Behind the Brand

Hi, and welcome to Stubborn Sheep Studio!

I'm a needle felting artists who lives in the beautiful Canterbury region of New Zealand. I'm the owner and creator at Stubborn Sheep Studio, an artisan business where you can find uniquely handcrafted needle felted animal sculptures.

In 2021 I started making and selling felt baby mobiles. I wanted to use felt balls to make bumble bees and used the needle felting technique to add stripes to the bees' bodies. I had never done needle felting before but bought a tiny starter kit containing a few colours of wool roving and needles. I didn't even bother to watch an online tutorial but just dove straight in. I was surprised at how relaxing the process was, and pretty soon, I was adding needle felted detail to most of my felt mobiles.

When my business turned one year old, I decided to do a giveaway and wanted to make a baby mobile with a wow factor. I made the Sleepy Forest mobile, and it was entirely needle felted. I made five woodland animals, and I loved it! Soon I received a commission for a pet goat. There was no turn-around now. I was in awe that I could turn a fluffy ball of wool into an animal sculpture and didn't want to stop.  I then started focusing on creating realistic looking needle felted sculptures of animals, especially pets.

For those unfamiliar with the needle felting process, it is the art of sculpting wool or other animal fibres using a special needle with a barbed end. The fibres are repeatedly stabbed until it forms a piece of fabric or 3D sculpture. I use wire armatures to create poseable sculptures and study photos of animals to create features in as much detail as possible. I use only pure natural fibres for the bodies, mainly Merino, Corriedale, Alpaca, Mulberry Silk and bamboo. It's a slow process that takes days or weeks but is very satisfying and addictive.

Feel free to contact me for any commissions. I ship worldwide.

Anne-Marie x