Robin Dudley-Howes' Pretty Portfolios...

We were once again graced with the lovely presence of multi-media artist and designer Robin Dudley-Howes, who shared yet another facet of her talent with us on Saturday. Robin's "Pretty Punched Portfolio" inspired many women to attend and start building their own wool felted books, based on Robin's lovely concept shown in the store. I loved the fact that it was like a big needle case, large enough to hold tools, bits and bobs, and plenty big enough to be lavished with decoration and embellishment.


Cindy Wood starts the process of building the front and back covers of her book and the spine, covering it in a mauve colored wool...


Here is another view of Cindy's book, with the inside covers pinned in place and blocked to the felted cover....

I had the lovely surprise of being joined by my sister Joann, who drove up from Encinitas to join the class at the last moment. Here is the cover of her book taking shape: a base of berry colored wool layered with a fabric remnant, old crocheted lace, some gimp rondele and a lovely bird that flew in and took up residence there...

I can't wait to see these books finished, and hope that each of the artists will bring them in for their beauty shots. This class illustrated perfectly Robin's process-based teaching that grounds each artist in her concept and then sets them free to create their own distinctive piece. Robin is developing some new concepts for the store, so stay tuned for new class opportunities in the new year....