Well, what's new????

Hi everyone,

I thought I would show you what I have been up to! I was working on my RAW project and was planning on going into the studio the next day too finish my ring when my kitchen pipes decided they had had enough time working at our house....I got a bit stressed when I saw water all over the kitchen floor! Had to shut off the water main and wait for Ed to come home to fix everything....good thing he knows how to do all that! I got a new sink and faucet...yea!!! I hate stainless steel sinks!!! I now have a bigger sink, nice white cast iron, and shepherd's crook faucet...I am so loving it! I didn't care for the water pouring through the studio ceiling and wrecking my ring mandrel and dapping block and various other tools....replaceable, so live and learn. I couldn't go and work in the studio since there was water in the light fixture and we had to let that drain so we wouldn't have problems with the electrical.....so I decided to get going on some new projects for a show in April that I am doing with my good friend, Darlene.

I am trying to continue to work in PMC even though the cost has gone through the roof! So, I have started thinking about making smaller charms and one-sided centerpieces that I could use with bead embroidery. I had also played at Carol's house with her Babylock Embellisher and had some ideas about combining the felt I made with the PMC charms. I have now made three sheets of nuno felt and love the process...I have two pieces drying as I write! I am planning on cutting some of the sheets into pieces big enough to make cell phone purses that customers can pick and choose their fabric, maybe add a charm or two or a centerpiece and then some fabric for the straps. They can add embroidery stitches and some beads and personalize their phone purses. Since I don't a cell phone, I am using mine for business cards, credit cards and keys.... have I am hoping to make some up before the show....(which is the Philly Wire Fest show at Valley Forge Convention Center), I am also making some polymer cabs for bead embroidery and to use on the purses....as soon as I finish one up, I will post a photo. By the way, I will be in the booth next to Twisted Sistah with Darlene of D7 Studios...hope some of you can stop by and say hello. I will be making more felt for the next couple of weeks but I will get back to the rings after the show.

I have saved the good news for last.....I was asked to be one of the jurors for the PMC Annual!!! I was so happy to be asked....Thanks, Tim!! I am in the company of three other people...Celie Fago, my first teacher, Robert Ebendorf and Lorena Angelo. I am excited to see all the photos...I hope I do a good job.

I hope you are all having fun creating....I am going back to the machine....Kelly

the photos are as follows.....the first one is before it was felted and the second photo has been felted and the third photo is the same piece before felting.....I think they will look a bit lighter when they dry and the silk shows up a little better, but I love how soft the colors look!!