may showers bring...snow?

thats right! it be snow up on those mountain tops! the weather this year!
heres a piece i did for a show here in the hole. title 'april showers bring may flowers'

i'm still here

i've been a busy, busy girl! still getting ready for the big summer sale! i'm in the second turn of my 2-week work schedule. i'm definitely liking these colors better than the first batch. a little toned-down, softer.


here are some photos of the first batch in the construction stage.

these are the moments that us fiber nerds live for, shibori-dyed wool felt! i think i might do a whole batch like this!

monday morning

so here it is monday morning, getting ready to start the construction of 50 hats this week!
here are some photos of the felt being blocked. its a way to give purpose to the old futon from college!
here's a photo of the felt, those colors! soooo bright. Corey (my hubby to be) and i were talking about how the bright orange (on top) is the same as the hunting orange and i came up with the idea to make some women's hats for hunting! its very big out here in wyoming, and i know a few of the guides who might help to promote them. maybe line the hats with some camo print. its an idea! we'll see what happens with it.

last night i just realized how crazy my summer traveling will be. in june i'm going to portland for a wedding, then to corey's brother's wedding reception in cheyenne in july, the big show here in jackson also in july, visiting the buyers market in august, then another show here in sept (maybe). during all this, i'm planning on applying for a few shows in ohio (winterfair in cincy and cols), then hopefully doing my college's christmas show in december if the dates work out, and of course, if i get excepted into winterfair! theres also a wholesale show in denver i can participate in, but i need to do more research on it first. its going to be one felt filled year!
oh, these are photos from the studio over the weekend. yes! that be snow. the way this winter is still going, people will need my wool hats in july!

to dye or not to dye?

that's all i've been doing for the past few days!!!!
here's what the first batch looks like

i don't know what to think about these dyes. i'm using acid dyes from pro-chemical, and they are sooooo bright, almost blinding. i feel like i'm in an 80s flashback with all the acid dyes! i've been trying to apply some of the color theory stuff from school to bring down the intensity, but to no avail!

anyway here's the same view from the studio this morning, there are mountains there... somewhere. oh and they're predicting snow, yes rain with light snow showers in may! where's our spring. this winter here is NEVER going to end!!!!
i also took the ballet class the other day, makes you realize how out of shape you are and my legs are still sore! can't wait to do it next week!

nice dye pots

so much for the weather breaking and being nice, which it was for the past two days. just when i decide it time to dye, the weather craps out. well that's life!
here are a few photos of my meth lab, not really its a dye studio (AKA the unusable garage). it looks like how i'd picture a meth labs to look like, with the measuring stuff, scale, hot plates, etc.
so that's what my plans are today, dye, dye, dye.i love this photo. it's me at Penland school of Crafts, during a fall concentration in 06. the photo reminds me of some old safety poster from the 70s. that's a pot of indigo in case anyone was wondering. look how pissed off i look, like get that camera out of my face!

i'm also thinking of trying to take a ballet class today. it would be the first time since 1999 and 4 surgeries , all knees, for a grand total of 6 (2 while in HS, one knee, one ankle which is the reason i stopped my dancing) i like to keep my dr.'s kids in college! so i thought it was time to give a try again. i'm planning on taking a beginner class, which i think is funny since at my performing arts high school, i was in a pre-professional training program, but i guess you gotta start back somewhere!
keep up with the hard work my fellow craftsman!!!!

getting back to it

here it is tuesday morning, getting some computer work done before getting into the felting thing again. above are some photos of the process. 6 done yesterday, so that means 12 or more sheets today. it is a wearing process of laying out wool, rolling it, beating it, getting it mat together. that could be a new diet, the felting diet!
to all of the fellow artist out there trying to get their work done for the summer fair cycle, good luck!