A Golden Beginning

The NIADA convention that I mentioned a few posts ago is also having a challenge and the theme is "the golden one."  My concept is a little tricky to explain, but it's a combination of a fairy and a bear.  The bear will have baskets on her back that are filling with the flowers the fairy is collecting.  She will be holding a very special one she has just found - the golden one.

This is the beginning of the bear.  As usual, I sculpted the head and paws from polymer clay and am now neeld-felting the bear over the felt-covered wire armature.  I'm using white "core wool" to begin with, saving the brown more expensive wool for the outer layers.

 

The needle felting is tedious but also satistying work as you see the creature slowly take shape.  But I think I need to fashion some sort of thicker handle for my felting needle as my hands cramp after a time of holding onto such a narrow needle.