Felt feutre !!!!! A first time Canadian event

Well back from a two four day trip to Salt Spring Island, where 

The first international Canadian event was held, with workshops, art shows, fashion shows and amazing teachers and students all magically put together by Fiona Duthie of Salt Spring, who did an amazing job for us all.   I so appreciate whAt she has done, and the energy and vitality she brought to the event. I got a chance to meet and tLk to many felters I have admired over the years and followed their work and their process and to meet them in person was a treat.  I went for a two day workshop with Marjolein Dallinga, which was a wonderful experience in itself.

I have been a big fan of her work  for many years and this was the first affordable opportunity to work under her and work we did.  the class was composed of ten folks who all were felters of varying experience and she worked us hard and thoroughly...and long days with great results.  It was a great all round experience and a pleasure to be a small of it all...apparently I went for only really sunny days and now home with a fire and rain, and a head full of new ideas and new techniques.  I was so pleased to meet Fiona in person, as she is an incredibly sweet open woman with great energy and it was an amazing feat to pull this off with such grace and humour, we could hear her laughing and teaching and 

I was so impressed.  

I hadn't been to Salt Spring since 1974 so many changes, much busier and still a beautiful island...and I managed to gather dyeing mushrooms while there, and eucalyptus of many varities

Below isa piece by Marjolein, and the owl was done by a man who lives on Salt Spring and I am sorry but I don't remember his name, but it was. Wonderful life size piece....all in all I had a great time and learned a lot about teaching felting and many new felt tricks....a humbling and gratifying adventure!

Holy Smoke Bush!!!

Just fell in love with the smoke from the smoke bush....did try this earlier but did not get these results,  and now am thrilled with their crackling effect. summer is winding down and the mArkets arts are one day a week so feel I have lots of time to harvest and work....of course, that is a myth...I seem to have si o many things I want to do and never enough time....sleep certainly cuts into my work play time!,,lol

dyed with goldenrod and with walnut and am gathering for the next blanket.....did more coreopsis and read a great post on fb about working with the naturals macrobiotic-ally, those found in your own backyard, as too many of the other sought after dyes are wracking havoc on their eco systems, not news really but brazilwood is a good example, as it is harvested from the heartwood of the tree thus being heartless it can't survive....not sustainable at all....so waiting for the shrooms to show and I know they are waiting to spring forth...