Off again today- short trip

Well, I had a lovely time in Almonte. I spoke at the Mississippi Mills Textile Museum to a group as part of their 20th anniversary Gala. They followed my talk with a reception with yummy goodies and wine and I had a chance to meet some of the workshop participants for the following day. I stayed with Kay at her "farm". Yes, it is a farm, with lots of cows, sheepdog, a donkey, chickens and the like, but the most elegant, pristine farm I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. The workshop went very well and I was lucky to have a group of artists as things could have gotten a bit tricky if they had to be walked through the creative part. This is a good thing for me to consider with this workshop which I will be teaching at the Midwest Felter's Symposium. I returned home to switch to my mom hat and checked in with the boys' teachers.

Today (after taking the boys to school and grocery shopping) I will head to Picton to pick up some wool locks at a fibre shop and then head to Bellevile to give a lecture and attend an opening for Masterworks East. A lot of hat switching lately!!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Studio Tour Weekend-Mother's Day complaints

Studio tour weekend begins today. I hung my work at my friend Robin's place and will head over later this morning. For now I am just having a quiet moment and waiting for coffee! I am there tomorrow, as well....Mother's Day. I'm really not a fan of Mother's Day. I wonder how many other women have expectations on the day and are disappointed every year. I try not to be, I really, really do. I have tried reducing my expectations on the day and this year made sure I was busy so perhaps it would not be so glaringly obvious that I am not appreciated (cue music). Instead, I am coming home after 2 long days (before 2 more long days of teaching, I might add) and hosting a BBQ arranged by everyone else. Just one time it would be nice to be asked what I would like to do on Mother's Day instead of what does everyone else think Mother's Day should look like. I never make it through the day without crying and already feel like crap thinking about it. Then, of course, I must remember the day is not just about me, but my wonderful Mother and Mother-in-Law and I never feel like I do enough for them. Just not a good day for me! But...today is not Mother's Day. It is studio tour, day one. Today I will sell some art. I must sell some art. And I get to hang out with 3 other fabulous women (all Mother's, I might add) and
it will be a great day!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Back in the Game

I have my energy back and have organized things for my workshop Tuesday, did my quarterly tax stuff, made a double-double batch of cookies and now need to get presentable to pick up kids, drive one to ultimate Frisbee game, and head home to make dinner and then go to an art opening looking fresh and sophisticated and artist-like! No problem...let me slip into my phone booth.

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Cloudy Head

I have a cold and very little energy this weekend, so I am being kind to my body and getting lots of rest and drinking lots of water. I am about to head into a show/lecture/teach marathon this month and need to be on my game! I am all organized for the studio tour. Clearing out some work and some other things like silk laminate scarves I had whipped up for fun. I then pack up for Almonte to lecture at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum and then teach a workshop the next day for a group of 15. I am looking forward to meeting some new fibre lovers and sharing what I do with them. It is a one day which goes very quickly so I hope they are eager students!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Productive day

My day started, as it always does, by taking the boys to school. I then popped into my friends for a quick chat and coffee. She makes great high-test coffee, so I was ready to go to work when I got home! I laid out a piece of silk that covered my big 7 foot table and my other (former machine) table. I did so with the intention of making a laminate wrap, which I did (AKA "nuno"- trying not to use that term). Of course, they never end up as large as I hope as it fulled almost 75%. I was then on a roll and put some wool down the centre of a lovely hemmed shot scarf I had bought on sale on Thai Silks. It came together so quickly, I decided to make a couple more for the tour. I have 2 laid out and mostly done rolling that I will continue tomorrow. One is black/purple and the other is a vivid Salmon colour. I laid a similar colour wool as well as ivory silk fibres, some tiny bits of white firestar and pink silk. It looks like a beautiful sea shell. I cannot wear this colour, but it would look great on the right person. I have lots of white silk and merino and I am still thinking and dreaming about dye pots. Before that happens I need to do some serious organizing of my dye area. Hmmm!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Sunday...Ahhhh!

I love the weekends. No rushing to make lunches and get kids to where they need to go. Just hanging out and drinking coffee as if I don't have things to do! I stayed up late last night making some fun little felted rings with marbles inspired by German felter Annette Quentin-Stoll. I had fun with them and can sell them on the studio tour. Of course, they all fit my skinny fingers. I need to work on making bigger ones and will make some more today. The boys and I are going to a friends house for lunch. My wonderful friend, Chris White, gave me little batt of a beautiful super fine merino from Oregon that is calling to me and I am trying to decide the best thing to make with it. I am thinking a nuno wrap with this gorgeous soft wool would be a real treat to wear and I do need something for the Gala in a couple of weeks. I may have to get a dye pot started for the first time this year and dye some silk especially for it, or maybe do an overdye/shibori. Oh, I am excited now! I am so happy that I am never short on ideas! Oh, life is good. I am counting my many blessings to day. Family, friendship and felt.

Overwhelmed

I am neck deep in wool orders and am trying to set aside wool for workshops! I would love to be playing with some of the fabulous stuff I picked up at New England Felting Supply rather than working, but life won't have it! Tomorrow I will get some of these orders out and I can put together work for the studio tour, prepare my power point for the Textile Museum gala and put together materials for the workshop with the West Carleton Fibre Guild the following day. They are bringing me in to celebrate their anniversary. It will be a busy 4 days. A week later I have the EAC conference that they have booked solid with 20 people and I will be short an hour with their AGM luncheon. sigh...one day at a time, Andrea!!