Felt projects from December 2013
First of all; I must thank Heather L. for giving me and Dd the ideas for these presents! I've always wanted to give gifts that people would appreciate. As an artist, giving people my drawings and paintings has always felt weird and I never liked it---my art is "different" and I never felt like people actually liked it!!! These felt gifts are so lovely and a treat that I am sure anyone would not have a problem receiving them. I am really thankful to Heather for sharing these ideas, and the felt with us so I could share the love with others! Thank you, Heather!!! Thank you very much!
This isn't a great photo; but this is actually a pillow!! The pillow has a stuffed red cardinal sitting on a nest with 3 blue eggs. The pillow is made out of a dark denim material. The bird, nest, and eggs are made out of felt. I put the pillow on a box and sat in on my stove to take the picture--but it still isn't a good photo. I bought some organic lavender on Amazon and put some inside of it to make sure the pillow has a nice smell. It is a gift for my Dh. His neck pillow for our old recliner has bit the dust; and this one should be a good replacement.
Some of the birds from this year---I still don't have a photo of the one that I made for my Dd in this post yet--
Here is the design that Heather showed me last year, I gave each of these flowers to relatives; I put lavender in each bird along with the stuffing:
We gave this one to Aunt Kate--with the yellow flower that Dd made.
We gave this bird to Aunt April - with the pink flower Dd made.
**There is a second pink bird---that I can't find the picture of--that I made for my Dd. I'm still looking for the pix.
This one was a gift to Giz--with a mixed blue flower Dd made.
We gave this one to Cari with a mixed blue flower-like the one Giz got. I didn't get a photo of that flower, so this is a copy of the other one I did get a photo of.
Here is the blank spot for the picture of the bird I made for Dd, until I can find the bird and take a picture of it--here is a filler for it:
(It is a pink bird---very pretty! Like the one I made for Aunt April)
Dh's Birds:
The 4 birds below are the birds I made for my Dh. I made these first this year; thinking I could make all the birds in more of a 3D model--but it really took WAY longer!!! I didn't have a pattern; so I just widdled around with each bird and cut and shaped each piece as I eyed what it needed. I had a lot of fun with it. I tried to use black thread to be the black markings that are around the beak on the male cardinals...but it didn't look good, like I had hoped. I had intended the thread to look like shading...but it just looked like thread. Maybe next time it will look better.
I showed each side of the red cardinal #1.
Each side of red cardinal #2 (with crest)
Each side of female cardinal #1
The top of female cardinal #1, so you can see the red highlights I put on the top of her head.
This is the last one I made--and I like it the best. For the first time I added wings! That was fun! And I added a big beak too! This is female cardinal #2.
You can see the stuffing down inside her throat.
Instead of putting buttons on for eyes; this time I used black thread to sew eye shapes.
Dd made these 2 wreaths to give--it used a LOT of felt; but the cousins really liked them. Uncle Jeff's two daughters each got a little wreath in their package. Their mother; Aunt Kate got a bird and a flower combination. Uncle Jeff got cookies.
This red poppy was made by Dd for me! What a nice surprise for me!!! I just adore red poppies!!!
The females in the family got a flower and a bird in their packages from us. The males got money or homemade cookies--the cookies are "Ranger Cookies" which are their deceased Grandmother's recipe.
Dd actually made 2 of the blue flowers; but I didn't get the second one in this picture somehow---maybe she made it after this picture? I'm not sure how I managed to miss it.
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You all seriously would not believe how many birds we fed this week...you would have to have seen them to believe them...we had birds, birds, birds...constantly! 
Check out the birds underneath the feeder---they are on a piece of STRING!
Dd took these pictures...aren't they beautiful..
Dd took a bunch of pictures of....birds feet! She really thought bird feet were very interesting this week! I thought this was a nice perspective and change of pace from the normal picture of a bird. 
