Studiofelter

New felt birds and new resolutions!

2012-01-02T05:13:00.001-08:00

Dear friends
Well hello 2012! I have to confess right here and now that I just don't do new year resolutions. I am so bad at keeping them and then I get cross with myself. The ancient Romans started the popular trend although the Babylonians preceded them - making plans to own more livestock by the following year.
So although I don't need any livestock or extra sacks of grain by the end of the year I do intend to make little weeny steps of improvement and the first one is to put some work up on my etsy site often. It is SO covered in cobwebs I will need to do a clean!

These little handmade felt birds are the first to appear and will be up by the end of the week.

I have had such fun making the felt and constructing them and am just adding a bit of hand embroidery to them before they are ready.

Well every best wish for keeping new resolutions - apparently having a friend that you check in with each week is a good method for helping to stick to them. A great excuse for meeting each week for coffee - unless of course your New Year's Resolution is to give up coffee!!

Happy creating!

Elizabeth

Last post for 2011!

2011-12-30T05:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends
My last post for 2011 and a little to catch up on. We went for a great walk earlier in the week - somehow I always feel the need to take more photos of wild flowers and bark and little things by the walkway.

No clue what this gorgeous bush was. The changing shades on the berries were just lovely.

Just a beautiful day

Here at the top of Mt Macedon Mum taking a breather.

Summer has taken hold here with the colours in the landscape becoming more golden

About 5 minutes before we got back to the car we were lucky enough to see an echidna and he was just gorgeous! Beetling around we lots of purpose. His eyes were so tiny I think he thought we were a couple of logs.

Just a few little bits of Christmas that we are still enjoying. Decorations seem to grow each year and my sister and I spend days upon days arranging it all again!

Elvis turned out to be the perfect size on the silvery twinkly tree. We bought him in Chicago at Macy's and he is just the perfect fairy on the tree. Probably the white suit.

I don't buy many glass ornaments for very obvious reasons but this Santa was just lovely.

Isn't it amazing when the table is so beautifully set and then within an hour of the Christmas meal everything looks as if a 10 three year olds have been left in charge.

This is a hand made nativity that Mum made at least 20 years ago and goes into its own little suitcase for the rest of the year.

I think we have too many Christmas candles as it is taking nearly 15 minutes to light them all!
But gee I love them!

Don't you love the same shades appearing in fruit and flowers? That particular shade of pink I have found quite inspiring lately.

Here is the most recent felt with this shade of pink.

Well dear friends thankyou for tuning in this year and for taking the time to comment. I love reading your comments and look forward to chatting again in 2012.

So Happy New Year wishing you all a creative 2012

Lots of Love
Elizabeth
XX

Festive Cheer in the Studio!

2011-12-11T05:12:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,
Well the festive season is nearly upon us and so the studio is in the mood as well.
Every year I get out an ever expanding box of decorations and have a lovely time putting them up.

I never used to, but it is such a special place to go for me that I felt it needed to mark the occasion as well. I spent rather a lot of time hanging everthing up but it was such fun and I look forward to it every year now!

If you have a workplace or a studio - or even just a corner to call your own I hope you find some time to include it in the festive season as well. Not matter what your faith - marking these occasions does give shape and colour to our year and does make for a memorable time.

Have a gorgeous week

Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Loads of fun!

2011-12-02T04:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends
Thankyou for the excellent advice regarding the spam issues in the last post. I was a bit of a nitwit not to realize that blogger would have a solution. Righto moving along....................
This group of excellent ladies were in class with me about 2 weeks ago - some beginners some intermediate but all having a super time! Here are some of the results and I think you will agree they all worked very hard and should all be so proud.

A busy time - I kept losing things in boxes and tubs which did slow us down from time to time - it is often the way in class when I am talking non stop that I put something down and then cannot remember where it is. Either on the students tables or on mine!

Naturally the layout is often quite different to the finished result as colours sink and merge into one another and secondary shades evolve.

Only a couple of classes left now before the end of the year which always makes me a little sad somehow! Still January is open for bookings and it would appear that felters are not going to rest for too long!

Cheers for now I am off to put up more decorations in the studio - will post some pics soon
Hoping everyone is finding a little something to decorate their work area or studio at this festive time - don't forget it needs to mark the season in some way as well!
Love
Elizabeth
XX

PLEASE Don't use my Blog To Advertise

2011-11-24T03:59:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends
Just a quick note and I can hardly believe I am writing it!

Please do not use my blog to advertise your own products in the comments section. I really don't appreciate it. I don't wish to screen every comment before it goes up but this may be the only solution.

Wishing everyone in America a wonderful thanksgiving.

Best wishes
Elizabeth

Little signs

2011-11-13T03:14:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends
Today was a day like any other, I was cooking curry in the kitchen. Standing at the sink I looked into the trees in our backyard as we are high up at the rear of the house.

Well dreaming about nothing in particular as I washed the potatoes, a most beautiful black and white feather slowly danced past the window. It didn't float or head to the ground it just twisted and turned sideways past the glass!

I dashed outside down the stairs to see where it landed but alas it was nowhere to be found. Not that I had expected to see it - it was such a dreamlike thing to happen it seemed perfectly normal that it would just vanish without a trace.

About 3 hours later, just before the light entirely faded for the day I happened to glance out the window from another room and low and behold there it was resting on top of the water tank!

So often you find a feather on the ground perhaps stuck on a bush but so much rarer to see one float past your line of vision.
These special little signs of the world around us are very precious, more so for their almost magical beauty as they touch our lives.

Hoping a little magic dances into your life this week
Love
Elizabeth
XX

A sneak preview!

2011-11-07T03:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
As you may recall in the last post I was attempting to get a certain effect. Well the effect was for feathers. I have taken on board all your advice and this is the result which I am much happier about.

A bit of canvas...........

A bit of paint...................

and you really can create anything you like!

Well you can give it a red hot go anyway!! More soon when I get it all assembled - so stay tuned!

Felting away this week it occurred to me that you really can do a lot with a little.
The blue background is the same for each of these studies whilst the shaded fleece on the top is from a single skein as well. From straight to curvy from circles to leaves - wool is just the best, no matter how you lay it out.

Well off to bed

Hoping your week is just splendid

Love

Elizabeth

Bursting Spring.........................

2011-10-31T04:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
I am getting ready to paint more canvas and I generally do a test on paper just to be certain I am heading in the right direction.
So this is the question: Do you think these shapes above look like feathers or leaves?
If you wouldn't mind disregarding the colour and consider the shapes only.
I would be so interested to hear what you think.

We have had some lovely golden days this spring dotted in amongst the violent wind and heavy rain. These days are so lovely and Nelly just adores them. Here she is on the front verandah soaking up some rays.

I just love this position - she looks so 2D like an Egyptian relief. Don't you just love how she keeps her paws warm and everything else is in the shade!

Virginia creeper over the front half of the house - every year mum raves about it and dad threatens to pull it all out. He is quite convinced damage is being done but it truly does keep this front room much cooler.

I think the path is soon going to disappear!

These little carnations smell just gorgeous, I so wish you could smell the fragrance too! Just close your eyes and concentrate really hard!!!! See what I mean?

Well have a wonderful week

Every best wish

love

Elizabeth

A good excuse!

2011-10-25T05:16:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,
Over the last weekend I had a stand at a Quilt show run by a girlfriend. This event was to raise money for Eastern Palliative Care in Melbourne.

I had 2 lovely days demonstrating felting and chatting away to the lovely interested public.
With lots of wool and my samples hung up I made a few sales and then towards the end of the day I sold my last 3 canvas and felt figures.

Do you ever have that mixed feeling of wanting to keep your work and sell it as well?
It is a strange sensation. Today I started on a fresh batch of figures and it occurred to me that it was just what I needed - a good excuse to clear the decks and start afresh.

It is imperative to be proud of one's work - but equally important not to get too attached.
More especially if you are to make your living by your art.

So on that contemplative note, I am off to bed,
Cheers until next time
Love
Elizabeth
XXX

Home again!

2011-10-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Well, home again! I had a wonderful time away in Canberra, teaching members of the Canberra Region Feltmakers - of which I am now a member!!
I think that Canberra has had a great effect on me because I seem to have hit the ground running when very often I am tired for several days afterwards.

My lovely hosts Robyn and Alan had 5 magnificent Alpaccas and for several days I was greatly entertained by Lance - grey, Beethoven - white, Barney- brown, Calleo - black and Collingwood - black and white.

They are very elegant animals in many ways and stand in a rather statuesque position gazing in to the middle distance and I often wondered what they might be thinking or dreaming about.

Lance was such a darling!

Early morning - a cockatoo came to settle in the Lilac bush

Having a cup of tea on the deck at the end of a lovely day

and the sun settling beneath the hill

The classes were great fun and the students were wonderful - working hard for 3 days to create more beautiful felt.Here are some of the results - aren't they stunning!

Setting in beautiful beaded lace

Judy having fun with prefelts. Those not pictured were a little incomplete so with any luck I can convince those ladies to send along a photo before too long.

A new scarf I finished last week with many strips of silk felted in

I don't think I could ever get tired of colour

Our darling cat Nelly just purring in the corner of the studio this evening. So pleased just to sit on this old green cushion. How very simple life is for the completely worshiped felines of this world.

Hoping you are having fun whatever it may be.

Love
Elizabeth
XXXX

Off to Canberra!

2011-10-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Off to Canberra tomorrow to do some classes for the Canberra Feltmakers.

I am certain the students will come up with sensational work which I hope to share next week.

We will be making dolls on Friday and then a 2 day class of nuno felting techniques.

Hope everyone is having a wonderul week,

Chat soon

Love

Elizabeth

A little of this and that.......................

2011-10-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends
Well a bit of a mixed bag this week. Here is a new piece of felt I have been stiching the life out of or into! I find the searching through the layers of fibre and fleece for shapes and lines a good challenge. And often when you least expect it, you are able to draw things to light making them clear.

I suppose like any artwork it is the job of the artist to give the viewer a new outlook, provide them with the ability to really "see" articulating elements through colours and shapes.

I rarely use yellow as my base colour but I do strive to remain open minded about colour choices. This time I decided to actually put it to the test and have discovered that a bit more yellow is no bad thing!

Here are the remainder of the Fairytale wall hangings already in the library at school. This is the Princess and the Pea in one corner.

Each layer represents one Grade 5 student and their excellent efforts at hand stitching.

On the opposite wall is the gorgeous tower of Rapunzel. I just love this one!

I have also been trying my hand at hand built clay sculpture again. This is a bird that looks more like a Dalek, but who cares!!

Hoping your week is panning out really well

Much Love

Elizabeth

Phew!

2011-09-19T06:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Well this school term has been so full with three very large school jobs. Here is the final one that will be hung in a new Performing Arts Centre at Orchard Grove Primary school.
The work has been carried out by 504 children as well as an evening class of staff!

These flowers were made by the teachers during an evening class where we had about 30 arrive to learn how to felt! The preps made the centre pieces for them.

They all did such a great job!

Shapes and shading with just a little fleece.

Our little owl is guardian of this, our Enchanted Forest.

Trees with plums on them.

Dancing pine trees with boiled lollies on them.

It is so easy to make big plans, especially months before when deadlines and timelines and bells are a thing of the future and not worth worrying about. Carrying them out is a little more challenging!

I am looking forward to the school holidays!!!

Every best wish

Love

Elizabeth

Remembering..................

2011-09-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Thinking of you all - especially in New York who are marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11
when the world changed for us all. I am following the service here in Australia where it is being telecast live and can only send you my thoughts of peace and well wishes.

No matter where we are on this day - I know we will all recall our disbelief and horror upon learning of this disaster 10 years ago.

Every best wish,
Love
Elizabeth
XX

A little of this and that

2011-09-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
This post is a little of this and that. Here is a small piece of felt made by ME! Yes me! Not children felt, just my felt! I had a small opening of time today and just decided THAT WAS IT!
Grabbing time for oneself even one hour can often be better than any tonic you could possibly take.
Not only are you recharged but you are better for everybody - everyone around you.
They all benefit from your sunshine. OK so it is a form of therapy, but so what!

THe white filminess that you see is a piece of tissue silk with holes cut in it. Being white it takes on the hue of the fleece beneath it. You can see in the border that there is quite a contrast - I just love the way the colours seep through like a watercolour.

Of course a bit of stitching is a a great addition - just deciding how far to go.

Righto PUPPETS with Grade 4 from the school I have been at since the Fairytales (see last post). I just love the way the haphazard stitching takes place. The children make everything but I get the fun of sewing up their desired shape from the patterns they design. I have found that they are completely durable then and don't fall apart.

Figures with grade 6 - Green Gal

The Little Prince

Masterchef

and this fab Pirate that I just LOVE!

Golidlocks - another of the fairytale hangings that I forgot to post last time.

Well that's it for me - heading for a long sleep in - this getting up at 6.00am during the week to get to school on time is just AWFUL!

I hope everyone is doing something llovely this weekend - at least for an hour!!

Love

Elizabeth

Fairytale Fun!

2011-08-28T06:10:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,
At last I have some felt to show you - these are new pieces I have been creating at Caulfield Grammar in Malvern and measure about 80 - 90cm wide. Each one represents a class from Grade 1 - 5 (there are two classes at each level).

We have had the best fun with a class spent on designing. Here the children all contribute to how they would like their story to look. I get all the children to draw the overall picture as well as
individual elements to complete the story. I then choose ones that I think would be great and the class vote on which ones will be used. Of course there is often a good deal of tweaking to be done!

Just in case you can't guess our fairytales - this one is Sleeping Beauty.
The first one is Hansel and Gretel

The 3 Billy Goats Gruff

Puss in Boots

Red Riding Hood

The 3 Little Pigs

There are also 3 others that are ENORMOUS! These include Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel

and the Princess and the Pea. I will get more pics of these when they're in position.

They will all be installed in the library and can be moved to any part of the school if needed.

Dozens and dozens of hours spent dyeing and organizing but isn't it worth it when have had SUCH fun!

I hope that whatever you are doing this week you are having the best time creating something sensational.

Love

Elizabeth

Beautiful Yorkshire

2011-07-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
A few more holiday pics! I do hope you are not finding them boring!! Above is the beautiful city of York filled with much history and excellent shopping.

Wandering along The Shambles - an old shopping district with some timber shops that date back to the fourteenth century. Yes that is my Mum on the left - the one grinning!

Gorgeous shoes in a shop called Ness - a Scottish label that has clothes groovy bags accessories the lot! The colours are just so beautiful!

Country lanes near where we were staying.

This is the approach to Fountains Abbey near Ripon in North Yorkshire. It was started in the early 1100's and the stone used was mined close by - we were even able to spot the exact stone in nearby exposed rock seams. I spent ages staring at the colours and there are many shots revealing shades that I think would dye beautifully.

Inside Ripon cathedral - SOOOOOO stunning and we were lucky to chance upon a concert by the local girls choir at lunchtime which was just magic! We had the best crumpets and tea in a great place opposite.

This is out order, but these little wildflowers were at Fountains Abbey clinging on in the most unlikely places.

Arches within arches are a lovely theme for the artist to explore no matter what your discipline.

We were here for so long we didn't notice that we were cold and hungry. There was just so much to see and explore and but for 2 other people, we were the only ones there!

The beautiful colours of the stone and the way it was softening with the passage of time was very beguiling. I kept gazing at all the shades within a wall, an arch even a single stone.

The area below the abbey where the monks kept supplies of food. The bare bones of the structure and the effects of the light upon it were lovely to observe. The hints of green and cinnamon and cream and grey and pale gold and ...........................Just trying to descibe it is quite hard! All you could hear was the wind and the birds.

At one time it must have been simply jaw dropping, before Henry VIII's dissolution of course.

Another early morning wander - a little walk that went for a couple of km's - so white and frothy it reminded me of a bride on her special day.

The view out the back of our B and B which was about 20 minutes from Harrogate.

JUST STUNNING! This part of the world was something I guess I had dreamt about since watching James Herriot - once upon a time! Dry stone walls and green valleys and plenty of sheep!

After wadlling out after breakfast each day - eggs and smoked salmon, the best porridge I have ever had (incidentally it was made with cream!) toast and fruit and of course a huge pot of tea we relly needed to go for a really LONG walk to walk it off so that we could fit on the plane home!

Well time to go - thankyou so much for your interest I promise to post some felt soon!!

Lots of Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Home at Last

2011-06-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well dear friends HOME at last!

It seems but a week ago I was setting off, but to judge by the 8000 plus photos it appears that it took a little longer.

Needless to say I really did have the most wonderful time - but you probably guessed that!

There are so many highlights and although I was totally happy (albeit tired!) I really miss England already.

We got home late Saturday on the 18th after 40 minutes of sleep for the entire journey which took from 8.30am on Friday morning until 10.00pm Saturday night- door to door.

In the next 2 weeks I would like to share some more images with you and hope that you will find them interesting. Some friends have already asked me what were the best moments and I think that walking through wild bluebell woods, following sheep down a lane and teaching in England were very special. Having said that, another 20 occasions come to mind immediately!

The weather in Paris was wet wet wet - so my photos are pretty boring. Florence and Rome were hot hot hot! So not so pleasant -very sticky and certainly slowed the pace down. We call it a holiday but it really is an "Experience". So I have had a several days to collect myself and have started teaching already! Yippee!

Seeing new things is very much a salve to tiredness - but I am now charging ahead towards the familiar and regular with renewed vigour. As you would expect I have a thousand thoughts jumbling over one another and I hope to produce some new work over the next couple of months when I am able to marshal them!

NOTE: My computer crashed nearly 3 weeks ago - just froze up - and I wasn't able to post.

After being resurrected yesterday it would appear that I permanently lost all emails since 7th June until the 21st. Into the ether apparently!

If anyone has tried to get in touch please do so again as I have no way of retrieving them - I am not being intentionally rude!!!

In the photos here you can see the gorgeous walks we had through the bluebells around Cantebury - just in time before the weather changed for them to disappear. The bed and breakfast we stayed in "Castle Cottage" (within actual Castle grounds!) was at a weeny place called Chilham where the village was set around the ancient market square.

After a very lengthy drive where we got lost no less than 4 times we arrived at the gate in the dark and were very warmly welcomed and promptly fell into bed. A truly lovely village with tiny pubs and lovely walks everywhere right from the door.

SO pleased to be chatting with you all again,

Lots of love

Elizabeth

XXXXX

Early mornings.....................

2011-05-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!
Well I think I just may live in England forwever! I don't think it is just holiday fever, I really feel so happy here. Due to the fact that we are trying to fit in so much, our days have been starting quite early. Here are some pics from along a country lane where spring is really doing her thing.
Of course I am still photographing stones and rock walls as well.

Pretty views of lovely homes tucke away behind hedges and gates.

The light which can be quite hard in Australia is so gentle here. I spend a lot of time noticing this as we drive down country lanes that feel as if we are stuck in a rabbit warren at times. It doesn't seem to matter though - these beautiful lanes filled with wild flowers seem timeless somehow.

Visiting Arundel castle near Chichester inside the chapel - another lovely door.

We have been staying in lovely B and B's and some self catering cottages. This was a tiny church at the end of the lane.

More loveliness.

The lovely light at 6.00am - can this really have been me here?

Mum and I are both well and and eating like horses. Everything is amazingly delicious and 2 afternoon teas on most days sounds most reasonable. Especially as we walk for so many hours looking at churches and museums and just about anything else....................................

Will chime in again soon,

Lots of love dear friends

ELizabeth

XXX

Storybook Holiday!

2011-05-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well hello at last dear friends!

You must all have thought I had left for another planet not just another country!

Well here in sensational Britain Mum and I are having what can only be descibed as a story book holiday! Everything is dovetailing beautifully and we have been so touched by all the kindness from everybody.

Upon arriving we picked up our hire car and immediately drove down to Winchester. Sensational! As I am doing the driving I have been getting lost on quite a regular basis ( daily!) and I am not backward in asking for help - from the man walking his dog in the street to the lady in the carpark not to mention the man at the garage and I can't forget the vicar at the tea rooms!

Now that Mum has taken charge of the navigator we are doing beautifully. Our orienteering skills have soared sky high! Also we have named her Tilly!

The photos here are some from inside and around Winchester Cathedral - truly an amazing place to gaze at for many hours - we were lucky to catch some choir rehersals and the acoustics are awe inspiring!

The wooden carvings were a joy to hunt down and I simpy couldn't stop photographing them - than 40 carvings of the Green Man alone, although I didn't have enough time to find them all.

As you can imagine I am taking at least a hundred photos a day. Not just willy nilly - I love taking close ups of subjects that may later be intrerpreted for a piece of work - wood, flowers, stone, brickwork, gardens,streets and I just love taking photos of doors!

Weird I know!

As a result I am to be found crawling on the ground, waiting for people to pass by or changing the setting on the camera - whilst Mum is striding on with her head swivelling and occasionally chatting to me - or at least she thinks so!

At any rate all is well - we are having a blast and I will post again soon!

Oh forgot to mention, any cake we have never seen we feel compelled to try - so when next we meet don't be surprised if I am shaped like Humpty Dumpty!

Lots of Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Some groovy news!

2011-03-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Some exciting news! I am travelling to the UK on the 21st April and will be there until early June, tootling around with my Mum who really does need a holiday! After that we go to Paris for a few days and then onto Rome via Florence. Needless to say I am so excited. I am going to try and blog whilst I am away and will be travelling with a little notebook computer I am yet to buy!

I would love to meet up with blog friends if possible - providing the itinerary works! Drop me a line if you would like to hook up.

In the meantime here are some teeny weeny strawberries about the size of your thumbnail. We have to grab them quickly otherwise our feathered friends enjoy them instead of us!

Aren't they just so inspiring for a piece of artwork. Embroidered, painted, felted, beaded............... whatever!

Looking at the little things gives pockets of joy to every day - if we take the time. Don't you think? Sometimes one day seems very like the day before, but tiny things do change and hunting for them can be a challenge.

Hoping to hear from some UK friends in BLOGLAND,

Every best wish

Love

Elizabeth

One dozen Puppets!

2011-03-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
Over the last couple of weeks I have been back at a school from last year (remember the underwater wallhanging?) same children!

Such fun we have had creating some really beautiful felt. They have been pieced together by myself and the art teacher. The design ideas were instigated by the students with drawings on what they felt a puppet should look like.

A couple of the ladies have their faces stitched and naturally the others will follow in the next couple of weeks.

This is my favourite lady

and this is my favourite gentleman!

Don't you just love them? I am so proud of what we have achieved and now I want a dozen to hang up at home.

Oh yes, the upward turned hands will have yarn attached to indicate (without a doubt) that they are indeed puppets.

In a few weeks they will all be framed - possibly four sets of 3 so that they can be hung in school as a collective or be seperated and placed in different venues.

Which is your fave? Don't tell me you aren't already deciding!

I'd be thrilled to hear what is your selection,

Until next time

Happy creating!

Love

Elizabeth

Canvas, paint and a little felt too!

2011-02-23T21:33:00.000-08:00

Hi dear friends,

Well busy busy busy at this end. Teaching a great deal and finding just a little time to sneak in some canvas painting with a little felt too!

Over the last few months I have been teaching several evening classes which have been great fun! Somehow students seem more relaxed - perhaps because it is the end of the day and there are no commitments, pressures and deadlines to meet.

I know my self I work very well late into the night rather than very early in the morning.

This got me wondering how many of us work at night to achieve our artistic dreams. Perhaps you are such a one or maybe you are busy beating the early bird and the worm!

Here are a few pics of some of the canvas figures that I have had fun with recently and the faces are in felt with some buttons as well.

I could make dozens of them, they are such fun!

Hoping everyone is getting a lot done - be it late into the night or early in the morn!

Love

Elizabeth

A repeat from the past!

2011-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

Hello creative friends!

Lots happening in the last few weeks. I have been teaching several evening classes and it has been a really lovely way to end the day.
I generally teach in the daytime but over the last month the twilight time of the day has been popular.

One of these classes has been Face Painting - which used to be my most popular class. Once again it is having a resurgence - isn't it interesting how life does these big wheels and brings you back to where you were.

On the strength of that ,I have reprinted my face painting manual "Fuss Free Faces".

Available at my etsy store now.

On another note I am busy preparing for a school project again which promises to be challenging indeed - 12 framed puppets ( all in the one frame) which the students will design make and then embroider. Although I don't want to wish time away I can hardly wait to see them done!

Hoping everyone is well and that the coming weekend holds something wonderful to do.

Love Elizabeth

XXX

An interview..................

2011-01-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

Hi fellow artists,

Hope everyone's week has started with something wonderful! I just wanted to share an interview that a lovely Canadian lady, Delores, did for me last year. It is now online and if you are interested here is the link "Running With Scissors"

Please note that the photo in the interview of me is about 3 - 4 years old and although I have reached the grand age of 43 this one manages to make me look less than half my years. Perhaps felting agrees with me!

I am off to take down more Christmas decorations - we went a bit silly this Christmas and I keep finding swags of twinkly things everywhere.

Chat soon

Love

Elizabeth

Such a fab day!

2011-01-09T06:27:00.001-08:00

Dear friends
Well the year has got off to a bang with a class last week and this class here of some wonderful
students yesterday. It is always such fun when friends come together to learn something new. I am certain it adds to the cohesion of friends, enabling them to become even more steadfast.
From left new felters, Joanne, Teresa and Greta.

You are absolutely right - they made some stunning felt!

I am sometimes quite envious of a complete felting novice.

Yes I am content and proud of the knowledge I have gained over many years of felting, still when I think about all that lies ahead for them and the sense of thrill and wonderment which felting does bring, I am just a little envious. They have so many exciting avenues to explore.

This got me thinking about the way we approach our work. All of us - painters, stampers, sculptors, illustrators, quilters, knitters ....................................obviously get into a groove of approaching our projects in a particular way. Should we pause now and then and see what changes we could ignite in our work if approached from a different angle?

This is quite a challenge if you have found a working method that is productive and enjoyable.

And yet, fresh eyes with no preconceived ideas as to the end result, could produce some really remarkable work.

So this is my task this week: to find (albeit small) a different way of looking at the familiar tried and true approach. It may be that I re arrange the studio, work in a new colourway, make something I never have before or tackle a new subject to express.

I will let you know how I go!

Wishing everyone a fun adventure this week as we steer ourselves into the New Year!

Love

Elizabeth

See you in 2011!

2010-12-29T03:24:00.000-08:00

Dearest Friends,
Well a final post before 2011 gets into gear. Working hard on new felt amidst eating too much and trying to sort of Spring/Summer clean up. Christmas was very simple and we had a lovely time doing very little. The house has nearly been culled of all mince pies and shortbread although gingerbread biscuits, nougat and chocolates still abound.

As I felt, I watch fibres and fleece enmesh, get tangled and somehow improve as they become a cohesive piece of work. Each element is made more beautiful by combining them with each other.

It is pretty much like life I guess, members of a family made more strong, more wonderful by being a single unit

and I really feel it is the same with the online community. I have to admit that I barely perceived how much I would gain from this little blog.

So thankyou everyone for your beautiful support in 2010, your lovely words that encourage me with every entry to continue with the artistic life. Just knowing that you are all there ready for me to chat to is so ...............magic!

SO Happy New Year everyone, may all your dreams come true in 2011 even the the tiny tentative ones that are still a bit wobbly,

With love and many hugs

Elizabeth

Fifty One Feathered Friends!

2010-12-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
I am starting to get back to the studio where all school work has gone! Phew! It has been such a big term. Here is another work up and as you can see my pet subject was chosen ( without me saying a thing ....truly!) and the results are just fab.

The presentation was last Friday and I think everyone was very pleased. Children already have been gazing at it trying to find the bit that they made. In some instances it was sewing on some wings or making grasses or moulding flowers or creating some tree trunk.

Each prep designed a bird and started making the felt. The grade ones finished the felt off and the grade fours sewed on the wings.

Once again I tried to include every bright colour possible.

For some sections we had the carding machine out to use up all the scrappy bits and these pieces of felt were used for the children to each take some home.

I think the very hardest thing to tell a child is "No sorry we need this felt for the wall hanging"

when they so desperately want to take some home.

For the first time ever I was making up little kits which were being sold on the side! It felt wrong somehow!

All in all though, the school was thrilled and I can't wait to go back again next year. I think we will be tackling a circus theme for the library - so any thoughts you may have on what MUST be included.........then I am all ears!

Hoping everyone is finding a little creative time at the moment, I am busy drying out one wall of my studio as sudden flash flooding happened and water started pouring down the wall! Thankyou to all the ladies in class on Wednesday who helped rush everything out of the way it was most appreciated.

Love

Elizabeth

Book Update............................

2010-11-15T03:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Life is a strange thing. It gets in the way of plans, it makes you take detours you hadn't anticipated which in turn make you arrive at your original destination a little late.

Well such has been the case with my book. Back in July when Christmas was literally months away, I was certain I would be ready by now.

My artist in residency commitments have absorbed all my time over the last 6 months and unfortunately I am behind in finishing my felt book.

On the plus side, I am really pleased with the way it is going and am more than half way finished.

I just wanted to keep you updated on my progress and hope you will understand,

Lots of Love

Elizabeth

A Parasol Moment...

2010-11-06T05:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Such a busy couple of months I decided to take some time off and go for walk down the beach.
I live about 20 minutes drive from our local beach and it is so lovely. Here are a few photos from this evening. I mean I really can't pretend and call it a walk - a meander is more like it.

A brisk walk down the beach can only be achieved in one of three ways - 1) you have a dog that simply won't go at any pace but top speed or 2) it is so cold you can only think about a cup of tea back home for the entire outing or 3) you aren't wading through fluffy dry sand that grabs hold of your feet at each step.

But a day as pretty as today - lovely cool breeze and warm sun only requires a meander or stroll, dreaming along as you watch what is beneath your toes.

Due to the rotten fact that I am I prime candidate for skin cancer, I have to carry an umbrella - even though it was after 5.00pm. So there was I muddling along with my camera, and a basket housing shoes, car keys, purse, tissues, sketch book and pencils, when I realized a lady reclining on the beach was speaking me.

After I finished tip toeing through all the shell grit, little jelly fish and some star fish towards her, she just wanted to say - " I'm sorry to interrupt you but I just wanted to say how elegant you look coming along the shore with your parasol."

I was so surprised. I felt a bit of an odd ball wandering along with my flowery umbrella and yet there in a simple sentence a fellow beach lover had changed the complexion on the situation completely. My umbrella had changed into a parasol and I didn't feel quite so odd.

So as I continued on my lovely walk I noticed many starfish had washed up and they were just so beautiful perhaps more so as I peered at them from beneath my parasol!

Coming into shore. It must be exactly the right season for starfish. I have never seen them in such profusion.

After two and a half hours I was ready for that cup of tea. Just a shame I couldn't stop at one of these lovely beach huts!

Hoping you have a "parasol" moment this week!

Love

Elizabeth

Early mornings...............

2010-10-30T05:14:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
This term has been filled with lots of early morning starts again as I head to another primary school. Not as many children as I normally have - but boy have we been busy!
This theme is fairytale and these photos give you an idea of the layout of prefelts we have made before the final push starts and we felt it to completion.

The glorious rosy border was created one evening when I taught a class to all the staff. They got to take a flower home and donate the others to the wall hanging.

You can probably guess the fairytales. Amongst the most popular were Jack and the beanstalk and the Gingerbread Man.

There will be a great deal of add ons created this week. Including other felted items as well as hand and machine embroidery.

All the leaves and the border colour ( which is actually a brick wall ) were created at a parents class. So all in all this has very much been a community project and it will hang in the foyer of the school eventually when it has been framed.

I don't have a favourite bit although the candy canes are pretty special and I just love Red Riding hood and the wolf.

The beanstalk for Jack is on the right hand side of the border with bunches of green beans made by the preps!

Lovely calorie free "lollies" for the Hansel and Gretel cottage.

Wish us luck doing all the final rolling! My arms ache just thinking about it!

Love Elizabeth

XXX

Out the back..............

2010-10-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Howdy! No I haven't dropped off the end of the world! Just so very busy - I have schools booked all term so lots of felting at primary level! Pics soon.

Also the garden is yelling with new life! This is the view as you come down the stairs out the back door.

This most magnificent shade of yellow - I haven't retouched the photo at all. In actual fact these are the remnants of the winter broccoli and broccolini (baby broccoli) . They have gone to seed of course but they were so pretty that we couldn't bear to remove them - I think that our bees watched with disgust as they were all ripped out this evening.

New cherry blossoms! "So what" I hear you say - well actually cherries take aaaaaaaaaaaaages before you get any fruit. So after 6 years we have blossoms! I know you are all thrilled for us!

More seeded veges - so gorgeous.

Pink geraniums - whenever I am in the garden -and today was a particularly pretty day - I make up lists in my head of my top fave flowers. I am so easily pleased! It changes a bit but geraniums are often in my top five. There are about 100 different shades of pink I am sure.

A recent nuno felt scarf, shades of blue and cinnamon with a few olive and lavender highlights.

It really is wonderful how you can make a regular colourway less predictable by adding a small amount of colour to act as an accent or highlight. I find that I spend a great deal of time thinking about these sorts of additions - what is the element that will make it more unusal.

Frequently it is the colour. Whether these highlights occur during the laying out stage or are saved until embroidery or beads are added doesn't really matter. There are some really great zinger colours - ones that I often dwell on are red, lime, lavender grey and mustard and olive.

Every best wish for a creative week ahead, dear friends

Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Spring is creeping in.........

2010-09-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow artists,
Just dropping in to give you an update on the felt in the last post. After much stitching it is cut up and starting to take shape into a new figure. She is sitting on a few other felts of similar shades that I may add to her. If anyone is keen to help me out with her name please drop me a line.

Meanwhile the outside is starting to reveal that Spring is on the way. Each morning I go into the garden with my first cup of tea (first of many!) and see what has decided to show its' face. This is the first of many lavenders.

Poppies are just about to burst.

Snapdragons are simply showing off amongst the delicate wild freesias that we do nothing to and they continue to appear year after year. As I garden away with Mum, beds are dug over and manure thrown in, stuff pulled out and new things planted.

Mum planted the freesias when she first built the house (1962). I never can recall the garden without them and yet year after year they poke through fanfaring the commencement of the new season. NOT ONCE have we replaced them and yet like some magnificent wake up call they appear on cue. The bluebells and snowdrops are the same. Pretty groovy isn't it?

This very soft grey bush is sporting these gorgeous lavender shades.

Whilst the euphorbia (green stuff) and the statice are complementing each other well.

Well I can't say I mind the turn in the weather as I am longing to be in the garden again.

Hoping everyone has time to enjoy a garden somewhere this week, no matter what the season
Love

Elizabeth

100th Posting!

2010-09-03T05:56:00.001-07:00

Hi to all!
This is my 100th posting! Hurrah! I am so pleased to have started this blog - having met so may wonderful friends. I think I may have held off for a while thinking it was all too hard but in reality it has become a very real part of my day! How important it is to remain open minded.
I check in every morning and catch up on everyones news and feel that before I have left my seat I have travelled to so many wonderful places!

Well Spring is having a wobbly start here in Melbourne. Maybe this has something to do with the shades of this felt I am working on! Very much more subdued for me as you can tell but no less enjoyable. I always find changing just one element in my work a good challenge. The most obvious is colour. But you could easily select shape, size, orientation, decoration or subject amongst others.

These seed beads are so lovely a brushed golden colour - not too shiny! They look a reasonable size here but the whole container is only about an inch across!

Selecting threads to enhance the felt.

Over coordinating is always an easy hole to fall into. Throwing in something out of the ordinary keeps it fresh.

I hope everyone has something really lovely planned for the weekend. I have 5 super students coming tomorrow so I better not stay glued to this laptop all night!

Cheers until next time,

Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Details...........

2010-08-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Dear friends
Hoping this Sunday evening finds everyone well and happy.
Here are a few pics of the finished Underwater Felt installation. All seperate items were made by children from Prep to Grade 6. Many hours have been spent stitching everything into position which has enhanced everything quite beaitfully I think.

I hope I don't make this sound as if it was an arduous task - it cetainly wasn't, far from it!
I really loved watching it become more detailed. I was quite disappointed to have to return it -
although I am really quite pleased to have my tables back!

It now travels to the framer who will have the fun job of box framing it ready to be hung.

I could not get a good shot in of the whole piece sorry! When it is vertical I will be able to get a better shot at it and will post them when it gets back from the framer.

Have wonderful week everyone.

Love

Elizabeth

The lovely straight stitch

2010-08-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hi dear friends,
Thankyou to everyone for your comments in the last post! I always let the children know that people are interested in their artwork and although we are accustomed to informing each other about our own artwork, children are just thrilled to bits to know that there are poeple out there in the world that are keen to see what they have achieved. They are so surprised that anyone would be interested. So thankyou!

Meanwhile I am working on a small piece that has yet to reveal its purpose to me, so am stitching whilst I wait. The lovely straight stitch is just so effective for outlining and light quilting effects.

Once again I am doing the simple straight stitch and am really enjoying it. My favourite threads are perle 3 and perle 5. The sheen is just so beguiling.

Now usually I am a purist for using natural fibres. Wool, silk, soy, bamboo, linen etc. Now and then I break out and use something entirely SYNTHETIC!!!!!!!!!

The white spotty fabric was such an instance and you can see they are a flocked circle on a very fine bridal tulle. Just gorgeous really! I love the way the net almost disappears and leaves the white spots floating above the wool.

There is still quite a way to go. Some machine stitching next I think!

See you soon

Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Still stitching........................

2010-08-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Well the Watery World continues with the felting having taken place. It was so large that it was felted by walking on it for about 4 hours, then lots of rolling another half day and then some massaging and rubbing. Lots of little feet walked up and down and back and forth and because we kept rotating with new people every 10 minutes, nobody became bored!

Here you can see many of the 3D items in place and it really is just lovely.
These photos were taken today, standing on a chair and reaching my arms out as far as they would go to get the whole work in! It measures 2.2 metres by about 1.7 metres. It will be easier when it is vertical and I can get a better angle on it.

Everyone loves the octopus and I must confess that he is one of me faves as well.

Crabs clinging to rocks

and a little of school of fish in the background - travelling in a very purposeful way. Eventually it is going to be hung in a new part of the school still under construction. At least the art will be ready on time!

This is my only piece of work this week - using odds and ends of merino and some throwsters silk. When I am tired I find that making something with no purpose is really quite restful. No end result to worry about, no measurements to consider, no shapes or colours to plan.

Just making for the joy of it.

It is an attitude and state of mind that can yeild great results. Not every time of course, but certainly unexpected and quite removed from what one would normally achieve.

Hoping everyone has time to make a little something this week, simply for the joy of creating.

love

Elizabeth

Watery felt!

2010-07-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Firstly I would like to just thank everyone who responded to my announcement in the previous post of my forthcoming book - "Felt Happy!" You have given me such support and I will buckle down to get it finished just as soon as I can.
At the moment I am at Caulfield Grammar and have just about finished an underwater wall hanging which is looking just GORGEOUS!

This is our design wall with ideas from Grade 2 - crabs, octopus, starfish, reef sharks................

These photos are of the layout only and are waiting to be felted. Here a school of fish lurking in the background.

Elegant sea horses

Weeny rainbow coloured fish, coral, rocks, kelp.....................

And my absolute fave a set of crabs. The little eyes are just paper at this stage just to check for sizing etc.
Let me tell you, if you want a huge piece of felt made - enlist children! They have so much energy for rolling and what's more they really enjoy doing it! What fun!

Will show you the end result soon. It is currently drying in my lounge room and I can't stop going in to gaze at it. We have also created some 3D items which will be stitched on as well next week.

Do you find that when you are engrossed in making a new piece of art, you can't wait to finish it and yet you don't want it to end?

Hoping everyone finds time this weekend to be arty, whether you are dreaming of something new or finishing something wonderful!

Once again, thanks everyone for your beautiful words

Love Elizabeth

XXX

Just to let you know!

2010-07-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Once again I need to apologise for being totally lax in writing my posts!

Well I have a very good reason - I have finally decided to tell you!

I am in the middle of writing a book!!!! A book on the way that I felt. A book with technique and instructions but more concentration on images. I firmly believe that artists learn visually.

They analyse images very quickly and get just as much, if not more information from an image rather than excessive text.

SO there will be lots of photos included.

It is for this reason that I have not been revealing any recent photos of finished work. Needless to say I have been working hard ( I promise!) and just want to keep the projects as a bit of a surprise.

I plan to have it finished in time for Christmas and will be publishing it myself. I really don't know the cost as yet but will fill you in when the quotes come in.

Any expressions of interest are of couse warmly welcome and just as soon as it is ready you will be the first to be emailed. Funnily enough I am starting to get quite excited!

On the working front I am at another school creating an underwater installation.

More soon,

Lots of Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Scarves and Leaves.........

2010-06-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hi dear friends!
Here are some images of a class I taught a couple of weekends ago. Some ladies had never felted before yet we managed to produce 12 sensational scarves. It was just too cold to model them as they were still damp at the end of the day.
Only of the loveliest parts was that there were 4 sets of Mums and daughters! How groovy is that!

As I ponder on the nature of teaching and the reasons that students arrive to be taught, I often wonder what has brought them to me. For the most part, it is to learn the ancient art of felting and yet time and time again there are students who really are just as happy spending time with a friend, a mother, a daughter a cousin and just want to have a fab day together.

The bonus is in learning a new skill at the same time.

One student who arrived with 4 friends on the weekend said " You know, this is better than just meeting for lunch" . Surely this is what life is all about? Spending time with those you love and I know it is sounds really cliche, but creating a day that is a lovely memory too.

Then of course there are students who arrive to do something "girly" as they live in a household of men, those that need time away from heavy home duties and simply to get away form the phone and all the nagging things that make up the routine of our lives.

Classes are often given as a gift from a family member and many is the time I have been truly humbled teaching those with cancer or other handicap.

So if you are stuck for an idea for a get together with your friend or friends, consider trying a new art form and find a tutor - with any luck it may just be felting!

Here are all those leaves from a little while back. All stitched into place - DMC and Anchor

perle threads in size 3 and 5.

I had a lovelyt time stitching them and mucking around with the shades.

It is so cold here at the moment! I just have to get into bed!

Cheers for now and good night!

Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Righto - this is what I have been doing!

2010-06-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Here is a sampling of photos of what I have been up to this 6 weeks! I can only say it was absolutely wonderful and very full on. Last week I was spoilt rotten with a box of truffles from Haighs - I have yet to demolish them they are so beautifully wrapped. I also received a couple of cards and just wanted to share them with you.

Here is one of the handmade cards I received.

On the inside cover a Grade 5's opinion of felt making! How absolutely groovy! Of course I was a bit teary as I often am over such treasures.

Here are her thoughts on the whole felt experience. Sorry it is a little hard to see properly - please enlarge.

Grade 2 little flower fairies. The heads and feet are created with papier mache balls.

Grade 5 wall dolls. I so wanted to bring them all home!

Stitching and face drawing were also covered. With lots of practise on achieving expression and creating a character.

Buttons were added for extra dimension and interest.

Grade 3 stuffed birds - we had such variety from swans to peacocks to parrots and more!

They now adorn the art room.

Grade 6 worked with creating form through floral themes and these were mounted onto mixed media boards.

The variety in all year levels has just been astounding and I am so thrilled with the results.

I learn so much every year - not only with methodolgy in teaching children but also what can actually be achieved given a bit a of guidance and exciting colours to work with.

When I started teaching as an artist in residence about 9 years ago, little did I realize how much it would enrich my life.

Just before I go a little update on Nell. Here she is in the lounge room happy on yet another chair she is now calling her own. She has been regularly getting into trouble and I have a feeling, bossing the other neighbourhood cats around. They no longer pass through our back garden!

Literally one minute earlier she was happy posing, but soon got sick of it.

If you have reached the end of this long post then thankyou!

Hoping everyone has something lovely planned for the weekend ahead.

Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Things are afoot.........

2010-06-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends
I haven't dropped off the end off the earth! But I have been busy teaching children again which means wool and projects for nearly 500 junior children!

Here is a little peek at my work. Which seems to be dragging its' feet over the last few weeks.

These leaves are carefully dyed and chosen for this next piece and only await me to get my act together to start stitching them!

Sorry this is a short post

I will write more fully soon. I just have to sleep!...........................

Goodnight for now!

Lots of love

Elizabeth

XXX

Fab students!

2010-05-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Students on the weekend. Two ladies, Pauline and Andrea. Fab gals - they both worked so hard and barely took any time off for lunch they were so keen!
We started with one plan and then decided to completely change our minds and do some scarves. After much colour consideration choices were finally made and we plunged right on in!
Above is Andrea unrolling and rolling...............................

This is Pauline, possibly wondering when on earth Elzabeth is going to say "STOP ROLLING!"

Towards the end of the day we started work on some flowers.

New proud felters. They did such an outstanding job I am so delighted for them both.

Pauline's ruby reds looked so gorgeous her decorating on either end was so weeny and delicately applied - I was encouraging her to add more but Pauline had it just right. As you can see the results are just lovely.

Above are Andrea's efforts for the day and once again a beautiful set of work that really hits the target. Each colour is just off set so beautifully against the other and the flowers very nearly stayed with me!

How lucky is my life? I get to teach people who want to learn my pet subject!

Never do I forget how very lucky I am.

My every best wish to you all

Elizabeth

XXX

Poppy Patchwork

2010-05-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

Hi dear friends,
My good intentions to post every week are sadly falling down short! I will aim to do better.
Here is an order that was delivered this week. I really enjoy creating other types of work that include varying techniques.
This one contains felt (of course!) hand painted fabric, linens, cotton, silk, silk paper, cheesecloth as well as some hand and machine embroidery.

Why is it do you think that poppies are such an eternal favourite? Is it their emotional connection to Rememberance day for all Australians? Not sure. At any rate they are a comforting flower somehow.

These poppies are painted using the glorious Caran d'arche watercolour crayons - they lie beautifully in a Walkers shortbread tin and sometimes I just open the lid and just gaze at them.

Free motion embroidered to the linen base.

Felt additions stitched by hand and machine.

Metal buttons - I just LOVE them!

Not sure why - these ones are so uncluttered and don't distract from the colours and textures of the fabrics.

I hope everyone is having a great week and finding pockets of time to do lovely things.

Hugs and love
Elizabeth

XXXX

Fleece, my daily bread

2010-05-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hi dear friends,
Sorry for my delay in writing. I can only say I have been BUSY!! Lots of new luscious fleeces ready to be made into heaven knows what! There was a time when I used to have plans for all the new shades that hung on the racks but now I have faith that a good idea will arrive on the day I am ready to create. This train of thought that has pervaded my week has allowed me to arrive at the conclusion that too much over planning can spoil the end result.

Certainly there are projects that require experimentation and I firmly feel that if you have decided on a particular medium as your discipline, then regular experimenting is ABSOLUTELY
vital if your work is to remain fresh and exciting.

I would encourage any artist to stretch and stretch and even if you never use half of the techniques in your expermenting sessions then at least you can cross them off the "what if I tried this" list and march on down the road - or wander or dawdle or skip - depending on the day.

Hoping everyone has some time to experiment this coming weekend

Lots of love,

Elizabeth

XXX

Trees and Birds

2010-04-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
Her is a wall hanging I have finished as another primary school project. This one was created by both students and teachers. I just love it when any age can have a go and the end result is a mix of everyones efforts.

The magic remains...............................A lump of fluff to a piece of fabric!

Hoping your week has started well

Lots of Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Work this week............

2010-04-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
I hope everyone is well and relaxing into a lovely weekend. Some silk and black merino wool felt flowers. I was very honoured to be asked to make a corsage each for Jean Littlejohn and Jan Beaney who are both currently in Australia.

These were presented this evening and can you believe the car wouldn't start and eveyone else was out so that I couldn't even see them receiving them! Here's hoping they liked them!

They are attached to pins rather than brooches for extra stability.

An extra few were made so that I could select my 2 faves. I go through cycles with flowers, I make heaps to have in the studio and take to workshops and then do none for weeks!

Two layers were stitched together and then a felted ball was beaded to create the centre.

More collage patchwork with silk paper leaves and assorted felts and fabrics. I simply can't stick to one thing! No matter how hard I try - I have to swap between projects so that my concentration stays on target. Whenever I think about doing 15 or 20 of the same thing in succession I immediately don't want to start. I am happy to do 50 similar items but over a much greater period of time.

Autumn colours to match our beautiful season at the moment.

New doll on the drawing board.

My favourite type of washing. I could hang out basketloads of this. I will have to choose a new spot when the sweet peas grow again. This felt is for an order and will be made into a cushion with any luck within a day or two!

Hoping everyone is doing lots of creative gorgeousness even if it does mean swapping from project to project.

Lots of love, friends

Elizabeth

XXX

New Book COMING SOON!...................

2010-04-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Don't you just adore a new book?
You can take it to bed,
You can read it while waiting to collect people from the railway station,
You can pore over it at brekky,
You can take it in the garden with a cup of tea,
You can study it in a cafe with several favourite lattes,
You can make the time go quicker waiting at the bustop and countless other situations.

Let's face it - a book is a great friend!

Well the book above is especially groovy because I was lucky enought to have 4 images of my work accepted. I am really excited and am looking forward to its arrival!

Anyway, just wanted to share this lovely news with you all!

Every best wish and happy reading!
Elizabeth
XXX

Getting stuff done!

2010-04-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

Dearest Friends

Hoping your week is progressing well! I have been trying to focus on 8 things that have to be done and none of them seem appealing - do you know what I mean? Plenty of creative energy but not for the things that I simply have to do!

I used to be really worried by this. The fact that I couldn't discipline myself to get these things done. Now I simply put them aside and attend to the enticing creative ideas that are simply nagging me to get done or have a try.

I know that I will get over this block in a few days time and that everything will get done. But in the meantime I get to pursue the idea that has crept in unbidden.

Here is a new gal, papier mache and felt - I just love making them!

Whatever you are working on, be it one of the "I SIMPLY MUST GET THIS DONE" thing

or the "WOW! I AM GOING TO DO THIS NOW!" thing - I hope you are having a great time!

See you soon

Lots of Love

Elizabeth

XXX

Little pots from odds and ends

2010-03-25T05:31:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

Using up odds and ends of felt and yarn has been my pattern of work this year. I don't know why - but it is so gratifying to get rid of them all productively.

This week has been rather busy with teaching every day, so there has been little time to felt, however I managed to squeeze some time in to make a few little vessels. I use these for putting vases of flowers in and can pretty much co-ordinate my vessel to the flowers that I have.

Now does that sound excessively weird?

Candles look great in them as well.

Hoping everyone has a lovely weekend to look forward to,

Chat soon

Love

Elizabeth

Setting up a felting studio

2010-03-20T04:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends
Howdy!
This post is in response "Karoda" who left at message at my previous post. She is thinking of setting up a felting studio and all I can say is "GO KARODA!"
Righto. These images are of my studio a little while ago and although I shift things around and more treasures (trash?) are housed there - it is basically the same.

My studio is not huge but compared to the kitchen table it is a palace! I so love going there and I think first and foremost this is imperative for a creative environment. You must create a corner that you are eager to get to. A corner of the study, the spare bedroom, the garden shed, the attic, the corner of the family room, the basement or the weeny space off the laundry.

The first thing is to get in some table/s that can be left in position that can provide storage beneath them and that are white and throw back some light. Perhaps if you find an old door you could whack some cheap white acrylic paint on it. This can always be removed if you want the door at a later stage without any tears at all.

The second thing to get is to get good lighting. Try to get it as natural as possible. The colours that you use will certainly be affected by the light hitting them.

The next thing to think about is designated areas that you keep for jobs that you would do every time you create. Somewhere you will go to use the sewing machine (see above), somewhere to do a spot of ironing, somewhere that your supplies are easily accessed. A wet area for the sink or place for water.

Get tubs or boxes that are uniform so that they easily stacked and can be labelled clearly.

OH YES and believe me, keep one type of item per bucket. This makes creating a real pleasure if you can get to your goodies quickly.

Once a month I do a bucket check out and fix up. On the odd occasion I locate a misplaced treasure but it is really to keep my studio practise running smoothly.

There is a real pleasure in handling your supplies on a fairly regular basis. You keep in mind what you need and what you have free licence to buy more of !

The colour that you paint the studio is a very personal thing. A base colour of pale grey, white or cream or even a glowing colour like gold is a good idea so that any colours that you add on top will look great. Keep it as calm or as bight and cheerful as you like - you can always change it!

Have wool in a well lit area rather than away somewhere out of sight. This will avoid moth. My best advice is to get a shoe rack - ideal for skeins of wool. These are all 50 grams so I know how much I will need for a designated project. As soon as you have a table to work and easy access to a sink and great lighting - march right ahead purchasing your tools of the trade. Good wool at all costs - be suspicious of super cheap offers. You will be spending much time pursuing your creations so buy the very best you can afford.

Have pieces of your own work around the studio to inspire you and display them in such a way that gives you pleasure. Perhaps you have a box of treasures that have never found a real home - the studio is the place for them.

Finally on the floor - avoid concrete at all costs. It will give you varicose veins! Felters mainly work standing on their feet. The carpet I have I purchased at the hardware store and it cost about $35.00 a metre for 2 metres wide. I simply glued it to the concrete surface. It cuts down all noise and is cosier in winter.

My studio was created on a shoestring. I had next to no money. So all my cupboards were from cast offs from the family and I even have my first baby wardrobe in there with Beatrix Potter contact on the shelves!

Do what you can with what you have on hand - most things can be made lovely and cheap, flat pack furniture, will be invisible when you get all your gorgeous creations on them.

The cosmetic stuff is really the inspiring aspect that make you excited to be there. Not just the opportunity to work in a peaceful area, but a place that is truly yours.

OH YES 2 last things.............

A place for a tea/coffee station and somewhere to put your CD player and and plenty of different types of music.

My love to you all, wherever you create

Elizabeth
XX

PS You can see my studio article in the FALL 2008 edition put out by Cloth Paper Scissors

Making quick changes...

2010-03-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

HI dear friends,
Today I had about 3 hours of uninterrupted time in the studio. Trundling along and making arms and legs to go on this doll. Complete disaster - she looked chunky and awkward.

So after huffing and puffing and being cross at my lack of my achievement I came to a an unalterable decision. Everything I had done in those precious hours was an utter waste. SO there was only one thing to do - I cut her arms and legs off! Golly that sounds awful!

But she was so much happier without them!

More stitching

Happy at last.
So when in doubt, if it isn't working, be happy in the knowledge that cutting things up is often the way through.

So friends, see how a pair of scissors can help you see clearly to getting a project done.

Lots of love
Elizabeth
XX

In the studio today......

2010-03-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Hi friends
In the studio today I admitted to myself that being tidy is something I am very partial to. Now this is really strange because up until fairly recent times I was quite content to work in absolute squalor!
I pulled stuff out, found what I was looking for (or didn't as the case was) and just stepped over everything and left it all out until I couldn't really see anything properly.
I figured that if I left it out then something else was ready to be brought into the mix - you know what I mean - just in case.

I love collections of things around me. I do admire those beautiful clean, cool homes that are modern and sleek. I just don't think I could live in one - somehow the contained clutter suits me and is somehow so very comforting.

It is just the same when you have close friends over. Everything is OK, everything is comfortable, everything gets back into proportion. Thank goodness for friends both near and far.

Check out the clean floor - now that is what I call a thing of beauty!

Working on a new wall doll. Grey on grey - yep it's me Elizabeth and I'm working with grey!

Really loving the effects of it too!

Chat soon,

Love

Elizabeth

Colours to dream upon!

2010-03-12T05:21:00.001-08:00

Hello fellow artists,
Having had a busy week working in the garden I was happy to be back in the studio today sorting out some soy fiber. It has all the properties of silk fibre and can be used for many textile arts. Silk paper - an absolute delight to use in book arts, journaling and art quilts, it works beautifully constructed with soy. I just love it. The dye loves it too, as you can see!

Ever since I was a little girl I have been hooked on colours - I didn't really care about dolls or girly stuff which is ironic considering I can't seem to stop making them now! My main focus was crayons, pencils and paint of any type, with any paper I could get hold of.

Mum used to go around to our local butcher and get wads of paper for me to create with.
She often couldn't keep up and I would simply draw on the walls down our hall! Wall paper followed quite quickly and I was banned from enhancing them after that.

Yet still colour continues to be my driving force. I often feel that felt is my vehicle for showcasing colour. For others it is texture or shape that is the most stimulating element.

Yet it is my firm belief that if you start with your raw materials in shades and hues that are exciting, stimulating, perhaps unusual or exotic and you are completely in love with them - then all else will follow.

I really do believe that things fall into place if you get the colour right. Somehow you can think clearer, you can feel you way through. Colour is so very emotional, we react to it in an instant.
Almost before we find the words to descibe how we feel, the response has happened.
From the clothes you buy to the colour you paint your favourite room.

So if you have some time this weekend consider wandering and wading through your supplies and put together a colourway that you have never tried, that you fall in love with and can't wait to create into your next masterpiece. It will be time well spent, I promise!

Every best wish for a colourful weekend!

Love
Elizabeth
XX

A little of this and that

2010-03-06T04:58:00.000-08:00

Hi dear friends,
Just a quick post of a little of this and that.

I know that people say that there is beauty in everything - but truly is there anything more gorgeous than this mountain of silverbeet and our first truly RED pepper of the season - the rest are still yellow and green and we are waiting for them to blush.

I have a very dear friend who is a beautiful potter. For such a long time we have talked about me coming down the coast to her studio so that she can teach me to get beyond primary level clay building! This was my second effort which we will be glazed at some point. I really should have thought what to make - so please forgive my crude efforts!

Sisters Amelia and Carla in class on Friday. We had a super time - here is Carla above, enhancing a wall hanging with the embellisher. Amelia, below is combining fleece and yarn for her next work of art!

A most glorious storm late today has put the air back into the right sphere and the garden is breathing beautifully.

I hope everyone is breathing beautifully, so to speak,
Chat soon

Lots of Love
Elizabeth
XX

Teaching in Geelong last weekend

2010-03-05T04:06:00.000-08:00

Howdy dear friends,

Hoping everyone has had a lovely week. I simply cannot recall what has happened between Monday and today - no doubt something!

Anyway last weekend had a great time away teaching in Geelong. Day 1 we felted to our hearts content and then on Day 2 we embellished our felt creations until they were so gorgeous we really should have sold tickets at the door.

Thought you might like to see some of the students and their results. I love going away to teach, the best fun is always had and I think that everyone really pulls together to help each other to achieve their very best. I guess it is a sense that anything is possible.

Taking a breather to prowl around the room!

Lovely Doreen working hard at her landscape piece. Day 1

Trees and foliage at the end of the wet felting session.

Judy creating leaves and add ons with the embellisher Day 2.

Smiley Mary working hard on Day 2

Mary's gorgeous results

How thrilling, a lump of fluff - to a work of art.

Now that's my kind of magic!

Hoping that everyone is experiencing a little magic this week. Have a relaxing weekend.

Love

Elizabeth

Going off on a tangent.................

2010-02-25T05:19:00.000-08:00

Hi dear friends,
Funny how tangents get in the way of everything else you had planned. They get a grip and won't let go until you get them out of your system. This week it was just making stripy felt and what effects you could get with the same yarns with different coloured backgrounds.

What are they for? Who knows! Does it really matter? Of course not!!

Testing yarns for felted strength - not all yarns are great felted. The higher the percentage of wool the better.

Neutrals for a change

Flat ribbony yarns and thick slubby yarns.

Like furrows in a field

The trouble in this creative life, is getting caught up in the almighty dollar. Fresh, lovely and original ideas evaporate in worries about production and supply, commissions and orders.

So this week to all you fab friends creating out there - find time to experiment, to try something new. Work in different colours, add a new element. Try a different shape, try an old idea in a different size. Work outside, work with friends.

We make art because we have to, that is the sort of folk we are - but do we have to be so driven that time to just have fun - with no thought for the outcome is overlooked?

I hope not!

Love
Elizabeth
XXX

The beauty of stitch

2010-02-18T05:01:00.000-08:00

Hi dear friends,
You know the nature of stitch is so honest and beautiful. It never fails to delight me. Like many things that are intrinsically beautiful you can never fully explain what it is that touches you about them - to me it is a hidden soul that allows you to glimpse it now and then.

Like wood that is so very much a spirit house and holds such depth of feeling.

If you look in and around your home you will find there are items that you have just loved forever. They travel with you no matter where you shift to. Sometimes when you find a new item you seem to see into it - a piece with such value because of how it makes you feel.

I strive to create work that holds these elements and the use of stitch, both hand and machine, helps to facilitate this.

If you are a feltmaker, consider adding machine and/or hand stitching - you can turn a ho hum piece of work into something really special.

I hope that your endeavours are bringing you much satisfaction this week in whatever medium you are currently addicted to!

Love
Elizabeth
XX

Standing in the shallows

2010-02-14T04:36:00.000-08:00

Hello dear friends,
I must firstly say a big, warm welcome and THANKYOU to everyone who has signed on to follow my blog. I am really touched! Cross your fingers I say something of some vague interest.

Well this is the piece I have been working on this week. After each night peering into boxloads of threads - that no matter how much I stitch seems to say at the staus quo, it is finally finished.

Title: Standing in the shallows

It measures about 90cm long and about 40cm wide. I really enjoyed it and will probably add to this as a series. Created in 100% beloved merino. All carded from the scraps found in many receptacles in the studio!

There is a strong element of the organic in felting -the way it comes together, the way it stands alone with very little decoration. I am so very conscious of trying not to spoil it all with overworking with the needle and thread. Many is the time I have pulled sections out because I couldn't stop. In my eagerness to use "that" thread with a certain bit of felt just because it matched.

Mum has said to me for years - "Just because you've got it, doesn't mean you have to use it!"
Now it rings in my ears as well!

Hoping your weekend has been just lovely

Love
Elizabeth
X

Leaves and Gardens

2010-02-10T04:12:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!
Busy in the studio today - finished a piece of felt which has turned out to be a garden. The great thing about garden pieces is that you can stitch them, either by hand or machine or both, as much as you like.

One thing I have noticed however is that stitching onto felt is best left as simply as possible. I can recall pieces where I did intricate stitching, looking up Victorian stitches in old books and in the end I was really quite unhappy with the result.

Getting ready to stitch. It will probably take a good few weeks to do - which doesn't matter in the slightest!

Assorted hand spun yarns felted in.

Oh yes I meant to mention - this is the carded wool which I was so excited about at the end of January (see Utilising Scrap )

These are the silk leaves from the other day now stitched into position. I just love adding silk paper cutouts to other pieces of work. They add such sparkle and somehow give a lovely floaty quality above the background. Funny though, I made this piece of silk paper one day when I made a pile to have in stock. It has been waiting for the right home for absolutely ages!

I often do that. Making extra elements for fun knowing that one day they will come in handy.
I really had no idea what I would do with this piece of silk paper but am pleased it has finally been used. This is my year to use stuff up!

Piecing is all done and here are the threads I have selected for the hand stitching.

Starting to all come together!

Well the weather bureau PROMISED - I mean PROMISED rain and it all bypassed us. Can someone please tell me why it is that we know about every dint on the surface of the moon and can tell what is happening on Mars and in galaxies at the back of beyond but "they" never get the local weather right?

Oh well, here's hoping for tomorrow!

Love
Elizabeth
XX

Earthy felt and tomoatoes!

2010-02-07T04:56:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!
You may recall the other day I was laying out these rich colours of the earth. Here is the result felted. You can see that dyed cheesecloth/muslin just adores being felted to a woolen ground.

A variety of hand spun yarns create a great knobbly texture and always give surprising results.

I got to thinking that this is really the essence of felting. The delightful surprises that reveal themselves in the last processes of the technique. If you have never felted and feel the urge to try I think that this is the key element to understand. With many disciplines you have a fairly clear idea about the end result, with felting there is much that is unclear when you set out. Certainly there is a visual result you are trying to achieve - but there is much that waits until the final curtain call.

I love this element of magic so much - if I really stop to think about it - it is why I continue to felt. Surely, whatever discipline you have selected, then a little magic each day you work at it is crucial! Don't you think?

These tomatoes were collected this evening - about 7kg!!!!! I am turning it all into sauce in the morning for the up coming months for pasta etc. NO sprays just sheep manure and water.

Like life really, the simpler the better!

The dark ones are Russian tomatoes and the yellow ones are acid free in case tomatoes don't agree with your tummy!

Gorgeous colours though!

See you soon
Love
Elizabeth
XX

How lucky am I?

2010-02-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

Hi dear friends,
Just a quick line to let you know that today was quite special. As you know our adopted cat Nelly has been with us since last August. Well finally today, after many sniffs around the studio, over a lengthy period, she decided to make herself comfy.
I always think that an animal at peace in the studio is a very good sign. Well this morning she got to listen to Bach and Handel for hours and actually started snoring!!!! I won't tell her though, she might get embarrassed.

This is what I made whilst she dreamt on the seat. Silk paper cut into leaves.

Hand stitching still progressing...........................

Boy oh boy I love the macro facility on the camera - it is particularly useful for studying stitching.

A blissfully cool night - I am away to my bed..........................................

Lots of love to everyone
Elizabeth
XX

Stocking up

2010-02-03T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!
Well struggling through more hot weather has sent me into the studio, which many of you will know is under the house. The temperature is very even all year and just wonderful for escaping the hot northerly winds.
As a result I have been managing to get a bit done. As you know last week I was mad about carding wool - well it got so addictive I have been through every box, tub, shoebox and bag to locate any possible leftover fleece that could be added to the pile.

I am so lucky I now have batts ready for felting - for no particular project - just the luxury of them waiting to be something, someday is just wonderful!

I so love rainbow shades - they are just so energizing! Don't you think?

It would appear that I have been hard at work planning a stunning colourway -
DON"T YOU BELIEVE IT!!! I just used what was at hand - so very liberating somehow.

On reflection it was amazing how many spots I found odd handfuls of wool scrap leftovers.
At least I can't imagine there is wool somewhere under the table in a bag - there just isn't!

Hoping that wherever you are, your week is filled with colour,

Love from
Elizabeth
XXX

Getting Grubby!

2010-01-26T05:38:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
Howdy! Every so often - say every 8-10days I have to do some painting, no real need or purpose just a desire to make lots of painty mess with paper and canvas. I find that to work with such freedom is very invigorating.

This messy bit of paper is actually my palette. I use oven bake for my blobs of paint and when I have finished I just moosh it all together and then when it is dry I press it ready for a one day project. They look so detailed and take all of 2 minutes to make!

These are sections of the canvases I did today.

I think that if you can see the details up close it helps to analyze what else you may need to add - although perhaps you might see that it is time to STOP!

Knowing when to stop is a really big issue I think all artists face. It is so easy to gild the lily as they say and after hours of working and fussing and nit picking and adding a little of everything you own, you don't really like it. Funny that!

Lastly - this is a teeny corner of the garden today. How gorgeous that all these shades are on the same plant. In Australia it is called Pigface - really awful for such a beautiful specimen.

Wishing everyone a splendid week.

Love Elizabeth
XX

I have received a Sunshine Blog award!

2010-01-23T06:15:00.001-08:00

A big thank you to Maria at Creative Bumble Bee for nominating me for the Sunshine Awards. I am really thrilled!

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity & creativity inspires others in the blog world.

The rules for accepting this award:

Put the logo on your blog or within your post.

Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.

Link the nominees within your post.

Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I don't have a great deal of time for reading many blogs but I do return to these people again and again because they do make me feel uplifted and open my mind to a world of other possibilities.

Maria Dent

Mary Stanley

Teesh Moore

Ro Bruhn

Dog Daisy Chains

Sara Lechner

Gustavo Aimar

Julie King

Jane La Fazio

Carolyn Saxby

Dot Christian

Juliana Bollini

Although I don't comment too often I do receive great pleasure from all of these artists each and every week.

So thankyou!

Love Elizabeth

Utilising Scrap!

2010-01-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
Hi! Today in class Deb brought along her drum carder. See Deb in "Back in class" entry Jan 17th

Now I have always promised myself a drum carder to utilize my fleece in other ways. Somehow or other it has slipped onto the back burner and the one day list.
What a star Deb is - she has left it with me all week to play with!!! I am so utterly thrilled. Easy pleased aren't I! OK The above hotch potch of disparate wool is a combination of fleeces that have been left over after various projects.

The groovy Ashford Carder and me going mad carding the scraps into a batt ready for felting.

Which proves the point, I think, that there is nothing that cannot be made beautiful. I will try and find time to felt it tomorrow.

Our lovely Nell, adopted last year and who in her 9 years had rarely been outside, is here just resting from knitting a scarf.

It really is very tiring work knitting for humans,

Regular cat naps must be strictly adhered to.

Have a lovely weekend everyone
Love
Elizabeth - who is plotting to keep Deb's carder (shhhhh.....please don't tell her!)

Stock piling in front of the TV

2010-01-20T05:01:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,
Busy day making more plum jam and tomato sauce - I am feeling very resourceful and the cupboards have no room left for basic stuff like general food. Oh well - they look pretty sitting there grinning at me. I feel certain I will appreciate them in the winter months!

As you can see I am knitting again - I just adore adding other types of fibre to my layout of fleece before felting. These are just small panels waiting until I get inspired.

If you have idle hands in the evening - mind you I don't think I know any woman who isn't working at something in the evening - and men are too busy monopolizing the remote control - stockpiling in this way frees up your creative time when you are working on a project.

It is a great luxury to have little stockpiles from which to choose. These sorts of things at your fingertips allow a far greater scope when you come to create something new.
For example, if I am laying out a new piece of felt and I require a piece of knitting or perhaps some shredded muslin, maybe some felt swirls or a pile of felt triangles there is such freedom in grabbing a box of the required element and just selecting the piece/s to be used.

If I had to stand there cutting out 50 triangles and whatever other element was required I would never get anything done in my studio time.

SO my point (which is coming!) is this:
Treat television time as a perfect opportunity to stockpile - you will never look back!
Sometimes I end up with leftover pieces of felt from a doll or bag or whatever and these I gather up and cut into shapes of all types so that I might be ready when the muse strikes! Let's face it that could be at anytime - so be a good scout and get prepared!!!!

The first bit of knitting is done with a very fine 2 ply and this one is hand spun and about a 10ply
No idea what they are for but does it really matter?

Below is a wall hanging I did some while ago and the swirls were done from scraps prepared in the evening and stored in shoe boxes until required.

Hoping everyone is doing something creative, if only some stockpiling for the next project!
Love
Elizabeth
XX

Creative Art Retreat 2010

2010-01-18T03:19:00.000-08:00

Creative Art Retreat March 17th - 21st 2010
Check it out here! http://www.creativesoulretreat.com.au/

Hi friends,
In March the Creative Art Retreat in Melbourne will be on again and I will be teaching a one day workshop on lace felt scarves.
A really beautiful technique it allows for fabric and fleece to combine very effectively.

For those of you who would like to try something else just drop me a line and we can work it into the day I am sure. Hoping to see some of you in class!

Raining most of the day -and still listening to our water tanks refilling. Which is riveting stuff let me tell you!

Hope your week is starting well
Love
Elizabeth
XX

Back in class!

2010-01-17T05:08:00.001-08:00

Back to normal!
I am so glad classes have started again. I am really happy when people come to the studio and at the moment a Felt Folio class is underway - here is the lovely Kaye concentrating hard.

This is Deb - very happy to give me a grin! I think they are both going to be beautiful felters.
I will keep you posted on their progress!

A few hand dyed wools in the shop tomorrow - gorgeous stuff with a single twist, so it is just magic to felt or knit and felt as well. http://www.frostfair.etsy.com/

It has been such a lovely cool day today and after I have complained for so long about the heat it was so very welcome. It is so amazing how much more productive I feel in a cooler climate.

I know there are those that rev up with a hotter temperature - but I belong to the other clan - there are those of you who know exactly what I mean:

I love to hibernate and walk in the rain and stand at the beach facing an icy wind and wear an extra layer and put another blanket on the bed and knit every day and make soup and light a fire and watch the leaves changing and the sun being lower in the sky.........................................
Maybe I should stop now!

Roll on Autumn!
Love
Elizabeth
XX

New Stuff!

2010-01-15T05:47:00.000-08:00

New green felt today. I just adore green - of any shade. I think there are more shades of green than any other colour. Nature somehow manages to create bright luminous chartreuse to the coolest deepest pine green. I just love it!

Also got some new kits done now up on etsy if anyone is keen to have a try at felting! Also some new giftcards: www.frostfair.etsy.com

I can assure you that taking a lump of gorgeous fluff and turning it into a beautiful fabric is really a magical thing to do. I still have a promise to myself that if I wake up in the morning and it isn't exciting I will search for something else to do. After making felt for more than a dozen years nothing has ever changed. There have been lots of additions over the years but making felt has
kept me so very enthralled - I hope there are another dozen years at least!

This is the doll with the machine embroidery - she belongs to a group of tree creatures.

Every best wish
Love
Elizabeth!

Waiting.........................to start something new

2010-01-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,
These little spoon girls are waiting for dresses, hair anything really. Anything to just get off the shelf and begin a new life elsewhere.........................

It is amazing how one can be desperate to start a new life or at least make a big change somewhere else or something new to pursue. To do something out of the ordinary away from the known, to something more exciting.
I was thinking about this today as I was drinking yet another cup of tea whilst I was working in the studio today. I was reminded of some words I read recently and naturally I have completely forgotten them exactly, but let's pretend this was them: "Do that which makes you scared".

Ralph Waldo Emerson also said something similar:
"Always do what you are afraid to do."

SO this is my challenge over the next month -
I am going to try and jump off the deep end, leave safe waters and really do something new.

Cheers
Elizabeth
XX

Machine Stitching

2010-01-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
Recovering from the intense heat of the past few days, today felt like an absolute gift! Cool and clear. Amazing how very much we take for granted - just a beautiful day - not too hot and not too cold.

The other day I wrote about hand stitching - but machine stitching can really enhance felt pieces as well. The quilting effects add extra dimension and sometimes elements that you added to your layout of fleece, can often disappear once felted. Quite inexplicably sometimes!
The colours merge and there is no delineation between one shape and another. Stitching, either machine or by hand to the rescue and a work of art emerges!

Leaves on a layout of fleece and muslin.

More leaves

Our first crop of plums!!!! So exciting .....just resting before they disintegrate into jam!

Such a beautiful ruby colour!

Would love to send you all some - this might prove tricky - but if you come to the studio I will endeavor to bake my scones to go with the jam.

Hope your week is going well.
Love Elizabeth
XX

PS: Who is not taking beautiful weather for granted!

And the winner is!!!!

2010-01-10T04:32:00.000-08:00

OK drumroll.....................................................................

And the winner is...........................................................

Katie!!

Katie if you could please send me your address via email your surprise will be posted to you.

Thankyou to everyone for entering. It was really lovely to read everyone's stories.

Best wishes and I hope that everyone receives a RAK (Random Act of Kindness)
or decides to do one soon.

Elizabeth

The beauty of hand stitching

2010-01-09T04:36:00.000-08:00

Whenever I am working in the studio I always try to get a piece of work to the point where I can add some hand stitching in the evening. The loveliest thing about adding details to felt is that it feels as if you are stitching into butter. It is so forgiving and can be gathered and quilted and enhanced in so many ways.

A but like life really - a stitch here and there can make all the difference.

Don't forget to enter my draw below to be in with a chance! I will be announcing the winner tomorrow!

Happy creating dear friends,
Love
Elizabeth

Summer is glowing!

2010-01-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
Just wondering around the front garden today I wanted to share some of my favourites with you. I know that many of you are battling with wet and cold and snow but here in Australia we are just battling with keeping things alive!

Golden nasturtium are so beautiful

Tall Tigerlily

Creamy yellow

These lilys are so magnificent and their fragrance is reminiscent of very strong carnations. Such a shame I can't bottle it and send you all some.

Don't forget to enter my Random Act of Kindness - Surprise Draw! See Below

Hope everyone is finding time to be creative
Love
Elizabeth

Random Act of Kindness - Surprise Draw!

2010-01-04T04:54:00.000-08:00

I was in our local hardware store this evening. You know the type - large, impersonal and run by an invisible team.
I was there to buy a couple of punnets of seedlings for mum. Just some humble parsley capsicums and red onions.

Well I discovered I didn't have enough cash and decided to leave one at the register.
Suddenly from behind came the voice of a lady "You've left one behind".
I informed her that I didn't have enough money and she promptly said: "Yes you do, I'm buying it for you!"

I was really taken aback and said "no...no....no...." Her reply: "This is a Random Act of Kindness"

I was really touched and promised her I would find an opportunity to do the same by the end of the week.

SO this is it:
If anyone would care to share their experience involving a random act of kindness or you would like to share your thoughts on this one, I would love to hear. So please level a message to this post.

On Saturday 9th
To all that reply, I will put their name/email into a hat (shoebox) and draw one out.

To this end I will post a handmade surprise to the person whose name is drawn on the following Monday (11th January)

I hope that if your name is not drawn, then you are the recipient of a Random Act of Kindness or decide to do one.

Good Luck Everyone!

New Silk Fibre!

2010-01-02T03:56:00.001-08:00

Silk fibre - the queen of fibres, is really so glorious to work with - I just wanted to share these delicious colours that I was playing with today. Adding a thin veneer to the top layer of your wool will add such luxury and depth to hand made felt. I still have pieces I made years ago that I continue to marvel at the sheen and lustre that it holds.

Available on etsy tomorrow: www.frostfair.etsy.com

Sunset - SOLD

Lavender Mist

Coral Sea

Mixed Blues

Lavender Blues

Blueberry - SOLD

Hope everyone is enjoying the first weekend of the year!

Love
Elizabeth
XX

Just Start!

2010-01-01T04:40:00.000-08:00

I must tell you about yesterday:
For much of my self employed life (14 years) I have been mystified by the days that work in the studio and those that are simply a waste of time.

Yesterday, being a wretchedly hot day here in Melbourne I must have been close minded. Out of sync, out of kilter, just out of it........
For nothing would go right. I didn't have the right felt, the right colours and definitely no ability to do a good layout. SO I stopped.
After stopping I realized that I had a sore neck and was quite cranky and decided to just leave it altogether. And so I walked out..............

There is a danger that you will abandon the project you are struggling with, but if you have the luxury of space ,I would recommend leaving it exactly where it is for a day or two.
The other alternative is to put all the elements together on a tray or pin them to a cork board or piece of foam core.

DON"T GIVE UP!

By collecting that piece of fabric and your fave crayons, maybe a lovely piece of paper or new journal with excitement that something wonderful was going to happen, you discover as you progress, that your souffle has gone flat. Just hang in there! That excitement will return - promise!

SO, Today I thought righto, just start. What made the difference this time was that I took each process one after the other without hesitation. Perhaps I had more impetus because of my washout the day before.
After the first step without any thinking I was enthralled at the rapidity of its' success which in turn fired my energy to race onto the next procedure.

Before I new it my felt was complete and ready for the handwork that I so enjoy doing in the evening.

So fellow artists - JUST START
Don't fret about the end result - you are doing this because you love to make art - not because it is essential to race to the end.
If your idea is half formed or just hinting at the edge of your mind, whispering something in your heart then just starting will help you to capture "it" before it escapes.

So at the end of this long post, I am sharing with you my New Year's Resolution. Just Start!
It might be your next masterpiece or at the very least just the prototype.

Sending every best wish for the New Year and decade
Elizabeth
XX

Beautiful Firenze

2009-12-21T12:14:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,
Here I am in Florence - a really dreamy city. Everything was just so beautiful and I was just so lucky to have days like this. As I write Florence is under snow! I only got home last Wednesday so how amazing for the weather to flip completely and cover the city in white!

This first shot is probably what everyone imagines when they think of Florence. It was such a wonderful sight and I sat here with bread and cheese and olives and tomatoes. Yes it was cold so I sat on my bag!

Here you can see the Arno river and the bridges that cross it at regular intervals.

The famous Ponte Vecchio. this shot was taken from out of the window of the Uffizi Gallery

The river Arno in the evening light. Photos are bever quite the same as being there but this does revive memories of a lovely still evening.

I awoke early on my first morning in Florence and decided to climb the bell tower of the Duomo Cathedral known as Giotto's Tower. Small windows in the tower revealed little slices of the city that were just so inspiring.

The Duomo Cathedral, flanked by the tower and the building in front is the Baptistery - I was less than a minute walk from here and came to look at it at least once a day. The quality of the light would keep changing the hue of the marble and I, like thousands before me, was quite mesmerised by it.

Detail of the Duomo as I climbed the tower.

Walking around town there were 2 things I could do in abundance, shop and eat!

The Merry go Round at night.

Jewellery shops along the Ponte Vecchio at dusk.

Detail on the Baptistery doors.

Climbing up out of the city.

Sculptures abound in the city and these were located at the Duomo museum.

A beautiful day - I sat here for ages watching nothing and everything.

This is just a small sampling of the 982 photos I took over the week but if ever you get to go to Europe, be sure to make Florence the top of your list. I simply can hardly wait to return!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays dear friends,
I wish you all a creative 2010
Love Elizabeth

Grade 5 & 6 - mixed media dolls!

2009-10-25T06:04:00.001-07:00

Mexican Boy

Mexican Boy ( detail )

Little Princess

Little Princess ( detail )

The Little Chef

Little Chef ( detail )

Blue Princess

Blue Princess ( detail )

The New Hat

The New Hat ( detail )

Hi everyone
Over the last few months I have been working as an Artist in Residence, again at MLC - Methodist Ladies College. I visit once a year and force the entire junior school to make felt.
I can hardly tell you how much fun I have - I learn so much from them all. From Prep to Grade 6 we make literally miles of felt and the Grade 5 and 6's girls have created these wonderful mixed media dolls.

I would really love to show you all 200!!!! dolls from the Grade 5 & 6's but..................... well..........................that may take some time to upload!

I have been making these mixed media dolls for a while now and can't seem to stop. Isn't it funny when your work takes a change. I just love it when a new vision arrives for a possible new look or range of work. You can never tell when a medium is going to entice you. For me, the last 12 months have been infiltrated by papier mache. I just LOVE it! I can remember doing it years ago but I did very little with it.

I have come to the realization that things come into your life just at the right time. When you have time and are ready for change. I just wish I could remember that when I am wishing desperately for something!

Hoping you have all had a wonderful weekend, dear friends

Love Elizabeth
X

Fab Students!

2009-10-16T05:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone
Here is a class that happened a couple of weeks ago. This was a workshop in nuno feltmaking and some gorgeous scarves were made by all. For any of you who aren't felters - first of all, shame on you!! - Nuno, which means fabric in Japanese, refers to the fact that a fabric is integral to this type of felting. The fleece is laid on fabric and is felted until the two have combined to create the new "fabric". A glorious result!

As you can see these students have made some stunning pieces. I hope they will show them off for ages to come - believe me they looked better at first hand.

From left, Jo, Ro and Julia. They look so elegant and I really hope all the rolling will not put them off having another go soon!

Ro laying out her fleece on a purply tissue silk

The trials of design.................

Hope your weekend is full of fun
Love from
Elizabeth

PS: Nell fell asleep in a desk draw this evening -so cute - sadly my camera was flat so I missed taking a pic.

Sorry for the Absence!

2009-10-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends

I am really sorry for the lengthy absence - so many things demanding time and I have been too tired ( or is that too lazy?) to post.

Here is the beauteous Nell. Isn't she just gorgeous? Well no one need worry - she has settled in like a pair of old boots. She keeps us laughing and we just couldn't be without her. Cane is her favourite material for chairs and she dreams in them for hours! Naturally when the sun comes to worship her, the bedroom window ledge is really ideal.

"Stretch............................"

"I think this is my best side, don't you?"

"Just take as many photos as you like...................I don't mind."

Will post again tomorrow .......................PROMISE!!!!
Love
Elizabeth

New Dolls!

2009-09-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Howdy! Here are some new dolls which I have fluffed and ummed and aaahed about getting done for some time. I simply cannot work out what goes wrong. You see the felt has been made for ages and the embroidery and sewing up as well. Just waiting for the right faces I guess. It is so very important to get the right face - otherwise the piece is lost. A good face = a good doll!

So that is my only excuse!

At any rate at last they have left the rapidly growing pile of porjects and are DONE!

The one on the far left is for Dot who ordered her some time ago! Here she is Dot I hope you enjoy her! No names as yet. Your can find Dot's gorgeous blog here. http://dotslifeandart.blogspot.com/

There is something very special about Aqua and Lime Green, don't you think?

Knitting and Naughty Cats!

2009-08-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

Knitting is such a delight to do - it can be as mindless or as puzzling as you like. I tend toward the mindless and repetitive - letting the colour and textures of the yarns do all the work.

I am trying to include more golds and yellows in my pieces. This is the first attempt - of course I had to use something with lots of other shades in between!
I am looking forward to the challenge!

Thanks to everyone who has emailed with encouragement re my new kits!

Hoping everyone is well and happy
Love
Elizabeth

PS Our beautiful new cat Nell is up to great mischief and keeping us on our toes. She has now explored the outside - can you imagine, the first time outside ever! Will post some more pics soon.

It is now 2 hours later since I wrote the above and I simply must tell you about what has just happened.

OK picture us all calling Nell, Little Nell, Nellie......................etc for about an hour. Now we know she is inside and each of us has searched every room THOROUGHLY to no avail. Eventually we hear a plaintive cry and she sounds as if she either stuck in the piano or in a wall cavity - that far away sound.

Well after frantic yelling at her now, we finally work out where she is!
NOW WAIT FOR IT...................................our lovely new cat is caught inside one of the recliners in the living room!!!!! Yep you know the ones I mean with the lift out footrest. I shiver to think what might have happened to her when the bar reclines beneath it.

SO a warning - check where your cat is when reclining in the living room!!!!

New Kits at Etsy!

2009-08-22T17:14:00.001-07:00

My new kits are finally done and I can see my bench again! I had a great time putting them together -with all my hand dyed fleece and fabrics and fibres. Available at etsy now: www.frostfair.etsy.com

Rainbow

Fairy Floss

Blue Mood

Autumn

It is such a beautiful morning I am going in the garden - see you later

Love Elizabeth

The Beauty of Bark - please click on to enlarge!

2009-08-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of days I have been walking, walking........................ in our Royal Botanical Gardens here in Melbourne. Signs of Spring are everywhere and I had a lovely time just photographing bark. You know those mysterious miniature worlds that appear when you look just a little harder. Having said that a camera with a macro lens is also a help. These weeny flowers were so tiny that I almost missed them. Only 1/4 inch wide!

This one reminds me or morse code.

The light was truly beautiful, no hard edges anywhere - like one shape just merging into another.

Knotty, lumpy bits are so interesting - the imperfections are what make it so attractive.

For so many years I have taken photos of bark and trees don't know why - it just makes me happy. The varying shades are so beautiful.

These little depressions in the trees side are so intriguing! I imagine some little person just sitting there smoking his pipe and catching the last of the evening light.

Perhaps they are listening devices from within the tree to hear who is approaching?

Something about this light I find so utterly beguiling - it is as if the tree is snoozing perhaps recalling other days.

Little worlds in bits of green and gold.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week

Love from
Elizabeth

Got it right this week!

2009-08-05T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well, remember last week how I got it completely wrong - waiting for students that didn't arrive? Well this week they came - exactly when they should!!! And voila here they are working hard at their first piece of felt.

This is Anna creating some magic with lime and golden yellow and orange.

When you are painting with wool, something very wonderful happens. There is no worry, there is no pressure there is only possibility and freedom. Surely we all deserve as many of those days as possible?

From left, Anna, Michelle, Carolyn and Annette. Destined to be beautiful felters don't you think?

Have a great week!

Love Elizabeth