At the Mart!

I've decided to jump into the wholesale pool...splash!

It's out!

No... not the Lego got stuck up my youngest son's nose...well, it's out now too. But even more exciting than that, the video I did for Learning ZoneXpress!

Here is the You tube clip...



I guessed they liked it so much, that they have asked me to do ANOTHER ONE! Personally I think they are crazy for asking me again...but they sure are fun to make!

Just in case you want one...

Wet Felted Necklaces

Here is some student work using our wet felted spheres to construct a necklace. We also added some "sushi" rolls done in another session. I think they add a lot of dimension.

Beautiful use of color!

Organized?!?

In order to feel more in control of my work and life balance, I'm trying a new system. In the past I've used just an old notebook that the kids used for school, post it notes, you get the idea. Problem is that IT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME! I'm always forgetting that one thing when I go to the grocery store or not actually achieving some daily work goals I've set for myself. Other things like answering e-mails, class proposals etc. all find their way into my day instead of actually making anything. Which for an artist is kinda important.
So....I put together a little spread sheet to help me . Now everything is in one place.

Home Book

Wet Felted Spheres

This week I start teaching a weekly class at The Minnetonka Center for the Arts about Wet and Dry Felting and wanted to let you in on a little bit of it too.
This step by step tutorial teaches you how to make felted balls that will be a component in a necklace which I will show later on.


Start with 1/2 oz. corriedale wool. I get mine at one of two places, The Textile Center shop and The Fibers Studio. You can also pick it up on Etsy. This time I am using this variegated dyed one purchased at The Textile Center. The corriedale at The Fiber Studio is a better quality wool but it only comes in solid colors. Trade off, I suppose. The soap is from Kiss My Face, a pure olive oil soap.

Fill a bowl with water and place the soap in it and mush it around. I like to do it this way until the soapy water opaque and slightly yellow then I take the bar of soap out. When wet felting if you fill your bowl with warm or hot water it speeds up the process. I want beginners to use room temp water (so your hands don't get cold) then you'll have more time to make the balls the way you want. You will also need a bowl of clean water.

Here I'm finger carding the wool. Holding taught in one hand the other fingers pull the wool.

And you get fine fibers. If you get a larger chunk then needed, finger card again. Wispy wool is what you want.

Gather the wisps into a ball shape taking care that it is not lopsided or holey.

Dipping your fingers in the soapy water, dribble the water onto the ball. If you heavily drop water on the ball it will "dent" it.

Start working with it like your making meatballs. It will "stick" to your hands to begin with but keep working with it evenly.

keep working it...

...until it is solid but not rock hard. Making a perfect ball is hard at first. You might have fissures or a crazy lumpy one but the keys are kneading it nice and smooth, keeping the ball slightly soapy and patience.

Dunk the finished ball in the clean water and squeeze out the excess.

Let dry overnight! Stay tuned for a tutorial on what to do with the finished balls.




I will also be doing a tutorial on felted coasters soon.

Age old question

"What did you do on Winter Break?"

We read.

We snuggled.

We unwrapped.

We wrote Thank yous.

What did you do?

"I'm Hungry!"

My boys are always asking me "What's for Dinner?"



And the last thing they say to me while tucked in bed at night is "What's for Breakfast?"



I cannot keep them fed enough. I had heard that this happens with boys, constant eating, standing at the fridge eating, whining when there is nothing to eat in sight but it didn't hit home until recently. They are "Mad Hungry"! And when I saw this book, "Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys" and read "you should never be without bacon" I knew the author was my kind of cook!



To combat so many meal related questions, I've turned the side of my fridge into food central. My youngest calls it, "Mom's Diner" (which it really seems to be) always thinking of the next meal to prepare. It describes every meal, every sauce, every side dish (but sadly, from their point of view, not dessert) for the entire week. Unannounced to them, tucked away I have a monthly calendar which has meals on it for the next month. Our Elk, yes we are related now, which my husband killed, oh...i mean harvested, this fall just came to live in our freezer wrapped in beautiful white and labels paper. All of this means my freezer, affectionately call it the coffin, is FULL!




These are from my mothers recipe box, baby bella stuffed mushrooms I served on New Years Eve! We had these at every big occasion when I was growing up! Sausage and butter laden, they are good!

Prayerful (aka tired) and ready to tuck in!

My Healthy Beginning

My favorite go to magazine for all things healthy, eco and naturaly wise is at the "Do it Green: Minnesota" Fair at Midtown Global market this Saturday November 21st from 10am -5pm.

Nichole Hirsch Kuechle Founder and Publisher of My Healthy Beginning contacted me regarding the use of Lunch-Alongs, my handmade alternative use for plastic baggies, with her no waste lunches as a demo! I've sent along a set for her to use and some coupons with 20% off at my Etsy store.

It's no fair that everyone who can't attend (including myself) would be excluded from this opportunity so I'm passing the savings on to you! Just write MHB in the comment section at checkout and I'll refund the amount via Pay Pal!

Thanks to all who have supported this great endeavor! I can't wait to save a million baggies with your help!!

Reprinted from

Do It Green! Minnesota http://www.doitgreen.org/
and

My Healthy Beginnging http://www.myhealthybeginning.com/

Holiday Shows

It's that time of year again for massive gift giving!! Instead of heading to your area "Big Box", think about local or handmade products. I've seen some amazing things so for from other artists where I have my items this year. Here are some good ideas on where to start!




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Church Grant

Rosemount United Methodist Church applied for and received a grant on how to be more "green". So they contacted The Textile Center to learn some recycled textile projects.

Yesterday I taught how to fuse plastic bags together and make your own lunch bag. Today I taught how to make a water bottle holder out of an old wool sweater and then we needle felted on designs with wool roving. Both classes were filled with crafty and quilty ladies and and a very enthusiastic young man who sewed with a machine for the first time. He was a natural.

They enjoyed it so much they are going to make a bunch for their Holiday Bazaar in November!




They are going to have me back in the spring to do some more. Can't wait - what a great bunch!

MCFA Faculty show

The last days to see art work from some incredibly talented teachers. Goes through the 30th!

Click image for location!

Eden Prairie Art Crawl

This Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th, my home and studio will be open to the public from 10-5. Along with demonstrating art quilting, fusing plastic and fabric modification techniques, I will have a few items for sale.

I hope you can make it!

(I'm lucky number 6, by the way!)

You can download the brochure here!

Sew Green: Reuse, Repurpose, Restyle!

I was contacted by Learning ZoneXpress , who makes educational products for Jr and Sr high students, to do a video about ecological sewing. Their last sewing video was dated and quite in need of updating and they wanted to join the green movement.

The shoot itself was 8 hrs. and the production company 7rendered Design was phenomenal. They were so professional and really knew how to work me through my first on camera experience. Totally my first and only choice when I web or video needs.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the situation yesterday.

Me sewing (snooze- a-rama) with Ben (video guy a.k.a. Rock Star) with Linnea from Learning Zone directing me.

I'm in the hostas fighting the marbled sunlight!



At my workstation!

Head shot replacement?!?!?

Thanks for the tea Mandy (Ben's gorgeous wife and creative video genius)

Light things (I don't know what they are called) gave and blocked light all day. Tough job!

This was staring at me all day!

One of my projects in the video is a fused plastic messenger bag and below are pictures of the sample bag and other idea of things you can make from it.

Lunch Bag

See through clutch.


Hair pin

Messenger bag.

Bracelets

Very exciting experience I hope to repeat soon!