Double Ended Merino Fall Dreadlocks

Ginga Squid is back!!!!

Merino Fall Double Ended Dreads

Sorry for the long absence - I had to take a 'proper' job....

I have been busy with some hand dyed merino wool, wet felting into some gorgeous way-long dreadlocks.

More details & photos here:
http://www.gingasquid.com/shop/show_single_product.php?prod=549

How to: Heart Felt Soaps...

Lovely Lady Leanne from Feel At Home brought me over some of her New Zealand olive & avocado oil handmade soaps (with sea salt and infused with essential oils of sweet fennel & Roman chamomile) to felt.

So I thought I would document the process as I notice I haven't blogged about anything for a year or so, which is very slack of me...

1. Choose your soap and some colourful wool roving (merino felts nice and easily).

2. Using a block of foam & felting needles, very lightly needle felt some wool into squares large enough to wrap around the bar of soap.  Two thin layers of wool works well - one ontop of the other, fibers lying in perpendicular directions.

3. Wrap the square of lightly felted wool around the soap and wet it, so that all the fibers are dampened, using the hottest water you can stand (rubber gloves will help)!

4. Using a thin sheet of plastic (eg. cut up shopping bag) - wrap this around the hot, wet, woolly soap so that it makes a parcel.  Then rub this parcel on all sides ontop a bamboo mat or non-slip piece of plastic mat. The roughness makes the warm, wet wool fibers felt together when rubbed.

5. When the wool has started to felt together and feels a little secure around the bar of soap, take it out of the plastic wrapping, get it nice and damp again with really hot water and then get back to rubbing it directly on the uneven surface.  Keep this up for around 15 mins until the wool has completely felted on all sides and fits snuggly around the bar of soap.

5. Rinse off the excess soapy suds under the cold tap and leave to dry on a wire cake wrack. First layer is done!

6. After a few days, when the outer layer is dry, but the soap is still a little moist underneath, it is time to needle felt some designs onto the base layer.  I use a size 38 felting needle.  Careful with your fingers or you will leave blood marks on the felt....

7. Finished!

 

Variscite Sucker Brooch

I'm finally happy that this little 'sucker' is finished!

The circles, dots and spots remind me of octopus tentacles - hence the name.

The gemstone featured in this is Variscite in shades of soft seafoam green from one of my favourite suppliers Heart Of Stone Studio (in the USA). This artistic bit of rock is from Australia and is very unusual in that it has the Variscite running like a river through interesting shades of matrix.

Other materials used (all cold connections):

copper (patina using liver of sulphur and then with prismacolor and gloss on top);

pearls stitched through holes in the copper - in light pink, cream and chocolate brown;

merino wool in shades of purple, mauve & turquoise (needle felted);

beads and thread.

There is a brooch pin stitched to the back.
Approx size: 7cm x 8cm / 2.75 inches x 3 inches

She is headed off to be judged for the Regal Castings Contemporary Jewellery Awards, which is part of the New Zealand Jewellery Show.  This will be held at SkyCity, Auckland on 1-4 July 2010. So fingers crossed!

Coral Creature returns...

I just got back my 'Coral Creature' who was holidaying with a friend in Kaukapakapa [cow-capa-capa]. I love NZ place names!

I live in Whanagaparaoa [fang-a-pa-ro-a] and it took me over a year of living in NZ to learn how to spell it out when someone asked me on the phone. More 'a's than one would think was actually necessary in a word?

In NZ 'Wh' is generally pronounced 'F'. So I still chuckle when the TV weather guy/gal mentions 'Whakatane' etc, etc.  Maybe that will go away if I ever get citizenship here?

 

Purple Parasite

I have finally finished this little creature!

I've had this lovely piece of plume agate (black puffy clouds in milky white) sitting around for a couple of years - in fact it was one of the first cabs I ever purchased (from the family run www.DesignerCabochons.co.uk).

I set out to do this in black and white only, but it ended up purple as I also have some gorgeous merino roving that I wanted to use from www.treetopscolours.com.au

 

Dewdrop Felted Ring

I am on a roll today - managed to finish this ring too! Mainly because this was the first day my son (who is 2-and-a-bit) started preschool. He will go 2 mornings a week and so give me a good few hours of daylight time to get some 'making stuff' done. Especially stuff involving hammering and sawing.

My little girl is still at home (just turned 5 last week) but she was on the sofa feeling ill quietly. She's looking a bit spotty and has a temp, so it may well be chickenpox.

The ring base is Faux bone with sterling silver tube rivets. Then I made a wire frame & needle felted and wet felted the wool fibers (with a bit of sari, silk, bamboo & glitzy stuff) in and around it.

After that I coated it in UV resin and then inspired by the Super Secret Stevie B technique (aka the S3) - the highly secret way of achieveing a gloss finish by spraying your piece with a can of 'Gloss Finish'.

Then to finish, I added some sterling wire wrapped spinel gemstones (and oxidised the silver).

Finally, a BIG thanks to Grand Purl Baa for the Blogger formatting tips. Updating my formatting settings worked a treat!

And now off for a cuppa!

Crinoid Cube Brooch/Pendant

This one has been sitting on my desk for a while and is finally finished! Its another piece using a funky fossil crinoid cabochon which I purchased from Heart Of Stone Studio in the US.

Crinoids are lovely and graceful-looking sea creatures that resemble fern-like plants but are really animals. Commonly called sea lilies, they're Echinoderms, relatives of sea urchins and starfish, and they are one of Nature's success stories, having been around for 530 million years. Ancient Crinoids sported feathery arms sprouting from a stalk anchored on the ocean floor, while their modern descendants mostly don't have stalks. Their soft , filter-feeding bodies are supported by a framework calcium carbonate segments called ossicles, and it's the ossicles that you see in these fossils.

I set the fossil crinoid into Faux bone using glittery purple UV resin. The outer frame is needle felted merino wool in greeny/blue shades with a crochet surround of thin argentium sterling silver wire, amethyst cubes and tiny fine silver beads handcrafted by the Thai Karen Hills Tribes (purchased Fair Trade).

I found crocheting the wire quite tough on my fingers this time around so I must have been doing something wrong.

This piece can be worn as a brooch or pendant.

Size: about 5cm square (approx 2 inches)

Happy Horny Fungi Ring

I am really happy about how the colours came out in this one. Constructed from merino wool which I first wet felted and then needle felted. I also used UV resin at the base of the felted structure with natural rough diamonds.

The ring base is Faux Bone with sterling silver tube rivets.

The ring size is a US 7.5 and stands about 12cm above the wearer's finger.

Moods Of The Sea

Finished this pendant today - it features a gorgeously bright piece of gem grade Azurite (from www.designercabochons.co.uk) and an 'eye' of Fordite, aka Dagenham Agate (from www.heartofstonestudios.com).

I also used faux bone, merino wool (wet felted), sterling silver tube & wire, embroidery thread, tiny beads and crystals, sterling silver cutout disk stamped 'Moods Of The Sea', various screws and washers.

Its about 15cm (6 inches) long.

Its for the 'Melodious Art' Exhibition at Uxbridge, Howick's Creative Centre during August 2009. This piece was inspired by The Hebrides Overture - one of my favourites, which I used to play (clarinet) with the Berkshire Youth Chamber Orchestra when I was young, once upon a time in England.........

Raspberries & Cream Golf Tee Ring

Sorry I have been so quiet for a month - I went back to the UK (from NZ) with my two kiddies to visit my family. Longest flight ever, with just a quick 2 hour rest in Hong Kong for refuelling. My kiddies were great though - not too much vomiting and any vomit made it into the bag(s) provided. Bonus! Had a brilliant time (the weather was fabulous) and we were spoilt rotten by my lovely, untiring parents.

So back to it then!

The focal point of this ring is a plastic yellow golf tee (warning - I have a whole bag of these to use up!) which is filled with shards of vintage pink glass in resin, a natural freshwater pearl and a 'stamen' of 'antiqued' sterling silver.

I have also used merino wool roving (which has been needle felted) in raspberries and cream colours, UV resin, natural rough diamonds, a plastic aquarium plant and a ring base of faux bone.

Still jet lagged though.....

Oh and I was made to watch 'Sleeping Beauty' non-stop all the way from Auckland to London. And back again. Nice.

Varisite Parasite Brooch & Pendant

This one turned out with very jolly colours! It reminds me of a parasitic plant form - and will live on its 'host' as a brooch &/or pendant.

The focal gemstone is a gorgeous piece of variscite from Heartofstonestudio.com, in various shades of soft seafoam green. This stone is unusual as the variscite is running like a river through interesting shades of matrix.

This piece also features merino wool roving (in shades of yellow, green and blue), copper (etched, prismacolor, heat patina), clear plexiglass, silk threads in shades of pink, sterling silver, brass micro-screws, fine silver heishi (purchased Fair Trade from the Thai Karen Hills Tribe), spotty wood bicone, recycled glass disc and a vintage soda cap (on the reverse) 'Sun Drop Citrus Soda'.

Diamond Bud Ring

I'm not sure if this is finished or not - probably not and I will take it further....

But at the moment, here it is my 'Diamond Bud Ring'.

Made using Faux bone, sterling silver tube, UV resin, natural rough diamonds and merino wool roving (wet felted then needle felted).

Mouldy Log Necklace

I just finished this piece - it reminds me of a mouldy log! Probably not a great sales pitch - but it is what it is.

I think it would look quite cool worn over a black polo neck top though?

2 Finger Salute

This ring isn't finished yet, in fact its just the beginning of the process - I thought it would be fun to show some work-in-progress?

I've got the basic Faux bone ring base done and got the wool roving wet felted on and then I've needle felted it to give it some shape and harden it up.

I was trying to get the same shape as my Anemone ring - but the wool had WAY different ideas! I looks like its giving me the Two Finger Salute.
I think it will end up quite a fun one? Fingers crossed.

Bruneau Jasper Squid - detail pics

I finally got some more photos edited of my Bruneau Jasper Squid (as in my previous post) so here they are! They just show him in a bit more detail.

I've been working on a few things - a collaboration with Lisa-Jane Harvey (fab lampworking/glass artist) of Born To Bead (www.borntobead.co.nz). Its a fab piece called TANIWHA (Maori word meaning 'Fabulous Water Monster') - but we are entering it in a competition so I don't think I can post a photo just yet.....?

I have also been crocheting pots/vessels. They have beads stitched in (I'm practising!) and spikes, tentacles and things - not really sure what to do with them........I will post some photos of these soon!

CRINOIDS!

One of my favourite cab suppliers (Heart of Stone Studio) had these amazing crinoid fossils. Crinoids are lovely and graceful-looking sea creatures that resemble fern-like plants but are really animals. Commonly called sea lilies, they're Echinoderms, relatives of sea urchins and starfish, and they are one of Nature's success stories, having been around for 530 million years. Ancient Crinoids sported feathery arms sprouting from a stalk anchored on the ocean floor, while their modern descendants mostly don't have stalks. Their soft , filter-feeding bodies are supported by a framework calcium carbonate segments called ossicles, and it's the ossicles that you see in these fossils.

I needle-felted a bezel around the fossil (bit of a mission!) and gave it a UV resin frame (adding some stability around the stone) - plus it looks like natural diamond/rock....
The ring base is Faux Bone with sterling silver tube rivets and the 'tendrils' are sterling silver wire wrapping (part LOS) with natural freshwater pearls in pink and white on the ends (again from Heart of Stone Studio).

The Faux bone ring base is not a complete circle - so the wool 'jewel' can sit inside and it is held in place with some rough black cotton stitching!

This was an experiment as I had been thinking about how I could hold a stone/cab in place using felt - and it seems to work nicely so I will be taking it on further probably. Although I'm now learning to crochet - so expect some woolly scarves to be posted soon...!

Updated Sea Anenome Ring

This ring just didn't feel 'finished' - so I ended up coating the bulb of the wet felted sea anenome with UV resin and added some rough diamonds (very, very sparkley even though they are still rough). I am liking the effect of resin over felt - as the felt texture is still there but very hard! I then added an airplant (Tilladsia Albida). Now he feels finished and more 'alive'!

Then when I was taking new photos - both my kiddies wanted it and fighting ensued!

The airplant should like living in the felt of its 'host' as it doesn't need much water - and it doesn't matter if the felt gets a little wet as it will dry naturally.

Leopard Skin Sundew Brooch/Pendant

Hmmm - I've been pondering this one for a while and it came together this weekend when I decided to needle felt some "sundew" bobbles onto what I had already wet felted. Now it looks right so I will call it finished!

Its a really cool piece of 'Leopard Skin' Jasper - olives, yellows and peaches outlined in rich black. This jasper is a cross between 'animal print' and abstract art - I love it! I bought this cabochon from www.heartofstonestudio.com.

I wet felted around some Faux Bone (with merino wool in deep green) and then cold connected the jasper with some micro-screws and fine silver heishi (Fair Trade from the Thai Karen Hills Tribes) to the woolly base using a bronze frame for the stone, which I etched and then gave an antique greeny patina.

I had wet felted the green/pale pink/shocking pink tendrils at the same time as the base. Then I needle felted in some bumpy spots - I've just got a book on how to do needle felting so that helped me immensely although I still end up sticking the needle in my finger occasionally - its v ouchy.

Anyway - its a cross between a leopard and a sundew. It has a brooch and pendant fastening on the back so it can be worn either way. Its quite large - about 21cm diameter.

Man-Hating Cactus Brooch

I've been playing around with combining plexiglass and acrylic sheet with fiber this week. Plus I was itching to try out my new Curlz font stamping set - which arrived a few days ago from Jeanette at www.fundametals.net.

I came up with this little fella - he's only 6cm long and it was a real mission to felt the 'pricks' and get them to stay securely in the holes!

If you are easily offended (or a man) - then don't read the script on the 'flowerpot'.

Also featuring copper sheet with patina, natural pink feshwater pearl, brass screws and eyelets. There will be a brooch pin on the back when I get around to it....

Sea Anenome Ring

This little beastie was fun to make! The ring base is Faux Bone - shaped into something resembling (I think) vertebrae/bone bits and coloured with brown shoe polish. I also riveted some sterling silver tube through it as I liked the contrast - and I love riveting.

The sea anemone top part is made from merino wool roving - wet felted with some green silk bits thrown in.