Monday, September 12, 2011

Filling the Ranks

We have recently promoted our Son Sebastian to staff photographer. And appointed my Sister Bea as sign writer.

The strapping young professional:


The sneak I saw of some doodling I think was meant for the sign looked incredible, I can't wait to have it on a canvas we'll erect on the facade of the gallery.

Here are some of Sebastian's photographs. We promised him $1 per photo used in the Etsy store. I think that was a touch generous and this kid is going to be rich, quick.


We won't talk about

The 5 months that have somehow been and gone since my last blog post. No, we'll just give that time to the ether.

Present time, things are swell! The Felting Pot is growing, spreading it's branches out. We recently moved into a space that functions as our family home alongside a gallery and studio. It's an old timber house in the back, and the more modern brick addition in the front houses The Felting Pot in all its woolly wonder.

The home front it replete with 70's charm, yellow counter tops in the kitchen, mod brown tiled back-splash. Bare wood floors. Worn wood floors. Lots of soles have walked on these wood floors.
There are two fireplaces - the main one, an open fireplace with traditional mantle being ridiculously boarded up and unusable. The other being in the gallery, and really of little help in warming the bulk of this drafty old house.
It fits us like a perfectly felted slipper, available in our etsy store.

So we are on Main St, in our mountain town of 7000 people. A mountain famous for its galleries and strong artist and cottage industry community.

The entrance is a weird space, taken up primarily by a big unsightly wheelchair ramp that was part of commercial zoning code. It's currently serving as a miniature, affixed skate/scooter ramp and monkey bar set. Eventually our pieces will be strung from it, wrapped around it, hanging from invisible threads, curtaining the windows and door, setting the scene. Cushioning the couch where you may sit and take in the view, flick through a book about felt, or a felt book. Have a coffee, or maybe just feel one. A veritable felt emporium.

Take a class!
The ramp takes us to the first section of the original house. On sawhorses lie two heavy wood doors, that make up my studio space. Next to me at the window is a towering mess of fleece scraps, looking something like elf vomit, within them if you were to look, you'd find CW madly needling away.
Very shortly, this space will also serve as a workshop studio, where you would do well to sign up for a class. Workshops will wander through many forms of felt. Start with a beginner class and felt your way through. Yurt summer project anyone?

We have markets 2-3 times a month, and that number is increasing over the rest of the year. I've been terrible about updating the Facebook and blog with these dates and locations, I know! Now that we are connected, it will be so much easier to stay in touch. We have the large 4 day art show we showed our work at in April coming up again, in October. This will take all of our stock so we'll likely open the gallery doors shortly after that, Beginning of October.

Etsy is in dire need of re-stocking, and I have probably near 100 pictures on the camera no one has ever seen, not even myself! Things keep selling before I have them properly documented, which is simply stupendous, naturally, but also a tad sad.

This week is hereby deemed 'get with the times' week. I hope you'll all join us as we skip through it.