Travel Ideas; New York

I recently visited NYC, my goals when I travel is to find treasures, be it shops, food delights or color, textiles and art, my eye looks for adventure.  I think that's whay I respond to the repeating pattern in things. Here are a few things I spied on my trip. See if you don't agree that I am funny about pattern and color, to read my whole entry and follow my tour through out Manhattan, check out my new Travel: Food, Color and Pattern Page

About Tea and Tea Cups

I have just finished a couple of felted tea cups - one is an order, the other I will put on my Etsy site, but based on the comments I am getting on the Festive Fibers Facebook page, I better get busy and make many more of these!! What do you think?

 

The concept for the felted tea cup, I am sure is not a new one, years ago I was juried into SOFA and invited to participate in a gallery's Tea Pot exhibit.  This was an annual juried show by this gallery, and I was honored to participate.  The tea pot I made was very funny (I thought) and had a (nod to pop culture) pun embeded into the name and look of the vessel.  My entry was called Harry T Potter!  Harry Potter was just out, and I had just dyed some crazy mohair locks.  The vessel had a self hinged lid which I saw as a wizard's hat, and the handle reflected a dragon's tail.  It was further embellished with beading.

So the other tea-lish-ous aspect in my life is that I am a tea buff, well not a purist, but I first started by collecting tea pots.  We honeymooned in the UK and I was further enamored with tea, the process and accoutrements.   We came home with a Portmeirion Dishes Tea Service set, which at the time was not available in the states.  Some of the first tea accessories I made as Festive Fibers were tea pot cozies.  These also were made taller and more narrow for french press coffee pots, I should quite a number of these (some as hats!)

Tom and I have even enjoyed a tea tasting at a very famous place in San Francisco's China Town.  We so love finding a pearl on our travels, and this was one.  We were doing a show in San Francisco and had time to explore, when came across Red Blossom Tea Company, and had a tea tasting with the son of the owner, a very knowledgeable young man.  We were entranced by the art of the tea leaf, the country it comes from, how it is picked, the season, if it is aged, white teas, loose green teas, to black and brewing time and vessels, etc.  We brought home a souvenir of 4 or 5 gourmet teas;

our favorites being Tung Ting and Inner Blossom Jasmine.    

Tea continues in my life when, a couple of years ago I was teaching at a retreat course called Art IsYou...and that year's theme was Alice in Wonderland.  And of course the underlying theme of the Mad Hatter's tea party inspired me to create a class teaching how do do these cups and saucers.  (Isn't it a wicked coincidence that the Mad Hatter IE. "Mad as a Hatter" has its roots in felt making?  Thank goodness I don't use mercury in my felts!  I am wacky enough!)  That year Stampington was one of Art Is...sponsors, and at the end of the retreat the producers sent all sorts of entries to them for consideration in their publications.  My cup and saucer ended up on an editor's desk and about a year later, this past October, it was published in Stampington Somerset Home's 2011 Issue. 

Holiday Baking

I love baking and am exploring recipes I have never made before, for our Christams goodies this year.  I made traditional Stollens, only four, and they are already all spoken for, next time I double the recipe!  And I made gluten free Ginger Bread Men.  The GF version is my present to my dearest friend for Christmas, recently diagnosed with ciliac, I am happy to help test recipes and this one is very good.  I thought I'd share a couple of photos of the cookies, which reminds me of a textile design I might have made a number of years ago when I worked for Cranston Home Fashions and we did holiday lines, all that's missing is a green or red background and some metallic gold!  I hope you and your families have a Joyous and Blessed Holiday Season, take time (like I finally did today) and share your talents with others. 

Christmas Tree Skirts

As I decorate the house for the holidays I have come to realize that I want a new and fabulous Christmas Tree Skirt.  I have been using a piece of fabric I designed when I worked at Cranston Home Fashions, and after we moved to New Hampshire, the pattern on it seemed just perfect for my skirt, though with all great intentions to somehow finish it (line with a wonderful wool fabric or some such thing)  I have not gotten around to it.  SO I thought "what can I find out there on the world wide web" for inspiration.  And yes I am thinking FELT.  Patterned? Or maybe edged with dimensional objects, a winter scene with cutie little animals, a nativity, I'm not sure but I am feeling the creative juices flowing.  So while poking around on-line, I came across a few skirts that said, "Nicole".  We'll have to see how these fun references inspire me and my new tree skirt...   

Anthrolopogie Catalog Holiday 2011 Selection



Tree Skirt posted by thisnext



Tree Skirt by RedMarionette Etsy



Kaleidescope Tree Skirt by Chicago Lost and Found

Tree Skirt (pattern) by Fiber Artist Deb Karasik





Scarves On-Line (Flowered Yarn)

So a few weeks ago I posted on Facebook, a photo of an amazing skein of yarn I bought while exploring a near-by part of Vermont.  I was out with my husband and mother-in-law, she an advid knitter, visiting local craft shows and shops, where fiber definitely seemed to be a theme.  Well, I really have to admit the main reason for the visit to Proctorsville, VT was actually PIE.  We discovered a really great breakfast and pie place I had no idea exsisted and since I am a very big fan of pie, and I had also known about a yarn store, Six Looses Ladies, there but had not had the opportunity to visit it, our day's excursion was set - off we went!  We began the day with a late breakfast early lunch at the  VT Apple Pie and Cheesecake Bakery and Breakfast.  Here are some photos from their Facebook page.

After we finished lunch we stopped around the corner at Six Loose Ladies.  While shopping at this great little treasure, a very unique skein of hand spun yarn jumped off the shelf at me.  It is hand dyed and spun into the ply are little flowers!! I bought it right away and envisioned it going right into some wooly scarves!


I was determined to try it in a scarf, and since I was doing an on-line scarf class yesterday I used it for my demonstration.  Here are a a couple of photos from yesterday's session.  So MUCH FUN, I can't wait to make some scarves with this!

the table full of of fiber, some from NEFS, yarn from Six Loose Ladies, and fabrics from Delectable Mountain Cloth

  

The finished sample



Color Made Easy

I think I am reverting to my old magazine-holic ways, yesterday I spontaneously purchased the Meredith publication "Color Made Easy"  Fall/Winter 2011 Issue. 

 If you haven't gotten this issue, hurry and get it!  For those of you who have taken my Color Theory Class or any of my workshops where I have talked about mixing pattern textures and scale (all of them!), contrasting and pairing colors, this publication is a beautiful version of what I preach!!  This is the perfect time of year to begin our nesting impulses and get your winter reading materials piled to the ready at the chair side.  This inspiration book is on the top of mine.  When the holiday grinds to a halt in January and the New England country side turns grey and neutral, my colorful inspiration time blooms!  I think of rooms I want to change, spruce up, and color color color!!  My favorite paint company of the moment is Yolo ColorHouse and believe it or not you can get Yolo Colorhouse at Home Depot! (find them on Facebook and follow their colorful path)
Here are some of the colors I am thinking for some of my rooms. 
Upstairs Bath: Create 03
Dining Room: Dream 06 
Kitchen and Porch:  Thrive 03

What are some of your favorite colors of the moment?