narkeymarkey's blog

join the flock

2012-02-17T17:29:00.000Z

thanks to sheila dixon's newsletter i found out about this fab project and now i'm sharing it with all of you.

www.jointheflock.co.uk

flock is a huge public art project, co-ordinated by eden arts organisation in cumbria.

they are encouraging folk to get involved and help to create an installation of 5,000 wool pom-pom sheep to be displayed in cumbria in april.

the project's aim is to encourage creativity and collaboration while raising awareness and celebrating the sheep farming &wool industry.

what a fab way to use up some of your stash and be part of a wonderful public art project. i look forward to seeing pics of your woolly sheep.

get involved ... download the kit and get creative :)

snowdrops by starlight

2012-02-16T17:56:00.001Z

this is the last weekend to see snowdrops by starlight - get along if you can, it is an amazing experience :)

11 to 19 february

snowdrops by starlight
daily from 5.30pm – booking essential!

enjoy the mesmerising light effects as these unique snowdrop woods are transformed by light and sound. an inspiring and artistic spectacle!

new for 2012 – story telling with lizzie mcdougall and snowdrop lantern workshops with jon warnes.

prebooked tickets and car park voucher available online at http://www.snowdropsbystarlight.com/ or phone 01333 450054/450313

cambo house
kingsbarns
st. andrews
fife
ky16 8qd
scotland

telephone: +44 (0) 1333 450054
email: cambo@camboestate.com
website: www.camboestate.com/snowdrops

a feltmaker creates ...

2012-02-15T06:11:00.000Z

... a bit of a mess!

can you tell what it is yet ... ?

2012-02-12T09:00:00.002Z

yep, finally, the long-awaited, much-anticipated part 2 of 2!

components for pieces one, two and three

piece three of four

piece four of four

and as a wee reminder, here's the first two pieces ...

piece one of four

piece two of four

all will be revealed soon :)

snowdrops by starlight news

2012-02-08T15:36:00.002Z

i’ve finally finished all of my pieces and even managed to get them installed on time (despite quite a few setbacks along the way) mum is coming up for a long weekend to come along to the preview evening with us, and i'm really happy to say that the snowdrops by starlight festival (including some felt sculptures/installations by me!) starts very soon …

11 to 19 february
snowdrops by starlight
daily from 5.30pm – booking essential!

enjoy the mesmerising light effects as these unique snowdrop woods are transformed by light and sound. an inspiring and artistic spectacle!

new for 2012 – story telling with lizzie mcdougall and snowdrop lantern workshops with jon warnes.

prebooked tickets and car park voucher available online at http://www.snowdropsbystarlight.com/ or phone 01333 450054/450313

cambo house
kingsbarns
st. andrews
fife
ky16 8qd
scotland

telephone: +44 (0) 1333 450054
email: cambo@camboestate.com
website: www.camboestate.com/snowdrops

the snowdrop spectacular will be running until 13th march and is open daily from 10am to 5pm, so you still have a chance to view the vista of snowdrops plus some wonderful artworks, just not under the sparkly lights at night though.

here’s a little more information about cambo and their snowdrops:

“the gardens, including a victorian walled garden and informal woodland garden, boast over 300 varieties of specialist snowdrops and a limited number of these are sold each year.

catherine’s collection of snowdrops, which is being added to yearly, is the largest specialist snowdrop collection in scotland.

you can follow the cambo burn to the shore, it is the 70 acres of woodland, historically laid out with a series of walks in mind, which provide the snowdrop spectacular in february and early march – possibly the best in britain."

it was dark by the time i finished setting up, so i've no photos to share yet, promise to remedy this soon!

can you tell what it is yet ... ?

2012-01-29T06:31:00.000Z

part 1 of 2
(in honour of my lovely friend heather here is a two-part teaser)

piece one of four

piece two of four

me neither - hee hee!

answers on the back of a postcard please :)

fatcat felt is proud to present ...

2012-01-28T06:18:00.000Z

my new ad!

i've been playing around with my newly acquired photoshop skills again. i was quite pleased with the business cards i made recently, so i developed that design to create this ...

as i'm not going to be taking part in any markets until later in the year i thought it might be worthwhile to try some advertising to let folk know that i'm here and have lots of lovely felt goodies available.

have you tried advertising before? if so, i'd welcome any advice on what worked for you and any tips on good places to advertise :)

i should be ...

2012-01-27T13:49:00.002Z

... felting
... completing my tax return
... ironing
... going into town to get some shopping
... doing much needed housework

but instead i've whiled away a happy hour (or two, well perhaps three) catching up with some of the lovely blogs i like to follow, updating my website, practising with photoshop and generally procrastinating.

better go and do some work so i look busy when m gets up!

rspb big garden birdwatch this weekend!

2012-01-27T12:04:00.002Z

you can register here
and download your recording sheet here

i took part for the first time last year and would definitely recommend it - if nothing else, look upon it as a guilt free way to spend an hour with a cuppa, watching the birds in your garden (don't forget to count them too!) and the results you collect will help the rspb protect our garden birds in years to come.

beware though - if the birds in your garden know what you're up to, they seem to disappear for the hour you are recording! no, seriously. i had read about this before, but i can assure you that the garden is usually hopping and flapping and cheeping and chirping like crazy, but for the hour i was recording last year it was almost eerily quiet :)

i really encourage you to take an hour out of your day to take part, you won't regret it.

queen of hearts

2012-01-22T17:00:00.002Z

to celebrate valentine's day, this wonderful array of felt hearts are now available from fatcat felt's folksy shop

folksy shop now updated

2012-01-15T06:45:00.000Z

thankfully i've had just enough daylight to get photos of some of my recent work :)

there is now a small selection of goodies available to purchase from fatcat felt's folksy shop, with hopefully much more to follow soon.

here's a wee preview ...

necklaces

bracelets

brooches

pebble gift set

pebble brooches

feltmaking kits

horst workshop in ireland

2012-01-12T06:25:00.000Z

my lovely wee pitch at the campsite

i can't quite believe it was seven months ago that i went to ireland for the workshop with horst, it really has been such a quick year.

so, in the spirit of 'better late than never', here are a few pics from my trip.

it really was the most amazing weekend - it was the furthest i've ever travelled on my own, the first time i've been overseas on my own and the first time (and thankfully not the last) that i've been camping on my own.

busy, busy

i did get off to a bit of a shaky start though, as the ferry was late leaving and once we had boarded, the tannoy announcement to apologise for the delay also mentioned that the journey would take longer than expected as one of the engines wasn't working quite right.

the two hour delay and the five hour drive meant that i didn't arrive at the campsite until 4.30 in the morning, in the middle of a thunder storm! as i didn't really feel like pitching my tent i tried to sleep in the car, without much success.

however, i'm really happy to say that the weekend started looking up after that! the sun came out, i got a lovely spot in the campsite, i met wonderful people and learned so much from horst. in fact, by the time i got back to the tent at night i was so excited and my head was so full of ideas it was hard to get to sleep.

it was also a great opportunity to see some of horst's garments up close - unfortunately my photos don't do them justice. i really fell in love with the gold coat with the green dreads and it felt amazing when i tried it on.

unfortunately, i didn't get too many piccies as i was either too busy chatting or too busy working to catch up after chatting too much!

laying out the top part of my coat

laying out the skirt of my coat and attaching it to the top

attaching the 'leaflets' around the skirt

so many colours to choose from!

busy at the dyeing station

where we were 'assisted' by a friendly local dog

exhaust dyeing the finished garments

a small selection of finished pieces

and here is the end result ...

i cannot tell you how much it meant to me to be able to take part in this workshop. it was great to finally meet nicola who worked so hard to arrange everything, it was amazing to get to work with horst (you know how they say you should never meet your heroes? well, in this case that saying was entirely incorrect! horst is a fabulously talented, inspiring and giving person), and it was an honour to get to meet and work with gina, lorraine, kirsten, girda, natasha, sigrid, nessa, michelle, cristina and tricia. with big thanks to cristina and niall for the fab food that kept us all going through the weekend.

you can find much better pics here ...

from kirsten
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elisefilt/sets/72157627045592490/

and from nicola
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28367475@N02/sets/72157627013061886/

bear attack!!!

2012-01-08T06:33:00.000Z

dangerous man-eating bear spotted in glasgow museum - you have been warned!

quite exciting (but a little bit scary too) news ...

2012-01-06T06:31:00.000Z

... i submitted my first proposal for my first outdoor installation to the snowdrops by starlight festival - and it got accepted!

now i just hope that i can turn the images that i have daydreamed about into lovely felted reality.

more info on the festival here:
snowdrops by starlight
snowdrops by starlight blog

thank you

2012-01-04T19:26:00.001Z

to everyone who commented on my previous post and sent good wishes for my mum :)

it seems to have done the trick as mum is now out of hospital after a really nasty bout of pneumonia.

we're hoping mum will be able to travel back to london in the next couple of days so i'll be heading down on the sleeper armed with lots of recipes for warming, healing soups and yummy baking.

thanks also to all of the lovely nursing staff and doctors who took really good care of mum while she was in hospital in stockholm, mum can't speak highly enough of the good care that she received, and i don't just mean the medical attention, the nurses all took time to pop in to spend a little time with mum (she was in isolation and feeling quite scared and lonely) and all patiently spoke in english to my mum and around my mum. it really helped to make a difference and is much appreciated.

farewell to 2011 and welcome to 2012

2011-12-31T10:16:00.000Z

well, 2011 was another quick year!

i'm not really in the right frame of mind to do a review of my year just now - mum was taken in to hospital in stockholm yesterday, my brother is with her but it's not the same as being able to see her for myself. for now, i'm not moving far from the phone so my brother can keep me updated.

let's just say that i did some of the things on my list, didn't do others, and even managed to do some things that weren't on it.

this year, i think i'm going to take a more measured, relaxed approach and just see what happens!

i wish for you and yours a year full of peace, love, hope, good health, happiness and joy, with a lot of creativity thrown in for good measure.

last year we put up lanterns to welcome in the new year and we weren't the only ones - apparently it caused quite a stir on the local ufo-spotting website.

merry christmas one and all

2011-12-22T06:54:00.003Z

i wish you every happiness over the festive season and for the coming year. may it be peaceful, joyous, full of hope, health, happiness and love.

a winter solstice

2011-12-21T06:30:00.000Z

happy solstice day!

from here on in, the days will start getting longer. spring is on the way :)

more deccies

2011-12-20T06:30:00.000Z

i came across this project on a few different sites while browsing online recently (something i do when trying to avoid housework!) and thought i could use up some man-made 'wool' we had left over from an outdoor weaving project.

so, despite a slight balloon phobia, i gave it a go.

a few tips for you before starting:

= don't make the pva too watery and thin as it will quite literally go everywhere (unless that's just me being very messy?).

= place a LARGE towel underneath the bowl with the pva in it if you want to avoid having to peel dried splashes of pva off the living room floor.

= if you hang the wool-wrapped balloons up to dry, check your reflection in the mirror before leaving the house. again, this might just be me, but the pva had dripped all over my hair and i hadn't noticed before leaving the house - think of that moment in "there's something about mary" and you will just about get the picture!

just in case you haven't already seen this a thousand times before, here's a quick tutorial:

1. mix a little water with some pva in a bowl.

2. partly blow up as many balloons as you would like to use.

3. loosely wrap the dry wool around the balloon to try and gauge how much you will need. add a few centimetres (or inches) extra and cut a length of wool for each balloon.

4. keeping hold of one end (this is quite important if you don't want to be digging around in cold, slimy pva for the missing end) carefully place the wool in the bowl of pva and water.

5. hold the balloon in one hand and start wrapping the wool around the balloon with the other. realise at this stage that any attempt to create an intricate pattern is harder than you realised and fall-back on the favoured "it's organic and the design just evolved" approach.

6. try to cover the balloon as evenly as possible without crossing over the same point too many times as the wool may just gather in a thick bunch.

7. hang the balloon up to dry and move on to the next balloon.

8. absent-mindedly wonder what that tapping noise is while you are repeating steps 1 to 6 but become so absorbed in wrapping slimy wool around a slippery balloon that you really don't give it too much consideration.

9. stand up to hang the second wool-wrapped balloon up to dry and discover that 'tapping' noise was actually the first balloon dripping watery pva all over the living room rug.

10. thank your lucky stars that you have a partner who works night shift, giving you ample time to clear up and try to dry out the rug!

(feel free to miss out steps 8 to 10).

11. once you have covered all of your balloons, give each one a final roll in a thin layer of pva and water just to make sure that every piece of wool is covered.

12. leave to dry.

13. once the wool is dry and you are happy it has stuck to itself, pop the balloon! if a few strands appear loose, just paint on some more pva and leave to dry again.

14. you are now left with a delicate wool lattice.

15. display in a bowl, attach to fairy lights, or add some ribbon and hang from the tree to bemuse the postie like i have done.

if you do make some, please share the piccies J

deck the halls with ...

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000Z

... dried oranges!

well, it's third time lucky for me with these decorations. you wouldn't think that drying oranges would be that difficult would you?

last year i decided i would dry some orange slices to hang prettily on the tree and around the house. i don't quite know what went wrong but they ended up all brown and squidgy! then i ran out of time and inspiration so just left it as a failed experiment.

this year, a little more browsing on the internet seems to have done the trick and it worked!

well, it worked on the third attempt - here's a wee hint for you ... when you're waiting for the oranges to finish drying, don't think "oh, i'll just wrap myself up in this snuggly blanket and watch a little tv for the last hour they're drying" because, if you're anything like me, you'll wake up six hours later and just manage to stop the little blackened orange slices from setting your oven on fire!

so, i think the trick was slicing the oranges and placing between two tea towels for a day to remove a lot of the surface moisture.

then i popped them in the oven (on a rack, to allow the air to circulate) at 135C/275F/Gas Mark 1 for the first hour, and turned the oven down to 110C/225F/Gas Mark 1/4 for the next two to three hours.

i did keep an eye on them this time and turned them every hour. i think they took a little longer than three hours but perhaps i had sliced them a little thickly. what you're looking for is the flesh of the orange to be dried out without starting to brown.

and here are the finished deccies ...

yummy mincemeat

2011-12-16T06:30:00.000Z

for 6lb mincemeat:

120g (350g) seedless raisins
8oz (225g) sultanas
8oz (225g) currants
4oz (110g) cut mixed peel
4oz (110g) dried prunes, chopped
12oz (350g) soft brown sugar
1lb (450g) cooking apples - peeled, cored and grated
8oz (225g) shredded suet (i use the veggie version)
grated rind and juice of 2 oranges
grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
2oz (50g) almonds, chopped
2oz (50g) pecan nuts, chopped
1 tbsp (15g) mixed spice
1 tsp (5g) freshly grated nutmeg
5 fl oz (150ml) brandy

1. mix all the ingredients together, except half the brandy, in a large ovenproof bowl and cover. leave to stand overnight.

2. the next day, preheat the oven to 110C/225F/Gas Mark 1/4. cover the bowl, with foil or lid and place in the oven for about three hours.

3. allow to cool, then mix in the rest of the brandy and put into sterilised jars.

if possible, the mincemeat needs to mature for at least two weeks before using. once sealed, it can keep for at least a year.

a wee p.s.

i have tweaked this recipe slightly over the years and usually use half of all of the ingredients, apart from the two oranges and two lemons and the spices which i use the full amounts of.

i also usually use double the amount of brandy - adding half when mixing all of the ingredients together and then the remainder the next day, before it goes in the oven. and i check on it once an hour to give it a stir around and enjoy the lovely christmassy smell.

oh, and i never seem to be organised enough to make the mincemeat in time to let it mature for two weeks, it tastes fab when used straight away though :)

thank you

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000Z

to everyone who braved the chilly day on saturday to come down to the perth christmas craft market.

we were so lucky with the weather - the winds and rain had gone, we didn't have any snow and the sun even shone for a brief while!

i will be updating my online shop over the weekend but if there is something you would like to order in the meantime, please feel to drop me an email to fatcatfelt 'at' hotmail 'dot' co 'dot' uk or get in touch through this blog.

every day is a learning day!

2011-12-13T06:35:00.002Z

i was doing a little shopping online recently and, as well as buying the usual pre-dyed merino i use for the majority of my feltmaking, i thought i would buy some undyed fibre to practice dyeing with.

while i was looking, some 'superwash' fibre caught my eye.

oh, thought i, superwash must mean that it has been 'super' washed and will be really clean ... those of you who know what superwash is will be groaning by now!

superwash, in fact, refers to wool that has been treated to remove the scales from the fibre (using an acid bath) or by coating the fibre with a polymer to prevent the scales from attaching to each other.

which pretty much rules it out for felting!

apparently it was developed in the 70's to enable woollen garments to be made which were machine washable. great for spinning and knitting apparently.

but not feltmaking.

when i started to work with it, i thought it felt wonderfully soft. and i also didn't take the time to lay out a test piece first, surely i didn't need to as it was just regular merino which had been washed really, really well?

goodness me what a mess! i had laid out a number of pieces as i usually do, wet it all out and then went to felt it. it turned into a soggy mess of fibres and not surprisingly didn't felt to the regular merino too well.

i now have a new rule - before buying anything that i haven't heard of or haven't used before, i will do a little research first.

a lovely swap

2011-12-08T06:49:00.005Z

well, this must have been the longest-running swap in the history of swapping!

i think angela and i first chatted about making a swap for each other at the start of the year, but between one thing and another ... well, you know how it goes!

we did both agree that it was more than worth the wait though as we were able to swap in person when i popped down to ilkley recently for one of angela's workshops.

angela couldn't have made anything more perfect for me. i must admit to being a bit of a notebook fanatic and angela has made this wonderfully soft and beautifully purpled journal cover. and, knowing, that i like bugs (and shiny things) has added this rose chafer bug which is just stunning - the photo doesn't do it justice.

as my hands aren't very happy at the moment, i haven't been able to get any felting done. i can't knit or crochet (yet!) but wanted to keep to a woolly theme, so i made angela this knotted woollen scarf in her favourite colours to keep the chilly yorkshire winds at bay.

thanks angela, i really love my journal!

(thanks also to angela for letting me use her pics - my laptop has died on me and i've lost the pics i took!)

winterlight festival

2011-12-06T17:55:00.002Z

thanks to everyone who stopped by over the weekend, it was lovely to meet lots of new people.

thanks also to mandy of an cnoc for doing a sterling job of getting the market organised - thank goodness we were indoors as it snowed on sunday!

and thanks to everyone at comrie croft - the festival was a wonderful weekend in a really unique setting, with so much going on over the two days from music to workshops to lantern processions, there really was something for everyone.

oh and one final thanks to my fellow stall-holders, who had me in stitches! the whole weekend had such a relaxed and happy atmosphere that it felt like a day out with friends rather than a hectic market.

perth christmas craft market

2011-12-05T06:52:00.002Z

~~~ saturday 10th november, 9am to 5pm ~~~
perth christmas craft market
king edward street, perth

fingers crossed that it's dry, not too windy and the snow stays away for a few more days yet!

perth is holding its annual christmas craft market on saturday 10th december, between 9am and 5pm. this will be a great chance to find some lovely christmas gifts or even a few treats for yourself.

just in case the weather is not looking too kind you can call gail cain on 07920 784085, or gillian coyne on 07920 784090 to check that the market will be taking place.

if you're passing, please stop by to say hello, it would be lovely to see you there.

for more details: perth markets

drum roll please ...

2011-12-04T06:54:00.004Z

i'd like to show off my brand-spanking-new-hot-off-the-press business card

(is it odd to get so excited over a piece of card? no matter how pretty?!)

i must admit that i do have a weakness for stationery in all its guises so is a business card really necessary ... ? well, i think so.

for me, it's the details that matter and this is one of those details that matter (to me).

i like to have them on my stall at markets so that folk can take away a wee reminder of my work, along with all of my contact details, in case they would like to buy something later on. it's also a nice wee thing to pop in with a purchase made online.

plus, it makes me feel that wee bit more grown up and professional about it all :)

very exciting news!

2011-12-02T09:43:00.002Z

tactile 2011 is now on display in edinburgh.

the tactile 2011 exhibition which ran during september and october has now moved through to edinburgh. kal ali visited the exhibition in alloa and thought it would be perfect for the new venue she was opening in edinburgh.

thanks to the hard work of angela, nic and lynn the arrangements were made and the pieces are now installed.

you can visit the exhibition, which is on until 8th january, at:

sewing bee cafe
360 leith walk
edinburgh
eh6

(if you're going down leith walk it's on your left just after pilrig street)

unfortunately i couldn't make the opening event as i was away that weekend and since i've been back i've been at markets, or getting ready for them, every weekend since. i see a small gap in my diary in about two weeks time so hopefully i can fit in a visit to the christmassy princes street gardens while I’m in town.

as an added bonus, after you have enjoyed the exhibition, you can rent out sewing machines by the hour, while enjoying a lovely cuppa :)

winter light festival this weekend

2011-11-28T06:12:00.000Z

i hope to see you there ...

perth christmas craft market next saturday * cancelled *

2011-11-19T06:40:00.001Z

*** sorry to say that today's market has been cancelled due to the high winds ***

hope to see you there ...

~~~ saturday 26th november, 9am to 5pm ~~~
perth christmas craft market
king edward street and st john's place, perth
more info: perth markets
this is an outdoor market, so make sure you wrap up warm (i certainly will!), a great opportunity to browse a wonderful range of talented makers.

winter light festival at comrie croft

2011-11-13T06:42:00.005Z

well i have to say that i am really excited to be taking part in this wonderful festival. the workshops sound fab - i can't wait to see the lanterns that visitors will be making, and the junk drum and samba workshop sounds intriguing. then, to round it all off, an evening of quirky folk music!

i really hope you'll be in the area and can pop in, i'll have a stall full of fatcat felt loveliness in the festive market so it would be great to see you there.

the festival is being hosted by remake scotland and comrie croft in aid of CHAS and action on depression. there will be a festive market, music and craft workshops, a lantern and drum procession, folk music …

workshops are just £5 each and you can book by calling comrie croft on 01764 670140. plus, if you would like to help out on the day or give a hand with the lantern making, please contact fiona gilbert on 0750 557 6361 or fiona.remake@gmail.com.

international day of felt gallery now online!

2011-11-12T08:55:00.004Z

so, there has been a distinct lack of photos on my little blog recently and to try to redress this - here's the link to the international day of felt gallery ... lots of lovely photos of blue, red and purple feltyness!

congrats to everyone who has their work featured, such an amazing range of work from talented feltmakers.

felt united 2011

a busy ol' week ...

2011-11-12T08:29:00.004Z

now i'm starting to realise why the year seems to be passing so quickly! we're always so busy :) not that i'm complaining though!

so far this week we've ...

... launched a book we published ourselves at the international festival at resonate arts house, we also got prints made from the book to display on the walls of the gallery - it was a great night, thanks, as always, to angela's passion and determination. more details to follow, we're trying to figure out the best way to make it available for purchase online.

... spent a day outdoors in a 'secret' location choosing a spot for an installation that i'm working on just now - it'll be part of an amazing festival next year (how excited - and terrified - am i?).

... had an evening of stargazing at our friend's house - they live in the middle of the countryside so it was really dark and the moon was so bright!

... built our first wall(!) at m's new studio - and i'm pleased to report that it's still standing :)

... got ready for a lovely weekend away, i'm taking part in a mixed media and texture workshop with fellow feltmaker angela barrow. plus, as an added bonus, m actually has a weekend off so we're turning it into a long weekend away to explore a new area.

and now i'm getting some bits and bobs finished for my next stall in perth on the 26th november.

plus i worked three days at my day job and started planning the gifts i want to make for christmas ... didn't really leave much time for housework!

well, i hope you're all having a wonderful weekend wherever you are :)

thanks ...

2011-11-07T11:39:00.001Z

... to everyone who came along yesterday.

it was lovely to see some familiar faces and great to meet lots of new folk too.

dawn did such a fabulous job organising this event, it was so well advertised in the run up to the day and we had a steady stream of visitors all day long, plus it was a treat to be indoors on such a chilly, frosty day!

next event is the perth christmas craft fair on saturday 26th november - more details to follow soon.

in the meantime, if there is anything you saw on my stall yesterday that you would like to purchase, please feel free to get in touch (i'm hoping to get my online shop up and running this week but sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day).

the handmade show in perth this sunday

2011-11-02T19:27:00.001Z

just a wee reminder that the handmade show is being held in perth concert hall this sunday.

it would be lovely to see you there, and you never know, you might just find those perfect christmas gifts (all under one roof!).

~~~ sunday 6th november, 11am to 5pm ~~~
handmade show
perth concert hall, mill street, perth, ph1 5hz
more info: handmade show
have a wee look at the gallery - so many talented makers with lots of tempting goodies.

tactile 2011

2011-10-29T11:05:00.004+01:00

thought i would share this fab catalogue from the recent exhibition i was in. this is the first time some of my work has been exhibited and i'm still finding it really rather exciting! plus, a lovely lady who had visited the exhibition has asked to move the whole thing through to edinburgh for a month! i'll share more details once i have them.

in the meantime, i hope you enjoy browsing ...

Open publication - Free publishing - More artists

and just in case that's not working for you, you can find the catalogue online here: tactile 2011

lovely berries

2011-10-23T17:15:00.000+01:00

blackcurrants
in between the rain showers this year, it was just about sunny enough for our berries to ripen!

i just love these, such rich colours and ripe enough to burst, just amazing.

red and blackcurrants
as well as enjoying copious amounts fresh with a little ice cream, and leaving some on the bush for the birds to enjoy, we decided to turn our hand to jam making with a little vodka experimentation thrown in for good measure!

despite the fact that we don't really drink these days, i'm sure a little warming drop or two of this will be welcome on a winter's eve.

strawberry vodka

blackcurrant vodka
our strawberries are wee, wild ones and have such an intense flavour, the seeds are so tiny and soft that we didn't need to filter them out.

strawberry jam
i was hoping to have some jam to enjoy now and some to give away, with a couple of jars left over to bring some summer colour and flavour to those long winter evenings, but the currant jam is just so deliciously tempting that we have almost finished it now.

currant jam

as much as i enjoy picking and eating fruit and veg fresh from the garden there is something about preserving it for the months to come, quite a comforting way to spend a rainy, summer evening really.

a few events for fatcat felt

2011-10-23T13:34:00.012+01:00

i will be exhibiting at the following fairs in the next couple of months:

~~~ sunday 6th november, 11am to 5pm ~~~
handmade show
perth concert hall, mill street, perth, ph1 5hz
more info: handmade show
have a wee look at the gallery - so many talented makers here with lots of tempting goodies.

~~~ saturday 26th november, 9am to 5pm ~~~
perth christmas craft market
king edward street and st john's place, perth
more info: perth markets
this is an outdoor market, so make sure you wrap up warm (i certainly will!), a great opportunity to browse a wonderful range of makers.

~~~ saturday 3rd and sunday 4th december, time tbc ~~~
comrie croft winter light festival
comrie croft, braincroft, crieff, perthshire, ph7 4jz
more info: comrie croft events
a beautiful setting with lots of interesting things planned for this weekend, more details to follow.

if you're in the area, please pop by, it would be lovely to see you there.

international day of felt 2011

2011-10-23T13:24:00.004+01:00

this year's colour scheme was red, blue and purple. and here's my offering ...

it didn't quite turn out as it looked in my imagination but it was the first time i had tried making a pod shape so i'm not too discouraged. just makes me want to try again!

if you'd like to take part next year, you can find more info., here felt united

i'll let you know when the gallery is published, i'm really looking forward to seeing all this year's entries.

sniffle ...

2011-10-23T13:20:00.003+01:00

i have a cold :(

and i have so much i want to do, but i have no energy, i ache from head to toe and i feel a little sorry for myself to be honest!

m has banned me from doing 'anything', he thinks i've been overdoing it recently (which i probably have, but when you're having fun, it doesn't feel like working and then sleep just gets in the way!).

i'm so out of the way of sitting doing nothing, that we've reached a compromise - at least i can catch up on my blog reading and posting!

2011-10-07T12:00:00.005+01:00

so, i feel like i'm slowly coming out of hibernation (wrong time of year, i know!) and finding the time to get back online. i can't wait to start catching up with everyone and reading about what you've all been up to over the summer.

in the meantime, i just wanted to share this ...

my very first piece in an exhibition!!!

we managed to make the opening night by delaying our trip to london and it was just amazing :)

if you're in the area, i would definitely recommend a visit - imagine an exhibition where you're actually encourage to touch the pieces, heavenly!

2011-07-31T09:30:00.000+01:00

apologies for the previous rather self-indulgent, whiney post!

'normal' service will be resumed shortly :)

scunnert

2011-07-30T10:35:00.003+01:00

is a very descriptive scottish word used to describe a general feeling of boredom and fed-up-ness, when you really just can't be bothered ...

lately, there's never enough hours in the day, it doesn't seem to matter how early i get up, how late i get to bed and how hard i work, i never get to the bottom of that to-do list ... there's the stuff i need to do that never gets finished and then the stuff i want to do that's there's never enough time for.

i know that i have much to be thankful for and i really shouldn't moan but i'm feeling a little scunnert right now.

just back but about to go away again!

2011-06-21T20:29:00.003+01:00

well ... this past weekend was just amazing! wonderful company, great food, fantastic horst couture garments, such creative feltmaking ... i feel like i have just had the most amazing dream!!!

so, i'm just back but my feet still haven't yet touched the ground - i promise to blog and share pics really soon, and also catch up with you all too, but i was straight back to work and then i'm away again this weekend. then on hols for a week ... and i wonder where the time goes?!

look forward to catching up with you all soon and in the meantime, happy mid 'summer'!

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-06-08T06:45:00.002+01:00

2011-06-03T06:51:00.001+01:00

i've been away again, for a lovely family holiday this time :)

i'm just back.

got lots to catch up on.

not much time for sitting at a computer.

promise to catch up with you all soon but in the meantime, thanks for your lovely comments.

lewis loom centre and hebridean woolshed

2011-06-02T06:33:00.001+01:00

one of the reaons i was really looking forward to being back on lewis was being able to visit the lewis loom centre again!

this unassuming entrance leads to an absolutely amazing shop/museum, run by the very friendly and knowledgeable ronnie.

as well as selling harris tweed garments, and beautiful bags and cushions, there's also so much information about the history of harris tweed, with the most amazing sample books throughout the decades. the colours and patterns from the 20's and 30's are astounding!

but, my favourite part of the shop is the 'scraps' table. as you can see from the pics below, i blew my budget on lovely pieces of tweed that will soon be making their way into new felt pieces.

the two pics above might appear to be quite plain compared to the usual patterns and colours but the reason i really loved these pieces is that, if you look closer, so many other colours are revealed ...

i also made a quick stop at the hebridean woolshed, if you're on south uist you really can't drive past! i wasn't on the island long enough to take part in one of denise's spinning workshops, so i bought the next best thing to teach myself to spin ...
... i had visions of relaxing evenings round the campfire, spinning away ... but it wasn't to be.

i can't get it to work!

the instructions are really clear, i have watched videos online ... i know that, in theory, it's a simple process ... but i can't do it!!! think i'll need to get someone to show me because i am determined to learn :)

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-06-01T06:45:00.001+01:00

new goodies to play with

2011-05-29T06:52:00.000+01:00

i've been following deborah's blog, feltersjourney, for a wee while now, and you may remember that she was recently a featured maker here.

anyway, i thought i would pop over to her folksy shop when i was online a wee while ago to have a look-see and, even though i really don't need any new fibres or have the time to really be experimenting with anything new, i just couldn't resist the sari fibres (first pic) or banana silk fibres (second pic).

i haven't used these fibres before so i'm really looking forward to having some fun with them.

if you've used these fibres before and have any tips or photos to share, i'd love to hear from you!

beach finds

2011-05-28T06:16:00.000+01:00

i did try to be restrained while we were away but i visited so many beaches with such tempting shells and pebbles that i did bring home a few mementos. i tried to pick only a few from each beach because, after all, if everyone who visited took away a pocketful, there would be none left after a while (ok, it might take quite a while but you know what i'm getting at).

i mean, who could resist such colourful temptations ...

so, here's a selection of my favourites which i'll soon turn into a mobile as a lovely souvenir of my trip. wish i was back on the beaches now ...

hols - durness

2011-05-27T07:09:00.044+01:00

last stop on the holiday saw us back at the campsite at durness, where i spent my favourite day of the holiday at the beach, pottering in the sun, pootling about in rockpools with a bit of birdwatching and then a picnic :)

'bob' the friendly campsite gull

fantastic view from the tent

the water wasn't quite as inviting as it looked, in fact it was flipping freezing!

while m got progressively frustrated that the kite wouldn't stay up, i was quite happy poking about in the rock pools

yes, this really is a sign warning of pigs, piglets, lambs and sheep on the road ...

25% gradient on the hilliest road in scotland on the way to drumbeg, glad i wasn't the one cycling!

lovely sheep inspired pottery at the gorgeous drumbeg craft shop and tea garden

lawn or grass?

2011-05-26T06:40:00.000+01:00

so, this is our front grass ... ... and something we get a lot of hassle about from our neighbours with their bowling-green-type lawns, where no blade of grass must be allowed to exceed 1.5cm!

goodness, really? now, i don't like their lawn (plus it's not very good for plant or animal diversity) but do i feel the need to make a comment to them about it, every time i see them? no, i don't! because i respect their right to have their stupid grass how they like it.

do you know, i was in the front garden the other day and two folk walking past were tutting and making disparaging remarks about how i should be cutting my grass, the only thing i could do was stare in utter disbelief!

i'm thinking of making a sign that says something along the lines of not to criticise us for the length of our grass but to appreciate the variety of flowers and insects it supports as they walk past.

ahem, rant over, normal service will be resumed by the next post :)

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-05-25T06:45:00.001+01:00

hols - handa island

2011-05-22T07:09:00.005+01:00

on the way to our campsite in durness we stopped off to take the boat trip to handa island which is a fantastic place managed by scottish natural heritage as a bird reserve. we saw fulmar, guillemot, razorbill (nesting precariously on the cliffs), puffin, red grouse, jack snipe, great skua, wheatear, curlew and lot of bunnies!

this face says i'm on a tiny boat, about to go out to sea and i'm a little terrified

beetroot dye bath

2011-05-21T06:34:00.000+01:00

digging in the front patch to pop in some new plants the other day, i discovered a few beetroots from last year! we did try cooking with them but they were very tough and didn't taste too nice either.

so, as i'm having a bit of a dyeing experiment phase, into the dye bath they went. i've read conflicting reports about success with dyeing using beets but it looked quite promising given the colour it turned the water.

and, did it work ... ? you'll have to wait to find out, i'm off to find some nettles for the next dye bath :)

hols - lewis

2011-05-20T07:08:00.027+01:00

and then on to lewis, where i used to live. this was the first time i'd been back since leaving five years ago and it felt quite strange to be a tourist passing through a place that had been really important to me.

unfortunately, i didn't have time to catch up with old friends so i'm planning a longer trip for that. i didn't realise, until i got back, just quite how much i missed the landscape, the light, the huge skies, the beaches ...

the road to the campsite

how about this for a campsite?

first barbecue of the year

stornoway town

callanish stones, i spent so many hours at the stones when i lived here, each stone is a work of art in itself and the site is breathtaking

castle grounds woodland centre, fab coffee shop!

with lovely tulips

by good chance, the museum had an exhibit of some of the lewis chessmen! don't think i was allowed to take pics inside but i did really like their wall tiles :)

the butt of lewis lighthouse, where m finishes his cycle of the western isles

fulmars were nesting on the cliffs at the butt ... take a picture he says, they're really close, take a picture ... and then stands where?!

one of the things i love about the landscape here is the rock formations (i know, i know, i'm a geek!)

might not look much from outside, but this is the best hostel i have ever stayed in

queuing for the ferry back to the mainland :(

ferry crossing to ullapool, where i finally saw dolphins! i have done this crossing countless times and never seen so much as a fin before

colourful fluff

2011-05-19T06:36:00.001+01:00

i had been cutting the rainbow felts i blogged about a little while ago, and noticed that even the wee bits of fluff made for some interesting colour combinations on my table ...
... i find it so hard to throw scraps away, and these were so colourful, but i don't think i could really do anything with these other than appreciate them in a photo!

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-05-18T06:45:00.001+01:00

sanctuary

2011-05-15T07:07:00.001+01:00

strawberries

we've been quite lucky with the weather (mostly!) since we got back from hols and it has meant that we've been able to catch up a bit with the garden.

rocket

it's hard to know when to make a proper start - too early and you lose everything when the next frost arrives; too late and you miss the warm(ish), sunny days, and rainy nights which seem to help everything burst into life.

thyme

i do feel like we have cheated a little this year because we bought seedlings to start the veg patch off, what with the late frosts and being away i didn't get any seeds started. maybe i'll get some started in the next week or so and this will mean successional cropping and more veg and salad throughout the year.

beetroot

i get so excited at this time of year, i do love planting out, weeding (if it's sunny!), starting off the seeds, seeing new plants burst into life and the plants from previous years awake from their winter slumber but i have to admit a little rumbling of my tummy when i think about all of the lovely, tasty, fresh food to come and the chutneys, pickles and sauces that i'll make and will us last through the winter.

lettuce

i love sitting in the garden too, on one of those rare scottish sunny days, the sounds of the birds and the insects buzzing away, and being surrounded by the colour, texture and scent of so many different plants.

sage

this is my third year of growing and each year i've learnt so much and each year i realise i still have so much to learn and can't wait till the next season to try out something new.

radish

last year the wee girl next door discovered that we grow 'tasty plants' and is a frequent visitor now, asking what each plant is, whether or not it's edible and what it tastes like, quickly followed by 'can i try some ... no, you try some first'!

leek

she was amazed that we dug out potatoes from the soil and had a hard time connecting them to the potatoes her mum buys in the grocery store.

chives and marjoram

her favourite from last year was strawberries and every time she passes she asks if they are ripe enough to eat yet ... not quite i keep telling her, mostly because she nearly ate her own weight in strawberries last summer!

tayberry, raspberry, redcurrant, blackcurrant

of course, you do realise, that i'm only showing the bestest parts of the garden ... ?!

tarragon and oregano

i'm not showing the borders that are overgrown with weeds or the empty veg patches that still need planted!

peas, mangetout, runner beans, broad beans

hols - harris

2011-05-14T07:08:00.011+01:00

blue sky, dramatic hills, stunning beaches around every corner ... who could ask for more?!

hols - berneray

2011-05-13T07:08:00.005+01:00

hostel on berneray, in the most amazing spot, right on the beach

view from the hostel

some of the locals

oh dear, i have such a juvenile sense of humour that this had me giggling for ages!

'queueing' for the ferry to harris

on the ferry

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-05-11T06:45:00.001+01:00

meet a maker

2011-05-09T07:02:00.013+01:00

you have to laugh

2011-05-08T10:31:00.004+01:00

this ...

is the day i have put aside to photograph all of my new work!

at least i won't have to water the garden tonight :)

hols - barra to eriskay, south uist, benbecula and north uist

2011-05-08T07:05:00.009+01:00

waiting in the ferry 'queue' at barra

view from the ferry

heading back on the return journey

got about two minutes out of the ferry terminal and had to stop to take a pic!

stopped here to look for otters but no luck! although i did get to watch some eiders nesting

hhhmmmm ... i think these signs are put here on the causeways to slow the tourist drivers, didn't see so much as a whisker!

dun an sticir

running across this in the rain was fun! of course, i fell in :)

huge chambered cairn on north uist

well i didn't really get much of a chance to explore, the wind was at m's back so he cycled along so quickly i had to dash along the single-track roads in the van to catch him up.

although the landscape is quite flat and in places could look bleak if you weren't used to it, it was really captivating and of course, lots of birdlife and gorgeous beaches mean we shall return for another, longer visit.

hols - oban to barra and vatersay

2011-05-07T06:33:00.011+01:00

a week off saw us heading to oban for the ferry to the western isles. m had wanted to cycle the length of the islands for a while and i'd never been south of harris so off we went!

in the ferry queue at oban

view of oban from the ferry

lovely patterns in the water

think the gull may have got the ferry confused with a fishing boat, it followed us for quite some time

barra hostel

view from the front steps of the hostel

around barra and vatersay ...

st barr's church

this was a mosaic made completely from shells

kisimul castle

yes, the plane really does land on the beach!

a piece of the plane wreckage that forms part of the memorial in the previous pic

at the barra ferry terminal i saw the only otters i would see on our trip

despite living on lewis for a while, i'd never made it down south to any of the other islands so i was really glad to finally get here (especially after the five and half hour ferry journey from food-poisoning hell!).

i was amazed that all of the car drivers wave to each other as they pass - how lovely is that?! and one of the locals stopped me in the street for a blether one morning, regaling me with lots of funny tales. although it's a fairly small island there is quite a lot to see and do (especially in the summer), i would definitely recommend a visit.

dandelion dyepot, tea, coffee

2011-05-06T06:33:00.001+01:00

the day after we got back from hols was a bit dreich and i was feeling quite fed up with myself to be honest.

i really loved being back under the big skies, being at the coast and being outside for the whole day. i always feel a little twitchy and claustrophobic when i come back!

so i decided i should get out in the garden and pick some of the hundreds of dandelion flowers we returned to, and experiment with some natural dyeing - it's been on my to-do list for waaaaaaaaaay too long.

i'm sure the neighbours thought i was daft - out in the rain, picking the flower-heads off the dandelions! as well as being able to experiment with dyeing, it means the dandelions won't go to seed, so i'll hopefully have less weeds to deal with later on in the year.

here's the dandelion heads in the dye pot. it took a wee while to get to this stage - the flower heads had mostly closed over because of the weather, so i wanted to open out each one to make sure i wasn't committing any wee critters to a boiling pot of water.

just as well i was so careful, look at this wee fella ...

while i was online reading up on using dandelions for the dye bath, i read about dandelion tea. i kept a few flowers back, gave them a good rinse, covered them with water and simmered them for a while (i think it's supposed to be five minutes but i was so occupied with the dye bath, i forgot to check the clock).

it's hard to describe the flavour to be honest! i tried it both with and without honey and i think i preferred it without, it wasn't quite as bitter as i expected it to be. while i don't think i would drink it every day, i did enjoy it and would think about using it as a base for blending other infusions.

i also read about dandelion 'coffee' so a few days later, when the garden had dried out, i went back out to dig up the dandelions to get to the roots. the trick is to rinse, and rinse, and rinse until all the dirt is removed but it's taken me so long to get them to this stage, i'm not sure i can stand much more rinsing! i think i may stick to my jar of barley coffee in the cupboard.

progress report on the dyeing to follow!

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-05-04T06:45:00.001+01:00

meet a maker

2011-05-02T06:38:00.011+01:00

being the inquisitive little feltmaker that i am, i thought it might be interesting to hear about other maker's stories. if you would like to be featured, please leave me a comment and i'll get in touch with some questions for you.

so, grab a cuppa, put your feet up and lets meet riet, for our first international interview ...

Please introduce yourself …
Riet Baird, born in 1952 in Sittard in the Netherlands, where after 58 years I’m still around. Married to a Scotsman for 40 years and proud mum of 2 children and 2 grandchildren. How would you describe your work / style?
My work is autodidactic, of course I do like to follow workshops to learn new methods, but just once and then it turns into my own kind of working method.

Who, or what, inspires you?
Everything and nothing! Strawling around, looking at everything, people, nature, books, but most of all children, and especially the works of children. They are without borders, they just make what they want to make and in one or other way they always manage to do so.

Do you sell your work? If so, what helped you decide to start selling your work?
Occasionally I sell my work on markets and exhibitions, like 3 or 4 times a year.
I started selling on request of the organisation of an art market in Sittard, never thought of selling before, but I like it. All the stuff you make, you can’t keep it yourself, so now I can go on creating. The only thing I don’t like to do is make felt “on order”, then it does not feel like creating.Do you have a website or blog address?
www.vilterietjes.blogspot.com, I don’t have a website, everything I want to publish, I can do on my blog.

How did you learn your craft? How long have you been creating?
I learned it a couple of years ago during a workshop. It was a birthday present from my best friend Patty. I was so fond of felting, I couldn’t stop. Took a couple of workshops after that, even on holiday in Scotland, I went to the ‘hat in the cat’ in Perth to learn to make hats. It is a lovely shop, run by two very inspiring ladies, who are great teachers and hostesses

Is there any other craft skill you would like to learn?
I’d love to learn spinning, but one of the bloggers I follow, and who lives very near to me, is willing to teach me this summer. I’m looking forward to do so..Anything exciting planned for 2011 you’d like to share?
This year I’m joining a kind of competition to research wool. 30 people each research a kind of sheep and the results will be published on the German blog www.fasertausch2011.blogspot.com. I’ll do the Shetland sheep. Up till now the only thing I did was: buying the wool. The last 4 weeks I’m not able to do any feltwork or research. Last December I got an artificial knee and that went very well, so I started felting a lot of walking and doing things I couldn’t do for a long time. Now my knee is infected and I have to rest a lot, which is very boring. I hope to get to normal very soon, so my research can go on.Have you had any work featured in magazines/books/galleries?
No, but the results of my research will be published in Viltcontact, a Dutch magazine for feltmakers.

Has your work won any prizes/competitions?
No, but I’m not intending to enter competitions, I like to make my work for myself and if someone likes to buy it: great! If not, I like to keep it myself.

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be …
I have no idea hihi, my whole life I did things as they came, and I love it that way.

I couldn’t do this if it wasn’t for …
If I had a full time job, I couldn’t do this. At this moment I don’t have a job, but when I’m working it’s for 20 hours a week. 1 day a week I look after my grandson, but this will be the last year, because he will go to school next year.Describe your perfect day.
Sunshine, 20-25 degrees and being in Scotland at the east coast with my hubby in the campervan.

Describe your proudest moment.
When my first nunoscarve was finished! I was so proud, I could show it to the whole world!

What do you do to relax?
Read a book. You can wake me up for a good thriller and I will read the whole night.Marmite … love it or hate it?
I only eat marmite with a lot of butter on spaghetti, Nigella’s recipe.

What animal would you be, and why?
Would love to be a deer, because then I would always be in Scotland.

How do you keep motivated?
I don’t have to be kept motivated, I’m always motivated.

What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
I whish I would have known that felting was addictive, but than again I love to be addicted!

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
Take time to work, don’t hurry.What question did you hope to be asked but didn’t?
Are you a happy and content person?

What would your answer have been?
YES!

thanks for taking the time to chat riet, i hope your knee is on the mend soon - have you considered needle felting in the meantime? it's not as vigorous as wet felting and you can do it sitting down. glad to hear you enjoyed your workshop at 'hat in the cat', i had my first workshop there a couple of months ago and loved it. will follow your research with interest :)

april

2011-05-01T07:07:00.001+01:00

i didn't have much in the way of free time last month, what with day-job, felting fun, and holidays so my offering by way of an april celebration is a little paltry this month!

while we were away recently, one of the hostels we stayed in had a beaded light-pull which we thought was a good way to add a little colour to our littlest room. using beads that my brother brought back from thailand, i think i've managed to do just that :)

so, apparently ...

2011-04-29T10:15:00.004+01:00

there's a royal wedding happening today ... ?

so far, i've managed to avoid most of the fuss and the hype. don't get me wrong, i wish them only the best in life but it's just not something i can get that excited about.

however, i loved today's post from chrissie at niminyfingers who is passing this on from a facebook friend:

here's how to find out your royal wedding name for the big occasion ...

start with lady (or lord)
pick the name of a grandparent for your first name
use the name of your first pet for your surname
and 'of' should be a street where you lived

i nearly choked on my coffee when i worked out that i would be

lady rose bubbles of hawthorn!!!

but settled for lady rose bubbles of woodside (although i could also have had 'of macclesfield' or 'berkshire' which would have sounded a bit more posh - but not half as funny!)

so, what would your royal wedding name be?

mushrooms

2011-04-29T06:18:00.001+01:00

day ... you know, i've lost count!

but finally, long after m wanted to throw the box out because "nothing's happening" ...

ta-daaa!!!

unless we get a huge crop of mushrooms very soon, this must be the most expensive mushroom in the history of mushroom growing kits! all that hard work for one precious mushroom - here's hoping it's full of flavour!

2011-04-28T07:03:00.001+01:00

we did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves.

lynn hall

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-04-27T06:45:00.001+01:00

apologies

2011-04-26T12:58:00.000+01:00

for my tardiness in replying to all of the lovely comments over the past week or so but i've just got back from hols.

lots of washing, catching up in the veg garden, sorting of photos and leaflets, cleaning of beach finds and a return to the day-job mean i'm not going to be around much for a wee while but i'll catch up with you all soon ... promise :)

i can felt a rainbow

2011-04-26T06:18:00.001+01:00

felt a rainbow
felt a rainbow too

i can felt a rainbow
felt a rainbow
felt along with me!

meet a maker

2011-04-25T06:48:00.001+01:00

well, i'm sorry to say that there's no 'meet a maker' feature this week.

i'm always on the look out for new folk to interview, so if you would like to be featured, please leave me a comment and i'll get in touch with some questions for you.

a lovely commission

2011-04-23T06:20:00.002+01:00

i blogged a little while ago about the commission i had to make two seat pads for a lovely lady.

i was so chuffed that she really liked them, in fact she liked them so much that she ordered another four as a gift for her sister in norway!

so, this quartet of seat pads are now off on their travels.

bloomin' lovely

2011-04-22T06:34:00.004+01:00

yaaaay, the garden has woken up after a long, dark, cold winter!

it's a wonder to see that so many of our plants survived under the snow and ice - especially the oregano and the sage which weren't even under cover for the winter.

then there are the lovely daffs that greet us with cheery yellowness each morning

and the gage and plumgage, full of the blossom-promise of fruit to come

now i just need to find the time to catch up on the weeding!

2011-04-21T06:19:00.000+01:00

i don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. i believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.

ken venturi

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-04-20T06:45:00.001+01:00

mushrooms (or not)

2011-04-19T06:45:00.001+01:00

day 21
hhhmmmmmm, not looking good is it?!

the pack said that the peat did contain a type of mould which was perfectly normal. unfortunately, that's all the peat seems to contain as we have no signs of mushroom-life at all!

meet a maker

2011-04-18T06:24:00.000+01:00

ok, so it's probably not the 'done' thing and it is very self-indulgent, but this week's featured maker is me!

Please introduce yourself …
Hi, I’m Tracy and am now scarily-close to being 40! Originally from London, I’ve lived in Glasgow and the Isle of Lewis and have now settled in Perth (Scotland, not Oz!). I have a part-time day job in an office and in my spare time I design, make and sell felt items as fatcat felt. When I’m not working or felting I love to be outdoors, whether it’s camping, walking, canoeing, birdwatching, cycling, or working in our fruit and veg garden.
How would you describe your work / style?
That’s quite difficult to answer because I’m not so sure … Everything I make is handmade and I put a lot of myself into everything I create. I work mostly with felt but also dabble in weaving and other textile work. I think I’m still trying out so many techniques and am learning more about design; absorbing lessons from artists I admire and I think ‘my’ style is still evolving as I’ve yet to settle on any one definable style.

I’m definitely enjoying the time I’ve been taking recently to explore more artistic/creative (rather than purely commercial) pieces so maybe this will help me to define my own voice. But perhaps I’ll be one of those people who never settle to one particular style …

Who, or what, inspires you?
Oh gosh, everything and anything! Which I can’t really complain about, but I just wish I had more time to make everything I wanted to. I’m really inspired by nature – so the colours and textures of the sea, the landscape we spend a lot of time in and the plants and flowers in our garden. And then there are the artists I love like Kandinsky, Hundertwassser, Rothko, Klein … I love their use of colour. I’ve been looking at a lot of folk art, Celtic patterns and rock art recently and I’m hoping this will inform some new pieces.
Do you sell your work? If so, what helped you decide to start selling your work?
I have to sell my felt work otherwise I would run out of space in the house!

I came home from my first feltmaking workshop with a lovely new felt bag, Morgan was so impressed with it he said it was good enough to sell. Earning money by selling work that I’ve created with my own hands had been a dream of mine for such a long time and when I heard that, it kind of clicked and I thought ‘why not … ?’.
Where can I buy your work?

From:
• the Gift Gallery in York (19 Shambles, York, Y01 7LZ), facebook page: www.facebook.com/giftgalleryyork
• an cnoc in Crieff (31 East High Street, Crieff, PH7 3AF), website: www.an-cnoc.com/
• fatcat felt’s folksy shop: www.folksy.com/shops/fatcatfelt
• I also sell at various markets throughout the year, details nearer the time will be on my blog.
Do you have a website or blog address?
I have two!

There’s www.narkeymarkeysblog.blogspot.com which is where I chatter away about my life in general and then I also have www.fatcatfelt.com which is all about my felt work.

How did you learn your craft? How long have you been creating?
When we first moved to Perth, Morgan went out exploring on his bike and came back to tell me he had found a shop he thought I would love. Twist Fibrecraft in Newburgh (www.twistfibrecraft.co.uk) is an amazing treasure trove for all things textiles, I came home with some fibre and a ‘how to make felt’ book and my obsession has just grown from there! Since that first workshop, I’ve enjoyed many courses, classes and workshops, and I’m still ‘learning by doing’ too.

I think I’ve been making things pretty much as far as I can remember, but I’ve been a feltmaker for about five or six years now.
Is there any other craft skill you would like to learn?
Loads! If only I had the time. I’ve dabbled with ceramics, paper making, photography, film processing, tapestry, embroidery, fimo … and would love to learn book-binding, glass work, mosaic, crochet, knitting, spinning, wire work ... I’m about to start practicing with lino printing too!

Anything exciting planned for 2011 you’d like to share?
Loads!

I’m going to Ireland in June for a workshop with Horst (www.horstcouture.com) that Nicola (www.clasheen.wordpress.com) has arranged.

I have an outdoor installation piece planned for the summer (more details to follow …!).

I’ve just started planting out seeds and plants so I’ll be experimenting with a range of natural dyes this autumn.

I’ll be taking part in the International Day of Felt in October: www.feltunited.com.

And I’ve got a workshop in November to look forward to with Angela (www.angelabarrow.co.uk/Blog).

We’ve got a family holiday coming up soon which I’m really excited about but I can’t talk about it too much here because we have lots of surprises planned!!!
Have you had any work featured in magazines/books/galleries?
Not yet, but I’m hopeful that once I’ve progressed to a stage in my development as a feltmaker that I’m happy with, I will find the confidence to start submitting my work.

Has your work won any prizes/competitions?
I’ve never been brave enough to enter anything! Maybe next year …

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be …
Impossible!

I can’t imagine not doing this to be honest.
I couldn’t do this if it wasn’t for …
My obsession with all things woolly!

And a very understanding partner who doesn’t complain (too often) about wet fleece drip-drying over the bath, felt drying on every radiator, very regular deliveries of new wool/yarn/buttons/beads because I just had to have them.

Describe your perfect day.
One with 48 hours to get everything done!

Honestly though, it would be a day spent with my family at the coast, possibly taking a boat trip, lots of sunshine, loads of good food, a little reading and then falling exhausted and happy into bed.
What do you do to relax?
Funnily enough, I find feltmaking relaxing! But I also love reading, watching films and working in the garden.

Marmite … love it or hate it?
LOVE IT! Especially on rice cakes with cheese. Or on seeded bread with crunchy peanut butter and cucumber.

What’s your weakness?
Chocolate, crisps, cheese in huge quantities, and shiny things like buttons and beads!
How do you keep motivated?
I’m obsessed!

Seriously though, I really love that there are always new techniques to experiment with and I’m full of ideas of new things I’d like to make (long may that last!).

And then there’s the fact that I am an obsessive list-maker. At the end of each year, I write down my aspirations for the coming year and then start to break-them down into manageable chunks, so I then have a list for each month of smaller steps I can take to move my goals along. I know it might sound obsessive but it helps for the times when I’m a bit low on motivation – I only have to look at my list and then before I know it, I’m doing something constructive.

What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
When to trust my instincts.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
It’s a hard slog sometimes! You really need to be committed and prepared for some hard work, it helps to have the support of friends and family as well because it can take over your life from time to time.

Try a stall at a local market – it can be a scary prospect as you’re putting your work out there but you're meeting customers face-to-face and it’s a great way to get immediate feedback on your work; to meet other designer-makers and swap hints and tips. It’s also a great way to meet and chat with potential customers, even if they don’t buy from you on the day, they may visit your online shop later on. I was asked to give my first workshop by someone who visited one of my stalls, so you never know what opportunities might come your way.

Working from home or your studio can sometimes be quite an isolated existence so it’s a good idea to find out if there is a local group in your area or a forum online which you can join, it’s great to be able to chat to other folk doing a similar activity as you can share hints and tips, help each other out when it’s getting tough and share in each other’s successes.

Get as much advice as you can from people who know what they are talking about and whose opinion you value.

Do the things you can do really well and ask for help with the other stuff you might not be so experienced with.

Don’t be put off by small setbacks, treat them as a potential learning experience and change tack slightly if necessary.

Trust your own instincts and push yourself harder than you ever thought possible because it is an amazing feeling to be able to earn money from doing something that you love.

Have fun with what you are doing and don’t forget to play from time to time.

look ...

2011-04-16T06:30:00.001+01:00

blue sky! yes, genuine blue sky - with added sunshine!!!

please, let this be the start of a long, hot summer (with just enough rain, at night, to keep the garden watered).

the wonderful world of blogging

2011-04-15T06:46:00.008+01:00

yes, i know, it can be a huge time vampire if you're not careful, but then there are so many wonderful things about blogging such as meeting lovely, inspiring, creative folk from around the world that you otherwise wouldn't have had the chance to get to know. folk such as the wonderful heather who writes the wool love - functional fiberart blog.

a little while ago, heather and i agreed to make a swap for each other. we had been lamenting the fact that, while we both enjoyed making gifts for other people we never seemed to have the time to make anything for ourselves. so a swap was duly suggested and agreed to be the best solution as we both love making for other people and this way we would both have a lovely gift to exchange/receive.

this was the first time i had taken part in a swap like this and i really enjoyed finding out a little more about each other to make sure we made the perfect gift. it was such good fun to plan the goodies i would send. in fact, i got so much out of the planning and gifting part of the swap that it was a double bonus to receive this wonderfully gorgeous bag as my gift from heather.
the photos really don't do it justice, the handle and front flap are made from the most gorgeous mix of blues/greens with a silky sheen and there's an internal pocket in the same lovely mix of colours.

i just adore the texture created by these locks on the back of the purse.

heather blogged about the creation of my lovely bag here: silk wool and dyed blue locks bag part 1 and here: silk wool and dyed blue locks bag part 2

my package also contained a lovely hand lotion, scented with an orange and ginger energy-giving zingy scent and perfect for feltmaker's hands! i don't have it here to take a pic as i took it to my day job, to cheer myself up through the day.

thanks so much heather, every time i use my bag and enjoy my handcream i think of you and the care and love you put into creating the perfect gift.

2011-04-14T06:36:00.003+01:00

i only want to live in peace, and plant potatoes and dream

moomin
(courtesy of tove jansson)

who could really wish for more ... ?

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-04-13T06:45:00.001+01:00

i won something!

2011-04-12T06:55:00.001+01:00

i actually did! now, i'm the kind of person who never wins anything. no, really, i don't. but, ever the optimist and always happy to support a good cause, i bought a couple of raffle tickets from sian at diary of a tiny holder.

and look what i won ...

the black and pink harrod's purse was just perfect for my cousin's daughter who just turned 21, as soon as i saw the benefit body butter i knew my sister-in-law would love it and the chocs, well, they were delish!

sian is raising money for the alzheimer's society in so many ways this year, one of which is climbing mount kilimanjaro in september. if you would like to buy a raffle ticket, make a purchase, or donate in any way just head on over to diary of a tiny holder.

meet a maker

2011-04-11T06:39:00.012+01:00

mushroom update

2011-04-09T06:36:00.002+01:00

day 3
re-read the instructions and discover that on the third day, you are supposed to add the peat on top of the bark fibre-ry stuff and it will now take a further fourteen (yes fourteen!) whole days before you see any signs of mushroomy-loveliness.

t'internet's a wonderful thing

2011-04-08T06:31:00.001+01:00

i've just discovered international internet radio.

you can search for a radio station by music genre or language. what an amazing site!

i'm learning swedish at the moment and being able to listen to swedish radio is such a great help. it just adds another dimension to the book and cd i'm learning from and lets me hear the language as it's really used, not just to ask for six red apples please! plus, i can have the radio on while i'm felting away and i'm hoping that by some magical osmosis type reaction, i'll just absorb a lot of the language.

2011-04-07T06:13:00.001+01:00

don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.

robert louis stevenson

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-04-06T06:45:00.001+01:00

i am so unbelievably excited

2011-04-05T06:46:00.005+01:00

horst, yes horst, the horst is coming to ireland in june!

the lovely nicola has organised a workshop with horst.
and guess what, i really can't quite believe it, no really i can't, m is talking about tranquilising me before my head actually explodes, because i don't know how i can wait so long, but I'M GOING TO IRELAND IN JUNE FOR A WORKSHOP WITH HORST!!!

you can find out more about horst here ... horst couture

apart from the opportunity to work alongside horst, i'm so excited for loads of reasons: i had put aside this year to develop my feltmaking skills and start having fun with feltmaking again - what perfect timing! it will be great to meet nicola as i've been following her blog for a long time now, and she's such an inspirational feltmaker; i'm going to stay at a really lovely campsite; i've never been to ireland before, my nan's dad came from cork so i'm hoping i'll have a few hours spare before i have to catch my ferry home to do a wee bit of family history searching.

although i have to admit, it does feel a little daunting to be travelling all that way on my own! but i know it will be so worth it, roll on june :)

meet a maker

2011-04-04T07:14:00.007+01:00

being the inquisitive little feltmaker that i am, i thought it might be interesting to hear about other maker's stories. if you would like to be featured, please leave me a comment and i'll get in touch with some questions for you.

so, grab a cuppa, put your feet up and lets meet deborah of felters journey ...

Please introduce yourself …
I am Deborah Allen ... a 37 year old wetfelter living in Halesowen, West Midlands.

How would you describe your work / style?
Wide ranging, I get bored making the same sort of thing too often.
Who, or what, inspires you?
The natural world is a big inspiration. From land & seascapes, the heavens, weather & the changes that brings, to things that grow, and birds & animals . We are lucky to live right on the edge of the urban sprawl – through the front door are roads, town hustle & bustle. Out the back door lies miles of beautiful greenbelt countryside, woodlands & streams, fields & hills.

I'm also very much inspired by history. Ancient art, myths & beliefs ... in particular of our ancestors here in Britain.

All of these things speak to & soothe my soul ... guess thats how they find their way into the things that I make. And then sometimes its all about colour and form ... what is pleasing to my senses – I love the tactile nature of felt as much as its appearance.

Do you sell your work? If so, what helped you decide to start selling your work?
My dream is to make a modest living from selling my creations & passing on a love of felt to others through workshops. About 3 years ago someone suggested selling my felt on Etsy. I already had an Etsy account so I put my first ever Feelin’ Sheepish bag up for sale and it sold really quickly. This was encouraging, so I made more ... After about a year I decided on the name FeltersJourney, and opened an Etsy account and shop in this name. I also decided to start selling some felters embellishment supplies; sari silk fibres, dyed silk caps etc. I am currently stocking my Folksy FeltersJourney shop with these supplies.
Where can I buy your work?
From my Etsy shop - www.etsy.com/shop/feltersjourney. I do occasional craft fayres, usually in the West Midlands & put a notice on my blog for any upcoming events I will be attending.

Do you have a website or blog address?
www.FeltersJourney.blogspot.com

How did you learn your craft? How long have you been creating?
I have been creating pretty much my whole life – as far back as I can remember. When I was a little girl, on Friday nights I would sleep over at my nans house. We always had a grand time, she taught me how to knit, sew (by hand and on the machine), darn socks, cook, dance & sing old songs. My mom made lots of soft toys; rag dolls and things, and often let me make things from her scraps. Creativity was all around me..

I got interested in the fibre arts about 7 or 8 years ago when Debbie at Mulberry Dyer taught me how to spin on a drop spindle. After a wonderful day playing with wool I was truly addicted ... that was the day when I first heard of felting. My first felting experience was from an extremely basic kit bought on ebay a couple of months after I learned to spindle.

I am a self taught wetfelter; I read books and got stuck in. I’m a bit of an impatient person; the problem I have with doing courses is the baby steps ... once I have got a feel for what I’m doing, I want to dive in and make what I really want to make and learn as I go along. For me this works well.

I would still like to do the C&G feltmaking courses some day (when funds allow) ... I think I will have the patience to do it now – I won't feel like rushing on ahead because I’ve aready done so much felting.
Is there any other craft skill you would like to learn?
Not at the moment ... I’m pulling my fingers out of various crafty-pies lately so that I can focus on my felt (I was hand-sewer of cloth dolls / art dolls many of my own design for a few years) I still also spin, crochet.

My most recent temptation was Silversmithing. I seriously considered taking a course just over a year ago ... but decided not to for 2 reasons – I wanted to stay focused on my felt, and the aforementioned impatience with learning at someone elses pace I may very possibly still do this in the future ... I'm also quite interested in hot glass.

Anything exciting planned for 2011 you’d like to share?
I’m hoping to organise some beginner/improver feltmaking workshops locally this summer and I have just started up the Woolgatherers a few weeks ago! That's pretty exciting for 2011 – regular meetups with fibre fanatics. Other than that we shall see ...
Have you had any work featured in magazines/books/galleries?
I was featured artist on Wingham Wool Works website in Autumn 2010 – that was pretty cool!

International Day of Felt 2010 I did a workshop with the Primary School next door. The children each felted a sea creature, which I assembled into a HUGE mobile with driftwood & shells – this was exhibited in our local museum, featured in the local paper & in the FeltUnited online exhibition. So not my work being exhibited, but I was really excited to be part of this project & the kids were absolutely thrilled! A wonderful experience

I couldn’t do this if it wasn’t for …
My lovely husband who has always encouraged me, and even manages to keep a good sense of humor over the fluff that fills the house (I often blame the dogs for the fluff bunnies on the floor.. but when those ‘bunnies’ are green its a dead giveaway!)
Describe your perfect day.
Any day spent out and about with my family & our 2 dogs ... my favourite days are spent walking along cliffside coastal paths and beaches in Cornwall. The sound and smell of the sea, wind blowing my hair ...

Describe your proudest moment.
All of my proudest moments are to do with my 2 beautiful children.

What do you do to relax?
Make felt :) while listening to; a good audio book (Harry Potter read by Stephen Fry are my favourites) in the winter, or birdsong through an open window in summer

Marmite … love it or hate it?
LOVE!
How do you keep motivated?
By only making what I want to make, when I want to make it.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
- Buy Uniquely Felt by Christine White, its the best all round feltmaking book I have seen, it`ll give you a taste of all the different techniques with insights and tips that come from experience. I wish this book had been out when I started felting.

- Be sure that you are using a fibre that felts easily when you are starting out ... save the more challenging stuff for when you are a hopeless felting addict & are willing to rub & roll the whole day away lol.

- Have fun with it!

- Dont be scared to push yourself.

thanks for taking the time to chat deborah, i had a wee giggle when i read about your fluff bunnies ... i have the same problem but unfortunately no pets to blame it on, congrats on being a featured maker on wingham!

loadsa beads

2011-04-02T07:08:00.000+01:00

well, this is starting to feel like an uphill slog!

anyone fancy giving me a hand to felt each of these beads into a nice, smooth bead shape ready to make necklaces and bracelets?

i must learn how to do 'a little' of something, instead i seem to like to give myself a challenge and make 'loads' of something, all at once!

my new toy

2011-04-01T07:05:00.002+01:00

woo-hoo for power tools!

this lovely piece of kit used to lurk in the cupboard under the stairs with the other tools, amongst the cobwebs, for when m needed to do something manly with them.

that is until i discovered that i love drilling holes in things, any thing, many things! it is surprisingly satisfying to drill holes, who knew?!

so far i've drilled holes in bits of wood to make hanging decorations and looking around for other things to drill holes in (that wouldn't make m scream!) i decided to try felt, and guess what - now i can drill holes in felt!

i predict a lot more holes being drilled in many things :)

2011-03-31T07:09:00.002+01:00

can you imagine what i would do if i could do all i can?

sun tzu

this, for me, echoes in william morris' motto: si je puis (if i can)

wordless wednesday: välkommen till stockholm

2011-03-30T06:45:00.000+01:00

deuchny walk

2011-03-29T06:45:00.001+01:00

so, a bright, sunny day a couple of weeks ago saw us head for the hills! m went cycling and i went for a more leisurely explore/photography walk/bird watch. we've lived here for about five years now and the hill we've been calling kinnoull hill is actually called deuchny hill - thanks to the new signage, we've now got it sorted!

beautiful snowdrops with a very rare blue sky background

our hard winter with lots of snow, ice and winds has really taken it's toll on the trees around us, with so many having falling. the foresters had been working really hard to remove the fallen trunks and, sad as it is to see so many fallen trees, they did leave behind some really funky shaped tree trunks

some mossy/lichen/mushroomy type growth on a tree, i just loved the green-ness of the colour!

a perfect day out, back to the van for a cuppa and a spot of birdwatching! with a piece of bark i found on the ground, just right for a wee project i have in mind.