I was recently asked…..How to trim fur??? Good question!

Answer:

That would depend on the breed. You could pull it out straight from the side of the body for a layered look or just trim along the bottom. Think what they do at the beauty salon to cut hair. You snip little pieces bit by bit all over the body. It can take about 30 minutes to trim and groom a long coated 4 inch dog. Sometimes if you have felted in too much fur, then you have to pull some out as it is “over furred” Much patience is needed but the end result is worth it. Actually with some breeds it is easier to use the length of fur that you actually want from the beginning. Then you don’t have so much trimming to do at the end. When you fur a sculpture you are actually doing the whole dog twice so much time is involved. Be sure to have sharp scissors for faster clipping. A scissor sharpener is worth the investment and can help you snip once instead of two or three times which can happen when the scissors are dull. I love grooming dogs real or felted. Take a large needle and “comb” as you go. Sometimes you have to add a bit where the fur is too thin.
Happy felting!
~Gerry

I am so excited that the Crave Handmade site is featuring my shop this month! This is such a great site! Be sure to visit.

www.cravehandmade.com/

A site dedicated to the promotion and exploration of the handmade community

Well here is a sleek black cat that I made recently. It takes me twice as long to make a cat as a dog.  I keep trying to make them more realistic but I struggle.

QUESTION:

I am trying to figure out how to add curls to the poodle I have needle felted. It’s an off white color replica of my brother’s dog (carefully following all your armature and core directions-it’s firm and ready for curls). I can’t find anywhere info on
1) what wool roving/locks to buy and
2) how to attach them without ruining the curls.
You do it beautifully. Could you give me a couple of tips and/or point me in the right direction so I can finish this project? Thanks very much in advance!

Caroline Otto in Utah

Hi Caroline!

Thank you for your question!

Curly wool is fun to use on felted aniamals.  I like to  use poodle curly fur for the fur on Poodle sculptures. When you felt on curls try to felt the areas in between the curls so they aren’t flattened.  I did the fur on this Poodle sculpure ALL with poodle fur. I didn’t mix it with anything else as I didn’t want to disturb the tiny curls in the fur. Just felt in a little at a time. This poodles fur was exceptionally fine so it was a little harder to felt in than wool but the results are worth it! Plus it adds a personal touch to a Pet Portrait!

If you run out of curls I have more here!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GourmetFelted?section_id=5642801

Happy Felting!

THANK YOU for all of your great tips! EACH of them is helpful for anyone that wants to improve their needle felting technique!

Here is a tip that I thought could help everyone! And it’s so easy! I have seen some really lovely sculptures with very crooked eyes. Mary’s tip will really help that problem. Congrats to Mary!! She wins her choice of felting wool.

This felting tip is from Mary:

“Hi all, I’m just learning needle felting and having a little trouble getting eyes to line up. I tried using ball-head pins to position the eyes and that works good except when I have to remove pin to attach eye I sometimes lose placement. So I tried this tip: Take a thin strip of contrasting wool and place it on head to “draw” a guideline across face to help get eyes (and ears too) all lined up correctly. Lightly attach the wool line at each end to keep in place with a few pokes of the needle. Make a horizontal line and a vertical line for each eye if that helps. Do not permanently attach this wool line…it’s just a guide. Yank it out to remove it after you have your eyes sewn in (or glued).”

Would you like to win some Free wool of your choice just for a felting tip? Now you can try a new felting fiber for free! The picture shows alpaca which I use the most! It is my favorite for fur as it is soft and fluffy! I also have core wool in different animal colors for faster felting!  My core wool is not trash wool and can be used to make any short haired dog as the only wool. I never use merino for the core as that takes too long to felt as it is so fine. The core wool is coarse and felts together in a jiffy! Then I add a layer of fluffy alpaca or curly wool for fun! I also have cute wool curls in different colors.

All you have to do is tell me the best tip that has really helped in your needle felting adventure! Leave the tip in a comment with a wool choice ($10 value) (see link below) The best felting tip that can help the most people is the winner. Winner will be picked on NOVEMBER 1, 2012!

To leave your tip just click on “leave a comment” below.

Go here to pick out the wool of your choice!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GourmetFelted?section_id=5642801

Happy Felting!

~Gerry

Here are my latest Sculptures! A Bride and Groom Squirrel for Wedding Cake Toppers! I Needle Felted a Sculpture of a Gray Squirrel for the Groom and a rare white squirrel for the Bride. I created each one with a realistic look with a touch of whimsy. Made without patterns or kits.  Several days of work and much love went into these Squirrels. This is Charles A. Corn III and Isabella Nutkins…soon to be Mrs. Charles A. Corn lll.

The Groom has a felted rust silk bowtie, and a fiddle head boutonniere. He also has white silk cuffs with tiny acorn cufflinks. The Bride has a beautiful fall bouquet and mini pearl necklace. She has a cute birdcage veil.

Here is a cute Custom Miniature Black Poodle named Tango. I Love to needle felt poodles and wish that I could keep this one.  He was such an adorable model!  It is fun to work with tiny curls from baby lambs to make his poodley coat! A cute pink tongue adds to the fun!  I tried to capture his happy personality!

Here is my latest..a cute hedgehog named Sweet Pea.  I like to create my Sculptures with a realistic look with a touch of whimsy. She is about 3 1/2 inches long. I thought that she looked cute in my spring flowers!

QUESTION:

Kim asks: “I’m just starting with Needle Felting and my sister has asked me to make a Snowy Owl…I just don’t know how I’m going to do the little talons. Your posts are very helpful!

ANSWER:

Hi Kim,
Welcome to my blog. Thank you for your kind words. Several ways come to my mind for talons. You could make them out of polyclay like sculpy or fimo. That is how I made the beak and nostrils on my parakeet. I have also seen them made from wire wrapped with embroidery thread. People have also used beeswax for talons. I would use thread wrapped wire myself as I did for the parakeet. Thanks for your question!
Happy Felting!
~Gerry

 

QUESTION:

I am making a set of angry birds and want to add feet. I like your suggestions above. Could you tell us the best way to attach wire feet wrapped in thread? I have the same question for the polymer clay option. Thanks in advance. I love your fabulous creations and your excellent and informative blog!

ANSWER:

HI Caroline!

Welcome! Thanks for your comment on my bird feet post. When you make the feet and legs you need about 1/4 to 1/2 extra leg wire UNwrapped at the top to stick into the body. I would take a coarse felting needle like a #36 and felt a deep hole where each leg goes in. Place the legs in the hole and see if you have the placement right. Then remove the legs, add glue in the hole or on the wire ends and put the leg back into the hole. I would use hot glue or krazy glue/super glue for fast drying. Then add a little wool and wrap at the top of the leg to make the bird ” thigh”ie drumstick! lol!

The poly clay was for the talons/claws. You could mold them on the wire tips and shape them into claws. Then just cook them on the wire feet as directed. Then wrap the thread on the toes.

I added claws to bears as an after thought and shaped and cooked the claws first. Then I had to needle felt a hole where each claw went in. Then I had to glue them in at the right angle and depth. I then added a little fur at the base of each claw. That whole process took me TWO hours. Definitely a labor of love!!LOL!

Happy Felting!
~Gerry

 

Isn’t it amazing all the neat things that people do with wool? This is such a lovely Treasury and I’m honored to be included!

To see it closer click here.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTcxOTAxNjR8MjM5Mjk0ODQ2MQ/i-felt-that-all-the-way-over-here

Great for inspiration!

Happy Felting!

~Gerry

Hedgehogs to wear, love,  admire, hug and kiss!! Cuteness to the max!

I made this adorable collection of Hedgehogs that I found on Etsy! Here is the link if you’d like to take a peek! Click  on a picture there  for a close look at some incredible creations!

Please leave a comment there with your favorite! I couldn’t pick just one!!lol! Can you??

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjM2NDg1M3wyMjg0MTQ5NDMz/melt-your-heart-hedgehogs?ref=pr_treasury

Thanks for visiting!!

~Gerry

Here is my FIRST Needle Felted cat! She is supposed to be a Persian Kitten! Well, I tried!! You have to start somewhere right? I have people who get discouraged because they can’t make the type sculpture that they want with their first few tries. I have been needle felting for over 3 years, and  I still struggle with cats ! I am allergic so haven’t been around them much. Because of this. I’m not as familiar with a cat’s anatomy. I have had to study and sketch cats to understand their make up.

This is a good way for everyone to start. Whenever you make a sculpture, try to improve one area as you work. Then when you make your next sculpture you will be able to have that spot looking good. Do this little by little and you will see your advancement! Here is a black and white Tuxedo cat that I made recently. I do still struggle and take much more time on cat sculptures compared to dog sculptures.  But I do try to improve an area as much as I can.

Don’t get discouraged! Keep on felting!

Someone just asked me what my favorite sculpture was!

This is my FAVORITE Sculpture that I have made so far! This was a Sculpture that I made just for fun and sold on Ebay.  I even put him on my business cards! I was sad to see him go. Many hours and much love went into him. He had a piece of my heart!

QUESTION: Do felting Needles get dull and have to be replaced?

ANSWER: YES! They do get dull, but there is no formula as to when to replace them! It all depends on the wool that you use, your style of felting, the pad, and time involved. If it seems to take longer to felt than it used to, then it is time for NEW needles. My first felting needle lasted 3 months and I used it all the time. Now I ONLY use DELUXE SUPER DUPER felting needles made by Kay Petal! They are TERRIFIC! They have a nice soft handle to grip so the needle doesn’t dent your finger! You can felt lots longer this way! AND now she has DOUBLES!! Yes two needles in one handle! Great for felting areas TWO times FASTER!

She even color codes them so you always know which is which. The are TOTALLY worth the money and they will spoil you!!LOL! She calls them Super Duper and they DO live up to the name!

http://www.needlefeltingsupplies.com/Super-Duper-Felting-Needles_c_30.html

Tell her Gerry sent you! Happy Felting!

~Gerry

QUESTION:

I use glass eyes with a loop to sew on. I tried making a hole and fasten them with a few stitches but they keep sticking out. I tried pulling them in the holes and make a knot, they disappear almost in the head then but after a while they pop out again and don’t stay in the holes but on top of the surface, it just doesn’t look good.
What am I doing wrong? Gluing is a bit difficult, as my hands are not very steady and I get the glue mostly everywhere except where it should be….

ANSWER:

I rarely use those kind of eyes. You do have two options:
I would cut the loop off and just glue them on OR you could take an exacto blade and slice a slit in the wool.  Be VERY careful that you don’t get cut! Add glue to the loop and stick in in the cut wool.  This also works for eyes that have a post attached as in photo. I also use Krazy glue to glue the eyes and noses. It has a little brush in the cap, so it is MUCH easier to use and it takes longer to dry out after you  start to use it. The top never gets clogged either.  It is a purple liquid that dries clear. You just remove the cap and slide the brush on the lip of the container to take the extra glue off. Apply to the eye and glue quickly to the spot. It dries almost instantly, so you have to put it right in the slit after applying the glue. Be sure to apply the glue to the BACK of the eye only as it does make the glass eyes cloudy which takes away the shine.

I always apply the glue to the back of the eye. If you put the glue on the wool, it soaks right in and you have to put it on a few times to get the wool wet enough to adhere to anything. Then you have to hold whatever you are gluing in place for a minute or so as it takes longer for the saturated wool to dry. I also use the Krazy glue formula that is purple. That way if it accidentally gets some where it shouldn’t be, you can quickly wipe it off as you can see it. The purple does dry clear.  Be sure to felt a little hollow to glue the eye into so it isn’t sitting on the surface.  I hope this helps!

I get all of my eyes from http://www.glasseyes.com. Please tell him Gerry sent you! Thanks!

I hope this helps!!

Follow Blog via Email

  I just finished a Needle Felted Parakeet! Fun to sculpt something that wasn’t a cat or a dog! Tricky to get wool to look like feathers! This is a sky blue and white pied parakeet. I sculpted the beak and made the feet and legs which took two hours just for those.

I just added a

Click to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Scroll down on the right side, Type your email in the box and click FOLLOW.  What could be easier? You will receive an email whenever I post anything. I have contests and give-aways like free wool or felting needles so sign up and you’ll be the first to know! Thanks for following my blog!!

~Gerry

Gerry do you add your eyes and nose before you add the hair and fill in around them, or is that the very last step? I have to tell you your site is better than any book. Thanks again.

• Edit Comment

By: Linda Gallipo on October 8, 2011
at 1:57 pm

Reply

Hi Linda,
Actually I do both! But adding the eyes and nose are one of the last things that I do on a sculpture. Until then I mark the eye position with straight pins with black balls on the ends. (See post on eyes) Be careful not to get glue on the eye as it takes away the shine.

It also depends on the breed. You can put all the fur in around the eye, but it is hard to get the eye in without messing up the fur. So I usually add more after the eye is in to touch it up. With a dog with fur hanging over the eyes, I would add the fur after so it would be easier to work on the eyes. Be careful not to get glue all around the eye or you won’t be able to felt any fur close to the eye as it will be rock hard!lol! Learned that the hard way! Be sure to make a hole for a socket. There aren’t many breed with eyes that pop out!

With noses it is hard to add fur after due to glue, so I try to put the fur on and make a indentation for the nose. Then just glue it in. (see post on making noses)

Thank you for your kind words on my blog! When I started needle felting years ago, there wasn’t much help around. It was hard to even find wool for felting or even a book on it!! So I struggled a lot and had to learn things the hard way.  I made this blog so people could have more fun needle felting! I guess it is a pay it forward kind of thing!

Hope that helps! Thanks for your question!
Happy Felting!
~Gerry

I finally finished the largest Needle Felted Sculpture that I have ever made. Meet Snowball! She is a beautiful custom Samoyed sculpture that took about a month to make working a little here and there. She is 8 inches tall and 9 inches long! I used Samoyed fur on some of her from the owners pet. It was fun making such a large sculpture as many details can be included! Happy Felting!

I had so much fun creating this cute mini Poodle Sculpture. Her name is Ebony, but she turned gray as we all do!!lol!! It is so much fun felting curls! I made her little chew toy also. I hated giving her up to the owner.  Fully poseable.

This was a fun breed to create…..an American Hairless Terrier. It was fun to add the spots and a little pink for a skin look!

This is a recent sculpture of a lovely Ragdoll cat named Sheba. It took a few shades of gray and taupe to blend for the right colors. I used merino wool and silk linen blend. Ragdoll cats get their name from their super relaxed attitude which I tried to capture in this sculpture. She was a surprise anniversary gift. Hope that they liked her!

 

 

 

Wow! What a bunch of great tips! It was hard to choose the best! I read them all several times! I tried to pick the one tip that could help Everyone felt better. This is a great tip and really helps to get proportions correct on our sculptures. When people send me pics of their dogs for sculptures, I do the same thing and hold the sculpture up near the picture to check everything.  Thanks Jessie!! Please let me know what you would like for wool!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STAY TUNED FOR BEGINNERS FELTING CONTEST COMING SOON!!

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~HERE IS THE BEST TIP~

My tip is place your animal, creation, anything 3d related to a picture drawn to scale. Draw it in black marker, make sure you are as correct with the shape as possible. This helps when filling out the body, legs, head, facial features. You don’t have to draw the details on the drawing just the correct shape so you can place the felted item onto it to see how you are going.

Would you like to win some Free wool of your choice, 2 premium felting needles, and some cute “Hello kitty” noses with washers? ($20 value for all) These felting needles are my favorite by far! They are very comfy with the soft rubber tip so they don’t dig into your fingers! The #38 star is medium with extra barbs on it for fast detailing! The #40 is for fine fiber like merino and it leaves smaller holes in the surface. You’ll love them as I do!

The “Hello Kitty” noses are 6 different sizes!

All you have to do is tell me the best tip that has really helped in your needle felting adventure! Leave the tip in a comment with a wool choice (see link below).

Winner gets all!!

*I will be adding more varieties of wool to choose from.  Anyone interested in core wool? I also have that available in all dog colors! My core wool is NOT trash wool! It can be used to make any short haired dog as the only wool.

Go here to pick out the wool of your choice!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gfelted?section_id=5310650

noses here

http://glasseyesonline.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=110&zenid=246b60c06ff0f2b393602a3eea87465d

whiskers here

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65982534/real-mini-horse-mane-for-whiskers

I’m so excited to be featured in “The Daily Corgi”! My little dogs are Custom Pet Portraits that are miniature replicas of your pet! They are about 3 to 4 inches high and fully poseable to add to the fun! Also shown is a cute custom brooch so you can wear your dog close to your heart always!

Here is the link to the post! Great gifts for Corgi Lovers! Just scroll down the page there about halfway down..

http://thedailycorgi.blogspot.com/2010/11/sunday-shopper-week-2-more-nifty-corgi.html

Here is the link to see more of my dogs

http://www.gfelted.etsy.com

Many hours and much love go into each of my sculptures! Just email me photos of your pet. I can even include your dogs fur to make it extra special!

~Gerry

This is a cute miniature corgi that I sculpted out of wool. Her name is Tessie and she is only 3 inches tall! Based on a lovely pet, she makes a lasting Treasure!

Someone else thought so too as she was added to a lovely Corgi Treasury that someone made on Etsy.  Aren’t they all sweet? I am honored to be included!

Here is the link.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c24675191c38eef3f79eec7/corgi-lovinTessie is sculpted from wool with a barbed needle. She has wire inside for durability and posing!! Many hours and much love went into her creation! This is a signed art doll sculpture!

Click on picture to see closeup!

I’d  love if you made a comment! Just scroll down under the Treasury Picture! Thanks!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gfelted

See more pictures of my sculptures here!

My calico cat is published in Teddy Bear Review Magazine in the current issue!!

~Gerry

I am so thrilled that my Needle Felted Black Cat was on the front page of Felt_2_fun forum.

It is a great group to join and it is very lively! Here is the link.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fun_2_felt/

This was on their front page! The picture changes every week. Join now and you may be next!!

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We are a group of friends addicted to needle felting (needlefelting). Whether you are a beginner or seasoned felter we would love to ‘meet’ you. So come and join our supportive, fun and friendly group!

This weeks photo: Another very pretty kitty, this time made by Gerry of Gourmetfelted in USA.

For more pictures of my cat click here.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45272958/your-cat-as-a-miniature-collectible

I am posting this in answer to a question about the FUZZIES! You know, all those stray wool fibers that stick out all over the place that make your felted sculpture look like it’s in soft focus!! You take a photo of your feltie, and it looks like wires are sticking out. LOL! What to do???

Get the SCISSORS and trim, trim, trim!! Yes you do have to trim off all those stray hairs!! DO NOT pull them instead, or a chunk of felted fur may come with the strays. If you give someone a feltie, please give them grooming instructions to keep their feltie looking great! After spending  so many hours felting the final touch is GROOMING! I sometimes take 30 minutes to groom a feltie. NEVER use a comb or brush on felted fiber….remember, it is felted in, not Glued!

DO NOT USE A FELTING NEEDLE. This is one on the main ways that felting needles get broken. Please see my 2 posts on “Why do I break needles?” I use a large sewing needle to gently “comb” the fur and trim, shape, thin, groom until I’m happy with it. The final grooming gives the finishing touch on your felted sculpture . This is what I send out with every feltie that I make.

~GROOMING INSTRUCTIONS~

Trim off stray hair. DO NOT pull out.

DO NOT brush or comb the fur.

Use a large sewing needle to GENTLY “comb” the fur to arrange.

Fur is felted in, not glued.

Happy Felting!

~Gerry

Here was the question. Thank you for your great question Monica!  Welcome to my blog!

The reason why you got the urge to trim with scissors was because you need to trim with scissors!!LOL! Did someone tell you that you couldn’t? I hope that I answered your question Thank you for your kind words on my felted creations!

Your creations are so cute! I’ve been looking through your blog and love them all I just started needle felting a few weeks ago and really enjoy it. I think my biggest question right now is that a lot of my things seem to be very frizzy and extra fuzzy when I get done with them, so much so that I get the urge to trim the fuzz with scissors. Could it just be that the roving I’ve been using is pretty cheap (it’s just my starter roving from a craft store) or could it be that I don’t have carding brushes yet, or a combination of both? Or is it something else entirely? I am seeing how addicting it is, I already have a small army of critters and needle felted objects lining my shelf! I can’t wait to see more beautiful critters from you

• Edit Comment

By: Monica on April 20, 2010
at 3:07 pm

Reply

SEE ABOVE POST

This is a lovely pet cat named Target that I created a Needle Felted Sculpture of. She has a lovely coat of wool, alpaca, and silk. Her green glass eyes come alive as she seems to watch the bird nearby. She is about 4 inches tall in a sitting position. She has tiny hair whiskers and eyebrows. I am so excited that this sculpture was chosen to be in an article called Needle Felted Fantasies in the June 2010 Teddy Bear Review Magazine!

So how are your sheep coming along?  Did you finish one? I’d love to see it and will post it here if you like! Sent pics to

gfelted@verizon.net

This little cutie was made by a total beginner! She fashioned after a picture of one of the ancient breeds of sheep in Israel!  Didn’t she do a great job?

Are you stumped? I’d be happy to help! Here is a recent question asked :

I have started my sheep. I got the wire body part right. Then I did a little felting on a piece of the green wool; made a little ball. Now I want to start the sheep. I printed out the tutorial but I’m a little confused when you say “wrap” the wool around the body. Am I supposed to be wrapping a piece around one section and then using the needle to secure it? How much of a piece? I am just starting out with this so I may be asking a lot of questions; some that may be stupid.
* Edit Comment

By: Julie on February 10, 2010
at 3:26 pm

Reply

18.

Hi Julie,
RULE NUMBER ONE:
ALWAYS remember…there is no such thing as a stupid question. Every question answered can bring more knowledge and that’s a good thing. Maybe someone else has the same question, so you help them also by asking….so it is good to ask questions!!
Yes, you take a piece of wool that is about 4 inches long by one inch wide and not too thick, and wrap it around the body snugly. Then you take the #36 coarse needle and secure it by felting ALL over the wool until it doesn’t move on the wire. It is best to add layers and felt it on and add another layer and felt it on rather than adding one huge blob layer. It is harder to felt it like that.

After the back is done, you can do the legs. Take a piece of wool about 3 inches long and 1/3 inch wide than THINLY wrap the wire on the legs. Be sure that you curled the tips of the legs into little C’s so you don’t get poked by the wire. The biggest mistake with felted sculptures are the legs being WAY too thick. It is hard to get the legs thin enough, so don’t give up. ALWAYS know where the tip of the needle is. You can be concentrating on the wool so much and then OUCH!!! those needles are super sharp!!
TIP: peroxide on a Qtip dabbed on the wool removes any blood!!
Don’t give up. After a while, you get the feel of it and don’t poke your fingers. Some people use thimbles which I still use went doing the feet so I don’t get poked.
PLEASE feel free to ask any questions! Thanks again for purchasing my needle felted sheep kit!
HAPPY FELTING!
~Gerry

I have had the honor of being published in one of the most prestigious National magazines called TEDDY BEAR REVIEW!! This magazine features the most talented teddy bear and soft sculpture artists! The article is called HEARTFELT MINIS and my Chinese Crested, Maltese, and Yorkie were included.  Here’s a preview!

What would you like to tell collectors about your creations?

GS: My needle-felted creations are made with love. They are all one-of-a-kind, unique works of art. I use a wire armature inside all my sculptures for strength and posing ability. The core is firmly felted for durability. I use lovely fibers such as alpaca, wool, silk, mohair, angora, llama, camel down, even cashmere. These are gourmet fibers, hence my [eBay] name, gourmet_felted.  (Gfelted  for short on Etsy.) I carefully match your pet’s fur color, shine and texture with the perfect fibers. Many times, several shades are blended together or layered to create realism and depth. I use glass eyes and I sculpt the noses for each dog. They also have the cutest paw pads! My initials “GS” are on the tummy in tiny letters, showing that this is an original artist sculpture made by me. All my sculptures also come with a photo certificate of authenticity, signed by me, with a description. I am extremely fussy with all my sculptures and include as many details as possible so my sculptures will look just like your precious pet—made for you, from the heart!

Thanks for looking! Click on the link for the entire article.

http://teddybearreview.com/articles/artists/109-heartfelt-minis.html

This is a Needle Felted Pet Portrait Sculpture that I made of a cute Yorkie named Scamp! He is sculpted from wool and is poseable! I can make a miniature sculpture of your pet also!

***SEE MORE EXAMPLES BY CLICKING ON FLICKR IN THE RIGHT COLUMN or My Gfelted SHOP on Etsy!

This is a Needle Felted Pet Portrait Sculpture that I made of a cute Cocker Spaniel named Honey! She is sculpted from wool and is poseable! I can make a miniature sculpture of your pet also! This one is an animated style.

***SEE MORE EXAMPLES BY CLICKING ON FLICKR IN THE RIGHT COLUMN or My Gfelted SHOP on Etsy!

This is a Needle Felted Pet Portrait Sculpture that I made of a cute Bearded Collie named Sonny! He is sculpted from wool and silk and is poseable! I can make a miniature sculpture of your pet also!

***SEE MORE EXAMPLES BY CLICKING ON FLICKR IN THE RIGHT COLUMN or My Gfelted SHOP!

Here are some sheep made from my Needle Felted Sheep Kit. Isn’t it great how everyone has their own style and with the same kit, 3 styles of sheep came out! One sheep is an ancient breed with long ears and a painted bell! One person made baa baa black sheep with 3 bags full of wool!

Thank you for sending me the pictures of your sheep! These were made by beginners!

HAPPY FELTING!

Many people have told me that they have problems using GLUE to attach eyes to their Needle Felted Sculptures.  I decided to try looped wire glass eyes sewn in for a change.

When I make a sculpture, I always mark the eye location with 2 straight pins that have a black ball on the end. I can make sure that they are in alignment BEFORE I permanently attach them.

STEP ONE:  You need to make a socket (hole) to put the eye into so they aren’t just on the surface of the wool. This adds a lot to the realism of your sculpture.

Thread the eye through the wire loop with a needle and strong thread.

STEP TWO: You will also need to make a slit in the wool for the wire loop. I use an exacto blade for this. You can also make the hole a little larger with the blade if you need to. Or you can needle felt a hole where your marker pin was and then just make a slit for the loop.

STEP THREE: Put the sewing needle in the socket and pull it through. The eye will be in the hole and push it in so the loop is in the slit that you cut in the wool. Tie off in back of head and make a knot. Add a little wool to cover your knot and felt it to hide the knot. That’s all there is to it!!

I usually use 4mm glass eyes and I get them from

http://www.glasseyesonline.com/

Please tell him that Gerry sent you! Thanks! If you have any questions, please ask in a comment and I’ll try to answer you asap!

HAPPY FELTING!

My little Needle Felted Yorkie Sculpture is featured in a Wish List on  a site called MY HANDMADE REGISTRY.

This is a great site where people pick out the handmade items that they wished that they could have. Great for weddings, special occasions, and guys who don’t know what to buy you!!

This yorkie is a Custom Pet Portrait that I sculpt from wool with mohair and silk fur. I have more than 100 examples of dogs and cats in my etsy shop.

www.gfelted.etsy.com

CONGRATULATIONS AMANDA!

Squonk is the Winner!

Amanda is a relatively new needle felter that has been felting for about a year. This is her latest creation….SQUONK!

I love this unique creation that shows IMAGINATION and CREATIVITY. You can’t copy something like this from a picture! It is truly ONE OF A KIND! He has lovely detailing like wrinkles and individual toes. Even whiskers! This is a piece that makes you smile as it is a piece done with WHIMSY and HUMOR. All in all, a WONDERFUL, PRECIOUS piece!

Amanda wins a multi-needle felting pen or wool of her choice each a $15 value!

Keep an eye out for my next contest coming up soon! Maybe YOU will be the next winner!

Sep

Linda of CRAFT GOSSIP FELTING is holding a FREE Needle Felting Book GIVE AWAY!!

TO ENTER:Just click on this link

DO NOT ENTER ON MY BLOG-CLICK ON THIS LINK TO ENTER! THANKS!

http://felting.craftgossip.com/2009/09/06/%e2%80%9clittle-felted-animals-marie-noelle-horvath%e2%80%9d-book-giveaway-usa/

6

“Little Felted Animals Marie-Noelle Horvath” Book Giveaway!

Little Felted Animals by Marie-Noelle Horvath is a sweetheart of a book for beginner needle felters, with projects that are well illustrated and it gives the beginner a chance at making a charming product your first time.  Create 16 Irresistible Creatures!

Linda

Craft Gossip Felting

1. Congratulations on your little pup, it is wonderful as always.

   I have a couple of questions, lol. First how do I post a question on the “Your questions answered page”? I didn’t see a response box on the main page.

   Second, when you are making a dog that is a breed you are not personally familiar with, what references do you use to get the correct proportions? I search the breed standard, look at tons of photos, but, I haven’t found anywhere that list things like correct length of body to leg length. Or head sits X inches from body, length of neck. I can find many wonderful reference books on human structure, but not breed specific.

   By: Linda on September 6, 2009
   at 6:01 pm

   ANSWER: 1. You can ask a question anywhere as it gets sent to me email so I see it right away!

2. I look at the breed standard. The HEIGHT is always the withers, not the top of the head. Many times the description will give you clues….like body twice as long as height or equal length and height. I gather a bunch of photos on my computer and make a file for that breed. Then I find a picture that is the size that I want the sculpture to be and then felt it to match.  Hold up your sculpture next to the picture, and adjust it as necessary. I really don’t know where you could find  measurements of the body. Wouldn’t that make our job easier! HAPPY FELTING!

Hello, just spent 45 minutes looking through your photostream pics. I love so many of your animals. I had to look twice at the brussels griffon to see which was the sculpture!! (the true test of fabulous!!!)

Love the deerhound and the beautiful coat on the shelty. You did such a wonderful job on all your sculptures.

Would you mind giving us a guide to the size of eyes to purchase for each size animal? I mean

” for one inch use ? sized eyes, up to three inches use? sized. 3 to 5 inches use ? size.” ect.

I wanted to order from the seller you have listed but am overwhelmed by the options!! Thanks marsha kay

• Edit Comment

By: marsha kay on September 1, 2009
at 12:43 pm

Hi Marsha,
Thank you for your kind words on my dog sculptures! I use the same size eye as the inched in height generally speaking. So I use 2 mm eyes in 2 inch, 3 mm in a 3 inch, 4 mm in 4 inch, 5 mm in a 5 inch, etc.
Of course some breeds have larger eyes like a shih tzu  or smaller eyes like chow…see photos.

It’s good to have a couple of sizes, at least so you can see how they look. I get the ones on wire, and cut the wire to about 1/4 inch so I can stick it in the head to see if the size is right. Be sure to check that they line up before gluing. I get my glass eyes from glasseyesonline.com

Please tell him Gerry sent you!

ALL of these NOW and THEN entries show such huge improvements..they really are ALL winners!! What do you think?

Who has improved the most?

Just leave your vote in a comment below. Thanks!

This is Jonah with his mini self that I made of him!

This is a Needle Felted Pet Portrait Sculpture that I made of a cute maltese named Harry! He is sculpted from wool and silk and is poseable! I can make a miniature sculpture of your pet also!

***Order Yours today.

gfelted@verizon.net

***SEE MORE EXAMPLES BY CLICKING ON FLICKR IN THE RIGHT COLUMN or My SHOP!

www.gfelted.etsy.com

I can’t believe that it’s been a year since I started this blog!! It has been so much fun helping people enjoy needle felting more. The contests have been fun also. This celebration of felties from THEN and NOW has helped people to look back at their beginnings and they realize the progress that they’ve made. Here are the entries. Which one do you think has improved the most? Vote now!

ACINDA -HORSE~THEN~CHIHUAHUA~NOW

AMANDA~MOUSE~THEN~SQUONK~NOW

AMBER~THEN & NOW~YORKIES

CHRISSY~THEN~PANDA~NOW~ANGLER FISH

LINDA~THEN~CAT~NOW~DRAGON

LISA~THEN~DOGS~NOW~CHIPMUNK

LYNN~THEN & NOW~CHIHUAHUA

LISA~THEN~LITTLE  ORANGE CAT~NOW~TEDDIES

RICHARD~THEN~BEAGLE~NOW~FISH & CORAL

Hi Gerry! Congratulations on your one year Anniversary!!!

When I read about your Then and Now contest I knew I had to enter because my very first little felting attempt

was soooo ugly!haha

THEN~CAT

It’s supposed to be a cat, but looks more like a one-eyed fox. Yes, I only managed to give it ONE eye!LOL

Although not much in the way of looks my poor little kitty was enough of a result to encourage me to keep trying.  Thankfully I’ve come a long way!

NOW~TEDDIES

My Teddies are more recent Felties.  I love how they can be dressed in the adorable OOAK doll clothes so many of my creative friends make.  I have attached a picture of a grouping of them.

I have learned that the creative possibilities of Needle Felting seem endless! I’ve had so much fun experimenting with new ideas and seeing the fun and creative things other artists come up with too.

Thank you for your blog and all of the wonderful tips and artwork you feature here! xo~ Lisa Haldeman

Hello Gerry! This is my entry into your celebration post on your blog. I was very excited to enter, especially because I was just beginning my needle felting this time last year! It is amazing to look back and see and reflect upon all that I have learned. This was fun. I hope you like my photos!

THEN:
This little mouse was the first thing I tried to felt, about a year ago. I remember being afraid to use too much wool on the first try, so I worked really slowly and made all my work small!

NOW:
My latest feltie is the first of a continuing series I am making, of creatures based on the tales of North American lumberjacks. Some of them are so unique and interesting, and I love making my own interpretation of what these creatures look like! This one is called a Squonk; He is a tragic creature, who hides and cries all the time because he knows he is the most hideous creature in the forest(but I think he’s cute).

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT NEEDLE FELTING IN THE PAST YEAR OR WHY DO YOU LIKE NEEDLE FELTING?
One year (and about 1000 finger-pricks) later, I feel like I have learned a lot about the process and joys of needlefelting. I like it a lot because I have never been very good at sculpting with clay or stone, but wool is different. Something about wool is more endearing and fun, and the way that that my ideas end up looking is wonderfully unique. I have learned a lot about the technique of felting over this past year, but I find that I have learned even more through people that I meet with felting. I am a part of online artisan-clubs because of my work, I have met many new friends at school sales(felting is a great conversation-starter!), and I feel as though there is a whole community of crafters to encourage and inspire young needle-felters! This is my favourite part.

I love seeing the entries for your “Then & Now”.  You showcase so many talented artists & I enjoy seeing the progress that they have made through their felting journey.  I started felting a little less than a year ago.  I needed something to make some cheap Christmas Presents for my family.  I started by reading all the amazing blogs (your included!) by my fellow felters & have learned so much.  It’s been years since I had created art for myself, but now I’m addicted & am even going to apply to Graduate School to focus on felting even more.  I enjoy experimenting and exploring the many different techniques that felting provides, but ALWAYS come back to needling & poking!!

To Everyone:
Please keep working hard and inspiring me to go beyond the traditional boundaries of our craft!!!

Chrissy P.
* The Panda is the first needle felted sculpture I made last October(?).  And the Angler fish is the latest sculpture I finished photographing last night.

HI Gerry!
Boy! How time flies when your having fun! LOLOL
Here are some pics of chihuahua's taken in about
 a 8 month span! The chi with the crocheted green
 sweater is my second dog ever made
(which my Mother is the proud owner of)
 Boy... was I EVER proud of that dog too!
 The chi with the blue sweater is my Now photo!
 Can you see a difference? hahaha! I've been
needle felting about 8 months now and just love it!
 Every time I start a new project I learn something new!
So much can be done with the little felties....
just let your imagination run!
Yes....I have good days and what I call bad days
where the wool has a mind of its own!
 I want to Thank Gerry for always being there to
 help and lift spirits!
Needle felting has become the joy of my life now...
with lots more to come!

~CHIPMUNK~NOW

Hello,  I wanted to post a pic of my first feltie.   I used your wire armature method and it made everything so easy! Plus I can pose my chipmunk any way.  I used natural llama and think he looks pretty good for a first try!!  Thanks for the great site to share!! Marsha Kay

PS I am working on a great horned owl next.  This is soooo fun!!

Here is MIA an Italian Greyhound. She is keeping an eye on the felties!

SHOW ME YOUR FELTIES…THEN AND NOW!

YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE MULTI- NEEDLE FELTING TOOL (new in package) OR FREE WOOL OF YOUR CHOICE! (value $15 each)

THEN =THE FIRST FELTIE THAT YOU MADE

NOW=A FELTIE THAT YOU MADE RECENTLY EMAIL THE PHOTOS WITH A BRIEF DESCRIPTION

AND ANSWER: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT NEEDLE FELTING IN THE PAST YEAR OR WHY DO YOU LIKE NEEDLE FELTING?

**IF YOU HAVE JUST STARTED NEEDLE FELTING AND ONLY HAVE A “BEFORE” THAT’S OK TOO! YOU CAN STILL ENTER TO WIN A PRIZE OF YOUR CHOICE. JUST SEND ME A PHOTO!

——->SEND YOUR ENTRIES TO MY EMAIL AND I WILL POST THEM FOR YOU!

gfelted@verizon.net

YOU CAN ENTER AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE!

Well it’s been almost a year now since I first started this blog and the needle felting art has exploded! Everyone wants to try it and I am so happy that I had a part in helping people get going with needle felting. DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED NEEDLE FELTING?
This is CHESTER a needle felted Norfolk Terrier that I just felted.

Oops! Broke another needle! HELP!

I rarely break a needle. Maybe one every 3 months or so. The number one cause of needle breaking is SIDEWAYS PRESSURE!! If you go in at an angle and don’t come out at the same angle, it creates pressure on one side and SNAP! Always go in and out the same way WITHOUT moving the needle to one side or another.

Another way to break needles is trying to move the wool over a little with the tip of the needle. DON’T do it! Use a broken needle or a pin instead of your felting needle when you want to move your wool over to the side a little.

Another way to break a needle is using a wire armature and hitting it too hard. When you are felting into a sculpture with a wire armature in it, you have to back off slightly as soon as the tip of your needle hits the wire. Try to felt along one side of the wire and then the other. Be gentle when you are putting on the first layer of wool around the wire.

Another way that you can break a needle doesn’t even make sense, but it’s happened to me more than once! Sticking the needle into the foam too hard when you set it down. I’ve broken the most needles this way believe it or not!!

When do your needles break?

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