chirp chirp

Hello! What a great feeling it is when a new project works out. I made these lovebirds last night, and was so inspired by them, I would've been happy just working into the wee hours of the morning. Of course, my 9 to 5 the next day would've been a headache so I painfully tore myself away from the sewing table. I started with a simple pattern and then started sketching out adjustments to create the look I had in my mind. A shorter tail, a rounder belly, a little nip here, a little tuck there.
And of course, there will be felt in these little feathered friends. There's still a bit of work to do before they're exactly how I want them, but I think I'm on the right track. I think they'd be a nice addition to some new spring themed items coming in the shop soon.

For now, here are the prototypes......

that spring thing

I wouldn't say that spring is my favorite season. It doesn't compare to the warm summer evenings, or the fiery autumn foliage, or even the frosty winter mornings in December. There is something about it though. That burst of life after months of cold and gray.
I've got a couple items green-themed to herald in the spring season. A scarf, handfelted and machine stitched, which will be photographed and added to shop soon. Maybe a little forest of tree folk, and something extra special to honor those little white flowers which are the first blooms to come up in the new year - snowdrops.

Here's a quick peek of the scarf...

little hearts

Been doing a bit of sewing lately. The pouches for these heart pairs for one, and a new green scarf which will be added to the shop this week.
Not much to say right now, just some pictures to share.

ceramics

I am in love with this medium. I knew all that bottled up energy from the days (years actually!) of dreaming about taking a pottery class would all come rushing out, but I had no idea! It did take a while to get the basic technique down, and I'm still learning, but it is great fun. So far, I've made a few bowls and vases, with much help from my teacher. I'm at the point where I want to experiment; carving with linocutters, printing with lead lettertype, cutting out holes to thread with felted cords.

Tonight I think I'll give the letterpress idea a try.

shine

What's new....
A cream handfelted bowl in the store ~ check etsy.


I've been wrapping up some loose ends here lately. Two major shipments were sent out to stores last week, which involved some serious time commitment on my side, hence my very minimal posting on etsy lately. The past few days I've been slowly picking up the felting needles to work on that new project I mentioned in the last post. Some of the supplies I ordered apparently weren't in stock anymore, so I'll have to wait a couple weeks before I can start assembling. But looking on the bright side, at least I'll have enough time to get the flowers finished. I don't want to give away too much, but inspiration for the new piece stems from the tree folk I made for LOLA.
Below, the very first flower which will be going into the new spring item. I made a wee mistake in its design. Maybe I'll turn this flower into a brooch, and start anew on the other one.

a new tree

But they will still be fondly referred to as 'tree folk.' I've got a new forest that will be making their way to LOLA soon enough. I've also got a wild new idea involving their shape and a specific type of flower which has just popped out of the ground in my backyard this week. I'm hoping I can execute them using felt. Having an idea is one thing, actually trying to shape it into something artistic and inspiring is another.


And on another note: Obama! Woot woot! Can I say how proud and honored I am to just bear witness to this day, this moment in history. Congratulations America!

happy 2009

A new year. A new start.

This year I want to:
Be as creative as I can.
Take more pictures.
Slow down.
Eat well.
Enjoy.

Next week Monday I'll be starting my very first of 12 ceramic and pottery classes. Very excited, and hopefully I'll have some pictures to show.