Needlefelted Holly King

More Forest Gnomes

I love making each one!

Winter's Slumber

I've always wanted to create a doll from sticks. 

Gathered alder twigs and lichen,wool, and organic cotton yarn are used to create this soothing winter being. 

The spiral represents winter's time of rest and going inward. I love the quiet and stillness of the winter months.

Sword Fern Spirit Doll

She is lady of sword ferns, who holds secrets from the cool forest floor. She is filled with fern plant matter inside, and wears a fern on her skirt.

Sword ferns always show up for me in dreams and journeys, as guides and protectors. I am always grateful for their lush and bountiful presence here in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Rose Spirit Guardian

There is one tiny rosebush in the yard that blooms two or three luscious pink roses per year. At first it only bloomed one rose. Last year, with some care, it bloomed three beautiful blooms. I'm hoping this year I can help her bloom even more. 

I thought she might like a guardian, or helper, so I needlefelted a spirit doll for her.  She is full of dried rose petals, and will tend to the spirit of this plant. 

Needlefelted Gnomes

My daughter loves gnomes and we read the gnome book so often at our house, as well as watch episodes of David the Gnome (but not so much recently since she has become fearful of trolls!)

I needlefelted some gnomes for a local holiday flea market in December and they were really fun to make. I made classic red hat gnomes and also some grey forest wizards. They each has their own unique character and expression. It was fun to watch folks choose which ones to take home!

I will have just forest wizards available along with my nature photos at the Back Bar flea market in Seattle next week. I need to make some more ASAP!

Birth of My Spirit Dolls

I recently started studies on the Druid path, and for my altar I wanted a statue of goddess Brigid. I didn't want to buy a statue, so I decided to make one with materials I already had on hand, which happened to be an enormous stash of wool roving! I needle felted Brigid for my Imbolc altar. 

But then I realized I enjoyed the process of creating dolls so much, I could not stop.

Different spirits wanted to manifest through wool sculpture, so I began to create several more dolls. Each doll had her own voice, and would guide me on how she wanted to look, what colors to use, etc.

I made my first doll twenty years again when first moved to Seattle (I don't have a picture of her but I remember her button face!) She was made from red satin and purple velvet fabrics, and was filled with lavender. It is interesting to me that twenty years later I have been called to create these spirit dolls using my favorite medium, wool roving. And I thank the goddess Brigid stirring up Awen (the creative spirit) in me!