More to love!

Would it be bragging if I say how much I'm in love with my Bubble Cuffs? Fine then. I can't help it.

As a designer you can't help but love your own work (most of the time) and feel an attachment, and I just have to say that this little lovely is my baby. It just wears so well, feels good on and is more than just a plain ol' bracelet. There's just so much more to love people! I'm hoping you're picking up what I'm putting down.

Hand crocheted with 100%wool, then wet felted, trimmed and steamed. The wool has some stretch to it which makes for a nice fit.

Currently in my Etsy shop in 4 solid colors - mustard, turquoise, leaf green and bright blue. And one duo in turquoise and grey.

And soon to be on their way to Rare Device in San Francisco!

Ok. Done bragging.

Meet my Lucky Ladies!

I haven't mentioned this on my blog yet, but I'm part of a really really lovely group of business women that meet monthly in my hood. We're quite diverse - from clothing designers, to a photographer, a vinyasa yoga instructor and a gal who sings the blues - and I love it. It's always been my goal to meet up often with other small business owners for support, advice and camaraderie and I feel lucky to have found it with my Lucky Ladies.

We're having a little party this Saturday to introduce ourselves and, basically, to have an excuse to showcase our talents amongst some wine, food, music and fun events! Did I mention the raffle yet? Oh my.....the raffle! There will be 2 raffle times where some lucky winners will win some super cool Lucky Ladies swag. You wouldn't want to miss that now, would you??

Check out our site for more info about the event and about us.

And you can find us on facebook too...where it looks like I'm the ringleader....standing in the front. But honestly, i'm not. Gwen pushed me out there!

It's a SALE!

Oh my poor little neglected blog....I'm sorry. I even forgot to post about the sale I'm having in my Etsy shop right here. How terrible, right??? My blog may never forgive me for this one.

But I digress.

It's a SALE ladies and gentlemen!!! You'll find last-of-a-kind items in my shop, up to 30% off, that I'll leave in my shop for about a week or so.

I'm sad to see some things go, like my Dot Vase and Tray/Bowl set, but sometimes it's just time to say goodbye to a design.

Was $156, now $108

  

Was $86, now $60

Etsy Shop Update! (a small one but a goodie :)

As y'all know, most of my work is made to order....which I know can be a bit of a bummer come holiday time and you're doing some late in the game shopping.

But WAIT! I've updated my Etsy shop with items that I have in stock and are ready to ship! Very exciting and something I've never done. So please do stop by and see what goodies I've got standing by :)

I plan to add some more items this Friday evening as well...so stay tuned. Also, if you don't already, follow me on facebook where I tend to be a little more active than this poor little blog!

Hoping everyone's had a chance to enjoy the holiday season so far (the airs getting pretty crisp here in the bay area) with some eggnog, a warm fire and a good movie (Elf anyone?) :)

Just For Fun....

My dear friend's little girl turned 1 a few weeks ago and I knew I wanted to make her something. Usually at this age, they're more interested in the box the toy came in instead of the toy inside so I tried to channel my inner child and, luckily, my toy was a hit.

Happy Birthday Cutie-Pie!!

One Cab Ride in Rome

The Pantheon at night.

That sentence sums up my last trip to a tee. Like the one cab ride I took in Rome, my 2 weeks in Italy were exhilarating, thrilling (no seat belt in that taxi) and empowering. While I hung on for dear life as my driver whipped me around the narrow alleyways of that old city, the old Patty would have been praying, "Dear Lord, let me live to eat one more gelato", but the Patty in Rome was giddy, laughing the whole way and raring for more!

I've been back for over a month now and have been working on keeping the same feelings with me in my everyday life....personally and in my work. I figure it doesn't have to go away just because I'm not surrounded by the freedoms of travel, a wonderfully old and crumbling city or yummy pasta. I can be more go-with-the-flow, more accepting of what is and not focusing on what isn't. I can be more independent and not let my brain gremlins get the best of me when encountering new situations and new people. All of these things were already there, but for some reason I needed to go to Italy to figure that out! Not that I'm complaining of course.

What can I figure out on my next trip?

Here are some of my favorite photos I took in Italy:

The tiles in Siena's Duomo.............................................Looking out from under the Pantheon, Rome.

Festivities leading up to Il Palio in Siena.

A favorite moment...sitting high above Il Campo, people watching with a beer and a sandwich.

The backside of Siena's Duomo.

One of the many religious reliefs on the walls of Siena.

Il Campo, Siena, at night.

In the Jewish ghetto in Rome.

A Week of Inspiration, Frustration and Letting Things Go

I don't have any formal training when it comes to felting. It's been good ol' hard work, experimentation, lots of books and the internet. There are times when I lament not having a past with wool....not having years and years of technique down. But when I think about how I actually feel when i'm felting, that it's never boring and there's always sometime new around the corner I've yet to find, I realize that I don't need this background. BUT i've always wanted a teacher. Someone to inspire me, give me honest feedback and to expand my horizons. And that's where Claudy showed up! I took a felting workshop in Italy with Dutch artist Claudy Jongstra back in June and it was just heavenly.

The olive oil farm where I stayed.

From the location (I stayed on an olive oil farm in the hills of Umbria), the class itself (Claudy was so awesome!) to the FOOD.....it was such an experience. And speaking of food. Ohhhhh, the food! Rita, who owns the place where I stayed and grows/makes her own olive oil, cooked for us every night and man were we spoiled! Handmade ravioli, rabbit one night, quiches and homemade desserts. I could go on, but I can see that you're drooling.

The workshop was held amongst the trees of a peaceful retreat in the Umbrian hills. We were given a huge amount of beautiful wool to work with - from hand dyed wensleydale to a whole fleece from one of Claudy's sheep in the Netherlands called Drenth Heath. I had never worked with a raw fleece before and this alone set the whole tone of the class - to work with the wool, allowing for experimentation and to not pay so much attention to technique. This was definitely a challenge for me! I do like to experiment but I'm one that can stick too much to the rules at times, reading and re-reading all about felting techniques. It was funny because Claudy came by me more than once to say "Let it go now" and "You're done! Stop felting!" Thankfully she was such a kind person so her admonishments came with a grin and a laugh. It was inspiring and frustrating all at the same time. By the end of the week I focused a little more on the wool spinning and weaving (which we learned in the class) and less on the felting and didn't let myself feel too guilty about it. 

Overall, the class was more than just a class for me. There were several "firsts". My first time traveling by myself and the first time taking an intensive workshop on felting. It's been well over a month since I've been back and my brain is starting to process everything that I took in. I'm ready to dive in!

In case you don't follow me on Facebook (which you can! Go there now and "like me"!), click here to see more photos of the class.