The June/July/August issue of Rug Hooking Magazine includes a great article by Kim Dubay of Primitive Pastimes about hooking Artist Trading Cards. Deb Smith, Editor of RHM and Kim established the first ever swap coordinated by the magazine. To join in, visit the website www.RugHookingMagazine.com and read about the expectations. Work on a card ,then upload your card before sending it off and if not a subscriber, consider ordering your year of fiber fun.
Here is mine:
Small Fraktur Flower
Like minded enthusiasts took to the dye pots and rug hooks over the weekend of April 17 and 18 in Harrisonburg. VA. After the Mountain State Fiber Artists Spring meeting on April 10 in Morgantown, WV and the informative lecture by Sandra Brown on how to show 3-D in our 2-D format, several of us wanted to practise what we learned.
Dye techniques results
The learning curve continued upward because I brought down the electric skillet and between us all we had the necessary dye equipment to practise value, spot and dip dyeing.
The ATHA members of the group have taken up a challenge posted by the Quilters of Morgan County to the rughookers for each to convey 3-D in our 2-D mediums during the Morgan County Fair, Berkeley Springs, WV in August. We discussed subjects and designs for the challenge, Carolyn Boutilier will be working on a landscape, as of the weekend, Donna Bleem is planning on using the Mandala designs as a base, Susan Feller and Beth Tembo are leaning towards geometric, or abstract patternings.
The encouragement and knowledge eagerly shared by all left us with wanting more. Surely there will be another getaway in the next few months.
Fun group of ladies
From the middle of November until sometime in February I am usually homebound. The creative juices run, snow falls outside (lots this winter) and Jim and I get to spend time togther. But now the rug camps and schools begin in earnest. Just returned from a fantastic experience at the Puget Sound Rug School in Federal Way, Washington State. Coordinators Diane Learmonth and Michele Wise knew there was something missing in the Pacific NorthWest and filled the niche. Three great teachers, myself, Jule Marie Smith and Katie Rainwater, loads of interested students and the lovely Puget Sound right out the windows. They are doing it again next March. I will add the contact information.
Manipulating Fibers Collection March 2010
My workshop included eleven courageous and talented women who went out on a limb “site unseen” with me and really had a creative time. The topic was Manipulating Fibers… bring all the tools you have to do just that, and I will too. Every one was busy from the first moment and continued through several projects over the three days. We used the hand dyed (artwools) as inspiration to select a palette, or designs to enhance. There was a mosaic frame that then had simple hooked, felted and beaded work created to enhance it. A work in progress which will give the viewer the feeling of looking down into the shallow sea to colorful starfish and urchins. Trees and sea splashing waves, birds with feathers of wool, flapping in the wind and so much more. Looking forward to being able to post this group’s finished pieces on a page of their own.
ArtWools Studio of Susan Feller 