I have always loved crafting and spent years perfecting my quilting techniques. Then one day my British friend asked me if something I had done was made by needle felting. Needle Felting? What is that? So I googled it and decided to give it a try. I was hooked. With but a special needle and some wool the creation possibilities were limitless.
As I started felting away, creating animals and cartoon characters and scenes from the nativity, I soon realized that I needed an outlet to share these cool creations. That’s where my friend Michelle comes into the story. She was my cheerleader and unflagging support for my marketing efforts. We spent a weekend in Flagstaff at the Wool and Fiber Festival, another weekend at the Sedona Art Festival where we literally roasted our butts off in 90 plus weather, a Saturday at the Elks lodge where the temps were close to freezing.
Come this year in January, we agreed that having outdoor booths at festivals was just to much work. After paying for the fees and purchasing display stuff, I only ever broke even. But . . . I learned A LOT. People really liked my art.
With the boost in confidence and experience at craft fairs, I started exploring other avenues. That’s when I met Karen, who sells her art at the Gallery in Williams. She saw a photo of my Grinch sleigh being pulled by javelinas and loved it. She invited my to apply to the Gallery, a coop operated by its artists. What a wonderful group of women.
