This page highlights *some* of the many craft items I create in my "copious free time" (of which I have none! Ha!). I frequently get inspired to work on things here and there, so my workspace is filled with files, Dremel bits, paints, brushes, wooden animals, beads, and things I can't even remember buying anymore. *sigh* I have enough rainy-day projects to last through eternity. :o) Enjoy!
This frame was created as an auction piece for True Innocents Equine Rescue (TIER) in California. TIER rescues horses from local feedlots and livestock auctions. They also rescue PMU foals (Pregnant Mare Urine foals) from the Northwestern states and Canada. If you live in Southern Calfornia and are interested in adopting horses or foals from TIER, or would just like to check out their website, click HERE.The frame features two of TIER's residents, Moses (bay gelding) and Pearl (white pony mare). Pearl wears a Guardian mask to help keep the flies out of her injured eyes. I painted her in her mask as a touch of realism. :o) She is also in charge of TIER's "Weed Abatement Program," so I added a clump of weeds to her side of the frame.
What do you get for a bird rehabber who has everything? A handmade birdhouse wall hanging! This creation showcases several species of birds the rehabber has rescued and returned to the wild. It features (left) a Canada goose and robin and (right) a mourning dove and bluejay. The "house" and birds are made from pre-cut wood. I painted each bird realistically, based on photos found in books.
This particular rehabber once had a robin with a completely black breast. Another robin was so old that their vet was at a loss of how to treat the bird beause there was no data on robins living that long!The photo to the left is a detail of the Canada goose. There are tons of geese here, and I love to watch them, especially when they are raising their babies. It always reminds me of the movie, "Fly Away Home." The other three birds are pictured below. The jay was a bit of a challenge because of the level of detail involved.
In 2003, we watched a robin couple nest in a flowerbox at my parents' house. The robins successfully incubated all four eggs! You can read about their nesting adventure by clicking HERE.
I made this cockatiel wall hanging for one of my friends in Virginia. I had to get creative for this design. The pre-cut wooden birds don't come with a curved parrot beak or a crest, so I had to glue extra balsa wood on the main body to make it realistic. The birds themselves are slightly under 2" long and can be purchased at most craft stores. Due to the paints involved, it is NOT meant to be a bird toy.The smiling cockatiels pictured in this close-up photo are (left to right) whiteface, pearl, and pied. The birds are hanging down from a red heart that reads, "I love 'tiels." I've made three of these so far. One day I plan to make a large heart hanging of my whole flock.
This frame celebrates the life of KIWI, my first cockatiel, who passed away in 2001. I bought a plain 15" by 12" collage frame at the craft store and decorated it with hand painted wooden objects.Kiwi's "angel with a bird on its shoulder" silhouette is in the top left corner. (He actually had this marking on his left wing!) There's a small bird painted like him in the top right corner, while a stack of books is in the bottom left corner. He *loved* to chew on my books when I was reading them. Finally, a gray and white wooden wing feather is in the bottom right corner. I took one of his wing feathers and traced it on to wood, then cut it out and painted it to match his colors. There are eight red hearts, one for each year of his life. One of his favorite toys is glued to the bottom of the frame. I made a similar frame for my Mom.
This is a small 2" by 2.5" suede bag (with gemstones) that I made for a friend in England. She loves gemstones and dolphins, so I picked out a marble dolphin and attached it to the front. I used a blue and white bead color scheme to represent ocean water.The bag itself is made of gray suede "stitched" together by black rolled leather cording. It can be opened and closed by pulling on the appropriate cords at the top. The molted feathers are from my cockatiels. These bags are durable and fun to make!
This horse design was inspired by Native American Indian "spirit ponies." The horse is painted bay with Native American war paint symbols. The circle around a horse's eye is for clear vision in battle. This horse has white hail on its shoulders and a blue medicine marking (snake) on its rear leg.This horse's mane is made from suede rooted into the wood. I had to carve a trench in the wood and individually glue each piece of suede into the trench to achieve this effect. The tail is made from REAL horse tail hair that was donated by a horse. . . after a good bath and grooming session! The feathers are from my own cockatiel, Ollie. (I only use feathers the birds molt.) I added a suede saddle and a rolled leather bridle to add interest to this piece. The horse was donated to TIER as an auction item.
I made this 8" tan suede leather "war shield" (left) for a horse rescue friend in Oklahoma. The frame is made from a metal hoop wrapped with suede lace. The inner portion is made from thick suede decorated with four bay galloping horses rendered in acrylic paint.The centerpiece (above/right) is attached to the hoop with artificial sinew. The middle of this shield contains a 2.25" artificial sinew dream web. A galloping pewter horse and two pieces of malachite are attached to the eight-point web.
Metal beads, dark green pony beads, and plastic ivory beads hang from the leather lace. Two strands of leather lace are threaded through conchos attached to the lower portion of the hoop. The feathers were molted from my friend's cockatoo and parrot. The cockatiel feathers came from my own flock.
Have you ever seen an Equisaur? I made this fantasy horse for a Peter Stone model horse painting contest. (One of my other hobbies is painting realistic-looking model horses...) The object of the contest was to paint a fantasy horse using the plastic "Ideal Stock Horse" model manufactured by the Stone Company. My entry, Equisaurus Idealus, (the ideal dinosaur horse) was a runner up. The prize was a special model horse from the Stone Company, and my entry was showcased at the Stone fair in Kentucky and pictured in the model horse magazine, "Equilith."This is the most complex customized horse I've ever created. In addition to sanding down the plastic seams and carving out the horse's ears and hooves, I had to remove the horse's mane and tail, then make a dinosaur mane and tail out of wood and epoxy. The horse itself was painted in a special mixture of metallic acrylics. You can see more pictures of this horse by clicking HERE.
Photos and text Copyright 2003 by Keri Krause. Please do not use this material without my permission. Thank you!
Last updated: 10/19/03
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