(The Picture above is me. I created this Masquerade Costume for the 2007 Victoria Masquerade Ball. I set out to Win and I did! The Mask, Head Piece and Mermaid Wand was designed and sculpted by me using Leather, Glass, Glitter, Tulle, Feather, Shells and Pearl Ex. My Mermaid Scales were created by an amazing MAC makeup artist named Alexandra Otto.)
So, I have put myself and my Goblins and Fantasy Creatures out there…Way out there. I am networking pretty much everywhere I can. To get my store out there, and to network with other artists, also sad but true I don’t have a lot of people in my personal life right now to share these with, so I share my art with other creative outlets. I ‘m also an art junkie and I love to buy all forms of art and I love to discover new Artists. I have two blogs, Etsy Store, Flickr Account, Deviant Art, Ravelry, Twitter, Facebook, Craft Corner Etc…This means that I am getting a lot of feedback which is just soooo awesome. I am also getting asked the same few questions over and over again, so I thought I would post an FAQ on the top questions I get asked. So, here they are.
Who are you?: I’m Kasey, 31 living in Victoria BC Canada with my husband, 1 year old and little Pug Rylie. Cancer. I love candy, theme parks, board games, Halloween, Horror movies, Fantasy, Muppets, Costume Parties, Theme Parties, Mini Golf, Waterslides, Karaokee, reading good books. My favourite day for me would be a rainy one, drinking a pumpkin latte hanging out in a Children’s book store.
What are these Creatures?: These creations are invented and designed in my own crazy mind. I love all Fantasy and Fairytale creatures. I make Goblins, Dragons, Pixies, Mermaids, Winged Lions, and so on…I work with Paper Clay, Polymer, Leather, Wool, Fiber, Paper etc..
What are these made of?: Solid Wool.
How do you make them? I Needle Felt these creatures with a single 36 gauge needle. I use my hands to mold and sculpt the wool where wire is not used.
Where do you get the wool?: I buy BC grown wool on Vancouver Island and I dye it myself using Kool-Aid and Wilton’s Icing Dye.
Why?: I use Kool-Aid and Wilton’s Icing Dye because A). It’s cheap and easy B). It’s easy to get almost anywhere. C). My Daughter and Pug often get into my mounds of Wool and projects and tend to put it in their mouths.
What other kind of wool do you use?: I love Merino, Corredale, Soya Silk, Bamboo, Silk, Angelina and Firestar. I buy all of this from my Favourite store here in Victoria. Knotty By Nature. I am usually there once a week.
Do you use Foam or Stuffing?: No, I don’t. I use solid wool. Do you felt over wire?: Yes. Sometimes I do. I do this when I want my creature to hold, hug, grasp, clasp, hold, etc. I even wire the toes for fun!
Where did you learn this?: I taught myself. I have been sculpting with my hands and different mediums for about 20 years now. I started when I was 10 with Fimo. I found Fiber while browsing Etsy and seeing all those Rainbow Wool Balls…They had me hooked!
You have an eye for color:Thank You! I should hope so! I am educated as an Interior Designer and I co-own an Interior Design firm here in Victoria. I am currently off raising my daughter right now so I have “some” spare time to do this.
When do you sleep?: Ha, yes..Indeed, when do I sleep? I do, but not a lot. But it’s not because I am up felting all night long. My darling little monkey has only slept through the night three times in the last 15 months. I spend my evenings felting. It’s a great way to relieve stress.
Do you offer patterns?: No, I don’t.
Will You?: I don’t think of these creatures as being made into patterns. My husband jokes about mass producing or getting someone else to make them. That would steal all the magic from them. They are truly one of a kind. If you were to adopt one, you would hav something no one else will ever have as well. Maybe someday I can help people make something similar, but considering I can’t follow writen instructions if my life depended on it, I don’t think I could create a pattern.
Where do you sell these?: My Etsy Store. www.tanglewoodthicket.etsy.com But I will take orders by e-mail as well.
Do you do custom orders?: Yes. I really like custom orders. I love hearing your ideas and the colors you want. If I don’t have the colors, I have a lot of fun making the them or going shopping.
How long does it take?: Depends on what you want, and how many other projects I have.
How long does one creature take?: Well, some can take only a week. When I say that I mean a full week of 4-5 hours a day. My larger projects like my Fiery and Pinwheel Goblin took me months to finish. My last Project, Snow Cone Goblin took me 83 hours.
What do you charge?: It really depends on the creature. Jointed and wired creatures take me way longer obviously. My range is between $35.00 to 175.00 at the moment. The bigger the creatures and the more detail, the more time it will take.
Where do you get your inspiration and ideas?: Again, I love art and artist. I love Fantasy and I am a total kid at heart. I love Jim Henson, The Frouds, Tim Burton, Dave Mckean and countless others. There are too many to list.
