Marketplace at Dragonfly - This Sunday in Orange

So, if you can pull yourself away from Vogue Knitting, you should make your way to the Marketplace at Dragonfly Shops and Gardens in Old Towne Orange.


Here's a few of the pieces I'll be bringing to welcome in the fall followed by the show info.

I'm also planning another make and take felted moustache table. Learn to needle felt your own mustache!

Vendors from all over Orange County will be selling their wares: 
Clothing, Vintage Handmade Jewelry, Hats, Bottle Cap Jewelry, Feather Extensions, Button Wraps, Fabric Flowers, Lighted Bottles, Decorative Cake Plates, Shell Art, Gourmet Cookies, Swarovski Crystal Accessories,
Holiday Decorations, Hair Accessories, Home Décor,
Children’s Fashions, Baby Clothing and Accessories, Candles,
Homemade Soaps, Wind chimes, Scarves, Tole Painting, Photography,
Mixed Media Artwork, Potted Succulents, Handmade Wooden Boxes,
Beautiful Butterfly Art, Yard Décor, more Jewerly,
Skin Care Products, Gourmet Food and much more!
Raffle Prizes-No Purchase Necessary

Dragonfly Shops and Gardens
260 North Glassell Street
Orange, CA 92866
714-289-4689
Dragonflyshopsandgardens.com

Fall Felting Classes...

Spent a lot of time with my calendar and I'm happy to announce my Fall Felting Classes.  Locations are TBD... but classes will be in or around the City of Orange.

Wonderful Wisconsin Wool!

While on a family trip to Wisconsin, we went to the County Fair to see our niece, Olyvia's blue ribbon winning 4H cow, Loosy Moosy.

After seeing her beautiful dairy cow, we headed toward the sheep. I met a lovely sheep shearer named Dan, who offered to give me 200 POUNDS of wool. He needed the space, and wanted it to go a happy home. WHAT!!!???

We called him the next day and took a quick field trip to his farm.

This was the only actual sheep he had onsite. She was too old to breed, and he saved her life by giving her a retirement plan. We got a giant bag of her wool in addition to a few bags from sheep of different breeds.

While we were taking pics, my amazing Mother-in-law spun up some of the wool in the car.

Here's some of the Leicester wool straight out of the bag.

Dan told us, we could gently unravel the wool and it would stay together in one piece. Then, we could easily remove the dirtier pieces. he was totally right!

Here's some wool from a Jacob sheep. I am so excited about these colors. 

After we picked out the really dirty chunks, we used my in-laws mini vacuum to suck out the air so the bags would fit on the plane. 

Such a fun adventure! I'm so glad we were able to thank the little Dorset for her wool. She gave a very loud "You're Welcome"

Here we Go! New Classes and another show!

After the fun we had at the shows last week, we are rockin and rollin! Several exciting bits of news...

1.  Molly Made will be participating in Patchwork Santa Ana this Sunday! Please check out the Facebook Event for updates and more details.


PATCHWORK SANTA ANA 
may 29th 2011
11-5pm 2202 north main street * santa ana * ca * 92706 
this event takes place on buffalo street @ main street & in the harvey’s parking lot in the middle of the street




2.  I discovered the sweetest little shop in Fullerton called Belly Sprout! And I'll be teaching a  Mommy and Me Felted Soap Making Class there on June 17th. Belly Sprout features organic eco friendly goodness for babies, toddlers and moms. And, they have the cutest Craft Show display ever!

This pic is from their website. I don't believe the stilt walkers were around when I saw them at Patchwork. But, they add a nice touch.

3.  Molly Made will be joining forces with The Orange County School of Domestic Arts!  This great group of crafters and cookers are here in the OC and ready to get domestic on you! There's so much to be gained by checking out this group.

Here's a few of their upcoming classes - I'm teaching the class on July 2nd : )

July 2nd - Noon
FELTED SOAP CLASS
GOOD FOR ALL AGES
Class is located in Orange
$20 plus $10 material fee
Email MollyMadeMe@gmail.com for reservations



Sunday, June 26, 2-4pm
DELICIOUS CHEESE GIFTS
This workshop will cover two different, totally homemade cheese projects you can produce with inexpensive, readily available items to treat your family and friends. Learn to make your own butter (no churn involved) and flavor it with herbs. Create a tasty goat milk chevre and marinate it in garlic-infused olive oil. You will be the life of the potluck when you say that you made your cheese from scratch, and everyone loves a cheese-y gift! 
Event cost: $55. Email info@occheesemaker.com for reservations.















Sun. June 26th, 11am, Sat. July 23rd, 11am & Sat. Aug. 13th, 11am
Homemade Beauty Basics, 
Learn how to keep your beauty regimen toxin-free in this DIY balms, scrubs, screens and soaks session. All students receive a pencil-tip facial and a tube of homemade lip balm.
Event Cost: $50

Craft Show Wrap Up

I participated in two great craft shows last weekend. The Art Craw Experience (ACE) in Anaheim and Patchwork in Long Beach. I had such a great time spreading the knowledge of felt making and getting a few kiddos on the spinning wheel! 

I was so happy with my new display grid. While it's not super quirky or eclectic... It is SO FUNCTIONAL! I love love love it. If you are in Orange County and looking for display pieces I highly recommend the Orange Pico Supply Store in Anaheim. 

Add some fiber to the table this thanksgiving

My needle felted pumpkin workshop at The Sheared Sheep Yarn Shop was a huge success. 12 people showed up and each pumpkin was adorable and unique!

Fibery Pumpkins in all sizes are so sweet. I think they'll be perfect for our Thanksgiving Table!  You can get them too at Patchwork in Long Beach on the Sunday the 21st!

Just in time for Thanksgiving!

NEEDLE FELTED PUMPKIN WORKSHOP

NOVEMBER 6TH 

12:30

THE SHEARED SHEEP

2675 IRVINE AVE #E

COSTA MESA, CA 92627

(949) 722-7977

COME TO THE SHEARED SHEEP ON NOV. 6TH AT 12:30 AND LEARN TO MAKE YOUR OWN LITTLE FELTED PUMPKIN JUST IN TIME FOR THANKSGIVING.  

FOR 25$ YOU WILL RECEIVE ALL OF THE MATERIALS AND TOOLS NEEDLED TO MAKE 2 SOFT LITTLE PUMPKINS!

WINTER BLAST

Hi All!

Crazy Crazy busy right now - but wanted to let you know I'll be at a craft show tomorrow in

Astoria! I'll have LOADS of great pieces that would make fantastic gifty-poos! Here's the info -

WINTER BLAST HOLIDAY HANDMADE MARKETWhere: Cretan’s Association Banquet Hall, 32-33 32nd St between Broadway and 34th Ave; Astoria, Queens (astoriaevents@gmail.com)
When: Sunday, December 13, 10:30am–4:30pm
Why go: More than 40 crafters will hawk everything from soy candles and stationery to crocheted goods and clothes.
What to buy: Soap that Makes Scents pumpkin-scented body soufflé soap whip ($5.75); Lithos Du Monde handmade pink rock ring ($60); First Floor Down Productions Exodus h

oodi

e with ax blade and turkey feathers graphic ($75); and Kokalaki Jewelry’s sterling silver chain convertible necklace that can be worn as a lariat or a choker ($28).
Don’t miss: Bumpin’ beats courtesy of DJ Teddy Boom Boom, and cookies, cupcakes and brownies priced to move at $2–$4

and a few of my newest items -

CROCHET..... A HOUSE?

I have been crazy busy and loads of blog ideas have been flying through my head. Today, however, I came across something that I HAD to blog about NOW.

My ridiculously cool sister forwarded me an email from a mutual friend. The subject of this email was "Do you know what a Yurt is?" I knew it sounded familiar and as I read the email I remembered I had recently heard about Yurts. First, at the Fashioning Felt exhibit I blogged about a few weeks ago, and in one of the many CraftyPod episodes I listened to this weekend.

According to Wikipedia "A yurt is a portable, felt-covered, wood lattice-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia." For a more detailed description check out the full entry.

I read the email and instantly teared up with excitement! Kate Pokorny is embarking on an amazing task. She is going to CROCHET A FULL SIZED YURT!

Here's a small description from her site http://YurtAlert.com

"Historically, Mongolian nomads made felt for their yurts via a labor intensive process that still required an internal structure at the end of the day.

My project is to take that design a step further and make a locally-sourced (local to New Hampshire), self-supporting crocheted yurt out of hand-felted cording approximately 1.5 – 2 inches thick."

Her process looks so fantastic!

She met the sheep...

Felted the wool into a giant cord...

She even whittled her own Crochet hook!

After felting the cord she realized that it would take a tree sized hook so she's decided to crochet the yurt with her HANDS. I've been made fun of by my family for crocheting a hat with my fingers. So, I can't wait to tell them someone else is as crazy as I am.

It's going to take a LOT of wool to make a full blown Yurt. So... Kate is accepting donations. If you'd like to help check out her project countdown and donation page at Kickstart.com.

If you can't tell... I am SUPER excited about seeing this project unfold. No Wait... better yet... FOLD, into lots of lovely knots that make a house : )

Feeling the Felt

I've had several interesting experiences with felt this month. I'll post more throughout the week. For now, here's a few pics from an amazing exhibit called Fashioning Felt at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, in NYC.

The exhibit closes September 7th. If you love fiber, I'm telling you, GO!

At last... the begining

This is one of my first Dance Recitals.....

This is my first show at The Music Room. I played Peter Pan : )

     About a year ago my fiance and I started formulating a plan..... I call it our 10 year plan, but we really have no time limit set.  Our plan is to open our own Dance/Music/Theatre studio for children(and adults) with a yarn store/coffee shop/performance space attached. Now... I know this is a gigantic plan.  BUT, I really think we can make it happen!

      When I was a kid, I went to a musical theatre studio called The Music Room School of Performing Arts.  My Mom always called it "The Church of the Music Room", because it was such a great source of positivity and happiness as we were growing up. There were no religious affiliations, it just kept us happy and kept us out of trouble.  The studio had two large dance rooms, a few smaller piano rooms, and a lobby with a few chairs.  Many of the parents would sit in the lobby while we were in class, but there wasn't much there to keep them busy.  Other parents would hang in their cars, in the parking lot.  How great would it have been if the parents could have been sitting in a LYS, taking their own class next door! Crocheting, Knitting or Felting while your children hone their craft! 

      What's better than spreading more love of art, and craftiness?  Food and drink while you work on what you love (or while you do homework).  We want to have a cafe with sandwiches, salads, juice, smoothies, tea and fresh roasted coffee.  When I was a student at The Music Room, the studio shared a parking lot with a Carl's Junior.  Somehow, we ended up spending most of our homework time between classes at this fast food joint. They had a salad bar, and the employees were all very nice.  But, I can't help but thinking how nice it'd be to have had a little cafe next door that was run by the fantastic couple who owned The Music Room (Sharon and Lee Westenhoffer).  

      And... how about a more "grown-up" cafe/wine/cheese bar at night.  In our wildest dreams of this complex, we see a small performance space.  How great to have a venue for our friends (and students) to share their music. I'd love to teach our students how to put together their own songs,  sets, or even full evenings of music.  

      In addition to taking many classes at The Music Room, I started teaching there when I was 16.  I continued to teach there all the way through college.  I so clearly remember the day I finally confessed that I just couldn't manage to continue teaching while pursuing my own career as a performer.  Boy... was that convo filled with a lot of tears.  I loved teaching and, while I feel so lucky to be a WORKING ACTRESS, I know I want to teach again someday.  My fiance also has several years of teaching experience.  He worked with an AMAZING nonprofit called First Stage Children's Theatre,  and the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.  I could go on and on about those studios, but I'll save that for a later post. 

     I am so grateful for the millions of hours I spent at The Music Room. It provided a fantastic foundation for a fearless imagination and a place to work on my craft in a supportive, loving environment.  I'm even more excited about the idea of providing future generations with a similar playground.