Polar Bear Tutorial Part 1 (making the wire frame)

     This is the first needle felting tutorial I have ever made so please let me know if anything is unclear.  During this first part I will show you how I made the wire frame for these polar bears.

     The large polar bear is the one that is being used as the example, but the baby was made in the same way.  Because they have wire frames they are pose-able which adds a fun dimension to them as sculptures.  Please keep in mind that the steps I show are not concrete and are only the way I happened to get from the beginning to the end.  There are many ways that one could have gotten to the same place.  Well, lets begin....

First I gathered the things I will be using:  paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, wire, and wire cutters.  The wire I used is 20 gauge galvanized steel wire that I got at the hardware store.  Lots of people use jewelry wire or pipe cleaners, but I think that this steel wire is stronger and a whole lot cheaper.

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Next, I found some source material to make sketches.  I used a mammal guide book and a natural geographic kids magazine to draw some generalized polar bears.  

This is the sketch I came up with.   

This is the sketch with my wire frame pieces.

After making the initial drawing I cut a length of wire to make the 'skull' and 'spine.' It needs to be twice the length that fits inside the drawing.  Twist the wire to make the 'spine,' leaving a loop to mimic the skull.  By laying it over your drawing you can predict how large you sculpture will be and also be confident that the proportions will be correct.  Next I cut a piece of wire for the back legs.  This wire needs to be four times the length of one leg, plus a little extra for the twisting.  Bend it in half, which is where it will meet the 'spine.'  Make a loop (which will be the foot) on each side and twist the wire back up toward the spine.  Next you can attach it to the spine by twisting it around the spine several times in the spot where your drawing indicates the attachment should be.  The front legs are made using the same process.

This is the wire frame I came up with for my polar bear.  Good luck, and until next time!

Plains Song on Etsy

I spent the better part of my evening setting up an Etsy shop so that I can start selling my needlefelt sculptures.  I have a lot to learn about Etsy and selling in general, but getting this stuff posed is a start.  I have a few rabbits and a lamb that I am hoping I can sell for Easter, and two of them are the ones pictured here.  This is the link to my shop; go check it out! .http://www.etsy.com/shop/Plainssong

Spring Break

Joseph is on Spring break this week.  Yesterday he got pretty board, so I was kind of dreading what the rest of the week would be like.  However, as it usually goes when I dread something it turned out pretty OK, and actually ended up being a fun day.  While Tommy was at preschool, I took Joseph and Theo to the hardware store and craft store to get some supplies for my sculptures.  While at Hobby Lobby we happened upon this set of three little sail boats.

The Wind in the Willows; not just a story about Animals

 I am reviewing all of my previous posts and I wrote this a long time ago and never published it. I liked what I had written, so I decided to preserve it.

changing play

This is another post that I just found that was a draft that I decided to keep.  Joseph must have been about 2 and a half.

When in Rains, it pours.

I really ought to wright more here. I can't believe the last time I wrote anything was in November. Part of why I write here is that I am really bad at keeping a journal the last few years. Well, hopefully I am back now.

Joseph fell in the bathtub tonight. He was standing on one foot washing the other, and then he just tipped. He had to get 6 stitches or so (I wasn't there, so I didn't see.) Poor thing.

I had a car accident recently, and Tommy just had stitches on Monday. I am crossing my fingers that nothing happens to Jim.

Study

Last Friday after I got my haircut, I was finally able to finish up with my study. I have finished sorting all of the books and found places for all of my knitting and sewing materials, and also all of my other things. It feels good to have finished this and its great to finally have a work room of my own after all of these years. Here are some photos.

This is a wonderful room for a study. I have had dreams of having a cabin where I could study and create, and so I love that the pin Oak branches outside look like they are hugging the room. When the tree is full of leaves it really shrouds the view of the street and so I fell quite separate from the outside world. Here are some photos of my view while I am writing this.