When Life Becomes a Roller Coaster Ride

If time is flying because you are having fun, then what does time do when a need to rest presents itself? I am coming to the end of my 60-day hiatus and time is doing a very funny dance. The clock can speed up or slow down in any number of ways, and at the end of a creative hiatus, I must report, time is like a roller coaster ride!

Have you ever allowed yourself a healthy hiatus from your work life? To simply set down the tools and walk away from the work flow was not easy for me. I know that stopping work seems like it would take less effort than working, but I can report that it has been a considerable energy drain, this not working. My life was always structured with work: during hiatus, there were huge upswings followed by plunging blue moods, and always the unexpected corner or jostle. Thus, my 60-day roller coaster ride, and the coaster-car is pulling to a stop.

NEW PLAN: Play * Linger * Alternatives * New Direction

PLAY  If you could call my new Nestle And Soar Studio Plan a structure for the future, it would have to be a rather loose plan, punctuated by lots of walks in the park. Perhaps my most profound lesson during this time away from my beloved needle felting tools would have to be a new attitude about dedication to a work schedule.

LINGER  My healthy hiatus impressed upon me my need to be more playful and less structured overall -- in my life and in my work! I have also devoted myself to the notion of lingering through the process of creative design. Prior to my hiatus, I was so knee deep in commissions and producing product multiples that my schedule was an ever-ticking deadline clock. My new plan involves time to linger in the creative process.

ALTERNATIVES  New to my studio in the year ahead will be the addition of artistic mediums other than needle felting. I will continue with my passion for the needle arts, and I will add the mixed media techniques that have long distracted me from my collected works. These alternatives will require additional education on my part, and I am thrilled!

NEW DIRECTION   The rest of my plan for 2014 includes the addition of my expanded services under the umbrella of Nestle And Soar. I am excited to say that my sideline as a Health Coach is coming into full bloom in the year ahead. My devotion to the notion that Everyone Deserves the chance to Nestle And Soar has always included my interaction with experts in the health and empowerment movements. I am thrilled to be taking a new direction in my work by claiming NATURAL HEALTH as my theme for this year: both in my artwork and in my interaction with my clients. Please watch this blog as well as my newsletter for more information in the weeks ahead!

As a health coach, one of the often repeated concerns of my clients is that they just don't have enough time. No time to cook, no time to exercise, no time for continuing education or new hobbies. Perhaps your work life has become your roller coaster? Or maybe your artistic endeavors have been put away on the shelf, waiting for the "right" time? Time both pulls us and pushes us, it even can take us for a wild ride! I hope that you will find time for your very best living in 2014. I hope that you will let me share in your victories and that you will share in mine. I hope we all have a chance to play!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Studio Scene

Please join me as I say "I cannot believe that it's July!"

Hasn't the month of June just flown by? Work in my Nestle and Soar Studio has been keeping me busy, and I guess that is one of the reasons why the past 30 days is a fog. I think we should all remember that it is summer time and for most of us, that means fun times outside (at least some of the time). I simply should not spend so many hours this time of year standing inside my studio.

I have ventured outside a bit though, and gardening is a great way to do that! I am using the veining in the leaves I've been studying to practice continuous-line machine quilting. I recommend that you look into the machine quilting classes and books offered by Heather Thomas of Wild Heather Designs, who teaches nationally and writes books that are extremely helpful to contemporary quilters. I took her popular class, Doodle & Dance, with some great girlfriends at the Golden Fiber Arts Studio, and with her inspiration, continue working on the continuous-line machine quilting she taught that day.

It is almost time for me to place another large wool roving and Paternayan order for the studio. I love selecting the colors and imagining the softness of the fibers. One of my favorite roving suppliers is right here in Colorado, and I know that she has been in the thick of things with the wild fires near Colorado Springs. Grace of  Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio has needed to be prepared to evacuate for the past week. She lovingly runs a farm of animals that supply her with the wool to dye and sell luscious fibers for artists like myself. I highly recommend her and hope you will have a chance to check out her Etsy shop. Once things calm down, and they will for Grace and all the fine folks near the burn areas of Colorado, she will have fascinating tales to tell on her lovely blog. Hang in there Grace!

I do hope that everyone has a wonderful month of July. Let's all take the time to notice the beauty that is everywhere around us! Thank you for stopping by my studio,
Georgianne

What is Needle Felting? Tattooing Wool onto Fabric

Forest Walk ©2011, needle felt in process

Needle felting is a needlecraft regaining popularity. Many cultures for thousands of years have used needle felting to make rugs, clothing, and other useful items for the home. All cultures that use wool to create textiles have perfected their classic version of this decorative and useful art. 

Today, needle felting is all the rage to make decorative pillows, embellish scarves, and to create wardrobe accessories. Some people are making home décor items out of 100% wool, and others are using wool to decorate items made of many types of other fabrics. I like to say that needle felting onto fabric is like tattooing ink onto skin: both involve single sharp needles and a poking or punching motion to apply color to a smooth surface.

When people say they needle felt, they are likely talking about Dry Felting, or felting without water. There are sewing machine attachments that can be used to needle felt by machine. The kind of needle felting I do in at Nestle and Soar in Colorado is needle felting by hand. Using one barbed felting needle allows me to create intricate detail in wall art using needle felting. Let me explain the process to you!

The craft of dry needle felting bonds a foundational fabric and wool roving together without the use of thread, glue, or sewing needles. Felting needles are long, barbed, and very sharp. You do not hold a felting needle like a sewing needle: the motion required is more like a punching or stabbing than it is a sewing motion. When you punch the barbed needle up and down into the roving, which is loose animal fibers, it pushes the wool through the foundational fabric from top to bottom. The barbs on the needle agitate the wool fiber as it passes up and down through the roving, and this agitation opens the cuticle of the wool fiber, causing it to cling to itself. It also causes it to interlock itself on the underside of the foundational fabric, and that is how it stays put. I often create decorative pillows using linen as the foundational fabric and soft merino or mohair wool roving for the needle felting.

Raspberry and Orange Wool Roving for Felting

It is important to needle felt using a foam pad underneath your work. The felting needle should have something soft under the foundational fabric: the needle would be ruined without the pad by breaking its tip against the table top. It is easy to find felting pads made specifically for this craft, or you can also use polystyrene blocks, upholstery foam, or compressed foam. The foam pad I use is 12” x 15” and 2” thick. This size allows me to spread out a large project.

Wool roving provides all the color in needle felt projects. Picture a large pile of colorful cotton candy – that is what wool roving looks like! Roving is readily available in about 10 colors at big-box craft stores, neighborhood yarn shops, and many merchants on the Internet. My preference is to use mohair wool roving. I purchase roving in hundreds of different colors made by small manufacturers and enjoy working with the hand-dyed, environmentally friendly wools they create for this fiber art.

Example of a landscape needle felt by hand

Needle felting is a craft that is great for beginners of all ages. Because sharp, barbed needles are involved, I recommend close supervision of children. After many years of enjoying this fine craft as a fiber folk artist, I still prick my own fingertips on occasion. That being said, with care, good lighting, and a little patience, it is a lot of fun to learn to “paint with wool” using this age-old needle craft!

What kind of felting have you tried? 

Have you taken any felting classes?

I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by, 
Georgianne

Studio Scene (but not heard) at Nestle and Soar

On my work table today...Spring Tree Pillow top

It has been quiet at Nestle and Soar this week. I've gotten into the habit of not having any music, television or other white noise in the studio. I find this very peaceful. I can "hear myself think" when it is quiet, as my mom used to say. Before this little experiment, I'd end my studio work day almost over-stimulated, due to the 24-hour news cycle that is readily available these days. I do not miss having to listen to commercials on the television or radio, either! Does anyone know why folks are allowed to significantly turn up the volume of commercials? My fiber arts studio is a large L-shaped room, so I have to have the television or radio on fairly loudly to hear it in all corners of the space as I work. Also, when I'm running the sewing machine, the music is drowned-out. But holy cow, when commercials come on -- wow -- I'm blasted with the volume! I truly don't miss that at all. I wonder if I will continue with this monastic kind of studio atmosphere? Do you work in quiet or in chaos?

Three wall felts in the process of being framed...

Shirt I sewed for myself...button holes and buttons are next!

Work continues on the folk art flag...this is a long-term project!

As you can see, either quiet makes for a very productive week or I was just simply on a roll! I'd like to say I will take a break from all this action over the weekend, but I'd be kidding. I won't be able to stay out of the studio. And then next week, will it be quiet again? I don't know...I have lots of recorded movies calling my name!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Good to Know ... Insights for the Creative Life

In the past eight months, I have made it my mission to understand (or at least, participate in) social media. Please know that I do not do this because it comes naturally to me, even though I consider myself to be socially skilled. I do this because I've been told it is an important tool for success in the creative industries. When I first worked in the quilt industry in the 1970s, the Internet was not available, and we promoted ourselves in far-less immediate ways, like space advertising and public appearances, both of which took months to plan and implement. Today, I can take a piece of fiber folk art off of my work table at my Nestle and Soar studio, and within an hour, someone in London has heard about it, seen multiple photos of it, and purchased it. Gratifying? Immediately.

It is good to know that learning all about the social workings of this amazing electronic medium is not second nature to everyone, because no one really wants to feel like a lonely dork. So I have sought out others who absolutely "get it" and have picked up two good-to-know tips to share today. Now, this will either help you a lot, or you will think kindly that I am "late to the party". Either way, here you go!

Truths of Social Networks

“Everyone on social networks is motivated by some combination of the following human needs:

Love   Finding love, keeping up with loved ones, and so forth.

Self-expression/emotion   Sharing life’s details with friends.

Sharing opinions/influencing people   Using social media as a platform for influencing opinions, usually about politics, religion, or other things we don’t typically debate in person.

Showing off   Sharing life’s successes and/or achievements with others.

Fun/escapism/humor   Using social media to get a good laugh.

Memories and nostalgia   Catching up with old friends and sharing old stories.

Making money   Using social networks primarily to support professional pursuits.”

Chris Treadaway and Mari Smith in Facebook Marketing, 2010

An item on Pinterest that caught my eye...

There is another type of social media that I've begun to learn how to use, and this platform is inspirational for creativity...Pinterest. Have you gotten sucked into the wonderful world of Pinterest? Next to playing Mahjongg Legends when I have insomnia, this is my next favorite way to unwind. Pinterest is a club of sorts that members use to communicate things they've seen on the Internet that they like or even covet. When you see something that makes your eyes sparkle, you can "pin it" on a Pinterest virtual pin board. This is a social activity because other folks who like similar things as you can "follow" you on Pinterest and therefore see what you are pinning on your boards. Then, they can comment on the item, repin it onto their own board to show their followers, or even (and this is the commercial aspect of Pinterest), click through to the originating source of the item. This is a great way for creative folks who make items to sell show it all around the town with a touch of a button. I find Pinterest to be an amusing way to see good ideas, discover talented artists, and promote my own fiber folk art. In fact, if you go to my website, www.nestleandsoar.com, there is now a hot link that let's you follow me on Pinterest! Maybe sometime, perhaps in the middle of the night, you can see what I see in the whole-wide world of creativity!

Thanks for stopping by,

Georgianne

Where Did You Learn the Needle Arts?

My mom and I decorated this light table 15 years ago to trace patterns!

I am asked where I learned to sew, embroider, felt, quilt, and knit. Perhaps you are, too? Because I'm in my 50s, I was lucky enough to have Home Economics as part of my junior high school curriculum. Most of the women who ask me where I learned to sew are young enough, that they had no Home Economics teacher in school. They may not know a single person who sews. But oh yes, they want to learn!

Sewing and all the needle arts are certainly in another rejuvenation. In the 1970s, I remember my 20-something year old friends talking about how quilting was being reinvigorated as an important needle art. Quilting, as well as many other needle arts, keep cycling around in popularity. For those who make a living in creative fields that cater to women, the needle arts as an industry is not only popular, but a legitimate form of economic empowerment. Home Economics may not be taught in public schools any longer, but we all can certainly learn to sew throughout our communities!

I am fortunate to be from a family that honored and taught the needle arts for over 30 years. My parents, George and Bonnie Leman, as well as my six siblings, owned and operated a Colorado-based company called Leman Publications. We began publishing Quilter's Newsletter Magazine in 1969 and enjoyed many happy years being the family that worked as a team to teach the world to quilt. How fortunate for me to have Bonnie Leman as my mom and my inspiration in the fiber arts! She instilled in me the love of all needle arts as well as the love of joining forces with other women as they work to build a successfully creative life.

In addition to this entrepreneurial jump start, I will admit that I began sewing my own clothes at age 12. I have always loved working with fabric, textiles, and colors. Like so many women who are long-time subscribers to Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, I have been fortunate to combine my love of raising a family with operating a successful fiber folk art studio from home!

Where did you learn to sew, embroider, felt, quilt, or knit? I'd love to hear your story!
Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Watch for 100th Nestle and Soar Order on Etsy and You Could Receive a Present!!

Spring Tree Pillow

The Nestle and Soar Studio on Etsy has approached a milestone that I plan to celebrate--will you join me? The next order that comes to me via that shop will be my 100th Etsy Order! Isn't that fun?! I have very much enjoyed getting to know my customers by way of this fun-to-use virtual boutique and I am very grateful for all the support and encouragement I receive there.

Fantastical Tree Pillow

The fiber folk art item that is most often bought via Nestle and Soar on Etsy is...drum roll...custom work. That's right, most of my sales comes from private commissions. It is exciting that this is so, as it means to me that people find it easy to work with me in fulfilling their desire for a one-of-a-kind fiber art item. Out of the 99 orders I've fulfilled from my Etsy shop, 22 of them have been custom work. I hope you'll contact me if that is something you are interested in! You can read more about my commission work here.

Fantastical Tree Pillow

The next most popular item is one of my pillow designs that involves a tree. The Spring Tree Pillow and the Fantastical Tree Pillow are both big winners here at Nestle and Soar. It seems that everywhere I go, I find other tree lovers. In Colorado, trees may not be as old or as plentiful as they are in the eastern states, but folks from Colorado certainly love their trees! That is one of the benefits of operating a global retail shop: tree lovers from around the world tell me that they, too, have this "thing" for trees. I am very pleased to be able to continue my support of the Arbor Day Foundation through all of my different websites. If you love trees, your qualifying order from Nestle and Soar causes a tree to be planted in your honor in our National Forest system. I think that's exciting!

I am planning a special thank you for the person who submits the 100th order on my Etsy shop! I have a few special items in my cache that I haven't ever promoted, and based on what is ordered from me, I will select a special item to pass along. I think this free gift with order needs to find a new home where it can be appreciated by new eyes. Don't you think that would be a wonderful way to celebrate? In fact, on the day that my 100th order comes in, I will open a week of time where my blog readers can contact me via an email on my website, www.nestleandsoar.com. If you send me a note from there, I'll find a little something in my cache to pass along to you, too, just for saying hello! Remember, the one-week time frame for that offer begins on the day that the 100th order is placed, so you may want to keep an eye on my Etsy shop,  Nestle and Soar on Etsy. I hope you can help me celebrate!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Awesome Ideas I Found Today

Today was fun for looking around at great ideas other people have published on the Internet, and I am excited to share what I found at Pinterest. Do you agree with me that each of these ideas are practical and whimsical? Take a peek and if you like what you see, learn more at the above link.

This is a beautifully simple way to store and enjoy your jewelry! A flatware organizer has been hung on the wall and tiny cup hooks were used to hang your necklaces and bracelets. Small boxes are placed on the bottom shelf to hold earrings. I love this idea!

My next awesome idea find shows how L-brackets from the hardware store can be lined up to make a decorator magazine rack. This is pretty enough to place front and center next to your favorite reading spot!

The fourth awesome idea I found involves a solution to one of my personal pet peeves...my messy plastic container drawer! This brilliant person used CD racks to make a parking spot for each plastic container lid. No more having to unload the whole drawer to find that one missing lid! Awesome.

Here is the first project I think I will undertake from this group of wonderful ideas...a vintage spoon collection rack has been re-purposed to store sunglasses. Isn't that clever? They have even used a little Modge Podge to decoupage a fun paper onto the display to dress it up quickly and easily. When my family comes to visit, there are often 3 or 4 pairs of sunglasses tossed onto my entry hall table. I've even found a few broken pairs left behind. This will make the sunglasses spot easy to find and use. I love it!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed these awesome ideas like I have! Which one would you make first?

Georgianne

Gifts for Bird Lovers

Whitney Smith's Bird Lidded Vessels

You may be a bird lover -- I know that I am smitten with them. I have found (or created) some

lovely handmade items for bird lovers everywhere and wanted to share them with you.

Whitney Smith is a talented and popular ceramics artist who works and lives in California.

I love her Bird Lidded Vessel series and have three colors of these sweet dishes

for you to choose from. They are food safe and perfect for the kitchen or the bedroom.

I like to keep my rings in the green dish on my dressing table. (See more by clicking the photo caption).

Donna Inscho-Hynes' Birdie Cup

 These cups by Colorado potter Donna Inscho-Hynes are my favorite for coffee and tea early in the morning. The sculptural bird makes holding the cup easy and fun! The bird's feathers are carved into

the birdie and check out the leaves Donna placed on the cup's handle!

This is the cup my guests always choose, so that's why I have one in each of the five colors.

Sharing is fun when you get to use one, too. (See more colors by clicking the photo caption.)

Nestle and Soar's 4-magnet Folk Art Set by Georgianne Holland

I am one of those artists who is kind of sad seeing her original work leave home. 

That is why I take professional photos of my most endearing work and reproduce it

into other items! This set of 4 magnets are a simple gift idea for bird lovers. In fact, you can

buy all four and give them away, one at a time. You will know who your super special friends are

when you give them the complete set...their fridge will be decked out with folk art!

Thanks for stopping by today. I'd love to hear if you make or know of other wonderful gifts for 

bird lovers. I am always on the look out for wonderful handmade items in my

Nestle and Soar Studio website. Take care, Georgianne

Nestle and Soar Studio -- Early Monday Morning Choices

If there are benefits to being a light sleeper, being awake and ready to work in the soft early morning light is a benefit I enjoy. I like to roam around my studio and daydream a bit with that first cup of hot coffee. After I've touched the soft wool and made my rounds, I begin to feel excitement about which project I might pick up first. Here are my choices for today...

Soft Sunflower Pillow-- needs to have seed beads sewn by hand...

Folk Art Flower pillows need to be hand embroidered...

Coexist Wall Felts need to have details added, like the bird's eyes...

Which project would you choose to work on first? It is lovely having three great options! It may take another cup of coffee to really get going...but then...watch out!

Thanks for stopping by, Georgianne

5 Tips for your Art Studio Renovation

Nestle and Soar folk art studio is like many creative spaces...MESSY! It is my nature to have multiple projects in the works simultaneously, and so every horizontal surface is usually covered. I set things down to grab another item, and like a whirling dervish, the mess spirals out of control.

I am not complaining. I think that this is the best way for me to let my creativity flow!

I also think that a certain amount of calm has entered my life with the renovation of my studio, even though it is likely to be messy again in the near future. Here are 5 tips I would like to share from the past two weeks of serious organizational work.

1. Daydream about your ideal space before you begin. I don't recommend waiting the 14 months it took me to take action, but I do think a good planning stage is important. Sketch ideas, do your research of storage furniture, and think through your process.
2. Ask organized friends for advice. While I admit to having a creatively messy personality, I have several friends who are organized beyond my wildest dreams. Their input proved invaluable.
3. Purge like crazy! I made eight trips to Goodwill Industries and had to call my trash service to arrange for extra pick-ups. It was amazing to me (as well as to my family -- well, actually, they probably figured it out well before I did) how much accumulated, unused stuff I'd acquired.
4. Use your vertical spaces. Because I need to spread out projects on horizontal spaces to work with my fiber, I have learned to count on vertical spaces to store supplies and display objects. It has been such a blessing to have a dedicated pick/pack/ship area, for instance, that has wide-open horizontal space to work with shipping orders. Everything I need is within easy reach using the wall surrounding the space.
5. Add seating to encourage others to visit you in your newly organized space. It is great to have high functionality, but not at the expense of making the studio a cold, work-only environment. My family can come drink coffee or a glass of wine in my studio while I zip along on my sewing machine. My students sit around my ping-pong table to work, and later that day, a ping-pong riot breaks out when the fabric scraps have been swept away! Organizing is wonderful, especially when the end result fits into your whole life.

You can check out all that I make in my Nestle and Soar Studio here! I would love to hear about your organized creative space!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Hand Embroidered Birds and Trees at Nestle and Soar

I am so pleased to pass along details about the wonderful hand embroidered scarves made by my fellow fiber artist, Jan Constantine, who lives and works from her studio in Cheshire, England! These scarves are a new addition to my Nestle and Soar Studio website where I feature artists like Jan who create handmade items with a bird or tree theme.

The fine handwork in these scarves, which come in four colors (red, grey, purple, and cream) are available for a short time only, while supplies last. They are made with soft wool and are lined with a silken fabric that is really uptown. They are almost 60" long, so they will wrap beautifully around your neck during the cooler months. I predict that most everyone who sees you wear this lovely scarf will want to touch it and will ask "Where did you learn to do such incredible embroidery? Did you make this?" It will be a smashing addition to a plain jacket or that simple black outfit that needs a pop of color. Enjoy!

The exciting thing for me about including other artists in my website boutique is that it adds to the places where artists can make and then sell items in limited quantity, items that are of such quality that they become, as Jan describes them, future heirlooms. The time-consuming process of hand embroidery is a needle art that sometimes gets one of two bad raps...it is old-fashioned women's work and not really an art form...or it must have been made in a foreign sweatshop, so I won't buy it. Neither of these positions feel great to anyone, so when I find fiber art of this quality, I am proud to put it out as an example of handmade that comes with nothing but good feelings attached.

If you haven't looked at my new website yet, I hope you will enjoy taking a peek there now to look at all of Jan's scarves. If you enjoy bird-and tree-themed art like I do, it will be a new favorite destination for you!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Tuesday at the Botanic Gardens

Botanists tend to the water lilies.

I have begun a new ritual here at Nestle and Soar Studio...Tuesday morning is now my inspirational time at Denver's Botanic Gardens. Being one of the first people through the door at 9am is a true joy for me. The temperature is cool, the birds are singing up a storm, and the light for photography is ideal.

The photo I took this Tuesday is of the water lilies being tended to by 3 botanists, each with a plastic tub tied to their leg! As they walked around in their tall waders, the tub of debris would follow them around. They each carefully lifted a flower up off the surface of the pond and clipped or fluffed the foliage, and they moved methodically from plant to plant, so no flower was missed.

They were in the pond for the whole 3 hours I was at the Botanic Gardens and it was a lot of fun watching them work. I'll bet their skin is most from the humidity after a warm day working in the pond!

I hope to share a photo and my experience of the Gardens from each Tuesday visit. I am still going through all of my photos, which I will use as inspiration for a wall felt or a needle-felted pillow. I am so very grateful that spending time in this treasure of a garden is part of what I do for a living!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne