Some of you may know Toni from her beautiful glasswork, and some of you may know her as The Tin Thimble’s manager/ instructor/ felted extraordinaire. Toni will be teaching a darling Wet Felted Essentials Pouch class during Felt Fest, and we wanted our students and customers to know a bit more about miss Toni.
What type of art did you first learn and who taught you about fiber arts?
I grew up doing all kinds of crafts, but the first thing I really did that I considered “art” was my glass work. I started with stained glass, moved to fused glass, then for the last 17 years have been loving flameworked glass done by melting rods of glass with a torch. I make glass beads for jewelry, and fun glass buttons and embellishments for my felted pieces.
My glasswork, or adding my glass and beaded embellishments to my felted pieces. And when my hands give out, I always enjoy a good book!
What is your favorite part about teaching others how to felt?
I love when people do things they never thought they could do. It makes me smile when I can help people see a creative side of themselves that they didn’t know they had.
If you have taught at The Tin Thimble before, what do you enjoy about teaching in our store?
It is such a special place here, and everyone immediately feels comfortable. The creative energy is always positive!
How do you find inspiration? Nature, magazines, dreams, etc…
I love the colors and textures found in nature. Anything from tree bark and moss and lichens on rocks, to dragonfly wings, ripples in water, and sunsets. There will never be enough time to try them all!
What are your favorite types of fibers to work with? Silk, mohair, merino, corriedale, romney, etc…
I prefer merino, and LOVE merino blended with silk and bamboo for the gorgeous shine and depth. I enjoy using silk, bamboo, mohair and handspun yarns for texture. And of course, I love gorgeous hand painted fibers!
Is there another art form that you’d like to do more of? It doesn’t need to be fiber related.
I really do enjoy my glass work, but torching in the summer is difficult because of the heat, so I’m looking forward to cooler weather to come. I have a lot of ideas, and nowhere near enough time!
Here are some examples of Toni’s Felt Fest workshop, and if you’re interested feel free to call us at 916-652-2134!
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