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. 

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?

Costumed Life Drawing

My Favorite things about life drawing:

1. the smell of the art studio

2. everyone set up at easels around the model

3. how warm the studio is

4. art supplies, my favorite is Utretch, I love the Cambridge, Mass location since the manager shipped an order of presentation boards out for me at like 4 in the afternoon, and got them on the fedex truck for me to receive them the next day! You rock!

5. Caran D'Ache NeocolorII Aquarelle

6. The Arts Students League in NYC where I first went in high school, to life study and studied with amazing artists

7. drawing and painting in Charlie Hunter's studio, thank you Charlie!

8. going with both friends Cindy and Carole Anne, both artists in their own rights.

I have posted some of my life drawings over the past few months, and I was finally able to get to this last  session, after having missed almost two months worth!  It was actually one in a series of at least sessions where the models were costumed in outfits from the Walpole, NH Historical Society's and Costume Ladies in Walpole.  I hear the models were quite fun to draw.  This weeks model was in the holiday mood, in a red and green costume and was dubbed the Holiday Wench.  My friend Cindy was there this week, and gave me a set of watercolor pastels so thats the color I played with!

20 minute sketch in graphite

30 minute with water color pastel washes

Sleeping "Holiday Wench" 1 hour graphite and Aquarelle wash

My Time at Norwalk Furniture

Well, I can't believe it was two weeks ago exactly I was touring the Norwalk Furniture factory.  We were five finalists and their guests, I brought Tom, Alex brought his mom and the other three, Laura, Troy and Kate came solo.  After a lovely (and long) day, (of anticipating) Candice Olson announced the winner, Kate Keough of Burlington Vermont.  We other four are runners up.  WHAT A GREAT ADVENTURE!  Each of our sofa design entries were on display for all to see at the Norwalk Pre-Market.  Their Pre-market is when they invite all their dealers to come to the factory to see the line before the High Point Markets, They also present a trend forecast which explains the whys and method of selection dozens of new fabrics each season.  The fabulous marketing and merchandising team of HB2 made a presentation of the likes I did when I was in textiles in NYC.  It was like a peek at my past (except they went to many more countries than ever I had!)

We arrived at Norwalk on Wed, late afternoon, in time for a dinner buffet and the opportunity to meet the great folks there, our competitors, see all the entries and also peruse the open floor of this season's newest furniture styles and fabrics and colors. 

Runner up Alex (rt) with his mom, enjoying the day's events

Thursday AM began at 9:00 we were promptly ushered to a full factory tour, and I stepped away with even more happy feelings of a company I really admire.  Lunch, and then a trend presentation by HB2, followed by a great presentation by Candice Olson on how she works with clients and an hour and half of seeing so many of her before and after projects.  I would love for Candice to do my bedroom! (OK Living room, kitchen and bathrooms!  I wonder what she can do in an 1830 cape?)

The announcement was made after all five of us were introduced and while I was not the winner I was so glad to be part of the whole experience.  I wonder what will come of my design anyway?

my badge

sitting in the circle of leather chairs so my colors!



all five of us await the WORD! (Kate at the far right is the winner)

awaiting the announcement, Alex, another runner up, is to my left

l-r me, Candice Olson and Tom

me and my board

one of the new Norwalk design for October Market - wow!

Troy - one of the runners up, like Candice too!



Candice Olson gave a lush presentation - we were right there!

Norwalk Sofa Contest: My Entry

Some of you may know, but for those who don't, I also work at a furniture store in Keene, NH called Syd's Carpet and Snooze Room a few days a week.  I have been designing rooms, selling furniture, flooring and bedding there for 4 years!  One of my favorite furniture lines we sell there is Norwalk Furniture.  I love this line, the company, and the recent influx of the coolest printed fabrics in the world!  As a textile designer I have pattern envy!

Norwalk is running a very interesting contest open to all sales/designers who sell their furniture in all the Norwalk Galleries across the country.  There are many national stores and galleries like the one at our store in Keene.  I thought it sounded fun and right up my alley as a designer, SO I ENTERED!!  If you were chosen as a finalist you go to Norwalk, Ohio to attend their pre-market showing for their reps and dealers letting folks know what will be presented at the upcoming furniture market in High Point.  The five finalists attend this October's pre-market, October 6th, and enjoy a full day of events which include a tour of the factory the Parade of Chairs, and where our sofa style Inspiration Boards will be on display for all in attendance to look at, including Candice Olson.  Candice - also of HGTV's Devine Design (one of my favorite design shows) - also designs a line of furniture for Norwalk, will be be presenting the winner! 

OK how much cooler can this contest get?  WAY!  So the prize?  The winner has their entry in the running line of styles for the next year, and over the next 5 months or so, work hand-in-hand with Norwalk's product development and marketing teams to bring the new style to April 2012's market.  The winner goes to HighPoint 2012 to present their style.

Can this get more exciting? YES! I AM ONE OF THE FIVE FINALISTS!!! 

Wish me luck! - Nicole