Shambolic Felt, a Decadent Cookie Recipe, and Bakelite Walls for me!

It has taken me a full week, but I have finally come down from the Fiber High I was on while at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival ("SAFF") in Asheville, North Carolina.  It was a treat on so many levels!  I had a chance to meet some art heroes as well as to reconnect with old friends.   The event is one of the nicest I have seen---from the relevant workshop offerings to the spectacular fibery goodness offered for sale--- the show is a gem!  The classes are beyond reasonable price-wise and the event garners some impressive national talent.

Jacey Boggs, Spinning Diva behind Insubordiknit,  was one such talent.

  Jacey Boggs Groupies were EVERYWHERE and it was no surprise, really...Jacey has magic fingers.  Her book--soon to be released in paperback --  is like eye candy and her Sit and Spin DVD is a classic.  No doubt about it...her work is amazing and I was inspired to drag out my spinning wheel when I got home.  It has been gathering cobwebs since I bought it two years ago but I will be intimidated no longer!

My spinning skill level is stuck on SUCK  so I was delighted to stumble across the fantastical work of Esther of Jazz Turtle Creations as I wandered about the SAFF playground.  It is nice to know that even if I can't spin it, I can still buy it!


The brights or the natural?  Choices, choices!  Both made my heart go pitter pat....

  
I was happy to run into my old friend Marlene Gruetter of Marlene's Felting Madness...she is a generous and funny artist who recently developed Shambolic felt™, a style/technique of feltmaking which incorporates fabrics and other embellishments in an intrinsic and fluid manner.  She loves texture and color and enjoys watching how the felting process itself creates unusual arrangements of texture and color.  The style of shambolic will often leave raw, rolling and uneven edges throughout the work giving it a unique natural look.

She agreed to model the spectacular full length Shambolic felt™ coat that she had on display.

 

The stunning piece was made WITHOUT SEWING!!  It has no sewn seems AT ALL.  The garment took seven days to make, is entirely felted, and contains about 20 silk garments felted into the wool!  Marlene's "Salsa" pieceI, pictured below, is from her "Half Dressed" series.  Love it, love it, love it!

Marlene will be coming to my Lutz, Florida studio next week to reconnect with Carol Cypher, who will be teaching five workshops November 11-13, 2011.   Classes are filling up so reserve your spot today!

Lunch will be served to all who have a full day of workshops...YUM!

In other News

The leaky roof and subsequent ceiling damage throughout my humble abode have resulted in an  unexpected opportunity....a fresh coat of paint throughout the house.  Prior to the roof calamity we knew that the interior needed a fresh coat, but we have been too broke to hire a painter. and too lazy to paint it ourselves.  It took the gaping holes and other roof carnage to prompt us to action. I  have been playing with color chips for a week and finally settled on  a Bakelite palette for the home. Reds, yellows and greens...Oh My!   It is definitely not a color scheme for the faint of heart, but I am color drunk, my husband is tolerant, and the dogs are color blind...so I figure, what the heck?   

Because You Asked for It.....

1.  COOKIES!

My wonderful SAFF workshop participants have been emailing me for the recipe behind the cookies we ate to give us strength while we felted.  Here it is:

Chocolate Cherry Cookies               Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

1.        Mix together in a mixing bowl:

2 C brown sugar

2 C white sugar

1 lb butter, softened

4 eggs

2.         Add the following and mix well:

                2 t baking soda

                2 t baking powder

                3 t vanilla extract

                1 t salt

3.       Add the following and mix well:

4 C flour

5 C instant oats

3 C walnuts

3 C chocolate chips

½ bag of dried cherries

1 bag of chopped toffee/brickle pieces or a couple of chopped Heath Bars

1 bag of Kraft Caramel bits (they usually show up around the Holidays so I stock up and keep spares in the freezer!)

4.       Make golf ball sized balls of dough, place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.  The toffee and caramel wills stick to a cookie sheet, so don’t forget the 

parchment paper!  I warned you!

 A no fail recipe that is guaranteed to please...decadent and delicious.  Good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  It has fruit in it, so it is good for you.

2.  NEW WORKSHOPS!

     We have added the popular Sunrise Nuno Scarf to the workshop line up at Urban Stitch Studio.    The workshop is scheduled for December 7, 2011 and the fee includes all materials.   Learn to make this couture quality scarf just in time for the holiday gift giving season!

     I just finished the felted and crocheted necklace pictured at right.  It features a HUGE 40mm  Swarovski crystal stone encased in a hand dyed silk thread bezel.  I am working on the directions and hope to have a class on the schedule in January.     Whuddayathink?