Hoo Hues

*On my quest to reblog a years worth of posts that got deleted, I give you...#1! An adventure in needle felting.* 

I've recently taken up a new hobby...needle felting! I've never really been so comfortable with a hands-on medium, but I was surprised how quickly I fell in love with the art form. I started by making plain balls and covering them with colored wool to create animals. My trip to MeCAF last month left me overwhelmed...they were a hit and I sold all 15 of them. I really owe every single person who purchased  "Woolies!" Here's a sample tag I tied on each animal to brand them:

I included the very top image because regardless of how much I loved my hands on approach, I still needed to do a little digital experimenting. I knew what colors I had available, I sketched in Photoshop until I felt ready, applied it to my sculpture...and voila!

I had a little helper...who was not so much a help as he was my entertainment. My cat, Timmy, has decided on making wool his new favorite toy. It's more than a toy, actually. He gnaws on it, throws it in the air, chases it in circles, holds it safe in between his paws... So, you see, everyone here is happy. (Happily napping that is.)

Directly above is the finished product. I believe I'll be putting him up for sale soon in my Etsy shop, but I'm going to wait until I have more than just one. I can't wait to see what my brain comes up with next time I sit down to make something so ambitious. It surprised me big time and I'm sure it will surprise me again.

Cheers!

~Renée