Scrabo tower...wet felting

My brilliant sister Nikki (who is an art teacher, gave me a quick demonstration on how to wet felt....8 years ago! I remember trying it out at the time and having lots of fun experimenting with different coloured wools. So recently, while rummaging in the attic, I came across my really big bag of wool and I simply had to start felting again. Now truth be told, I'm not much good at it! I have seen lots of beautiful felts made by crafters on the net, mine, I'm afraid , is very very , amateurish.
So I reacquainted myself with wet felting techniques on the net and discovered I had none of the tools needed...the bamboo mat, mesh and the soap flakes...so I improvised...good old fairy liquid and a piece of bubble wrap and I was good to go :0{ ish! Here's a little 'picture' story of how my landscape turned out....

The big bag of wool!

Layering of the wool

Layering in the opposite direction

More colours!

Soak in warm water and soap bubbles!

Roll it up in the bubble wrap, squish it about a bit until the fibres blend together

Ta da!

I know, it doesn't look like much!

 Let it dry out and then sew, embellish and you get.......

An impressionistic Scrabo tower! (ie it looks better from a distance lol!)

 My little felting buddies today!

More ramblings later in the week! Have a good Monday!

Ciara :)



The Dog ate my Homework!

Monday morning again and what a beautiful day! Sun is shining, no rain (for a change) ....a great start to the week!
Have been working on some wet felting this weekend....

.......that's where you take woollen fibres, mix different colours together, wet them , then agitate them so they stick together.

I like to create landscapes from the wool as I feel the texture of the wool, gives the picture a sense of being outside, being blown about by the elements! Have a look at some of my mini landscapes, a series called 'the little stone wall'.

All the pebbles have been collected from the shores of Belfast lough and I have included some grazing sheep to complete my 'woolie' pictures! I will be framing them this week and selling them at Belfast's Victoria Square variety market this Sunday 12th Feb 12.30 - 5.30.

During the course of the weekend I discovered that my very naughty cavalier king Charles pup, Toffee took a fancy to my materials! I found her wolfing down some wool from one of my pictures!

Bumped into my author friend Oonagh Lynch at St George's Market on Sunday...check out her brilliant stall and book, Joseph the Hairy Shark.https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joseph-The-Hairy-Shark/211766425561862

Have a busy week ahead...getting ready for Sunday's market.....very excited!

Have a great Monday!

Ciara

Back to the 'Blog'stone!

The end of the week at last!
And what a week!
Had a lovely house guest this week.....Mrs vomiting bug! Don't you just love her!She kindly sprinkled her germs around until everyone was queueing up at the bathroom! Our one and only bathroom! ekk! Anyway, week over, tummy still in a delicate state but I live in hope to have my weekly brownie fix tomorrow (have replenished stores at the very scrummy www.bakedinbelfast.com and look forward to my tummy not protesting too much when I have my wee cupa and brownie tomorrow!)
Alas I didn't get much drawing done this week, but I did manage to attend my showcase meeting with the guys from Belfast's Victoria Square variety market and I am happy to say Smudge Illustration https://www.facebook.com/SmudgeIllustration will be selling at their Sunday fayre market in the very near future! Am very excited ...big squeal!

I never once envisaged myself as a market trader... a real eastender like! it's not something I've ever thought about and low and behold it's happening...and I love it! Before Christmas I tested my Smudge Illustrations on the unsuspecting crowds at Belfast's St Georges market and it was great! The 5am starts,( not forgetting to write my name on 'the list', a tradition spanning many decades that prevents stampeding when the doors open!), queueing up for hours in the freezing cold to get a stall and the lugging of  heavy boxes in and out of my car was a little bit  'rubbish'. However , I absolutely loved everything else! Especially the lovely people I meet who made those long hours in the frosty mornings seem like only minutes....Andrea, quite possibly the best maker of mint chocolate cupcakes ...in the World!! was so lovely...You have to taste her creations https://www.facebook.com/#!/sugarmamasni and then very coincidentally I was in front of local Children's Picture Book Author, Oonagh Lynch, who filled me in on how she managed to get her story from her notebook into print! Check out Joseph, a very hairy shark, a heart warming, funny tale about an inventing shark!https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joseph-The-Hairy-Shark/211766425561862.
Anyway, looking forward to feeling like my old (not that old!) self again and getting more pictures done. Here's a textile I finished right before Mrs tummy bug arrived!

She's called button owl! 
On a final note, I have to mention my good friend Avril, who I met for a cupa today....she blogs about affordable fashion for mum's, she's brilliant!!... check out her blog schoolgatestyle.blogspot.com She reminded me I should be blogging, hence my return to blogger after a little sabbatical, so thanks Avril!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Ciara ;)

ps my spell checker on the blink so sorry for any typos!