WoooOOOOoooo Shpooky

Our felted jack o`lantern

OK maybe not so spooky - but certainly fun! I felted this funny little chap for the International Felt Day - he came to the felt-in at Brendas` with me...well she did say "bring something whacky" - you dont get much whackier than this lol :o)

He looks pretty good in the dark with his little LED candle light flickering away.

Tomorow we are planning to have a Harry Potter style Halloween Feast, with pumkin pasties & pumkin juice `n all. Tomorow is promising to be lots of family fun, carving lanterns & cooking - cant wait.

The kids & me are all huge HP fans & the feasts in the books & films always look so lovely - poor hubby will just have to go along with it :o) - he really wont mind & Im sure will love the food!

Thanks goodness the days of putting on spooky public performances at work are over - you never really knew what Halloween would bring to our house... The first time I met my newest sister-in-law & her children, they paid us a suprise visit just as I was getting made-up ready to go to work - as a plague victim...niiice. The kids thought it was great, but I think mom wondered what kind of family she was marrying into! Other years Ive been; a vengeful zombie (forgot the make-up & went to the McDonalds drive thru` on the way home...I remembered when all the staff poked their heads through the window to have a look at me! ) a demon & a ghost; it was fun at times - but got to be more of a chore than anything.

Aah well, hope you all have fun this halloween - if you wish to... or a nice peacefull evening if not.

:o)

x

Wrap it up

Well, a little later than I had planned but... I have finally managed to take some photos of my latest creations! Having time to get them onto the blog is the problem now, my son is at home poorly at the moment so Im not getting chance to tinker around on the computer. Im going to trickle the photos on over the next few days...

First up - the wraps...

I love blue! This wrap has 3 gorgeous shades of blue fading into each other. I has my own handspun yarns & small pieces of shimmering organza felted in, oh & some wensleydale locks for texture. (I wanna keep this one - but I want the next one too.... mmmm decisions, decisions)

I think Im going to claim this one for myself. Again my own handspun yarns are felted in, along with wensleydale locks & a paisley velvet heart (felted in but oversewn to re-define the shape) It looks quite heavy, but its actually very light weight & comfy - but warm & snug!

My lovely hubby says this one looks like a cowhide! This is a pretty big wrap, with a scattering of lovely tussah silk for extra yumminess. Cream along one edge it fades through light & medium chocolate to darkest brown.

Hopefully I shall get on with posting pics of my latest scarves tomorow - lots more cobwebby lacy loveliness!

TTFN
x

Busy, busy, busy...

Well I dont know where the time is going! All of a sudden Christmas is just around the corner & Im planning what presents I shall be making for who... not to mention making stuff to take to a Christmas Craft Fayre at the beginning of December - if I manage to get a place (fingers crossed).

I seem to of had a very hectic couple of weeks... some days have been very productive - Ive made 3 new wraps which Im really happy with, but havent had time to photograph. Plus some more flowers & beads. Lots of felt on my `to do` list this week...

I drove over to the Jinney Ring this morning, its the first time Ive had to drive there & I got horribly lost! I took a wrong turn just 10 minutes from getting there and found myself on a huge dual carriage way, with no where to get off or turn around - I ended up 20 miles off in the opposite direction :( NOT a happy bunny! I finally managed to get off the dual carriageway (on to ANOTHER dual carriageway aaagh, luckily I got off that fairly quickly) and fortunately found some walkers to ask directions from (I didnt even know which town I was in). My detour managed to add an hour on to my travelling time, not to mention a few grey hairs & tears.

However it was worth it - I had a lovely couple of hours visiting with Brenda Marshall in her studio... and I found my way home OK too, so all`s well that ends well!

Have a good week everyone

x

Go your own way

Ive got to share this with you... it was such an exciting project. I was really `into` it & then I had to wait AGES for the zips to arrive so I could finish; I really over-the-moon to have finally finished! Well Im half way there at least... I started two bags, one to sell & one to keep, my own shall have to wait until I have a little free time :o)

OK so you`ve had a taster :o) Now here`s a proper picture...

If you look closely you will see a shoal of fish, swimming through a current of lighter coloured water...
All but one fish, who is `going his own way` swimming against the current

The fish are made from small pieces of VERY chunky homespun which I have felted in between the layers of the felt to give the feeling of depth, the fish are nicely raised & textural. The handle is made from several of my own handspun fancy yarns with a couple of strands of turquoise rattail cord. I used vintage pearls, from a broken necklace, to embellish the cuff & they are incorporated into one of my yarns in the handle.

The bag is named after one of my favourite songs (by Fleetwood Mac) and the mantra Ive been living most of my adult life to... Go Your Own Way

In fact I was singing `Go Your Own Way` most of the time that I was felting this bag!

Time to get felting

x

What a wonderfull day!

I had an absolutely fabulous Felt Day on Saturday :o) Hope all my fellow felters also managed to have fun!

The lovely Brenda

I spent the afternoon at Brenda Marshalls Textiles shop at the Jinney Ring Craft Centre near Bromsgrove.

There were 4 of us celebrating the Day of Felt; Brenda, Ann, Judy & me... we had a lovely afternoon felting butterflies and flowers, some of which found their way into the tree outside Brendas studio/shop. For me it was a rare treat to get together & work & chat with other felters & spinners (the very first time actually - and I loved it). Thank you ladies for a lovely afternoon & for making me feel so welcome :o)

Here are a few pics from the day...enjoy

Ann & Judy working away

Close-ups

Butterflies dancing in the breeze

Happy Day of Felt

Ready for a day of fun

Yay its here at last :)

Tomorrow is the first ever International Day of Felt... anybody with pieces of my Felt Day jewellery please remember to wear it tomorow, whether you`re at home or out n about ... and be a part of my way of celebrating :)

I shall be heading to the Jinney Ring Craft Centre near Bromsgrove at around lunchtime, for an afternoon of felting fun with Brenda. We shall be felting butterflies to decorates the trees around the centre, hopefully get a few folks to join in too! If you are nearby PLEASE pop in & say `hi`

Im pretty sure I shall be flat out for the rest of the weekend, but shall post an update early next week. Have a wonderfull weekend everyone - whatever you are doing

x

Go your own way

Well I managed to finish one of my UFOs this week... and Im thrilled to bits about it! I started it a good couple of months ago, a bag called 'Go Your Own Way' actually 2 bags, when I finished the first one I liked it so much that I immediately felted another - 1 to keep, 1 to sell. All the time that I was felting I kept on singing Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac (one of my all time favourite songs!) I had loads of fun creating these.

I had been waiting for a couple of months for the zips to arrive, which they finally did - allowing me to finish the first bag just in time to enter it into the September EtsyFAST challenge. My own bag will have to wait a little longer, until I have a little free time. The photo below is just an appetiser...follow the link to find out more about it & see more pics & please let me know what you think!

Go Your Own Way

Also just to let anybody local know... I shall be at the Jinney Ring Craft Centre near Bromsgrove on Saturday for a day of felting fun with Brenda Marshall. Brenda is a felter, and has a lovely little shop at the Jinney Ring selling her wonderfull creations, she also teaches felting courses there. Im not quite sure what we are doing on Saturday yet, or what time but hopefully will be able to add this tomorow.

If you are ever in the vicinity the Jinney Ring is well worth a visit. Apart from Brendas shop there is a glass blowers - theyre fantastic; you can watch them work & their workshop is like an Alladins Cave full of sparkling pretties, there are a couple of potters, plant sales, leaded glass maker, painter etc etc... you get the idea. Theres also a couple of restaurants which are supposed to be good, and 2 lovely duck ponds with gorgeous gardens around them. One of my favourite parts of the Jinney Ring is the Birds of Prey area. They have Eagle Owls, Kestrels, Goss Hawks even a Peregrin Falcon there - they are such beautiful birds. Ive even seen the massive Eagle Owl running round on the grass there, he was doing a meet n greet type thing...

Anyway, thats it for now :o)

Weekly update

Well I had a lovely week last week! Even though my 12 year old was off school ill for 2 days, and I was at work for one of the days - I still managed to have a very productive week; I felted 4 scarfes and a cape - and have listed them all apart from one of the scarves (my goodness Im organised this week :o)

This little lovely is my very first entry into an etsyFAST challenge, Septembers theme is SONGS. This one is inspired by `I want you` by Savage Garden (follow the link to see the music video on youtube)

lyrics:
Ooh I want you, I dont know if I need you
But ooh Id die to find out
Anytime I need to see your face
I just close my eyes and I am taken to a place where your crystal mind and Magenta feelings take up shelter in the base of my spine
Sweet like a chic a cherry cola

The song just keeps on going round n round in my head...just as it stops I catch sight of this scarf & off it goes again - good job I love the song :o)

This is my `Days of Embers` scarf. Ive also made an Indigo blue version, and lovely violet/purple which hasnt been listed yet (Im thinking of a name for it...)

I called this cape `Imagine`.

And apart from my productive felting week, work & poorly wee-ladie; we had a wonderful evening on Thursday!

My mum-in-law turned 60 earlier in the year, all the kids put together to buy her a hot air balloon ride as a special birthday pressie. Due to our English weather, unpredictable to say the least, its been cancelled 4 or 5 times... but Thursday she actually went up! It was incredible; we were right next to it with her, watching it being inflated OMG it was HUGE!!! There were 12 or 13 people in the basket so you can imagine it really was a whopper. I wouldnt of believed it could be so exciting just watching... When they released the balloon it went up so quickly & effortlessly - it was wonderfull & very emotional for some reason. They went upto 3,000 feet and were up for 1 1/2 hours.

While they were flying we walked around Worcester cathedral and along the river - it was nice. We didnt see the landing (which by all accounts is a very bumpy & undignified affair :). We all went for a meal afterwards, which rounded the evening off nicely. I think the whole family were on a high for the next couple of days, though we were all pretty shattered too for some reason.

We`re getting her a parachute jump for her 70th :)

There she is waving away :)

No felting today though, my son is home for a teacher training day so I have re-photographed most of the things in my shop and spent hours updating that :( boring...

Hope everybody else had a nice week xx

Finished my Day of Felt jewellery

Felt - intertwined, bound together, forever as one - United

Felt bracelets, bangles & cuffs - some are embroidered, some beaded, some have silk fibres felted in for decoration - every one is individual.

I have invited my family and friends to join in with the Day of Felt on 3rd Oct 09 by wearing a piece of jewellery created by me for this event & gifted to them. I have finally finished all of the jewellery & taken photos - thought Id share them with you :o)

Would any of my readers also like to join in by wearing a piece of my jewellery on 3rd Oct 09? Keiara I know you are joining in sweetie :o) thanks for getting back to me

All that I ask is for you to wear the jewellery on Sat 3rd Oct (& hopefully afterwards too :) to celebrate the first ever International Day of Felt. There is no charge for the jewellery but if you can cover postage costs please. I should mention that the majority of the jewellery will go to friends & family, but there are sure to be a few pieces left.

It is on a first come first served (pot-luck) basis and when its gone its gone, so do speak up if you want to join in. You can either contact me through my website www.FreeSpiritCreations.co.uk or leave a comment here (though you will need to email me privately with your address to post to anyway)

For more information about the Day of Felt: http://www.feltunited.com/ The event is part of the United Nations Year of the Natural Fibre.

my Day of Felt Update

These are the pieces of jewellery that I have finished - Im really pleased with them ... still to come felt bead bracelets!

I shall be giving the jewellery out to family and friends to wear on 3rd October 09 to celebrate the Day of Felt.

Im also planning to extend the invitation to readers of my blog - if you would like to join in please contact me (email me through my website please) do get in touch asap please (if you will be willing to pay the postage please, that will be the only cost).

More details and photos will follow when the beaded bracelets are done.