgirl

This is a very small sampling of all the photos available on that site for us to enjoy. Please go check them out for yourself. :-)

I'm so excited to share these photos with you. I hope you will visit the NFF group and let them know Linda @ NeedleFeltingFans.com sent you. :-)

Needle Felting Tips from Barby

2008-01-07T11:50:00.000-06:00

I asked Barby Anderson (Needle Felting Artist) to share some tips with us newbies and here is what she shared:

Greetings from Barby!

Needle felting is a fun and marvelous art with little expense and few tools. The needles are only a couple of dollars and even the finest wool rarely goes over $3.00 an ounce. I started needle felting in 2006 and continue poking at luscious wool and fiber in my studio most days of the week as a full time job. Ahhh... to do what one loves is a magical thing!

The needle one uses for needle felting is a personal choice. I only use one needle in all of my work, a #38 star felting needle. You may use other sizes of needles too, however I find I love my #38 star best and it creates a nice fine end result to my creations. Felting needles are "barbed" and this is what felts the wool into a form or shape. A "star" needle has extra barbs on the needle, hence a faster method to needle. I prefer using this kind of needle on all of my work. This is not to say that you should not try different needles, you may like using a variety. I have used all sizes and types and always return to my trusty #38 star needle. Place your wool on a three inch foam pad for needling. This will also protect yout table surface.

I use "Harrisville" Wool for the core of my pieces and a fine wool blend overlay for the outer layer on my work. Needle felting is really quite easy. You just need a good needle, good compacting wool and if you are looking for soft elegance to your piece you would use a nice fine wool and fiber blend for an outer overlay such as angora and wool.

Deep needling develops a shape or form and is used in the beginning of your work or when attaching another felted piece to your shape or form. Shallow "bouncy" needling is wonderful for defining your piece, giving it the crisp edges and definition.

"Raw" wool may be used for the hair on a doll, such as curly locks. Wool and fiber batts may be used also. A "batt" can be made from just about any wool and many times has a fine fiber blended with the wool through a "drum carder." I have never used a carder and buy the wool batts prepared.

There are many types of wool one can use and they all bring different end results depending on the usage. Course wool is not my favorite to use for a doll face, however wonderful for the hair on a doll. I feel the most important thing for needle felting is your choice of core wool, the beginning of your piece. If the core wool can not be defined well and does not hold a good structure the whole piece will not take on the edges or shape you desire.

"Corriedale" wool is soft, long and "stringy" and makes fabulous hair on a doll or nice long lines for eyeliner on dolls, however I would have a hard time using "Corriedale" for core wool. Fine fibers like angora and wool blends create a soft "halo" and outer layer over my core piece. "Merino" wool is lush, soft and may also be used as a fine outer layer on your wool core.

A wonderful tip I figured out the HARD way is to curl your fingers inward like a chef cutting an onion while needling a small shape. Also in the beginning there is no need to needle quickly as that is how people poke themselves. Never watch TV while needling!

One of the MOST important messages I would like to share is that everyone should enjoy creating and "my way" is not the "only" way. Some people prefer their pieces soft and with a little "squish" to them and others prefer a "brick" consistency. I do a little of both in my work. I like softness and yet like the piece to hold together well. If I needle too much my piece takes on a "hardness" that I do not like as well, however you may love that look and after all it is YOUR creation. There is not a right way or a wrong way, just experiment and find what you like best. You are the artist and should have the creative license to do what you like!

I love to encourage people to try this amazing art as it is a divine experience touching the wool and fiber.It is my hope that this information may assist many "newbie" needle felters and I will enjoy seeing your wonderful creations in 2008.

Happy needle felting!
Barby Anderson

Grrrrreat Tips Barby!!! Thank-you so much!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I will answer best I can and if I don't know the answer I will ask Barby. :-)

If you would like to see pictures of the Rose that I made using Barby's kit, check out my post under Labels on the right sidebar 'My Rose 12/27/2007'.

Frazzeled!

2008-01-07T11:42:00.000-06:00

Do you feel Frazzeled on Mondays??? I know I do. This little Raggedy best demonstrates how I feel today. Wonder why 'Mondays' are like that? Any thoughts? How do mondays affect you?

Gypsie - My newest furry baby

2008-01-06T23:04:00.001-06:00

My daughter Beth, got me a house kitty for Christmas. We are big animal lovers as you can see in my profile, but I've never had a house kitty before. We have a outside cat, Kit Kat, that we had hoped would be a house cat when we got her, but she decided for herself she preferred the outdoors with all the exciting birds and squillels to chase.

So now as of Christmas I have a house kitty. Gypsie is very happy to be an inside cat. She shows no interest in the great outdoors. Thank goodness!

Here is a couple pictures of her. I just love her. She is very loving, kisses me all the time. :-)

Playing in the Snow

2008-01-04T17:36:00.000-06:00

My son Ralph is in the middle back row with his 4 cousins at Snowhill in Genoa, Illinois

Hello my Friends,

Just had to share some photos of my family. My brother Patrick lives in Dekalb, Illinois with his family of 4 boys. My son Ralph went up to visit them for New Years for a whole week. He will be coming home this Sunday. (Please pray for his safe return home. Thank-you!)

They sent me some pictures of them having a ball on Snowhill in Genoa, Illinois. We live in SE Alabama and don't get snow, so this was a new experience for my son. Hope you enjoy them.

My Handsome Son Ralph

Beautiful Nature Trail

Coming back up SnowHill

My nephew, Patrick

Ralph and nephew Brandon going for a sled ride.

OMG they are in the air!!!

My twin nephews Dylon and Talon. Aren't they cute!

My Nephew Brandon. I think he had his Dad take this picture to send to all his female admirers!!! :-)

My Daughter Beth with her new car. She wouldn't go with Ralph to Illinois because she hates cold weather.

I agree with my daughter, I'm staying in Alabama and will visit my brother's family in the summer!!!

I'm glad they all are having a grand time. :-)

Wishing all of you a safe winter. Stay indoors, keep warm and remember to protect your outdoor pets and plants.

Warm Hugs,

Fun Yahoo Group for Needle Felters

2008-01-02T20:26:00.000-06:00

Hello Needle Felters!

Well it is officially 2008 now. It will probably take me till February to remember this when I write my checks out. I'm a bit slow in this area. ;-)

Well to start the New Year off right, I recommend you hop on over and check out the Fun at Needle Felting Fun Yahoo Group : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Needle_Felting_Fun/

They have a Grrreat group of people over there. Lots of newbies as well as experienced needle felters. So it's a great place to learn, share ideas, ask questions, post your photos, etc.

This group is owned and managed by Michelle Medeiros, a wonderful lady that is also a fabulous needle felting artist. I will be showcasing her soon, on my website and will have photos of some of her many creations for you to feast your eyes on. Trust me...they are too Fab!!! Be watching for that.

In the meantime, Kiss a Piggy, Eat your Greens, Kiss a Frog (Hope it turns into a Prince), Throw salt over your shoulder, Knock on wood, Eat Black eyed Peas, whatever it is you do to increase your Good Fortune in the New Year. Or just do like I do: say my prayers and give thanks for all God's Blessings in my life. :-)

Till next time,

Needle Felting Surfaces

2007-12-30T14:04:00.000-06:00

Hello Needle Felters!

Wow! Look what I found.....

A FREE online class for needle felting surfaces by Marie Spaulding - Living Felt.
http://tinyurl.com/237y88

Hope you enjoy it. :-)

I'll keep my eye out for more FREEBIES for us as we learn the art of Needle Felting.

If you know of a free needle felting tutorial or pattern available online, email me and let me know. I'll include it here in my Blog and give you credit for sharing it with us.

My Rose

2007-12-27T16:43:00.000-06:00

Hello Needle Felters,

Well Christmas is behind us for another year. My family had a Wonderful Christmas. Hoping all of you did too.

Wanted to share pictures of a needle felted Rose that I made using Barby Anderson's pattern.

Let me know what you think of it. I am a newby at this but hope to improve with practise.

Christmas Wishes

2007-12-24T20:54:00.000-06:00

Hello Needle Felters!

This is my new Blog. I plan to post exciting interviews with some of our most talented Needle Felting Artists over this coming New Year. I am lining up some very Wonderful Artists that will share a lot of their tips and tricks of the trade with us.I will also be showcasing cloth doll artists and other craft artists as well. If you would like to be interviewed, please let me know so I can get your interview lined up for the New Year.

I have met some Awesome Friends that make the lovely wool that we needle felt with. I will be showcasing them as well and letting you know where you can get some of the Best wool on the market for your needle felting creations!!!

Check Back real soon for more exciting announcements and blog entries! In the meantime, Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from http://www.needlefeltingfans.com/

Please give yourself the Gift of Blessing by doing something special for someone less fortunate and for the homeless animals in your community. You'll be glad you did.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!