Agility jumping dog and some flowers

I know, no posts about felting for months then two come along at once

I made a custom jumping agility dog just after christmas and I was so surprised and happy at how it turned out that I decided to try another.

I was so worried about how the first one was going to work out and how the dog would look like it was jumping and everything, it took me totaly ages to get it done.

Now, like climbing Everest, this one seemed to be done much easier.

I also decided to use up my scraps of Nuno felt from making the bags and try and make some little felt flowers.

I needled them together with a bit of orange fleece, I think they look quite cheerfull

No idea what I am going to do with them yet - any ideas please let me know

My latest dog

I thought I would put up this little lady

She is a order based on a rescue dog who sadly had to be put to sleep.

She is all wool - no wire or anything, and v firmly felted (those wrinkles took forever)





Hopefully to show how far I have come in just less than a year needle felting




Here is a little dog I made as about my 2nd ever model, and I think he sold on ebay for about £1 - deff learnt a lesson there about minimum bids there




He is so fluffy, but I was dead chuffed with him at the time

He has a pipe cleaner frame - which I bet you can feel poking out his feet, and tiny glass eyes - he is about 2 inches tall







Think the photography has come along a bit too! (well I hope so!)










I also tried something a bit different

Nuno felting - which is wet felting onto fabric
Was a bit easier than I thought (although it really works your upper arms)

Mum had the bright idea of turning the fabric into clutches, purses and phone holders

They were fun to make, going to try them in my shop soon

Quick Mia update

Realised I have not actually really updated on Mias progress for a while

Last night at agility was a great example of how far she has come

Entering the barn there is a GSD cross who trains before us, she walked past without even bothering - we were her for WORK!

In the barn there were LOTS of barking outside but she didnt make a sound, a little distracted and her stays not so good but no barking at the dogs

A little hyper when horses went past - but we can work on that.

After class she walked back to the car no problem igoring the one dog that was outside (the other owners keep their dogs in the car till I have put Mia away)

After Bens class I took Mia out of the car to toilet, there was a few dogs about that in the past she has disliked so I kept her screened behind a trailer and she was nice and calm

I let her wonder out so she could see the dogs, she had a look and tensed then calmed down, I called her back behind the trailer and at once she was nice and calm.

Then all these dogs went and stood next to my car!!

I slowly, step at a time walked her over, she only barked once when a strange dog walked past v close, but it wasnt a fit, just a bark, then she calmed quickly.

I got her into the car no problems

Good Girl

Not to say she is perfect yet, she is still very much on the alert in the park out the front of the house - but she has made friends there too

Her recal is pretty good in most places, but in our park if she hears a dog barking aggressivly then she is off

But I dont want to be a dog trainer!!

Often when people ask for advice about their dogs behaviour problems I hear

'but I dont want to be a dog trainer I just want a well behavied dog'

sorry to be blunt but

TOUGH

Dogs are always learning from us - whether we want them to or not

for example

Sitting at the computer Ben comes over and puts his head in my lap

I reach down a stroke his head

Ben has learnt that putting his head in my lap means I stroke his head

Next time he tries that I dont pat his head

Hmmm thinks Ben, mibby she wants me to hold my head here longer??

He does and after a while I stroke his head.

Next time he holds his head for a longer time but still I dont stroke it

Hmmm, mibby she wants me to poke her with my paw?? yelp??

So you can see by me not paying attention at all I am free shaping Ben to bug me for attention

Is he being bad - no of course not

But if I want to stop this behaviour it is gonna get worse before it gets better as he tries to figure out what I want him to do

If you are a dog owner you are a dog trainer, get used to it

and as they are learning anyway isnt it better to teach them how you actually want them to behaive??

When you dont have a camera

Lovely day today, I forgot the camera but headed off down Erskine Beach.

and of course todays the day when BOTH Mia and Ben SWIM!!! That will help their fitness

I was chucking sticks for them (no sharp branches or anything that could hurt them) and I thought I would toss it in the water.

Both dogs ran in to get it, Mia is by far the stronger swimmer but they were both swimming.

Also on the walk we met quite a few dogs and Mia was no problem. When I was putting her back on the lead a couple apeared with 2 GSD's but thankfully I had a big pocket of treats (been working on recals) and so I played a little 'look at that dog' game, when Mia got a little over threashold I walked away a couple of steps and played my own new game 'lots of treats fall from the sky' she was munching. aware of the GSD but pretty calm, YEAH Mia!

New website

Sorry I havent updated for ages of visited my blogger friends.
My mum and myself decided to try and start up our own website as another way to sell our crafts.
As neither of us is particulary teckie we went with MrSite, and I have to say it is pretty fabby

Have a look and let me know what you think (of course it is v new and we are adding things in slowly) SerendipityScotland, needle felting, wet felting, knitwear, supplies and origonal art