A Shop For Creative Gifts

Creative gifts from Feltworld

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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.

Needle felting a hare using lamb's wool fibres

Needle Felted Hare – Harry

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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

I have written previously about needle felting here: needle felt animals

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.

1. Friday 10th July – Batik
2. Saturday 11th July – Needle Felting – (Only 1 place left)
3. Sunday 12th July – Wet Felting: Pictures, bags, scarves etc
4. Friday 17th July – Feltmaking ALL
5. Saturday 18th July – Needle Felting
6. Wednesday 22nd July –  Any Felting – (2 places left)
7. Saturday 25th July any Feltmaking
8. Sunday  26th July – Batik 
9. Saturday 1st August – Anything feltmaking and more….www.feltworld.co.uk

Poppy is the goofy hare!

Click on the hares below to see my Needle Felt course page.

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Happy New Year 2020

January is a time for resolutions, goals, Intentions…and planning what I would like to do in my business.

Barbara Batik Painting in Bali

My new A5 diary in front of me is quite exciting if I’m honest and as I fill up with my planned workshop dates for the next few months and not forgetting to pencils in family and social time I am aware that the start of this year is going to see many changes for Feltworld :-).

Batik painting is a really exciting technique to learn; for adults and children. I will teach you to create a design on to paper, first choosing your own design source or If you need help with this then have books and handouts to inspire.

You can ring me or email me to discuss your design beforehand if you would like.

Then transfer this to 100% cotton material. Stretch this over a frame.

Use the hot beeswax and then paint batik dyes on to the cotton cloth. Once this is done we iron out the wax.

Children’s Batik parties available 11 years plus

See: www.feltworld.co.uk

I wish you a Happy New Year and hope to see you in 2020

Artist is back from Bali

Artist is back from Bali    

Wow, what an experience I had in Bali, I have been back for 4 weeks now and thought that I would share a little snippet of it with you below.

Bali is a country I fell in love with three years ago, as an artist I have been longing to return. My friends have heard nothing else for 3 whole years…Bali Bali Bali lol.

After a big birthday which was quite an anticlimax, I decided that my year was going to be a year of change and an adventure was needed. So when the opportunity arose and an opening to teach feltmaking and to develop my batik painting business, I was so excited and couldn’t wait to book my flights out there.

What do I love about Bali?

What do I love about Bali? Well, lots of things and I will briefly explain a few things that just jumped out at me! Firstly Bali is a beautiful Island surrounded by warm turquoise seas with a backdrop of mountains and Jungles. Ubud is a favourite of mine, away from the coastline it is known as the centre for traditional arts, crafts and dance as well as yoga retreats.

A bustling town, vibrant markets, busy shops, rice paddies, Hindu temples, a palace, beautiful gardens discreetly hidden amongst it all, this place is both crazy but peaceful as well. Enter a restaurant and you are in a little oasis overlooking rice fields. The taste of the delicious fresh food gets the taste buds tingling and an added bonus is it’s so inexpensive to eat there.

Accommodation

The enchanting homestay accommodation, hotels are varied, the Balinese people are so friendly, positive and spiritual, they are very welcoming and can not do enough to make sure you have everything you need.

Wouldn’t you just want to return as I did! Frankly – for me, it is a creative heaven and retreat to keep my creative mojo alive and I loved every bit of my 6 weeks experience!

Feltmaking in Bali for Charity.

I really miss my new friends in Bali- But Facebook is a wonderful thing!

I joined a group of talented artists who live in Bali, we participated in a collaborative charity event. Teaching our subjects to the public we raised 3 million IDR which paid to support a family in great need of food and medicine in a small village 3 hours north of Ubud.

See video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWQsyP-0b3U&fbclid=IwAR0qbPFCSc7YtnXZyLeU2Q1-F0e-yXE2lqx2ulL-HhbqqCb8n-UySynz2yI

The Onion Collective raise money every month for a family in need. I can’t wait to go back next year to support them again. Feel free to donate via their page.

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My Batik Bali Experience.

Being surrounded by artists in a creative country is so inspiring, I teach Batik but I was particularly excited to develop my skills and learn from the Batik masters, attending 6 different course venues I quickly decided on my favourite and attended a further 4 day days with a particular one.

Batik, for those of you not familiar with the technique, it involves making marks on cloth using hot wax with a tool called a tjanting, it collects wax and slowly releases hot wax when drawn onto the cloth. Dyes are then used to add colour to your design. The wax is removed, leaving incredible, unique artwork that can be used as wall art.

My beginner’s classes

My beginner’s classes are very popular and people are always surprised at what they create, leaving with artworks to frame.

Developing my practice

It is important for me to develop new skills and practice; I am currently experimenting with incorporating felt with batik and discovering how the two natural fibres react when incorporated.

The six weeks of indulgent creativity were fantastic and an inspiring, transformative, and truly a wonderful experience. I will be taking a group of people there on a creative retreat next Spring.

If you are interested in finding more information, please contact mail@feltworld.co.uk
www.feltworld.co.uk
Facebook: Feltworld – Creative Art Courses
Instagram: Barbara_feltworld

Gift Vouchers are available, please click here: www.feltworld.co.uk/courses

My July Workshops. I will be donating 10% of your fee to the Onion Collective Charity.

Barbara Simmons Meek

Needle Felting Festive Blog - Feltworld

Hello and welcome to my creative world.

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:

www.feltworld.co.uk

Feltworld – Creative Art Courses; felt making and other creative skills 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

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

Felt Landscape Painted With Wool

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Felt – a wonderful creative medium

I love how versatile lambs wool fibres can be. As well as making wearable things such as scarves, slippers and bags you can use it to make beautiful pictures, as several students on my Felted Landscape did recently.

Felt landscape

How to design with wool

Each student chose a landscape picture to use as a basis for their design. Then I taught them how to lay down the colourful fibres to create a picture based on their chosen scene.

The beautiful soft lambswool fibres when seen under a microscope have tiny hooks along each hair. When wet, soaped and agitated these interlock to form a fabric that is surprisingly strong. The wool comes dyed in a variety of colours but I also dye my own.

With artists paint you can mix your pallet to create new colours, and you can also do this with dyed wool fibres. I show students how to create their own blends to use in their completed piece, or they blend as they create their painting. The fibres are carefully laid out to represent the landscape. It’s fun seeing how each felted landscape develops with no two being the same.

Laying down wool fibres

The loosely laid out fibres then have to be felted together to blends the tiny hooks I mentioned.  Once this part is complete, your felt picture is rinsed to wash the soap out and dried ready for detail to be added. Detailed embellishment can be added in the form or stitch or by incorporating additional wool or silk with the needle felting technique. Special needles are used to hook additional fibres in to your masterpiece.

Felted picture

Once completed, the finished piece of felt is very strong so that durable items such as slippers and upholstered footstools are made from the woolly fibres. I cover this in some of my other courses.

See how it’s done

You can see a two short videos of this on my website home page which will be easier to visualise.

Feltworld videos

I have taught children from 4 years up to 95 years – it is not a hard process to pick up.

The students in this weekend class all had a great time and left with some beautiful felted landscapes. All materials and a lovely lunch are included to make your day a pleasant creative experience.

If you’d like to join me next time or see what other courses I run, please visit www.feltworld.co.uk/courses to book a place or email me on mail@feltworld.co.uk

Barbara