Crochet Bowl project, Sedona Artist Market and more

 As I mentioned in my previous post, I have begun experimenting with making yarn bowls, using the same cord for a foundation that I use in my fabric wrapped bowls.  After trying the wrapping method, I decided to try a crochet design, and find that I can do these without too much pain in my shoulder.  This is the first one I made:

I love the shape, and it was a good first effort, encouraging me to make more.  But somehow, the next few efforts were not coming out right and I ended up ripping them out and finally changed the yarn to a blue and brown worsted variegated yarn, and made a small adjustment to the pattern I was following.  Here's the pot in progress:

I actually thought I was done when I got to this point and put it aside to work on something else.  But

I had a feeling I wanted to do something more to it.  This morning, I decided to break out some of my "Homespun" yarn, which has been in my stash for quite awhile.  But I love the copper color, and thought it would enhance the look of the pot if I wrapped it around the exposed rope for a few rows.  Here it is now:

I'm pretty sure I'm done now, but I'm going to give it another day or two to be sure I don't get

further inspiration!

Meanwhile, I'm ramping up now to put some of my inventory in Sedona Artist Market at the end of this month, and I'm really excited about the opportunity!  I'm busy dyeing rayon Ruana jackets 

                      

and gathering some of my coiled fabric bowls together.  I bought a new clothing rack:

This is just right to display my jackets, along with some of my rayon tunic tops and Easy breezy dresses!  And I have a small baker's rack  for displaying some of my coiled rope bowls:

Here is one I finished recently using fabric I dyed with the "Desert Sky" colors I used for the jacket above: 

These colors make me think of the bright blue sky with wisps of clouds and the glorious sunsets we get here in Arizona!  I also used these colors to dye some scarves for my friend Jana to add to her Red Front Door Store inventory, which is open now online:

You can find her e-commerce site here.  We're getting together later this week so I can give her the scarves, along with some others, to add to my collection that she is offering on her site.  Love friends who collaborate!

My next post, I should have photos of the displays at Sedona Artist Market, and I will share those along with (hopefully) pix of yet another variation I have come across for making hand sewn bowls... never a dull moment, and always more things to try!

Lastly, I am happy to announce that Bruce and I will be getting our first Covid-19 vaccines tomorrow, and I'm so glad!  Hopefully, this will give us the added security of knowing we are a little safer from this horrible pandemic, and maybe we can venture out a little more often, once we have both doses and wait the prescribed time after the second dose.  Something to look forward to this year!  Stay safe, all...

New Camera, New bowl technique, New opportunity, Passing the baton

 Well, as I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to try getting back into doing some video tutorials, but the camera I was using bombed on me.  So we found another one (lovingly used) and I gave it a test drive with a video tutorial on how to Drizzle Dye a silk scarf:

You can view it HERE

It was fun to make, so I hope to do more in the future.

On another note - I belong to a group on Facebook for bowl makers, and someone posted a photo of a yarn wrapped bowl... a technique I have tried in the past, but was never able to get the hang of it.  All I could find was written instructions with illustrations, and I just didn't get it!  But the gal who posted the photo said to look for videos on youtube, and sure enough, I found 2 that got me started.  Here's my first attempt:

It's a start, but I wanted to keep going, so I started a second one - this uses cord like I use for my fabric bowls, and I decided to try a smaller diameter:

I really like how this one looks, but alas!  The wrapping of the yarn is a repetitive motion, and I  have an old shoulder injury that has flared up as a result, so I can't work very long on this without experiencing pain in the shoulder!  So for now, this one is on the back burner.  I'm also looking at tutorials on how to crochet bowls, since I do like to do simple crochet projects.  I will post updates if I get time to give that a try.

On the Opportunity front: My friend Cinde, the amazing bead artist, and I will be going to Sedona next Friday to check out Sedona Artist Market, a possible new venue for selling our work!  I will post more about that soon.

On another note, I have been co-managing Arts Connection Gallery at Flagstaff Mall for nearly a year now... a year of challenges - being shut down for 3 months by Covid-19; struggling to re-open with about half the number of artists, as so many were concerned about being in public and contracting the virus; re-opening first for 3 days a week, then 4, 5, and finally 7 days a week with artists working 5 to 7 shifts during the last 3 months to keep our doors open.  It's been extremely challenging, time  consuming, rewarding but a real drain on my energy.  So I have given notice that I will be rolling of at the end of February, and one of our talented Watercolor Artists, Catherine Sickafoose, has agreed to step in.  I will still be showing/selling my work at Arts Connection, but if I add Sedona Artists' Market as a venue, that will mean a need to increase my production time and available inventory, so it's shaping up to be a busy year so far!  And with that, it's time to head to the studio and get started!  Stay tuned...😉 

A day in the life of a bowl maker...

 Well, more like several days, but what the heck!  

So I've been making bowls for a number of years now... I've even lost track of how long, but it's at least 8 years or more I think.  I fell in love with the process right away, and have (hopefully) improved my skillset over the years so that I can turn out a pretty decent bowl or vessel these days.  I wish I had photos of some of my first bowls, but I think they got lost in the transfer to new computers over the years.  But here's one of my more recent ones, just in time for Valentine's Day:

So following this bowl, I decided to make my next one and video the process.  I'm trying to get more comfortable with video so I can record and share the process as I make a bowl, but I also hope to do more with the camera over the coming year(s) to expand my outreach to the crafting community.

I could go on and on about the various roadblocks I encountered trying to use a "knock off" camera my hubby bought online, but you would be sound asleep before you got halfway through!  Suffice it to say, we have ordered another camera and hope to get back to learning video next week.  Meanwhile, here are some pix of the finished bowl I was making while trying to video the process:

The finished front with beads covering some nasty stitching

Medallion and button covering the nasty stitching from adding the beads on front

Fabric circle covering the center where the exposed coil was showing through

I lost a little sleep trying to think of creative ways to "save" this disaster, and I'm pleased that it looks as good as it does now, 'cause it was nasty before I found ways to cover things up!  The last thing I did, which I don't have pix of is to carefully zigzag around the center dot to be sure it doesn't come off!  I glued one dot, but the glue bled through so that looked ugly.  I fused another on on top and used my tiny iron to heat the fusible webbing, but still didn't think it was on good enough.  

I took this shot before adding the medallion and center dot... and actually before I added the second bead on the front!  I think I need a nap...

Studio tour and More!

My friend Jana is coaching me on how to "up my game" to increase interest in my work, so today I made a video to give my friends and customers a short tour of my studio space.  This was made totally on the fly, but I'm hoping it encourages me to use video as a good tool to share my work, process and thoughts going forward.  Grab a seat, your popcorn and soda!

 My Studio Tour

I can't believe it's been about 10 years since I posted anything on you tube!  Next year I hope to get back to doing demonstrations and tutorials, so stay tuned!

On another note, I recently opened a new shop on Etsy just to see how I would do there.  So far, no sales, but there are a lot more sellers there, so I am working to learn the ropes on how to get my work noticed.  

And I have decided to make a few changes to my branding in 2021:  First, a brand new Logo!

It may look a little colorless, but my plan is to have a couple of stamps made up that I can use for my hang tags, business cards, etc.  I really like the look of it... much more professional than the one I have used for years, and it is not limiting like my current one is.  I've gone beyond just tie-dye, so I need something that will be "me" on all my work!  And along those lines, I plan to change my domain name from tiedyejudy.com to judysalloriginals.com... a bit longer, but it's my biz name, so it ties together.

But I'm not just focusing on the biz end of things!  Yesterday, I picked up some things to use as displays with my bowls when I photograph them, to give people an idea of how they can be put to use.  I started out recently using various purse items:

This is a practical display, but kind of "meh" as far as garnering any interest.

This is a totally decorative display, but might start giving the viewer some ideas

So far, this is my favorite... functional and decorative, and of course, colorful!

I also realized that I'm in need of more scarves to sell... one of my best selling items for Holiday gifts, so I pulled out some silk/rayon cut velvet fringed scarves I've had in my undyed inventory, and did a couple of dye batches the other day.  Here are a few:

I love the colors on this first one:  Orchid, Avocado and Golden Yellow.  They seem to really go with the season!  And I love Paisley - this one and the one below are the same pattern.  The one above is 14 x 72, the two below are 10 x 58.

This one is Burgundy, Moss Green and Golden Yellow... another great wintertime combination.

And this is the same Burgundy, Moss Green and Golden Yellow, but in a leaf design.  I'm so glad I remembered that I had these!

Okay, time to get off the computer - been spending way too many hours on it recently, and I think it's time to get back to the studio!  Happy Holidays to you all, and here's hoping that 2021 brings us all good health and harmony! 

Full time bowl maker!

It's been awhile since I posted!  And other than a brief break from bowls to make a batch of Halloween masks for my friend Joyce, I've been pretty much in full-time bowl making since September, cranking out about 1 a day.  Most have gone to my friend Jana, the lovely lady I collaborate with on gift baskets, but also some that have gone to Arts Connection Gallery to have a full selection for holiday shoppers.  Here are some that I have made:

Poinsettia Christmas Bowl

Bowl with Wood Bead handles

Christmas bowl with medallion

Bowl with fused flower

Bowl with knot

We recently had our first snowstorm of the fall season, with very cold temps, but I didn't get any photos... too busy in the studio!  But it's definitely soup weather and layering is the dress mode of the day.  And our Son and Daughter in law were in town for a few days, so we had a nice visit while they were here.  

 

What's next?  Nothing new to report now, although I am hoping to find some time soon to veer off the bowl making tangent and maybe get time to clean house, and also plan on alternate creative activities to "refresh my palate" so to speak.  Every winter, I like to take a break from production and try new  things, and I'm leaning toward doing some surface design work, a little hand stitching, maybe get back into botanical printing and batik if I have the time.  So stay tuned, and maybe I'll have some new things to share soon!  

One last note - as you may know, my mainstay for over 20 years has been tie-dye.  Yesterday, I heard that one of my wall pieces, "Psychedelic" had sold!

Someone has added a bright spot to their lives, and it makes me happy to know it has a new home! 

Shifting gears a little... but not too much!

 As I mentioned in my last post, I've been making some coiled fabric bowls recently, and that carried forward to this post.  I have made some commission pieces, but also have started making some to bring to Arts Connection, and hopefully I will also have some to post on one of my e-commerce pages soon.  Here's one I finished today... if you have been following my blog for awhile, you will recall that I have a "thing" for Autumn Leaves, so each year for several years now, I make several for the season:

And I also love to make covered journals, which are a great gift item:

Some of these are used with scraps of fabric I've accumulated; one has a botanical print that I created last year, then stitched around some of the leaf imprints.  The last one is of a beautiful batik leaf print, combined with a strip of sprigged blue fabric I've had in my stash for at least 20 years!  I love making these, and hope it will keep journal writing alive for at least some budding writers!

On the weather front, we got a temporary reprieve from the unseasonably hot temperatures at least for a couple of days and nights!  A cold front came down from Canada and made me decide to make a big pot of 15 bean soup one night... enough for another dinner, and a couple of lunches!  

Having said all that, I will leave you with a giggle:

Stay safe, but don't forget to laugh!

Some new items I've been working on

 After "retiring" from production mask making earlier this month, I have finally found some time to work on other things which has been a lovely refresher for me.  I'm not into long-term projects, especially those that are repetitive... give me 7 or 8 ideas to chew on simultaneously, and I'm a happy camper!  So here's what I've been working on:

This is a commission bowl for a friend to give as a gift - she loved the autumn leaves on my regular autumn bowls, but wanted it in more of the Desert Sunset colors... gives it a totally different look!  So when I finished hers, I decided to make one to put in the gallery to see if anyone else liked the combination.

Someone on a facebook group I belong to posted a photo of bowls made by Crafty Patti (has a youtube video on how to make them)  and I fell in love with them!  They have no fabric covering the rope, and the painted wood beads (available on amazon.com) are a perfect focal point.  This one is sized to fit a flower pot that has a base of about 4", and I hope to find some artificial succulents I can put in the flower pot to make this a complete piece.  Fast, easy and IMHO, elegant!

This scarf has been a WIP for at least a couple of years!  It was a great project to pick up and crochet a few rows if I was sitting, chatting with friends or watching TV.  I love the soft, muted colors of the yarn... very unlike my normal "ALL COLOR, ALL THE TIME" mode, but I guess my palette has matured just a smidge.

Other than that, I have been doing the paperwork to reset the gallery for our next period, which starts tomorrow.  Sadly, we are losing a couple of artists who are not comfortable being in the gallery to work shifts do to Covid-19, but I'm hoping they will join us again when the virus has been conquered.  But we have some returning artists and a brand new artist coming in, so that will give our visitors new things to enjoy, an perhaps buy!  Once we get everyone set up I will take pictures to share... it's always a treat to see how the gallery looks when we are up and running, and we are able to add Wednesday to our days open this period... 5 days out of 7, that's progress!

Oh, and one more thing... Artists Coalition of Flagstaff has an e-commerce page that I am selling from since about June, and I have been blessed with several sales from the page so far... thanks to all who have browsed, and those who bought as well!  Here's the link if you haven't had a chance to check it out... we have several artists selling there, so it's worth a visit!

https://www.flagstaff-arts.org/the-arts-connection-online-gallery.html