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Barb, We're practically neighbors! (Elmhurst)
What spunk you showed - great idea!
Yeah DebbieD! I was going to comment on the Crocs/Quarks but...
In spite of (or perhaps because of!) our long hours spent sewing, our upper arms are about the weakest past of our anatomy!
Lynnette, as your first picture began scrolling up I saw the expression on your face and you hunched over w/arms close to your body and knew exactly what you were feeling - your legs & helper were getting you up into the saddle.
Ever watch Westerns? DH does and you'll note how they swing up into the saddle; their arms are working as hard as their legs.
Part of my work out added routines for this year is to build lower back and arm strength... it's about killing me but it's early times.
Good Luck and Thx for sharing your pix!
Can you post one of your images so we can see what you're seeing?
Drabbed out tones - not crisp & bright like Jodi & Judi's or softly nostalgic sepia-toned on purpose?
Blurry images? Uneven lighting - washed out contrast and too-dark areas in same image? What specifiically are you finding objectionable?
We're quite close to each other (sub Chi.) geographically and so are experiencing the same atmospheric lighting. But my work being miniature & micro is always done indoors.
Thx for posting the pix Lynnette, it reminded me to mention the tool's spring-loaded, locking shield or guard around the needles.
I like that feature especially because I can lay needles down (the locking tab keeps the tool from rolling) and quickly pick them up w/o having to take that split second to glance at the foam's end to re-insert them deeply into the foam and look again to see which one I'm choosing.
Yep, right, too impatient, but anything that cuts this longer process down is A Good Thing, as our own Martha S says.
"What is the difference between one of the multi needle holders and just holding a heap of needles in the hand?"
Well, besides the obvious of your fingers and hand cramping, the needles going out of alignment as they strike the fiber at moving/varying angles and dropping some of them...
But seriously, these - as you know - are seriously 'dangerous' tools if not used with constant attention.
Having them in secure, utmost control at all times is essential. I've seen everything from the 2 - 10 needle metal/wood combinations (they hold the needles too far apart - in my opinion - when working details or minis) to the homemade of taping several around a straw or a popsicle/lolly stick. Those are not bad if you keep checking that none have slipped out of position.
Their beauty is that they are next to each other and won't strike the planes of your work at different angles and chance breaking some or NFing portions that you hadn't intended to work quite that way.
Yesterday I didn't give the reason behind my liking this new Clover multi-needle tool. I'd still like the needles slightly closer together and I wish that they'd extended the shield about half an inch to accomodate the 3.5" long needles. But you know that my Patch method uses only pre-felted patches applied to build up my work and anything that speeds up that process is good in my eyes.
So, while I like the tool (I use it only for the beginning of each patch - on the covered foam), the mat is a waste of money - too small, too light and not useful for 3-D sculpturing.
Cedar seems to be the better choice on all of the Sheep, Wool, Fiber, Spinning and other fiber related yahoo groups I'm on. And some argue that it's the tightly sealed cedar CLOSET or zipped Fabric BAG with cedar balls inside that the wool/garment/blanket is stored in that's most of the deterrent.
As for the Lemon/Lavender/Herb sachets - the moths go right through them. They're more for the mood-setting, frame-of-mind for the garment wearer or blanket user. Sorry, Patty, don't want to shoot down your suggestions - I deal with too much raw wool and have gone to the sheep breeders/handlers/producers for answers. I cannot afford to have any infestations.
What a fabulous subject and personal insight you're sharing ~ THX!!!
Right, elastic gives way within a year or two, depending on the type. There's a Swimwear elastic (@ Hancock's, for sure) that holds up better than most but all eventually fail.
Markers are the ones that drive me up the wall. We have a very well-known pair of artists that do all of their shading around the nose & eyes with a black Sharpie (a Sanford produt? Don't have one at hand) These are known to turn reddish over time....
Another famous artist (up to $1000 bears) marks the mohair and Needle Felted pads with marker; I can only assume that it's Sharpie. Not very well done (defined) markings that show up poorly in pix as I have a set of the bears and that are awful: not crisply defined and bleeding as well as lightening in color...
I see Ellen reports the same thing. I wonder if we have the same person's work! I discovered a few weeks ago the reason for their bubbled, Dbl necks: gathered fabric over the joints instead of flat fabric inserts. On minis I used fabric - I just assumed the the washer part of their work was too small for the space created.
And those that draw the template lines on fabric with pens - I can't tell you the number of bears I've seen that have had these cutting lines, within a few years, continue to bleed into the fabric and show as dark gray shadows in every seamline.
Sometimes there's a need for glue, esp when creating your own acessores like books and wood things. There's a dollhouse glue called GRRRIP - a white glue curing clear) that I've used for almost 20 years and it has yet to let go of paper, leather, wood or fabric. It's quite thick, like Extra Tacky, and easily applied with a needle tip.
Did you use an old knee-hi stocking to cover the end of the vacuum wand? It's a good way not to lose things. I also cover the end with a laddered one when - on VERY infrequent occasion - that I Gasp! vacuum the studio floor. It'd great for recovering all of the tiny eyes, needles that fell into floor cracks, beads, etc.... It retains the good stuff against the end of the hose; hold the wand over an empty container and turn off the power. All of the good stuff is drops into the bowl ab=nd is recovered, much more easily than chasing it down when it happens. Aka - Passive Housekeeping.
I'm here! Heard the YooHoo way up here in warm-ish Chitown. Well, down and over from you Marion!
Hi Carrie - good to see you posting when you get the chance!
Clover markets this 'mat'. It's for use with their Needle Felting tool that holds up to 5 needles. While this tool is the first multi-needle tool that I've gotten & actually use - and recommend - for my particular style of NFing, I can't say the same for the mat. It is in essence the same as a vegetable brush, the type you'd clean the surface of potatoes and carrots with. It has soft plastic bristles and comes in 2 sizes, both rather small. Unless one is used to working on a foam mat about 5" or less across.
While it would be easier on the side of your needling hand than working on any other style of hardware store or cosmetics counter brush, given the softer bristles, it's too light to actually stay in any one place while you're needling. That can be overcome with further modifications, but a covered (upholstery) foam still is simpler and less expensive.
The Clover company is making the assumption that you are needling 2-D work - an small applique of wool fabric onto wool background. In other words, smaller, flat work. It's do-able but a little awkward to work 3-D sculpturing on it, and if your progect is larger than a few inches, it's useless.
My opinions only, folks! I'm more than glad to weigh in on useful tools, but this one is for a smaller niche market within this whole realm. Feel free to purchase one - you'll still end up with a good veg scrubber.
I'd like to add that in Photoshop, it helps your resolution to stay sharp if you scroll down to set the resolution first, before entering a pixel or inch number. When I'm editing my finger automatically clicks 'Tab' 4 times to bring it down to the Resolution setting first.
If you think that you'll ever need a print res plus an online one, do the 300 (or higher) copy first and hit Save or Save As, then change the res down to 72 (and change any pixel or inch numbers) and save a 72 res rendition that way. And your original can stay the same in its Raw format, should you ever need to work within the image again.
To see the difference, make a duplicate copy of something - Image>Duplicate - save it as a 72 res image and then raise the res to 300....
It had to happen ~
"Colorado woman selling snow on eBay:
As if Colorado residents don't have enough snow to dig out from, one resident is offering more for a price on eBay. Starting bids were holding steady Friday at 99 cents for snow from "Blizzard I and Blizzard II" being offered by Mary Walker.
"She and husband, Jim, got the idea for selling snow after shoveling mounds from two storms a week apart that together dumped more than 4 feet along the Front Range.
The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16348008.htm
And yes Sabine, we've both agreed in the past - Macs Rule!
But don't tell everyone or they'll switch and we'll get targeted too!
We noted our first identity theft a few years ago by reading the monthly statements (which are all online now and accessible 24/7 so it didn't happen 2 weeks before you see it). In the States transactions are identified by the 2 letter code of the state in which the sales was made. I noted a few sales for $39.95 in 'KN' in August and thought, "Well, DH bought s few things."
In Nov they appeared again and I realized the state ID was wrong - there's no KN. I called and it was monthly memberships to [INVALID] sites. (I demanded they be removed as I wasn't paying them. With the KN designation, Citibank admitted to having dropped the ball)
I told Don there was Good News & Bad News:
Good - They were eventually rescinded
Bad - He'd 'Paid' and not gotten the bang for his buck!
When the picture to the left there was taken a year or so ago, I weighed about 35 lbs more than I do now. Mind you I've had a total of 100 lbs to lose, but all it took for the first third to go was replacing 2 knees!!!
Lovely things, pain killers... Appetite drops off the edge and smaller portions are more than enough.
But I've discovered that keeping it off has been E-Z. And I can now eat almost anything!
D_ _ _ it, all it takes is a committment to MOVING your body!
Frankly I'm afraid of ending up in a wheelchair like my neighbor needs, after his 2 new hips and no exercise. So the motivation is strong and I do therapy or work out every day.
I H A T E having to admit that the things we've always been told are the secret: moderation, eat well and MOVE!
W O W!! Besides the time it took to capture & resize all of us (Thx - my legs never looked so Good!) I shudder thinking about how much over-budget you are in hiring all the Talent to fill in our ranks.
Deepest respects for your skills!
Wendy, I jusr reread your query. I missed something on the first read-through. You worked the wings in stumpwork? Aren't they rather 3 dimensional now? The Angelina will bond by heating to itself but not to other materials.
Can you use a 40 or 42 felting needle and work some of the fibers into the wings? Then you could place the shimmer & sparkle exactly where you want it and exactly how much you want showing. Just a thought.
If you glue the spidery-web of it on, it will all sit on the surface. It just depends on your personal vision of what you think would look best on your wings.
>>>>>>I found some beautiful heavy duty black satin, 5 yards.
And black satin backed microsuede 5 yards
and 3 yards of black silk dupioni<<<<<<
....and those would be IN YOUR STASHES? Or in the Shops!!??
I have over 10 weeks solid worth of finished, Needle felted, bears - that's 7 complex bears (polar, grizzly, panda) but they're all waiting for claws. As the 20 for each bear takes about 1 & 1/2 days per ear, that's my stalled out spot; I start another bear instead of doing that despised task. It used to be ears in fabric bears....
I also have tried liquid (both meltable crystals - messy & smelly - and bought-by-the-quart liquid) from the model railroad shop in town. Worked 'OK' but was very expensive.
Looking for better options in the decade since I did that one.
yep, Lisa, I saw the brand name somewhere on a thread here. I looked it up, and was going to try locally after the holidays (no sense paying postage on heavy stuff). Someone mentioned eBay but all they had on offer were floral arrangements.
I want to create 'cubes' of water, abutting snow & ice, but no visible sides to the cube, so you'll look right through the water to see the undersea scene from the sides, not just the top. I'll work that out later - first step is getting a product that I can push bears down into, w/o leaving air bubbles on their surfaces.
In other words, how penetrating is this stuff?
Oh, Right, Alan! I'd intended to test it first on a scrap. But by then, I've purchased it with unknown outcomes. I've seen ppl's work with this done but never been nervy enough to ask what the solid water is ....
So you want ME to test for all of us?? Ok ok after the new year....
If you hadn't said, or if the leg joints weren't on view - - I'd swear he's Needle Felted!!! Great Job.
I'm asking about submerging a bear in Liquid Illusion: do air bubbles appear in the fabric nap or the spaces between the fibers in NFing? I'd hate to invest $$ in the product and time in NFing a bear, to find out I've used the wrong product.
If it does, is there another recommended product that will create solid water for bears to frolic in?
Have you ever poured it into a form that's removable so that it looks like you're viewing the bear through the underwater windows and ports at the zoo?
TIA -
I wonder if anyone has a link to Kelly's old site; not Moel Eyris but of his shop.
The shop front is just the beginning - the inside is a wonderland and he even puts evergrrens and trees behind the shop, along with many lights, as it faces/backs up to the river down below.
It's the fanciest 'alley' I've ever seen!
Kelly is Magic...
Speaking of Chocky & Champers... Year's end Dr visit:
Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... Don't waste them on exercise . Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: You're not listening....Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable. It's the best feel-good food around!!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! !
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"
Which is the Click to enter our votes?
Loschen ???
Absenden ??
Don't want to have to make all of those decisions again...... so many friends... so many good bears....
hope we get an answer quickly, so the window stays active....
