Spaulding, Mikasa, Happy

Spaulding, Mikasa, Happy
Originally uploaded by rosethistleartworks

Well, I was wrong on that last picture. Spaulding was the one higher up. The wind is blowing so hard it blew him down the hill, closer to the new rumpled Mikasa. But, the sun is coming out, snow is melting and the wind will soon die down. Our llama, Happy, is back under that tree.
Apparently, mikasa was in a junk pile, and got tossed out into the pasture.

Spaulding found a friend in the storm

Spaulding found a friend in the storm
Originally uploaded by rosethistleartworks

Well, this grey blustery snow blew in last night and suddenly, this morning, Spaulding is not alone anymore! I haven't walked out to find out if this new one has a name yet. When I do, I'll add it here. Although, from here, I can see this new one has been through a lot. It's kind of rumpled. Good for Spaulding and his new friend! LOL

Sunny Snow

Sunny Snow
Originally uploaded by rosethistleartworks

Yesterday it was warm and sunny. Today it's still sunny, but it snowed earlier this morning. It's bright!
The ravens or crows were having a good time flying up into the branches and shaking them, creating little snow storms of their own. You can see the snow glittering in the sky above me from their antics.

Good advice from my little sister, Lisa.

My sister, Lisa, gives some good advice on following your heart, here on this pre-recorded blogtv thing. So I thought I'd share. Subscribe to her blogtv.com channel to get updates when she is going live. Then, you can enter a live chat with her and others watching. She's really up front with the fact that she does swear and talk about controversial subjects, so I'm just letting you know, too.

Needlefelting! Portugese Water Dog and What IS needlefelting?

I am back doing needlefelting after a long creative drought! It IS just like riding a bike, only no bike, with felting needles and a lot of wool.

I've added a listing for a Portugese Water Dog wool sculpture to my new shop. (A partial shop view is on the sidebar of this blog.) It's a great way to keep up with the Obama family, yet there's no upkeep involved with this puppy. No big vet bills, no dog food bills, no potty training. It's fiscally responsible in these times!

What IS needlefelting? Well, originally in the 1800's when machinery was making mass production easier, a machine was invented with thousands of needles that would repeatedly punch into layers of raw, cleaned wool to create felt which is probably the oldest textile in the world. But, this method required no water, only special barbed needles that catch the microscopic crimps in the wool and dense it down into felt.

In the 1980's someone started using just one of these needles and was able to create 3D forms and wool sculptures. This new artistic technique was born! It's extremely new in the art world compared to sculpting or painting in general. But, more and more people are hearing about it and creating unique artistic and functional items with it every day.

I belong to the largest international needlefelting group of artists in the world. Check out all these amazing and diverse creations from the needlefelter team! http://www.flickr.com/groups/etsyneedlefelt/pool/

Unlike paintings and sculptures, these can not be mass produced. Each one starts as loose wool or "rovings" which are the form cleaned wool is in before it is twisted into yarn. Instead of making yarn, needlefelters sculpt the wool by repeatedly stabbing with the felting needles. There are many types of wool that needlefelters use. I like to create the forms with shetland sheep wool. It is coarse and felts quickly for me. Then, I add the coats, manes, tails with the much finer, softer alpaca and llama wools. I've seen quiviut (yak), silk, camel down, and more used for needlefelting, too. I even used cleaned samoyed dog coat that was blown out at shedding time for a paint horse once. It has a lot of crimp and is so incredibly bright white, it was perfect for the project.

It's HIGHLY addictive and I encourage everyone to "Take a Stab At it!" You can find kits nowadays by searching the internet with the terms "needlefelt kit" or "needle felt kit". The kits come with all the wool, the felting needle and instructions you need to get started with this cheap and easy to learn craft.

I'm so excited to have been invited to participate in Fiber Arts Friday Carnival, by Katy, AlpacaFarmGirl. If you would like to share your fiber arts, please read the following instructions, check out this blogpost http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2009/03/fiber-arts-friday-carnival/ and hop on board!

(This is from the above linked blog post) Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday! I am excited about hosting the Fiber Arts Friday Carnival. I can’t wait to look through the works of the many talented fiber artists on the internet. Each week we will feature a Fiber Artist. Let me know if you are interested in being featured in an upcoming Fiber Arts Friday post.

To participate:

Add the permalink to a specific blog post that features something Fiber Art related, not your general blog address.
Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects!
Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!
Double-check to make sure your link works and goes to the right page so it doesn’t get deleted.

OBITUARY

I heard about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and knew I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed by. Today I read his obituary. Please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance, for Common Sense had served us all so well for so many generations.


Obituary
'Common Sense'

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student, but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.