Good Wednesday all my crafty friends!!! Here's hoping that you are having a wonderful day and week thus far!! Slip on over to Julia's Stamping Ground blog and share with us crafters what's on your craft desk today! :)
So, friends, the same thing is on my arty desk that was on my arty desk as last week.....NOTHING!!! It is a sad but true story!! What's really sad about it is that I really need to be working on two of my ATC Swaps, but instead, I have been dealing with life here in this HOT southern state and have been noodling around with my newest crafty adventure...felting!!
So, when I went to Expo two weekends ago, I got on Google and searched out where there might be yarn/wool shops near where my nephew lived. It's so sad guys because unfortunately here in the states, the big box stores have run off all the good little crafty shops. What makes that even sadder is that the big box stores have not made up for doing that travesty by supplying us with what these treasured shops did. So it was a mad search and I found ONE in the area he lived! ONE!!!! Guys we are talking about Atlanta, the capital of Georgia!! Is that sad or what??? Now, of course, Atlanta is huge and I am sure that there were some elsewhere in the city, but as I said, Atlanta is huge and the traffic is AMAZING, so what would take 15 minutes to get to another shop somewhere else, would take an hour in Atlanta. So, NOPE, that ain't happening for this "hate driving in the city" driver! LOLOL
So anywho, I was specifically going to look for "wet felting" supplies. If you will recall a couple of posts back I received my 2D needle felting kit and some supplies in the mail to start my journey. While researching "felting," I found out that there was 3D, 2D, Wet & Nuno felting. Well, like any good addictive-natured crafter, I MUST try it all!!! LOLOL I really am only interested in the flat felting processes, but while attending a live show last week, I won a 3D felting kit! Go figure???? I NEVER win anything, but then I win the very thing I say I am not interested in!!!! LOL I will be giving it a whirl!! Stay tuned for that hot mess at a later date! LOLOL
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| Gorgeous Wool!!! |
I found the cute little shop and they had such lovely yarns and wool!! I was seriously in heaven! I wanted to snap up some yarn as well, as I knit, but I had to stay on track and remember why I was there! LOL You ALL should be very proud of me! LOL They did not, however, have any wet felting supplies! I was crushed!! She said that they mostly did 3D felting in their classes and that's the supplies typically what they carried. Of course, that didn't dismay me one bit, who was she kidding? LOL Seriously though, she was a lovely shop hostess and we had great conversation about felting, and knitting and such. I left there with a bag FULL of goodies, in case you were interested!!! LOL But you knew that right??? I got some yummy, yummy wool roving and gorgeous recycled silk sari. I was so happy to get quite a bit for a good stash do just about any felting project I want to do without buying any more for awhile!! LOL I did get some various colors of wool for the kits I got earlier, but they were specific for those projects.
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| I'm in love with recycled silk sari!!! |
In the above shot are the silk sari ribbon that I bought for "texture" for either the art felting or the wet felting that I will be giving a go when I acquire the supplies. I also bought some beautiful wool substrate pieces to felt onto. I just got basic colors in those to not compete with my incompetency as a beginner!!!! LOL
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| Beginner at work! |
Lastly, and don't judge, is the beginning of one of my Mushroom Projects!! I must confess that I love it so far. It doesn't look like I've gotten very far, but that took me quite a while to do, mainly because I didn't know what I was doing, but also because it felt like "painting" to me and so I was playing with colors and shadows, just like you do when you paint! I will definitely show you all when I am through. This piece will have a companion piece to hang beside it that will have more mushrooms gathered together in it.
So, that's what's happening with me today folks. I know that we ALL are experiencing some strange, odd weather wherever we live!!! The globe is erratic at best! Between massive fires here in the states, to drought to amazingly hot/humid weather, to crazy cracking thunder storms which we have been having here in my state for weeks!! Then on top of that new surges of COVID!!! I wish you ALL many blessings, health and most of all safety!!
I didn't get around to all last week, I will try to do better today! Notice I said TRY!! LOL
Blessings crafty friends!
I do hope you find a source for wet felting supplies Felicia. I have decided that I am going to treat myself to one of Tilly Tea Dance's workshops next time she holds one as it is only 1 hour away from me. Look forward to seeing the results of your prize. Loving the mushroom so far. Stay safe and Happy WOYWW. Sarah #3
ReplyDeleteI love the toadstool, it's going to look fabulous when finished. How lucky that you found such a wonderful little crafting shop and got all that lovely wool and sari silk - I can never resist sari silk whenever I see it - the colours are always so tempting! How amazing you winning the 3D felting prize - I hope you enjoy having a go at it, who knows what paths it will take you down.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great week,
Diana xx #13
Don’t do yourself down, that toadstool is fantastic! I’ve had a go at wet felting and you’re right, it really is like painting except with wool not paints. I’m so pleased you found that independent shop, we have to support them so much these days, we are very lucky in Britain that small craft shops are still surviving, I hope they do for many years to come. Have fun with all your new stash!!
ReplyDeleteHugs LLJ 5 xxx
"like any good addictive-natured crafter" Yep, count me in! I wouldn't have thought you had supply problems in the US! I always envy the range of stuff available on Amazon US that's not available here. I'm sure you can order online whatever you couldn't find in the shops. I think the way small craft shops can survive against the juggernauts is to sell online. We have quite a few of those small shops here - they also have physical premises, where they a sell their products and run classes, etc. but by selling online the whole country, and in fact the world opens up to them. I expect, they make their profit selling online. Your wool looks like lush locks of hair! I can't wait to see your project taking shape - it's so exciting trying something new! Hope you get some cool weather in Georgia soon! You must think we're snowflakes complaining about 30C (86F) temperatures around here LOL! Have fun felting, Felicia! xx zsuzsa #16
ReplyDeletethere aren't any big box stores near me never mind small independent craft stores! I hope you get cracking with the felting soon and share your results; I am sure you'll love it. Helen #2
ReplyDeleteCraft shops started shutting in our area way before the surge in Amazon buying. I think the council rates are just too high. Although I prefer to browse for real, most of my stuff comes from online. I have been looking at sari silk online, but I would much rather see it and touch it before I buy. Are you felting that mushroom? It looks amazing, looking forward to the finished item x Angela #9
ReplyDeleteHi Felicia, it's always good to see what you're up to and loving that you're really getting in to the felting. I love it but once I start I don't know when to stop. Wishing you a happy woyww. Hugs, Angela x14x
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Felicia. The small shops are being squeezed out by the large ones. In the end, their aim is to squeeze out all "real" shops altogether and make us do all our shopping with Amazon and have things delivered by drone. The last time I went shopping in a neighbouring small town which I used to love, it was horrible - like a ghost town with half the shops boarded up, and not much of interest in the others. I used to enjoy it so much and now I don't want to go again.
ReplyDeleteI went to felting classes a few years ago and loved it. I haven't done a lot since but still have loads of stuff, and will return to it when the urge reappears, I am sure. It is an amazing art form - wet felting is so painterly and you can also sculpt with it and make it 3D. I was going to make cat igloos out of it but then decided against it because I know our kitties - they would refuse to use them!!!
Happy belated WOYWW and God bless,
Shoshi x #12
What a "RIGHT ON" post. It's everywhere. I miss our little shops so much, fabric in our area is hard to find. Walmart/Hobby Lobby not what I am interested in at all. I mentioned to Twiglet here in the states "Felting" isn't a thing, and you explained it very well. no product/no instructors. Glad you were in the right place with the right people . Here weather took a Normal turn to Nice, a little rain and great temps, humidity GONE. Stay safe, stock up on those special Vitamin's
ReplyDeleteIf I recall Wipso or Twiglet are felting pros so if you didn't manage to visit them on WOYWW do so. I have an ATC from...Wipso, I think, that is a beautiful felted scene of poppies. Stunning stuff. I have the CUTEST felted gnomes that are in my Xmas stash, and an adorable felted sheep, knitting, hat my best knitting mate gave me. I love it all but just know I would be crap at it so I steer clear. Hope you have a great time with your lucky win - surely a sign from the crafting gods that you should give it a go LOL!
ReplyDeleteHappy windy day, slightly late, Desk Hopping!
Mary Anne (1)
Hi there, it sounds like you are having as much fun learning about and sourcing supplies for felting as you will experimenting with the various techniques. I had the pleasure of meeting Annie (Wipso) at a crop and she showed me how to felt using a hook. I even completed a tiny project which I treasure. Annie also has an electric machine for felting - she's quite the expert. Here in Scotland we've been enduring the hot, humid weather that is so out of the ordinary for us. We're just not used to it all. Fortunately, it has cooled down today and the temperature is much more bearable. Have fun trying out the felting. Elizabeth x #22
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to have a go at felting - just need some time!!
ReplyDeleteAll that yarn looks good though - especially the silk!
Happy WOYWW!
Stay safe and keep well!
Susan #7
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