Chicago Berta and Bobbie Workshop

Debbie's Chicago Journal

I was late getting into Chicago due to Storm Warnings. After I arrived I called Bobbie who was circling the airport in the thunder, lightning and rain. Berta was with her. I waited and waited for my luggage and tried to call Bobbie again, but no answer. Then Berta showed up inside with me. She had found Donna who was now with Bobbie. Berta and I ended up being herded into a stairwell to wait out a Tornado Warning!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-chicago-weather-both-05-aug05,0,193343.story

Berta and I spent some time hiding in the stairwell because of the warning. I thought it was funny but wasn't scared. I wasn't about the let mother nature mess with my once in a lifetime chance ! The picture above is when we finally got out of the stairwell and were waiting outside for Bobbie to pick us up (with Donna).
We we went and checked into the hotel. I met Therese when I walked into the wrong hotel room! Their door was slightly ajar and I wondered who was in my room! When I saw her I gave her a big hug. I probably scared her to death. Therese is on the left and Donna A. is on the right. They shared a room and I had a room across the hall. It was nice to have all the peace and quiet. (I have eight kids whom I left with their dad for the trip! hee hee) The other picture is of Berta with Flat Francois who was a wonderful addition to uor party.
The next day, we got to the fun of working. Berta of ThReAdTeDs.com taught us Oya Lace. She made amazing, detailed kits for the workshop. Tammy of Boston Bears is on the right in the picture with me. The other is a video of a funny moment, you are seeing Bobbie, Berta, and Therese having fun and Donna working very hard. All of the people I met were amazing, wonderful people. I still get a little emotional when I think about them. Can you miss people you only knew for four days?
Bobbie taught us needle felting. We made roly poly pandas. I will post a picture of mine when it is done. Tammy is also an excellent needlefelter and helped us with our work.
This is a picture of Bobbies Beautiful Yard.

Me with the Teachers, Friends, and Co-Mods, Berta and Bobbie

There are more of my pictures at http://s264.photobucket.com/albums/ii199/debbittybears/Chicago/

I also learned some new words and phrases...

Tubularize (a description of a medical procedure involving skin, that we found ourselves re-using to describe our oya and felting works).

Rock my Socks (Therese said this but I can't remember why?)

Oyad Out

Last minutish (as in.. I'm not last minutish)

Mounge (a felting term, vintage Bobbie)

Schlepp this Sherpa (something said to husbands when they need to haul something, or something we wish we could say)

United Staters (Something Bobbie used in lieu of the less PC Americans)

Thingamaminute (another Bobbie)

Down with Downswool (Something Bobbie is not)

Buttitis (We all had this after two days...it was relieved by SHOPPING! ahh..beads.)

Etch a sketching (to be appreciated you must see Donna waving her hand in front of Bobbie's face trying get her back on a subject)

Here is the whole group,

Therese, LUCKY me, Donna

Tammy, Bobbie (with Flat Francois), Berta, and Deanna

they were all so very, very, nice.

Please visit the official blog, put together by Therese (whose name i am mispelling, because I can't write or say the little apostraphes that make her name sound so lovely)

http://www.bertabobbiesworkshop2008.blogspot.com/

And her slideshow, which has many more pictures at

http://s534.photobucket.com/albums/ee343/sandpiperca/?albumview=slideshow

Shannon Lueskow July 2008 threadanimal artist of the month

SHANNON LUESKOW

Dirt and Sunshine

Beautiful, Whimsical, Thread and Fiber Creatures

Where did you grow up?

Washington State and still live there. LOVE this place!

The great Pacific Northwest can be called a big melting pot of culture. Besides it's obvious beauty, there are so many things to capture your interest and some of the greatest artists in the world can be found here.

What's your place of birth?

Albequerque New Mexico but I was made in Washington State

Do you think that your hobbies/crafts are influenced by where you live or would they look the same if you lived elsewhere?

I cannot say for sure but I do think our enviornment always affects us and that would certainly have an effect on our artwork. I feel that my work would be, in general, the same (whimsical bent) but some of the subtilities are different. I mean, we get so much rain here that all my pieces are waterproof...lol.

Please tell us a little about you and your family. Married?

Yes, happily, to my college sweetheart.
Children? 3 boys ages 9, 7, and 5.

Pets?

Fish keeper with a huge 92 gallon tank filled with fancy Goldfish, two smaller tanks with Tropicals, one sassy cat, a wire Dachshund and her 5 puppies

What other crafts hobbies do you like to do?

Just about anything that requires my hands. Knitting, painting, sculpting, needlepoint, quilling, origami, and restoring Cabbage Patch Dolls, old furniture, upholstering reclaimed furniture. My favorite next to bears and friends is my fish tanks. Goldfish are just like puppies with fins and most all of mine hand feed and hang out where I work. The big tank is right by my work area and gives such a sense of peace.

Any crafts or hobbies you'd like to learn ? Rug Hooking, Glass blowing, any type of metal work. I'd also like to learn how to restore or customize cars. Professional gardening.


Have you had any formal arts & crafts training?

No


When did you start making Thread Animals and what was the occasion? I was on E-Bay looking for yarn and found a gal's store that had patterns and a couple of completed bears. I was INSTANTLY hooked. I hadn't picked up a crochet hook in over 20 yrs but went out that day and bought some supplies and went to work. My first bear took me about thirty hours to complete. Part of the time issue was relearning things I had forgotten and figuring out how to read a pattern (I had never worked a pattern before). I learned to crochet when I was 8 and put the hobby away until three years ago. There was no special occasion but it was very much like a "home coming" for me as I've always been fascinated with art



Do you recollect the first teddy that you made yourself?
Yes. It was this hideous purple thing that looked more like a potato with limbs...lol.

How do you get ideas or inspiration for new bears?

Everything around me gives me inspiration. It sounds so cliche but it's true. I have three boys and love nature. If that doesn't inspire me there's always something I've read in a book that sticks in my head or a vintage toy that intrigues me.

What do like most when making bears or Thread Animals?

I LOVE to put the face on them. I can see what I think they'll look like, in my head, during their making but nine times out of ten they look totally different than what I thought. I LOVE that. It makes each one like a gift that you can't wait to open to see what it is...or in this case, looks like.

Do you have a personal great dream regarding the bear making?

I personally feel I have accomplished what I started out to do with bear making. I really wanted to learn a technique that was different from what most others use. There's a few that can "cro-sculpt" a term applied to using fiber and hook like clay and making intricate bodies. If I could, I'd like to see this particular work become popular and see what a bigger group of artists can accomplish with this particular technique. I'd also LOVE to teach this method in a classroom and have a waiting list...lol.



Tell us about what contests have you entered?
Local fairs, URSAs, and a couple of Berta's challenges Won? Yep.Awards? Yep (really don't look for glory because I LOVE what I do and would make these guys the same way whether people wanted to see them or not...lol).
Publications?

I've had a few in Bears and Buds webzine

How did you get started crocheting, who taught you?

When I was eight my family bought a house that had an attatched cottage that we rented to this sweet older lady. She took the time to teach me ( I bet I was a terrible pest and she got tired of me peering over her shoulder asking a million questions). I would love to return the favor and teach my kids and any other curious eight year old!
What was your first crochet or knitted project?

I made really long chains and squares...nuttin but. I was only 8 years old, ya know. Lol.
Who inspires you?

Honestly, most every accomplished artist. They all have something unique about them that makes me want to get in there too! My mother is artistic and I guess I've always wanted to posess her quiet grace and talents.
Have any tips for beginner Artists ?

If a project is worth doing, it's worth doing right. That means: Rip it out, start over as many times as necessary, and never give up until you get the look you wanted in the first place!!! Take the time to just sit and ramble with your hook (or brush or pencil...whatever it is). That is exactly where I got my ideas for the horses I've made. The first one took me over 6 weeks to complete but it was pretty close to what I was trying to accomplish.
Where do you see yourself in 5 yrs?

Right here with a happy family and little bears to keep me company. I would also like to have some children's books published by then.
What tip would you give someone looking to crochet their first miniature bear?

Try again, practice, take it slow and start with a good and simple pattern.
What skill level would you say that someone needed toembark on their first bear project?

Any skill level will do. The only requirement is a desire.
Which other crocheters work do you admire - either miniature bear makers or makers of other items? S

hoot...Berta, Bobbie, Nadine (miss seeing her works), Angela J. Leith, Marion, Jan, Andrea, Lynn, soooo many others that I can't recall their names.
Do you have a favorite bear or animal that you have made so far?

My set called, "The Sunday Afternoon Nap" and a little guy called a, Head-butt'up ian. The nappers are a Polar bear mamma and cub. The second was a fun little piece I made that I traded for another piece.
Please describe your Thread Animal style with your own words.

Whimsical, serious at times, and something reminescent of "dirt and sunshine" I tell my boys, after a day of playing and being wonderful kids, that they smell like dirt and sunshine. You know that special earthy, outside smell you can only get when you were a kid? The smell that reminds you of the days when you could be anything, do anything, or imagine anything? Those days when you could play all day and had no cares for tomorrow. That's what I hope to capture and put a little of in each of pieces.

BLOG

http://locorosa.diinoweb.com/files/

I wanted to post some pics of my fun visit with Marji and Becca in Utah. They have made so many beautiful bears that they were willing to share with me. Such very nice ladies.



Marji is on the left and Becca is in the middle. Most of the bears are their work and there are a few from my collection.



three bears from the same ThReAdTeDs pattern, berta's, mine,
and marji's.


two pandas from ThReAdTeDs panda pattern.

Let's kick off Summer with a Re-Visit to Mia Svensson. There are so many new people here since Mia was originally chosen as Artist of the Month. We hope you enjoy getting re-aquainted with her.

Wow, what a thrill! Where to begin...

Well, first off, my name is Mia Svensson, and I live in a town called Skurup along with my (oversized) Jack Russell dog - Mulle - in the south of Sweden. I have lived here all my life, and have no plans to leave either! *grin* Most of my family lives here too, or close by: My dad, my brother and his family, grandad and uncles and aunt and a few cousins. I'm kinda the "black sheep" in the family, since I don't drink, smoke, party or have kids or hubby. That way of living isn't for me. I have my dog, and for me, that is a good life! XD

(Me and Mulle and yes, that is a Pooh-cover. What can I say, I love the little bugger...!)


I have a website where I show off my work: http://sitekreator.com/crivens_studio and an etsy-shop where I sell some of my creations: http://crivensstudio.etsy.com/

Mostly I crochet little critters, like bears (I do love that Danby-pattern, as you can tell on my website!), dragons, dodo's, ferrets and so on, and I'm always on the look-out for more interesting patterns! I also like to work in small scale. The smaller the better, I say! That, and it's easier to sneak a little huggable in your pocket than a big stuffed one. *ha, ha* I also make clothes for BJD's (ball joint dolls), photograph, draw, sew dolls and anything else that tickles my fancy. I have a vivid imagination (to much sometimes), and I get ideas from all over the place, be it a colour, a sound, a shape in a tree or even a lamp that sparks my imagination. Guess I'm a magnet for those weird inspiration-particals that floats around! I like to combine and mix (like my dragon-danby), use eye-cathing colours, or just plain play around and have fun!



I've crafted as long as I can remember. It's just something I have to do to keep me sane! My inspiration came from my mom. She is the one who taught me to sew, knit and crochet. I owe a world of thanks to her for giving me that crafty gen! I've made all sorts of things, from small trolls out of clay, to dollhouse-dolls, sewn bears and knitted toys. It wasn't until a few years ago I started to make crocheted bears and other "huggables", when I was browsing the web and came across Berta's Threadted-site, which lead me to Thread Animals, and from then on, I was hooked! I usually try keep the first creation of any pattern I try out, wich means I have a great deal of critters around! I love to make and give away creations I've made to my family, as it shows them how much I care, and they seem to like it too!



In the future, I hope to be able to "design" my own crocheted creatures, and be able to write down and then sell patterns, and have people wanting to buy them! That would be great! To others, I say: Don't be afraid to try something new! Just go for it, and see where it leads you! You might be surprised be the end result... Good Luck!

May Thread Animal Artist of the Month

Threadanimals

Artist of the Month

May 2008

CONGRATULATIONS

Marji Sakievich!!!

Marji has been chosen to be Thread Animals' 2008 FeaturedArtist of the Month for May. Please get to know her better by reading the interview below and looking at her lovely bears. Please leave a comment to let us know you were here.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Hawthorne and Vista, California. One place was in the city and the other in the country.

Please tell us a little about you and your family. Married? Children? Pets?

I am married to a wonderful man, Tom. He
smiles at my bears. We have 6 children. No one is married but they are all growed up.We have 3 boys and 3 girls. Right now we have a 10 year old dog. The vet keeps saying that Abbyis old! We also have a cockatiel and a beta fish. The best petI ever had was a 4 foot iquana. She was a lot of fun.

What other crafts hobbies do you like to do?

I enjoy making bobbin lace, crocheting other things and sewing.Right now I belong to 2 book clubs. I also enjoy taking piano lessons. I'm not sure how much my teacher enjoys my lessons. AsI am starting out "older" it can be interesting. I also really
like to embroider. I once worked for a TV show doing embroiderywork. It was a program about a family that traveled around the country in their trailer. The Grandma quilted and I did the embroidery on "her" quilt.

Any crafts or hobbies you'd like to learn ?

I am working very hard on learning more and more about lace making.It can be very adictive. I would like to learn how to tat and toknit. I really want to learn how to knit a pair of socks!

Have you had any formal arts & crafts training?

No formal training except at the side of my mother. She recentlypassed away and I miss
her. She loved making the bears too. She made fabric mini's for many years and really is the one who got me started. She was a master quilter too. All I know, except forlacing, I learned from her. She had a magic about her and loved totalk to her creations.

When did you start making Thread Animals and what was the occasion?

My mom and I were making doileys and came across a pattern for a miniature crochet bear and got hooked. I think that it might havebeen one of Berta's in a early magazine.

Do you recollect the first teddy that you made yourself?

The first one I made was a doll size bear. My mom taught me how to sculpt the face. When she called me a "bear friend" I thought that I had truly made it.

How do you
get ideas or inspiration for new bears?

Honestly, I see a pattern I like and just try it out. I have onlytried making one crochet bear on my own. That is the one in thepicture with the large brown bear. That bear was mine when I was6 months old. That was a fun challenge. The felted bears are mydesign, except for the rug bear which was from a class with Bobbie.

What do like most when making bears or Thread Animals?

I really like the crochet part. When they are finished I am alwaysamazed that "I did that." You ladies have really supplied me witha fun time.

Do you have a personal great dream regarding the bear making?

I have a new bear making friend and that is the fun of making bears...New friends.

Please tell us
something about the place where you live. What's your place of birth?

I was born in Hawthorne, California in 1953. My dad had his own business repairing TV's and Radios. Those were the days when you could fix things. Mom was always busy sewing us girls clothesor making dolls. Those were her doll days. So, I grew up watchingher create things and give them away! When I was a young teen wemoved to Vista, California. I really didn't start making anythinguntil I was in my early 20's and then it was clothes for babies.Vista was very rural at the time.

Do you think that your hobbies/crafts are influenced by whereyou live/country or would they look the same if you lived elsewhere?

My husband recently retired from the Marine Corps so we have livedin many parts of the US. I think
that has helped me to feel comfortable anywhere. That is important as you feel "safer" to askquestions and learn new things.

Tell us about what contests have you entered? Won? Awards?Publications?

Can't say that I have done too many contest. I did win two blueribbons last summer at the Utah State Fair for my lace.

I have participated in Berta's first challenge and got that picture in a magazine as part of her article. Also, in the strawberry challenge

How did you get started crocheting, who taught you?

As I mentioned, my mom taught me to crochet. She had to teach me mirror image as I am a lefty and she was a righty. She was verypatient. The only thing that I really made,
at first was babyblankets. Then, one summer, while I was awaiting child no. 3, she taught me how to read patterns. We practised with doilies. What was your first crochet or knitted project ? I believe it was a little purse. It was a church girl's project.I don't remember being very happy with doing it, but it was a start.I was somewhat of a Tomboy so didn't like "girl" stuff.Who inspires you?

Have any tips for beginner Artists ?

There are only two things that I would like to tell a beginner. Remember to have patience. You are doing this for fun. Maybe it will turn into
something else later but to start, just have fun.Also, there is nothing wrong with doing some one elses patterns.We can't all be designers but we can all have a good time. Bearsjust love coming to life. Even the grouchy ones! Where do you see yourself in 5 yrs... I hope to be making the bears still. Maybe I will try designing some day. I really hope to have some grand babies to share theselittle guys with.

Do you have a funny or inspiring story about your Thread Animalsyou'd like to share ?

What tip would you give someone looking to crochet their firstminiature bear? Take your time. Don't try to do it with other people in the room.Turn off the TV, maybe even the radio. And mark your rows. Don't be afraid to "fudge." It is your
creation.

What skill level would you say that someone needed to embark on their first bear project?

If you can single crochet and aren't afraid of steel hooks you cando just fine. Start with bigger thread and hook if that helps you get your tension down.

Which other crocheters work do you admire - either miniature bear makers or makers of other items?

I love looking at Berta's, Debby Mc Carthys, Marylou,and Bobbie's work.They are so amazing. I have been previged to attend in person oneof Berta's classes in California and she was so gracious a teacher.

Do you have a favorite bear or animal that you have made so far?

I have made hedgehogs and I love that. Only from the felting. Thelittle one that is crochet is a head "gone wrong!"

Please describe your Thread Animal style with your own words.

I love to use color so I guess that would be my style. I love looking at others creations and thinking, "I want one of those" and thank goodness there are artist out there that will share.

(deBBies Note: Thanks Marji for being so active in the group. I can see from the photos how many things you have participated in . Congrats on being AOM for May. )