Little wheely animals and things

I've been very remiss in posting any needle felt work here, which is strange, as I certainly haven't stopped working. While we've had a stressful few months, needle felting has been one thing that has calmed my anxiety down. Perhaps it is because I use my Instagram account to post  work in progress and pieces for sale, and once that's done I forget about showing it on my blog. Anyhow, my latest 'thing' has been making miniature vintage style toys on wheels. Obviously not toy toys, but models of toys, such as these little rabbits - 

As you can see from the photo with my fingers showing, they really are very small (which strangely does not make them any quicker to make). I've used antique sewing machine bobbins to represent the wheels and added some parts of an old silver and moonstone necklace to make the pull chains with. It's always lovely when work sells immediately and these two have long been sent to their new homes. 

Then there is Bertie, again on bobbin spools and with a vintage other of pearl button to finish his pull chain with.

 'Bertie', available for sale on Etsy

And Walter, who is larger and with vintage buttons to represent wheels. The frame is my own hand twisted affair and the old brass button at the end of the gilt chain is one I've had since I was a teenager and used to adorn a nice felt burgundy waistcoat (until the moths got it).

      'Walter', available for sale on Etsy

Earlier this year I made my first foray into adding 'things' to my work with this button moon fox - it took some time to get it all to balance and so that the fox appeared to be gazing into a full moon without toppling over.

 'Fox and the Moon' available for sale on Etsy

And finally, in 'other news', I have only held one workshop this year, in nearby Ludlow at the Loudwater Studio. With three people attending, it's possibly the smallest class I've ever had, but very enjoyable nonetheless. 

 

I have made the decision this year to cut back on workshops, as I find the worry of whether they will happen or not and the travelling,  a bit much to cope with nowadays. While I really enjoy the actual events, I find they wipe me out mentally and physically. So I'm really quite excited to be entering the world of internet craft courses and later this year hope to be able to offer my first online workshop - maybe with videos!

Big workshop, little workshop

Somehow I inadvertently managed to book myself for two workshops in the space of a week, which has been a bit of a whirlwind. My first port of call was to Stourbridge, where I had a lovely large crafting group working in a converted canal-side warehouse. As usual there was a lot of wool...

...and plenty of homemade cake. 

 

It was a really lovely day, very chatty and very friendly. Nearly everyone was new to needle felting, but being a talented bunch of crafters, they soon got the hang of things and were busy creating their own delightful creatures.

Including a thread jointed teddy bear, not a mean feat in one afternoon.

What I liked best was how people quickly found their own style - I don't lay down ground rules in my workshops (apart from trying not to stab yourself with the needle) and the variety of styles was fabulous.

Then just six days later I was up at 5am, to catch an early train down to London, to visit the Village Haberdashery. 

 I rather enjoy the London Underground and snapped a few arty shots. 

There were only three people for the workshop, but it made for a nice, intimate day and so nice to meet people who already 'knew' me, one way or another.  Foxes were made. And I finally got home at 9.30pm, a long old day.

I have also made my first sale from my own new website, Lost Arcadia, and sent this little rabbit to her new home. It's starting to feel like a proper website at last.

Finally, we were so happy to be visited by 'Granny Sue' and her lovely husband Larry, all the way from America. They popped in for lunch and we had such a fabulous time that three hours zipped by without us noticing. Brian-next-door lent us their drive for parking as ours is a bit steep. Susannah has written lovely accounts of their trip to England and Wales, and a sweet account of their visit to us, on her blog here.

Such an occasion demanded a photographic souvenir, so here is a snap of Susannah and myself...I am thinking i need to start doing some sit-ups! Or suck my tummy in. Or eat less cake.

Some kind of normality

Last Friday saw us begin a marathon of cross country travelling 'up North' for the funeral of Andy's Nan. Normally we'd have gone by motorbike and it would have taken about two or three hours, but with the UK suffering sub-zero temperatures and my arm being how it is, we booked train tickets from Oxford. So began a hodgepodge journey starting with us setting off the dark, icy early morning, layered up like Michelin men on the bike, leaving the bike with Debs-of-the-bees who lives nearer to the city, catching a bus to Oxford, then a train to Manchester, picked up by car, fed and watered by Andy's nice parents and another car journey to Yorkshire for an overnight stay at a motel. It snowed overnight and Selby Abbey, where the simple service was held, was looking stunning. The sun came out; a nice way to say goodbye to a long life which was finally at rest.

Later that day we did the same journey in reverse, but slower. Driving through the vibrant city of Manchester to the station was a surreal experience for both of us. We felt a little like visitors from a secluded community, goggling at the new space-age office blocks, the hordes of shoppers clutching bulging shopping bags (how much *stuff* does a person need???) the crowded eateries, the groups of rowdy night-outers...it was like descending into some kind of urban hell, not improved by the various football fans being police-escorted and later on the train, the distinctly un-charming presence of racist thugs getting tanked up on cheap lager. We decided to stay standing up in the corridor well away from them, until they disembarked.

It took over 6 hours to return, ending with a slow, wind chilled half hour ride near midnight, along treacherous roads covered in black ice, both of us frozen by the time we arrived back to a cottage full of sleepy cats. Rarely have I felt so thankful to be home. But this sad, necessary journey was a marker for us; we had decided that Monday was going to be 'N-Day' - a return to Normality. And so it has been. I am finally back in bed, bolstered up and last night had the best night's sleep I've had since my accident, comfy under a proper quilt and able to stretch my legs out. My arm is much better, thanks to my homemade physiotherapy of housework, sweeping with a dust-pan and brush proving painful but effective.

While we were at Andy's old home, I took the opportunity to re-visit the very first needle felted toy I made, way back in 2008. He was a birthday present for Andy's mother; he is tiny compared to the size I work at today! He was a bit fuzzy after two years and I took the opportunity to give him a bit of a makeover - so although you may think that I have double posted the same picture, look more closely. Same but different. Rather like country folks and city folks.