check out these beautiful wool goods!

While I was browsing the Internet today I found this great exhibit that showed in London in 2011, Wool Modern. The photo above is from the Campaign for Wool Facebook page and features one of my favorite designs from Giles Deacon. It also includes this amazing wedding dress by Yves Saint Laurent from 1965:

I would totally get married in that

The full exhibition catalogue is here.

etsy stuff!

Hey everyone!

Now that things are slowing down a bit I figured I would (try) to be more on top of the blog. I do still have a few ArtPrize posts in mind, but I might save those for later I guess?

Anyway, I FINALLY launched my Etsy store this month and I'm super excited about it! There are some things that are kind of a struggle–promoting myself can be really uncomfortable–but it's been a great ride so far. Additionally, I'm going to be featured at the UICA Holiday Artist's Market from December 6th-7th in Grand Rapids, so if you're in the area, you should definitely check it out!

hand-knit ribbed wool pillow, $75

giant woolly cord cowl, $40

woolly mammoth scarf, $40

jumbo pom-pom hat, $25

straight-stitch pillow,  $75

big twist pullover, $200

big twist pillow, $75

big blanket, $450

That's all for now, but I'll be adding a lot more to the shop over the next few weeks.

XOXO,

Annie Belle

Art Prize 2013 is OVER!

Goodbye, artist tag!

I know, I know. I promised I would blog about Art Prize as it happened. But it was such an exhausting, intense experience, by the time I got home at the end of the day I had no energy to blog, to write, to even think.

On the plus side, I learned a lot. Like, a lot a lot. I'm already planning several Art Prize related posts which I'll hopefully be sharing this week, which I hope will be helpful to Art Prize visitors and artists next year.

Talk to you soon (I'm going to catch up on sleep now if you don't mind!),

Annie Belle

My Etsy store!

Get a wool-stuffed hand-knit pillow for $75!

Hey guys, I launched my Etsy store earlier this week. Check it out here! 

I'm always trying to develop new products, so be sure to stop by often!

ArtPrize!

If you missed my first and second installation, you can check out the Woolhouse at Art Prize 2013, hopefully featuring...A ROOF!

I think I can use this here?

I'm going to be exhibiting at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts. This is my first real "show" so I'm pretty excited about it!

You can read more about Art Prize here.

I will DEFINITELY be blogging about the experience!

XOXO,

Annie Belle

Putting up and taking down...

photo by Maggie Kane

Second installation

Sorry for totally neglecting this blog! I guess I should start un-neglecting it though. Anyway, here are some images from the work's second installation. All photos taken by Sam Doyle.

Oh, and me too. I probably should have gotten some without me in it. :p

Sleep wrapped in wool!

Have you ever wanted to sleep wrapped in wool? Of course you have. There's a hotel in the Netherlands where you can. I am very sad that they got to the "woolness" pun before I did. 

They seem to be a bit shy about photos where the sleeper is wrapped in wool, but you can see some on their website.

Etsy shop launching soon. It's hard to get in the mood to make scarves when it's 80 degrees outside. In the meantime, I'm still over at Big Cartel and I need to pay off my student loans...

More work with wool roving!

This knitted Eames chair by Akira Ishikawa takes a design classic and transforms it into something lovely and homey. I want one!

Here's me wearing the scarf and the cowl.

I am out of wool top and it makes me sad.

Two more feet and then I'll be done with the base of my couch, though.

It might be easier to just get a huge flock of sheep!

Shearing, washing, and spinning, by Christien Meindertsma

shearing, washing and spinning from Christien Meindertsma on Vimeo.

Not my video, nor my company, nor my project, but a closer look at the process.

I would be the worst employee at a wool mill ever.

Crochet pouf

This was the first item I completed for the house. The whole thing is made up of similar circles like the one on top, and then I crocheted around it. It's wayyy too complex to explain, and I went through multiple versions before settling on this one. It does support weight though.

Garter stitch throw/pre-table

I'm going to add a PVC frame to this so it will be a table.

Big twist pillow

Pillow. This is from wool top split into fourths.

Chain cowl

This is just a perk for the campaign--I can't figure out a way to integrate it into the house without it seeming too desperate.

I like it a lot, but some parts of the construction feel off to me. I'll re-explore it when I make more.

woo, it's a blog!

For my senior project! Hurray!

Now I should probably go work on it.