Do you hear the Ocean ?

A tiny shell 

washed ashore

within a seaweed bed

Calls out to me

Shhhh...hear

the ocean's perfect harmony

Not only do I hear

the swell and crashing 

of the wave

I hear a tranquil lullaby

that to my heart does save

The knowledge that 

a mermaid's song

is trapped inside a shell

A tiny shell 

washed ashore  

within a seaweed bed. 

I love designing my ooaks and when I can add several different medians, then my muse is extremely happy. (not to mention myself ^_^)  As most of you know...I have been working on a mermaid. A mermaid that combined my love of needle felting, cloth doll making and beading. I finally completed her. Let me introduce, Harmony!!

Her head and torso were needle felted using a cream colored wool. Of course, I started with a white core batting. She needed that added strength....it's tough swimming all the time and racing with the dolphins. Her eyes and lips were painted using acrylic paints. Her hair is a great fringed wool yarn that was needle felted to her scalp. OUCHIE!!!! HEY....I promise that no mermaid was harmed in the designing and sculpting process.

Her beautiful mermaid tail was hand sewn using a cotton fabric and then beaded using tiny glass sead beads. Her tail fins and hip fins were made from sequin fabric and netting. Her waist trim was made from a vintage piece of fringe. (yes..it is a vintage piece...taken from a very old pillow sham) She stands at 8 inches. Part of her height comes from her beautiful but "poofy" hair. ^_^ 

Proof of "Poofy" hair

Front view

Side view (Vole Conch shell up to her ear)

Back view

Close up of bead work

Harmony has a fringe headband (made from the same vintage fringe around her waist) that has a small Capiz shell, Cockle shell and tiny crystal attached to the front. She has a tiny pearl bracelet and necklace. Her shell that was washed up in a seaweed bed and the one she is holding to her ear is a small Vole Conch shell.

Harmony loves standing against her Knobbed Whelk shell. She can also hide partially inside. Hmmmm, perhaps on some days she feels a bit "crabby" and needs to hide. We all have those days, ri iight??

Knobbed Whelk Shell

Feeling a bit crabby..hehe

Harmony will be available in my Etsy shoppe if anyone would be interested in having her come live with them. The Knobbed shell and another small fan shell (charcoal grey one in photo) will come with her. I can't very well send her off without a place for her to hide live in.

Until next time............HUGS!!!