Artstock 2012

The High Hand Gallery has put on another wonderful Artstock this year and I am THRILLED to see all of the felted artwork in the show!

Wet Felted Eggplant by Sharon Mansfield

I wish I had a piece in the show so I had a chance of winning
one of these beautiful copper ribbons made by Kat Oliver!

Lovely Wet Felted Fabric Upholstered Bench by Joan Maxwell

Wet Felted Chair by Joan Maxwell and Michele Hirsch.  Joan and Michele felted the fabric and then the chair was upholstered by All-in-One Upholstery in Auburn.

Wet Felted Zebra Rug by Lisa Classon

Wet Felted Butterfly by Sharon Mansfield

Nuno Felted Landscape by Sharon Mansfield

Wet Felt, Copper and Glass piece by Kat Oliver

Nuno Felted piece by Joan Maxwell

The eggplant is my personal favorite.  If you happen to find yourself in the High Hand Packing Sheds make sure to check the show out and don't forget to vote for your favorite piece!  Ribbons will be awarded on the evening of October 13th.  More details on the closing night of Artstock 2012 and how the show will be judged can be found HERE.

Fabulous

Mom and I recently helped out Sunrise Community Church down if Fair Oaks with their most recent "Reminisce" event.  This time around we all jumped into the 1950's.  It was a lovely event with a great old car out front, classic (ORIGINAL!!) Jukebox in the lobby, ice cream sundaes and some great turquoise and pink to boot!  Mom, I, my dear friend Marie and a few of the teenage girls from the congregation put on a fashion show that was an absolute hit.

Marie in mom's 1962 8th Grade School Dance Dress.

Me in Grandma Betty's circle skirt.  

Classic mother/daughter shot.  

This little fashion show was a lot of work but very much worth it.  I received a call from the coordinator today and she said that that the audience of women were thrilled with the show.  It was fun for mom and I pull out all of our family garments that we've collected and share them.  I think that Auntie Eleanor and Betty Mom would have been pleased to see their skirts in the show.

Way back in May

we happened to host our Second Annual Felt Fest and what fun we had!  The first Felt Fest we hosted was in March of 2011 and it was just way too cold in the sheds to do it during that time of year again so this year we put it in May and the weather was just perfect!  Everyone's projects were just beautiful and the camaraderie and laughter were infectious.  Can't wait for next year!

Whoooeeeeee.

am I beeeehhhiiiinnnnndddd on updates, or what??  I mentioned that mom and Lisa were both putting pieces in the Focus on Fiber show at The Sacramento Fine Arts Center but I never shared the news!  These are the pieces that they entered:

And I am very proud to say that Lisa's Nuno Felted Vest/Scarf took the ribbon for Most Unique Texture.  Congratulations Lisa!  

The Carpet Bag

Thank you everyone for all of the sweet comments about our new home!  I look forward to sharing our progress inside and out of the house!

In other news, mom has been a felting machine lately.  We have been preparing for three art shows and two fashion shows all happening in the span of a month from September to October!  So, needless to say, we're going to have a lot to share with you!  Today, I'm spotlighting her Wet Felted Carpet Bag.

I've also convinced her to teach a class or two on how to make a bag this one.  Here are the details:

LEVEL 3: Wet Felted Carpet Bag - Thursday, October 18 & Friday, October 19 10:30-5:00

Pre-requisite: at least 8 hours of wet felting experience

Instructor: Sharon Mansfield
Class Fee: $165

Creativity - it Runs in the Blood. And, The American Dream

My dad tends to scoff at us when we call him an artist.  Which is ridiculous because anyone who can take something that looks like this:

and make it look like this:

is an artist.  And has vision.  And has talent.  But I'm not biased or anything.  ;-)  Not only is he my father but my husband and I were blessed with the opportunity to buy this lovely little house from my parents!  Here are few more before/after photos of our new humble abode:

Like all of us girls in the shop my father, Mark Mansfield of Marksman Builders, has a great love and respect for old things.  This little honey of a house was built in 1918.  That's the original hardwood floor there in the studio and all of the original completely restored, double hung, sash windows (wavy glass and all).  Other than that, the house was stripped down to the framing and built new from the inside out.  New plumbing, new electrical, new roof, beefed up foundation, insulation (yay!), heating and air (double yay!).  We shouldn't have anything to worry about for many years to come.  I'm absolutely thrilled to have all of the wonderful charm that older homes have to offer with all of the worry-free, grounded-outlets, great-water-pressure, cleaner, luxuries that new homes have to offer.  Plus, my dad did it - I never thought I'd have the opportunity to own a home that father built/remodeled.

PLUS!  We put a 1930 Florence in it:

We're cooking with gas now, baby.  I haven't been able to cook on a gas stove since I lived with my parents and I have sorely missed it!

So, there you have it.  Our little slice of the American Dream.  

Focus on Fiber

I just wanted to share that mom and Lisa have six felted pieces in this show!  The reception is this Saturday evening from 5:30-8:30 and we'd love to see you there!!  I'll make sure to take photos at the reception!