Nature Friends

New dolls have been added to my Amanda May Shop this evening.

This one is my new favorite:



He comes from the forest, obviously, and is clearly descended from royalty (notice the crown and decorated staff). I think he is ready for an adventure...

Fall Festivals

I started writing this a few days ago, when I got home from the first fall Arts Festival. And then I probably fell asleep, since that is pretty much all I was good for the last few evenings. I am currently back in Stowe, getting set up for our second festival! The good times never end! But here is a bit about the first one...


We are right in the middle of the Fall Arts Festivals. The first was this past weekend, the Hildene Fall Arts Festival in Manchester, Vt. - the same place where the Southern Vermont festival was held in August.


I got a rough start on Thursday - setup day -, becoming ridiculously lost on my way to pick up cheese for the new Vermont Cheese, Beer, and Sausage Tent. After 45 minutes of back and forth and all around (in my defense, the construction worker I asked for directions sent in the completely wrong direction), I found the cheese and then had a lovely 2 hour drive to the festival grounds. Turns out the cheese selection was Bonne Bouche and Chevre. Stinky! It was a gorgeous trip, however, through the flaming red and gold Green Mountains.


By the time I got there, the rain and wind had also arrived and the temperature was cold cold cold! This general nastiness continued through Friday, but a surprising number of people braved the weather and came to the show. The die-hard Art Festival Patrons! We applaud you!



Saturday the wind was still around and the cold hadn't given up either, but we had loads of people! I worked the front gate, and man was it busy! When I finally took a break, I could hardly walk through the tents because there were so many people. It makes me so very happy that so many will come to an Arts Festival. And they come from a long ways away too - 2 or 3 hours often!



Sunday was quieter, but still busy. We ran out of show programs in the afternoon and some customers were annoyed, but what could we do? We printed several thousand copies! I guess that's just a sign of a successful show!



I headed out Sunday evening pretty much as soon as the gates closed. A benefit of being festival administration is I don't have to hang around for the cleanup. Instead I get to go to work in the office early the next morning, to get ready for the next show!


This festival certainly tired me out, but I also feel more on top of things than at the summer shows. I know how we work now - I have some experience - and when I answer questions they can actually be helpful answers instead of only pointing out someone else to ask.



The closing moments of the festival were graced with a fabulous rainbow that truly and honestly ended right in our parking lot. I was too tired to go collect the pot of gold.

New Taste of Stowe Arts Festival!

This weekend all the work of the last seven months starts to pay off - our first Art Festival of the Season! If you are local, please do come by, there are some really amazing artists and artisans selling their work, and the food is going to be simply incredible. The show is in Stowe, Vermont, a top-quality resort town for those unfamiliar with the area, and several of said resorts will be attending the show, offering spa treatments and gourmet menu samples. If you are in the area, you can visit craftproducers.com for details.

We are so hoping for these crazy thunderstorms to pass on by!

Busy Days!

It seems that in the Spring things just get busy. I don't even really have that much to do, but if I am not outside enjoying the days somehow, I feel that I am missing out.

That said, I spent quite a lot of Sunday asleep on the sofa. Day of rest and so forth...


One inside (mainly) thing I was able to accomplish in the last few days was finishing up a couple little needle felted dolls for listing in the shop. They are very sweet, I am especially fond of the green polka-dotted jumpsuit.

Another little lady in the Shop!

She's about 3.5 inches tall, spunky and pretty and ready to venture forth! Visit her at amandamay.etsy.com!

New Dolls and Old

My little shop is back in business. It was never actually closed, but it was sadly neglected for a while there while other things took precedence. Things will do that.

Some are new and some have been around a while. This gentleman was introduced quite some time ago, but he was waiting for his wife to return from her hair procedure before he ventured into real public life. As it turns out, the hair problem was somewhat more complicated than expected and I am afraid our friend got a bit fed up. He actually hardly knew the woman, it was more a marriage of convenience, so don't feel bad for them. Someday perhaps she will get some hair and then she too will wander out into the world. As it is, the dear man is waiting a smidgen impatiently for someone to offer him some new adventure...

My dear dancing lady has also been listed. She has been a regular around the studio for a while now, just gadding about. But I am afraid she has become a tad bored with me. I don't blame her, I'm hardly here these days what with work and the dog and the nice Spring weather, and she's getting restless. So off she goes!



And then there are some simple Waldorfian-ish finger puppets. These little princesses were a means of mental relief for me from the lengthy process of the needle felted dolls. Where those are time consuming and detail oriented, these are relatively basic and wip up in a very satisfactory instant-gratification sort of way. And they have such sweet character in their simplicity. These sweethearts just plain make me happy!

Hot Glass

While I was in Tucson I dug out the copper enamel supplies and spent two days thoroughly engaged in pendant, wine charm and mini-platter making. This is a magical medium, where fairly dull glass dust and small pieces of copper are placed in an oven and something mysterious and wonderful happens and jewels emerge. It is truly amazing.


And - should I admit this? - it actually takes very little talent because it is really quite difficult to make something that does not turn out beautiful. And if something is not to ones liking, a little more glass can be added and back into the oven it goes! A constant amazement and surprise - nothing ever turns out the same twice in a row. One can have an approximation of what will happen, and there are plenty of people with incredible patience who make all sorts of intricate designs and painting-like pieces, but I am always way too excited to see what is going to happen and too thrilled with my somewhat fateful results to become very technically skillful.

Oh well. But aren't they gorgeous?





(These are headed to a little art festival in Virginia)

And a Boy!

My very first needle felted boy doll is dressed and ready to meet the world! I think he is very sweet, he has a pensive face but looks like he could kick a soccer ball with the best of them!


This was also my first attempt at a wire armature, which turned out to be a bit of a hassle. Three felting needles were broken, effectively halting my needle felting evenings until the emergency refill pack arrived from Ewetopia. It is good to have friends with connections.

My favorite part of this little man are his ears.



I am tempted to go back and add ears to all the other dolls I have around.

Visit my shop for more pictures!

Summer Sweetheart

Now available in my shop! She is not a Lenci, I still have some practicing to do to get to that level, but she is very sweet. If I do say so myself! I think she can be a wonderful dollhouse inhabitant, or a sweet little friend to stick in your pocket. Or she can decorate a desk or nature table, as others of her compatriots now do!!

I have been having some dilemmas on the pricing front. If I priced these dolls so that my time was actually worth, well, something, they would be way to expensive for anyone to buy. Conundrum. I am working on ways to cut down on production time while keeping to my meticulous standards of quality, we will have to see how that works out.

The part of making these dolls that takes up the time is felting the body. It takes an astonishing amount of wool to make each one, and compacting it in layers and layers is time consuming. The really fun part is when the basic body shape is together, and I can start to individualize it. Extra layers are added on to make bumps and curves, the legs must be rounded out and the tummy plumped up. Then the face, for sure the most fun part. It is amazing how the dolls come to life once they have eyes. Actually, I usually try to leave the eyes until the very end, it is hard to stab the needle into it when it has eyes. (Just to clarify, for those of you who are unfamiliar with needle felting, it is a process in which barbed needles - often recycled from industrial felting machines - are poked and jabbed at the wool, causing it to felt).

Two of my dolls have so far headed off to new homes. I know that this one is looking forward to traveling too!

Fun with Food

Potato prints! I had not made any potato prints for ages and ages, but was inspired by needing a project for two young boys to whom I teach art. So I broke out the potatoes and the exacto knife and set about making a prototype.

It was fun. Why do I not do this more often? So easy, so necessarily simple, so satisfying.

In a Holiday theme, I cut out a steaming mug (of cocoa I presume) and a snowflake, and printed in red block printing ink. After a few tests, I recalled the big package of white tissue I had recently acquired. Soon a sheet was covered in cheerful red snowflakes and I was determined to hand-make all my wrapping paper for the year!



As it turns out, I had many other things to take up my time, and after a little more fun with potatoes and ink during the boys class, no more printing took place. And so I had one sheet of precious handprinted tissue, which was promptly used and now sorely missed.

Perhaps I will have to make Spring tissue paper!

Feeling Christmas-y

It snowed big, white, fluffy flakes last night. We had to take a middle-of-the-night walk with the dog, and it was her first real snow experience. Very amusing. She just couldn't seem to believe that it was all real!

While I find the early and intense commercialization of Christmas to be quite bothersome and actually somewhat sickening, after Thanksgiving is passed, I am ready to jump right in. Things like soft powdery snow and twinkling lights make me feel honest-to-goodness warm and fuzzy, and the smell of gingerbread always seems just tantalizingly out of reach. I will make some soon, and hopefully share the joy with a few neighbors, but for the time being I have contented myself with some holiday decoration.


Besides my sparkly candelier, a Christmas tree of sorts is now sharing its warm glow in my home. A real, live, green, nice-smelling tree isn't really practical for me yet - I will travel for Christmas and don't spend nearly enough time sitting at home to properly enjoy it - so I opted for driftwood. White lights and golden jingle-bells dress it up right now - after the swap I have a feeling it will be much more fun! It needs a bit of adjusting, another trip to the rock shop (aka beach) should put things in order.

***after having a look at this picture again, I just have to add that my poor little tree really looks much nicer in person. The lights should have been the kind on white wire, I know, and the whole thing looks rather as if it will go tumbling over at any moment, but its actually very sweet! :) ***

Art-to-Go

If you happen to be around the Burlington, Vermont area tomorrow evening, and are in need of something totally awesome to do, why not stop by Studio STK at 12 North Street and take in some crafty, do-it-yourself, handmade goodness! Chic and hip are the new "craft" buzzwords - you won't find any fitsy-futsy doo-dahs around here. What you will find are handcrafted jewelry, silkscreened clothing, ceramics and pottery, and quite a bit more!

If you don't happen to be in Burlington, but are feeling left out - come on up next month! or the month after! This is going to be a montly extravaganza (small art gallery style - I don't want to lead people astray with my enthusiasm).

Learn more about the whole deal over on my other blog, Art-to-Go!

My bag

I left for Toronto on Friday afternoon, after finishing up summer camp, biking around town in the interests of my fish, and generally trying to do everything last minute that I should have spread out over the past week. With half an hour to spare before leaving the house, I decided I absolutely must have a new bag.

Luck was with me (having deserted me the night before in a linen pants incident about which I am not quite ready to think), and the bag creation went smoothly and ended up pretty much just as I wished!


This lovely canvas-type fabric was a sort of impulse buy during my quilt fabric shopping spree, bought with the specific intent of making a new bag. I am ever so proud that I actually followed through.

Naturally, with more time, there are a few extras I would have added - interior pockets, probably an exterior pocket between the straps. It has a sort of secret pocket perfect for my fast approaching Central American travels - a flap from the outside folds over to the inside, the perfect size for passport and money protection.

I really just love the colors. Lately I seem to have been developing an unconscious affinity for dusty pink (the flowers are pink. Upon viewing my picture I see that this is somewhat indiscernible. Oops. In real life they are actually quite prominent). My mother says that it is generally a sort of grandmother color, but then I have always had elderly qualities :)

I think this post takes the prize for the most parentheses. Yay.

An Introduction

I would like to make an introduction.



This gentleman would like to shake your hand.



His name is Edmund and he recently made an appearance in my studio.



He is quite friendly and sociable, and he walks 2 miles every day. That's why he has such lovely shoes!



His wife is currently undergoing some operations (she might not like it that I'm telling, but her dress was not fitting properly and her wig was completely wrong. Those might not seem to require surgery per se, but when one is only 6 inches tall one's problems are necessarily of a different sort). She should be along to meet you soon.

I am not sure if Edmund is a father or not - it seems likely, however, so I wish him and all the other fathers out there a Happy Day! (yes, one day late. I did call my own dad on time though!)

A New Batch of Cards

I made a new batch of cards, thank you notes for all the lovely graduation generosity that came my way!







These are new postcards, now awaiting proper postage (it seems like postage prices are changing very often these days, I can't keep up). These are created out of handmade paper I made with a friend a few years ago. It came out rather stiff, so I had not found a use until now, but it was perfect for postcards! The writing was made on a little Cub Printing Press I just purchased on Ebay. More on that later.



I love making postcards because they are confined spaces, but have so many possibilities. They don't have the intimidation factor of a large canvas, and expensive or special supplies are not necessary. They must be relatively two-dimensional to go through the postal system, but other than that anything is possible. I enjoy collaging on postcards, partly because collage is difficult for me. I never would have imagined collage to be complicated, but there are certain people who just seem to have a gift for putting pieces together in ways that are pleasing, and for me that is frustratingly hard. But on the small scale of a postcard I do ok, and I thoroughly enjoy it.

The Trials and Tribulations of Liquid Emulsion

After countless attempts, I have finally managed to get a recognizeable photo using liquid emulsion on fabric. For anyone out there who ever plans to try this, I think the real secrets are having high contrast photos (even with variable contrast emulsion), and laying the emulsion on thick, but evenly and without bumps. For the two photos below, I actually soaked the emulsion up into the fabric. I like the splotchy effect that resulted, but there were several others from this same batch where either nothing showed up at all or the splotches were overpowering.





I have to return to the darkroom and knock out a few more of these babies, hopefully within the next couple days. It's funny how when something is a necessity, even if it's something I would love doing normally, it becomes a chore. I adore the darkroom, but somehow with all the schedule restraints and other things going on, it has turned into another thing to check off the to-do list.

Tiny stitches, and why is it snowing?

I am progressing in the stitchery department. Several blocks are finished and my quilting stitches are slowly becoming smaller and neater. The first will probably be embarrassing someday when my standards have refined, but at this point I just don't understand how those miniscule, barely visible stitches are accomplished! They certainly give me another reason to appreciate the skill put into a quality quilt.



Lately, in my ponderings of quilts and their importance, I began to realize their importance as holders of memories. Historically, there are the memory quilts made by a group of friends for one who was leaving, and traditional quilts were often pieced with scraps of old clothing. My grandmother points out pieces in her mother's quilts, remembering how a certain dress was made with this or that fabric and sharing the memories of the time associated with that particular piece of clothing.

Another way quilts are memory keepers occurred to me while stitching, and is one of the reasons I decided to hand quilt each square instead of taking the faster and simpler route of machine quilting. Hand stitching takes time, and it takes some measure of concentration, especially if the stitches are to be small and neat and the lines straight. And while this stitching is happening, the stitcher has plenty of time to think and to just be. And I really think that this time sort of stitches memories into the fabric. I sent my grandmother a wonderful book I found about quilts and their makers, called "The Quilters: Women and Domestic Art An Oral History," and reading the stories of these women reminded her of the quilting she had before she was married. It struck me that that particular quilt would have that particular time stitched right into it; how she felt as she prepared to embark on a new life would have been pondered as each stitch was made. I am wondering what I will remember from these stitches in this book I am making. I am hoping they will not be flashbacks of stressed out all-nighters as I feverishy try to finish everything before the presentation deadline.



Happy Easter!

Sewing square

Here are what I must determinedly stitch upon in the next few days:







The picture quality is lousy, sorry about that. But I am quite happy with the results of my piecing. Sure, some - well, many - of the corners don't match up just right, but the Amish always include "flaws" in their quilts to let the spirit out, or so as not appear to be in competition with God. Not sure which. But I am willing, especially at this point, to endorse any such arguments.

Now, on to quilting. Somehow I decided that it would be nice to hand quilt. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice. I am just not sure if the amount of time it seems it will take me even exists! I have done one so far, and have started a second. Probably the best idea is just to do as many as possible and then not feel guilty about finishing up on the machine.

The final plan for the project, at this point (it continuously changes), is to applique the hand-developed photos onto the back of the quilted squares. Have I mentioned these photos before? hmm, seems I have discussed photos, but have not actually imparted their importance to the work.

The photos are of domestic or crafting tools, and are photos I took on black and white film, developed, and am now in the process of learning how to print onto liquid-emulsion covered fabric. I had been intrigued with the idea of liquid emulsion for some time, and was very excited to be experimenting with it. So the photos, in the works and not something I really want to think too much about right at the moment (turns out, liquid emulsion on fabric is something of a nightmare! who knew?), will be cut and stitched onto the backside of the pieced squares, and the whole deal will be sewn together into a sort of fabric book.

I have an image of what that final product will look like, right here in my mind's eye. Its gorgeous. Now I just have to make the physical reality match. Here's to lots of tiny little stitches!!!

on a quilt piecing rampage!

I have been having a blast trying out several quilt piecing patterns. The hexagons originated as an excuse for watching The Wire while keeping myself believing that work was getting done, but I became quite fond of the handsewing and now I am attempting another hand-pieced geometric pattern.

Bear's Paw

The Bear's Paw. First of eight squares that will become the final project for my degree. My study major is art, culture, and community, so for my degree project I am trying to combine everything and wrap it all up in one creative venture.

I have become fascinated with quilts and other traditional "women's crafts," and their role in community development at the most fundamental levels. So I am experimenting with traditional quilt patterns, and marrying them with photography of tools that are used in crafting and building. The plan is to create eight 12-inch pieced squares, and the opposite sides of each will have a photograph, developed onto fabric with liquid emulsion and surrounded by a pieced border. Then the two sides will be quilted together - I would like to hand-quilt but I'm afraid I might be too slow. We shall see. The pieces will then be displayed separately, or bound together as a book. I am thinking a crazy quilt cover would be fun. My main problem now is that I just need to buckle down and work. And of course I need to go fabric shopping! (any excuse will do...)



As you can see, I desparately need to enlarge my collection. There's just nothing here! ok, so there is something, but it is so frustrating to always work with the same fabric. I have decided I really need some new patterns, and especially some more with yellow.



Now I just have to help my sweetheart dig his car out of the mountain so we can get to the fabric store!

By-the-by, if there is anyone out there reading this, and you happen to have any ideas for fun 12-inch quilt squares, or any other ideas for or about this project of mine, I would love to know!

And then there were four...

Sad days in the fish tank. Two of the little babies have disappeared.

One, I discovered on coming home yesterday, got caught in a vent of the tube to the filter. Another just disappeared. As much as I didn't really want more fish, having them die was hardly the solution to the dilemma. I am being extra watchful now, although the care and nurturing of itty-bitty fishy babies are not things in which I have any experience.

On a happier note, I was able to take a whole evening away from much more important work to make these little address books:



The blank books were discovered while searching through a pile of decorative paper on my shelf. The covers are not fancy, and did not exactly call for advanced skills in papercraft, but they allowed me to relax and finish The Scarlet Pimpernel, and to ready myself for another week of insane last-semester craziness. THey did their duty and I am thankful. What's more, I have a nice little stack of miniature contact booklets!

This next piece is not related to anything in any way, except that I had not yet taken a photo of it. I am including it only because it holds a special place in my heart.



My second-ever crocheted rag rug!

So very comfy on the feet and quite satisfying to create. More are most definitely in my future, as signified by the thrifted sheets lying in wait around the house, ready to be ripped and wound. This rug was inspired by one made by my grandmother, which I somehow managed to sneak into my boxes when I moved away from home. The original is now at the end of my bed, and I think fondly of "Nini" whenever I feel its cottony-goodness under my toes.

Catching up my correspondence

This week, in addition to work at setting up the new gallery space, and starting the new semester, and dealing with the onslaught of winter - or perhaps because of all these - I decided my priority would be to catch up on my correspondence. Some friends and I have been postcarding back and forth, and I have developed a fondness for making my cards myself.

There is something very satifying about postcard making. The size is pretty much set, so that decision is out of the way. But on that small rectangle, the possibilities are endless! First, I was into using old photographs (a great use for pictures that don't come out!). Then I tried sewing on the cardstock and had great luck using folded paper for a sort of bias tape edge effect.

And then wonderful things happened. I got a vintage book of salad recipes; some mundane, some bizzarre, all wonderful, except that I knew they were unlikely ever to be used. So the book was cut to pieces, and the recipes were sewn or glued to cardstock to make recipe postcards! Now I am all excited about sewing paper and using vintage books or magazines for images or text. Its all great fun. I began to make some greeting cards as well, because they can be more delicate than postcards that must withstand unprotected travels.

But this time, I made only postcards, and each was created with its individual recipient in mind. They are now addressed and waiting to head out.


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Originally uploaded by littleloopy.