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I’m Teaching Rya at Common Ground on the Hill this Summer!

Student making color blending choices

As you may know, I have been a regular “student” of the Traditions Weeks at Common Ground on the Hill  since 2000.  If you are not familiar with their programs, take a look at their web site.  It used to be a one-week long residential (and commuter) Arts Camp focusing on the arts in all genres from all cultures. For the past several+ years it has grown into a 2-week camp. During Week II, I am teaching Scandinavian Rya Design where you will design and make your own rya with my guidance. (If you don’t know about rya, watch this 10-minute video I made with the Carroll County Times in 2012.)

I highly recommend taking the whole week off of work or routine if that is possible, and immerse yourself completely in the program. There are 5 periods each day plus meal time and concerts and lectures in the evenings and nights. You will meet people not only from all across the USA, but also the world.  You can also just sign up for one class, but believe me, you will want to stay for more each day.

Byrdcall Studio is filled with colors today.

Students from a previous class create their color combinations that they will knot onto their woven backings.

My class (in Week 2) runs from Monday, July 6 – Friday, July 10 from 9  – 11:45 AM.  We currently have 5 students signed up, but this kind of class is even more fun with a few more because you all will get to see what each other are working on which expands your knowledge of the craft. You don’t need any particular skills or knowledge in fiber arts. I can provide all the supplies you might need since they truly are very hard to find otherwise.)  Click here to see my Workshop Write-up.

ShelvesofyarnFor those of you who live out-of-the -area, what a perfect chance for learning new skills, meeting new people, enjoying (and learning) arts and music from all around the world in a safe and easy environment–McDaniel College campus in Westminster, Maryland.  If this interests you, do not delay.  Classes are filling quickly.  Hope to see you there.  Feel free to share this with anyone who love the arts and sharing and learning with others.

Melinda

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This is the beginning of Angie Michal’s very first rya which she designed and knotted.

disc2

When It Rains . . .

So just when life is rosy, and I’m feeling spunky, I made a big booboo. You see I am showing my shirts at Art in the Park this Saturday, (June 6, 2015) and recently booked a booth space at the Deer Creek Fiddlers Convention for the following weekend (June 13) to make the most of the time it takes to prepare for a show and load the van…. I just figured I’d leave the shirts in the van between shows…

van doorSo, the booboo: I was taking non-show stuff out of the van a couple of nights ago, and got distracted.  I left the side van door wide open all night.  Why was this a problem?  Well, it rained about 4″ that night and my carpeted van was quite saturated. Luckily no art work was in there, but still a wet van is nasty.  So I shop-vacced it, ran a little space heater, even used an iron on the carpet with a blotter fabric…and finally remembered the dehumidifier (which is working great.)

Why haven’t we had the hot Maryland days that we had last week to help me dry out? We went weeks without rain and now its is raining every day which doesn’t help me much. Now I’ll have to unload all the shirts as soon as I get home from Art in the Park so they don’t absorb funky smells from drying carpet.  Ahh, the best laid plans. Shirts stacked

So my bins of hand-printed shirts and much more await loading until the very last minute.  By the way I have a ton of shirts and I hope you will take one (at least) home from Art in the Park or the Deer Creek Fiddlers Convention.

Then to top off this streak of bad luck, I slammed my finger in the van’s sliding door a couple of hours ago. It’s not broken, but it is a fat and damaged finger which I can not bend–well maybe because it is splinted. How do you like my professional bandage and splint job?  finger splintThanks for letting me take a few moments of your time to whine and share my booboo wirh you. I do feel better now.  See you this weekend or next.  And know that I have gone to great measures to keep your shirts smelling fresh for you!  Cheers!

 

 

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