Ophelia & The Bear

Bio

Paula Mignucci is a needle felting artist and owner of Ophelia & the Bear. She lives and works in the beautiful Surrey Hills where her love and respect for nature, combined with her design background, inspires her work. She also uses her work to bring awareness to some of the most endangered species on our planet.

Paula only uses British wool that is ethically sourced from slaughter-free flocks and is part of the sheep’s natural shearing process. She has full traceability of where her wool comes from and knows all of her wonderful suppliers personally, including most of the sheep’s names!

Working so closely with the raw product is crucial to Paula’s work and gives her a deeper respect for these beautiful creatures. Using the natural supply of wools from a variety of breeds ensures that each creation remains unique.

Values

These are our promises and beliefs

Compassion

I care about where I get my wool from

I care about the sheep whose wool I use

I care about their welfare and quality of life

Traceability

I know exactly where my wool is from

I am committed to supporting my dedicated and hardworking suppliers

I strive to keep my carbon footprint low and only use British wool

Handcrafted

So much love and attention goes into making each and every one of my products

You can be assured that you are buying an authentic, meaningful and unique product

I hope that my products will inspire my customers to think about their patterns of consumption and their effects on our planet

Process

This is how the magic happens!

The Fleece

The whole fleece is collected once the sheep has been shorn

Sorting & Skirting

The fleece is sorted and skirted to remove any unusable pieces

Washing & Drying

The fleece is then washed several times, ensuring that the right temperature is used and there is little agitation so that the wool does not felt

Carding the Wool

Using hand carders the wool is combed in batches to remove any remaining vegetation

Wool Slivers

The wool is then folded into long strips where the fibre is parallel

Needlefelting

Using barbed needles in different gauges the wool fibres interlock to form a more condensed material called felt. The felt can then be sculpted into amazing creations

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Bio