Art For Your Head "Tendril"

Soon to make her debut at http://DreamWoven.Etsy.com ....

Art For Your Head "Tendril"

This is the second in a design that I have been working on....similiar to Art For Your Head "Elfin" with some 'internal' changes.... will do some more like this shortly. More pics can be seen at http://DreamWoven.com/HatsWrapsAlone.htm . (Just click on the smaller pic when you get there)

Some of my Girls.........

Girls in a queue.     These girlies are waiting their turn..... sometimes i just see these heads all over my studio and i am amazed that they aren't real people..... these are items i am currently working on... should make a debut shortly.... but who knows... i kind of like just dressin' the ladies up and checking out their attitudes.  

See that little rectangle shape above the center head.. a little to the right (you can see the roundish crown of a hat)?....well sometimes i will draw (and color) a hat out... i love those little canvasses.  (and of course my mind goes straight to "hmmmmm wonder if i could sell them?????)    that wierd thing between creation and business..... i don't know...........i love what i create, but i mean, how much 'stuff' can one girl have????  if i don't sell my goodies, they will sit in a bin because i couldnt possible wear them all, nor would i want to ... some are just not my style.........but i loved creating them.... kwim?  I feel lucky that i still create the things i do because i enjoy it and the impulse to create something to sell isn't my first impulse....   

anyway... enjoy the Girls...............

 

Feels so damn good.......................

Just because it feels so damn good!!!!!!!!!!   It is mesmerizing and should be on large TV screens mounted on every corner of every street and shown every morning.......

Where The Hell is Matt 2008

(make sure you Click "Watch in High Quality")

Art For Your Head "Elfin"

Art For Your Head "Elfin"  

soon at http://DreamWoven.Etsy.com

Nice to get some.....

It is always nice to get some recognition................   got a convo from Connie at http://Dirtyfootprints-studio.blogspot.com  telling me that she was spotlighting me on her blog!   So, please go visit and see and while you are out there....

drop by her Etsy shop - http://Dirtyfootprints.etsy.com and take a look at some of her goodies.  below is one of her original oil pastel drawings that I absolutely love the colors of.........
..

DO NOT GET THESE CONFUSED......

Reclear AF Medical Strength Antifungal Solution

Boston Rewetting Drops

OOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The diagnosis is Chemical Conjunctivitus and slight corneal hazing. The cornea will be fine. My feeling stupid may not dissipate for a long while.

My how time flies............

    We went away for a week............... while we were gone I met a new friend...

 

Some things I've put up for sale... ( DreamWoven.Etsy.com )

Please meet Art For Your Head "Winter Heat"....

as well as two Artful Accessories:  "Winter Heat" Tickler 

   

and

the "Black Dahlia" Tickler

Art For Your Head "Cirrus III"

  Art For Your Head "Cirrus III"

She seems to be my most popular colourway.....  She will be going to a new home in New Zealand :)  More pics here :  http://DreamWoven.com/AFYHCirrusIII.htm

     

Just In Case You Are Interested.....

I am cleaning out things and look what i found :)
Yup, it is a brand new, extra copy of "The Crochet Stitch Bible".  New, Never Used and I'm selling it.  It is an excellent reference book, hard cover, spiral bound.  I've had my own copy for many years and can personally vouch for its goodness :)

I also just put up a lot of 30 pieces of cross stitch fabric.  How did i wind up with that?  One can only guess... but this is perfect for holiday ornaments, cross-stitch card pictures, oh... i am sure you can think of dozens of uses.  

both are at my etsy supply shop...   http://DreamWovenSupplies.etsy.com

TALK TO ME OF STORAGE...............

      i tore my studio apart.

literally

Talk to me of storage.........PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

i now have an extra room (other than my Studio Treehouse, which i totally outgrew within a year)... so now I have a room for inventory and a room to work in (my Studio).    Here are some pics of the 'inventory room' and the Studio (Treehouse) before being cleaned/sorted/finished/figured out.

These are the pics of the New Inventory Room - not complete, still a mess, not sorted through etc..

     

These are the pics of the cleaned out Studio - not complete, still a mess, not sorted through etc..

 
    

oh...and my wall o' yarn... which will remain where it is because it is just so beautiful to look at up against the rock wall.

I will be using my studio for the computer, books, shipping, photographing and creating/finishing pieces.   In the Inventory Room i have all my rovings, yarns, spinning, etc sorted by colour in cubes... it is the best way for me... it is how i work....When i work on a lot of my pieces i always wind up with small balls of leftover yarns... in fact, i have so many small balls of leftover yarns that they need their own set of cubes sorted by colour!!!!!!

what do you do with those small balls of leftover yarns?  i don't mean, what do you make with them.... i tend to use up even small balls...... i mean how do you store them??? 

The Inventory Room will have floor to ceiling cubes when finished and each cube will hold a different colour... all the blacks together, all the greys together, all the oranges together, etc.  This works fine for full or semi-full skeins or balls, they all fit nicely in there and are easy to retrieve or go through.   

So how do i store the small balls so that I actually can see them and use them?   Suggestions appreciated.

I love that man o' mine...

       The birthday was nice.... nice that i woke up... nice that i can still feed myself, nice that i dont dribble.... but what made it extra nice was the lovely flowers received from the work peeps and the starbuck card....and then to arrive home where there was a beautiful vase of sunflowers and a very special card and gift.  Here is the card that my husband ( http://WBEckertStudio.blogspot.com ) did (ink and watercolours).... he is so incredible talented and he loves me.... that is the very best gift.....(and i love him muchly :) 

    

He had gone through my favorites on Etsy and found this artist  --> April Kawaoka (aprilkawaoka.etsy.com).  She is the designer and maker of my lovely new birthday ring :)
   

Glad to be alive....

Even etsy didnt forget :)

 

A Tickler..........

  this is a spoiler......a tickler...... Something that is almost done.......
Every now and again i just need to go wild... and i haven't in a while....  so maybe this will be the start of something new and exciting?  maybe.......
 

Gazillions of Magazines & Patterns for Sale

If you'd like me to email you a copy of the list, just let me know and I will be glad to do so. Magazines, pamphlets, patterns... Just let me know

Neck Corset - Artful Accessory - Neck Wrap - Neck Cuff -

Now Available at:

DreamWoven.Etsy.com

Just Added a TON...

Just added a  TON of magazines, patterns, books to the ever expanding list of magazines, patterns and books I am selling.  Come visit on Ravelry on the BOOK DESTASH & ISO LIBRARY (or email me here for a list) http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/book-destash--iso-library/241236/1-25

Fires ....

we were suppose to go camping today and tomorrow at Plaskett Creek..... Plaskett Creek is in the southern part of big sur. where the red arrow is. see #68 on the map? That is Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. They have closed everything north of there. I live to the west.....we have had smoke covering our sky for days now. These fires were started by lightening. They are huge fires and still not contained. One is 30-square-mile blaze that is still only three-percent contained, another is a 92 square mile blaze that is two thirds contained. They are predicting more electrical storms now (with a hope of rain).... as of last night we thought we would still drive to Plaskett... as of this morning it is most doubtful :( The smoke alone would be unbearable.

The first time I physically met my husband (http://WBEckertStudio.blogspot.com ) it was in Big Sur... I am feeling very sad about these fires... it is one of the most beautiful places on earth, as far as i am concerned and it holds many many memories... in fact, i want my ashes to be spread in big sur.... that's how much i love big sur....

:( :( :( :(

I AM MELTING................................................

tell me you really care that it is 110 degrees at 5:26 in the afternoon...........................

There use to be a billboard at the entrance of this city.... it said "DARN NEAR PARADISE"
they were very mistaken and the board came down.......  it should have read "DAMN NEAR HELL"

(sliding away on a wave of perspiration....)

:(

Today it is suppose to be 106 degrees here.  oh joy   
I knew it was going to be hot today because yesterday at 5:15pm it was 101 degrees.
I do not do well in boiling water or air (and yes, i know that the boiling point of water is actually 212 degrees F)
I think my insides squee like lobsters when being cooked
No... I will not increase my estrogen....
I am not good with this kind of heat
It figures that I wouldnt like air-conditioning either.....
ok... pity party over..... off to work 

Art For Your Head "Musique"

I've been working on my winter stock... haven't really been posting a lot of what i've been working on.... i guess it will all get posted in a clump.   I havent done one of my Art For Your Head knitted hats recently, so I figured I'd post this one.... she'll be up for sale on etsy at some point....

Help Me Get Rid of These....Please

FOR PARENTS OF TODDLERS/CHILDREN -

I have 5 brand new, never used, with tags attached, toddler and childrens swim trainer suits.

My husband was the designer of the logo (a dragonfly) and we wound up with some samples that we have no use for. I am selling these for $20/each. The Swim Trainer is by DragonFly Sports LLC gives maximum sun protection (SPF 40 Maximum U.V. Protection), comfort fit (Lycra design for flexibility). Flotation pads both back and front. Will ship anywhere.

I have the following sizes:

One (1) - Size 4/5-Large - 35-48lbs - Navy Blue/Aqua -

SOLD

Two (2) Size 3/4-Medium - 26-40lbs - Purple/Yellow

Two (2) Size 2/3-Small - 18-30lbs - Lime/Yellow

The Last of Them.......

Laurel Burch died at the end of last year.  Here is a link to who she is:  http://laurelburch.com/about.html  

Several years ago I use to sell some of her bags whenever I would do a 'craft' show.  They were always a good seller.   Now I am de-stashing them.  I believe I have around 9 bags left.  They are great for knitting/fiber bags.... The ones I have are out of production and are now collectors items.  I need them out of the house.  Here is a link to a page with what I have.  http://DreamWoven.com/Burch2A.htm .  If you are interested, please let me know.

Art For Your Head - "Nouveau Riche"

Please meet Art For Your Head "Nouveau Riche".   She is a new ensemble.... hat/wrap along with neckwarmer.  Soft, soft, soft.......wool and alpaca, needlefelted with a gorgeous merino.  She will be available here:  
DreamWoven.Etsy.com 
Please click below for more pictures.
 

I've been working on this.....

Here's my progression on the "Josephine" Top.... I am doing it in an incredible shade of indigo blue. I am using Hempton by "Hemp for Knitting" which is a combination of cotton, hemp and modal. It is soft and the drape on this is going to be beautiful.

and here is a taste of one of my new Art For Your Head hats......................

and here are three patterns i am carrying in the DreamWovenSupplies.etsy.com shop (along with the yarn to make any of them. I think my next one will be the 'all over lace' top.

Where Do You Draw The Line?

Where is do you draw the line between what is embellishment and art in the Handmade world? A musing on this subject, using Etsy as my jumping off point.

In selling on Etsy I've seen some really incredible, artistic items from inspired artists and artisans, as well as some poorly conceived, and even more poorly executed items.

Under Etsy's Selling FAQs, it reads: "What items can I sell on Etsy? You can sell anything that is handmade or, a bit more loosely put, hand-assembled or hand-altered. For example, screen-printed shirts are OK. A custom-built computer is OK, as long as you're making the case and not buying prefab. Furniture is OK as long as it's nothing mass-produced (yes, you can use power tools to build it). If your human hands put some love into the object, odds are you can sell it on Etsy."

I do especially love the line " If your human hands put some love into the object, odds are you can sell it on Etsy."

Talk about nebulous at its finest :) I'm not very concerned about the selling/buying aspect of this on Etsy, but my concern is more regarding the 'idea of handmade' and what actually constitutes 'handmade', which may or may not be what Etsy is about.

If i were to sew a line of sequins or doodads on to an existing t-shirt, or put rivets or grommets or studs or some squigglies made out of yarn on a pre-made t-shirt, this would be considered 'handmade' on Etsy. Under the Etsy FAQs, if I write a letter... it is considered handmade. If I sew a button on something, it is considered handmade.... if i shear a sheep, card the wool, spin it and needlefelt it into a hat, it is considered handmade, if I use oil paints and do a painting, it is considered handmade, if I take a t-shirt and cut the sleeves off or hotglue a bow to a pair of flip flops, under Etsy's FAQs, it is considered handmade.....but.... there is a bit of difference between these things....don't you think?

Everything that is done with your 'hands' can be considered 'handmade' on Etsy. Are there no other distinctions made by Etsy? Where is the line drawn between 'art' and 'embellishment"? Is all embellishment considered handmade 'art'?

If you are creating a drawing which you are then printing on a base (t-shirt), the 'art' or imo, 'handmade' is the drawing. The t-shirt simply becomes the canvas. To me this is very different than sewing a line of sequins on a t-shirt. no??

There are zillions of things you can do with sequins..... and some of those things I would consider 'embellishment' and some of them would definitely fall under the category of 'art'. I would be very hesitant to place the sewing of a line of sequins on a t-shirt in the same category as someone who has designed something and uses sequins in that design on a t-shirt. ... and to then to throw them both into the same category of 'handmade' ...... kind of makes me feel quesy.

There is/has to be a determining point between 'art' and 'decoration'.... which will of course reflect on what is considered 'handmade'. I'm glad I dont have to make that decision on Etsy, tho if i were making that decision, it would be easy for me....personally.

Enjoyable Work By:

A must see artist... YUKO SHIMIZU Currently featured in Communication Arts magazine (May/June 2008 issue).... use the link below and make sure you look at some of her illustrations...quite a few of them have fiber related (yarn especially) themes running through them. A great combination when paired with a good sense of humour and a talent for drawing.

[ Originally created for alphabet book project later published as a large size poster insert for Yen Magazine of Australia (accepted into American Illustration 24) Yuko Shimizu ©2005 all rights reserved]

http://www.yukoart.com/news/index.html

Yesterday a top was started....

So yesterday I started a summer top for myself... yes.... we will try to follow another pattern.  (anyone that has been reading me know that this, 'the following a pattern' , is truly a challenge for me!   I've chosen The Josephine Top by Deborah Newton that appeared in the Interweave Knits Summer 2007 issue.
  Here's what it looks like... 
 I appreciate this style.....loose but fitting.... I am doing it in HEMPTON (30% hemp/30%modal/40%cotton)  by Hemp For Knitting/LanaKnits in an Indigo Blue.....  pretty pretty stuff.  I will keep you appraised.

oh.. .and the Pistachio AND Espresso CASHMEREcanapa yarn sold yesterday.... i have ordered more in Pistachio, Espresso and Cristallo Blue and a couple of patterns.  This will get into the supply shop upon arrival along with some other goodies.

Two Places...........

Two very cool things:

1.  I received an email yesterday morning that I am on someones blog.  Not just any ole someones blog, but someone I admire and who's things i covet   Her writing is incredible, she covers a lot of subjects, she has had an interesting life so far.... anyway.... come see her site....and make sure you check out her previous posts.   RAYELA'S FIBER FOCUS

2.  I received an email this morning that I am on the front page of TalentDataBase.com