Mouse + Paper + Clay

The weekend gone presented an interesting turn of events. There was an impromptu crafternoon, which led to the creation of Giuseppe, a needle felted mouse. Having wanted to make a little creature like this for quite some time. And the time never feeling quite right, until now. 

© Melissa Gaggiano

Since Giuseppe turned out as well as he did. I went at it again, and made another little mouse... even smaller.

After a tidy up one of the kids was on the verge of throwing out their recent paper sculpture. Before the paper was recycled, I took a photo of it, for a remembrance. This image makes you want to go on a holiday, does it not?

The kids make things with minimal input from me. Occasionally I show them techniques that I've figured out, but for the most part I give them the space to freestyle it. Yesterday though, we had a situation which required a collaboration between mama and child. The result was this Princess Peach statue.

Feltie Foodie

© Melissa Gaggiano

I have been working on a small project the past two weeks. Want to know what it was? Using felt, thread and other random materials lying around the house I recreated some of the delicious food thingies that I'd been eating. Some of it healthy and some of it, pure and simple comfort food.

Can you tell just some of the things that have been on the menu?

- Carrots

- Bacon + egg, muffin

- Popcorn

- Apple

- Chicken drumstick

- Rice paper roll

© Melissa Gaggiano

Tiny Turtle

© Melissa Gaggiano

     It is an achievement and a satisfyingly wonderful thing when the design you construct comes together just as you had hoped. It is an even better feeling when you come back to your work and decide to rejig it - enlarging, shrinking, a different limb, that pattern piece that was a mask can now be a hair bow, that sort of thing.

    I recently challenged myself to take my now familiar turtle design and make an even smaller version. There was no knowing if it was going to work. After all smaller may mean using few materials, but it is by no means easier. Big hands doing little things.

    In the end I managed it and apart from scaling down the pattern pieces there was only one actual pattern piece change from the original design and that was in the legs.

    The only thing left to do is to name this lil turtle baby.

© Melissa Gaggiano

Fab Finds 19

    Today my Fab Finds theme shall be needle felting. This is something that I've heard about on the grape vine [aka world wide web], and I have seen many wonderful textile sculptures that have been produced as a result of needle felting.

    I decided to share some four cute and easy to follow needle felting tutorials that I found on Youtube. These just may inspire you too. So, take a look at what I found for you…

1. Needle Felting Basics by Pufftique:




2. Needle Felted Mushroom by Sweetorials:



3. Needle Felted Rabbit also by Pufftique:




4. DIY Totoro Plushie by Bubzbeauty: