Now Tomorrow is the day to set up the Stand at Knitting and Stitching show in Dublin

I will be travelling to the RDS to set up my stand at Knitting and Stitching show in Dublin.
Loads of preparation involved especially since I was very late to start. All those days have left a serious marks on my hands:

It is especially the dyeing process that makes it very difficult. It will dissapear once I start making felt again, wool works better than the most sophisticated peel off scrub.

My RDS award got mentioned in the Newsletter distributed by Feltmakers Ireland. Many thanks Sheila Ahern and the team who does such a fantastic job!

Here is the screen: I got awarded by Feltmakers Ireland for the innovation of my felt Lace dress:

Finally I got my leaflets and posters designed. For their invaluable imput I wanted to thank
talented graphic designer Ewa Rybka, from Cork, Ireland, http://craftobssesion.blogspot.com/
please contact her at 00353 87 697 9313 if you are interested in comissioning logo or graphic design for your business.

Also big thanks to Barbara Zonzin who photographed a model wearing my lace scarf below (www.barbarazonzin.com)

Here is the leaflet itself:

Let me know what ya think!

New/Old Photographs of my felt pieces by BArbara Zonzin

Photo: Barbara Zonzin – Model and MUA: Manuela Mariani

http://www.barbarazonzin.com

 Fabulous Work Barbara

My work is on sale at Glasson Craft Gallery, Westmeath, Ireland.

I am proudly presenting some gorgeous photographs taken by Corin Bishop (2011) in this newly open shop located near Athlone.

Gorgeous selection of goods and amazing display, all done by fantastic woodturner, Stephen Mitchell.

  and my items off course!

Jewellery making workshop in a fantastic Greek countryside in Peloponez by Doretta Tondi

I am just back from my holidays in Greece, well this was my working holidays in fact!
Doretta Tondi is a very talented self taught jeweller, I admire her works and in fact there is something being made specially for me!
Here is Doretta's Ring that is particularly popular and my favourite:

A link to her shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DorettaTondi?ref=seller_info


I spend 8 days making silver jewellery from a scratch, starting from melting silver granules with copper, making flat sheet of silver, silver wire to use this elements for making beautiful brooch:

a ring

a set of earrings  and a couple more things.


I was based in a lovely village, with quiet streets lovely caffees.

Every afternoon we spent 2 hours in the village in the cafe sipping lovely orange and lemon granitas. This is the main street of the village in the morning hours, streets are cleaned, and people get organised for the next big trading day.

Same street at night, equally busy. I enjoyed this life out on the outdoors.

 
Knowing myself I knew that I will not bathe in the sea, let alone have a proper beach style tan, since bikinis in Ireland are not an essential article I did not bring one at all!
So my tan consists of unsatisfactory streaks of sun here and there, my Irish friends were unimpressed.

Here some photographs from Dorettas studio:
Soldering a bracelet I was fixing

there is this special thing about this bracelet, my mother had bought it 40 years ago and spend one of her very first earnings as a local teacher. Now, well worn loops were broken. NObody from the local jewellers were keen to fix this bracelet as the time spent would cost more then the value of the bracelet they think. So I brought it to Greece, and work for 2 days to make new links and solder them together. The sense of achievement is enormous since I saved something of an emotional value and did all the work myself. CErtainly I am good at soldering now after all that practice!

 The Greek countryside is beautiful and this photograph is my favourite!

Winner of The Royal Dublin Society National Craft Competition in three cathegories

Hello All,

I am just back from Dublin where in the RDS a prize giving award has taken place today on the 27th of July. I have won a 2nd Prize in Feltmaking Category, A prize for RDS New Entrant and a special prize founded by Feltmakers Ireland! The ladies from feltmakers association were joking that now I will have to give back to the association in a form of editing of the newsletter and free workshops! I am gonna be busy then!

My application to RDS National Craft Competition, consisted of lace dress made from cut out felt, and Weaver's Wrap, a scarf that was inspired by my dress bought from Casch, by Gro Abrahammson. Here is the dress that ispired

here is the wrap

The second entry gave me the most awards, it was a tightly fitting lace dress.  Here on the side, shame I have no proper official photograph of it!

With the prizes came a sum of money which was very generous and nice of the organizers!
There is more photographs here:

 

Feltmaking in Primary School - Educate Together National School

Here is some info about a project held in Educate Together National School in June 2011. 

I was working around the idea of a feltmaking workshop that would incorporate and emphasize a multicultural and multi-ethnic character of Irish society.

So, what first came up to my mind, although very cliche it may be, was the idea of a patchwork style felt wall hanging, that would be made up from flags created in felt by the pupils.

I was just not entirely sure whether placing one flag next to another would create a necessary impact so I got inspired by the school logo:

I came up with the idea of hands. These shapes would be cut out from flags pre-felted by children, to be subsequently felted by myself into a large pre-felt backing.
Here piles of cut out flags:

It took a while to felt the whole piece together, since some hands were quite thick and I had to tear some of the wool from the back of the cut outs. Please excuse my messy kitchen.

A big celebration took place in front of the school.  Each class worked on a different art project. The 5th and 6th class that I was working with showed the wall hanging as the last ones. People seemed to love it!

I must say I felt very humble having to stand next to what we did together over those 4 busy weeks.

The group I had for the project was large, up to 27 students at once. But they were such a bunch of lovely people and so well organised  and we worked together so well. Enough to say that I will be returning in September, with a specially designed masterclass course for a selected, small group of super gifted pupils from the school! Looking forward to it!

I dyed the wool myself and brought it to the classroom together with some sushi mats, sprinklers and plastic resists. Next time I should have more oil cloth to cover the tables cause everything was leaking and we had great fun/trouble in  cleaning the classroom afterward.

And the last image is just a simple farewell to the wall hanging as it gets dry and straightened. Magic.