Owl, Mouse, Kangaroo and Lion

Here are four more additions to the 'ABC' animals series! I have photographed these critters against solid, colorful backgrounds. My goal is to complete a board book aimed at very early readers.

 

Lion - red background has been enhanced in Photoshop, and shadow areas have been reduced.

ABC Needle Felts

Here are four more critters from my series of 'ABC' needle felts; Frog, Giraffe, Horse and Iguana.

The giraffe's patterning certainly created an interesting challenge, and was a test of patience!

Needle felted alligator tutorial

This week, I have made a quick tutorial video on how to make the needle felted alligator critter below. I think he has a lot of character, perhaps because I didn't plan too carefully what he was going to look like before I started.

This alligator is part of an ABC needle felted animals book project that I am working on at the moment.

Enjoy!

ABC Needle Felts

I am currently taking a RISD Continuing Education class in Adobe InDesign. The final project is upon us; to complete an entire book, which we can then publish on Blurb if we choose to do so.

I have decided to create a very simple alphabet book.

4 animals down, only 22 to go!!

Video Tutorials: How to Make a Magnetic Puppet Theater

I have completed two new video tutorials this week!

The first, How to Make a Magnetic Puppet Theater, is craft project designed for children (approx. age 8 and up) or adults to complete using basic household items.

The second is a needle felting instructional video for creating magnetic puppets to go with the aforementioned puppet theater. Coming soon: how to create more basic magnetic puppets from corks and spools.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ5XYBoX4FI&feature=context-cha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H--fLfrruw&feature=plcp

Magnetic Puppet Theater

Below is a short video of a magnetic puppet theater I made this week using cereal boxes, paper, tape, glue, popsicle sticks and paint. It is a very easy project using readily available tools and materials. I imagine all kids could do this project with some adult assistance with cutting.

The animal characters are made with needle felted wool, and I incorporated magnets into their lower bodies to allow them to move across the stage, controlled by a magnetic wand underneath. I will post a tutorial soon for simple characters made from cork and beads (more suitable for kids to create than the needle felts).

The instructional videos to follow will be the first in a series of tutorials on crafting and needle felting. Enjoy!

Also view the video on You Tube click here

 

Wacky Chickens

These are some chickens I made recently for my friend Susan Novich. Susan was after some chickens to adorn her greeting card table at the RISD alumni art sale, where she was selling her "Look Who's Squawking!" line of greeting cards. These birds were designed to look like the wacky yellow chicken in her logo, and they were a lot of fun to make!

The chickens themselves are made from needle felted wool. Their beaks are orange polymer clay, and their bodies are constructed around a wire armature for flexible movement. I made the legs by bending wire with needle nosed pliers, and wrapping tightly with thread.