Friday, November 26, 2010

Nestle and Soar Studio was blown up!

Clear ping-pong table by dumping method!
You may be warming up a plate of leftover stuffing with gravy, but I interrupt that deliciousness to report that my studio is unrecognizable...the Thanksgiving party descended upon it last night and now...everything is in disarray!

My largest horizontal work surface is my beloved ping-pong table, and wouldn't you know it, some of the young men in my family needed to be reminded that they cannot, and never will be able to beat me at ping pong. (Well, except for my husband, who has wicked back-spin, so I let him win...that is more of a strategic alliance ;)

Grandpa and two grandkids before the smack-down
So, the twelve Bird's Eye View pillow tops I carefully embroidered last week got moved onto the top of the filing cabinets. The Forest Walk needle felt is now sitting on a windowsill (eek!), and all the chairs we own (slight exaggeration) are in the middle of the room. [Seems as though the peanut gallery needed to have a seat to withstand the brutal ping pong smack-down they were made to witness.] That is only the tip of the iceberg. I am talking about a serious mess here!

I think it is important for WOACA (women of a certain age) to display the cat-like reflexes that still can be called upon when need-be. At least, I get a kick out of it!

It is good to be The Winner!
I will head to the studio to put things back to rights, and I think I will write a serious creative to-do list before I allow myself a second turkey sandwich. WOACA also understand the purpose of healthy rewards for good behaviour!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy black Friday! Did you know that Etsy.com is hosting a wonderful shopping extravaganza this weekend, and you won't even have to get out of your pajamas to buy Christmas presents!!

Georgianne (aka The Winner)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Duplicating Myself

CafePress Apron with my Art
It is fun to think about all the items one can have photographs applied to these days. I notice on Etsy.com that lots of folks are selling reproductions of their original art as such things as note cards, coffee cups, and wall art. It makes sense to me, as there are only so many 35-hour hand needle felts I can create! If I can take a great photo of my original fiber art and have it printed onto a quality item, that sounds good to me!

I had the folks at CafePress make this apron for me. I'm planning to wear it at holiday craft shows in December! It has large pockets that will come in handy during a busy selling day. It was fun to see how my photograph would look applied to a canvas apron.


Field of Flowers, 16" x 20"
 I have also started working with the friendly people at FinePrint Imagaing in Fort Collins, Colorado. They have a special studio set-up I can use to have my wool wall felts photographed, and the image will be color-corrected by a pro there. (The image I'm showing to the left was photographed by me. Their version will be so clear, I'll be able to reproduce it with pride.) Those images can then be printed onto gallery wrapped canvas or several other substrates! I'm looking forward to seeing how this will work for me. Stay tuned! If you were to have a lovely, textural folk art image displayed in your home, what size would you want it to be?

I wish I could duplicate myself tomorrow as I begin cooking for 10 people at 5am--maybe my husband will be like a mirror image of me :) I do know he's the one to rise and shine and put the turkey in the oven! Happy Thanksgiving to each of you...

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne


Monday, November 22, 2010

Plant a Tree with your Holiday Gift Giving!


Bold and modern red and black colorway...
I am excited to be able to combine a wonderful Holiday Special on my Etsy.com shop with the planting of a tree in the National Forest! My most popular wool applique design, Bird's Eye View, comes in multiple colorways.

Through the end of 2010, I am offering these 16" x 16" handmade pillows at a Holiday Special price of $49! Each time you order from my Nestle And Soar shop on Etsy, I will have planted in your honor, a tree in our National Forests through the Arbor Day Foundation.

I invite you to visit my Etsy shop to see my entire line of Bird's Eye View pillows. If you visit my Holiday Special page on my Etsy site, you can select from all the colors I offer.

Another wonderful advantage to ordering from Nestle And Soar, is that I use lots of TLC when I ship my pillows [I will ship directly to the address of your choice]. I place each pillow in a muslin pillowcase, wrapped in a satin ribbon. And if you would like, I can leave blank the Arbor Day Foundation card, which will help you use that card (explaining the Tree Planting), as the gift card for your friend or loved one. How easy!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Sunday, November 21, 2010

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...

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Knit One, Crochet One -- from Etsy

Made by HandmaidenBC on Etsy.com
I like to knit and my knitting is super simple and rather brainless. I like to knit scarves from one skein of yarn and I hardly ever try new stitches because my main goal is to stop thinking and let the repetitive motion of knitting relax me.

I found two shopkeepers on Etsy who think a lot harder than I do! The first gal makes jackets for apples, and her creativity makes me smile! After I wash my apple to tuck it into my handbag for a snack later in the day, I'd love to have a pretty little sweater to keep it fresh! Isn't it great? What would you knit a sweater for if you had the skill? Here's a link to find more wonderful knit items on HandmadeBC.

Made by TheBestEtsyShop on Etsy.com


So if I only know limited knitting stitches, I don't know ANY crochet moves. Luckily, I found someone who's got that covered. What do you think of this great crochet Owl Hat? I immediately thought how cute this hat would look on one of our little grandkids, and then I realized that this enthusiastic shopkeeper makes them for adults, too! I know a few darling young adults who could carry it off with great style, but I get a stitch in my side thinking about wearing it myself! With my big round head, I would frighten children in this fun hat! I still love it though, even as I admit I don't often wear hats. I have pulled out my winter walking hat though, which I use to cover my ears on cold walking days like today. There is a dusting of snow on the ground and my hands are chilly as I type today. I guess it is time to turn on the heat!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Do you adore vintage?

I was pleasantly surprised today when the gals behind Adore Vintage included me in their lovely collection (shown in this photo). I am having a lot of fun collecting vintage picture frames, refurbishing them, and then creating a nature-inspired needle felt for their next chapter in life. It is wonderful how my folk art in vintage frames looks so right with these other vintage items!

I remember like it was yesterday when my beloved Aunt Betty bought me a straw purse decorated with brightly colored flowers! I am thinking about my Aunt Betty today :) I do wish I still had that little purse...

If you would like to learn more about the wonderful creative vision behind this collection of nine vintage items, you can find them at http://adore-vintage.blogspot.com/. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Friday, November 5, 2010

Handmade Baby Doll -- Perfect for your little girl!

Find Terry at http://sewnbyterry.artfire.com
Our granddaughter Aliyah turns 2 years old this week. I'm excited to share some birthday cake with her and her folks! She is just starting to  understand babies, now that she has a little brother, and I thought it would be ideal to give her a doll baby of her own to cuddle. I asked my friend, Terry Gonzales, to make a special birthday gift for her, and I wanted to show you the exciting results!

This little doll baby is handmade from soft cotton fabric, and her face and heart are embroidered. Terry made a soft white diaper that is easy for little fingers to take on and off, as well as three adorable outfits!

Deep pockets hold Baby and her clothes
Inside of what I call a portable diaper-changing table, also made of colorful yellow calico, Terry has sewn big pockets to hold the Baby Doll when Aliyah is busy doing other great 2-year-old stuff.

I think that it will take a little girl some time to learn to put all of the items into pockets when she picks up her doll to put her away for the day. I remember that after learning this skill, my kids became really interested in stacking items inside small spaces--like pieces to a puzzle, they learned that everything had its special place. While Aliyah learns to do this, Terry was smart to put hook and loop tape on the edges of this carrier; the doll and her clothes should stay inside, even when they are not in the pockets!

After this carrier is closed, there is a comfy handle that is long enough for Aliyah to carry it on her shoulder. I can see her walking around with this toy like it is a purse! Terry embroiders the child's name on the large outside pocket, and she tucks inside that pocket a sweet little baby doll flannel blanket...she has thought of everything!

I am looking forward to playing with this Doll Baby (with Aliyah, of course). I can see us both on our stomachs, changing the doll clothes, cuddling her like a real baby, and putting extra things in the pockets, like little baby bottles and Aliyah's favorite book. I would have loved this Doll Baby when I was a little girl! I guess I still do!

You can find Terry and have her make one of these great Doll Babies for your someone special at http://sewnbyterry.artfire.com


Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne