Flying Turtle Designs

2011-07-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today I learned that some of my work has been accepted for inclusion in a show at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT in August. The Show is called Uncommon Threads and will show fiber and fiber techniques used in unconventional ways. Here are some of the images I submitted. The show will be running from August 16th to September 24th with an opening reception on August 19th. You can visit the Studio Place Arts website at www.studioplacearts.com for more information about the gallery or the show. I am very pleased to be able to participate in this exhibit and I can't wait to see what the other artists have come up with.

The Turtle-Bird Flies the Coop!

2011-02-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Friends,
With lots of new developments this winter I thought it was high time for an update. First and foremost, Flying Turtle Designs is proud to share the news that we are moving a short distance down the road to rebuild our nest in the "Best-Littlest" town in Vermont, otherwise known as Winooski (the smallest, and most dense geographic township in the state)!

We look forward to the transition to our new home with excitement and trepidation. Excitement because we plan to refinish a small out building, (pictured above left) on our new property into a beautiful studio for all our creative endeavors. Trepidation because the building is currently uninsulated and unheated, and I predict that the path to studio completion may be "a long row to hoe". I look forward to sharing the process with you as we build a space for our creative dreams to find physical form.

Bookbinding Class at the Shelburne Art Center

2010-09-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

This spring I had the pleasure of teaching a bookbinding class to wonderful students at the Shelburne Art Center in Shelburne Vermont. The class was a lot of fun and my students were very enthusiastic. As my thoughts turn with the changing seasons back toward teaching (as the busyness of summers outdoor activities winds down) I am reminded of the joy of working with motivated students. This is a picture of one of my students, Sophie, with her newly sewn book.

Stow Street Arts Festival and New Products on Etsy

2010-07-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Friends,

I am excited to share with you that I will have a booth at the Stowe Street Arts Festival this weekend in Waterbury, Vermont.

Join me and over 50 other artists at the Stowe Street Arts Festival on July 17! It's going to be a great day, with lots of art to see (and buy), delicious food, music, and artist demonstrations. Stowe Street and Bidwell Lane in Waterbury are closed for this event. You can get the whole schedule of events by clicking on the following link: http://www.revitalizingwaterbury.org/documents/SSAFeventslist2010.pdf

Date: Saturday, July 17, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Historic downtown Waterbury, Vermont
Directions: Take Exit 10 off I89 then go south on Rte. 100 into Waterbury to the first stop light. The festival will be on the street to your left
Parking: Look for festival and municipal parking signs. There’s plenty of parking on Main Street and at Thatcher Brook Primary School on Stowe Street.

There is a wide range of art for sale (not just mine!) and plenty of reasonably-priced food. And best of all, admission is free!

Please tell your friends and let people know about this great annual arts festival, celebrating all the arts on July 17.

I am pleased to share with you that the pictures included in this blog are of some new products I have recently listed in my Etsy store. I had a record month of sales on Etsy in June which has re-energized my interest im making and posting my latest projects.

You can visit my Etsy store by going to: www.flyingturtledesigns.etsy.com

Thanks and I look forward to seeing you,
Eliza Collins

New Bookbinding Class at Shelburne Art Center

2010-05-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Fans,

I wanted to share with you all a new class that I will be teaching starting later this week at the Shelburne Art Center in Shelburne Vermont. You can find a description of the class and register online at (www.shelburneartcenter.org/fiber.html).

Bookmaking Advanced Techniques and Sculptural Elements
Instructor: Eliza Collins Weissberger
Thursdays 6:30-8pm
Four weeks, May 27 – June 17
Members $105, Non-Members $120
materials list & $10 fee

Push the boundaries of bookbinding with an investigation into the artistic and sculptural elements of their design. Learn how to add doors, windows, drawers, scrolls and other moving parts using non-traditional materials.

The pictures in this blog entry are the work of students in previous sculptural bookbinding classes that I taught at Left Bank Books in Hanover NH.

Natures First Green

2010-04-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Everything these days seems to be glowing with inner light. The trees new leaves, the shimmering water and the lush new grass. All this growing and greening has me in the mood for some new creating. Here for your enjoyment are some pictures of recent projects.

In the slide show above I am excited to share some pictures of a series of small travel journals I made with paper from envelopes saved from historic family corespondents. Many of them were purchased by Passport & Go to be included with a travel package for their clients traveling to Egypt.

Below you will find some pictures of items I have recently posted to our Etsy shop.

Enjoy the inspiration of this bursting spring!

New Energy

2010-01-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

The new year with its lengthening days, and this late January icicle melting sun must have warmed, and awakened within me, a new urge for action.

I have been moving forward positively on many fronts. A fellow artist (Stephanie Mckay of Rivulette,rivulette.blogspot.com) and I have been tromping around town looking for the perfect art making home for our creative endevers. A studio, with ample space and convenient to down town Burlington. The catch, it must be very, very affordable. We have seen a few and expect to see a few more on Monday. Perhaps soon the Flying Turtle will have a place to bed down.

This past week I have been in major book production mode. I have finished eight so far. Many have paper quilt collages on the covers, and decorative longstitch bindings. I keep developing new designs which keeps the stitching exciting.

Last night I came home very inspired from a brush-making workshop at the BCA clay studio where I learned how to make real animal hair brushes. The focus of the class was to make brushes for glazing potter. I am also very excited to experiment with the brushes for watercolor painting.

Well, guess I'll sign out and see which way the next breeze blows me. I am excited to see where this new year is headed.

Looking Ahead

2009-12-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Our first year in operation is winding down and I am now reflecting on on some of the challenges and rewards of our first official year in business.

In the last week I taught a lantern making class in Hanover at Left Bank Books (all 10 of us had a wonderful time).

We also sold our work at two craft fairs, with mixed success and continue to produce more work for a third craft fair this Sat. at Memorial Auditorium Annex, right next to the Burlington City Arts Clay Studio.

Todays small achievement was learning how to attach my new Picasa web album to my blog. How fun!

I am sick today so it is hard to be excessively optimistic but over all I am very pleased with the progress we have made and what we have been able to accomplish in our first year.

Peace and Light in this dark time as we look forward hopefully to the new years beginning.

Hope

2009-11-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,..."

Emily Dickinson

This was a week where hope was ever present as was the need of hope.
The hand-ufacturing was rolling along at a measured, yet productive pace. I am learning about time, my use and distortion of it, as I try to consider its value to someone else as it is embodied in a piece of work.

Hello World

2009-11-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

New born to the blogging world we here at Flying Turtle Designs are excited to be spreading our wings. Our fledgling art and craft company started nearly 1 year ago is progressing well. With more time now to devote to the business I am excited to share that our work has been accepted into the Frog Hollow Gallery in Burlington, VT. I feel that we have really entered the B-town art scene now. It is starting to feel real. We will also be displaying some of our work at the Shelbure Art Center in their winter show.

With much to celebrate I am happy to share it in our very new blog.

Best to all! More to come!