Alas, I didn't get it!

I had hoped to get some photos of the wraps I'd completed before they sold, but it didn't happen, just this one. This wrap is being worn by Channel 7, Detroit, news anchor, Kim. She did not buy it, just modeled it for me. She is beautiful and sweet!

All of the nuno felts sold, so I am busy making more. The whole week has been filled with dyeing, felting, dyeing some more and felting some more. Tonight I am having dinner with good friends and am looking forward to the break. Sometimes, my brain just hurts form the ideas and color combinations going through my head. I'll never have enough time to get all of the ideas completed! I'm sure you all have the same problem, don't you?

Peace to you all,
Suzanne

Fiber Expo

I'm off to the Fiber Expo here in Michigan in a few short hours. Since getting back from Rhinebeck, NY it's been busy here, dyeing and felting, mostly scarves. These are just some photos of the pieces that I did. I didn't get a chance to photograph them in their wearable state. Hopefully I'll get to do that this weekend.

Have a blessed weekend and happy felting!
Oh, did you see the moon the past few days/nights? Outstanding!
Suzanne

Autumn in New York and Thank God for Rhinebeck!

Each year I look forward to Rhinebeck and the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. When all other shows are down or slow, Rhinebeck never fails to be an adventurous, profitable and beautiful show. The buyers are educated, knowledgeable, share openly and teachers are outstanding! It is my favorite show, hands down. We had some pretty severe winds on Saturday, 50 mph gusts and the booth took a bit of a beating, but it survived. Sunday was a perfect autumn day with stunning color, sunshine, 68 degrees and lots of people. Check out the parking lot...and that's only part of it!

Little Ms. Ammie came to see me again this year! I love seeing her. We've been fiber friends for 3 or 4 years now. It is always wonderful to see the changes in her. What a lovely young woman she is becoming! She is wearing the red hat, that I think looks wonderful with her full crop of great hair! The hat was made for one such as this. It went home with her.

I'm home and happy to be so. I leave again for another show this weekend. Then the travels will be over except for teaching commitments. I am looking forward to the "down time" and spending time at the dining room table creating and experimenting with felt. What an incredible gift felt is!

Happy felting!
Shalom,
Suzanne

Women in dreads/ Strong Women

My parents are the "snow birds" in our family. Mom has already traveled to Fla., but before she left, we got to spend an afternoon with her. This is a photo of my mom and four of her five daughters. The three boys couldn't make it to have dinner with us. One sister missed out too. I so wish this photo would have been of my mom with all of her girls. Maybe next year. My mom is the most amazing person I know. I've thought long and hard lately about the love of a mother. It is that one rare love that I have that no one else can ever have for me. She knows all about me and loves me no matter what. My mom is as close to me as my heart. I cannot imagine my life without her. Even thinking about life without her puts a huge lump in my throat. It is good to be loved. Each one of her children has been taught astonishing strength in weakness, calm in the storm, steadfastness when everyone else leaves, do the right thing even when it is the hardest thing. I am so blessed by this woman. I hope that your mom is a blessing to you too.


Perspective: I've asked my mom to refer to me as her first born instead of her oldest child. I remember being 13 and loving being the oldest...not so much anymore! First born sounds better to me the older I get!
The time has come for me to get packing for Rhinebeck NY. I am not finding much time for felting, but I am making these brooches, these wonderful "dreaded women". They look great as a pin or brooch, wonderful as an additive on a bag, great closure on a wrap. They are time consuming, different and for now, about all I have time for. I'll be packing the van, making some final "bling batts' for the sale and planning the booth space. It's about a 14 hour drive and hopefully this year we won't run into snow! It was so cold last year. I am praying for good weather.

I am getting a lot of emails concerning classes. I will be planning some in November. If you are interested, please let me know so I can add you to the list. Also, let me know what classes you are interested in.

Got to get to bed... it's nearly Monday!
Shalom,
Suzanne

Felt United, Marr Haven Style

More to follow...

Piece on Piece

This is a wall hanging that came about yesterday after looking at the pile of felt scraps that I've collected over the past 10+ years. I wanted to make a collage of the small piece. I took white pre-felts, 2 layers, laid it out then began to add the "felts" in random order. I then covered the entire lay out in white silk gauze. This was done to primarily to "hold tight" the felts to the prefelts. It worked! Now I've got to figure out the difficult task of getting it finished and hung. Got ideas?

Tomorrow is FELT UNITED! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Will you be coming to Marr Haven tomorrow? Noon till 4! See you there!

Felt Underfoot in Grand Rapids

Oh my, to have the chance to work with / for Janice Arnold as she puts this felt piece together is so much fun! Jone and I went there early this morning . We cleared the area of chairs and tables, measured the dimensions, measured the grid and awaited Janice. We were her "chalkers" for the lay out. Jone and I had to leave at noon, but I am going back up in a few minutes and I'll take more pics of the process. I wanted to stay all day but just had to get some orders shipped. There were wonderful feltmakers there when we left, Mary Wallace and Deb Lueders from Wisc., Dawn Edwards from Feltsoright.com in Michigan and more were on the way. Just wanted to share some of the photos....so far!

These photos are not in order, obviously! You can see the lay out and the swing dancers that showed up at 8:PM to start to dance the wool. It was amazing to see so many people there to take part in the event. Janice was definitely tired, but you could see the joy on her face! She did a very good thing. I hope the memories last a long, long time for her. I know they will for me!

This is the article published by the paper about the event:

Felt Under Foot Artprize Dance - Breaking a World Record

A Community Felt-Making Experience (and experiment) by artist Janice Arnold - creator of Chroma Passage at GRAM.
Chroma Passage has been in the top 25 piece of art since the opening of Artprize.

When

:Tuesday, September 28, 2010, 10am - 10pm
Where

:Rosa Parks Circle and Grand Rapids Art Museum
Note:

Join artist Janice Arnold as she prepares to create the world's largest piece of handmade felt on the Maya Lin Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle, in Grand Rapids for Artprize.

Beginning at 9:00 am, Janice will begin to draw the chalk pattern for the Felt lay-up on the Ecliptic . At 10:00am she will begin laying down raw wool fibers ( over 70 pounds) on the center of the Ecliptic, assisted by other Felt artisans. The wool she will use is from local sheep and has been donated from local farmers. Throughout the day Janice will continue the lay-up process of wetting the fibers, and inviting the GR community participants to walk on the wool - to start the felting process. Community participation in the wetting and felting process is encouraged. Ms. Arnold wants to help everyone learn the traditional process of making Felt and be a part of making a piece of art for Artprize.

In the evening, around 6:00 pm, Janice will be joined by the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society . Swing Society dancers will help continue the felting process, through the agitation and pressure of dancing on the wool!

There will be live sheep on hand around 7pm!

Over the following days (Weds, Thursday Friday) Janice will continue the process by shrinking the Felt piece (on GRAM's terrace, just outside the Chroma Passage windows. Again the community is invited to come watch and help her scrub and shrink the wool to complete the final step of making wool into Felt. The goal is to wrap the center exterior column of the GRAM with the finished piece of handmade (footmade!) Felt sometime on Monday October 4th.
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Only Time for Little Things

Sunday, Jone and I went to see ARTPRIZE in Grand Rapids, MI. Janice Arnold has the most exquisite felt instillation I've ever seen. I could use all of the adjectives in my vocabulary and still fall grossly short of how jaw-dropping it is. Stunned is how I am still, happily stunned!

We had the opportunity to talk with Janice for about a half hour. What a doll she is! She is strong, wise, a visionary. If anyone is questioning if they should come to see her work, the answer is YES, YES, YES!!!!! You'll not be disappointed at all! To be in it was amazing. If you want to take a peek at her work, check out:

http://www.artprize.org/artists/public-profile/49090

I am getting ready for Felt United 2010! Again this year we will be at Marr Haven in Allegan from 12-4 PM. You are all invited to come join us. Please, please do. It's going to be so much fun.

These two small pieces are made from pre-felt that Jone has dyed. The colors are perfect for Felt United, so I made these two small pins. Looks like I'd better get busy!

Happy Felting and Shalom,
Suzanne

Jone, Pam, Finnigan and me

This is the fish I made when I went to spend a bit of time with Pam MacGregor of http://tarveycottagestudio.com/ and Jone Rakowski came along with me. It was like being on vacation, only better in some ways, I got to relax and laugh with incredible felt makers. Pam's home and studio is relaxing, she and her husband gracious, her lovely dogs and critters, enchanting. Finnigan is the full size standard poodle in the photos with us. What a doll he is. See Pam's website to see the vessel she made using his curls! WOW!!!!

I think Jone and I are looking forward to spending more time with Pam. What a treat!

Good Sabbath and Peace to you all,
Suzanne

Happily Exhausted

Ingrid with nuno scarf and new hat!

Playful customer!











Me and Mary Wallace. We were both teaching so we didn't get to spend much time together, but each time is wonderful! Creative felt genius she is!









Gisela, wonderful feltmaker












Ramsey in hood--she sure is lookin' good!












Jan in newly felted hat and fingerless gloves, looking like a woodland happy heart!












Two more of the students from the fingerless glove class. Did not take a s many photos as I should have, we were under heavy time restraints in this one! They made beautiful felts. I was so proud of them!














Carol with her new hat!












Linda in her new hat!












Ingrid in her new hat!












The beginning with the hat class, Ramsey adding some "are we done yet" antics to the class experience at the near end of the day. So enjoyed these gals.




























I am still so tired. Had a great time in Wisc. good sales, met amazing women! Got to see Mary and Martha and Rachel who I see so rarely and love so dearly. Also shared booth space with Brigitte and any time I spend with this woman is a blessing.

It was great to be there, it is also great to be home.

Shalom,
Suzanne