My Dyeing Week

One of the student's resist-dyed fabrics

I have spent the last three days dyeing cloth with over 60 primary school students.  I realized over Christmas that if I wanted more students for the Craft Club then I needed to head out to the schools.  So, I went to Lispole and Dingle primary schools and I offered to teach colour theory and dyeing to the kids to get them interested in making.  They all definitely loved it, but it remains to be seen whether I will gain any students from it.  I shall have to wait until Saturday and see what it brings.

Adding their resists before dyeing

If it all goes pear-shaped, then I will have the hard decision of closing my studio.  People are just not buying and I can't fund it without income coming in.  The students are buying me some time to build up clientele and work on new design ideas, but if I can't get the students then I just have to move as much as I can back home.  It would be both a blow and a relief.  I would only have space to make small items as my house won't accommodate all the materials I have acquired, but the financial pressure has been immense.  It would be nice to just go to bed and be able to sleep the whole night through.

All dressed up and no place to go

There has been a lot of talk about using public buildings to provide arts space/studio areas, but nothing seems to be rising to the surface, certainly not in Kerry.  With many talented people abandoning their craft right now, the Craft Council of Ireland or the Department of Arts should really do something to help artisans to continue their work.  It will come to a stage where emerging artisans will not be able to afford to develop their work because the resources to assist them just aren't there.

The state of Ireland is just bad right now.  I am usually a glass half full kind of person, but the lack of direction and jobs, unbelievable amount of taxation, and extreme corporate greed has left almost all of us a bit deflated.  Even if I wanted to abandon all my training and get another job, where do I go?  My cost of living would be much higher somewhere else.  Where are jobs better?  It's a miracle I can get out of bed every day with all this swirling around my brain.

Is it too much to ask that my work sells and I make a modest living?

The great texture of dyeing your
own work

In the Gloaming Between

Bernadette Bohan's fabulously decorated Christmas cakes.

The Kerry Christmas Market was a big success.  Lots of work and I made very little money out of it, but the vendors were all very happy.  I have to think about whether I would do two days next year and I would certainly move it up a week so it wasn't the weekend right before Christmas.  Too many people had finished their shopping.  You certainly see the recession on the craft fair/Christmas market level.  Last year, most vendors agreed that they made 2-3 times as much in sales, but all were realistic this year and didn't seem upset as they did better that they expected.  I had two excellent Santy's and it was a shame to see that there weren't many people there for them as I thought they were better than any Santy Fionn has even seen.  Thankfully there were people there for sales.  I have to rethink the top floor as people don't seem to want to go upstairs, even with a lift.  All part of the strange psychology of selling.

Christmas Day came and went and it was as relaxing and chaotic as it should have been. By the time I get to Christmas, I am usually so tired that I am longing for my stack of new books and new pj's to just relax and completely unwind.  This year was no exception as I was going and going for what felt the entire year without much of a break.  I think if I hadn't the two weeks off, my body would have made the decision for me!  Despite the hard work, I didn't make hardly anything in December, which does not bode well for the rest of the year.  I am hoping that www.swoop.ie will end up being a good thing in the New Year to kick of Irish craft online.  I have been part of www.etsy.com for over a year now and my sales are horrible.  Granted, my cost is not high, but I find it a total waste of my time.  There are just too many other artisans to differentiate yourself from and it seems like you could spend a whole day marketing and get absolutely nothing made.  Etsy is probably a good option for Americans, but I don't see the majority of Irish shop owners there doing as well.  Changes must get made.

We made these felt Christmas decoration
in craft club.  Girls are getting to be quite
good on the sewing machine!

I have to get more students on board or I will have to give up my studio.  That is the hard reality of this recession.  I am desperate to keep it so I will spend the first week of the New Year going around to the schools that are likely candidates and talking to students about the Craft Club that I do.  It would only take about 5-7 more students to cover the cost of my studio expenses, which isn't much and a realistic goal.  Otherwise, I haven't room in my house to even move things back home as the tables won't fit and I wouldn't have room to make larger items.  The Irish government is just sucking the life out of the economy and people are afraid to spend or are spending all they have just to keep going.  We all talk about trying to just keep going and wait it out until things improve, but I see this year will be the watershed year of the recession.  People are giving up their craft and are quite dejected.  I am not sure what the answer is, but I know that something good has to come our way in the New Year.  The Year of Craft is very nearly over and I know it gave craft a boost visibly, but it would be interesting to see in terms of figures how much it increased sales.  Part of the problem is that I think Dublin shoppers were much more in touch with buying Irish and buying craft this Christmas, but Kerry buyers were not.  I need to get my work out of Kerry, simple as that.

Meanwhile, I need to get a copy of the Examiner today as there is supposed to be an article on people starting businesses during the recession and I am included in it.  http://www.irishexaminer.com/features/the-life-changers-178524.html.

Colleen Bowler's beautiful, hand-thrown pottery.

And the New Year is almost here, so must make plans!  Happy New Year to all and wishing you a relaxing time for the rest of the holidays!!

Kerry Christmas Market

I've been a bit quiet lately, but I haven't been idle!    I am putting together a big two-day Christmas market for Kerry food and craft producers.  Sales this year have been so poor, that we really need a good event to give us a boost for the holidays.  And it's really shaping up to be a great event!  Lots of fantastic vendors and the Díseart will be beautiful for the weekend.  As Santy himself is too busy to leave the North Pole at this time of year, he has sent two fellas to stand in and make sure boys and girls are being good and are really deserving!  Saturday Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh will be present as Dadaí na Nollaig on Saturday and on Sunday Brendan Griffin will be with us.  Great fun!  Santy will arrive via Dingle Jaunting car at 12pm on Saturday and on 1pm on Sunday.  Loads of details to see to in the final planning, but things are going well...

Another craft fair done yesterday and it was pretty dismal for all, if I am honest.  Most of Ireland is full of anxiety at the thought of the year's budget being launched tomorrow and are just afraid to spend.  We are promised another year of woe and punishment.  I am not sure how many more years of this average people can take.  The politicians have given themselves raises yet again.  It is beyond a disgrace to cut hospitals and creches and people on low income and then to give yourself a €27,000 wage increase (or one for your friends).  I am not sure if people aren't too downtrodden to riot at this stage, but most other countries in Europe would be raging.  Hard to say if it would actually do any good.  It makes keeping a cheery Christmas attitude that bit more daunting, I tell you.  I'd love to say that things will bounce back in the New Year, but I think people are largely thinking craft is a luxury and it is just not on the list of things to purchase.  As well as excellent value, it must be said that not all craft is expensive.  And the negative repercussions of buying overseas imports can be seen as close as our neighbors.  We all buy a certain amount of things that are made out of country, but Ireland has lost so many jobs in the last 3 years that it is critical to keep that money in our economy.  And if people aren't buying craft at Christmas, then I fear for sales the rest of the year.

Tree top angel,  Handmade out of pure wool!

Meanwhile, the craft club is going strong.  We made these little ladies last week and were working on felt Christmas ornaments this week.  I think the last session before Christmas will be Christmas stockings.   I am making these angels for hampers for Bluíríní Blásta Cafe for the next week.  It's all go!

Rolling in November...

Merino and silk hat with resist
patches--looks fab on!

I've been busily felting for a pop-up shop that is opening in Limerick.  New hats and scarves are on the way.  All things going well, I will need to felt more!  Here are two new hats. Both are merino with silk pieces and hand-dyed.  The turquoise one is finished, but I have to think about the burgundy and see if it might need another bit of embellishment.  I have three new scarves I felted and dyed yesterday that need ironing and labels sewn in.  


I'm working on samples to send to Boston for a shop there.  I need to send my lovelies out into the world as the sales in Kerry just aren't enough.  I don't make as much money per item, but I am not making anything in Kerry!!  The studio is great and has put me in great space to produce a lot more, so now I need to put the head down and get some serious production going.  


Deadline is fast approaching for the Dingle Christmas Market (November 11th).  Participants must be in Kerry and all goods must be artisan produced/handmade.  I really want to showcase the talent in the county.  If you are interested in participating, please get in touch with me and I can forward you an application (087-9111793 or leave a message here).  Price is €25 per day and I would prefer that you are present for both days.  I know its a long way to travel, so if you come up with friend, I can assign you space next to each other so you can watch each other's work and not have to be there both days.  I am hard at work on all the details.  It promises to be a great weekend!!

Merino and silk pieces, hand-dyed.  I think these needs a
bit of bling yet!

I also wanted to let you know about an Indoor Christmas Market in Kenmare, Co Kerry. They are looking for potential stall holders that sell Irish Crafts and Christmas Gifts. The market will run from Dec 1st to 31st, 10am to 6pm. Prices depend on size of stall and are very affordable. Contact Sue O'Neill at 087 765 3319 or Anne-Marie on 064 6648907 to reserve pitches. Kenmare is a beautiful place and well worth visiting, so let's keep spending our money on original craft this year. 

 Buying Kerry goods = keeping Kerry jobs.

Hikes and Tests and Christmas

Crocheted hat with hand-dyed red flower &
glass seed beads

I am starting to get that frantic feeling, like time is running out and I need to find a way to duplicate myself so that I will have MORE of what I need.  This week seemed to have so much crammed into it: Scouts meeting, craft club, special orders, planning meetings, Scouts hike, Dingle Business Chamber meeting, and insurance company issues.  It's no small wonder that I have had a hard time finding time to sit down and read my road theory test book, but I spent my day off yesterday reading the dang thing.  I think none of you will be surprised to know that it isn't the most interesting reading.  I have the test on TODAY and the good news is that most of the info was repeat on the test I took 28 years ago in the US.  The Irish government seems to think that they hand out driver's licenses on street corners with reckless abandon, but I did take 3 months of theory and driving lessons before I was allowed to sit my exam.  Ugh.  So aggravated to have to do it again, but it should be over with today and then 12 driving lessons and I can take my road test.  All the drama of this I don't need.

I've been finishing hats like mad and put in an order yesterday for supplies so I can start felting like a lunatic. I have so many hats and scarves to make and so many test pieces to get right so I can start making more.  I have a pile of finished product to upload onto Etsy, if I could find 2 hours to do it.  I ran out of labels to sew into my hats and ordered more, so that will be another relief.  I want to close my studio door and stop answering the phone so I can really concentrate.  I must find a kind of Zen calmness of I will not make it through the busy holiday season...

Craft club going well and we finished the books!  Pics to follow as haven't uploaded them yet.  We felted last Saturday and will cut them into strips and the girls want to make bracelets, so stitching and beading this Saturday--all good!

As much as I would like to rest now, I must get ready to head into Tralee to face the music.  Wish me luck on my second driving test!  

Crocheted hat with orange & yellow
flower and seed beads

Merino, Alpaca, and silk pieces resist-felted
and hand-dyed.  Hand dyed star decor &
beading!

A Quickie...

This is just a quick post to show off two new hats I completed this week.  I have a load of purple on the brain as I have a custom order and I am doing 2-3 different styles and the customer will choose their favourite.  So far, they are totally different!

The first one is hand-dyed Merino with dark purple Gotland curls on the brim.  I carefully stitched the brim up and added grape-like clusters of purple glass seed beads.

The second hat I resist-felted and was trying to
develop the pattern into a cute style I saw online.
The side tail was supposed to collapse inward into a swirl on the side of the hat, but the tail is too long, so must adjust the pattern and have another try at it.  I do like the tail, however, and I over dyed the hat which came out quite dark purple with hints of pink where the silk threads peek through.  There are also pieces of silk habotai and Wensleydale curls felted in, but it so dark that its hard to see them by camera.  I think I might do a sprinkling of beads on the tail...

Meanwhile, it's time to get myself ready to head back into the studio.  Lots to do!

Keeping the Faith

New hat: merino, alpaca, & silk fibres & pieces.  Decor
in progress!

I try not to be a worrier, but it is very hard not to at times.  And these are worrying times that we are living in.  Quite a lot is changing quickly and we are coping as best we can with limited resources and changing incomes.  But I also reach a stage where I think "To Hell with it!"  Either the hard work pays off or it won't.  Either you can make a difference or you won't.  I take time out to think and find the solution for myself and just keep plowing on...

So, I am relieved to see modest progress with my new workshop space.  Craft in Kerry is no longer part of the Handmade Sessions as the summer was just too slow and the guild did not have the resources to keep going forever.  I personally paid out quite a lot of money from my own resources and that could not continue.  I took over the place as a studio/teaching space for myself as of September 1st and things seem to be falling into a nice routine.  The kid's Dingle Craft Club started yesterday and I had a good start.  It will pay the rent and keep me going while I work hard at developing new hats and scarves.  I am looking into exporting as sales are just too slow in Ireland.

Closeup of the texture of merino and silk

I will be on the food trail of the Dingle Food & Wine Festival with Blúiríní Blasta cafe (located in the Seal Sanctuary in Lispole).  The girls make WONDERFUL food, but also sell their homemade jams and are developing other products for sale in their cafe.  The are going to be making their homemade jamtastic cakes for the trail and I will be felting.  Should be great fun!  

I have a whole pile of new hats that are ALMOST done.  Mostly the finishing decorations.  So, it will feel good to put four new hats out by end of day on Tuesday and start work on yet more.  Being productive is a big relief for stressful money juggling!

So, these developments are good. Yes, I would love to be making actual money instead of breaking even, but sometimes you just have to keep going and hope for the best...

New fabric collage for my Green & Gold window that
is going up very SOON.  The All Ireland is next Sunday,
so it has to happen soon!