Nuno Felting!

Quite a few years ago--maybe 10?--I took a weekend nuno felting course with Polly Sterling and her amazingly talented daughter Mwfanwy (now in NYC). It was a weekend full of creative women, hard work, good food, wine, and fabulous felt! With Polly's help we all made quite a few yards--maybe 9 yds--of felted material on silk which we then turned into jackets. Honestly, though, I have forgotten quite a bit of how I actually did this...sooooo off to the Internet and I found a tutorial and I had Gary pick up some bubble wrap and a pool noodle and today is the day. What I'm trying to do is use some silk scarves I have. I originally bought these blanks to dye but have become tired of doing that and I have some already dyed which are, frankly, ugly. The first piece is just on an undyed piece of silk and the second one is a scarf which my friend dyed but the colors and design are wild and not that appealing so I thought that would be a good one to play with. I still have some beautiful Australian merino wool I bought at Polly's so here we go!

Supplies

Laying out the bits of wool on a piece of silk

Covering the piece with plastic after laying it on bubble wrap

Rolling everything up to start the felting onto the silk

After the wool has migrated into the silk I start to throw it down, over and over to actually felt the wool and pucker the silk

This one is on that ugly scarf--should have done both sides because the back is STILL UGLY!!

After wetting it down with soapy water and rolling it up

Ready to be thrown around

OK now I'm off to take photos of the actual finished pieces...I don't really like them as much as I had hoped but I'm still new at this...

Here they are...

And the ugly backside!!! Yikes!

The front but now that it's nighttime my lighting is off...

Anyway, I'm going back to my weaving...

xo

My week...

I have been working like mad making purses--using some handwoven material I had set aside. I had a wonderful 3 days of energy!! Maybe it started because I went riding (ok I can still feel that--ouch). In anycase I got 12 purses done, lined, sewed, photographed and two loaded on Etsy! phew...

All pinned and ready...

Done...and used some of my batik fat quarters for the lining.

And some lining is silky polyester...

AND, of course, my own hand made buttons!! YAY!

However, not all went according to plan this week. My Mom fell and has two black eyes according to my sisters. And her 90th birthday is coming up and friends and family are taking her out to dinner (and taking pictures!!). She has become a little compulsive and was rushing and tripped on the cement outside her house. I haven't seen her but we are thankful that she didn't break anything. I swear she has good peasant stock in her bones! And to add to all this, my van has died...transmission...SIGH...I think I will have to rent a car to get to NH for the party. Don't know if we are going to have the van fixed--taking it tonight to a transmission guy to run some more tests! ARRRRGGGGG!!!! But I did have three good days in a row. And even though I'm tired today, I feel so good about what I accomplished!! And Noah called. He left his pillow here. What is life without a good pillow!!?

Happy Wednesday!!

xo

First Ride--Happy Spring!!!

Happy Spring everyone!!!!

The sun is shining and I just had my first ride since the last surgery in December! YAY!!! We worked in the arena for about 10 minutes and then went out in the field for 20 or so...Had to go out early while it was still alittle frozen because everything is pretty muddy around here. Snow still in the woods but the sun...ahhhhhh the sun is amazing. I think I need the light to function. Dommie did well, a little frisky but we mostly just walked with a little trotting. Will have to work to get him back in shape (and me, too). Took this picture after they went out to the pasture. Seems I tuckered him out! :D As soon as they saw me coming they came over for an apple and I didn't disappoint them! Happy Spring! I love it!!!

These pictures were taken a couple of days ago...Noah just left for school after being home for the week. Love his energy!

Noah off to collect some kindling for me!

To the woods...

Path to the pond...

Our pond...I wouldn't walk on it!!


Enjoy!!!!

xo

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

I know it's been a long time since I blogged because I have been so tired. I did get a good CT scan a couple of weeks ago!! YAY!! However, I have been napping every day--just no energy. Trying to walk when it doesn't rain but mostly just blah...Then Noah came home for the week and just having someone in the house has helped.

I started working on little fun evening bags for my Etsy shop (more later when I photograph), went out for the first time with Gary since November to a coffee/wine bar. Had a blast and got to hear Noah play in a local band because they were short a fiddler. Our friend, Mark, is on the bodhran and I wish I knew how to flip the video right-side-up but oh well. I should know better than to take it like this on my little camera since I did the same thing when he played for his brother's wedding but...can I still blame chemo?? Oh, maybe it was the wine...hmmmm. Good wine...I might have gotten a little loud....

Meanwhile keeping Japan in our prayers and thoughts...
xo

Out for a walk...

Off to visit the horses...

OK, Dommie looks startled because I have been in the house for 2 months and he no longer knows who I am...Duke is rarely startled by anything and is using this as an opportunity to eat Dommie's hay.

Oh, it's just you...

I'm off following the trail.

with Mieux who loves it when we come out to play!

Time for a little fun with the sled Gary was using to haul wood.

Waiting for spring but still loving winter!

I am trying to remember to get outside every day... ok I've gone outside yesterday and today but it's a start, right? It was sunny, cold and beautiful this afternoon and I went to see the horses, took Mieux (our French Canadian barn kitty) for a walk, following the tracks to find my husband cutting down thorn apple trees. On the way back I gave the horses some carrots and now they love me again! Had enough energy today to finish a length of weaving which will become wide scarves with buttons and then made fried rice with one large shitaki mushroom that Gary grew and baked some squash. Yummmm...now for wine and a book...

xo

Painted Desert Scarf

A beautiful day to photograph--overcast with a beautiful light! Thank you Katie for coming over for this. You are beautiful, too!

...cliff dwellings, striated rock faces, mountain streams, sunset...this one makes me happy.

Enjoy!

xo

Hand Made Buttons!

Oh my good god, I am in love with these buttons!! The detail in these...the color...I think I'm changing careers and getting a kiln! Mary Harding (http://www.maryhardingjewelry.etsy.com/) says I can get one for only $650 and free shipping. hmmmmm...I wonder how many buttons I have to make to justify that? Below is the new scarf I have been working on--more photos will come when Katie gets back from her weekend and I can photograph and load on Etsy.




Went over to Mary's studio where she had already sanded and bisqued fired the clay buttons I made before Christmas. Then I painted them with different glazes and she fired them again for 9 hours. Went back yesterday with my etsy model (Katie) and fell in love with all of them--even the ones that were too heavily glazed and lumpy. I think they are beautiful and they feel wonderful. Then, of course, we made more. I'm going to move in with Mary (though her husband might object). Maybe I can live in her barn/studio. I think I need to look on Craig's list for a kiln.





Below is the before picture. All white and before I glazed them...sooooo pretty! And Mary had glazed shards with the new glazes so we could see what they look like fired! All labeled and everything organized. I'm turning into a button freak!

Enjoy your Friday!

xo