Bird a Day: Day 26: Green Honeycreeper

Bird a Day: Day 26: Green Honeycreeper

I decided to do something a bit different today... I found this turquoise bead which had been crying out to be made into a bird for ages and decided just to google "turquoise bird" and see what came up!

I found this stunning image and decided to make one... he was a different kind of challenge! Photgraphing him was very trick as it's very dark today and I don't want to go outside!

Bird a Day: Day 21: Kiwi

Bird a Day: Day 21: Kiwi

Sucks to be a Kiwi... look how big their eggs are in comparison to their body size! (Image Source BBC Life of Birds)

Bird a Day Q & A

Today I thought I might do something a bit different to mark 2 weeks into the Bird a Day Challenge. I have made today's bird but I can't take photos today as I'm going out with Mr Felt to enjoy a day off! So there will be 2 birds tomorrow!

Instead I decided to do a Bird a Day Q&A. Over the past 2 weeks I have had lots of questions about the challenge so I'm going to answer them here together.

What prompted you to decide to do this challenge?
At the beginning of the year I felt a little stuck creatively, which can happen when you have a creative job, I got bogged down into just reproducing old designs and wanted something to shake me out of my comfort zone and help me get inspired.

I bought Noah Scalin's books "365 - A daily Creativity Journal" and "Unstuck" to try and get inspired but after thinking about it I decided that really I just wanted to felt and make birds! So I did! I thought about doing a year of birds but it was quite a commitment... although I may do it at some point as so far I'm really enjoying making a bird a day.

Where do you find your inspiration for the birds?
Everywhere! I'm a complete bird nerd! I made the Long Tailed Tit because I saw a flock of them on the way to the studio, I'm lucky to live so close to nature and I get to walk through the South Cliff Gardens on my way to the studio everyday. I have David Attenborough's Life Of Birds in my DVD player and I collect vintage bird books so I draw a lot of inspiration from them.

How do you get such lovely round shapes?
I cheat! I bought a big bag of multi coloured felt beads... if I were to felt them myself it would take ages and the point is that the challenge is quicker than it normally takes me to make a bird.

How big are the birds?
Each bird is felted onto a 3cm bead but they have bits sticking off, little stands, long necks, wire legs and all manner of different attachments so each one is a different size, you can see from the pictures of my paws the relative size.

What is your favourite bird that you are yet to make and why haven't you made it yet? 
A Dodo... I really want to make a Dodo! I'm not sure what's holding me back but I'm hoping to do one soon

If you were a cupcake what would you be?
Something chocolatey, with chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles and chocolate sauce!

Can we suggest birds for you to make?
Yes... but if I don't then don't be disappointed, I have lots of my own ideas it all depends how I feel when I sit down to work!

Can I buy this bird?
Yes! At the end of the project I will be auctioning them all off with a portion of the proceeds being donated to charity... I haven't decided the best way to do this yet but at the moment it's probably going to be on Ebay. 

Will you make more of these birds? If I miss out on the auction can I commission one? 
I haven't decided yet... In fairness to the people who bid most of them will be one of a kind. Although there is at least 1 that I want to add to my flock!

If you have any questions I haven't answered please feel ask me either here in the comments or over on facebook and I promise to answer them all. 

xx
Mel

Bird a Day: Day 8: Black Swan

Bird a Day: Day 8: Black Swan

Day 8 and things are feeling a little surreal.. mostly because Mr Felt has a habit of snoring like a hibernating bear thus earning him the name "The Snorenado" and me a sleepless night! But we do have a little black swan... aw cute!

Bye Bye Big Owls

We're starting to get super busy for the festive season and the gallery and shop orders have been coming in thick and fast. We're very excited about our first Christmas with our new stockist especially Pippin in Edinburgh who commissioned a special order for a wonderful window display.

 

 Yes Folks today is the day that the big owls are flying the roost to their Wintering grounds up North! (well thursday is!) I have been carefully packing up my big owls for their journey along with a pile of robins and little owls!

 

Each owl gets it's own box with packing peanuts to keep the extra safe and warm on their journey, some aren't looking especially pleased with the arrangements but short eared owl always looks a bit miffed! I got a little emotional while I was packing them up, I kind of feel like I am sending my babies away but Erica at Pippin has a wonderful plan and I can't wait to see it!

  

All our stockists can be found here with links to their personal websites and instructions how to find them, we have stockists in York, Scarborough, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Mersyside, Dorset and Masham in North Yorkshire so if you want to visit any of them they'd love to see you. (stores and galleries only stock limited selections, if you are traveling a long way we recommend you call ahead if it is something in particular you want. Stockists details are here) Full range of birds are as always available in Feltmeupdesigns on Etsy

Updates from The Felt Menagerie!

 

It's been quite a while since we've had an update from the Felt Menagerie so I guess I better tell you all the shenanigans we've been getting up to at felt towers! I've been super busy with gallery orders and have added 2 new stockists to my portfolio China Butterfly in Formby and the beautiful Gallery in Masham. We went on a road trip to Masham last week to deliver a pile of birds and sold 3 in our first weekend! 

 

I also got my first gallery order for Christmas from Cambridge Contemporary Crafts and have been felting like the wind to get it finished so I am not in panic mode come the deadline!

 Feltmeupdesigns.co.uk got a make over as did the blog so we are now simple and clean a bit less busy... all those old dead links have been removed and hopefully we make sense! (or at least a bit more sense then we usually do!)

I've been making more big owls to, this long eared owl is my  latest one... he looks quite spooky without a face! I love making these big owls... they take so long but are well worth it and I think I am learnign alot about felting!

 The hardest parts for me are the wings... getting 2 that are the same size and shape and have the same markings is a bit tricky for me. I'm looking forward to displaying a group of these big guys soon!

I'm currently in full on Christmas making mode at the moment, I still find it odd to be thinking of Christmas when the sun is shining but that's what we crafty types need to do to be ready for it! Hopefully forward planning will mean less of a Christmas panic this year... but I doubt it!