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Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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Hello again everyone XD Seems I'm begging for help more often than not nowadays  bear_rolleyes

Anyhoo, this is a seemingly strange request for ideas about feathers.  I'm wanting to use the quill stem for an idea of mine, so it doesn't matter about colour: only quill size! Something about...4-5mm, 1/5" would be great... maybe a little smaller.  Anyone got any ideas of what birds I should be looking at, or even better any suppliers?

I know this seems random, but it does have a point, and it's a bear (ish) point too! Believe me! :D

Chloe x

WildThyme Wild Thyme Originals
Hudson, Ohio
Posts: 3,115

Hi Chloe!  Is that 4-5 mm diameter of the quill itself, or 4-5 mm in length... those would be some short little feathers! 

Kim Basta

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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Ooo, sorry! I mean in diameter XD you're right! Like mini... dwarfy bird feathers!

WildThyme Wild Thyme Originals
Hudson, Ohio
Posts: 3,115

You know what I'd do?  I'd get myself a down stuffed pillow and open it up.  I had a down comforter that developed a hole as I was shaking it out one day.... and a million tiny little feathers popped out!   bear_tongue

Kim Basta

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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bear_tongue Yeah, that would make an amazing bear... all poufy!  What I'm wanting to do is find a way of making nice natural looking claws that are a lot longer than a bears, and i thought a good feather quill might do it, if I could attatch them together and slip them through a seam somewhere...

Michelle Helen Chaska, Minnesota
Posts: 2,897

Well, perhaps doing a search on the internet for millenary suppiers. I bet they might have what you are looking for....

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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Thanks Michelle bear_original I've googled for feathers, but didn't think about hat type ones XD Only problem is there's little information on the sizes... I'll keep looking though! Thanks!  :hug:

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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Maybe transparent FIMO would work intead? On a wire armature?

Can't wait to start on this idea, but I don't want to tell you all what it is incase it comes out bad bear_tongue

bumblebearies Bumblebearies
Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 436
Website

Michaels' and other Craft stores have feathers...check also all fly fishing supply shops..... hrdware stores also sell products for making flies for fishing... and also taxidermy supply shops

JeannieB JeannieB Bears
Greensboro NC
Posts: 1,183

Hi,
   A lot of people have chickens and may be able to collect the little feathers that come out.  If they were painted they may be good claws.  If I have time, I'll try it and send you a picture.

                 JeannieB

JeannieB JeannieB Bears
Greensboro NC
Posts: 1,183

small-feathers.jpgChloe,
      I couldn't resist trying your idea. I went to the barn and collected some feathers. I just got a bag of feathers from a craft store.... The all white feather is from the store. I painted the quills with acrylic brown paint.  It looks like they will make nice claws!  There is a variety of quill sizes in the feathers from the store.  I think you'll be able to find a whole set from one bag. I paid .97 cents for the bag.

                  JeannieB bear_original

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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Ah, but you forget I am a Brit XD I will certainly try a craft shop as soon as I can find one.. there's not really any call for one where I live :P

I'd make them from FIMO, which is easier, but it's for a creature with extremely long claws and I don't want then to be too brittle... maybe wire would make them ok.

Glad to see the idea works, jeannie! Now, if only I could find some chickens...  bear_grin

RaggyRat The RaggyRat Company
Weymouth
Posts: 1,214
Website

oooh what ARE you making - really long claws???
i live near abbotsbury swannery ... maybe they tidy up a lot of discarded feathers
you could ask a place like that
cat xxx

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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bear_laugh It's a surprise XD

Unfortunately I also need to learn how to needle felt before I can finish it, so it's an EXTENDED surprise bear_tongue  I was thinking about swan and goose feathers, but my problem is that no one in my family can drive, so the only way I can get feathers is by taking on the swans along our river directly, and I'm not sure I want to do that! Thanks Cat bear_original

RaggyRat The RaggyRat Company
Weymouth
Posts: 1,214
Website

i was just thinking they - a bird santualry or soemthing - might send you them
and use  the money to keep the birds in fine fettle!
cat xxx

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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Good plan... I'll see what's in my area bear_happy Better than battling it out with a VERY ANGRY swan...

RaggyRat The RaggyRat Company
Weymouth
Posts: 1,214
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yeah that dangerous !
pick up the phone and call some swans instead !
cat xxxx

bumblebearies Bumblebearies
Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 436
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Well, you just take a walk through the parks then....and collect feathers lying about from the swans, ducks and geese..??  there are usually quite a few from our Canada Geese on the fairways and around the greens on the golfcourses here too ....along with plenty of "geese peep" as we call it....ick.....try to pick up the clean ones!

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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bear_original I'm going to try it, though we mostly seem to get ducks up here, and they might be too small... when I go home I'll have a look along the Witham too bear_tongue Otherwise it's to Lincoln, to mob a swan!

RaggyRat The RaggyRat Company
Weymouth
Posts: 1,214
Website

oooh, ive seen the lincoln imp !
cat xxxx

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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XD Literally?

fribblesltd fribbles, ltd.
Kalispell, Montana
Posts: 679

...Fimo isn't brittle, if you bake it properly.  Kato is amazing, I recommend that---Fimo and Kato are the two strongest clays on the market, along with Cernit.  This is ONLY if you bake for the recommended length of time and temperature as recommended by the manufacturer---and that means getting an oven thermometer and watching to see how your oven bakes, if there're temperature spikes or dips, etc.

I would say that the Fimo claws would hold up FAR better than the quill idea---the quills will become more brittle with age, whereas the Fimo is plastic and will remain the same, assuming it is not left out in the sun, etc., mistreated. 

Check out Mark's results when he tested clay:

http://marksstudio.com/clay_finger_break_test.htm

---I didn't realize Cernit was the strongest, that's pretty amazing...


Amelia

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
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bear_original Thanks Amelia bear_original I've only worked with small details with FIMO, and it's held up pretty well: I just wasn't sure about the transparent stuff... I must try it bear_laugh

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