Saturday, July 3, 2010

Little Nuno Clutch Bags

I really enjoy experimenting with all sorts of materials when I make my nuno felt. Doing small pieces gives me the opportunity to play with lots of different materials, yarns and fabrics of all kinds. I have even used pieces of those soft plastic mesh bags that onions and potatoes come in! You never know if a fabric or other element will work in nuno felting until you try. That's what I tell my students, and that's how I was taught.

I got into making these clutch bags in preparation for a workshop I am teaching with Jeannette Cook next January. It is her annual San Diego Beach House Bead Retreat. I will teach the nuno felt clutch the first day of the retreat, and over the next several days participants will do free form beading on their purses under Jeannette's expert tutelage. All this while staying at a beautiful beach house on Mission Bay, steps away from the surf! I think there are still spaces left. Just go to this San Diego Beach House Bead Retreat link for more information.


I dipped into my husbands leather stash for the front of this bag.
All it needs now is a felted rope strap,
and it's ready to go!



The felted rope makes a strong and handsome purse strap.

Off to the studio now
to make a felted rope strap for this one too.

11 comments:

  1. Arlene, I love your work! You will be such a wonderful addition to the San Diego Beach House Bead Retreat Next January. Your Wearable Felted Pieces so compliment my Freeform Sculptural Peyote. I can't wait to see what our students make.
    Thanks for the great write up.

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  2. Jeannette, Thanks for the kind words. I am very excited about
    this workshop. I too look forward to the final "Show and Share".

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  3. So lovely and sounds like so much fun...

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  4. I love this little bags! beautiful colours!

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  5. Gorgeous bags, I LOVE all the textures and colours - they are beautiful.

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  6. Beautiful bags! I love them all.
    I've just started wet felting and loving it, and it's been great to read your blog and a few others that i've managed to find.
    I've just felted for the second time and you can see it on my blog. I have a few blogs but it's on the witch and wizard miniature blog if you would like to have a look.
    Im making it into a bag and have loads still to do and more felting before i can sew it all up.
    Best wishes, Nikki xxx

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  7. Beautiful bags. I love the different colors and textures.

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  8. hola son muy lindos los colores y los tejidos

    adioz que esten muy bien

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