Today I arrived at The French Art Colony to teach a weekend of feltmaking in Gallipolis, OH for Marlene of Marlene's Felting Madness.

Half of the felters for the weekend showed up in time to take in some sights in the adorable riverside town. The gingko trees along the avenue were busting out in new leaves. Even in surprising little tufts along their trunk.

Of the dozen felters registered for the workshop there are a couple novices and a couple newbies along with many seasoned feltmakers like Bonnie Ahrens; Tammy; Barb, whose felt vessel has just juried into an exhibit of fine art in Manchester; Jan, who exhibits at the TAA of Cleveland Museum Fashion Show in Mentor OH and Pam MacGregor, who strive for recognition of felt as an artistic medium. (By the way, it was Pam who picked me up at the airport in Columbus this morning and drove us the three hours to Gallipolis. Visiting about felting and people we know in common and teaching made the three hours fly by.)

Seated from left to right, is Barb, Pam, Me, Colleen, Tammy, Sherry, Bonnie, Katherine, Jan, Christy, (Suzy is taking the photo) and Marlene is front and center.

We went out as a group to The Iron Gate Grille in Point Pleasant, WV. Not only was the food good but, there was the bonus of singing waitstaff. Audrey Lopes (left) sang mostly in a country style, except when covering Norah Jones tunes. Brittany Franklin (right) had a velvet voice that covered a range of musical genre from Patsy Cline's Crazy to her delicious arrangement of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.
When they opened the mike to the audience, our Tammy stunned us all with her cover of Stand By Your Man by that other Tammy.

Well, it is now nearly 11:30 and my day began at 3 a.m. to catch the 6 a.m. flight so...off to bed with me. More tomorrow?