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!!!

The Birthday Present is Completed!!!

OH MY GOSH....I just knew that I was going to be up most the night trying to finish the birthday girls felt purse. I have been working my hiney off....well, we all know that isn't true....wish it was...if I could I would...would so do it...believe me...I would!! Hummmmm.....started out talking about a purse and then jumped to a hiney topic. I think my brain has long left the normal, sane thinking process...so let's finish this before my head hits the keyboard and my drool shorts it out.

I am rather proud of this little bag. Just the perfect size for a little girl. It's 11 1/2 x 11 1/2. I even put a felt lining in it for added strength. Think she will care that she has a one of a kind bag...nahhhhh....but that's alright. I know that she will have one cute lil tote that all her friends will be so jealous of...hehehe!! All the appliques are made from felt. They were applied using a blanket stitch all around and a bit of straight stitching to add some highlights. On the little yellow fish I used some of my antique glass beads. He is also blowing bubbles....the bubbles are some of my moonstones. I think they make some most excellent bubbles, don't you?  If you look closely at the sea urchin (fluffy purple stuff) you will see a sea shell. It's one that the Chazman found on one of our beach walks. The strap I did by doing some of my macrame twisted knots using green hemp rope.

Chaz is really excited about the party. Even said that he knew that the gift would be a favorite. (and he expected me to make him a felt character next week) The party is going to be at the corn maze. Yes, I said corn maze....a real maze that you have to find your way out of....of course it's Halloween time so there is no telling who or what else is trying to escape from the maze. MUAHAHA!! There will be a hayride and some awesome pumpkin tossing. A day filled with fun!! I'm happy that I can take my book and just sit and read.

Until next time.....Hugs,
Regi

Needle Felting is so much....OUCHIE!!!!

Where are the band aides? Ohhhh noooooo....the Chazman used the last one on that booboo that only he could see. Nope...couldn't see it no matter how hard I looked. Even got the magnifying glasses out and still couldn't see it but it was there and it was "killing" him. Guess I need to get me a box and hide them in the studio. I love to needle felt but OMGOSH all the ouchies I get. Sharp, sharp needles. Chaz wants to learn but I do believe this is one thing that I will follow what the guidelines say.....no one under 12 should attempt. Really, they shouldn't and on some days I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't either...ROFL!!!

I finished the little mermaid. Yep..that's what all the lovely felt was used for in my Wordless Wednesday post. I am making a birthday gift for the Chazman to take to his first official non family birthday party. She is a pin that is going to be attached to the front of a felt purse. An underwater scene....a unique one of a kind purse for an 8 year old. Chaz said he thinks she will LOVE it and if she doesn't then he will bring it home and I can make an octopus to go with the mermaid and he can just pretend with it. After that statement he asked which one did I think would win a water race...the mermaid or the octopus. Well...duhhhhhh...the mermaid of course. He didn't agree!!! Then he said that I could needle felt him a pirate ship and the mermaid could be the wooden statue on the front because she has that old, wooden antique look. What a compliment and coming from a 7 year old........who apparently watches wayyyy to much television.

I do hope that Bryanna likes her gift. I love making gifts and giving them. If I have time I'm planning on making her a seashell barrett but we will have to see if I can finish the purse by "gulp" Saturday. No more using the felting needles for I'm going to hand stitch the ocean scene on the front of the purse and then stitch it up on my machine. That is if I can hand sew with all these dang band aides!!!

Until next time.....Hugs,
Regi (the Needle Felt pin cushion)