Woodland creatures cont...

I was obviously in a grump having a bit of a 'moment' a couple of weeks ago when I posted about the woodland puppets and and the woodland crowns. Since then the crowns that I refused to show(!) have quite grown on me. Now that the sun is shining again and I have some perspective I actually quite like them.

 

More then that, the process of disliking them and rethinking them, forced me to work out how I'd use the chevron ribbon differently if I didnt make the woodland crowns. I decided to do a range of very simple birthday crowns using it.

I REALLY like the POP of colour you get from the ribbon and think if people were looking for something simple but cheerful, this would suit the bill perfectly! I'm going to get some felt in the same colour as the ribbon I think for the number/initial as I think that will a. keep it simple and b. look best!

Further on from that I have fallen for the puppets again; most likely aided by Owen who whenever he sees them exclaims 'Mr Fox!' with glee and insists I put them on him!

Audrey made a comment about how the russet fox looked a little more 'beary' and that sat with me for a while until I realised that actually yes they do - he really reminds me of a red panda. I might have to tinker with him a little. I think the original Mr Fox will stay though...if I can find a better red. And so the work on the woodland creatures continues!

Joining in with Handmade Monday

Hmmmm...

Whilst Mr T. took the lad out for some play time this morning, I foolishly made the decision to clean an area of the kitchen that hasnt seen sponge in a long LONG while. I could have been crafting instead, but I managed to convince myself that I'd get more time later when the boy was napping or something.

Naturally, that didnt happen! So whilst I feel super virtuous about the cleaning (even though no-one but me will know its been done), I'm now feeling frustrated about not being further ahead! In Homer Simpson's words 'Doh!'.

With the scraps of time I did piece together I managed to finish my more russet coloured Mr Fox (left)

and gave him a new friend - Mr Badger

(and yes the two foxes on the left of both photos are the same colour. The photos were taken seconds apart and inexplicably the light/colour is entirely different. And no, my camera isnt sorted yet!)

I have to say that I'm feeling pretty underwhelmed by both them. I feel like Mr Fox has lost something something of the essence that his red counterpart had, and the badger (which should actually have round ears I've just discovered) needs something too. A natty green bow tie perhaps?

At least someone had fun with them!

I have managed made up a couple of the crowns but I'm even less enamoured with those than with the puppets (hence no picture)! Hmmmmm!

I'm hoping that maybe I'm suffering with a lack of sun or something (has the weather been as awful with you as with us?) and that my enthusiasm will come back shortly. In the meantime I'm joining in with Handmade Monday to get a little dose of cheerfulness from all the lovely things everyone else has made this week.

Woodland WIP

I seem to have a few things on the go yet nothing complete this week, but am joining in with Handmade Monday anyway.

The main thing I'm working on is some crowns to go with the woodland creatures puppets i made a few weeks ago.

My current thinking is that the crowns need to be relatively uncluttered so the woodland creature of choice gets most of the glory. I've been mulling over colour combinations of both felt and ribbon for what seems like days: plain ribbon looks too plain and any woodland ribbon I find has very different looking creatures to mine on it which just won't do. The woodland colour green and brown felts just look TOO 'woodland' *sigh*. So I've ended up going for something totally different and have decided to clash things a bit instead of trying to get them to 'go'. It remains to be seen how well they turn out...

Also on the table are a badger puppet, a slightly more russet coloured fox puppet and some Spring/Easter headbands and bracelets. I'm still mourning the loss of my camera though (I think both the lenses and camera need repair) so no photos of anything else. I don't know what has happened but it is seriously caput! Hopefully I'll have chosen between costly repair or costly new camera by next week.

The Woodland Creatures

So first there was one...

Love this photo btw! Then there were two... twit - twooo!

And now I'm desperate to make more! So I'm thinking a badger, a hedgehog, a mouse (!?), maybe a squirrel and a rabbit. Is that an unlikely bunch of characters to hang out together? There's a whole world of woodland wonderfulness to be opened up and explore. Loving it!

Woodland puppet set now available in Thisel & Bean's little Etsy shop

Have a lovely weekend!

Small steps

I'm in this funny place between selling a few things/enjoying it/ having a paying day job that would be very difficult to leave (financially) and desperately wanting to own my own business/ actually wanting to DO something with Thisel and Bean.

I've been dancing arouond the issue for months wondering what to do, when do i register myself, is there any point if I never sell anything?!? For now I've decided that it doesnt need to be all or nothing, small steps are good! I'm going firmly down the middle of the road: I'm going to make when I feel inspired to, sell online as I've started to, keep my records and do a couple of craft fairs to test out what potential customers think/build a bit more of a client base. Then I'll see how it goes...

So I was thinking ahead to an Easter fair I'm looking at doing, trying to work out what I'd stock in addition to my main felt bits, and I decided to try out a few hand puppets. I started by sketching out an Easter bunny and an Easter chick (seemed seasonal) but when i sat at the workbench to make a prototype, somehow my mind had drifted and what I ended up making was a fox and an owl! Still not sure how that happened. Anyway they took hardly any time to mock up and I love them so they came with us to the woods yesterday to have some photos taken in their natural habitat! :-)

















 Introducing Mr Foxy and Mrs Wise Owl
















  

Someone else quite likes them too!

The photographers assisstant


Is anyone else in a similar position with their craft? What steps towards your own business are you taking?

Joining in with Handmade Monday on Handmade Harbour