Kangaroos & birdy things

Just before we moved (again) last year I created my most complicated pattern so far - 'Jack', a kangaroo for the Australian magazine 'Felt'. I had to make an initial one to work out the basic pattern and then a second one in order to do the demo photographs. Haven't had anyone contact me yet to tell me they've made one though! You can buy the magazine as a back issue here, if you want to try making your own.

Jack one *SOLD*

Jack two *SOLD*

 Another couple of little things left over from last year, a little button wheel goose -(*sold*)

- and a vintage style owl clip. Despite their small size, each one took around four hours to make. So for the first time in ages, I've been able to update my shop with needle felt, not art. 

 

Mollie Makes - chicken brooch

It has been one heck of a month. I think we've been walloped with so many life events this year - some good, others dreadful -  that we are just reeling from it. However, there is always needle felting and I am so pleased that 'Mollie Makes' have used another of my patterns for their latest issue - a chicken brooch, easy and quick to make, with written and photographic instructions. It's in issue 21  which is in shops now,  available to buy online here or as a digital download  here.

It was also lovely to be in the same section as my online friend, Debs - 'Imagination of a Ladysnail' who has her sweet character brooches featured. We've followed each other's progress for years, and it's so nice to be celebrating a bit of success together. Deb's blog is here.

Latest order to be finished; eight Christmas Cottages for one lucky  person's tree. I'm all cottage'd out for the moment, but you can find the pattern in 'Mollie Makes Christmas' and make your own - I'd love to see pictures of the results.

Gathering acorns

Is this not lovely? The Mollie Makes team have hand crafted a new weekly digital mini-mag for the iPad. I have to come clean and say that I don't have an iPad myself (nor any other kind of tablet or internet gadget, just my grinding old clockwork computer). I believe there are links and clickable things inside. I was delighted to be commissioned to create a simple acorn pattern, which can be made in 2-3 hours easily.

I was hugely tickled to see the promo video, which features a somewhat larger version of the acorns;

Although if you make the ones in 'Gathered', they should be this big;

There is a great offer of your first five issues for free when you subscribe, details of which are here. 

There have been mumblings and grumblings that it's not available across all tablet platforms; there are plans to expand availability next year, but there various technical issues to overcome. However, everything starts somewhere. From little acorns big oak trees grow.

Wheely geese!

I can't think why, but  I have never made geese on wheels before

 I might make one or two just for me, as these will be rolling off somewhere. Honk!

 

Mollie Makes Giveaway!

It seems like a long time ago when I made these little chaps - in our old cottage, back in the Spring before we moved. Cottages and houses really are the dominant theme this year.

 

And now at last, they are in the gorgeous new 'Mollie Makes' project series, published by Anova Books. I opened my latest mag to see this - and a lovely in-house photo of my little cottages.

The nice people at Anova have offered a giveaway of a free copy to a lucky winner - just leave a comment on my blog here, and I'll draw all the names out of a hat on Wednesday morning October the 10th - so get your name down before then, and I'll send the winner's email address to the publishers. Open to the Whole World. 

I've already got my copies - so many lovely things in there, I feel happy just looking at it.

Oh, and if you'd like a bonus entry, subscribe to Lovecraft/Anova Twitterfeed

      GIVE-AWAY IS NOW CLOSED, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ENTERING!  

Little houses

I've got  a few things going on at the moment, life-wise  - and an ongoing order list for full sized toys. But it's nice to go AWOL sometimes and sneak a bit of playtime in.

So when I can, I've been making little things. Such as tiny houses - as we seem to be having a house oriented year.

Which *only* take 3-4 hours to make.

These 'Wee Housies' were going to be popped into my Etsy shop for £30 each.

But the entire village was snapped up before I could list them. Sorry!

Needle felt round up

Despite all the various shenanigans which we are putting ourselves through, work still goes on. The first thing I finished in Shropshire was a commission from one of my regular collectors  who wanted a copy of 'Kitty Blue' from my book, 'Mrs Mouse's Cupcakes'. 

She is not 100% the same as the original but as near as I could get her. I know which is which.

I'm doing a lot of repeat designs at the moment and sometimes I need to try a new design.  I have wanted to make a red squirrel for ages.

Betsy sold at once and made her way to America where she is making my friend Janet very happy, I believe.

I've also just finished several doglet orders  - Claudette, who is a copy of one of the first doglets  from my Mollie Makes pattern. (as the originals are all sold now).

Also, a larger clown version of the Mollie Makes doglets, who has gone over the border to nearby Wales.

Henri, one of the original magazine doglets was snapped up by a French lady who runs an online boutique shop.  So he has gone to his spiritual home, accompanied by a specially commissioned girl-friend, Henriette.

She composed this sweet montage of the two 'H's' on her copy of the Mollie Makes issue, many thanks for letting me use this, Savine!

Although I can't really arrange full workshops at the moment, I had a special all day one-to-one session with a lovely needle felter, Jackelien from Holland. No, she didn't come all that way just to see me, but I am flattered that she wanted to spend the day learning techniques from me in the middle of her family holiday. She bought Dutch treats in a pretty tin - I am now addicted to the liquorice chalk sweets. I've had to hide the bag from myself.  The kilner jar is not full of sweets, but little wax shapes  - it's an outdoor candle which I am hoping to light in our new back garden.

 Apart from working on finishing off techniques and fine shaping, we made funny little houses. It was a really lovely day, we talked our heads off  and by the end of it, I felt sure that I had made a new friend. (Her version of the day can be found on her blog here - lots of pictures if you don't speak Dutch, including one of me which makes me realise I have to start running again!)

Talking of little houses, we are now hopeful that we may be properly settled soon - in the precarious world of  house buying nothing is ever certain, but we are quietly hopeful. 

Mollie Makes & me!

Doglets ahoy! Issue 13 of Mollie Makes hits UK shop shelves today - I've had a fantastic response from subscribers so far (who got their copies last Saturday). I feel a bit greedy, as the lovely Mollie Makes team gave me a lot of pages - as soon as you open the cover the sweet story begins - and how beautifully they have presented my little dogs - I felt as if I was looking at someone else's work.

...and in the contents...

...and six sumptuous double page spreads after that, with my step-by-step guide to making your own doglet - people, I sweated over that pattern, so it had better work! And yes, those are my fair hands demonstrating the steps.

The basic doglet design is an old favourite - I made my first in the third week of my discovering needle felting, over four years ago. He was called 'Petite Jaune' and he went over to live in Europe.

Soon after, I tweaked the design and made 'Custard', who went to live with the lovely Donna Flower.

Three years ago, I did a limited edition of 'Buttercups' for my only stockists, Teddy Bears of Witney. Sat with his back to us with his friends.

Finally he appeared as Custard again, in 'Peggy's Lost Pennies'.

And now here are his baby cousins in my favourite magazine. I've loved Mollie Makes since issue one - I had an inkling it would be an instant hit (it sold out within a couple of weeks of launch). They have successfully created a gorgeous, approachable magazine which taps into the whole crafting/blogging/lifestyle world in a way that really works, and I admire them for that. Confession - from issue one, I had a burning desire to do an article for them, but I never imagined I'd be asked to do the cover.

I'm not only selfishly pleased for myself, but also that it helps bring needle felting into the mainstream; a few weeks ago I had a needle felt book proposal rejected from a large UK craft publisher on the grounds that needle felting was 'too niche'. I have only one word to say to that - WOOF!

So, here's what you need to know if you want a copy - it sells really quickly, so hurry! It's available in most WHSmiths, some Asdas, Sainsburys and many independent craft shops. The stockists page can be found here, also with international outlets listed. It's also available as a digital download here, if that's your preferred method of reading.

Mollie Makes have five copies of 'Peggy's Lost Pennies' (in which dear old Custard appears) to give away, and you can enter the contest here.

Oh yes, nearly forgot - I'm at the Winds of Change Gallery in Wincombe tomorrow, Saturday April 14th, 11am till 4.30, demonstrating needle felting, if you're in or around the Cheltenham area. My Puddletown toys will be on display, so come and say hello!