Multitasking

Talk about multi-tasking...

Even now, as I write this, I am being the consummate felting multi-tasker. I am listening to an audio book on my computer that is engaging of plot and amusing in the reading. I am fulling a new batch of felt (my third today) under my feet by rolling my bubble wrapped bundle of felt on a towel under the table while my husband looks on in horror. And finally, I am writing this missive to you. Not bad on a lazy lovely Sunday. I am busily making flat felt to turn into flowers for a little exhibition at the local library....hopefully I will have enough to fill the case and make it interesting.

Been gone a long time...

I haven't posted in a long while, and I admit that I feel really guilty about that. I have my excuses and you probably don't want to hear them...but here we go anyway. I recently costumed another show at a local college (Dowling College), a production of "Little Shop of Horrors". This was a fabulous and rewarding experience. I really enjoyed working with a group of older actors who conducted themselves in a highly professional manner, as well as working with a director who really appreciated what good costuming could bring to a production. It was hard work, but worth it. And I got paid....which was also nice.

Then I did a "Sheep to Shawl" festival where I demonstrated felting all day. This was a fun day, as the sun was shining for a change and I managed to not only educate many people about the range of things that can be done with felt, but also sunburned my HANDS. Yes....just my hands. That is what happens when you wear a long shirt, floppy hat and sunscreen, but have your hands in soapy water all day in the sun.

I did hand out a few business cards and actually got a couple of convo's regarding some of my items which I had for perusal at the demo. Unfortunately, I think that when I mentioned price, it scared off some prospective buyers. I fear that is what often happens in the land of the handcrafted. Folks love the idea of a thing, but when they discover that the thing they love took 26 hand hours to create and (gosh) actually had material costs involved and so will have a price aligned with that fact, they no longer love the item so much. It is tragic, but I won't be a sad crafter who feels compelled to lower my prices just to move that item off my shelf. My integrity is worth more than that....thank you very much.

I am also busy making some new felt for an exhibit at a local library. I will keep more posted on this as it comes available.

Video Essay: Green everyday

I know that I haven't been blogging as much about my art...which I am getting back to, BTW. But as spring comes, I am moved to think more and more about the environment, which is something that we think about all the time here. So I put together this little video essay with a few of the little things (beyond what I have already written about in this blog) that we do around here to be green)




Enjoy! (Comments are always appreciated)

Ranting till my face is Green

primordial, originally uploaded by Marysusan.

It is Earth Day...which is sweet and all...but I find the whole "one day a year" of it mildly insulting.

I was reading my newspaper this weekend (Yes, I still get a newspaper. And yes, I either compost or recycle it) and there were tons of ads for "Green" products and businesses.

Come on people. Get real. What percentage of the public actually falls for this wholesale greenwashing that is being trotted out more and more and passed off to general consumers like it is environmentalism. Piss off.

If you care about the environment, you care all year....that is 365 days in my book (366 this year...you get an extra day of care-y goodness) not one day where you proclaim all your evils to be for naught.

I'm sick of it and I'm not going to take it anymore. If you pretend to be "green" then I am not going to be spending my dollars with you. Hey big company, know how we can tell you are an impostor? You use the word "GREEN" on your products of advertising and have done so either:
a: just around earth day
b: within the last year but are not a new company
c: and you are a petroleum company. There are no green petroleum companies...so that horse has flown the barn so to speak.

Also....don't insult me by coloring all your advertising green. It doesn't mean the stuff you make or sell is. You really should be ashamed of yourself. You know who you are.

If you are going to talk the talk, big businesses, walk the f-ing walk.

I'm done ranting for now. I think that I will go make some stuff that I don't have to label "green"...because handmade is just that by it's nature.

white curl earrings

white curl earrings, originally uploaded by Marysusan.

Curly....white....fun. I love the assymetry and the movement in these. They are fun, springy, and great for spring. They weigh almost nothing. And will be up for sale very soon on my etsy page.

aqua necklace

aqua necklace, originally uploaded by Marysusan.

My newest creation over at etsy. This felted necklace has been treated so that all those hard edges will remain nice and sharp. The glass beads that I used as spacers are absolutely delicious, and I have to admit that I was tempted to keep them for myself. I also used some cute cute cute green polka dot glass beads around the back of the necklace, so that it would feel nice and smooth against your neck.

There you go. It is for sale in my etsy shop. Go get it.

pink earrings

pink earrings, originally uploaded by Marysusan.

Now hear this: I am branching out into earrings.

I had all these end bits from the felt ropes that I make to create the hard beads for the "Bullseye Bones" necklaces. I finally figured that they would make great earrings.

So here they are...and they are for sale in my Etsy Shop.

They kind of look like tiny hams, don't they?