Monday, December 28, 2015

Drum workshop in my home

I bought a kit for making my own drum @ Cedar Mountain Drums http://www.cedarmtndrums.com/index.htm in Portland Oregon.
Spoke to Patrick Pinson over the phone the day after Winter Solstice. He is a very friendly man who when answering my questions felt a little like a speaker for the Divine.  In other words, he spoke to my spirit/my heart! His enthusiasm and knowledge of his products made it a joy to speak to this man.  And, just a few days before Christmas...He was not stressing me out! He was calm and personal.
My package with a drum, rattle kit and a few ceremony smudges came 2 days later!
I soaked my the hides over night.



Today, I sat down and followed a book that came with the kit and a package of videos I found on Youtube.

The process was enjoyable.  I look forward to hearing the drum's voice.
I choose Elk skin for the drum head and cedar for the base/ring. Cedar is a sacred tree to Shaman/Native people and one of my favorites in the forests in my backyard.
Elk is medicine for the belly Chakra.
Thought it was appropriate medicine for my life these days.
When we are working in the West on the Medicine Wheel – the Water, emotions, shadow self – then Elk Medicine gives us the stamina and endurance to get through the edges, from the known to the unknown.  As we go through our fears, we expand ourselves and add more trust to our circle.  Trust is the lubricant that helps us take the “leap of faith” that leads us to unity with spirit and to a reclaiming of our original grace.  

Elk is powerful medicine for healing child abuse and addictive patterns.  The Elk will bring up our unresolved grief and help purify and cleanse us through crying and grieving our sweet tears.  The vibration of Elk opens the third Chakra, the belly, where we carry our fears and undigested values that interfere with our pure will.  The Elk is a communal animal, hanging out with members of the same sex except during mating season
.

With the videos reminding me to breathe and so much important info. to birth a drum and my own smudging ceremonies...it felt as if I were doing a workshop! My finished products will not be dry to try for a few days. but, I feel confident that the song that the drum has to sing will be full of life!  And then I went on an incredible walk in the woods with my two best friends! The light was incredible! 






Friday, January 9, 2015

"I'm going to Dye to day!"  Say that to a friend and see how she/he reacts.
Or how about, "It's a good day to Dye!" Without the spelling most friends/family's jaws will drop in horror!
I had a terrific day yesterday experimenting with left over dyes brought home from several workshops in last few months, lichens I've collected(fermented and un-treated) and 2 oz. dried (of the 4 oz.) of the Omphalotus  Daniel Neal shared with me. Front to back There is Cortinarius Cinamomeus(Orange Cort), Letheria Vulpina(Yellow Lichen), Evernia Prunastri (rusty pink), Omphalutus Olivascens(lavendar-purple). I also used a very exhausted bath of Pisolithus(warm golden brownish-wishing for brown!)Punctilla Reducta(Pink-from Alissa Allen workshop in Dec '14) and more soak in Evernia bath I still have a few I left overnight in the dye-baths to surprise me today!
Front to back There is Cortinarius Cinamomeus(Orange Cort), Letheria Vulpina(Yellow Lichen), Evernia Prunastri (rusty pink), Omphalutus Olivascens(lavendar-purple).
 Letheria Vulpina
 Omphalotus Olivascens
 Omphalotus Olivascens
 Evernia Prunastri
Misc dye
 Orange Cortinarius
Pisolithus dyed my fingers yellow brown 

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Me in 2014 in my newly gifted hand knit hat (knit hat by great friend Roberta). Joy and excitement walk in the first rain of 2014!
I really have had so many creative moments in 2013 and have not used my blog to write about.  I have gotten very behind in my blogging.

Recently, I've been dyeing with coreopsis from garden (a few years ago I grew in my garden and I dried and stored in a plastic bag). I dyed silk and cotton.
I have dyed wool...but, I think cotton and silk are a new thing for me with this flower dye.
Cotton and silk are not a protein-but, they are plant fiber.
So, for them to take dyes I treated(mordanted and changed the ph of the dye pot) them differently than wool.

I plan to Nuno felt with the silk and make some artistic cloth for a summer dress or tank top.

I'm going to weave on a large loom next week.
I don't know much about weaving.
I've started to Navajo Weave...Built a loom and everything.  But, I have not finished the small piece of fabric I started.
From what I understand-weaving on the (Rigid Heddle?) loom I'll be using-You can weave fast!
I plan to use the cotton strips for weaving and make a kitchen rug.
The dry flowers produces amazing colors!
Reminds me of the flowers in summertime!
coreopsis in dye pot

results of coreopsis is a orangish yellow dyed fabric

Also, while making Saur Kraut... 
I dyed my hands(and a few other clothing articles I was wearing) purple.  
I'd like to see if I can use on material with good colorfast results. 
my hand dyed with cabbage.

Cutting cabbage for Kraut
  I used onion skins I had been saving up.  More beautiful golds.
Onion skin dyes-mordant alum-silk

Another recent creative moment in 2013 was Alissa Allen's Funi Dyeing workshop http://mycopigments.com/.  So much color! All from mushrooms!  Maybe, after the rain I can hunt for shrooms.  Yes, it has not rained in my neck of the woods(Northern California)for over 35 days! Today, it is pouring rain! Celebrate the rain!
Alissa Allen standing next to variety of mushroom/fungi dyes we got to experiment with @ A mushroom/fungi dye workshop in Nevada City, CA w. Alissa teaching.  She is a fabulous teacher!


I wish I had taken the opportunity I had to be at this workshop in Pacific Grove with Irit Dulman http://iritdulman.blogspot.com/
this weekend! 
a photo from FB on IRit's page...Reminding me of   how amazingly leaves create interesting graphics for/on fabric.

 I am drooling over the photos friends and fellow dyers are posting as they get results.

Both she and India Flint'shttp://www.indiaflint.com 
techniques developed or re-explored by this creative natural/eco-friendly textile artist.
Both are so inspirational for dyeing textiles!
But, I hope to create unique designs with my own explorations. 
I really love the use of oak leaves! Very local tree to me!

I have in mind I will experiment with natural dyes this year! 
 I have forgotten how I like to document and share my creative life. 
Here is to a creative year in 2014!


Saturday, March 2, 2013


Did I really not blog about my FANTASTIC weekend 
Workshop experience with Lexi Boeger in 2012?

I know I posted on FB.  
So, guess I just neglected my blog. 
I had a fabulous time.  Lexi was a terrific teacher and I learned soooo much.
She is a down-to-earth kind a gal. 
My hard drive crashed right after the workshop.  Maybe, why I did not post. 
I am thinking about going to Camp Pluckpluff  Yarnival in July (19th-21st).


Lexi Boeger demonstration on her Aura.

Camp Pluckyfluff and Lexi's Studio
Mo hairy Yarn! I made other yarns.  But, right now I have to stop posting and turn my computer off.  It's really hot!







Wednesday, February 20, 2013

In the spirit of Nature's Cauldron

And, in the spirit of 
Nature's Cauldron
http://www.naturescauldronfarm.com/ post the other day.
This is the wardrobe I find myself wearing most often.
And,  if I were going to STITCHES http://www.knittinguniverse.com/stitches this year
I'd have a few of these pieces in my backpack. 

From left to right:

Light blue shawl is a knit 'Lotus Shawl' I pattern tested for designer/pattern writer Hanna Breetz http://evergreenknits.blogspot.com/ with yarn from (Local-20 miles or less) Alpaca from Eva's Alpacas @ Juniper creek Alpaca Farm http://junipercreekalpacas.com/  dyed with my Indigo plants from the garden.

Owl Hat is the pattern, 'Who?' http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/who-2 yarn from Joshua's Shetland Sheep https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joshua-Farm-Shetland-Sheep/216027411763321 in the Chico area.  I dyed it a light yellowish orange with my garden coreopsis and I bought the recycled buttons for the owl's eyes at Roxanne's shop http://humblefabrics.com/. Humble Fabrics is a great little shop full of hidden treasures for a crafter/artist.

Sweater is Full Belly Farm http://fullbellyfarm.com/ in the Capay Valley(60 miles?) dyed with mountain sage, marigolds and indigo all from my backyard! Some of yo might recognize the pattern as 'The february lady' http://www.ravelry.com/projects/StacyMora/february-lady-sweater.

And, the 'Ginko Shawl' I wear every morning! It is one of my first hand spun projects. The fiber is two plied with Sue Flynn's Romeldale 'Cinnamon Girl' and a local roving collected locally by Helen Derrick that I found @ 'The Mendocino Yarn Shop' in the basket full of local fibers. http://mendocinoyarnshop.com/

These are my treasures that will out live any store bought yarn and all have a story about their Fiber Shed.  AND, I have many stories and memories of my experiences gathering plants and fibers from my local area.

Fiber Castle in the Snowy Woods

 BFL, Namaste Farms http://namastefarms.com/ Teeswater Locks (5-15" long!),
Mendenhall's http://woolranch.com/ merino dyed yesterday and drying by the fire.
The color of the dye is chartreuse.  However, looks more like electric lime!
It will look good with other browns and greens and will tone it down.

 Meditation pillow used for short sit.

 It was snowing outside yesterday and I was inside organizing my yarn stash.  
I am so tempted to buy more.  
So, in an attempt to count my blessings and recognize the amounts of fiber I already have
...I've pulled one of the storage bins out.  
This is about a 1/5 th of yarn I have.  
Much of it I find hard to part with and also unsure what to create with it.  
Hoping documenting on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/ stash will help me put it all together. 
I so am tempted/want a few yarns right now! 
From Quince&Co. http://www.quinceandco.com/ I want some honey puffin to finish an Agne's sweater.
and Habu and Vreseis http://www.vreseis.com/ I want fiber to make a Leisl top/tunic dress for summer.  

But, I do not have 8 arms and can not finish projects as quick as I think of them!  And, in looking in my stash I have lots of organic cotton yarn for the summer dress. And, even more wool to create a few sweaters! 
I have two projects on needles to finish for the spring.  If I finish maybe I'll get some more (organic and grown with color) cotton from Sally Fox @ Vreseis.

It snowed yesterday.
Today, it is sunny and will melt quickly.

 More long locks.

 Can you find Pema in the snow?

Last week dye and spin.

Juncos in eating lunch in the storm.

Stormy Weather!



Dyes on Monday over grey Wendsleydale from Natalie Redding @ Namaste Farms.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

"Pema's Always watching me"
Watercolor and ink 
By Stacy Mora
I've been painting!