I am constantly making beautiful creative things using the various techniques I teach. You can see some of them above and many more on my Shop pages. I’d be delighted to show you how to make them yourself if you come along to a workshop.
For those of you looking for a unique, hand-made item to give as a special gift there may not be time to make one yourself. So I’ve decided to offer many of the items I’ve made myself in my new shop.
Each item is of course unique and the prices shown on my shop pages include postage.
For those of you new to my work, I teach three different types of felt making. You’ll find various examples for sale in the shop.
Nuno felting can be used to create beautiful scarves
Wet felting can be used to create pictures as well as 3D objects such as bags, slippers, and bowls
Needle felting is used to create cute little animals, for example
I also teach alcohol ink painting. This is a very fluid form of painting that uses alcohol based inks on a special type of paper. You can create beautiful abstract pictures as well as more figurative ones. Several of my alcohol ink pieces are for sale.
Batik painting is another popular workshop that you can book on the Workshops page. I’ve been very impressed with the quality of work produced in just one day using Batik.
Still can’t decide what to give as a gift? Gift vouchers are available in the shop and can be used for any of my workshops.
It’s a lovely warm, late-summer day as I write this, but autumn is just around the corner. Autumn officially starts on Wednesday 22nd September and with it the weather will change.
Time to start thinking about warmer clothes!
You probably have a selection of warmer clothes stored away, but if you fancy a change this year, how about making some yourself? Feltworld Creative Art offers a couple of fun ideas to keep your warm and cosy as the nights draw in.
The first is a warm woolly scarf. Students leave our Nuno scarf workshops with a warm, hand made scarf that is unique to them. Starting with a thin fabric scarf as a base we add felted wool to build up the fabric in whatever design the student decides.
Nuno scarf
Our second offering to keep you warm in winter is a pair of warm woolly slippers. Again, each student will make a design unique to them and have cosy toes all winter.
Have you ever looked at the variety of different breeds of sheep in the fields as you drive or walk by? But more to the point the colour of them? what colour comes to mind? The chances are you will picture a white woolly creature gambolling about in the sunshine like the one above. You may also remember seeing the odd black lamb as well, but in England we see mainly shades of white sheep with the occassional brown or black
As a feltmaker I use mostly dyed fleece in my work because this is what makes me buzz, see my bowls below. But some artists prefer the natural look and wouldn’t touch colour.
Dyes add to the range of colours
So how do you get from that natural palette to the colours you find in a many felted pieces of art or clothing? No prizes for guessing dyes of course.
Dyes can be natural or synthetic. Natural dyes derived from various plant material can give a range of rich colours. Add to that the great variety of colours from synthetic dyes and the colour palette available to the modern felt maker becomes quite extensive.
Colourful bowls made using merino fibres and silk fibres
Felt making is an absorbing and creative art, and like a traditional artist who mixes his paint colour palette you can also mix and blend fleece to create any number of colours. Incorporating a variety of breeds and other fibre within the work is very exciting.
Mixing the colours
To mix different wool colours you need to card the fibres. Carding aligns the wool fibres ready for applying to the piece you are making. Carding is done with paddles covered with lots of small pins – a bit like the brush you might use to groom a dog. As seen here, dog brushes work well for carding.
Carding wool to add to the colour range
By repeatedly pulling the wool between two carding paddles, the wool fibres become aligned. And if you start with three different colours, carding will blend the coloured fibres to give a beautiful blend of colours. For example, white and blue carded together will give a paler blue. This is an ideal way to represent skies if you are making a wet felted picture but I would also add other colour within this. I take inspiration from nature but also from looking at artists who inspire me.
If you would like to try your hand at feltmaking. You do not need a huge amount of colours to start feltmaking, just two blues, two yellows, two reds and black and white are good bases to start with. From these you can achieve a good range with the blending technique you will create many variations of colours. This is ideal if you are starting with felt making, as it avoids spending a fortune when you start.
Colourful bags, scarf, needle felted robin and a bowl
To see what you can make from fluffy woolly felted fibres. Browse the Feltworld Gallery page, for inspiration to get started and consider a felt making kit and online tuition all available in my Feltworld Shop. Felt making is a creative art and creativity is good for the soul. Felted items can be wearable or to adorn the home and I love creating both.
If you would like to know more about the beginners level of Feltmaking do take a look at the above links.
Needle felting is fun. Here is a hare, made from fluffy lamb’s wool fibres.
Needle felting is finally getting more publicity and instead of being called a craft, it is classed as a valid art form. Needle felting is gaining a reputation as a fun activity for ages over 10 years, who would have guessed that sculpting wool fibres into an animal with a sharp needle would have been possible!
Needle felting is fun, for-instance, It is easy to learn. Whether on a course or by purchasing a kit, these are accessible to buy on the high street or from sites like mine. You learn how to sculpt wool fibres to create animals or even pictures. Be aware that the sharp needle are not for little hands or paws, the specialist needle is called a barbed needle for a reason.
I have a variety of Kits available to view via the link or I can create a custom built kit to your specification, on request.
My personal favourites are the hares, then dogs and cats. foxes, owls and birds lol, all of them really! Many people on my courses create a woolly replica of their dog and achievable once you have learnt the basics. The technique looks quite vicious but with tuition you will find it to be great fun as the fibres form into a sculptured shape before your eyes. Using this needle to stab the wool fibres it will knit and interlock them together to create the 3-dimensional sculpted animals. People will not believe that you made it from a mass of fluffy fibres.
Needle felting a hare is fun. The technique is much easier than you may think, beginners welcome.
Firstly, the only way to really learn a skill is by actually having a stab at it, pardon the pun! I prefer to attend a course to learn the basic’s. Secondly, there are, however, people who prefer to learn from a kit and remotely.
You will find more examples of these animals and needle felted pictures plus my courses via this needle felting link: course
Gift vouchers and kits also make fabulous presents.
New Courses Dates: July – September
Courses resume on the 10th of July. Following strictly to the government guidelines. Starting-10th July – Numbers will be limited to 4 people maximum. I will wear a mask, but will mainly be demonstrating from a 3 metre distance.
How will it work? social distancing at 2 meters apart (although the government have relaxed the distance to 1 metre). Teaching semi outside in; a large a marquee for the first 6 – 8 weeks. Maximum 4 people Downstairs toilet – Sanitised after use. Self-service refreshments – Sanitised areas. Face masks are compulsory.
All of the dates are subject to getting a minimum of 2 – 4 people on any date.
Friday 10th July – Batik
Saturday 11th July – Needle Felting – (Only 1 place left)
Sunday 12th July – Wet Felting: Pictures, bags, scarves etc
Friday 17th July – Feltmaking ALL
Saturday 18th July – Needle Felting
Wednesday 22nd July – Any Felting – (2 places left)
Creativity is a therapy to me during these very strange times!
Unless you spent March hiding in a cave somewhere, you will be living through the COVID-19 epidemic like the rest of us. Chances are you’ll also be one of the millions of people worldwide who are keeping calm and carrying on life under these important lock down conditions. Let’s get this over with!
I find that Creativity is a big therapy and this works for me.
The image is called: Hanging around until C-19 has passed!
Painting with wool
So what do you do when you can’t go out for a coffee, restaurant, pub or for anything that is non-essential? Why not use the opportunity to be creative at home? Jump in a try a new craft while you have time?
Keep calm and craft
Keep calm and craft is my moto in my artisan business. Whist staying positive and busy works wonders for my mental health.
Anyway, I have so many projects to choose from to complete and start on that my mind boggles, which activity do I start first! Forging ahead I have worked on completing half finished projects since the beginning of March.
I know have a more extensive online SHOP on my website which is growing. Also a range of felt making kits suitable for adults and children. Having completed pieces I am selling them in my SHOP.
Student’s doggie
Student’s lovable pooch
Felt Creations – Pictures, bags, slippers, scarves and needle felted animals. Adults and children’s parties and workshops
Tie dyeing workshops -July/August 2020
Creative Kits
The kits can be purchased from my online shop either by going to the Shop section of the navigation or by clicking the link I’ve added to the home page. You’ll also notice that gift vouchers have been extended from 6 months to 12 months to allow time for the epidemic to subside and life to return to normal. Hopefully, it won’t take anywhere near that long – but let’s not tempt fate!
I have also started work on making online training courses for those of you who would like to see a demonstration of how to use a particular kit. Youtube
Gift Vouchers
This past month has not all been fun and games for Feltworld. Understandably, course bookings are down due to the restrictions, but at least if you can’t get out to the shops to buy something special for a friend or relative, see gift vouchers which will give a special person something to look forward to when things calm down.
I took this picture in France Another disappointment was having to postpone the felt making teaching retreat in France that I was due to lead this summer. Oh well, there’s always next year! If interested, please enquire.
On-line tutoring. I have started making online training courses for those of you who would like to see a demonstration of how to start a particular kit.
My workshops are held around the Stafford area ST19, as wellthroughout the Midlands and worldwide on enquiry. If you have any enquires please ask via www.feltworld.co.uk
In the words of Albert Einstein “Creativity is Intelligence having fun“. And Sir Ken Robinson said“Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture”. These are my two favourite quotes.
Creativity – it’s good for you
Finding time to do something new and creative in a relaxed environment has many benefits besides the satisfaction of making a unique piece of artwork. Participating in creative activities is well recorded to relieve stress, and I must agree that this is the case when I have been under pressure; I get my sketchbook and paints out and focus on the creative process for a while. There is a lot of information on the web if you care to take a look.
I had great fun using charcoal and pencil
I loved painting this little fellow in watercolours
Finger painting haha
Our priorities change over time
As interests have changed throughout life; family have flown the nest, two grandchildren arrive, and with several different career paths, now I ask myself, is the creative career path I am following the right one? I ponder this question regularly after leaving a job to become a self-employed artist/educator rather than teaching in mainstream education. The answer is varied, but most often it’s a Yes, I made the right decision! Still loving to educate people but without the restrictions and red tape! And developing my own work, though that sometimes takes a back seat to my business.
Bali- Not quite a holiday. Teaching May 2019-Charity Event.
Sunny side houses Inspired by my visit to Portmeirion Village, nrth Wales on a cloudy day.
Being creative has a strong effect on my life and is a great happiness booster, I love to help create memories for people, being involved in their creative journey, if only for a short while. My students often comment on how they can put aside everyday worries whilst creating something unique in my classes – many describe their time with me as therapeutic as well as a bit of escapism from everyday life. A chance to indulge in a bit of me time!
Giving a creative experience
Workshop gift vouchers sell like never before as so many people are now buying creative experiences as gifts opposed more things for the home! My most popular Feltmaking class is the beginners Felt Picture making where students create a beautiful landscape picture using either the wet felt or needle felt technique, often combining the two! The beautiful colours of the wool fibres are mixed together like an artist mixes paints, it is an amazing technique that really must be experienced to appreciate it. Students leave more relaxed and take home a lovely piece of artwork to frame or often they over a book or diary, give as a gift. But you can also make slippers, bag, scarf, footstool etc on a full day too. https://www.feltworld.co.uk/gift-vouchers
Dividing my time
Life is quite a juggling act for me, and as I work from home I find that the distractions are immense. Do I redecorate that room, rearrange my wardrobe, spend the day gardening, shopping, having a coffee with a friend… turns in to 3/4 hours! family etc you understand where I’m coming from lol! I have to try very hard to remain focused in dividing my time between the business side i.e. marketing, promoting, writing articles and then the fun side comes later of running creative classes.
Far and wide
Family and friends who live at opposite ends of the country often meet halfway and do feltmaking or batik for the day before having a meal together and going in opposite directions again. I have had visitors from Australia, Jordan, Canada, Australia and the US attend my classes when they have been visiting family or on their travels. I enjoy listening to people’s stories and sharing stories too and often we have a laugh as well as deep concentrated moments during the design process. What is there not to love when teaching subjects that make people happy…I love my job!
Creative parties for children
Children’s parties or small groups are good fun too.
I will send you information on request: email – Barbara@feltworld.co.uk
Children’s private classes in painting, multi media or feltmaking
Birthday parties and group bookings available
Book a creative day with Barbara
My courses run throughout the year and cover wet felt making, needle felt making, Nuno scarf making (these are really lovely and wearable too), as well as Batik painting using quite an addictive very old technique of designing with hot wax and then painting your material. See the link below.
For more details, course dates, and secure online booking follow the links below. I look forward to meeting you.
In previous posts, I’ve written about wet felting techniques. Wet felting is where you use soap and water to felt 100% natural lambs wool fibres together to form a durable material, the tiny hooks that are on the individual fibres link together due to the action of rubbing the wet fibres. This month I want to tell you about needle felting.
Needle felting, is classed as dry felting and doesn’t require water but a sharp needle with barbs /niks in the needle, these little niks with grab the fibres and bind them together to make felt like magic.
These needles come in a variety of sizes. There’s a thicker blunt end that you hold and a much finer end that you use to stab into the loose woollen fibres. And make sure it is the fibres you are stab, not your fingers, ‘cos they are sharp! But this technique is fun and it never ceases to amaze me what you an make from just stabbing away at the fibres.
As with wet felting, needle felting will allow you to make flat or 3D items. For flat pieces, the wool is placed on a piece of foam or polystyrene that will let the needle penetrate the wool easily . Further strands of wool are added and joined to this base later using the same technique. Pretty soon you will have either a 3 dimensional animal or flat picture that can be framed and hung on a wall.
To get started with 3D pieces, you first make a ball of felting wool and gently stab the needle into it until it becomes a compact mass that holds together on its own. Once you have this basic ball, you can add to it and begin to give it shape.
In the pictures, you’ll see how I’ve formed the felted wool into the shape of a rabbit. Little animals lend themselves to this kind of needle felt sculpture, and you can make small birds or other furry animals. Once you are proficient at needle felting, you can even include wire formers inside the arms of an animal to allow limited movement.
If you would like to learn how to do needle felting, I offer half and one-day courses. All the materials and refreshments are supplied. The full-day session also includes a light lunch.
Why not come along and see how it’s done – or perhaps give a Feltworld gift voucher to someone you love.
Details of all my courses and gift vouchers can be found on my web site:
Feltworld – Creative Art Courses offer a variety of fun creative courses covering wet-felting, needle felting, batik, and textile printing techniques. Based in Penkridge we are easily accessible from the M6 and the Rail network.
www.feltworld.co.uk
Have a very Merry Christmas however you spend it.
Barbara
Winter Woollies – with a difference in the Midlands UK – Please click on previous Blogs
Winter Woollies – with a difference in the Midlands UK
The clocks have gone back, any hope of an Indian summer has faded, and winter woollies are making their annual appearance. But while the weather may be drab, there’s no reason to dress in a boring way.
In fact, you can dress warmly and still turn heads with a unique scarf that you’ve made yourself at a Feltworld Creative Art Course.
Feltworld offers scarf making courses several times each year, with a number of them over the winter period. Why not come along and see for yourself the beautiful designs that are possible with felted wool.
You have two options. There’s the traditional warm woolly scarf that’s ideal for keeping out the cold on long winter walks. There’s also the beautiful Nuno felted scarf which allows you to create really stunning and unusual designs. You can even decide what sort to make on the day if you aren’t quite sure which one you prefer.
The word ‘Nuno’ is Japanese for cloth. It is a wet felting technique that merges loose woollen fibres with a sheer fabric such as silk gauze. When felted the wool shrinks during the felting process it leaves a beautifully subtle texture on the silk, unlike any other technique. This texture and drape lends itself to the beautiful movement required in a scarf. While the warm woolly scarf does not require a base layer, it still allows for beautiful designs using different coloured woollen fibres.
You can make either one of these scarves in a day with expert tuition from Barbara at Feltworld Creative Art Courses.
Why not take a look at the course page on the https://feltworld.co.uk/courses page
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Gift vouchers are available £30 -£65 or £130 if you are looking for a unique and practical Christmas gift.
Details on the website- Up and coming dates: 9th December -16th December and more…
For details visit https://www.feltworld.co.uk/felt-scarf-making
Special offers at Hobby Craft Stafford -£25 Classes
Christmas Needle Felting at Stafford HobbyCraft -Taster classes – Animals and Picture https://www.feltworld.co.uk/hobbycraft-courses
Felted wool lends itself to all sorts of uses, an upholstered footstool for example.
Did you know you can make upholstered footstools out of felt?
OK, so not entirely out of felt – there’s a wooden frame and some foam upholstery padding as well (which I supply on my courses) – but the star of the show is the piece of feltwork that you create in my class.
Felting dates back many years and relies on the natural property of wool to bing with itself when worked in a special way. The resulting cloth is very durable.
Courses are now available
Feltworld Creative Art courses are an ideal way to learn a new skill. You can arrive knowing nothing about felting. At the end of the day take home something that is beautiful as well as useful around the home!
If you’d like to see more examples and book a place for yourself or a friend then click here or on the photo to go to the Footstool Courses page.
A footstool made by Barbara at Feltworld Creative Art
Nuno felting is such an amazing technique that will surprise and delight you at the same time. It is becoming increasingly popular as people want to learn fun creative crafts and art forms.
By incorporating a silk, fine polyester or cotton with 100% wool fibres, you can achieve the most beautiful textures that will attract many a comment and admiration.
If you would like to learn more about this technique and come a long to one of my courses, then please take a look at myFeltworld.co.uk courses page for dates and information. or maybe pop your name on to my Newsletter.
Needle felting, is classed as dry felting and doesn’t require water but a sharp needle with barbs /niks in the needle, these little niks with grab the fibres and bind them together to make felt like magic. 
