What's happenin'...

Well hello 2018!

Back in the studio now that the hoopla has died down and the creative juices are flowing again.

I love this time of year...full of promise, new hopes and ideas kick in.

I'm trying this year to introduce a few more new kits so 

those who've never tried needle felting can give it a go.

I've had 3 in my shop for a while now, Owl, Fox and Man in the Moon

and I'll be introducing a Fawn and a Raccoon in the very near future.

Here's some sample photos of whats to be coming soon...

It's a very time consuming process to take step by step photos, load them onto the printing website,
write up the instructions for each step, lay it all out appropriately, check all the spelling, grammar etc.
and then wait for two weeks for things to come back from the printer and get the samples ready to take to the shops. By the way, the kits are currently available at Knotty by Nature and Amelia Lee Boutique in Victoria, BC (as well as on my website here).
As always, I like to think ahead to other projects so I'll keep y'all posted on that later.
I've been on some lovely walks lately...early morning down on the flats with the geese...

Jed looking quite sporty!

 Went up Island to ramble with my buddy and her pup...
Jed ever hopeful for a scrap of sausage roll to drop!

Ended up at the Tea Farm where I was smitten with the colours on this building!

 Lots of pretty frost around these days...

 Busy beavers down by the marsh...

One of my precious finds in the bush was this raven head.
Now waiting in the freezer to be cleaned up!

Also found in the bush, this gorgeous door handle and plate...

 Georgia...well...she's just grand!!

Hope everyone is happy and healthy and that the fresh, New year is taking you off
on wonderful journey's! 

Deer Mother...

When I made my reindeer I knew that the females were the ones who kept their antlers in the winter.

So I gave her a feminine Sami name meaning 'quiet,' to honour the majestic and powerful and all being magical creatures we associate the winter season with.

Introducing Jaska...

After blog hopping this morning I found the most interesting post by Gather a local Victoria

blog produced by two women who clearly know how to research and put out a gorgeous blog.

They are truly passionate about which they write about! 

I urge you to check out there archives...so interesting and

many tasty recipes made from local, wild crafted ingredients!

So I found this enlightening post all about the Deer Mother in legend, folklore and history...

https://gathervictoria.com/2014/12/04/doe-a-deer-a-female-deer-the-spirit-of-mother-christmas/comment-page-3/#comment-4911

So grab a mug of tea and spend the time to have a look through the beautiful images

and learn all about this engaging tale of the Deer Mother.

I guess it explains a lot on a former sculpture I made...Finns Nordic dream...

I had no idea about all of the folklore regarding birds in the antlers and such!

(this sculpture is sold)

(p.s...Jaska is now available in my etsy shop here

What's up?...

It's been a while since writing, in the meantime, 

SPRING has arrived here!

The woods, all dark and mossy have been lit up with the first sweet little wildflowers...

Fawn lilies or if you want to get all Latin about it, Erythronium oregonum.

 No matter what you call them, they will call to you along the paths with their

little nodding heads, like fairy hats on parade...

 Holding onto drops of rain until the most delicate of movement shakes them off...

 My walks are twice as long now while I stop and stoop on bended knees
(sometimes stiff and achy bended knees!)

to try and capture this fleeting show...

 The mushrooms are staring to make a show as well.

I spotted these tiny little ones, the biggest about the size of a nickel, 

reminding me of minute Japanese paper parasol's 

 Jed is growing into a sweet little pup and I love that he's beginning to

know the trails and paths we walk every morning...

 ...running ahead, knowing which fork to take, full of joy, as only a young pup can!

 I must apologize for photo quality as I seem to just bring along my iPhone

thinking I won't really take any photos...I should know better!!

A few things completed on the studio table in prep 

for a gallery show coming up in May.

This is Stuart.

I named him after our beloved CBC storyteller extraordinaire who passed away

early this year. He will be missed by many, many listeners who have been

following 'The Vinyl Cafe' and before that his stints on 'Morningside' for many years.

He once did a story on birdwatching and called the ones he couldn't identify 'LBJ's'

or 'Little Brown Jobs'.

So thanks for all the stories Stuart.

This little Stuart bird will always be singing your praise as one of 

the best storytellers of our time.

xo

This other piece was so much fun to make...

 It's called 'Spike on Wellesley Street', a nod to my dads childhood home...

...and yes Spike is anatomically correct!

I used a thin piece of gold wire for his pee.

Funny enough, while I was sleeping, someone left tiny hand prints in the sidewalk!

It may be the part of a series as I'm now making two more versions of Spike.

So that's about all from this big rock in the North Western Pacific Ocean.

Hope you are all well and enjoying spring wherever you are!

Thanks for stopping by!

'Little' Alexander The Great!

(FYI this is a surprise for Brenda so anyone who knows her...SSHHHHHHH!!)
Hello, it is I, Alexander The Great. 

(the dog that is.)

I am a Great Pyrenees.

(note the word 'Great'?)

This is a picture of myself and my humans Brenda and Gerard...they are pretty 'Great' too!

...and since Gerard is a romantic and loves me and Brenda so much, 

he asked a lady named Kerry to make a wee likeness of me.

From what I have heard, Brenda and Gerard have many fine pieces of art

including several other wooly sculptures by Kerry.

So have a look at the likeness of me...

It's Mini Me!!

Pretty good hey?!

Looks like Kerry added all my tiny details...the bit of smokey colour on my muzzle...

...that little pink spot on top of my muzzle and the pink spots below my eyes...

...she really captured that big fluffy tail too!...

...she even gave me a sweet little faux leather collar with brass buckles...

Don't mind me saying this, but it would be pretty hard to capture my...ahem...'Great' looks

but by golly Kerry really did go all out on this one indeed!

 She even included some of my real fur that Gerard stashed away after grooming one day!

I almost wish I could get a hold of Mini Me for a play date but I think my...ahem...'Great' and Powerful jaws would do some damage!

I imagine Mini Me will miss sitting in the window looking out at the oak trees...

I've heard he's had some...ahem...'Great' conversations with this odd little felted Chess man.

He tells me his lineage is Nordic and is a replica of his ancestors from the Bronze Age...

I told him that I came from...ahem...'Great' lineage as well...he says he's heard of me indeed.

He asks me where my travels will take Mini Me...

I tell him that Kerry says Mini Me will go to live on the beautiful and rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island

in a small hamlet called Shirley.

It's a land of  big, tall trees and the wild Pacific ocean nearby.

Oh and a great cafe called 'Shirley Delicious'! Best sausage rolls around I hear!!

So thats the story of 'Little' Alexander The Great's creation.

Maybe one day you'll see a picture Mini Me in Shirley,

but for now I bid you a fond Adieu and hope you have a...ahem...'GREAT' day!!

 

Post Script...
Here's a photo I just received from my customer!