a peek at some pieces

 

A few brooches have popped up amongst the stones this week.   I'm sending these off shortly but wanted to share a couple of photos before they went.

 

I also have a couple of vessel pieces completed that I'm happy with.  Like little gardens to wear around the neck.

 

The wood from each of these necklaces came from these yard sale finds from this summer.  I'm always on the lookout for pretty wood tchockes to take to the band saw.  

I believe the jaguar to be acacia wood, like Mr. Giraffe was.  It finishes so smoothly, I wish I could find more of it.  Plus, it smells like black pepper when you cut it, and I like that.  The black wood, on the other hand, has an unholy stench when cut.  It's extremely heavy wood, even more so than osage orange and absolutely beautiful despite its fragrance.  I'm wondering if it might be ebony.

 

Working with wood and wool together is really the best of both worlds for me.  I love my time at the saw and sander as much as I do with the needle and fiber.  Happiness is.

Wood and wool.  It's a good combo.  Coffee and sugar.  Ebony and ivory. (you're singing it now, aren't you?)

What are some of your favorite combos?

the lovely green-stain fungus

September is National Mushroom Month and it's starting off with a bang here in the north woods.   While my patch of woods doesn't produce much in the way of mushrooms in the spring, it is abundant in fall.  This weekend I took over a hundred photos of mushrooms, ate mushrooms, and dyed with mushrooms.  I figured as my tribute to favorite forest floor-dweller, this week my blog posts will all include something fungal.  (like they don't usually...)

Today I'll show you the green-stain fungus.

These little cup fungi discolor their wood host, leaving it with streaks of teal green.  I usually spot the green wood but rarely get to see the actual fungus responsible for it.  This weekend though I saw it in several spots in the woods, which was pretty exciting.

I began collecting bits of this lovely green wood a few years ago and tried dyeing wool with it, unsuccessfully.  I then read that woodworkers have prized the green-stained wood for centuries, using it in detailed inlay work, and was intrigued.  The wood I had found was really decayed and soft, unusable for woodworking, but I still kept collecting bits as I found them just because I think they're pretty, and I'm a magpie.

One day I found a piece that wasn't decayed and I nearly jumped for joy.  I picked up the piece and literally went directly to the saw and started cutting.  What emerged were some small pieces for some natural-dyer friends of mine, including this little pendant.

Thank you Sonia, for the photos!

I have a small amount of this wood left and I hope to make a few more pieces from it.

In the meantime, I'll keep picking up pieces of green, just in case.

Have a great week, everyone.  Happy Labor Day to my friends in the US.

An Interview With Marchi Wierson of MarchiMadeIt

I am constantly impressed with Marchi Wierson's ability turn a handful of wool into unique and unexpected pieces of wearable art.  I think I first noticed her work on flickr and was amazed by her big, bold necklaces.  I had just begun working with wool and seeing her designs opened my eyes to the potential of fiber.  When I got to know Marchi a bit more and understand her choice of medium, I was even more impressed.

Tell me about you:

Hi. I'm marchi wierson. I live in Portland, Oregon where it seems everyone is an artist, crafts person, or a DIY fan. There is an inventive spirit here in Portland that I like.

What do you make?

I make jewelry with a focus on wool and textiles. I am motivated by the idea that how jewelry is made contributes to its beauty. So for example, some jewelry looks beautiful, but may have had a heavy environmental or unfortunate social impact on its way to being a finished ornamental object; I think that this factors into its desirability in the end. I want to make things with a light footprint. I want my jewelry to be beautiful in its creation and in the finished product. My favorite material is wool. It can be sculpted into many forms. I am still discovering the range of potential in wool. I also like to work with old buttons and vintage or found objects.

Is there a particular theme in your work?

I think my work is natural modern, with fresh ideas and a bit of surprise. People often ask me about my jewelry when I wear it. They think it's made from stone, or bone, or they just don't know. I had a blue felted necklace that a friend thought was lapis lazuli. It's fun. People I don't know stop me to ask me about some piece I am wearing even as I am walking down the street.

Where do you find inspiration?

I see inspiration everywhere. I find my challenge is to stay focused on my work and where it is going, to do the next thing in a string of things that need to be done rather than be lead by inspiration. Most things I do are a slow process, and the next step reveals itself because of the steps before it. I try to stay in my own voice. Maybe I follow my muse more than inspiration.

What do you love about what you do?

I love that I want to do it every day, I get out of bed and I want to make things. I love the result, I get to wear it or share it. I love that it can make people feel happy.

Tell me about a favorite piece that you've made:

I think I can favor ideas more than pieces. But hmmm, I really can't choose.

What do you do when you're not creating?

I enjoy being outside in fresh air, walking. I like to play with my camera. I like a good dinner party, with a few friends, delicious food, and conversation. Oh and I could spend hours at Powell's bookstore looking at books.

A favorite quote, a good recipe, a funny story?

I have a fun recommendation. I recently bought a cheese kit as a gift for a friend from Urbancheesecraft.  It was brilliant. My friend made delicious cheese and I helped eat it. He thought it was fun and talked about it with his friends. If you like cheese, and like DIY, try making cheese. By the way, I have no relationship with Urbancheesecraft, I am just a big fan. And you can buy the elements to make cheese without buying from them, but they make it so easy to get started.

How can people find you?

I can be found at my blog - http://marchiwierson.blogspot.com/
and my Etsy shop: http://marchimadeit.etsy.com/

I welcome questions and comments from visitors, so come by and say hi!

Is there anything else you would like people to know about you that I haven't asked?

I just want to say thank you Lisa for including me on your blog. I am a big fan of your work and of your blog. You have a kindness that comes through your writing and crafts which makes people feel good. So, thank you Lisa.
 

My pleasure, Marchi.