Spring Talmadge Show

My husband and I have been doing the Talmadge Art Show, twice a year, for the past five years. This time instead of individual displays we decided to mix it up. With our felt and leather pieces complimenting one another, we created our own little wearable art boutique!

You can click on the picture below, for a closer look.

This was the debut show for my new gauze shawls. It was wonderful to see people wearing and draping them in so many creative ways.

I think Susan looks smashing in this shawl with the big medallions.

Nuno Felt Collars

Today I listed six of my Nuno Felt Collars.  These are so light to wear and easy on and off by way of little magnetic clasps.  My favorite of these babies ( I know, mom's are not supposed to have favorites) is the one with the tiny iridescent snail shells and pearls.

Wearable Art

My sweet young friends came over the other day and I had a great time taking photos of them in all my felt pieces.  It was a perfect spring day, so I took the pictures  outside in every corner of our beautiful yard. I just uploaded the first batch to some of my Etsy Shop  listings, and I'm pleased with the results.  The pieces come to life when they are worn, which is the whole point to wearable art!  

I also took pictures of these and several other new pieces that I will be listing in the next week

Jinelle looks lovely in the Vintage Button Nuno Felt Collar

Kirstin strikes a dramatic pose in the Floral and Flame Nuno Felt Scarf

Etsy, like Betsy without the "B"

Etsy has got to be one of the most wonderful web sites.   

I'm having such fun with My Etsy Shop. And of course shopping on Etsy is great.  I found some beautiful pieces of antique sari silk from India, offered by a friend and one of my best teachers.  Her shop is called Glitz And Pieces .  She lives in India and finds the most wonderful silk for nuno felting.  The place she lives in is called Pushkar, so I named the two scarves I listed this morning in My Etsy Shop , Pushkar Evening and Pushkar Sunset.  The next best thing would be to visit Pushkar myself...........Believe me, it's on my list!!

Studio Workshop

This week my studio became a classroom, for the first in a series of Nuno Felt Workshops.  The space is perfect for classes.

I posted some beautiful photos on Flicker, of the class , and the lovely work it produced.

Thanks to Jan, Pat, Jocelyn, and Kirstin for a great two days. 

Here are some photos from those two days

www.flickr.com

Felting Below Zero

I didn't have my blog when I was in Anchorage, Alaska in January.  But I do now so I'll talk about the wonderful Nuno Felt Workshop I taught at the Knitting Grounds .  Last year my dear friend Zaynab urged me to teach a workshop at her beautiful shop. This January was my second time teaching in Anchorage, and I love it.  Here I am with my terrific students who all had a wonderful time in our workshop which I dubbed, "Felting Below Zero"! The knit shop was a warm and cozy retreat from the below zero temps that persisted the whole time I was in Anchorage.  I lived in Anchorage for 15 years and can't remember a winter when we had below zero temps for weeks on end.

But summer in Anchorage is the best, and we are working on a Nuno Felt workshop/retreat in Hope , a charming old gold mining town just outside of Anchorage, this summer.  My daughter and son in law have a sweet cabin in Hope where they spend as much free time as they can, so I can combine my two loves, family and felting in one Alaskan weekend.    I'll keep you posted on those developments.

As for workshops in the immediate future:  I have two 2 day workshops planned to be held in my San Diego studio,  March 22 & 23, and April 2 & 3.  I will also be doing one in Phoenix the weekend of March 28 & 29.  For anyone interested, just email me hilltopbeader@cox.net  

Starting Out

So much is happening in my life around my felting and I would like to share these experiences. I have enjoyed reading other artists blogs, so.....I am starting one for myself. 

I am a fiber artist primarily creating  nuno felt.  Over the years I have enjoyed many avenues of artistic expression.  I was a potter for many years, a glass artist, and a beader.  But along the way I have always had a close kinship with fabric and fiber.  My mother was a seamstress and knitter extrodinaire and she taught me sewing and knitting when I was a little girl. Several years ago I discovered felt. Fabulous, freeing felt!  For me it combines the love I have for textiles and fiber, the stunning color I found in glass and beads, and the malleability of clay.  I am at home with felting, both in the pleasure of creating my own work and sharing my love of this exciting medium by teaching.