Felting

Tualatin Library has had a series of wonderful art workshops for kids, and Jasper participated in the latest one, a felted bead workshop.  Local artist LeBrie Rich taught the kids how to make colorful wet felted beads from marino wool in just a few steps.  The colors they could choose from were amazing, and the kids had a blast.  Rather than string his beads, Jasper knew just what to do with them when we got home.   When I was a kid, my mother had found two bird's nests that had blown from trees in the fall, and saved them for our Christmas tree.  I have them now, and Jasper knew his beads were the perfect size to become eggs.  

Felting is surprisingly easy, and wet felting is a very kid friendly technique.  Look for LeBrie to offer more workshops at Tualatin Library, where she is definitely in demand, as well as other locations she lists on her site.  For grownups and older kids who would like to try needle felting, from which you can rapidly learn to make pretty much anything you can imagine, I recommend the needle felting classes at Pendleton Woolen Mill Store in SE Portland.  They are currently $25, and come with a discount coupon for supplies and quite  a few assorted goodies.  And Dharma Trading also has wool roving, both in yummy colors and ready to dye.