Our Felted Valentines were lovely

Valentine's Workshop is always loads of fun, very girly.  I look it at as a way to have a crafty special day full of felting and yummy food.  A couple years ago when I conceived of this class, I found a recipe for Apple Cheddar Soup and thought how wintry and decadent!   Served in a bread bowl, thank you Panera, and topped off with a chocolatey dessert...(this year we had hand dipped Oreo Cookies with pink and red hearts sprinkled all over them - more local talent).  OK so enough about the food, here's the fun we had felting our flowers...

 

  

  

  

 

Freya's Storage Box Next Installment

Freya and I have been working at getting the design just right, and now the last bit is to confirm the size of her storage box, below shows the progression of the sketching process.  We reviewed many of my works and we also discussed Kandinsky, so I had a focus to work towards.  The sketch below is the first and from here we discussed likes dislikes color changes and more pattern.

I resubmitted the sketch and Freya and I are VERY happy with the new look, more clear color more pattern ...what do you think?

 

You might be able to recognize some of my patterns, Dots and Ohs and Leaves are the key players, I play with the B&W check and like the "ladder" motif, it has good action movement and leads you up!  This piece is going to be so cool!

Custom Pillows For Via Design

Here's a custom fabric work for a big pillow on each sofa in a very cool colorful space designed By Lee Perault of Via Designs.  Color and the wall, color of the sofa and pop colors in the new rug and the new patterned upholstery tells me where my clients are heading for a look.  They selected a design from my portfolio, (draped on the back of the new sofa) and (at the bottom) now I sketch my design to scale.  The sketchbook page, shows the 24" pillow to scale, and with a couple of fabric back options below.  I will rework the back pattern to make a little more simple dynamic interest.  We have decided to go with the green patterned fronts and the olives with the dashed intersecting or striping line for the backs.  

More to follow!!!

 Well, today is April 1st and no fooling, I am finally getting Lee's beautiful pillows finished.  I have 5 pieces of felt fabric, two for the fronts and two for the backs and one for the cording.  The above photo shows all stages side by side.  Hopefully the next photo will be of the beautiful pillows on her customers sofa!

Where did January go? Felt a Flower Valentine

Valentine's is less than a week away and am am doing my Painted Flower workshop Saturday.  The studio and house are getting some sweet decorations.  I picked up a fun paper craft book called Girlagami by Cindy Ng and am having so much fun with this cutie book.  I am still stuck on the Hearts, you' see, I'll post my decorated kitchen in a couple of days. Don't you want those shoes too?  My Valentine's Workshop is so much fun, it is a girly treat - retreat for sure.  This is the third year I am doing it, and it is now tradition, I make a decadent lunch, which I have decided is wintry and yummy, apple and cheddar cheese soup and a chocolaty treat for dessert.  The felt we create are  some sort of flower, some years I do dimensional flowers like pins and such. This year we will do the "Paint a Flower", which is great for felters with a bit of experience, because we play with such interesting techniques, building upon the way we put down fiber.   Think watercolor looks, tight detail, and even some dimensional do-dads.  Here are some of my flower pieces from the past...I'll have to add a new one here after the class!

 

 

 

Claire Murray's Magazine and Inspiration

I have picked up this lovely magazine a couple of times before and this past week I got the most current issue and LOVE IT!!  It is beautiful.  The photos are delicious.  The quotes that used to "wrap" each section are perfect.  And the women who are highlighted in this publication are also inspiring.

Though it seems we never have to look far for inspiration, I am currently reading Three Cups of Tea (one man and many young women).

Our world is filled with inspiring stories about heroes every day helping the thousands in Haiti, so my senses are filled with inspiration.  Sometimes I feel so small, what can I do to help such a big problem?  I know there are lots of things we can do, and in the book by Greg Mortensen, when he meets with a very poor refugee, the older man is saddened that he cannot even offer a cup of tea, the only thing he can offer is a prayer.  So yes, even the smallest gesture can have the biggest effect.   ahhh... 

So back to my newest magazine, and why I love it (and so many other magazines).  We are in the throws of January in New England, and it is cold, and very white and bare.  I find most years I create the best during this seasonal void not being distracted by my gardens and the other beautiful things that surround me.

 

Photo from La Vie Claire, Quote Bloom  "Find your seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a beautiful flower" -Shigenori Kameoka

 

Photo from La Vie Claire, Quote: Indulge "Every once in a while, a girl has to indulge herself." -Sarah Jessica Parker

My studio is getting cleared out for a transformation (I am thinking Tuscany, I am going to make my studio into a Tuscan escape!) and am working on a colorful box for a customer and pillow fabric for another.  My paints are out, my notebook open and soon to have fiber in the dye pots!