Painting at the Cabin

Well the weather has improved and we have been spending lots of time at the beach.

No new crafts to post but here are some paintings I was fiddling with while on the beach. Sorry for the picture quality but I don't have my high tech. scanner at the cabin, I'm forced to use the digital camera.






This is a lake in Banff National Park which is only 45 minutes from home. The reference photo was in the newspaper last week.


5x7 140lb wc paper


I struggled with the rock face. I am challenged by rocks which is difficult when you live next to the Canadian Rockies.




This is a picture of some Poppies I took last year.




5x7 140lb wc paper










Thats all for now,
gail

How to make a Pompom Owl

We are at the cabin, the weather has been cool, and the kids are itching for something to do. Lets make owls. The inspiration for this craft comes from Tasha Tudor. She was an amazing woman and artist. In her book on Heirloom Crafts she talks about making these owls and we are trying to recreate them here.

The materials you need to make one of these owls are:

brown and white wool

cardboard

feathers

pipe cleaners

string or embroidery floss

felt in white,black,brown(optional)

paint

glue

First you need to make the pompom. For this owl I decided to try making an oval pompom(more owl shaped). You need to cut 2 oval shaped doughnuts out of cardboard. I made mine about the size of my hand. After cutting out one I traced the second so they were the same size.

You then need to make a shuttle. A shuttle is what holds the yarn while you are making the pompom. This is really helpful for kids, otherwise the yarn gets all tangled and you will have tears of frustration, trust me, your kids may even cry.....

I made mine out of cardboard. It basically is a strip, ruler shaped, with a small cut on one end. Insert your yarn or wool into slit and then start winding the yarn onto the shuttle. I tried counting how many times to wind it but after 200 gave up on that idea instead try to wind enough yarn so the thickness is equal to 2 of your fingers. Make sure it will still pass through the hole in the doughnut shape.

Once you have wound your shuttle you need to get it set up on the doughnut shape for your kids.

Place the end of the yarn between the two doughnut shapes and then wind a few lengths of yarn onto the doughnut shape holding tight.

You'll notice I wrote belly and body onto my shape. This is because we are going to make the belly white on this pompom so we are going to switch colors. By writing it on the shape it gives the kids a guide to follow.

Have them wind the brown yarn onto the doughnut filling in the space marked off for the body. They need to wind it tight so no cardboard shows in between the strands and they can go over it twice if they want a fluffier owl.

When its time to switch colors, thread the end of the brown yarn under one of the strands on the doughnut shape and pull tight, clip off.

To switch colors, rewind the shuttle with white yarn (you can also make a new one so you have two in action).

Place end of white between the two shapes and wind a few strands on again holding tight.

Continue winding until you have the belly covered and then end off.

Now the fun part you have to cut between the two doughnut shapes. Cut the yarn all around the shapes put DO NOT PULL THE CARDBOARD OFF YET!!!!

Take some yarn or heavy duty thread and pass it between the doughnut shapes. Pull tight and tie a knot, then tie several knots. You want to try and make it as tight as possible. Yarn can sometimes break at this step so I started to use heavy duty quilting thread. If you only have yarn use a double or triple strand. Clip ends and then pull off cardboard shapes.

Now give your pompom a haircut to get the shape right. Choose where the face is going to be.

For the eyes, we first cut out some light colored felt for the area around the eyes, we then used a little acrylic paint to paint feather like detail around the felt. We also used little touches of color on the white belly.

We then cut out black eyes to go in the center of the felt circles we had already cut and painted. On one of the owls we cut some brown felt into half circles to make eyelids so we could make a sleepy owl.

Then select some feathers for the ears. When you have it the way you like glue directly onto the pompom. Feathers first, then eyes.

For the feet take a pipe cleaner and cut in half. Take one half and make into an m shape. Bend the ends in so you don't stab yourself with the wire. Then take some string or embroidery floss and wind onto pipe cleaner. It helps to lie one end of the string along the pipe cleaner and then wind around it and the wire all at once this takes care of your loose ends.

At the end knot off. I had the kids place a bead of glue onto each end of the toes(or talon I guess) and spread onto the floss(string). This helps to keep them from unwinding. For the beak I took a small piece of pipe cleaner(3 inches) bent it in half, and wound some beak colored yarn on it. You could use the white yarn and paint it or color it with a felt if you needed to.....you could also just use a yellow pipe cleaner. I bent it into a beak shape before I glued it onto the owl.

Glue your feet onto the bottom of the owl near the front so you can see them and TaDa a woodlands owl perfect as a cabin decoration.

I also thought I'd post some painting practice. The weather hasn't been great so I've been painting from some photos my husband took in Switzerland last year.

See ya later

gail

Miniature Gardens

Well I'm almost packed and tomorrow we venture out to Beautiful British Columbia. Looking forward to lots of inspiration. My Mom suggested this post so this ones for you mom......

I have always been fascinated with miniatures. My favorite ride at Disneyland is the boat thru storybook land, so about 4 years ago I started making miniature gardens. This is the end of school gift that I give to my children's teachers each year.

I paint the houses which are meant for Christmas Village sets. Instead of snow drifts I paint in moss or plants around the house. Churches also make a good setting.

When I paint them I find if you antique them with a little burnt umber and floating gel you get a really nice look. After painting make sure you use 2-3 coats of good outdoor proof sealer.

I was hoping to give you a close up view of the house but I have given all mine away. Maybe I'll do a tutorial next year.

When I'm buying the houses (.....you got to think ahead now as they are usually on sale in the Fall) I also pick up the little benches. It helps set the scene in the garden.

I then find a nice flat shaped rock and paint a little sign for the house, something like 104 Liliput Lane, or Elfwood Manor, Fairystone Cottage...you get the picture.

You then need a good container that is not too deep but gives you a large planting area. I add a rock pathway and some small flowering plants.

Enjoy

The little school for the teacher was a big hit!

see you next time,

gail

How to make Flowers from Wool Roving

Well its been very busy around here. We are leaving for the family cabin in BC on Monday and I am frantically trying to pack enough art/craft supplies for the kids(...and of course me!). CABIN CRAFTS......I try to think ahead with some planned nature type stuff but you really never know what the kids will be in to.


My oldest and I have been making these wool roving flowers.









I have carded roving lying around because I like to felt and use it to stuff dolls and stuffies with. We have been planning to make a felt landscape similar to the work of Karma Grotelueschen. Felt landscapes have always fascinated me, must be because i like to paint landscapes as well.


We are making these flowers for the foreground of the landscape. Needle felting and kids don't seem to go together very well. I have enough problems not poking myself with those incredibly sharp and long needles so I thought it would be better to make them this way. I am using the technique described in this book: More Magic Wool, with my own alterations.




You will need lengths of carded wool roving. I have dyed mine with good old kool aid, (works every time with wonderful colors).











You also need a needle and thread, some masking tape, scissors, and something to wind your flower on to. In this case i am using a Popsicle stick which gives me a 1 inch flower.

a ruler = 3 inch flower



a tongue depressor = 2 inch flower



a mini craft stick = 1/2 inch flower






take your needle and thread and tie a knot in a 10 inch or so double length of thread.




tape the knotted end on one end of the stick and tape down the thread on the other end. This stops it from moving around and makes it easier for your kids.

Now you need to wind your wool roving around your stick. I chose 2 different colors for my flower but you can easily just use one. Wind about 6 or 7 times around and try to tuck the ends in. Break off any extra at the end as you don't want to be tucking in a big long piece.








take off the tape and thread the needle between the 2 threads near the knotted end.










Pull on the thread and when the wool has scrunched up slide off the stick.

















continue to pull the thread till the flower forms and stitch a few stitches thru the center of the flower. Don't knot off just yet cause we'll put a center on our flower




take a small piece of roving and tie a couple of knots in the center, clip off the ends








place in the center of the flower and secure with a few stitches. knot off your thread and there you go a wool roving flower. If you're doing a landscape like me then only 30 or so more to go.

I'll post the finished piece when we get back.



I will be taking my laptop to the cabin so hopefully i can post some good cabin crafts and paintings. (fingers crossed that the Internet access works!!)

see you later,
gail