Long Time No Blog...

Pat Lawless' regal chairs

We are over the Easter holidays, thank God. My son was quite happy to put on his uniform and walk to school.  He was ready a half hour early!  I think we definitely are both ready to get back to routine.  I spent a manic amount of time in my studio trying to get ready for the Craft in Kerry craft fair and then the admin work to get the craft fair ready (with the help of the wonderful Fiona Crinnion and partner Ronán and Colleen Bowler).  Nationwide has come and gone and it should be on tomorrow night (Wednesday May 4 at 7pm in Ireland, but you can view in on Player at www.rte.ie).  I was happy enough with the feature and so we just have to wait and see how we end up after editing.  The weather was beautiful on the day and we all came outside.  Actually, it was too beautiful and people were down on the waterside part of town soaking in the sun and sea, but no matter.  We made a start and it's onward and upward!!

Colleen Bowler's beautiful pottery.  All items at the CIK
Craft Fair were handmade in Kerry.

Now I need to get the Handmade Sessions on the map.  If we are going to get started for the beginning of June, there's a good bit of work to get done.  I have a flyer done, but we need to adapt that to a brochure and have leaflets printed for all the hotels and B&B's.  We need to build a great table to work around and have a real kit the building out session.  We don't need much to get started, so we might just squeak by on the cheap.  It's a bit ambitious to get us started on this so soon after starting Craft in Kerry, but the time is now and I know it will work.  There are also so many promising artisans that are not working and I am hoping that this will not only raise their profile, but also their income level!!  We all need a boost and a break from the Irish economic doom and gloom. Lots of meetings to get through this week, but I am hoping to have a good answer on funding and getting our foot in the door soon to get the premises ready.

A final pic of some of the journals that I felted for the craft fair.  I am happy enough with them and hopefully they will be part of my off-season woolly stock.

Felted journals by Chiarrí Creations

Back from the Big Smoke

I do love Dublin for a break from rural life, but I find I have to rush, rush, rush and then I am back home again.  Hardly any time for relaxing or rummaging around for supplies I might need or just getting to know the city.  We went up to Dublin for a Failte Ireland gig called Meitheal that was on at Mansion House.  Garry Marcham and I were there to promote craft making for Craft in Kerry's new project called the Handmade Sessions.  Meitheal put us in touch with almost 300 international tour operators to talk up the sessions that will begin in Dingle in June.  In the picture there you can see Garry using his lathe to shave wood and I am the nut in the red felted hat in the background next to my friend the bald eagle!  I felted flat pieces and gave tour operators a chance to learn felting and see the kind of work we are doing.  The Handmade Sessions are important to us for two reasons: 1.  They provide much-needed work for highly skilled craft artisans. Many artisans are not able to work full-time at their craft and this needs to change; and 2.  We want to preserve these skills and educate people in handmade traditions.  So, we are all go to get things ready.

In the meantime, I finished two more textile collages.  This one is wool/silk/paper with a quote attached.  It will be heading to the framer soon.  The other one is a piece of wool I dyed dark inky colours of night sky and then machine pieced in hand-dyed wool stalks and stars and my favourite passage from Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.  I am pleased enough with it so far, but can't quite make up my mind on whether it is finished or if it needs more hand stitching around the reeds.  Opinions?

Now, I must get writing as I have lots of details for the Craft in Kerry Craft Fair that is on April 29th in Dingle.  It's part of the Feile na Bealtaine/Pan Celtic Festival celebrations and it's proving to be a cracker event. We have more than 30 exhibitors, craft demonstrations, face painting and nibbles for the kiddies, a Craft in Kerry lucky dip, and a handmade bargain table that is not to be missed!  Did I mention the masseuse???