No More Woolies

Dear Friends of Wooliedales,

Sadly, there will be no more Woolies.

Carol, my dear wife, passed from this life to her glorious reward in Heaven on February 11, 2014. She has fought a valiant battle against MDS, then leukemia, since June 2012.

Many people have drawn inspiration from Carol’s work, first begun in 2000, and have gone on to become excellent felters in their own right.

Always giving, Carol donated 10% of the proceeds from her dog sculptures to a rescue organization for that breed and often donated Woolies to rescue groups for raffles and fundraisers.

To her many friends and customers, we are so very grateful for your support over the years.

I will keep the Wooliedales.com website active for a time so that some of her beautiful work will live on in pictures.

This is one of the last Woolies she felted, much to the delight of nurses and staff, while hospitalized in November, 2013.

I miss her greatly.

David Usher

I

David Usher

A Woolies Elephant

Experts have observed pachyderms' behavior and concluded that they rank among the smartest in the animal kingdom. 

And it seems that the old adage that elephants never forget may be particularly true in the case of matriarchs, who lead the herd and encode what's necessary for survival, such as food location and family identification. The dominant females build up a social memory as they get older, enabling them to recognize "friendly" faces. The older she is, the more effective she is. Her death is tragic for the group, and poachers usually target her, as she possesses the largest tusks in the herd of females. 

Elephants also travel in packs and when the group gets too big, the eldest daughter breaks off to start her own contingent, yet she never forgets her roots. One researcher witnessed a mother and daughter elephant recognizing each other after 23 years of separation.

(Good, huh? But forget about this one: Elephants eat 160 to 350 pounds (72 to 158 kilograms) of food each day!!!)

Arctic Friends- Musk Oxen

These two fellas were commission by a clothier in Alberta, CA who specializes in qiviut fiber garments. He furnished the rare and costly musk ox fiber, one of the word's softest, that covers these sculptures.

The Lion Shall Lie Down with the Lamb...

My latest....

More on my Wooliedales website.

New Minidales - "Littermates"

Update April 2, 2012: All these guys sold on eBay. Thank you!

• March 17, 2012: Littermates are on eBay with 3 days left to bid!
• March 6, 2012: These Minidale "Littermates" will soon be on eBay. Watch for them!

Last eBay Listings for 2011 - in time for Christmas

Last bunch of Woolies at bargain prices before Christmas... go take a look (click on the links below to take you directly to the eBay auction)

-A "King of the Jungle" ROARING in true lion fashion!

- An Inuit hunter ready for the hunt

- An Inuit-style owl

-A red-neck turtle on a "moss"-covered rock in a cozy home of sand pebbles

-(relisted) One Border Collie disk dog jumping for a red Frisbee

Kudos From a New Woolies Owner

The owner of a new Woolie, a Rat Terrier named Max, sent this to me earlier this week. I am very humbled. You can see two pictures of him below.

"..you did a beautiful job with the Wooliedale... I hardly know where to start! ... it really looks like a miniature version of him ready to do......something!  I marvel at your ability to capture the musculature and implied energy in an animal... I love his tail... I love the back of his head and how the brown of his fur shines above the black... the little tiny white spots in the black part of his coat.  I love the underside ...his whole posture... his muzzle and chin ...the fuzziness/fur-i-ness around his mouth.  And, I'm sure there are more things, too. So, thank you so very, very much! "

MAX

Blue Ribbon at 2011 Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival

It was a cool and rainy weekend on October 1 and 2 at the Tunbridge, Vermont Fairgrounds, but this ensemble of sheep was a prize winner in the needle felting contest.

A Couple of Romantics

A couple of romantics... one of my latest pieces 

Italian Mountain Bagpiper

Here's a new Italian needle felted mountain bagpiper.

Wooliedales Etc. -- Looking Back at 2010

Wishing you all a very good and prosperous New Year!

Looking back on time always brings nostalgia for what was and never will be again in quite the same way.  Looking back on 2010, I made pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys, lions, bears , a bunny and chick or two, and a couple of new ventures, like  a harbor seal , a turtle, and musk ox babies. I made Airedales in myriads of poses doing the things Airedales do best, and more than a dozen different breeds of other dogs: Bischon Frise, Cock-a-poo, Pit Bull, Pug, Doberman, Parson Terrier, Welsh Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, English Springer Spaniel, Irish Terrier, Bloodhound, Wheaten Terrier.            

Pictured here are a few of the more recent  samples from that list....

Three Little Pigs

This ensemble of needle felted pigs sold in an eBay auction on 11/25/2010.


This piece was one of my favorites.

Woolie Terriers on eBay

A slide show of the five Woolie terriers for sale on eBay in auctions which closed on November 10, 2010.

Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival October 2-3, 2010

Wooliedales had a booth the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival again this year at the Tunbridge Fair Grounds. We renewed some old acquaintances and saw some old friends. This year Another vendor cancelled and we were inside under cover.

After the 5" of rain the previous two days, Saturday and Sunday brought gorgeous sunshine and cool temperatures..we kind of wished we were outside in the sunshine! It was cool in the building. Both days were well attended and we were happy we were there.

NH Sheep & Wool Festival

Here at the Contoocook, NH Fairgrounds, the NHSWF has been cold and rainy but that doesn't seem to have deterred folks from visiting. Lots of people have been in my booth and they truly love the Woolies. Tomorrow is forcast to be partly cloudy and still cool. Mybe the sun will encourage even more people to come, if they haven't other Mothers Day plans. Here's hoping!

Cruising Down the River...

This guy is relaxing and snoozing after contemplating Nature as he floats in an Adirondack boat. Hewas also  found on eBay in an auction that ended May 13, 2010.

Measure a Puppy's Love

Measure a puppy’s love? Impossible!!!

They kiss, they romp, they tussle, they cuddle, they delight at your very presence! Is there any comparison? If you tried, there would be no end to the poem “How Do I Love Thee…let me count the ways!”

(This little guy is in an eBay auction that began Feb. 21, 2010)

Turtle, Turtle

My first turtle....a greenback!!

Baby Chick in a "Feathered" Nest

This chick is a perfect Easter gift...even for yourself! She will arrive in her own soft feathered nest with part of her former home, an eggshell. See her and others here. [Scroll down a bit on the linked page to see her.]

Musk Ox

Qiviut fiber from the musk ox is 8 time softer than wool. While at a Wild Fibers event in Rheinbeck, NY in October, a creator of fine clothing and accessories commissioned this fellow and furnished the fiber for me. This fellow's new home is in Canada at one of Qiviuk's boutiques.