Makers gotta make

It's been almost a year since I posted so I don't know if anyone will care but here are a few of the things I've been making this year. There was felt, polymer clay, sterling silver, copper enamel and collage. I tried laser cutting, beading and knitting hand warmers. I still have a love affair with paper, printing and linoleum prints. So many ideas and so little time.

Japanese seed beads, with brass and gold highlights.

 Detail of a beaded necklace

African glass, brass and leather necklace 

 Textured enamel earrings

 needle felted brooch

Two needle felted, beaded and embroidered brooches.

 Polymer clay beads

Sterling silver forged cuff

Felt Flower on Cardboard

Painting with wool and heart felt

More needle felting samples. Painting with wool and making hearts.

I still have space in my Needle Felting Basics workshop on March 10 and Space to Create in Ballard. We'll be there from 1-4pm.
http://www.spacetocreate.net/701.html

Felt Collage

I am continuing to experiment with fiber and collage. In this piece I started with a needle felted base, cut out three holes and then covered them with gauze and silk. I stitched them together with a new japanese paper thread I just discovered. This is the result.

Available for purchase in my Etsy shop.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/123717616/mixed-media-fiber-art-felt-collage?ref=v1_other_1

More needle felting

Needle felted doll with turquoise skirt

I hadn't made any needle felted dolls in a long time so yesterday, sick with the flu, I got out my roving and started stabbing fiber. This is the result...

More needle felting and knitting up on Etsy

Here are two new listings for my Etsy shop, Artnest. One is a needle felted pin in the shape of a house with embroidery and seed beads. The other is a hand knit scarf with fabulous colors which are good for chasing away the winter blues.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/artnestbydiane

Needle felted pin with hand dyed silk and beads

Hand knit ribbed scarf

Happy Valentine's Day

To all the lovers, valentines, singles and romantics at heart: here is a valentine love book I made several years ago. It has images on the front and back for a total of eight ways to show love. Here are four of them.

Here is a painting called "Flying".

And last but not least, a felt heart.

Felt Jewelry Artists - Inspiration

I happened to see some felt bracelets by Cynthia Toops at Souvenir in Ballard. They blew me a way. Cynthia has done intricate and wonderful jewelry in polymer clay in the past and I didn't know she was now working in felt. Apparently she's in a new book that's coming out. The link to the book is below. Wow. I'm blown away and inspired by her work and the other artists in the book.

http://bijoucontemporain.unblog.fr/2010/07/21/felt-jewelry-upcoming-book-500-felt-objects/

Felt Inspiration - Fashioning Felt

http://www.cooperhewitt.org/EXHIBITIONS/Fashioning-Felt/

I'm so sad I missed this exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt. It showcased the amazing work being made by artists using felt. One of my favorite installations is by Janice Arnold of who makes felt right here in Washington in Centralia. I want to meet her and study felt-making. Check out this video of the process: http://blog.cooperhewitt.org/2009/04/13/video-making-of-the-palace-yurt 

Making Felt

I got inspired to make some felt today using the wet method instead of needle felting which I usually do.  It's a lot of fun, though messy and wet. You basically need wool roving, hot water, dish soap, bubble wrap and nylon net mesh (the kind fruit gets packaged in). Here are my samples from today.

Decorative Balls - Inspiration

I came across this website at Dollar Store Crafts and loved the ideas of decorating balls with things made from nature. Check out this post.



I've also been making felt balls, using both dry and wet felting methods. Here are some of my felt babies. They look great in glass bowl with the colors shining through.

I'm teaching classes in Needle Felting

I'm going to be teaching needle felting beginning this fall. The fee is $20 an hour in your home or mine. There is a starter kit you can buy with will include everything you need to get started. Felting base, needles and an assortment of wool roving. The cost for the kit is $10 or you can provide your own supplies.

Click here to see some samples of my work in my etsy store.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5823533&section_id=5463056

email me at: diane@dianetdesign.com for more details.