Collaboration with fab bead-maker

Have just returned from a great afternoon with Doris John, a glass lampwork bead-maker who lives not far from me - Doris, who is originally from Germany, has converted her garage into a bead-making studio, and also sells wholesale beads as well as her own creations - her eBay shop is at http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Jewlls4U but her beads are even more delicious 'in the flesh'! The lustre is amazing, and her use of colours is really imaginative. And it is so nice to find someone genuinely enthusiastic about their craft. Doris is hoping to start running courses soon, too. I will definitely be up for that - but meanwhile we are collaborating, with Doris supplying me with interesting hand-made beads for my corsages, and stocking some of my corsages on her stall at the next bead show (to demonstrate how her beads can be used!), while I will credit her beads on the labels of my corsages. Result! What an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon - pictures of the new beads on corsages will be added as soon as I have time to make some appropriately-coloured felt...

New links

Done! A selection of new links is now at the bottom of the page. To avoid leaving this blog, right-click on the link and select 'open in new window'.

Links

I will shortly get round to adding a whole lot more links to the bottom of this page - watch this space!

Wonderwool Wales

What a fabulous day! Glorious weather for driving over the Brecon Beacons to the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells, and a show that was even better than last year. The bag creche is a great idea, as I was soon laden down with goodies...

It was good to meet Helen Melvin of Fiery Felts, down from North Wales - she is currently leading a workshop on the Online Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, and it was nice to put a face to a name (and buy some of her lovely wool).

Also finally met Carole Webb, whose hand-dyed Blue Faced Leicester I have been using for a while to make felt corsages, having bought a selection of colours at Erwood Station www.erwood-station.co.uk . She is also able to take commissions, which I shall certainly be following up with her.

Had an interesting conversation with Sue Blacker of The Natural Fibre Company www.thenaturalfibre.co.uk, in which she told me about the Woolsack 2012 project www.woolsack.org, which is seeking to make 20,000 cushions from British wool to present to participants in the Olympics. This is a fun idea which I definitely want to get involved with! It focussed my mind on sourcing British wools today, and I am already mulling over the possibilities of different colours of Blue Faced Leicester and Welsh Mountain...

I also treated myself to a peg loom - I really fancy making some tactile rugs and possibly wall hangings out of fleece. I have some scoured Manx Loughtan which I was going to try felting, but I think some of could be diverted to the peg loom. This might be something the Ouessant is useful for as well. (Note to self - the Ouessant fleeces are still stinking the garage out, and I really must do something with them soon!!!)

Altogether a very satisfactory day. Wonderwool is quite an experience - sensory overload, frankly, and one needs to be disciplined. And possibly the highlight of the day was meeting a very interactive Leicester Longwool sheep - I had no idea these were so HUGE! Stunning fleece, too - like a greying poodle. I want some...