Mr. Henry the Fisherman My first Needle Felted Rock Doll

Good Afternoon!

Meet Henry the fisherman. He is quite the little character.  He is needle Felted using 4 rocks in different places.  1 rock for his head(of course), 1 rock that fits his bottom and is flat on one side perfect for sitting,those long hours waiting for fish.  I then decided he really needed to protect his feet when walking to and from the lakes.  You never know if a rock may fall on them.  Get it! :)  So he has Rock toed boots on. 





Henry the Fisherman

Ok now he is ready for any kind of fishing.  I got to thinking when working on him, my Dad and brother both tied flies for fly fishing in Colorado.  They both have since passed away.  So we had a metal fly box put up of their flies and Henry has 2 of them in his hat. Then my brain even went further, I loved fishing for bull heads here in Minnesota with my grandpa as a child with the bamboo poles and then for my miniatures I had picked up these 2 small lures at one time, they are for ice fishing. 
Now Henry is ready for any kind of fishing.  You all should have been here when he met Uncle Frank and Fred, the stories and tall tales they were telling him.  Henry is just so laid back, he just smiled and kept sitting on  his log.  But he did plan a fishing trip with the both of them, when they get back from the Fishing Expo in New York.  Henry is just not up to making that long trip, he is more content just sitting back and relaxing. 









Close up of Henry and his hat

Henry sits at 5" tall and I did his clothes out of Merino Pre-Felt.  I really love using it.  I used black elastic for his suspenders with gold brad.  The guy just needed to keep his pants up, no one wants to see that rock bottom, even though he does have cheeks felted in. 

Here are a few photos of how Henry came to life.  I have had a lot of questions on felting rocks.  I love any questions any of you may have.  I also got asked if Henry would ever be sold and no I won't sell him, he is my first ever complete doll done with Rocks. 

My little guys just love these rocks and are always looking for new rocks for me to do. 

The Rock I used for Henry are small and My husband calls this size River Rock.  I use all different sizes,living by fields here in Rural Minnesota its easy to find rock. 

Henry is not heavy at all and weighs under a pound.  

My 7 year old little girl loves to tell everyone at school, my Mom Needle felts Rocks.  Now that is all she says, they all smile and just say ya thats nice.  (Not having any idea what I really do).  So she has this wonderful 1st grade teacher, my daughter just adores her, and this teacher could care less that she has learning disabilities.  She did the spelling test and came home one day with YOU ROCK! on the test.  Well let me tell you my daughter was beaming from one ear to the other.  She said, mom my teacher is proud of you and me!  This child has even brought me home gravel from school.  What a kid!  

I also get asked how do I felt around a rock.  Carefully.  I felt side ways with the needle.  Now I do break probably one needle per project.  But I get these wonderful needles from  http://www.needlefeltingsupplies.com/.  Kay Petal and Patti, Kay is Felt Alive and Patti has Dream Felt.  Anyway they have this great web site to order needles and wool from.   Kay has come up with double needles and I have not broken one yet. 

Even when I felt around a insulator it is done sideways.  I do no wet felting or glueing to my rocks to get the wool to hold. 

So here are a few pictures of how Henry came alive to me.

Top picture is Henry's Head isn't it cute.  Now the bottom picture is Henry checking out his bottom and chest.  I did the chest first in core wool.

Here is Henry checking out his belly and bottom put together, I have no idea how he is looking at all this an approving, I hadn't even given him eyes yet.  But he was!  Now you can see the smaller rocks that I used for his "Rock Toed Boots".  This was my first time I ever made hands too, NO ROCKS(this time)  :). 

Doesn't he look happy and ready for detail!  A little fuzzy here, but happy.  Look Mandy is in the background here she can't wait to meet him.  More business for the Beauty Salon,she is thinking.  HA! HA!  He is bald.  
I hope you enjoyed reading about Henry.  I will be sure to tell you if and when he catches a fish.  You never know.  Take care  Pam

Uncle Frank My 2 Rock Guy Needle Felted

Meet "Uncle Frank".  I needle felted him on 2 rocks.  Yes, 2 ROCKS!!!!!!  He was quite a challenge for me at first.  But if you all remember Franklin the Turkey and yes he is still pardoned.  Was made with 2 rocks.    So I decided I would try a guy. 
Fred my  fisherman rock wanted to have a friend he could fish with and tell his tall tales too. 
So along came "Uncle Frank".



"Uncle Frank"

He is just such a happy guy.  I needle felted his shirt from Merino Pre-felt.  I was kind of nervous to use it, but it was so easy to felt, his shirt just fell into place.  He not even quite 5" tall. 





Fred getting excited

Look Uncle Frank is already laughing at Fred's stories.  Do you know how tired I am of listening to Fred's Tallllllll fish stories?  Frank he would crack a joke and then the whole thing would start over.  I finally had to put Fred away. 

Uncle Frank's Body

Well I built his neck off the little egg/ball on top.  I tell you when I was a poking and poking to put him together, he just kept smiling at me and smiling.  It did kind of give me the willies.  But I finally got it and he is very secure.  So he is ready to leave on his adventure with his nephew Fred.





Uncle frank and Fred

Remember me telling you all, that Fred and Louise are going to the Fishing Expo in "Rock Haven" New York and will be eating at Chef Bernie's Diner.  Well "Uncle Frank" has packed up and ready to go have some famous Crumb Cake.  "Uncle Frank has never been to a fishing Expo before, pretty excited.  I sure hope he let his wife know where he was going............... 
 
I wonder if they will run into "Tricky Eyes" and his faithful Side Kick?  I guess we will all have to wait and see.   Thanks for reading and until next time............. 
Take care Pam



Meet "Tricky Eyes O'Lanigan Needle Felted Rock

GOOD EVENING!

I want to you all to meet "Tricky Eyes O'Lanigan.  He is needle felted to a rock.  I had so much fun making him.  This is the first time I did upper and lower teeth, they turned out pretty good.  So here he is!





Tricky Eyes O'Lanigan

He loves to play tricks on me.  Even talked this little girl I know to pop up into a picture as I was snapping it.  Tricky Eyes and her were just laughing so much.  But I thought the picture was quite cute and precious!





Tricky Eyes and his side kick

Tricky Eyes has been quite busy, he has been planning his St. Patrick's Day.  You see he comes from Rock Haven NY where Chef Bernard is from and he is hoping he can get Chef Bernard to make him his favorite dish a Potato Crumble Cake with a Green Beer on the "Rocks", and  his Side Kick a Green Lemon -Lime Kool-aide on the "Rocks.  I guess we will just have to wait and see what is next up their sleeves.  

So Everyone stay tuned you never know where "tricky Eyes" and his Side Kick will show up next...................

Take care  Everyone Pam