It all began with making a swan couple from the book Needle Felting Winter by Rachel Austin.  Now that I had these swans, where should I keep them?  In a pond of course, but I wanted one that would hang on the wall.

I made a glorious mess pulling out all my gorgeous fibre to pick out the best colors. (Ohhh, fibre!)  I had a picture from a children's book for inspiration and I wanted their home to be a hazy and hot Summer day.

First:  the logistics.  I found a good, deep wood frame with no glass.  How would they be able to sit in their pond in a frame?  There would have to be 3D and 2D parts merged together.  So first to make the ledge the swans would be secured to:

I cut foam to fit into the frame and sewed the layers together.  Then I started felting! 

This 3D part is the water under the swans, going down to the sediment at the pond's bottom. 

Next the 2D part was mapped out, the hazy sky, light blue pond and still lush green field around it.

It came together really nicely!  

I added the hint of a fish behind the weeds and a paper frog and dragonfly.  And thanks to my sister for reminding me that there needed to be shadows under the swans!

And then it was time to frame the piece... this was tricky.  I had to stitch the 2D part to cardboard that I cut to fit the frame so that the fibre wouldn't buckle...  

...then glued a clean piece of cardboard over that to make a nice clean back.  

And it was finally finished!  

It was June 20 so the piece is named Solstice Swans,

enjoying each other's company in their own little paradise.