brighter day

The color of the mushroom tops against the little bit of snow we have left, and the fact that I finished this project for a friend on time (ok, barely, but technically on time) makes my day brighter on this, the day after solstice and the returning of the light.

Enjoy your day, all.

a mushroom...cap

My friend Joanie who owns the yarn shop in the building I work in asked me to do a little decoration for one of the hats she had knitted and felted.  I picked out this lovely heather grey/brown derby, knowing just what I'd put on it. 

A mushroom cap it became with two little needle-felted toadstools, leaves, and sprouts sewn securely on.

It's a touch too small for me otherwise I might be tempted to keep it, but I think it will either end up in her shop or mine soon.

I might have to ask her to make one in my size...

Happy day, everyone.

a mouse in progress

 A wee mouse is peeking out of his hole beneath the boletes.

A piece I'm making for a fundraiser for a local charity.

I just need to finish up a few details and the wood base.  Almost done.

As always, this piece is made of solid wool by means of a felting needle.  No gluing, no structural sewing, just poking wool a gajillion times with a barbed needle until it tangles into a shape I like.

meddling with mushrooms

I've taken a break from stones to meddle with mushrooms for a while.

These little sweeties will be under glass soon, and now that my new bandsaw blade has arrived, given some little wood bases too.

Pics soon.

Happy Thursday.

a whole bunch of mushrooms coming to the shop

 

I've finished with my little mushrooms in spice jars for now.  8 will be for sale in my shop tomorrow morning.  Each of these little guys have been made of wool that I needle-felted and were tucked into a small vintage spice jar and given a special handmade wood stopper.  Each is unique, with different finishing touches.

 

There will 3 stones in my shop tomorrow as well.  I had hoped to have more work done but it seems that the gardening chores have kept me busier than I anticipated.

If you're interested, I'll be putting up the listings for these pieces today and they'll go live at 11am Central Time tomorrow, Wed. May 29th.

my shop

Have a great day, everyone!

specimens in spice jars

 Wee specimens from the woods all bottled up.  

(The imaginary woolen woods in my mind, that is.)

 Old spice jars have been fitted with new wood corks.  Each teeny toadstool has been needled and given a few stitches and sprouts to keep them company.

More to come.

wordless Wednesday

captured - verdigris toadstool

 

Aww, look what popped up on my table yesterday.  The first mushrooms of the year.

I do so love making these little guys.

Needle-felted wool complete with pebbles, sprouts, and even a velvet mite.  I set it into a base I made from aged oak.  I left a little character in the wood, including some bug trails and knot holes.  The mushrooms have stitched caps.  All in all, only 4" tall.  Just a tiny bit of happiness.

The sun is out today so I'm feeling cheery.  Hope you are too.

wordless Wednesday

a tan toadstool twosome

Just a quick post before I dash out the door for an appointment this morning.  I'm running late but wanted to show you the little wool toadstool piece I finished up this morning.  Two tan toadstools in a cedar stump.

I added sporophytes to the moss, of course.

I've put this little guy in my shop this morning and I hope to have more friends joining him soon.

Have a great day!

an end to mushroom week

I thought I'd end the week with a wee giveaway.  After continuing with the mushroom theme this week, it only seems fitting that today I sat down and needle-felted a small sculpture from some of the mushroom-dyed wool I talked about this week.  As a thank you for tuning in, I'd like to offer it to one of you.

 The tops are a lovely raspberry color from Lobster mushrooms, dotted with french knots dyed with the same.  The underside is that great mustard yellow from the Phaeolus, and the stem is a cream color from the Sulphur Shelf.

The little piece is about 5" tall from the top of the tallest mushroom to the bottom of the cedar stump.

***this giveaway is now closed***

***To enter, talk to me about mushrooms.***

Tell me in the comments what interests you about them, or why you don't like them, or ask me a question about them, or give me your best mushroom soup recipe...something about mushrooms.

***One comment per person please.***

I'll draw a name on Monday evening and announce the winner on Tuesday morning. (Sept. 13 2011)

I'll ship worldwide, but do keep in mind that the piece of cedar branch has its shaggy bark still attached, so while this giveaway is open to everyone please understand that if your country doesn't allow natural materials (like bark) to enter, your mushrooms may get stopped at customs.

Thanks so much, everybody!

It's been a fun week for me with all the mushroom talk.  I hope you enjoyed it too.

The Book On Mushrooms (or mushrooms on a book perhaps)

I finished my latest needle-felting project yesterday.  You caught a glimpse of it in this week's Wordless Wednesday, but here it is in full.  I was too excited to wait for good indoor light so I hauled it outside for a few shots.

It's a pair of yellow amanitas growing out of a vintage textbook, Physiology Of The Fungi, circa 1951.  The whole scene is made of wool and while it's glued inside the book, there is no other glue used.  Just lots of poke poke poking with the felting needle.

There are of course some sporophytes in the moss.

And gills.

You'll be seeing more in this series soon I think.

What are you working on these days?

One Down

The back-to-school sniffles have found their way beneath the poplar and pine and the entire clan is feeling less than stellar.  Since the kiddies and I were all taking it easy anyway, it was a good excuse for me to let the laundry and housework sit, and do some crafting.  After coating myself in a fine layer of antibacterial hand lotion (which I sort of liked), I pulled out the toadstool project I had been working on.

This is where I had left it last.

And this is where it is now.

I wanted to fatten up the stem a bit and finish up the base.  I added some details such as a fall leaf on a twig, some more moss, pebbles, and sporophytes, making it feel more "real" to me.  All of it is needle-felted wool, no glue or structural sewing.  (the sporophytes are cotton thread, but they're decorative)

This is part of a commission and is flying off somewhere special in his apothecary jar, like a proper specimen.  I have a few more to finish up but at least I have one down.  I guess if this cold persists I may have some time to get them done.

The real amanitas have been popping up in our woods like crazy this week.  Alas, no red ones, but plenty of yellows.  Here's a peek, but expect to see (yet) another mushroom post sometime soon.

I hope you're all having a swell week and are feeling happy and healthy. 
Or at least have coated yourselves in a fine layer of antibacterial hand lotion.