Karen Lukacs, of Tucson, Arizona, does her bit to save the planet! She recycles salvaged materials into new accessories. The beautiful clutch above was made from a man's tie!
November 20, 2012
October 30, 2012
Day of the Dead or Halloween?
Which do you prefer?
I used to win prizes as a kid for my scary Halloween costumes, but after I learned about the Day of the Dead, especially how it's celebrated in Mexico, I no longer had any love left for our American version, especially as it gets increasingly violent, bloody, gory, vampire and zombie oriented.
Both are rooted in the traditions of All Hallow's Eve, European festivities that have both pagan and Christian roots, depending on who you read. In Mexico, these got mixed in with Native beliefs where the line between the living and dead was the thinnest at this time. If you were sensitive enough, you just might be able to hear some songs from the past, a longing in the air... thus, why not bring gifts to please the dead? Their favorite drinks, cookies, and other goodies? Just in case they might be able to reach out and have a sip or take a nibble. The Mexican celebration is all about life and enjoyment, where ours embraces darkness and death.
In the late 1800's, Jose Guadalupe Posada popularized the Day of the Dead with his skeleton caricatures. Depicting all kinds of daily scenarios with the skeletons, his work launched a folk art tradition that escalated in the 1940's and continues to this day. Political commentary often lay as a sub-text under the bawdy guise of the ridiculous or humorous.
I especially like the reminder that we are all really the same under the skin: bones with some superficial adornments. Who cares what color your skin or eyes are? How tall or short, whether you still have hair or not. (Teeth might be a good thing to have as a skeleton...) In the end, we all have the same destiny, eh?
Whichever you celebrate, make it safe and fun! Visit our treasury above and shop TAFA!
October 17, 2012
October 4, 2012
September 27, 2012
::Cherry on Top:: Treasury
Click on the image or title to see the treasury live on Etsy
and below to see Farburvur's profile on TAFA.
Farburvur has done it again! What an amazing treasury! All done by our wonderful TAFA members! Make sure to check out the Farburvur shop, too!
September 24, 2012
Uniquely TAFA Treasury by Fannie Narte
As you can see, TAFA members make all kinds of beautiful things: hand dyed and spun yarns, objects for the home and fun accessories! Click on the title or image above to see Fannie's treasury live on Etsy and be sure to visit her profile on TAFA, too!
Fall Into TAFA Treasury by Ruby Wings Designs
Great play on words from Peggy Wright of Ruby Wings Designs! And, look at that orange! Comes right out and grabs you! Click on the image or title above to see the treasury live on Etsy.
Make sure to also visit Peggy's profile on TAFA:
September 23, 2012
Christmas Stars Treasury by Ariane Mariane
Wow! Christmas already? Ariane Mariane is getting the season going! Click here or on the image above to to see the treasury live on Etsy. Make sure to also visit Ariane's profile on TAFA:
ethelruby
Australian Sharon Clues speaks about her work:
"I created the label ethelruby - named after my great grandmother who taught me to knit.
at present, ethelruby offers a range of hand and machine knitted accessories made from natural yarns, fibres and fabrics including cashmere, silk, alpaca, linen, merino and cotton. each piece is unique and reflects my love of simple, elegant design, muted tones and luxurious fibres."Fall Inspiration Treasury by HEra
Fall is in the air on the Northern Hemisphere! And, our TAFA member HEra, in Hungary, celebrates it with this treasury! Isn't it absolutely gorgeous? Click on the image to visit it on Etsy. Be sure to also visit HEra:
September 22, 2012
mm handwovens
Margery describes her process: "Color, pattern and texture--and their interplay--intrigue me. I weave slowly, savoring every part of the process. This includes spinning the yarns myself, and adding "eccentric threads" and other surprises to each piece to make a special textile that is a little bit quirky and one of a kind. My favorite materials are silk, wool and luxury fibers."
Find scarves, notecards and really cool buttons in her shop!
Find scarves, notecards and really cool buttons in her shop!
September 18, 2012
Automatism Features TAFA!
TAFA was featured in "Automatism" today, a Canadian blog! Many thanks to Elena Rosenberg for making the connection! It's such a thrill to see others enjoy the beauty of TAFA! How about stopping over there and letting them know what you like about our Textile and Fiber Art List?
All of the items that were picked as features happen to be from TAFA members who have Etsy shops. They are doing a great job on their photography and presentation, don't you think? Kudos to them!
See ALL of our Etsy shop products: TAFA on Etsy.
Eye candy for the soul! Support our TAFA members when you are ready to do some shopping!
September 16, 2012
Wai-Yuk Kennedy
Wai-Yuk Kennedy
Wai-Yuk Kennedy is a UK artist who is inspired by layers of texture coupled with shape and form:
"Making my textiles is a search for fresh and surprising 3D forms that can be made from pieces of fabric. I draw inspiration from a number of sources, including the Cornish landscape, Chinese mythology or the flows and rhythms of Chinese calligraphy."
Saori Santa Cruz
Jill Sanders teaches weaving in her Saori Santa Cruz studio and sells great supplies in her Etsy shop. She says in her member profile:
"Saori Santa Cruz is a Saori weaving studio dedicated to helping develop an individual’s creativity through weaving. Classes offer improvisation and original and unique techniques that help a student find their true expression. Self-discovery happnes by using looms, fiber and sewing machines, available to all students. Empowering to design and sew garments using free form Saori weaving, freeing the inner self with original style, sparking initiative, and a conviction to helping you discover your unique individuality is what Saori philosophy is about. Honest weaving, no rules weaving, joyful weaving."
September 12, 2012
Farburvur Treasury: September Wave
"September Wave" by
Farburvur
Farburvur
What a great combo of textures, color and function! All done by our wonderful TAFA members! Thanks to Farburvur. Make sure to check out her shop, too!
September 11, 2012
Sally Gould Wright Quilt Artist
Sally Gould Wright Quilt Artist
Sally is a quilter from Los Angeles. As you can see from this quilt, she does an amazing job with her quilting! For those of you who do not know what "quilting" means, it is the stitch work that is done to hold the top, batting and back of a quilt together. The stitching could be very simple "in and out" or masterful as shown in this one. Sally's quilting adds another layer of depth, texture and imagery to her design.
September 3, 2012
Thistle Rose Weaving
Martha Witcher describes how she feels about weaving:
"The driving need to create something with my own two hands has always guided me in my pursuit of weaving traditional textiles. Thistle Rose Weaving is my passion, my delight and a way for me to express and share my love for the traditional art of hand weaving. I take pride in creating beautiful heirloom-quality hand woven textiles that will bring joy to your hearth and home."
Karen Anne Glick Creative Design Studio
Karen Anne Glick Creative Design Studio
Karen Anne Glick decided to make a small art quilt every day. They are wonderful studies of color and composition. And, you can buy them in her Etsy shop!
September 2, 2012
L. Kathryn Silk Painter
L. Kathryn Silk Painter
Swimming horses! Here is what L. Kathryn has to say about her work:
"Much of my work is whimsical in nature. I paint many subjects from urban scenes to swimming horses. I have traveled to the Amazon six times to take photos and have taught two silk painting classes in Peru. I also demonstrated silk painting for the television show, "That's Clever" on HGTV. I am drawn to expressing the limitless ways I can move people in my work and help them experience the same joy I experience with my work."
knitonefelttwo
knitonefelttwo
Jo Bagge of Australia describes her work: "My etsy shop is knitonefelttwo. I love working with colour and coming up with fresh and bold designs. I love my work and enjoy using high quality materials and try to source these locally where I can particularly for felting. I mainly use 100% Australian fine Merino tops in my felted items which creates very soft luxurious fabric."
August 30, 2012
August 29, 2012
FurugiStar
Stephanie Hannon lives in Tokyo where she searches the markets for vintage Japanese textiles. Her business, FurugiStar, embraces the concept of 'yu yo no bi' - beauty in practicality, and 'mottainai' - no waste. Explore her wide range of treasures in her Etsy shop!
August 28, 2012
TAFA Search on Etsy
Have you searched for TAFA on Etsy? Our members tag their products with "tafa" so that if you entere that in the search bar, you will get results showcasing our TAFA member products. It's turned into quite the amazing selection! We now have over 2,300 TAFA items and they are absolutely beautiful! That's 58 pages of results!
Etsy used to be a great place to find handmade eye candy and it still is, but because sellers are not juried in, there is a lot to weed through before you find the treasures. Increasingly, we see poorly photographed products along with commercial supplies and "vintage" which may not even be really vintage...
TAFA members are vetted in based on their professionalism, quality of product, and how they fit into our mission. If you are looking for textiles, fiber art, and handmade fiber supplies, then you can take a short cut and go straight to the best on Etsy: our TAFA Team!
Notice that the sidebar allows you to filter the results, too. Happy shopping!
August 25, 2012
Grey Days of Autumn Treasury
Beautiful treasury focusing in grey or gray (depending on how YOU spell it!). Click on the image to visit the treasury. Made by Farburvur yesterday and it looks like one item is already gone. You better hurry!
August 24, 2012
farburvur
Anya Kiel of Wisconsin, USA, describes her soft sculptures:
"Farburvur, my Etsy shop, is a collection of creatures, art dolls, objects, and other miscellanea. I love working with different fabrics and textures, picking up new techniques along the way and incorporating them in my designs. When I'm looking for inspiration I often reflect on things like symbology, folklore, and mythology. If I'm not in the studio or burying my nose in a book I'm at the park, out in nature, observing the world around me."
August 9, 2012
Cindy's Color Chat: Wonky Purple Circles
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| Wonky Purple Circle Pillow cindygrisdela |
So I choose purple to be the dominant color in the pillow above and yellow as the secondary complement. Then I used a lime green which is next to yellow on one side and an orange gold which could be next to yellow on the other side. Those are the colors which really catch your eye in the wonky circle pillow. Of course I always throw in a variety of other colors as well, red and green are complements, as are blue and orange.
It sounds more complicated than it actually is--when in doubt, just use colors that balance each other--a mix of strong color and more supportive ones. There's no color police to come and say you did it wrong--if it works for you, it works!
Let's see what other TAFA members on Etsy have done with purple and its complements:
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Fairy Masterpiece Nuno Felt Vest ArianeMariane |
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| Tropical Fruit Salad Wrap WrapturebyInese |
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| Woven Boho Chic Bowl kbuchheit |
Elena Rosenberg Featured on REFINERY29!
Congratulations to Elena Rosenberg, chosen by REFINERY29 as one of the 50 cool finds on Etsy made NYC!
And shop from her on Etsy!
July 25, 2012
Vintage Renewal on Etsy Finds!
Vintage Renewal made it on Etsy Finds, a curated and themed email Etsy sends out. Congratulations, Jeanne!
Etsy's theme for this one was Flea Market Trends, showcasing this piece under Refurbished Furniture. See it here.
July 23, 2012
Fantastic Fibres and Fibers
Megg of ArtNomadix created a beautiful treasury featuring our TAFA members. All red and hot, visit it here. See Megg's profile on TAFA by clicking her link below her hat.
July 22, 2012
Louise Schiele
Louise Schiele
California artist, Louise Schiele, has a wonderfully varied body of work, focusing mainly on art quilts and coiled baskets. She has smaller pieces in her Etsy shop and can be contacted on her member profile for larger work or commissions.
July 15, 2012
Christine Marie Ford
A talented artist from Toronto, Canada, Christine showcases her quilts, books and jewelry on her Etsy shop. She has also contributed to this blog with business tips in her Savvy Seller Café posts.
July 14, 2012
SAORI Salt Spring
Terri and her Peace Banner at Peace Park
Terri is a SAORI weaver, a Japanese free-style technique, based in Canada. She teaches workshops, sells weaving supplies and her own work and make sure to check out her Peace Banners on her site!
July 12, 2012
ArtNomadix
Koala Puppet Hat by ArtNomadix
ArtNomadix MeggaYarnz is our newest member from Down Under! Formerly a nomad, Meggan now leads a more stationary life, crocheting award winning hats and shawls. This Koala hat can also be used as a puppet! She has a shop on Etsy and is looking for customers!
Pedestrian Designs
Bunny Hat by Pedestrian Designs
Make sure you check out her Etsy shop!
July 7, 2012
Kasia Urban Rybska Featured on Etsy
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| 'Woman in Bath' by Kasia Urban Rybska |
Kasia makes small works of functional art using needlepoint, an embroidery technique that completely covers a canvas. Her themes often have to do with the mundane: pliers, bottles, pipes, etc.
Why?
Etsy asked the question and Kasia answered. Read her feature on Etsy: Click!
And, congratulations, Kasia! Hopefully, this will get you the attention you deserve! Woo hoo!
July 6, 2012
Wildly Woolly
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| Mini Felted Purse by Wildly Woolly |
Here's her member profile:
July 5, 2012
Linda Miller Designs
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| Contentment - 15" x 26.5" © 2011 Linda A. Miller Private Collection Cotton pieced, acrylic paint, applique, thread painted, machine quilted |
Linda Miller just opened up her Etsy shop! Primarily an art quilter, she also makes these fascinating thread bowls. Make sure to check out her wonderful Prayer Flag Project, too! Linda lives in California. Find out more on her TAFA Member Profile:
July 1, 2012
Laura Sheppard Handmade
Laura Sheppard Handmade Profile
Laura knits but also makes gorgeous ceramic buttons like the ones above. And, she made this beautiful treasury of our TAFA members, too!
Treasury: Sunday Afternoon
Catherine of Bazaar Bayar spent a peaceful afternoon in Turkey today. Here is how she interpreted it with this beautiful treasury. All, except the first one, are TAFA members!
June 25, 2012
Cindy's Color Chat - Summer Color
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| "Seashells" quilted wall hanging - Cindy Grisdela |
Seashells above is my abstract interpretation of those summer days. I pushed myself to use a variety of neutral tones, since most of my work is about bright, saturated color. But even the seashells have bits of color here and there, maybe pink or coral on the inside of the shell or darker brown spots or stripes. Hints of color crept in--a little pink, a little teal, a little mint green--to add interest and movement to the final composition. The irregular circles also echo the seashell motif of the piece.
Neutral doesn't have to mean boring! Color can be used very effectively to create a mood, to
Let's look at how other TAFA members on Etsy interpret summer:
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| Ocean blue nuno felted vest - ArianeMariane |
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| Laguna Table Runner - OmMadeThreads |
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| Fabric Charm Pack - therainbowgirl |
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