Crafting Vortex

Getting ready for summer craft workshops.

Summer Beach Crafts

Join us this summer for Beach Crafting at Blue Pelican Gallery Gifts & Yarn for our Fiber Arts Open Studio every Wednesday from 10-1 June -August 2016.  You can choose to knit, crochet, weave or macrame a craft project.  We have lots of traditional and trendy yarns and craft supplies.  Indulge your inner 'Hippie!'

March

Making room for new things.  March is roaring in like a lion!  Write up in local publication; Organized desk; spring colors; clean for now calendar.

Yarn Shop Hop

While we were on our business retreat we had to feed our yarn addiction.  We stop at several yarn shops and craft supply stores to fill up our stashes.  There are several between the beach and the mountains so we stopped at a few of them.

Our first stop was the yarn Mecca Friends and Fiberworks in Candler.  I was in overwhelm with all of my favorite yarns and accessories.  I found some great novelty yarn to make a summer shawl project from.  I am addicted to the polymer clay buttons they sale.  They are like candy.

Next I had to go to Earth Guild the craft supply store in downtown Asheville with all the unique products for handcrafted fiber projects.  Weaving, basketry, knitting, surface design, batik, etc.  I had to get supplies for my upcoming basket workshops I am teaching.

Next we went to the Knitting Diva yarn shop and teaching center in North Asheville.  The owner is a fellow UpLeveler and we got to chat about the healing properties of knitting and yarn. I got some wonderful bulky yarns and books and a handcrafted mug with my favorite phrase 'knitting is cheaper than therapy'.

  

Finally, on our layover in Chapel Hill due to the storm on super bowl Sunday we stopped at Downtown knits in Apex, NC.  Tad a 🎉  I was in heaven!  A yarn shop and a sewing center with all latest and trendy yarns and fabrics.  The owner and her teaching staff were warm and friendly.  A nice cozy place to take classes and just sit and stitch.

I am so happy that I was able to connect with other crafters as well as learn new business concepts at the retreat.  It was a perfect balance for me and I enjoyed getting out and about with my fellow 'Crafty Diva's.'

Fall is in the air

Happy Fall to my blog friends.  I began my artistry in basketweaving 20 years ago.   After years of not crafting due to the fact I was crafting a very successful corporate enterprise and having babies.  I needed a quick creative outlet.  Weaving baskets was the beginning. 

5 Day Artist Challenge

I was nominated by Delia Marsellos-Traister who is a Fantastic Fine Metal Jewelry Artist in the Los Angeles area to participate in a 5 day Facebook Artist Challenge.  I took it as an opportunity to present my past work on line and to nominate some wonderful artist friends of mine.  I'm currently moving in a different direction fine tuning my skills in other mediums.  I enjoyed revisiting the past and seeing the continuity in my artistic journey.  Vibrant color, texture and whimsy was the constant theme through the use of a variety of artistic mediums. Here is a brief example of my work.

Day 5 - I presented my 'Soulful' collection.  I express my soul and creative spirit through vibrant colors, textures and all kinds of materials. 

Day 4 -  I presented another phase of my artistic journey, Hand weaving.

Day 3 - I presented another phase of my artistic journey, Ceramics. I found my voice in hand building clay after many poor attempts at the wheel. Once I went to hand building I was singing. So here are examples of my storytellers and baskets of course.

Day 2 - I presented pictures of my next phase of creativity, my knitting.  I began knitting again as an adult while going through some heavy duty life issues.  Knitting brought me comfort and joy and helped me find a new way to express my artistic voice.

Day 1 - I began my work as an artist when I found my voice in basketry.  Here are three examples of my work.

Quiet

This is what I kept busy with while adjusting to the quiet.  There's a void now for both lil sis and me. We decided to crochet these baskets.  I love the electric color.  It brightens the energy in the house.  I'm going to make more.

These are the finished baskets.