The value of crafting

Sometimes artists and crafters wonder why they work intensely, hour after hour on creations that some can't see the value in. To take the time and skills developed over a long period of time and hone them into creating things for others. Too often for very little financial gain so why do we do it then?
Yesterday reaffirmed for me why I do what I do. I took a play day with a fellow textile artist Gina Lawson and we spend the day with an unfamiliar medium. Clumsy and sloppy at first we heartily laughed off our disasters as learning curves and shared a common goal. Through art play we chatted and both learned so much to take away into our various at forms.
Here is a peek at some of the things we played with.

Life is too short, remember it is important to give your self time to play.

What April already???

I am working on keeping up to date with Heartfelts day to day happenings by attempting the Ultimate Blog challenge.

I think the changes this Spring merit a day to day blog and I am sure the challenge will be good for me. I have started this month in a very productive way and have been sewing felted birdies with beaded wings and button eyes...what's new about that? Well to use my travelling time to better advantage I have been sewing as I travel, no I am not doing the driving but it is hard to sew and not prick your finger on some of the most scenic views in Scotland travelling along the side of Loch Lomond on a rare sunny day.

Now that I have got here the real work has started...rebuilding my new to be workshop, very exciting but at times overwhelming at the sheer enormousness of the task.

March blew in the changes at Heartfelt Studio.

We ventured into a whole new area for us. Hen parties....

These days not everyone’s idea of a good hen party is a boozy night...this was a hen party with a difference. 17 lovely ladies arrived at Heartfelt wearing pinnies and waving feather dusters and were delighted that the theme of the ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ flowed through from the ‘Squirt’ ( the baby yurt ) right through to the food yurt and onto the luxury of the felt filled stove warmed Heartfelt Yurt.

The girls had a toast to the ‘hen’ with the popping of champagne corks in the comfort of the yurt and then headed over to the workshop to begin learning several new skills.

Each ‘hen’ designed and made a felt piece for a large wall hanging for the future Mr. and Mrs. Great fun was had by all the new designers who found the transformation from fluffy wool to felted panel amazing.

Gina Lillycrop designs www.ginalillycropdesigns.co.uk joined forces with Heartfelt to provide 2 tutors of great experience to lead the willing participants in their journey of discovery. Gina demonstrated and assisted with the latest tools for shape cutting from America, The Slice Fabrique . Each lady created their own bag design on their take home ‘goodie bag’.

A welcome break for refreshments and home bakes was blessed with sunshine in the glass dome and yurt. Circular shapes playing a prominent part in the landscape at Heartfelt Studio.

Refreshened , the ladies embellished their felt pictures with felting needles and embellishers and needles and threads. A large selection of buttons for a teddies ear were much appreciated.

The fun and laughter was infectious and everyone was reluctant to head off to the bus that was taking the ‘hens ‘ off to Glasgow on their next part of the adventure...but that is another story...

Heartfelt Studio is willing and very able to provide a very interesting ‘workshop celebration day’ from special birthdays to wedding parties. Email Liz for more details info@heartfeltbyliz.com

Felt Celts were a surprise to the 'hens'

New Lambs...

Early for hill sheep here in Ayrshire but Wednesday saw the birth of our first lambs.Twins with a difference...Daddies of two breeds so two very different lambs.

Mum is a jacob/Llyn and one tup was a pure Llyn and one was a Blue Faced Leicester tup.

The

photos show them at 4 days old and they are very evenly matched size and d

evelopment.

The Blue FL , true to its breed is cheeky and very curious. I do love their nature.

Seems a little while since I posted here

The dark month of Jan. flew by in a blur of activity.

One of my most inspiring and thought provoking projects I have been working with was the Holocost Memorial Day event. South Ayrshire council commissioned mini residencies by several local artists to work in different media in many local schools. I worked with Primary 7 and Secondary 3 years. A total of 35 children and young adults who produced not just some amazing art work but some insight into how 'Speaking Out' ( this years given theme ) is so relevant to their daily lives.

The artwork will be on exhibition from the 7th of March to the 14th of March at Holmston House in Ayr.

I will show more of the varied art work here on the blog. Here is a little taster.

Anam Cara Coat

Why Anam Cara?

It means soul friend and when I reached a point of development of my working art and a visit from my lovely friend Elizabeth from Germany , I realised how much my friends had helped my journey.

This is a cosy felted wrap around made with love...

Senior moments

I promised many of you a blog update of the trip to Philadelphia and the wonderful exhibition at the PMA conference centre but I couldn't remember any of my details and a change over of computers left me stumped. The head must be clearer now and automatic has kicked in so hurrah! I am back.