Cubby & Daisy

Here it is Sunday, again! I've got a lot of things to write about and should post more on Monday. But here's a quick run down about these two. Both start tonight on eBay at 6:45 pm PST and have a reserve price of $135.00.  Cubby has been weighted with steel shot and has Apoxie Sculpt nose and claws. His pics were kind of hard to do. I always have a hard time photographing blacks. I can't seem to get the light and exposure right. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Timothy's Dutch Shoe

 I just finished this little bunny this morning. He's a Netherland Dwarf Rabbit. It seemed only fitting that he should have his own Dutch wooden shoe yo rest in. Timothy stands at 7 inches tall, ears included. He is scheduled to go up for auction on eBay Sunday at 6:45 pm.  He has a reserve price of $135,00 and a Buy It Now of $224.00.

 I hope you like him.

Bitsy Bunny is one of my latest felties. She stands 6 inches tall, ears included and comes complete with her hand-sewn pink cotton quilt. Here auction starts tonight at 6:45 pm PST and her reserve price is $135.00. I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! Sorry for the short post. I’ll post more tomorrow,

Jean-Luc, the Ship Rat ~ a Bonvivant Gentleman of Fortune

I just finished Jean-Luc yesterday afternoon and took some quick photos of him today. This little rat was aquite a bit of work. His entire costume was hand sewn, including his wool tri-corner hat.  It was really interesting doing some research on pirate costuming. The Gentlemen of Fortune website was a real storehouse of information. I don't think I'd ever heard of slop pants, bucket boots or justacorps ever before. I never realized exactly what went into making those cool pirate coats. The pattern that I found on the internet was pretty involved.  There was a lot of readjustment to get it rat -proportioned. They tend to be thicker in the waist than a human.  Pictured below is the pattern that I found. You can see just how tiny the waist was.

Jean-Luc's eBay auction will begin Sunday, February 7 at 6:45 pm PST. 

His reserve price will be set at $165.00 and his Buy It Now will be $295.00

Little Timothy Bigelow ~ Another Mousie

Well, it seems like I'm on a mouse kick. Here's another little guy I finished this morning. He just seemed to match this porcelain teacup that I had.  Hi9s little rose even matches the roses painted on the cup. His auction also starts tonight at 6:45 pm PST.  Plus, he has a reserve of $135.00.  I thought that I'd put him on tonight instead of next week. It's really getting close to Valentine's day when you consider the one week listing and the shipping time. Boy this year is flying by!

Triplets?

Daffodil

Silas

Ashley

I just put the finishing touches on all three of these felties, yesterday. So they all share the same "birhtday".  They're kind of a different set of triplets, a sea dragon, a little bunny and a sleepy little deer mouse. Their auctions start tonight at 6:45 PM PST.  Both Ashley and Daffodil have a reserve price of $135.00.

There is no reserve price for Silas and he does not have a charity permission letter. But I plan to donate 30% from his sale to Doctors without Borders to help the Hattian quake survivors with their medical needs. Doctors without Borders is a great group and 100% of the donation goes directly to aid and not to administrative costs. I decided not to donate through eBay's Giving Works program as a sizable portion of the donation is taken for their program's administrative costs. $3.00 out of the first $5.00 and a percentage after that. I think it's around 2%.  As with all of my felties, I will send a receipt for the donation so you will know that it has been made.
Thanks, Robin

Baby Robyn ~ new for 2010

Here's my latest little guy, baby Robyn. His eBay auction begins Sunday night at 6:45 PM PST and his reserve price is $135.00.  He's my first for the New Year and I thought that it would be nice to do something Spring-like to chase away those Winter blues.  His little beak and legs were sculpted from Apoxy Sculpt.  I really am beginning to like this stuff. It needs no baking and air drys in less than 24 hours.

Last year's robin  March 10, 2009

Last year I sculpted an adult robin completely from wool. I liked it at the time. But now since I've tried this, I think I like them much better with Apoxy Sculpt. I know I'll be purchasing some sculpting tools soon.

I hope you all have a very wonderful New Year!

Meet Woodrow ~ A Very Dapper Rat

Please meet Woodrow. He's a very dapper rat dressed in his top hat and tails. This jaunty fellow is ready to ring in the new year with you.  His eBay auction is scheduled to start Tuesday evening at 6:45 PM PST.  His reserve price is $135.00

Hope, the Raccoon, Friend to Grace

Here's little Hope as promised. Her auction starts tonight on eBay and has no reserve price.  The starting bid is only $9.95.  Thanks for looking, ~Robin

Meet Pepita and Grace

Here are my latest little ones. I'm particularly happy with the way Pepita's nose turned out.  It's pretty rare for me to be completely satisfied with my art. I guess it's a good thing to have a critical eye. I think it helps me to improve my work. Her little nose is the fist one that I've ever done out of Apoxy Sculpt. I really like this type of nose for the pups and think I'll continue to do all of my doggie noses this way.  I'm working on a Bull terrier next.
As for Grace she is going to have a little raccoon companion to be sold seperately. The little raccoon's auction will be a 5 day auction and will end the same time as Grace's.  Both Grace's and Pepita's auctions start tonight at 6:06 pm PDT. They both have a reserve price of  $135.00 each.

A Spotted Owl & Woodland Mouse

I listed these two last Sunday and they sold within an hour of listing.

I just finished a new piece and wll get pictures soon. It's of a Eskimo and a harp seal. I was surprised when I got him to stand the first time with no adjustments. He's in a bending over position looking down at the seal.

At present I'm working on a St. Andrew Beach Mouse inspired by a photo I saw in Utne Reader by National Geographic photographer, Joel Sartore. They are really cute little guys. They're usually very pale with a light tan top and white underneath. These little mice are probably one of the most endangered small mammals.

Also, I'm working on a sewn mohair elephant. There's kind of a funny story behind this one. I found this gray mohair jacket at the thrift store. I immediately thought this wouls be great for making bears and elephants. The tag in the jacket read "teddy bear fabric". The fiber was loomed at Shelton Looms. Well, I didn't find the tags until after I ripped the jacket apart. The jacket was worth more money than the fiber. Live and learn. It's really a nice dense mohair and will make some lovely teddies and friends.

Last Week of my Sale of Sorts

This is the last week for this month that you'll be able to win one of my items at well below what they usually sell for. So if you've always liked my work, but thought you couldn't afford it. Here's your chance. Next week, my auctions go back to having a reserve price. There are two new auctions for this week's sale. One is for a little panda bear named Mei Lin and the other is Honey Bear redressed with a bone choker and her first catch, an impossibly large needle felted salmon.

Mei Lin is five way thread jointed. She has steel shot to give her some heft and a real feel. She sits at 4 1/2 inches tall and is 6 inches from head to toe.

Honey has a tiny bone choker that is attached by braided leather straps. She has steel shot also and is free standing. However, she may be posed in a sitting position, too. She's 7 inches tall.

Mention my "Sale of Sorts" and this blog to get free shipping in US or $10.00 off international shipping if you win either Honey or Mei Lin or both. Good Luck! Click here to view my auctions.

Pim and his Crawdaddy

Skip Fall. I think Winter has arrived. It's about 50 degrees Farenheight and the sun isn't down yet. Brrr. I don't think I'm ready for it this year. Since I last wrote, I made it to Michaels's. I bought some PrismaColor Art Markers and had to try them out. I shaded the crawfish with them. They're a lot of fun. I plan on buying a whole set when I'm in town next. I just finished the little raccoon and his crayfish this morning. Photos were a bit difficult because I had to take them indoors. The wind was too strong to get many outdoor shots. I have some trouble getting the lighting the way I want it in the indoor ones. But I think they turned out ok. What do you think?







Here's how I do indoor pics. I use a home made light box for my pics. It's constructed of a 16 inch cube box with 3 sides cut open. one side open and interfacing glued around it to filter the light. I use two flexible gooseneck lamps with daylight bulbs. I use poster board for the backdrops. It's worked out pretty good. But I'd like to invest in some other lights and a dettachable flash.








Click Here to view my auctions.

Andy & his Corn, a New Little Gray Squirrel

Well I just finished this little guy. His listing will start tonight and is a ten day listing. I've got a lot things happening this weekend and thought it might work out better if I just went ahead with a ten day tonight. Hopefully I'll get to go to Michael's. I haven't been to one in over two years. it's just too impossible to get to without a car. But we're taking some friends to the train station and we'll get to borrow their car. So here's little Andy and his ear of corn. he stands just 3 1/2 inches tall and is weighted with steel shot. His ear of corn is not removable. I hope you like him.

A Little Opossum and a Sleepy Chipmunk

I have two new ones on eBay now. They started on Sunday at 6:45 PM PDT and are 7 day listings. Hopefully, I'll get back to my old Sunday listing schedule. As I promised starting this Fall, I would dropped the reserve pricing. But things seem very slow on eBay right now. I'm worried about starting the bidding at my old $9.95. So for now until things pick up again the starting bids will be at least $95.00.

The opossum's name is Filbert. He, like my other possums, was inspired by the little ones that nested in my Christmas ornaments in my basement. My little guys were born in the Summer and by Fall they were getting to look more like adults and most left to start their own families. But Filbert stuck around. When I put out the kid's jack-o-lanterns, he could be seen very often perched on top of one. I made him to look like baby Filbert because he was just so adorable when he was small.

The little chipmunk is named Peanut. He kind of reminded me of a little peanut and of course that's their favorite treat. He's made from a variety of wools. I have him curled so you can lay him in a couple of positions for different looks. I also created a little nest of fall leaves using the nuno felting technique that I learned from Chrissy. I've added a few of my own twists to that technique. I use two pieces of bubblewrap. I slightly wet the first one with very hot soapy water. Then I lay my wool down. Then the piece of tulle or silk on top of that. More wool next and I sprinkle some more soapy water. Next I lay the second piece of bublewrap on top of that. I gently move the piece back and forth, just a little. Then I roll it back and forth. Next, I slam the whole thing against the counter (that's the really fun part). Finally I shock the piece in a bath of ice cold water and leave it to dry. After it has dried somewhat I iron it with my steam iron on the wool setting, Finally each leaf was hand dyed and embroidered.

20% from the sale of both of these pieces will be donated to Sarvey Wildlife Care Center. Fall and Spring are particularly busy times for wildlife rescues and I'm sure they can use the cash. Next week the donations will go to Old Dog Haven. They have over 170 senior pups in their care right now!

Please click here to see my auctions.

My Dormouse and Fox

Well unfortunately or fortunately, depending how you look at it, Henry didn't sell. So back to Etsy he goes. I kind of like having him around. He makes me laugh. I think he didn't sell because he was maybe a bit too weird and out of the norm for my work. But I like him that way. Henry's the second only item that I've had on eBay that didn't sell. I've been very fortunate. The first unsold item was in April of 2008. It was a needle felted mouse that I used hematite beads for eyes. I think her eyes were a bit creepy. Plus she was a little too fuzzy. I made her when I first started needle felting and hadn't got the hang of working with llama wool. She ended up being adopted by a woman here in town.



I just listed two new works yesterday. One is Mr. Finnegan Foxworthy and the other is Dora, the sleepy little dormouse. I kind of jumped the gun and forgot to schedule Finnegan to go on at 6:45 PM PDT. So he's got an odd ending time at 3:13 PM PDT. But Dora ends at the regular time. Dora was a bit of work. Her teapot was completely needle felted and is hollow. I also needle felted two sugar cubes and made a tea bag filled with wool. The tag on the tea bag reads sleepy time tea bags, decaffeinated. Her reserve price is $145 while Finegan's is $95.

Please click here to bid or view their auctions.

Thanks so much for reading!

New Felties!

I just finished these two new felties and listed them on eBay last night. Plus I decided to give Henry a vacation from ETSY and put him on too. Now there's an item on auction for each of my charites.

• Posie, the piglet and her teddy - 20% for Old Dog Haven
• Mojave, the bobcat - 20% for Sarvey Wildlife
• Henry, the not-so-scary monster - 20% for Dreamchaser PMU

It's been a real scorcher here in the Mojave. Temperatures have been well over 100 degrees everyday. I've been turning on the swamp cooler earlier and earlier. I think it's even been too hot for the lizards. They're always in the shade. When I was doing the photo shoot for the bobcat, a big desert spiny lizard ran up the tree and got in one of the photos. It's too bad that he was just a blurr.

Mojave, the bobcat is after a fairly young bobcat that I've seen in the wash in front of my house. I use the rocks there to do a lot of my pictures, especially for the horses. There are always bobcat prints in the sand. I was hoping that if I got pictures early enough in the morning, they would show up well. Unfortunately, the winds that night erased most of the prints. I think this little guy is the offspring of the one that I used to see up at the graveyard above my house. He heads down to the park everynight to look for the cottontails that congregate there to eat grass and get water. I'm happy he hasn't gotten any of the bunnies that use my yard.


The next one I finished was a sleeping piglet. I just love the way little pigs seem so content when they sleep. It kid of reminds me of the way dogs will wag their tails when they dream. I tried to capture that expression in Posie. Posie also has a needle felted teddy to sleep with. Her tiny teddy bear is 5 way thread jointed so his head, arms and legs move.

Sneak Peek @ Little Bit & Manitukala, the Orphaned Foal

I didn't get around to doing my listings yesterday. It was so incredibly hot, over 115 degress F. It was like walking out into a blast furnace to take pictures. So I decided to wait. It's still pretty hot out at 100 degrees on my front porch this morning at 9 am. I guess Summer has finally arrived.

The listings for Manitukala & Little Bit will begin Tuesday at 6:45 pm PDT. 20% from Manitukala's sale will be donated to Dreamchaser PMU Rescue and Rehabilitation and 20% to Sarvey Wildlife Care Center from Little Bit's auction. I designed them to be companion pieces.

Little Bit got his name for his small size and the fact that he's always asking for a little bit more. He wants to stay up to play just a little bit longer. When his mom calls him in from play hes always says "just a little bit more". It's also his favorite saying at dinner time. But Little Bit is not afraid to share a whole lot. Even though he'd like to have this big juicy red apple for his own, this tiny raccoon has decided to give it to his new friend Manitukala.

Manitukala was inspired by the little orphaned foal at Dreamchaser by the same name. His name means guardian angel. He definitely has a guardian angel looking out for him. At last report from Susan from Dreamchaser, he is doing well. I'll post prices, etc, Tomorrow before the listings go up. But I thought you might want to take an early peek.

7/21/2009
Here are their are the links to their auctions:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi … 0365428112
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi … 0365438268

Manitukala's reserve price is $125 and Little Bit's is $95.00

Summer Colds and My Latest Works

It's been a while since my last post. I've been down with some kind of Summer Flu bug and it seems to have gotten the better of me. There's nothing worse than being congested and running a fever in over 100 degree desert heat. Needless to say my creativity has been a bit slowed. But I did manage to get one thing sculpted and on eBay. It's a little bunny with red wings. It was inspired by a favorite book had when I was growing up. It was my Aunt's book when she was a child. "The Little Rabbit who wanted Red Wings" whose main focus is the old adage "be careful what you wish for, you just may get it". So here's my little bunny. I named him Snowy.

Starting Bid $9.95

Reserve Price $95.00

Buy It Now $195.00

Please click here to visit his auction

I also finished a commission of a unicorn. here's his picture.