Sunday, September 23, 2012

My Day...

I was so happy to have such a beautiful Autumn Sunday. Sweater and wooly socks with scraggly hair pulled back. Nothing but natural light spilling in and a chilly breeze through the open windows. Hot coffee...I spent the a.m. getting all my hang tags on my work headed to Toronto in the next couple of days. I was taken by the months and months of work that will fit in a couple of boxes. The inventory sheet includes thousands of dollars worth of art/art to wear and I hope they will all be well received and....that I get none of it back (not likely, but I can dream!) Commission sales can be such a drag...you must produce so much work hoping the pieces will strike a chord with the right person at the right time.



The afternoon bought me wondering the aisles of the grocery store with every crazy person with a day job that leaves buying food for the week until Sunday afternoon.
...See how happy I am?
Everything is put away and planned meals for the first time in over a year for the week. Now I really want to nap rather than even consider cooking any of the purchased food...or make a hat. Coffee and a hat...sounds like a plan. :o)

 and Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Friday, September 21, 2012

Hats!





I have been in the studio getting thing ready to take to the guild shop in Toronto. I have lots of beautiful scarves, bracelets, ornaments, bags...and a few hats. I was inspired by the hats of Norwegian artist, Hillevi Huse, and am making a few for fun.

My eldest asked if I was planning to market them to retired circus performers. What is he implying, I wonder? Are they a little wild? Too colourful? Too may protrusions and springy things that sprout out or collapse? I think I am okay as he did say "retired" performers suggesting they are more sedate than those which would attract currently active circus performers. That is what I am going with, anyway. I will take images, of course, once they are all ready to go! (scroll down!)I know some daring folk in Toronto will appreciate them!

Ahh, it is the hour I need to consider dinner and the 2 hats I was working on today are complete. The purple one is my attempt at creating a more sedate head piece. successful? Yes. A bore? Yes. The next one will, perhaps be a hybrid...either a funky design in a sedate colour...or a sedate design in a funky colour. Time will tell.

bracelets ready for Toronto...sterling magnetic closures :o)

Ultimate comfort food.

THE hats...what fun to make.

love this cutie. 


More to come...I will keep you posted :o)
Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Monday, September 17, 2012

I'm Baaaack!

Beads ready to go. Findings? Where are you?

From little prop plane to...

...even smaller prop plane!

some of the pods made by my students (and me)
Tracey's fabulous hat made in Hillevi's class

My new felty friend, Tami.
Hello devoted blog followers. Are you still with me? It was been a lazy summer with my family and making lots of felt for Fall "stuff". I was also looking ahead to my trip to the Creative Felt Gathering in Michigan. What a great event! It was organized by the lovely and entertaining Jone (pronounced either Johnnie, or Yo-Na). She clearly holds this event for the joy of surrounding herself with creative, talented feltmakers. So generous, warm and easy going, she's a kind soul. It was a week that felt more like a vacation than work. The evening downtime allowed me to feel like I could re-energize rather than feeling like I was missing something. A few things were planned, but just enough.

I was happy to see many familiar faces from past teaching and other events and to meet some new people that I had only known from Facebook. The Lithuanian camp it was held at is a beautiful retreat with wildlife, a glistening pond and uncomfortable beds, as required by all camps. Just enough comfort and just enough rustic. Can you tell I loved it?

In any case, I am now home and settling into the routine of back to school finally. Ready to blog daily again. felt. create. I'm so excited, really.Of course more pods will abound. Perhaps some new forms...3D, for sure. Looking ahead to the next couple of years (hard to imagine) with teaching dates booking, show commitments...getting my ducks in a row. The week will be spent unpacking studio things, having a look at what I have to take to Toronto for the Guild Shop and finishing any odds and ends up to take. I have some beads made for bracelets and am awaiting the findings, am thinking about a few hats after inspiration this week from Norwegian, Hillive Huse, but we shall see. I will keep you posted...you know I will!



 Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

time to relax

time to relax
Liberatio Captivus