July Meeting Will Be All About Paris

The July Phoebe meeting will feature Sharon Martin's "About Me" presentation, including her love for all things Parisian. You won't want to miss seeing her French-themed treasures and hearing about her adventures in Paris.

 

Calendar of Events for 2014

 

August 16, Bead Sale, 1420 45th St, Studio #34, Emeryville, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. and August 17, noon to 5 P.M. Presale appointments available from August 11. Eclectic collection of beads. (510) 654-5420.

August 21, Board Meeting, 5:30 P.M., Alameda Education Office. All members in good standing are invited to attend the board meeting to be held the hour preceding the monthly meeting.

August 21, Phoebe Monthly Meeting, 6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton, Hayward. The exchange postcard theme will be "Portugal." Please bring your Nola Hart pattern doll for the library exhibit to the meeting (may bring 2 dolls per person).

September 2014, Phoebe Doll Exhibit at the Castro Valley Library, 3600 Norbridge off Redwood Road. 

September 1 (Labor Day), Danville Antique and Art Faire, Danville. Downtown from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. More than 50 vendors.

September 26, 27 and 28, Pleasanton Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival, Alameda County Fairgrounds, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

October 2014, Roxanne Padgett's Surface Design Workshop. Contact Stephanie at smitharts2002@yahoo.com for details and to sign up.

October 16 through 19, Pacific International Quilt Festival, Santa Clara Convention Center. Thursday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M, Sunday 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Admission $15 (I$13 on Sunday).www.quiltfest.com.

December 2014, Annual Christmas Window Display at the Book Shop in Hayward. Stay tuned for more details.

Challenge Results

The quarterly challenge was due at the June meeting. Mary had handed out a brown-skinned cloth doll and some fabric for participants to make a doll, or anything they wished.  

Stephanie sculpted the most adorable cat face and paws on her doll and dressed her in a kitty-pretty dress.



Anne used the cloth body to create more than one doll.
Each one was so original and clever.



Tani sculpted and painted a beautiful face on her doll and dressed her in ethnic garb.



Suzanne designed a very cute outfit for her doll, topped with curly fiber hair.



Zanaib chose to deconstruct her challenge doll and fashioned a cloth necklace instead. Something she can wear...
not just set on a shelf. Clever girl!

 Show and Tell

 

Several people brought show and tell items to the meeting  but had packed them away before pictures could be taken. Below are a few examples of the necklaces Donna made and sold at the ProArts Open Studios in Alameda. They are made from stuffed fabric yoyos.



 

 



An Enchanting Evening With the Faries

The theme of the May Phoebe Meeting was faries... or angels... or any other enchanting winged creatures. Marcella brought a "Flying Phoebe" name tag made from the pattern created by Elinor Peace Bailey. "Show and Tell" produced an amazing number of beautiful creations members brought to share.



Bonnie brought one of her more recent flat dolls... this one a guardian angel complete with wide-spreading wings she made to exchange with a friend.



Suzanne brought a curly-haired garden fairy with gossamer wings.

Betts shared her diva twig doll dressed in vintage stone washed silk.

She also exhibited her exquisite fairy doll. A perfect example of her attention to minute details evident in all her creations.
 





This is one of the numerous fairies Sharon has made over the years and sold in craft shows. So very cute and so sweet!

Sitting next to the Frog Prince is a fairy doll made by
Donna... one of the first dolls she ever made after joining Phoebes in 2006. On the right is a flower fairy made in Cyndi Mahlstadt's Phoebe workshop some years ago.



Harlene brought her very cute Nola doll for the Castro Valley Library Exhibit in September. She is a flat doll made with paperclay and decked out in an adorable dress and beads.

Marcella shared her felt Newenbury dolls from her collection.

Von Zetta participated in the May Day Fair in Los Banos and won "Best of Show." She made this doll, as well as a hanging rack to display 5 separate very cute doll costumes.

Several Phoebes participated in a tag exchange with the theme "hands." Here are a few of the tags made by the group.

Sharon, Rosie and Donna got together to make some greeting cards for the Phoebe Sunshine Committee. These are a few of the wonderful cards they made to donate. And, it was a lot of fun! In the upper right is a fairy book created by Sharon that was published in a feature article in Somerset magazine.

A couple more cards that were donated.

Sharon brought some of her beautiful cloth books for us to see. She will be in the Tinsel and Treasures craft show in Danville in the fall. Watch the calendar for the date.

Another of Sharon's beautiful cloth collage books.

Betts Vidal Frog Prince Workshop

 

 

For those of us who joined Phoebes after Betts taught her Frog Prince doll workshop sometime around 2005 or 2006, it has always been our dream that one day she would agree to teach her class again. Our dreams came true when we attended her workshop on April 26 and 27 at Always Quilting at 4230 Olympic Street in San Mateo. Above is a photo of one of Betts' original dolls, which inspired us as we worked. We were not limited to making a prince, and Betts had frogs in a variety of costumes displayed to give us an idea of the possibilities.

 

The quilt shop was a fabulous venue in which to hold a class. The workroom was so spacious with big tables—and next door was the salesroom, filled with a wondrous assortment of gorgeous fabrics, trims, and every kind of tool and pattern imaginable. Class members went home with new treasures in hand. It is certainly a place you should visit if you have not yet done so.

 

Betts taught us so much... so many sewing and doll-making tips and tricks. Everyone agreed it was an outstanding workshop. Thank you, Betts, for making our dreams come true! Here are some of the Frog Princes, as well as frogs from different times and places—some finished, some in progress, and some yet to be revealed in future posts.

 

 

Stephanie was first to finish her frog—a dashing prince. He is so regal in his elegant flowing cloak. Betts gave each of us a piece of dried seaweed she collected from her favorite secret beach, which we could use as a royal staff.



Donna also created a Frog Prince, who happened to be a member of the Royal Order of the Garter. He was embellished with a vintage pin and some dried materials that had once belonged to her late mother.

 

 



 Elizabeth is still putting the finishing touches on her dapper frog. Her charming interpretation includes spats and a very stylish top coat and vest. Can't wait to see him completed!

 

Zanaib also chose to take a slightly different direction. Above is her very creative tribal prince who is highly esteemed and deserving of respect.

 

 

Suzanne used a wonderful batik print for her Frog Prince's body and lush green velvet for his tunic. She is working on finishing his costume and we are looking forward to seeing more of him.