Tea for Two

Tea for Two

So after playing around with the tea cups from my needle felting book, I decided to experiment and make a tea set. I bought more blue, but of course it didn't match the first blue, so I made new tea cups and saucers. Then I used a similar technique to make the teapot, but made it bigger and made a lid for it. After getting the tea pot to a point of something I liked, I only had enough of the blue for a plate, so I made a plate of cookies. If I make it back to the store, I'll get more blue to make a sugar bowl and creamer, but for now Hazel is happy with her new tea set.

My Inspiration and Technique Guide

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Tea Pot Lid

Tea Cup and Saucer

Tea Pot

Hard to Say Goodbye and Some Other Links I've Been Trying

Simba playing in his younger years

Yesterday, we buried the ashes of our beloved Simba. I first got Simba as a kitten in 1994. He is the first cat I can say was truly just mine. Steve of course adopted him and they loved each other right away, but I had from 1994-2006 alone with him. Yesterday we finally got around to buying a plant in his memory and burying his ashes underneath it. We are also making a stepping stone to honor him to place next to it. It is still curing and then I'll paint it and seal it, so pictures will come at another time. We had to put Simba down at the end of July. He was in too much discomfort to keep him alive anymore.

Simba "helping" sew a quilt

Simba was the best cat I had ever known. He loved to be with people and loved to play. He would greet me when I came home and follow me around and sleep with me every night. When Steve and I decided to start a family we adopted a kitten, so Simba would learn to share our attention before a baby arrived. He accepted Pumpkin pretty quickly. At first he followed her around and would meow at her whenever she did something against my rules. It was rather cute.

Simba and Pumpkin (as a kitten)

Simba and Pumpkin getting some fresh air

Simba at Dawn

Simba was at first afraid of Hazel and kept his distance, but in the end he would let her pet him and would come to cuddle even if she was with us. I think some of it may have been he was too slow to get away anymore and just wanted some love.

When I was beginning to quilt I took a class on watercolor quilts and made this wallhanging depicting my favorite cat doing one of his favorite activities, looking out the window. It hangs over our bed now, so we know Simba is always with us.

Okay, enough of the sad stuff. On a positive note I won a blog contest. Sew Happy Geek had a wonderful contest for her third blog-iversary, and amazingly I won. I am getting one of her patterns and all the fabric to make the quilt top. Now to figure out who to make it for. I can't wait to get the package.

Here are some other blogs/ideas I have been playing with:
1)  From The Enchanted Tree -- Bendy Dolls
2) From Living, Loving, Learning Naturally -- Ice Cream for Breakfast! I tried this recipe this morning using frozen mixed berries instead of the banana. I really liked it. Hazel didn't seem to eat it and Steve did not give me his opinion. We had it over waffles. I personally thought it was a fun way to jazz up the waffles instead of syrup. I used skim milk and couldn't tell.
3) From Poet in the Pantry -- Brownies to Heal the Soul. Haven't tried these yet, but trust Carrie's (and her family's) opinions. She also has a PB Fudge recipe that looks delicious.

How about you--any good ideas to share?

My Adventures in Needle Felting

One of Hazel's favorite books

So last spring I became fascinated with needle felting. I looked at the books and saw such interesting things you could make with them and really fell in love. I first found a little kit to make a fish. It seemed easy enough. I changed some of the colors so it would look more like the Rainbow Fish (from the book by Marcus Pfister which we highly recommend). I'm going to eventually make Hazel a magnet fishing game and make this fish as one of the catches. I also bought some silver sequins to make it more like the Rainbow Fish.I haven't added them yet or done the mouth.

My Rainbow Fish

Next I found Wool Pets by Laurie Sharp at the library. I tried a few animals from there without much luck. I showed my mother my attempts and we agreed I did not needle them enough.

Next I found this great book full of inspiration and know-how. I wanted to try to make everything. I attempted a bird, but again did not needle it enough. Then I put it all away for a few months.

The other day I pulled out my supplies. Actually I pulled out the roving to make the fairies and while it was out I decided to try some needle felting again. I started small. I made a flower (with a mold) to attach to the dish. I liked it and made some to go all the way around. Then I did a little heart for the spoon. I was very happy with the results.

The Dish

The Loving Spoon

After these successes, I decided to try a few from my book. I had fallen in love with the tea cup so I decided to be daring and try it. I liked the results though I did not have enough of the blue roving to make another cup and saucer.

Then I had seen on line at The Magic Onions a tutorial to needle felt a pumpkin. I did not have much orange roving, so I decided to hold off on trying this. However, I decided to try an apple on my own. I figured I had plenty of red and different shades of green to give it a try. I followed the directions in the book on how to make a sphere and expanded it into the apple shape. Then played with colors to get different shading and added a stem and leaves and even put a little dark brown on the bottom for the core/flower piece. I was very happy with it.

So I think I have overcome my fear of needle felting and am looking forward to trying more with it. First I need to get some more supplies. Enjoy your weekend!

My Apple Creation

Acorns, Pinecones and Autumn Fairies

 

Today we worked on several crafts before heading out on our errands. We started by making two more wool roving fairies with an autumn theme this time. I'm going to put them on Hazel's nature table for now, but I know they will end up in her fairy garden once we decorate it for autumn.

Our Autumn Wool Roving Fairies

Flower Acorn Pine cone Fairies

Next we gathered our acorns and pine cones from our nature walks and back yard. Having seen this Blissfully Domestic blog when I was searching for acorn crafts. We created similar acorn fairies using an acorn and a pine cone for the body. The second acorn may have been a better option, but all of our acorns were small so we went this method.

Our Acorn Pine Cone Family

Then we ran out of silk flowers so we made pine cone acorn people. We will probably add more details to them, but we stopped to let the glue dry. Again I see these going on Hazel's nature table for the fall.

I hope all of you have a wonderful long weekend! I keep praying my dear husband will not have to work nights after tonight, but he doesn't know. He is guessing he will have to go in tomorrow night. This week of the graveyard shift has really done a number on all of us. Even the cats are missing him. Hopefully he (and all of us) will get back to our regular schedules and rest this weekend. Take care and be safe!

Fairies, Fairies...

Today while Steve got ready to take Hazel to his mother's, we made fairies. We followed the tutorial on Mama Moontime somewhat. We used a wooden bead, a pipe cleaner, and wool roving. Then decorated with silk and/or clay flowers. This literally took Hazel and I about 10-15 minutes. She hasn't mastered twisting pipe cleaners, etc., so she needed much help with hers. I also added wings since the original tutorial did not include them. I wasn't exactly sure of the best way to do it and if I had more time I may have tried to needle felt them to it instead of glue and needle felt the wings to be more solid. I expect we will be making more of these for each season and possibly for gifts. and of course to play with. Hazel cannot wait to put them in her fairy garden.