Maybe you're wondering what the heck has been keeping me from keeping current with this blog. Well, where to begin. As inquiries about workshops mount up, I've begun compling the list and descriptions of new ones. Perhaps I shouldn't talk to you about the ones that are still firming up but, I like to share the process behind some of them. The pieces left are the front and back shots of a reversible pendant that features a complex cane hand felted bead on one side and a blob of glass I purchased in Seattle.
They are bezeled back to back in a technique I teach that works for any shape cab. The necklace is a fascinating rope that is supple and lovely as a necklace and I might even like it more as a bangle/bracelet. Fran and I brainstormed about names for some of the nameless projects. Evocative of its skyline and colors, this is Midnight in Manhattan. The kits for Midnight in Manhattan are ample for a necklace (with or without a pendant) or two bracelets. Expect to hear more about this when the kits are ready.

You know I've been bezeling my brains out. Hmm, Phyllis suggested that perhaps I can imagine a bezel book on the horizon. Maybe. Though still working on a dozen new designs for some of Genevieve's rare and unusual Swarovski elements, I am playing with the ways to use them.

The challenge is that, unlike most cabs or rivolis that are set into beadwork and viewed straight on, these cabs are embraced in a surround of beads to be appreciated from every angle. Used on the end of bead crochet, we can see the texture and color of the entire piece.

Meanwhile, did I tell you that Genevieve (from Bead Gallery Inc) and I are collaborating on a line of kits featuring my designs and her inventory of Swarovki. (Yes, in addition to contemporary elements we'll draw from her collection of rare and vintage stash.) We are working on them passionately and hoping to have the first designs available in a couple weeks. Providing lots of bling for the buck, and trying to prevent the angst of indecision, we're pricing them such that beaders will want to buy a few at a time.

Plus, we're kitting this project called 20 carat Diamond Ring. Hey, Amy, this one if for you!! It is a ginormous "diamond" set in sterling silver charlottes.

During my week's absence I also had to take and upload photos of the Bead and Button Show classes I'll teach in June. This year's photos are a marked improvement over last year's. Next blog entry...

My train ride down to Kinokuniya Bookstore in Manhattan was a delight, as Fran and I traveled down together. We wrapped up the morning with a snack together and then I headed off to the bookstore to set up the trunk show and workshop. Fran headed uptown for another booksigning event. When she showed me the iTouch case she just felted, I had to shoot it to share with you. It is just as sparkly and warm as Fran is!

This is the trunk show display, stacks of books ready for inscribing and to the right, off camera is the workshop set up.

Omi Gray showed up wearing an amazing, seamlessly felted nuno jacket. Not only is the scrim fabric silk chiffon. The wool felted into it is a silk blend.

The workshop was an introduction to needle felting. Victoria made a pumpkin ornament for starters.

Hellura (left) and I met at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival.
She makes handbags, mostly wool and often from recycled sweaters. When I shared with her the potential of needle felting as a means to embellish and decorate the surface, she was keenly interested. I cannot wait to see how this new technique informs her work. The young woman in the center is August. Though she joined us late, she was a quick study and created a small sculpture. Victoria (right) frequents Kinokuniya and joined me for the first event here in July. She is an avid crafter and student of Japanese.

November 15th, also a Sunday, I return for a 3 hour felted flower workshop/trunk show/book signing. Hope to see you then. It is the rare occasion to enjoy a workshop for the discounted $25, that includes materials. Expect to make a felted flower or bangle bracelet. Call for reservations 212-869-1700. WIsh they had a sexy website to link you to. Au contraire.

This is Jilly Bead's Double ab Siam Pat Riesner heart. If you're on her Christmas list, guess what you're getting. She loved Pat's process for making this and intends to repeat it several times. Pat teaches this heart and a version that has the remembrance-ribbon symbol ( or whatever you would call it) woven into it in you color choice for ribbon. Click onto to site and buy one ready made!
Annette and her lovely daughter Naima came to the studio class this evening. Annette made this little pile of bezels after her last visit. She sells them as earrings. Her preference is for the clear ones rather than the mirrored ones with metallic coated undersides.
This necklace is one of Annette's original and one-of-a-kind pieces. It is bead crocheted and utterly fabulous. Notice the bracelets she is wearing. You can find her beaded jewelry at a most wonderful venue in Rhinebeck, NY on November 20, 21, and 22. It is a select assemblage of fine craftspersons at the Delameter House right there on Rte 9. To say the work is reasonably priced is an understatement. Represented last year, and I expect this year, are glass workers, beaders, jewelers, leather workers, fiber artists, paper makers, wood workers, ceramists...Gosh. I recall purchasing leather bound diaries, swirly striped tumblers and rocks glasses, a knitted hat that fits over my big dreaded head. Jane bought a metal and glass puzzle, one of Annettes beaded rings, and the same glassware...I want to say there were candles and ornaments and well, it had about everything you would want in a gift.
Same weekend is the Dutchess County Arts Council Craft Show. Selling her gossamer silk and wool scarves and beaded jewelry, Elizabeth Buchtman returns again this year. I sat on the jury last year for this show and I tell you, the other jurors gasped in amazement and delight when the slide of Elizabeth's saffron scarf came up. BTW, she and one of her saffron scarves is a chapter in HOW WE FELT. Last year several of us started in Poughkeepsie NY at the DCAC Show and headed north to Delameter House.

Just a couple more to share from last weekend's NY Sheep and Wool Festival. This is Kimberly D'Auria (kdhats@aol.com) of D'auria Designs. She is a feltmaker from Wallkill NY. She is a regular exhibitor at S&W.

Barbel Eggers is peeking over the top of her triple-award winner skirt. She enters hand felted items into the competition every year and every year she wins many ribbons. This skirt won several all on its own.

The Rail Trail over the Hudson, a former railroad bridge, has exceeded all of the state park's expectations in popularity. It opened a couple weeks ago and has been teeming with people everyday, even in Sunday's wind and rain. We were there on a Tuesday! in the afternoon! and we wondered where all the people came from. We drove up and down the access road looking for parking nearer the entry. A car from Indiana pulled out and we pulled in. (We were there for a walk but, not a walk along the access road!) The foliage is magnificent, though one can imagine a fine walk here at any time. When the snow flies won't it be beautiful here? Wondering if there will be cross country skiing? Hmm. Lovely.

Midway out, looking south, the Mid-Hudson Bridge. The tracks below on the right are for freight and a couple trains passed while we were on the trail.

Not wishing to compromise people's privacy, I waited until there was a lull in the foot-traffic before taking this shot of the trail. It is wide cement separated with rubbery joins. There is a fence along the sides that provides a sense of sefety but doesn't occlude the view. There were entire familes, babies in strollers, a bazillion dog-walkers, college groups, seniors, wheelchairs and in-row skaters.

There was even a cowboy on his horse. When we inquired about that, the park patrol staff replied that since it is new, there are going to be those who will test the limitations. There is no signage to forbid such things yet and perhaps it will come to that. Dog-owners, with one exception I noticed, had picked up after their dogs, if it had even been necessary. But, who would be picking up after the horse??? Yikes!

Tourists to the Hudson Valley will likely add this to their list of excursions. And for those of us lucky enough to live nearby, it is a walk to be repeated regularly.

Here are the pics from the NY Sheep and Wool Show that I promised yesterday. I just COULDN'T get them to upload. This is Marlene in her booth Marlene's Felting Madness. She has a wealth of felting supplies and fibers.

She pointed out her "self-portrait" hat, featuring a felted teacup complete with sparkling sugar cube! The fabulous critter to the left is a signature sculptural project taught by Hungarian feltmaker Judit Pocs. But, last year Judit was unable to honor her commitment to teach at the Midwest Felting Symposium and, when asked if she knew another European feltmaker who would step in for her, she sent Annemie Koenen in her place. (If you click on Annemie, ask for translation of website). After teaching at the symposium, Annemie taught this workshop on Judits behalf at a specially scheduled workshop that followed at Susan's Fiber Shop. Annemie and I were roomates during the symposium and became fast friends. As editor of the Dutch felt magazine, tijdschrift: Viltkontakt, she asked me to write an article that tells my story of how I came to feltmaking. We were hoping to teach together in Germany and Holland in 2010, and realize that it is more likely for 2011.

I too knew Judit, for we both taught week-long workshops at Fibres Ballarat, in Australia last April. Our adjacent classrooms were separated by wonderful plate glass windows so we could watch the creations taking place in both areas. Her emphasis was hats, while mine was felted and beaded jewelry. I'll try to get some photos from our teaching adventures in Oz into a blog post soon. I went on to teach in Orange at another fiber conference called Tafta Fibre Forum, after a weeklong trek across the Lake Mungo region with several other fibre artists. Cindy Feinstein is wearing the bracelet she made in my workshop in North Jersey Fiber Arts Festival. When we split after the short and sweet workshop she was less than thrilled with her piece. Having had the luxury of time to work on it a bit more, she is proud to show me her final work.

Our neighbor's booth, Artisan Buttons, gave us much eye candy. Her punch needle embroidered buttons are spectacular.

She said she might see me at Kinokuniya Bookstore next Sunday for the 2-5pm workshop. Hope so.

Fran and Jamie are sisters who also share a passion for feltmaking. They are wearing their nuno felted neckwear. Jamie's, on right, was made in the workshop at Bead Gallery Inc last weekend in Salem NH.

Another fun day at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival. For 45 minutes I have been trying to upload pictures for you and alas, they do not want to play nice. I am weary from the long day of schmoozing and selling and then packing everything up from my friend Susan's LAST SHOW. So, meanwhile, here is what I wish to share and hopefully tomorrow I can post the pictures.
We were neighbors with Susan of Artisan Buttons and Accessories. She had beautiful handcrafted buttons. The ones that particularly captured my attention and respect were the igolochkoy or miniature punch needle embroidery she does with her hand dyed wool thread. They were stunning little articles. Despite several attempts, the address she gave me to link to isn't doesn't work but, type http://www.buttonshow.etsy.com/ and you'll get there. Go figure!
In the adjacent building I found Marlene of Marlene's Felting Madness. It took me just a moment to remember meeting her and making time to visit with her at the Midwest Felting Symposium. She and her husband Carl, here from Ohio, had a large space offering an array of fiber and felting supplies. Her felting demonstrations throughout the festival attracted crowds and hopefully enlightened a few hundred more people about feltmaking. She is a delight and a thorough and wonderful source I am happy to tell you about.
Fran and Jamie dropped by to say hello. These sisters live miles apart and are both artistically inclined. They share a fondness for feltmaking and are seen here in some of their wearables. Jamie (on right) is wearing neckwear she made in the Bead Gallery workshop last week. The spiral motif is a thicker area of wool and is sculpted to emphasize its roundness.
Cindy Feinstein came by to shwo me her felted beaded bangle. She created this piece in the workshop a couple weeks ago when I taught at the first annual North Jersey Fiber Arts Festival. She wasn't thrilled with it at the time. Since then she has done some further deconstruction and then bead embellishment and is now happy with the results. Her husband joined her at the festival, even though she put the show aside to take a workshop in collage feltmaking.

Today was a fabulous day at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. It is my once a year occasion to play "Suzie Retailer" and I enjoy it very much. This is my friend Susan's last year as a vendor and we are in a celebratory mood as she clears her inventory by offering most of it at 50% off. Today we saw many books and knitting needles fly off the shelves. I sold Turbo Felting Boards, signed books and showed off my Japanese felting book. A few folks I spoke with said they might come to Kinokuniya Bookstore next Sunday, across from Bryant Park, for my booksigning, trunk show and 2-5pm workshop. It is deeply discounted to $25 and this includes materials! Call the store to reserve your space. 212-869-1700. Expect to make a felted focal bead/pendant or ornament while learning needle felting techniques. THen return November 15th, same time same place for another $25 workshop and booksigning. This time expect to dabble in traditional feltmaking while creating a felt flower. There will be a trunk show of my felt jewelry as well.
Omi Gray came by the booth to say hello. I'm hoping she and David and I can meet for dinner next weekend after my event at Kinokuniya Bookstore. Check out her great hat. One of her hats is featured in HOW WE FELT. She is a feltmaker but primarily works and teaches workshops in metal clay and beadwork.
Terrie from StarrSpun Felt came by and we enjoyed a brief visit. You may recall my post about her exhibit at Crafts on Columbus in May. She will be showcased as "Emerging Artist" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Show next month.
Yikes, I have no link for Omi because I cannot find her website info OR HER PHONE NUMBER!!! Hope I can reach her and share her contact info with you later.