Tag: felting

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Needle Felting Wee Folk and Their Friends – Tutorial from the Willodel Blog

With so many stories to tell and much imagination to express, making wee folk come to life is a rewarding and delightful work. This tutorial is designed to pass along my own creative ideas as the simplest way to make pose-able  needle felted figures for stories and gnome play.

The possibilities are pretty limitless. You can use scraps of things you already have at home, I always encourage using “found” materials, and things you might have to buy, like covered florist wire, are not expensive. The size of the figures in the tutorial are 4″ to 5″, but this can be changed to anything you like. Your main tool for the frame are wire nippers(called “diagonals” and needle nose pliers. You want to be sure that in making the frame there are no pointy ends that might poke through anywhere. Also, I do not hesitate the add a drop of glue where I need to starting winding some wool and definitely use this for attaching hair and hats. I like using acorns for hats, but there are many other approaches to the this part of the clothing. Please do not hesitate to write if you have questions.

This is Leif the Elf, working with his wishing well.This little Elf has been a model for many of my homes and other tutorials, proving himself versatile and durable over several years. He is 45″ tall.
Here are an array of bendy figures, including gnomes, elves and animals.
This is the link to the tutorial: http://willodel.blogspot.com/p/making.html
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Felted Wool Cell Phone Case Tutorial

My cell phone is forever getting lost at the bottom of my purse.  I wanted to make a pretty cell phone case that would make it easier to keep track of.

 

First I knit a rectangle with easily felt-able wool yarn.  Knit it larger than you need because it will shrink when felted.  I simply guess-estimated making it about twice the size as I needed on size 8 needles.  I knit 30 stitches across which ended up being too wide. Make sure it’s a wool yarn that can be felted.  Stay away from yarn that says “machine washable” or “superwash” as it will not felt.  You can knit it or you can upcycle an old wool sweater by felting it in a hot wash cycle.

HOW TO FELT OR UPCYCLE WOOL:

To do this, take your knitted wool rectangle or wool sweater and add it to the washer tied in a pillow case.  (this is to save your washer from wool fuzz.) Wash on hot with other sweaters or a few thick towels or pairs of jeans.  These will help agitate the wool.  Add a small amount of detergent.  Wash once or twice in hot water.  Check your sweater or knit piece to see if it’s tightly felted.  If it it’s felted well then dry it on high. Check often to make sure it doesn’t wrinkle while drying.  Once it wrinkles it’s wrinkled for good.  Now, when you cut your wool the stitches won’t pull apart or fray. If it does fray then repeat the felting process.

My felted rectangle ended up a little large so I cut it to size.  Use one long rectangular piece.  The bottom of the case will be the folded edge.

 

Now the decorating begins.  I used some scraps of wool yarn I had on hand.  I needle felted a single strand of green wool to make a leaf design.

 

Needle felt it well so that it does not pull off when rubbing against things in your purse.

 

Next I chose a brighter peach/pink wool for my flower.  I simply started in the center and wrapped it around and around to make a spiral or circle.

 

Then I needle felted the stem.

 

Blanket stitch the sides together.  Begin by hiding the knot inside at the bottom of the case.

 

 

Blanket stitch all the way up on both sides.  You can add a string so you can wear it by finger knitting the string and sewing it on.  Or you can finger knit a latch and button. Mine works well without a button and surprisingly doesn’t slip out in my purse.  I wanted to be able to easily pull it out in a hurry with out having to fumble with a button.  Though if you want to add a strap to wear it a button might be wise.

I think I’m going to have to make another with a strap for when we go on our walks.  How decadent of me!  Enjoy your lovely, new cell phone case!  And if you make this please link back to us here at Natural Kids so we can see.

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What’s new, and, well, natural from the Naturalkids Team on Etsy

Welcome! I continue my trek backwards through the alphabet to bring to you the most wonderful and imaginative treasures. They are all handmade with natural materials from…yes! the NaturalKids Team on Etsy! This week, we feature wonderful variety of artists who work in either wood or wool, bug and love working with sustainable, natural materials.

Friendly Skunk Toy

Woodmouse‘s Amber creates Eco-friendly wooden toys handmade from sustainably harvested USA poplar. All the wooden toys and figures in the shop are designed, cut, woodburned and sanded by her.  Her water-based paints have been independently third-party tested for safety. They are AP Certified non-toxic and bear the ACMI non-toxic label. Amber seals with organic jojoba oil and beeswax from a local beekeeper. Here is her Friendly Skunk Toy.

Wood Phone Toy

 The Wood Toy Shop  is run by Mark, a stay at home dad, who just installed new solar electric panels to power the workshop! His toys are built to last from hard woods and are finished with non-toxic mineral oil. Most of the wood he uses are mill ends and scrap from cabinet shops. Here is his Wood Phone Toy.

Sea Horse Wool Diaper Cover

Angela, of Wild Child Woolies  is a  stay at home/work at home/homeschooling (I guess she’s HOME a lot!) mom of 5 awesome kids. In her shop you’ll find unique, top quality, handmade wool interlock diaper covers for cloth diapered infants and toddlers. Here is her Seahorse Wool Interlock Pull Up Diaper Cover/Soaker.

Wet Felted Pocket Mirror

Kim of  Viltalakim crafts all of her household decor items, wearables and and other treasures, by the wet felting technique with super soft merino wool. She does this all by hand, without sewing/ knitting first. No washing machine, just her own hands… Here is her Wet Felted Pocket Mirror. 

From imaginative wood toys for storytelling and play to natural baby necessities to wet felted wool treasures, these are just a few of the natural creations you will find from our shops hailing from all over the world.

Thanks for joining us this week! Please do return again next Monday as we continue to feature all the wonderful members of the NaturalKids team on Etsy. Until then, I invite you to browse all our wonderful shops.

Warmly,
Rebecca aka Nushkie
Nushkie on Facebook
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What’s new, and, well, natural from the Naturalkids Team on Etsy

Welcome! I continue my trek backwards through the alphabet to bring to you the most wonderful and imaginative treasures. They are all handmade with natural materials from…yes! the NaturalKids Team on Etsy! This week, we feature wonderful variety of artist from who have one thing in common – they all work with natural materials.


Babus – From teethers to felted dolls, everything you see in this shop is made with love and by hand by Michelle in Silver Spring, Maryland. Michelle says,”Using sustainably produced wool yarns, I knit and wet felt all my toys to make them fuzzy, warm, sweet and enduring.”

Here is her Original Baby Chain Wool Felt Toy.

AshperJasper‘s Vicky is an artist/homeschooling Mum (to Asher and Jasper) living in Southern California. Originally from England, she moved here after falling in love with a young American artist on a painting trip to Italy. Her husband has been contributing wooden toys to her store for about a year. Vicky says,”I love that we can work creatively together again! I have to admit that I am a wool addict. I LOVE the stuff. We are a family floating in a sea of wool and wood at all times.” They offer natural wood and wool toys and accessories. Here most recent post to her Etsy shop is an invitation for you to begin felting with her Deluxe Needle Felting Starker Kit for Beginners.

Armadilo Dreams is a husband/wife shop run by Dustin and Amanda. They live in Central Oregon. They say, “We combined our love for our children, natural materials, woodworking and Armadillo Dreams was born! Together we make an awesome team and love to work together as a family.” Here is their Rainbow Birdie and Wooden Egg – Toy Play Set.

Those are the featured new items for this week. What a rainbow of delightful treasures from one of a kind felted baby toys, to felting starter kits to lovely wooden toys! All are made from natural materials and from the hands of folks who love nature, children, and open ended toys. This is just a small sample of the quality and variety our customers enjoy from the fine crafters and artists of the NaturalKids team.

Thanks for joining us this week and please do return again next Monday as we continue to feature all the wonderful members of the Naturakids team on Etsy! Til then, I invite you to browse all our wonderful shops.


Warmly,
Rebecca aka Nushkie
Nushkie on Facebook

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What’s New, and, Well Natural from the Natural Kids Team on Etsy

Welcome! I continue my trek backwards through the alphabet to bring to you the most wonderful and imaginative treasures. They are all handmade with natural materials from…yes! the NaturalKids Team on Etsy! This week, we feature wonderful variety of artist from who have one thing in common – they all work with natural materials!

Darial Lvovski hails all the way from Israel. She is a wonderful needle felter using eco wool and is the mother to three girls. In her shop you will see “only a tiny part of an amazing world populated by the little beings I create. My works have become the ultimate toys for my own children and the children of my friends. ” Here is her One of a kind needle felted wool collectible, Pig Soft Sculpture.

Dad’s Wooden Toys from Grand Rapids, Michigan is not only a wonderful craftsman of eco-friendly wooden toys, but a wonderful poet as well. Here is how he describes how he got going on behalf of his children…”I want the best for them all/and that’s how I started rolling this ball/The toys everywhere made noise and light/but I think the kids not the toys should be bright/So my wife and I were searching to find/toys that were natural and good for their mind.” Here is his Great Dane Wooden toy.

Cute Little Thing, is from Farmingdale, Long Island. She took her genetic predisposition for “cute,” a bachelors of fine arts degree in interior design, an absolute love for natural materials and designing with them, to create the tools, and kits and more for “cute little thing.” Cute Little Barn Owl Needle Felting Kit DIY

Those are the featured new items for this week, from one of a kind needle felted treasures, to natural wooden toys to do-it-yourself kits, all from natural materials and from the hands of folks who love nature, children and open ended toys. This is just a small sample of the quality and variety our customers enjoy from the fine crafters and artists of the NaturalKids team.

Thanks for joining us this week and please do return again next Monday as we continue to feature all the wonderful members of the Naturakids team on Etsy! Til then, I invite you to browse all our wonderful shops.


Warmly,
Rebecca aka Nushkie
Nushkie on Facebook

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Craft Tutorial by Elemental Handcrafts of the Natural Kids Team

How to make a wool felted ball, by Stephanie of Elemental Handcrafts.

Sheep are awesome. They are cute, soft, smell good and if we treat them nicely*, they will share their wool happily and we can make things, lots of things! One such thing you can make with your kids is a wool felted ball. Here’s how:

*Please note that not all sheep are treated nicely. If you buy wool to make this craft or anything else, please research your source. Some sheep people are only in it for the money and don’t take proper care of the animals in their flock or treat them nicely and humanely. Buy wool with good karma! Locally raised on a small farm is often best.

Supply List

Humane wool roving in different colors
fabric scraps (I use old cut up wool sweaters)
Old stocking
twist ties
laundry soap
washing machine

This craft makes good use of old fabric scraps. I like to use scraps of old wool sweaters that have been cut up for different projects.

Start by balling up your scraps into a tight ball. The tighter the better as this will give your ball some weight.

Take strips of wool roving and begin wrapping your fabric scraps until you have well covered them. Keep in mind the color you use first won’t show much, so this is a good place to use a color you have but don’t love.

As you wrap your roving, carefully spread the edges out. This will help with the felting process, giving your ball a more smooth appearance.

Once you have your ball to the approximate size you would like it, (keep in mind it will shrink a little during felting), finish it off with some strips of color, if you desire.

Once you like the look, carefully put your hand into the hose- (I’ve used some stripey Halloween tights that had a hole in the knee), and like a glove, carefully grab the ball so the inside of the tights is next to the ball. Flip the tights over so the ball is now inside and either tie, or twist-tie both ends. Keep doing this until you have all of your balls wrapped in the tights. I like to do as many as I can at a time so we don’t run the washing machine for just one ball.

Once your tights are full, toss then into the washing machine with a little detergent and either a towel or some sheets or something without any hard edges. Wash your daughter’s overalls with the metal clips in another laundry load. Don’t add too much laundry. You want something to help agitate the balls, but if you add too much you won’t get enough agitation. If you are using dyed wool, don’t wash it with anything light as the dyes may run!

Run your washer with hot water and use a little laundry soap. No fabric softener!

Once it has finished the wash cycle, untwist your ties, take out your balls and reshape them. The wool should be well felted and you shouldn’t be able to pull fibers off very easily. If you can pull fibers off, wash them again. Once felted, take them all out of the stockings and either air dry, or toss into the dryer on hot for more felting.

You’re done! If you made six, like me, you can now give them to your kids and look up, “How to juggle” online. Have fun!

This tutorial was written by Stephanie of Elemental Handcrafts.

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Making Felted Soap

This is an activity that is easy to do with young kids, though they might get a tiny bit wet! These would be cute gifts to make for grandparents.
To get started you need:
-A bar of soap
-1-2 ounces of wool-a soft fiber such as merino
(avoid superwash which won’t wet felt)
-A ziploc bag
-Dish soap, or another bar of soap
-A towel
-vegetable peeler

If your soap is rectangular, first take a vegetable peeler and to round the edges a bit. This will make it easier to cover the soap bar completely without any corners peeking out.


Now you can begin wrapping the bar of soap with wool. I usually start with a base layer of plain white fiber, though any color is fine. Pull off pieces of wool roving that are about one inch thick and two feet long to make this easier. Try to wrap tightly without twisting the fibers to help keep the surface as smooth as possible.

Once you have wrapped the soap going in one direction (vertically), flip it to the side and wrap it in the opposite direction (horizontally).

Now wrap it vertically again, make sure to cover the narrow sides too. This makes for three layers so far and should be good enough for the base layer.

The fun part is adding your design layer. Layer on any colors you want and any direction-just try to keep the layers as smooth as possible.

Here you can see just how much bigger the wrapped soap looks before it is felted. It will have shrunk quite a bit when you are done.

Carefully place the wrapped soap inside a ziploc bag. Add some dish soap to a few cups of warm water and pour some water into the bag to fully wet the wool. Let the excess water run out and seal the bag closed. With the bag on the counter, gently rub your hand back and forth over the surface, turning to get all sides of the wrapped soap. Then gently toss the bag bag and for between your two hands, left to right, right to left for about 20 tosses.

Open the bag, and add more hot soapy water, let the extra drain and seal it again. Now begin to roll the bagged soap in your hands, like you do with a regular bar of soap when washing your hands.
Change directions frequently, roll the soap lengthwise. Do this for a few minutes. The wool should be starting to shrink now.


Remove the soap from the bag and do the pinch test. Does the top layer of fibers lift up, or does it seem attached to the base as one layer? If the fibers lift up you need to work a little bit more. You can put the soap back in the bag with more hot soapy water, or you can suds up your hands and roll it around in all directions. Surface friction is the goal. For wool to wet felt it needs friction, and hot soapy water.

When the felt passes the pinch test, rinse it as best as you can with cold water, You will never get all of the soap out, as by this point the bar of soap will have started to suds up inside the wool. Roll the felted soap inside a towel to get as much water out as possible and dry on a rack.

If you want to make something fancier you can try needle felting a design on some layers of loose wool. Lay this design over the base layer of the soap, wrapping the edges of the wool to the back before felting.

Posted by Kerstin Of Chimera Fibers

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Friday Feature with Alkelda

Tell us little about yourself!
I am a musical storyteller and doll-maker who was trained as a children’s librarian. My husband and I live in Seattle, Washington, USA, with our 7 year old daughter. When my daughter was 2, I decided that I wanted to learn either to sew or to play guitar, and ended up doing both. I don’t work in the library anymore, but I cannot resist a reference question, especially if it involves trying to locate a favorite childhood book. In the beginning of our courtship, I impressed my future husband by locating a copy of the out-of-print book Dinosaur Comes to Town, written by Gene Darby, which had the refrain, “There’s a meat-eating dinosaur—and you’re meat!”
The meaning behind my shop name:
The name “Alkelda” is Old English for “healing spring.” Alkelda is an apocryphal saint, and her feast day is my birthday. When I decided to become a seller on Etsy, I elected to keep my username as my shop name and added “Dolls for Storytelling” to make it clearer what the shop offered.

What do you make and how long have you been creating?
I make embroidered wool felt dolls for storytelling through creative play. As a teenager, I would hand-stitch small dolls out of fabric remnants to give to family and friends, but it never occurred to me to seek out specific fabrics until I started making the little felt standing dolls like the ones in the shop. I started out with doll-making kits, and then developed my own patterns. I learned to embroider as an adult with the help of several embroidery books.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by plants, the curriculum in Waldorf schools, folktales, music (some of my dolls carry felt guitars), ironwork scrolls, and embroidered tapestries. My daughter loves dolls, and she often comes up with ideas for me, as do friends and family members.
A few years ago, I read her Sibyl Von Olfers’s The Story of the Root Children. She enjoyed it, but asked, “Why are all the root children blonde?” I explained to her that the author was Prussian, and she probably knew a lot of blond children, but that the majority of the Earth’s population has brown hair. When I talked about this conversation on my Saints and Spinners storytelling blog, friends of mine wrote about how they had longed for depictions of fairies and fairy-like dolls with dark hair and skin, and how rare it was to find them. Many of the dolls I make are for my friends when they were children as well as the people who are children now. I am glad that I can find cotton interlock for faces in a variety of skin tones.

Prior to using a book, my embroidery looked like a mess. I am the kind of person who needs specific instruction and guidance before free-form experimentation can take place. My first dolls (larger standing dolls with wire arms) were created with an embroidery book in my lap. I still consult my books quite a bit for new, complex stitches, but I’m glad that I finally have the basics “memorized” in my fingertips. Speaking of fingertips, it’s handy that I play steel-string guitar, because the calluses protect me from many of the needle-jabs I inevitably experience. (As a friend of mine asked, “Haven’t you ever heard of a device called a ‘thimble’?”)

How long have you been on Etsy and how has it been for you so far?
I started out as a buyer in June 2008 and became a seller in May 2009. When I started, I had no intention of starting a cottage industry business. However, when I started to make little dolls and people asked for commissioned work, it occurred to me that there might be a tucked-away corner of the market that would have room for my virtual stall. I was fortunate to have an online community already established for four years through my storytelling blog, and friends were willing to mention my new shop. Still, I was bowled over the first time I received an order from a stranger. I was glad to be able to join the Natural Kids Team because I liked the artisans and wanted a sense of connection with others who liked to create things that appealed to children.

What advice would you have for other Etsians?
Of course, I’m still learning from those who have been around far longer than I. What I would like for sellers in general to understand is that many people are inundated with data and noise to the point of saturation. Respect your potential customers by offering the best you have to create without getting into their personal space with a deluge of marketing. As a buyer, I went to Etsy to find well-made, handcrafted creations at fair prices, not mass-produced “bargains.” As a seller, I strive to make my shop a welcoming place to potential customers as well as people who simply enjoy looking at my dolls. Each listing ends with this mission statement: “I care about each doll I sew, and hope you will find a doll in the shop that you feel is yours.”

What do you hope to learn/gain/contribute from being part of the Natural Kids group?
I am a worker bee. I like low-profile jobs such as editing and organizing (although please, do not look at my desk as an example of order, as you will not find it). I hope those skills will help the team as a whole. What I really appreciate is
that when I have a question, people on the Natural Kids Team have perspective and can give guidance.

What thoughts do you have for parents on the importance of natural toys for creative play?

As an adult with experience, I prefer to give my daughter toys made out of wool, cotton, wood and clay. These natural materials are warm and living. When minimally formed, these toys allow for many layers of creative play. However, I can understand the attraction of battery-powered toys. Before my daughter was born, I bought a little fire-engine train that had a battery for the siren. I got a kick out of pushing the button every once in awhile to hear that siren. However, when my daughter received the fire engine as a present, she pushed the button repeatedly. When she wasn’t looking, I took the battery out, and then gave her back the fire-engine train. She pushed the button and looked at it quizzically when it made no sound. After a few moments, she set the fire engine train down on the track and said, “Chook-ca-chook-ca-chook” (her train sound). I realized that by taking the battery out, I was giving her imagination room for its own discovery.

Links:
Alkelda: Dolls for Storytelling
http://alkelda.etsy.com

Facebook:
http://facebook.com/Alkelda

Storyteller page:
http://faridadowler.com

Interview by Beccijo of The Enchanted Cupboard

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Make Wet-Felted Rainbow Eggs

Wet Felted Rainbow Cracked Egg tutorial by Jen from SewnNatural

Spring brings new babies throughout nature, and the magical, enchanting process of watching wee ones hatch from eggs. There’s a turtle sanctuary on an island near where we live, and my daughter loves discovering the beautiful white eggshells left behind. Here’s how to make a wet felted, rainbow wool egg for gentle play, your nature table and even spring celebrations like Easter and Passover.

You’ll need:
• an egg to wet felt around (we use old marble eggs we have around, you can also use a plastic egg shape, or even a real egg, but I’ve never tried it with a real egg)

• wool roving and various bits of colored feltable wool (Corriedale is one of our favorites, but Merino and others work too)

• organic, non toxic soap

• 2 big bowls of water, or 1 bowl + kitchen sink

• towels to mop up the inevitable spills and to dry the egg afterwards

• a little elbow grease

My daughter says the most enjoyable part of the process is actually choosing the colors for her egg.

Next take your egg shape (we use a small-sized one for the kid projects) and wrap wool roving around it, placing narrow pieces of wool in different directions, wrapping it neither super tighthly, nor super loosely.

It’s far from an exact science, and the felting process will make the apparent “messiness” of the wrapping disappear.

The thicker the wool coat on the egg, the thicker and sturdier your final rainbow egg will be. You should not be able see the egg clearly through the wool (that would mean it’s best to add more wool).

Now hold the wrapped egg in one hand, and have your child (or your other hand) pour some liquid soap right onto it, turning the egg as the soap is applied. I’ve found this to be an easier method to felt the eggs.

I have yet to use too much soap in felting!

Now quickly immerse the egg in hot, hot water. Gently squeeze the soap egg, turning it in your hands (or your child’s hands). Keep the wooly coat on the egg warm by dipping it into the hot water every so often (the warm/hot water relaxes the fibres of the wool which allows for easier felting).

Keep gently squeezing and patting the wool, and as you work and the wool begins to felt you can work it more vigorously. This process take a little bit of time, but the results are well worth it!

Once you begin to feel the fibres felting around the egg, and solidifying somewhat, it’s time to add the “rainbow”. Your child can gently rip off small pieces of colored wool, and place them onto the egg in varying directions.

The wispier and more spread out the wool bits, the better (the more easily they will felt to the woolen egg).

Then pour some soap onto the egg, immerse gently in hot water, and gently squeeze the soapy egg to help felt the rainbow wisps together to the wool roving.

Keep squeezing and rubbing it vigorously in your hands.

You can also use something with texture to help felt the fibers of the wool. I use an old wire rack for this, and roll the egg around on the rack for a few minutes. Then I take it back into my hands, warming up the wool in hot water, and squeeze it some more.

Once you’re done, you can dip it into cold water to help strengthen the felting. The shock of the cold water tightens the fibres.

I wrap the egg in a dishcloth to remove some excess water, and place it near a vent to dry.

Once it’s dry (anywhere from a few hours to a day or so), you or your child can carefully cut the egg open, either in a straight line across the long part of the egg, or a cracked jagged line.

The cut need not extend the length of the egg, just enough to “birth” the egg from it’s woolen coat, so to speak.

You may also choose to blanket stitch the edge of the cracked part of the egg with embroidery thread, but my daughter prefers her “au naturel.”

You can find more how-to’s and eco living articles on our blog, the SewnNaturalstudio.

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Friday Interview with Cozy Cottage Creations


Today we’re going to meet Lynne of cozycottagecreations , or as we call her Cozy! And “cozy” perfectly describes her lovely felted wool creations…along with warm, delightful, and fun! See for yourself…

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how and when did you get started with arts and crafts?
My name is Lynne and I’m a stay-at-home Mommy to two little girls, ages almost-8 and almost-6. I have always gravitated towards anything that involves creating something new. I love making stuff! Like a lot of people here on Etsy and on the team, it was my kids who led me toward doing what I’m doing now. My business really began when my oldest was 3 and I enrolled in the parent-tot program at a nearby Waldorf School. A few weeks into the session the teacher passed out yarn and knitting needles to all of the mothers. She told us that with our knitting, we would be doing our work while our children did their work, which was to play. I fell in love with Waldorf Education right then and there. I had learned to knit at some point in my childhood and I was so thrilled to be picking it up again. When I finished my knitting project – a little kitty cat – I couldn’t wait to make other. Pretty soon I had two families of four cats (which, five years later, my girls still play with) and was looking for what else I could make. It didn’t take long to realize I wanted to create a business making things for children.

What is the main thing you make and sell in your store? What else do you make and/or sell?
I make items for children and their families out of wool. All of my items are felted using various techniques. My knitting led me to try felting what I had knit. That inspired me to embellish my items with needle felted designs. From there I began making needle-felted sculptured pieces. And eventually I delved into the exciting process of wet felting. Basically it’s been one big experiment followed by another big experiment. I have found that the more I explore what wool can do, the more there is to explore! I like to try new techniques and create products I think a naturally-minded family would want for their home and for their children.


Who if anyone has been instrumental in helping you hone your craft?
No one person in particular. I feel very inspired by the work of my fellow teammates. Being on the NaturalKids Team makes me always want to do my best work.
Also, I seem to be following in my grandmother’s (my mother’s mother) footsteps. She was incredibly creative and was always making something. One of the first times I had my mother to my house after I had felted something, I apologized for the wet-wool smell. She said, “Oh, I don’t mind it – it reminds me of when my mother used to make hooked rugs out of boiled wool”. I never knew my grandmother had done that.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Mainly from nature, and also from the desire to create a home filled with natural goodness. I remember as a child going to my grandparents (my father’s parents) house. My father would refer to this house as “the museum” because it was filled with treasures no one was allowed to touch. As much as I loved my grandparents, I’m wanting to give my kids more of a “hands on” childhood. And I feel it’s important to honor and nurture their spirits with products that are from or reflect the natural world.


What are your favorite materials?
Wool – I’m obsessed with it. To me it’s a magical material. It can transform into anything you want. It’s so important to me for my girls to know that from this pile of wool, anything can arise as long as you have the vision and patience to bring it to life.

What advice would you give other Etsy sellers and those interested in opening up a shop?
Well, basically to go for it. When I first started I had no idea where it would lead me. I had no idea if I’d have any sales. Now I have a bona fide business and a wonderful camaraderie with like-minded artisans. The experience has been ten-fold what I was looking for. And with that in mind, it does take work. You get out as much as you put in. You can’t expect to open up a shop and be carried along by Etsy. It’s very true here that the more you contribute, the more you get back.

What advice would you give to beginners in your main craft?
 Experiment with your materials as much as you can. If you have something in mind you’d like to make, you’ll get there if you allow yourself some mistakes and to learn from them.

What is your Etsy shop address and name? Where else can we find you?
http://cozycottagecreations.etsy.com. You can find me here on Etsy! Thanks for reading my interview!

And thank you Cozy!
Cynthia/ fairiesnest