SILK BROOCHES

 From my large stash of ikat dyed silk yarn (some dating back to the early 80's when I first started making the brooches), I meticulously wrap and wrap and wrap. It takes me approximately 20 minutes to wrap each individual unit.  I use archival black core matte board and have my framer cut the board into an assortment of small shapes.

 
Once the wrapping is complete, I assemble the piece by gluing to a matte board backing and attaching a pin back.

 I can't tell you how much pleasure I get from creating these miniature works of art. The fact that I continue to produce a limited number of extremely labor-intense pieces (at an affordable price), speaks of a labor of love.

CRAFTY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN

START FROM WHERE YOU ARE!
Although many things have happened since my last post, in Blogland one can only move forward--especially with the holidays fast approaching. This is just one of several gifty ideas I will be presently in the next several days.

My friend, John, calls these "smalls". I call them "thrumballs", (thrums are the yarns left at the end of a weaving). When I was weaving with chenille, I had LOTS of thrums. When I was watching a lot of TV, I used to tie my thrums together and reuse the yarn. 

 

The sparkly stuff in just a little bling. These ornaments are fabulous anywhere. Don't they look divine on my collection of mullen.

So for the first time in several years I am participating in a holiday sale---one of six All-Star Artists appearing for the first time at the fabulous China Woods (one day only!) December 7, from 11-5 (click on link for location)

Like snowflakes, each one is unique and make the perfect gift! And there are 108 ornaments to choose from Why 108, you ask (or maybe you didn't ask, but here it is anyway).

ON TO THE NEXT THING

New Camera, New House, New Class, New Show

But not necessarily in that order!


First let me mention my upcoming class at John C Campbell Folk School. The class runs from Sunday September 16th- Saturday September 22nd and is called Color Horoscope Weaving---the Ultimate Color Experience. (INTERESTINGLY AS I AM WRITING THIS, I SEE A DOUBLE RAINBOW OUT THE WINDOW!) This will surely not be the last time I mention the class, however. I have been trying to figure out a way to put the class in my sidebar, but I memory of how to do that escapes me today. I will have a run at it tomorrow.

Unfortunately my new camera arrived AFTER I went up to see how the Poetry Wall was settling in. My friend Marti took a wonderful picture of the piece, but I haven't been able to capture the image. Our computers are not speaking to one another. But I did want to show you the reason I decided to get a new camera. Notice the attractive green line on the left side of the image below. I was able to crop it out in the image above.


When I get a great image, I will include the statement that accompanies the piece.

Below are TALKING THREADS ---more on that later as well.


Now to a view of my new place. I am still surrounded by boxes yet to be unpacked, but the good and bad news is there is lots of room.

So not only do I have a green line, but the whole lighting thing was off. The new camera, a Nikon Coolpix 7100, has many more bells and whistles (and an on-line manual which I have yet to begin to study), but I charged up the battery, popped in my old memory card and snapped the pic below. The purple blanket under Gary is just so I can slide him around easily until I settle on the perfect placement. Gary and Grace are now very close although you will notice each has a separate room (grin)... Also the good and bad news is there is plenty of room for more looms

Fifteen Mintues of Fame

Here is a lovely article about me in the Missoula paper. Unfortunately they wanted to have the photographer come take my picture at the very moment when the movers arrived.

To top it off, my camera has become quite ill, so there are no pictures yet of the show, but soon.....

New camera is on the way!

New Show at the Hangin Art Gallery

So besides moving (during a hail storm) and sitting in the middle of a mountain of boxes, I am the featured artist in a show opening on Saturday. Now to stop unpacking and posting, and get busy writing my artist statement. I think I am even going to be in the newspaper. Wouldn't you know that my 15 minutes of fame would come at a time when I can't find where I packed my toothbrush (grin)

Upcoming Woven Paper Exhibit

WHERE WEAVING AND PAPER MEET

By

BONNIE TARSES

Woven Collage, Virtual Wall Quilts, Kaleidoscopic Woven Images

including works by participating artists and students

from workshops presented over the last decade,

“a puzzle with no wrong pieces”

Presented by: Noteworthy Paper & Press

101 S Higgins Ave Missoula, Mt 59802

First Friday December 2 from 5-8 PM

Show Running through December

Hours: | open mon-sat 10-6 406.541.6683

Silk Ikat Brooches at Hangin Art Gallery

The Killdeer Artisans Guild will present their Holiday Exhibit with an artist reception October 29th from 2-4 PM.

I decided to make some of my ikat jewelry. Below are a dozen brooches posing with a quarter in the lower left to give an idea of the actual size of the pieces.

I first started creating wrapped silk jewelry back in the 80's. Somewhere in the vast store of slide trays, I have many images of examples (to be scanned one day).

Each segment is wrapped in a manner I have perfected over the years.



I couldn't resist posing the jewelry pieces along with some of my woven images.


I can't decide whether or not the background adds to the effect or takes away from the piece.


Here they are mounted and ready to go. (except that I ended up taking the busy background away from half of them) I will see which ones are left over.


I only made a dozen as the space is limited in the gallery, but I am prepared to make more. If you are interested in purchasing these amazing little gems, please contact Hangin Art Gallery

Peggy Osterkamp Does it Again!

Whether you are a new weaver or an experienced weaver, a weaving student or a weaving teacher here is a must have new book for your library! WEAVING FOR BEGINNERS (an illustrated guide) by Peggy Osterkamp

I can't say enough positive things about Peggy's latest book. It tells absolutely everything all wonderfully organized, beautifully illustrated and clearly written. For anyone who wants to learn how to weave, get this book. Weaving for Beginners serves as the perfect text book for teachers. There are hundreds of permanent classroom demonstrations students can refer to at home.

I found myself (after 50 years of weaving) saying over and over as I turned the pages---"Oh, that's how you do it!"

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks (grin)

Peggy will be signing books in the Cotton Clouds booth #417 and the Lone Star Room at Convergence.

A Wonderful Birthday Gift

This card was waiting for me when I got home from the most amazing NIA class I have ever experienced.

Dear Bonnie,
For the past six years the Olympia Weavers Guild has participated in the Puyallup Fair's Sheep to Shawl. This past fall we decided to use the information you presented in your WeaveZine article, Turned-Weft Ikat for our design inspiration and the multitudinous hues present in hydrangeas for the color inspiration.

We had so much fun wrapping and tying and dying that warp. Fair-goers were fascinated with the project and the finished shawl was quite simply beautiful.

Each year after the Fair we print up cards showing the draft we used, colors, and the completed shawl. Sine you were so much a part of this project, I wanted to send you a picture of the completed piece.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge so freely! We won first place!

Sincerely, Olympia Weavers Guild

Here is Tami modeling the freshly completed shawl at the fair---September 2009


This was the very first I had heard about this, and the news couldn't have come at a more perfect moment.

All in all, it was the best birthday I have ever had! Thank you all for your birthday wishes. They were the delicious icing on the virtual cake.

Hang Tags and Inventory

Thursday is the sale, but preparing items to bring to the sale can be quite an involved task.

Since each little sachet is unique and has a "story", I realized I needed to create a hang tag to explain about the recycled cashmere and woven words and a little about me. This decision came to me too late to hire a graphic designer, and I don't have (or if I do I don't know how to use) a graphics program on my computer-----so I resorted to cut and paste.


Above is the outside, and below is the inside. I decided to have the tag fold vertically. I will let you know how that works out.

I also knew that I could go to Kinkos and have them print it out on card stock, but for some reason I felt compelled to print it at home.
Because I have used somewhat thinner paper than card stock, the results are not as spiffy as they could be---rather homey. I have to say it took some effort to get the back and front to match. Here they are folded and ready for the next step.


The Seattle Weavers Guild Sale is not set up in booths but rather departments. (rugs, clothing, scarves etc) Because of this, each person must fill out an inventory tag and 2 copies of an inventory sheet.

Ninty hang tags ready to go. The next step is to attach each tag to the sachet, so off I go to do that.

Oh Did I Mention My Article in Handwoven?

The article features directions for weaving Mary Meigs Atwater's horoscope (pictured above on the loom). To purchase a copy of the magazine, click here.

For those of you who have ordered a draft of your own horoscope, I am currently awaiting the return of Mary's horoscope weaving from Interweave Press. Each order will include a 2" strip of this weaving.

For those of you who have yet to order your own horoscope weaving, you will also receive a 2" strip of the Mary Meigs Atwater weaving while the supply lasts.

For those of you who just want the 2" strip, the price is $15 and a stamped self addressed envelope.

Percolation

CASHMERE/BAMBOO GREETING CARDS

I have so many ideas in my head and projects started that I haven’t known where to begin to write about it. Let me just pick up any old thread and follow it today, and see where it takes me.

Before I begin, let me say once again that I have 2 meme awards that I haven’t posted. I will continue to delay on them although my thanks to (fill in the blanks). I am sincerely grateful to both of you and will acknowledge them properly before the month is over.

WOVEN IMAGE PHOTO GREETING CARDS

One of my percolation projects is to set up an Etsy Store. I have been mulling this over for at least a year, perhaps longer, but finally I decided what I was going to sell---greeting cards using woven images and woven lavender sachets. When I used to participate in crafts fairs and shows back in the 90’s, I started making greeting cards just to have some inexpensive item to sell.

TWENTY-ONE CARD STYLE GROUPS

Over the years, I have created hundreds of designs. I decided to hand produce a line of 24 cards and to use the Sacramento Weavers to market test which designs to use.

SACRAMENTO WEAVERS MARKET TESTING GREETING CARDS

I made up 100 different cards and asked those who wished to select their favorite card. If they could have one card, which one would they choose. I asked them to put their name and address on a post-it and stick it on the back of their first choice, and I would send them their cards.

When I returned home I discovered 53 people selected 29 styles which I whittled down to 24 designs which is the number I wanted. There were 5 I took out of the line because they were either too difficult to duplicate or they were so individual they didn’t fit into a grouping.

Like so many of my bright ideas, my 53 “gifts” turned out to be much more effort than I had imagined. Happily I mailed the last 6 off today! Now I can turn my attention to actually making them up. Pictures of the complete line to follow.

Now I have to decide what to call my “store”.

POSSIBLE NAMES:

1. Bonnie’s Weaving Spirit Store
2. Bonnie Tarses Designs
3. Bodacious Bonnie’s Bodega
4. Outstanding Moral Fiber Emporium

Thoughts and comments appreciated.

Award!

Peg has done me the honor of nominating me for the Kreativ Blogger award.

Accepting this award means following some rules:

1. copy the Kreativ Blogger award to your blog
2. put a link to the person from whom you received the award
3. nominate 8 other blogs and
4. link to them
5. then leave a message on the blogs you nominated

Here are the eight bloggers I have selected in no particular order.

Constance Rose Designs

Woven~N~Spun

Buy-a-thread

Artistic Artifacts

Bonnie Samuel Designs

t'katch

NZ flax weaving

Argoknot

New Workshop: Gamping With Bonnie

I have been working on variations of Gamping With Bonnie for over a decade. I used to call the workshop Color Horoscope Weaving. In CHW, the students would painstakingly create a winding draft from their personal horoscope and then wind their warp with 20/2 cotton which I provided. Then they would leave with their warps in hand to go home and thread their looms and weave. I discovered that 50% of the students never did weave their shawls, and I never got to see the weaving in progress or finished weavings.

Brainstorm! What if students gathered their own yarn, wound the warp at home where they could take their time and consentrate, threaded the loom and came to the workshop all ready to weave? Wouldn't this be more fun for everyone?

What I hoped:
1. Students would experiment with various wefts seeing other people's weaving in progress.
2. Students would learn about yarn and color selection.
3. I would be certain students would complete their weaving.
4. Students would have a fount of ideas for future weaving projects based on the same draft.



Hem stitching---something I have never done, but think is a great thing to do and plan to learn how to do it one day.

Susan, one of the happy weavers, experiments with weft colors.


And Carol actually finished her Color Horoscope Weaving!


All too soon everyone folded up their looms and went home.

I learned a lot about small looms. I was impressed by the variety of portable looms out there. If you have a workshop loom that you totally love, I would love to know.

I am still recovering from my birthday celebration---actually I am still celebrating, so goodbye for now.

The Other Mary Black

I can't imagine that anyone who reads my blog doesn't also read and listen to WeaveCast, but just in case you haven't and don't...I would like to plug the current episode "The Other Mary Black".
Since I am also the sponsor of this episode (#34) and was interviewed on #9, I can hardly say enough good things about this wonderful resource for weavers and weaving lovers.

I met Mary Black the same day I met Virginia Harvey. They were best friends for years and years until Virginia passed away. I had read and treasured Virginia's books and also Mary Black's, but Mary was quick to tell me that she was the other Mary Black. Although she was never "famous" in her own right, she knew everybody in the weaving world and was there at the birth of HGA. I am happy to say that she is my friend too.

Birthday Postposed Due to Lack of Interest

Have you ever had a great idea? And then had 10 great ideas? And soon there were so many ideas swirling around in your brain that you could hardly brush your teeth and get dressed in the morning?

Birthday Wish Collage entitled: ONE WORLD WEAVERS.

I had lots of great ideas about my upcoming birthday, but one by one I have let them go. The reason for this is I am once again getting ready to leave town. I am heading to Santa Fe to do a kind of "trunk show" at Body of Santa Fe
I say "kind of" because most trunk shows have lots of products to sell on the spot, and I will be taking orders for Color Horoscope Weavings. I am in the process of putting together a brochure to hand out to potential and will leave in their gift shop that will remind everyone just how wonderful my weavings are and why they need to have one.

Have you ever made a brochure? Well, this will be my third one. The other two were focused on my workshops, and there is nothing in them I can use for this one. What has stopped me in my tracks has always been what to call what I do. I have spend over 20 years trying out different names, and I keep coming back to Color Horoscope Weaving. I have been playing around with Moment in Time Weaving and Twelve Treasures Astrology Weaving. (I now believe Twelve Treasures sounds too much like Chinese food and Moment in Time seems vague)The funny part is I just clicked on the Body's link and they already have published my little story and the title Color Horoscope Weaving. Kind of a moot point:-)

Now I have to get busy and have some woven samples to give potential customers an idea of what they can order. Those of you who sell your work will understand what a great challenge it is to sell a weaving that the customer can't see before they purchase. I do make it clear that I totally guarantee their satisfaction. I have only had to reweave a shawl on two different occasions ;-0

For both purely educational and entertainment values, I will be posting a lot right up to flight time---3/14

Saori in New York

I am so excited about attending the upcoming Saori Conference!
A good picture is worth a thousand words. I copied this picture from the Saori New York Website, and couldn't figure out how to make it any bigger. Check out this beautiful website. They have many fabulous pictures.
I will have lots more to say about Saori weaving when I return.
Click here for other Saori links.

Promotional Considerations

One of the things that has slowed down my weaving progress this week was the need to complete and send out a portfolio displaying the Color Horoscope Weaving. I procrastinated on it a couple of months, and finally had to just do it. First I had to locate and order archival quality black sleeve inserts and archival plastic sleeves from Light Impressions.


I poured through my thousands of digital images and selected 60 or so and printed them out myself with my Cannon Pixma MP500. It's been working really well for me this past year, and the learning curve isn't very steep at all. I just checked the Cannon website, and it seems a year old printer is less than half the price is was! (although the ink is still just as expensive)


I know it is possible and probably better in every way to do the whole layout on photoshop, but I certainly have no idea how to do that. I haven't gotten beyond "cut and paste" (cut with scissors and paste with a dry adhesive by Bainbridge). When I finished, I had 23 pages and scanned them all.


These are just a few of the pages that appealed to me this evening. Since they are scanned, they are not as sharp and clear as the originals. Having the scanned copies will make it easier to duplicate by hand or have them printed in the future. The background paper really is black, not the strange dark reddish color.

The good news is I shipped it off on Friday. Funny how that nagging backache that had bothered me these past couple months just seemed to disappear as I walked home from the UPS shipping station. Now I just have to wait and see what sprouts from these digital seeds.