Fiberart International

My Pittsburgh guild is doing a set of wrapping paper for a benefit of Fiber Art International 2012 just like they did the decks of cards for FI 2010. On the wrapping paper will be printed fiber work letters for each of the alphabet in squares plus a square for FGH

(Fiberart guild of Pittsburgh) and FI logo (Fiberart International). 

I got in late so all the letters were taken, I got the Fiberart Int logo which had to be pictured as a script lower case f and i just as pictured positioned in the square also as pictured. The pictured Pittsburgh skyline is a composite--those buildings are not really next to each other in real life, but are unique to Pittsburgh.

It was fun. I considered felting, but since the final piece had to be exactly 12"x12", I was leery of how big to start. I also have been doing some fabric painting and dying and decided to use those skill plus appliqué. Doing another beadwork piece was prohibitive time wise as "Clubbing the Night Away"-see previous posts Sept 09-Feb10 actually took a full year to complete. Joanne

My First Quilt

The Potomac Fiberarts Gallery in the Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA, an artists cooperative, to which I belong typically has a new show approximately every month. The upcoming show beginning October 22 and running till November 18 has the theme "Black and White". The necklace in the last blog post was created for that show. I also chose to interpret the theme in a different manner-thread painting by sewing machine over a photograph of my puppy and another member of his litter. I call it "Brothers Under the Skin". It is presented as a small wall quilt (26"x23"). Joanne

Another Award

Wow, I can't believe 3 awards in one month. I just received notification that my black and white necklace won first place in the Silversilk contest. The pendant is porcelain on sterling from Artbeads. I used square stitch to mimic the checkerboard pattern and peyote for the spiral part. I was able to stitch right through the silversilk to attach the beadwork to the knit-like flexi-chain. I believe it makes a very wearable piece. I did this piece for the next Black and White theme show at the Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery at the Torpedo Factory, 10 N Union St, Alexandria, VA which will run Oct 22 to Nov 19.

 Here is a second necklace I did with the Silversilk and an etched glass pendant by Nikki Blanchard using a sterling and amethyst clasp from Star's Clasps.

Joanne

Awards

I am really excited. I received an Award of Merit for the oil painting "Man's Best Friend" at the Hanover Art guild juried show and an Award of Excellence at the York Art Association Juried Show for the Thread Painting "Summer Stoop". One Red Window was also accepted to the York show.  The Hanover show has ended but the York show just opened and will run all month. Joanne

Summer Stoop

One Red Window

Man's Best Friend

Beadwork Exhibit Ending

The exhibit Beads and Clay at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum will close Oct 7. If you haven't had a chance to visit, check out the photos on their website  http://www.jhmuseum.org/Clay%20&%20bead%20works%20images.htmhttp://www.jhmuseum.org/Clay%20&%20bead%20works%20images.htm

It was an honor to be included.

Also:

Please vote for my picture so my daughter can win a gift certificate to Dover Saddlery. She is gaining on the leader in the blanket category. She takes no salary to run our horse shows so could really use the gift certificate. You can vote once a day per computer (sometimes per browser). Thank You

Hi There

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Current Beadwork Exhibits/Shows

I am excited to be included in the following exhibit. Hope any of you in Ohio or Western PA can get to see it. I believe they will also be posting online. Joanne

Clay & Bead Works-Binding Together Two Cultures

Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum
300 N. Whitewoman Street
Coshocton, OH 43812
740-622-8710

 

Exhibition dates:  August 17-October 7, 2012

Also this weekend I will be exhibiting with the Yorktowne Chapter of the PA Guild of Craftsmen at a shared booth #220 at the PA Guild show in Wilmington, DE. Checkhttp://www.pacrafts.org/fine-craft-fairs/july/ for more details and discount entry coupon.

» August 4 & 5, 2012 – Wilmington, DE

www.pacrafts.org

Whether it’s for a wedding, birthday, anniversary, house warming present or special thank you, locally-made designer craft makes a great gift with a story that is sure to make someone happy.

Common Ground Chinese jump Rope Necklace Class

Attendance was light but I had a wonderful group of students. Here is my completed Chinese Jump Rope Necklace of Beaded Beads and Natural Touch Resin Beads. This one can be worn long or wrapped double. Joanne

Beadwork at Common Ground

I am packing my car preparing to head on down to Common Ground at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. I will be teaching a beaded bead necklace I call Chinese Jump Rope. Students will learn 4 types of beaded beads based on brick, peyote, square stitches as well as right angle weave.

While I attended an overcrowded city junior high school, “temporary” (still there today) classrooms were erected in the girls’ play yard. That left only the margins around the buildings in which to go outside during lunch break. Girls were never allowed access to sign out sports equipment so we devised games that could be played in small spaces with equipment that we could carry with us all day. One of these was “Chinese Jump Rope” in which we looped rubber bands together to stretch between the ankles of two stationary players. The “jumper” would then hop in and out picking up one or the other of the rubber band ropes and perform intricate foot manuvers that involved passing one or the other “ropes” over the other. During a trip to China, I actually saw girls out of our passing bus window
 
I have interspersed the beaded beads with polymer clay beads by polymer artist Grant Diffendaffer. To keep the kit cost down, students will be using resin beads by Natural Touch instead of the artist beads.

Selection Of beaded beads to be taught at Common Ground:

Beads laid out with Natural Touch Resin beads in preparation for stringing into necklace:

Last year I taught my Falling Leal necklace and had great success with students including a 10 year old.
This is my most recent Falling Leaf necklace just completed. The faculty exhibit in Peterson Hall has several of my Falling Leaf necklaces on display as well as my Magnum Opus "Clubbing the Night Away" blogged here Sept 2009-Feb 2010. Keep cool. Joanne

Hybrid Felting

 I just returned from a wonderful workshop on Hybrid Felting given by Anne Vickery Evans as part of the SDA (surface Design Association)/SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) conference in Philadelphia, PA. Hybrid Felt also sometimes known as Nuno Felt is the bonding together of wool fibers with other fibers and/or fabrics. This is me using a thin layer of wool roving to attach small squares of colored silk charmeuse to a background fabric of hand dyed silk gauze.

Felting Wool Boas 2+New Beadwork

I have been remiss in not including in the felt boa shots my own example. I did mine in all white expecting to dye the entire scarf after felting. However, it turned out so Victorian in white that I am loath to mess with it. I am toying with the idea of lightly tea dying it for an antique look.

I have also included my latest beadwork ventures. My love in beadwork is using brick stitch to actually draw figures or motifs. I am including "Swingtime" a brooch I did a while ago based on  a Fred and Ginger partnership. I just completed "Top Hat" and "Putt'n On The Ritz", brooches after a sole Fred.

I have also purchased several stoneware pendants from Artbeads and used the motif etched and painted in the pendant to create a surround for the focal bead.

Photos Felting Wool Boas

Here are the photos of us felting wool boas on a center strip of silk chiffon:

                                          

Thursday Felters group

I'm back from a wonderful tour of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. I am still sorting photos as I had to buy a new hard drive to take all the new photos.

Back into the swing of artistic creation, my felting study group had  a fantastic session this Thursday. Renata Moskovitz taught us all to felt a lacy boa like scarf with a long fiber wool on a strip of silk chiffon.
I can't wait to get back to beading with all my new pictorial resources. Joanne