
Mer-pet One gets her skin
(Sorry I’m running late today! and have tried my best with the final spellchecking. my regular spellchecker is doing overtime at the post office, so you too can receive all your online orders. It’s as busy as x mass at the moment!)
We are going to skip ahead a week, missing the post about Mer-Pet two I had already written and continued on with Sharkette.
So back to the Shark.
This week seems to have flown past too. I remember days being longer and I use to accomplish so much more in them. I did get more garden work done and have a couple of shots that may inspire 2D felting or maybe a 3D bouquet?
1-8 bits of colour to inspire you, from the front back and side garden.
9 the back patio with new bird feeders
I did a bit more work on my back patio putting out a hummingbird feeding (we are between the honeysuckle and trumpet vine booms) and 2 little wire bird feeders. They are not attracting the type of bird I was hoping for. I have seen a smaller long-tailed striped orange wingless “Bird” cleaning up underneath the feeder. While above two Rubenesque wingless long-tailed hairy “birds” clung to the feeder and generally made a mess. One was all black (and not nearly as nice as the Beautiful black mother crow and young crow that have been around the last 2 weeks). The second was about the same size as the black one but gray. I will try again to get a picture of these horrible wingless seed-steeling “birds” and hope the sparrows and chickadees will return. Oh, the black covered thing that is pretending to be a birdbath is the second larger blacksmith forge. (I have odd porch decorations.)
Moving back to the side yard I brought out the fleece bucket I was using as a project bucket for the shark. I had my photo reference, hand carders, fibre, foam pad, assorted needles and of course, Sharkette.
10-12 photo reference, fibre and implements for stabbing! (I think Sharkett looks nervous)
I was treating shark both like a pastel in that, I had applied a base under-colour and like a watercolour, by hand mixing and using small thin washes of colour building towards the finished tones.
13-16 shark swims in a sea of fibre
Another brake for gardening, the two plant pots on the right have catnip, extremely potent catnip. Is anyone dropping by to pick up some catnip? (There is more in the back and side yard) Hiding behind the catnip in the tall grey pot is a dahlia, which I hope will flower.
17
Summer is confused this year I have snow peas starting with the first raspberry!!
18-19 the snow peas grew about four feet tall and then started to flower
Now that I have nibbled on snow peas (and left Glenn the raspberries), it’s time to get back to felting
20-23
While I was working on her a fed-X delivery truck pulled up the end of my driveway! They do that sometimes when dropping stuff off for my neighbours. No this time it was actually for here! Yes, this was the order I placed earlier in the week for Ann and I. We plan to unwrap the likely explosive package this week and will let your know what we find within!!
24 I think there is a role of tape on that package!
Shark and I both were consciences and had our masks on! Hers does not fit well since it only covered part of her gills. Effective masks cover your entire breathing equipment, Mouth and Gills!
25 Safety first!!
I laid in the darker edge layers (I mixed the 2 darker grays with a tiny bit of the intense green) rather than use black which could have been too strong. Over that, I layered blends of the middle gray with green and blue, then fading into mid and light grays with hints of the blue and green tones. (Just think washes of thin wisps of colour to help optically blend and give the mottled effect of light seen through the water onto shark-skin.
26-28
My outdoor studio was nicely shaded but it was getting hot and I needed a drink brake for a caffeinated green beverage (Mountain Dew). Restarting my audiobook, I got back work.
29
I tried to get a shot to show you just how thin a layer of colour I was adding at a time. (the white needle is a new one I just got off Etsy from “thanks for mutton”. It’s a 42 crown which is the finest needle I’ve tried and was impressed. It’s not quick but it gave a cleaner surface than my coarser core wool needles.)
30-32
The pen tool is holding 40’s and I have been working at a close to parallel angle for the outer coat.
I also wanted to show you her mouth. I saw paper clay teeth on line that were spectacular but have not tried them (yet, I may still go back and see if I can add tinny scary teeth)
33 toothless but likely still lethal!
She is a mighty shark able to leap foam needle holding barricades by herself! (look no hands)
34-38 sharkette showing off with her new skin!
I will try and get a shot of her not in the shade. I should have brought better lighting to her photoshoot!!
So next we will go back in time and look at Mer-pet number 2 unless that possibly exploding package has caught your curiosity? Did you see how well taped up that mysterious object was? What could it be??
39 Mer-pet 2 revealed or strange package investigation?
16 thoughts on “Mer-pet One gets her skin”
Shes pretty shark ❤❤❤
Thank you! one of the photos i had showed the light reflecting throuth the water onto the shark skin.i was hopeing to get a bit of that efect but maybe from a slightly grater depth.
Oh dear a shark without teeth. I thought that was Grandma shark ( do do , do do d’doody d’do) Shit is really good. I got to see her in person and she is marvellous. The other pet is even better in my opinion, you will see.
Ann she could be a rescue shark. you know like rescue cats sometimes thay dont have claws. or a safty shark like pet skunks who have been decented. Poor thing i will get the others done than reconsider her toothless nature!
What a lovely looking shark, and great blending of fiber. But a toothless shark must be feeling pretty sad ;(
I look forward to seeing the other pet and to seeing what’s in the package for you and Ann.
Thanks Ruth! being toothless she is likely being hand fed by the Mer’s. so her life is not all bad!
i filmed Ann unpacking the mysterious object this afternoon! one of us will do show and tell shortly!
Your shark is a great shape Jan, and I particularly like the way you’ve blended the colours. It will be interesting to see how you tackle the teeth. Also interesting to discover what’s in that package!
Thanks Karen! i have been having unexpected fun with creatures from the giant wetness. for someone who appreciates Dry land i am having a blast with the Mer-Family and there pets. i think i will tackle the top layers for more of the group then go back and look at sharketts dental issues.
Ann and I were both impressed with how much was stuffed into that mysterious paccage! We will show you soon
I think you did a great job on your shark, so much better than mine. I made one when I first started needle felting and didn’t know much. I used nepps for the teeth and got a nice snaggle toothed effect. I strung them onto string like beads and got them in somehow.
Neps sounds intreeging! you mite enjoy revisiting sharks, there are lots of difernt kinds so you dont have to make exactly the same as your fist shark. if i have time i may try a hammerhead. i found doing a lot of collecting shark shots from various angles helpfull. the wier armature is makeing her lots of fun to pose too. i used 14 gage aluminum. Have fun and maybe a mobile of sharks?
Hi Jan, I’m a scuba diver so have seen quite a few sharks in my day. I was thinking about making a mobile of sharks but then I got started with wet felting. 🙂
We reckon the package contains wool fibre – it can be compressed for postage but when you release the bindings …. stand back!
Love seeing your garden shots and that raspberry looks so gorgeous.
The shark is very impressive, like the gills and the way you delicately shaded the wool, and we want to see sharkie with a full set of gnashers.
it is amazing how wool can explode after it has been brutaly forced into tiny compressed spaces! (i would not be pleased to be bound up in tape and black plastic!)
we are having 30c wether for the next few day so the razbarrys should all ripen at the same time. i will also be out watering each moring and or evening to keep anything from dieing. at least there are no snow banks and driveways needing shoveling!
there will be more gills in the next Mer-Pet and i promis i will reconsider her need for dentures as soon as i have more of the group done!
Sharkette is looking great with her shimmer of colour.
Could you use ‘matt’ beads – delicas or similar rectangular type – for her teeth?
The bulging package – fibre….& it will expand, so don’t stand in a corner without an escape route!
Thanks! i realy liked that light through the water reflecting on sharkskin. i will have to fix her denture needing problem.
i filmed the opening so you can see the expantion. not quite as explosive as we expected but there was seondary bondage involed Ann and i will show you more!
I’ve just thought….if you were to use delicas you could double thread them first to create a ladder effect – that way they would sit upright In the mouth!