Fairy Wand

One of the groups I belong to on Ravelry for people with chronic illness decided we should have a fairy wand swap. The idea was to make something fun and sort of whimsical to cheer each other up and maybe have to take to doctor's appointments and hit people with.

Every one who participated got assigned a random recipient and we had some basic information about likes, dislikes, allergies, etc.

My recipient is a fan of ribbon and feathers and pink, blue, and teal.

I started with a wooden dowel cut down to size and made a marbled polymer clay handle. The handle was sealed with Mod Podge and polyurethan sealant. I painted glitter Mod Podge onto the rest of the wand and sealed it as well.

I found the rose on top in the $1 section of Michael's crafts - it was supposed to be a sort of bath poof thing. I cut off the hanging loop and glued it to the end of the wand.

I drilled a hole near the end of the wand and ran some beaded cords and various types of ribbon through, along with the pink maribou feather boa thing.

Then I made the grip decoration. I dyed some white feathers with food coloring to get the blues and teals and made some bows with more ribbon. And I made a little polymer clay brooch sort of thing and stamped it with some meaningful initials.

Amazingly, I had this done well before the due date and managed to send it off.

The recipient seems to really like it. I had a blast making it. I definitely went for the nearly ridiculous level of silly fun with it.

Kitchen Witch Clothespin Doll for Mom

Kitchen Witch Clothespin Doll for Mom
Originally uploaded by Danner's Place

This charming little doll seems like a wonderful present for Mom! I love the multicolored hair, the hat, all the little details really make this wonderful. Check out Danner's Place photostream (link below the photo) for more great stuff!

Gardening Pixie

Gardening Pixie
Originally uploaded by thefairiesnest

Here is a lovely little pixie complete with watering can! I love the details here: the fun fabric for the dress, the delicate wings, the striped socks, and the little hat.

Kieran the Leprechaun

Hurray!  I finished the leprechaun for Dad.  I've decided to name him "Kieran" - "little dark one."  I'm not totally thrilled with him - his arms are wonky and the hat sort of sucks, but he needs to get in the mail tomorrow, so he'll have to do.  I don't think Dad will mind.  :)

I did basically the same thing as I did with Lorcan - I used the Human Amigurumi pattern from Geek Central Station  though I used a smaller hook this time to get a slightly smaller Kieran.  I'm fairly certain he's totally acrylic.  This left his hair a little less wirey, but much softer and I actually think the tendency of the Bernat satin I used to fray slightly works well for the hair.  Yarn details are available on my project page on Ravelry.

My attempt at a cowboy hat failed miserably.  I should either have made the crown higher or narrower and the brim wider.  Alas, I didn't figure that out until it was a bit too late.  I do have a friend to thank for the idea of using hairspray as a stiffener - it didn't leave the hat too stiff, but it helped a bit.  My husband was kind enough to give me some wire to thread through the edge of the brim in an attempt to make the hat look a little less lame.  Meh.  I think he's still pretty cute and the shapeless, oversized hat is sort of fun I guess.   Better luck for me next time.

I'm afraid the photos aren't as lovely this time either as I just remembered a few minutes ago that they needed to be taken and hubby obliged.  So, you can see how I totally don't dust under my couch.  :)

I'm sure Dad will be pleased to know that Kieran underwent a rigorous quality inspection:

Hair Club for Fey, my latest WIP

Not to worry, the hair transplant will be completed soon, but for now, he looks like a rather batty monk...

So, my dad admired Lorcan when he saw the photos and hinted that he might like one himself. I started on another leprechaun when we were out visiting last month, but couldn't quite get him finished. Last time I talked to my mom, she mentioned that Dad had sort of mournfully asked where his leprechaun was. :) So, I've got to get this new one finished in time for Dad's birthday next week. He has black hair, as Dad has a distinct bias against redheads (long story involving an ex-wife...) and he's a bit smaller, hopefully enabling him to either be a good-luck charm dad can fit in a pocket or that he can hang in his truck.
I still haven't been able to decide on a name - suggestions are welcome. I am planning on making a more cowboy-style hat for him, as Dad is the most authentic cowboy I know (or at least was when he was younger, but I don't think that's something you exactly lose).

Tree Spirit

Tree Spirit
Originally uploaded by Angry Angel

This cute guy appeals to many of my likes: fantastic creatures, cute things, and crazy hair, especially crazy blue-green hair (anyone who knew me my Freshman year in college can definitely attest to the blue-green hair part). I love the additions of fuzziness as well as the earthy colors for this inquisitive Tree Sprite.

Go check out Angry Angel's flickr stream too - there are some other fabulous creations to be admired!

Needle felted flower fairy sitting under her flower, made in wet

Needle felted flower fairy sitting under her flower, made in wet felting and needle felting-oritdotandolls-הבובות של אורית
Originally uploaded by orit dotan

Needle felting results in such lovely works, and this is no exception - I really like the simple fantasy setting here.

Toby the Elf - OOAK, polymer clay

Toby the Elf - OOAK, polymer clay
Originally uploaded by smalldolls

Maybe I'm just a sucker for striped socks,but I really like this little elf with the sweet expression, fabulous hat, and excellent socks.

Cinderella by Marina Bychkova

I've featured Marina Bychkova's amazing dolls here before and new work has just been uploaded to Flickr.  Her dolls are just breathtaking to me and Cinderella is no different - the distant, slightly frightened facial expression is very arresting and, as usual, the rest of the doll is exquisite.

cinderella-1 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

cinderella-4

cinderella-9

Nitocris - Enchanted Doll by Marina Bychkova

Nitocris - Enchanted Doll by Marina Bychkova

This particular doll has an Egyptian theme, so of course I like it, but Ms. Bychkova's work is so breathtakingly beautiful and detailed that I encourage everyone to spend some time browsing her gallery.