Make Your Monday...Gizzy's heart

Happy Monday to you all! Kim @ Twice Remembered is back back from her blog break & for today's Make Your Monday, I wanted to share my first needlefelting project. I've been wanting to attempt needlefelting for some time...I've seen some darling little bunnies, pumpkins, etc. And when I heard that you can use pet hair, I knew what my first project would be. I always saved my beloved Gizzy's hair (my shih tzu I lost in April) to put out for the birds to nest with & while going through some drawers a while back, I found an old stash of his hair. *wiping the tears away*


I used his hair & bonded it to a heart-shaped piece of white felt w/ a felting needle. His hair was kinda stinky but I didn't wash it...the smell of him was strong enough to keep me in tears through-out the whole project. I was emotional the whole day in fact... I longed for him so much as I worked w/ his hair! But I think it had a cathartic effect on me & enabled me to truly let go of my grief. For the most part anyway.... I will always long for Giz, he was that much a part of me.

Here's the finished heart w/ a favorite picture of Gizzy & his leather collar. Gizzy wore that collar his whole adult life & it was sad but fitting that after he died, it fell apart in my hands...no lie! The leather where it connected to the tab was so worn that it broke in 2. It held on as long as it could, just like Giz.

I shared a lot of treasures & heirlooms in my last post, but I tell ya, this stinky fur heart & this old collar ranks right up there w/ them.


I haven't shared a picture of my "new" (he's 7 mos old now!) shih tzu, Rudy in a while & thought y'all might enjoy seeing him now. I let his mophead grow longer than Giz & I have them leave "boots" on him when groomed, but you can't really see them in this pic. I'll try to get a picture of his boots soon...I get so many compliments on his cut.

Doesn't he have just the sweetest face? And his disposition is even sweeter! Because he's so sweet & such a "sissy-dog" I bling him out & doll him up more than I did Giz. Gizzy was just too much of a tough guy to pull off the look, plus I was likely to get bit dressing him up. LOL I'm training Rudy's hair to lay to either side so that it can stay long & not cover his eyes but as you can see, he has an adorable, stray lock that refuses to behave. In case you haven't gathered, this little boy has stolen my heart already....he's really special!



Vist Kim @ Twice Remembered for more crafty projects!