Aspen Grove Needle Felt Pillow -- New Design from Nestle and Soar

Aspen Grove, ©2012 Georgianne Holland

I am pleased to introduce you to the latest original needle felt design from my fiber folk art studio, Aspen Grove, a handmade tree pillow. I had a great time creating this wool on weaver's cloth pillow. Handmade embroidered pillows are often on my work table, but this design was off-and-then-on the table many times over the course of two months! I just couldn't land on how I would handle all of the forest elements. When I finally decided that the aspen tree leaves needed to be golden wool sheeting appliqued to the needle-felted landscape, I was finally able to finish this design.

I like to think of my handmade tree pillows as soft art for the home, especially when I tackle a landscape using wool roving. The texture of the wool roving when I needle felt is perfect for such a nature-inspired scene. No two pillows by Nestle and Soar are exactly alike, even when I am following my original designs! And beyond my own imagination, I love capturing my collector's favorite photos onto a pillow such as this...it is fun to receive a commission request with photos of a favorite vacation memory.

Aspen Grove Pillow, close up

What type of forest or woodland scene calls to your heart? Living in Colorado, an Aspen grove has a lot of meaning to me. Which type of tree to you think of when you think of forest? Please let me know, as this will give me inspiration for future pillows!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Pathways Through Life

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again...
Henry David Thoreau

Conscious thought is the staring point of every new creation. Science of the Mind, page 400

"The path we take with each day's thinking becomes the world we see around us. Some people say we should live each day as if it were our last day on earth. Maybe we should live life as if this were our first day on earth: conscious, awake, aware of the beauty and bounty around, having childlike wonder, and generously sharing our resources." Science of Mind, May 2011, pg. 64

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Practicing Patience: Forest Walk Wool Wall Felt

What's on my studio table today...

Wool needle felt landscapes are taking a lot of my mental and physical energy these days! I can't seem to finish them fast enough...I just want to begin the next design that has been in my mind and in my sketchbook. The process of making a 16" x 20" wall hanging out of 100% wool is not something that should be rushed, so I am practicing patience ... that reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

"I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end." Margaret Thatcher, 1989.

Don't you love it!

Detail photo of leaves being placed for felting....

My latest in-progress wall felt is wanting to be named Forest Walk. I hope you can see from the mid-point photo above the perspective of the terrain as you walk through the woods! The detail photo to the left shows some of the fluffy wool roving that has not yet been needle-felted onto the wool foundation. I use a single barbed needle-felting needle to hand place the elements of my design. (There is much more control that way.) After I have the wool where I want it, I switch to a multi-needle tool, like the Clover brand hand tool pictured above, as that lets me make some quick progress in this dry felting technique. I estimate that a wall felt of this size likely has over 5,000 stabs from barbed needles!

I don't use a machine for this...it is all hand done. It sounds kind of crazy, I know, but I truly enjoy the creative handmade process. Which is why, as I enjoyed the soft streaming light in my studio this morning, I reminded myself that rushing the process would be a shame...I want to enjoy every minute of my Forest Walk!

I am revamping my website (http://www.georgianneholland.com/) to include a Special Commissions function. I am really excited about it because people will be able to send me a photo of one of their favorite landscapes, and I will create a wall felt or a special pillow using that image as my inspiration. Does that sound like something you'd enjoy? I'd love to hear your input...

The World's Forests

Autumn Meadow Folk Art, Georgianne Holland, 2010

I have had a fascination with trees for as long as I can remember. I even bought a mediocre house because the trees on the property were magnificent! Not my best financial idea, but certainly one that proves I can go nuts over trees.

I have teamed up with the Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) to include my passion for trees as part of my folk art enterprise. When anyone orders one of my original folk art designs from my Etsy shop, I arrange with the ADF to have planted, in their honor, a tree in a U.S. national forest. I am very excited that such a program exists to make my work as an artist a small part of keeping trees healthy in this country.

I started to think about forests around the world, and know that national forests in America, while close at hand, are not the only forests in a suffering ecology. I want to learn more about the world's forests and the ecological miracle they demonstrate. I will be posting my findings as I come across them, along with beautiful tree images I find along the way!

"Across the world, forests and the soil beneath them absorb about a quarter of all carbon emissions. This is an indispensable contribution to life as we know it, and forests offer many others, too. They house more than half the word's species of animals, birds and insects...Forests are also the source of most staple foods and many modern medicines. They provide livelihoods, wholly or partly, for about 400 million of the world's poorest people." The Economist, September 25, 2010.

My fascination with forests and trees is personal as I feel a connection to the earth whenever I look at a tree. Beyond the personal, forests and trees are a vital part of the earth, and I would love to hear about your feelings about, and experiences in, the forest.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Free Trees!

I am super excited by an opportunity I found today while researching for my new website! More on that new website later :) I found the Arbor Day Foundation website and really want to spread the word about this wonderful non-profit organization.

I found these folks and their site at http://www.arborday.org/

It is chock-full of information about how important trees are to the health of the planet and all of her inhabitants. When you become a member, the cost is $15 for a 1-year term, and you will be sent 10 free trees to plant in your area. Now I'm sure these trees are small, but they are trees, and as I am so very fond of trees, I want everyone I know to learn about this!

After you become a member of Arbor Day Foundation, you can also receive continuing education through their many expert newsletters and programs. And if you want a simple yet meaningful gift for someone, how about having trees planted in their honor in a National Forest? I did this a few years ago for my mom. She loves trees, too, so a few hundred were planted in a National Forest to celebrate her day! I think it is lovely and I hope you will enjoy checking into this.

Here's wishing you a gentle nap in the soft green grass under a shady tree!

Georgianne