Needle Felt Pussy Cat Portraits

 

 This Alley Cat portrait  in wool and felt was popular at a local craft exhibition I have just taken part in.

                                                

Alley Cat

              A companion for the ginger cat I did a while ago

                                               

                                   

                                            

Needle Felted Christmas Baubles

 

                                               

                  Christmas is coming, time to start making things. 

                                               Christmas Baubles

Legend has it that in Pagan Times in Northern Europe The Fire of The Gods was stolen and given to man by Snake Lightning which lit up The Tree of Knowledge that granted consciousness to man. In order to appease the Gods men hung offerings of apples, bread rolls, and flowers on the branches of a tree. The tree would be set on fire in order to return the gift of fire to the Gods. This tradition was adapted to the Christian faith in the 8th Century.

St Boniface used the triangular shape of fir trees to introduce the concept of the Trinity. Apples were used to decorate the trees until a harsh winter killed many apple trees in 1858.Other forms of decoration were invented such as glass balls  and the Christmas bauble became popular as the use of fir Christmas trees as a decoration spread around the world.

I use needle felting which uses wool to make baubles ,replacing my old plastic ones for a natural substance.

Traditional forms may include the fir tree, the candy cane, candles, wreaths ,bells ,stars and more recently birds, and snow men.

                 

                                                        

                                                

                                                                         

Needle Felted Broody Hens

 More needle felting with some hens on nests .Getting ready to use these with some eggs in the nests for an Easter display at home.

                                          

                                          

A Russian Gun in Ely

 

            This cannon was captured from the Russians in Sebastopol in 1860 and given to Ely City by Queen Victoria after the Crimean War in recognition of the successful formation of the Ely Rifle Volunteers.

It has been decorated with the flag of Ukraine. 

Ely Cathedral has been a place of prayer and pilgrimage since the 8th Century.

                                       

                                                     

           

BBC Access to News

 

                                             How to receive BBC News from Ukraine                             

Ukraine's National Flower

The National Flower of Ukraine is The Sunflower

Painting and Crafting with Wool

 Felting

I have decided to work with a new medium for producing paintings ,sculptures and craft work.

Wool is a wonderful, natural medium, best known for lovely clothing but also used for painting sculpture and craftwork.

Here in England we have factories that are still producing beautiful wool both for spinning into fabric and unspun for artists and crafters.

I have been using dry felting techniques ,

This is some of my work, I am improving with practice. 

                                                               

A Marmalade Cat

Winter Night

                                                                           

Easter Eggs

                                             

Felted Easter Eggs

                                 

                                                                 

Using traditional wool from Teesdale