It's a very easy technique - you have a special needle tool (lethal!), a piece of base felt (I used white), some wool tops which come in all the colours of the rainbow (you can see what attracted me!) and a piece of dense sponge:
You lay the wool tops on the felt and stab at them with the needle tool! The fibres get pushed through to the back and the friction from the needles helps with the felting (not a very technical explanation!)I've added stitching in coordinating colours to echo the swirly shapes (I figured it'd hold it all together as well!) Here's a view of the back:
It's great for reducing stress levels as you can stab that needle to your heart's content!
Of course I had to include some stamping and paper so added some of the big swirls from Prima Build-A-Swirl stamps, stamped onto patterned paper and stitched on to the panel.
I discovered that you can't use too small a running stitch on the paper as it just cuts through it! I opted for no. 3 in the end.Then I made a many layered paper flower - this was something Sue Roddis did on a card in Craft Stamper and added an old diamante button that Vikki's gran gave me:
I then added some vintage buttons from my button box, again following the swirly shape:
The mini antique hanger is from Crafty Individuals: (another site to visit - lovely stamps, papers, acetates, all sorts!)It's a great way to hang and present your work:
All in all, I really enjoyed making this, combining lots of techniques and experimenting. Now I've just got to find time to make some more!
I first saw mini needle felted works of art on Art-e-zine - the needle felted postcards of Glenda Bailey. You have to visit this site if you haven't already, it's a wonderland of art treasures.
In fact I'm going to add it to my list of links and then add a list of places I visit just to tempt you some more!!!
Helen
6 comments:
This looks great Helen ... I have tried it a few times nad made a right old mess ... perhaps I will give it another go!
Fabulous article in CS BTW ... am using alchohol inks on silver paint as we speak!!!
I love this Helen. What a lovely gift for your daughter.
Your blog is getting more inspirational with every post, if that's possible.
Lesley
I'm intrigued! Felting has always been a bit of a mystery. Predictably for me, I love the bold flower on this piece. My eye was also drawn to your lovely copper flower brooch in Craft Stamper. Enjoyed your other projects in this issue too.
oooooo! how lovely. I'm totally intrigued having never tried felting and I love the result. That flower's a dream too, I must try. Like Jo, I found your copper flower in the latest edition of Craft Stamper wonderful - great inspiration!
what a coincidence - I first tried needle felting just yesterday, and have been at it this evening too - I took a break from stabbing to surf the net a while, followed a link from UKStampers to your blog expecting to find stamping- and there's some (gorgeous) needle felting :) :) :)
I haven't seen this month's CS yet, but am looking forward to seeing the copper flower as everyone seems most enamoured with it - and copper is my favourite metal
Love your needlefelting, I love this craft too, could spend hours just felting away with that needle! Beautiful piece.
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