Wednesday, May 19, 2010

experimentation

unfolding the first ice flower dye experiment using hollyhocks and calendula
as it dried, it became muted. not bad, just muted. a different aesthetic. i am waiting a few days before i change things by checking for wash fastness. 
i first started messing around with rust and other ways of marking fabric and threads several years ago, but as purely experiment. i was shocked when other artists were interested in what i was messing around with. and in the finished pieces. sometimes i would take, say, a bundle of handmade papers someplace. i'd wrap them in a dyed/patterned cloth. often people would like the cloth as much as the papers! 


so, i have been contemplating opening a store here, and wanted to mention the thought is in my mind. i have made a couple of sales through this very simple blog already. for me the learning curve is steep, and i may give up before i get there. but it's in my head... 
i will continue to work on the next shifu pieces and books, they are piled around as i attempt to get through the last six weeks of school. if you have any thoughts i'd appreciate hearing from you.


ps look at what jenna writes about sheep: www.coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com

18 comments:

  1. Velma, I certainly think you are inspired with your dyes and other things you create and seem to enjoy the process. Following your passion with a shop of some kind can be a great idea if you also have the personality for that arena of self employed work and can spare the time without sacrificing the part you most enjoy... Vision forward to what you really want and would bring you the most satisfaction. Maybe start with an on-line shop or sell through an intermediary or two to climb the learning curve. Maybe you could travel around and teach some classes to promote your shop and/or test the interest to purchase? I would take you to Ozette!

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  2. run over it with a warm iron before you dunk it
    pressing tends to improve the washfastness of flower dyes...

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  3. omigod. i saw your ozette post. wow. i'm there!!!

    i do teach a bit, locally at all levels in fiber/paper/book art, as well as my alternative high school (day job) program. i'd like to supplement my income but more, i'd like to get more of my work out there. the local venues are great, but few.

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  4. good luck with the shop.
    don't know if you're aware, but blogger offers a pages application. you can add as many as 10 right there at your blog.

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  5. beautiful, beautiful.... and I would encourage you to open a store and see how it works out for you, yes, of course x

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  6. A shop would be a good idea - I have a bit of experience with Both Etsy and ArtFire and could spill my brains at you about both of them sometime if you like. I need to look into that blogger pages thing that niki mentions. I've been wanting to get my own website (even went so far as to purchase my own url) but haven't had time to actually approach the problem efficiently.

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  7. Velma! Thank you for commenting on my blog and now I can find you!! Love your blog and pictures--there is something so restful here. xo Cait

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  8. Love the hollyhock! I'm going to be out in the garden chanting at mine to grow fast. :)

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  9. velma, i am repeating myself, but....
    i don't know how many "me s" there are out
    here, but i think quite a few. Without going
    into detail, i am very limited in what i
    can find around me and choose not to travel
    to say, Santa Fe, Taos. I also much prefer
    to connect with someone i have come to know
    by visiting their "house" (blog), seeing
    how they have chosen to live this Life.
    I would be so happy to come to your shop to
    find what i want/need. I really wish you would.

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  10. Those colors are just beautiful... I hope they don't fade in the wash.

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  11. the colors have already faded some, that's why i took the pic when i first opened the bundle. i will iron as per india's instruction, then rinse.

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  12. Love, love, love the bruise-purple colors.

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  13. me, too, but they fade some, like bruises.

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  14. Muted or not, the purples are quite rare and very nice. And I'd encourage you to open a shop. You could just try and see how you like it.

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