Needle Felting Extravaganza

From Gallery Hanahou

"We were happy to have a great crowd of fiber art enthusiasts at the opening, and the presence of artists Hine Mizushima and Moxie made it a very special evening. Everyone who came was taken in by Hine's undulating sea creatures, Kit Lane's enchanting Strangeland sculptures, Moxie's carefully recreated objects, and the detailed fairy tale scenes by Yoko Nomura. 

The show is up through April 1st, so please stop by and see it yourself if you're in the NYC area! If you can't make it in person, you can see all of the pieces in the show in our catalog, now available for download here. (Pieces have been selling fast, so some may no longer be available.) 

The sold-out workshop with Moxie on March 5th was also a blast: Moxie is an excellent teacher and needle felting evangelist. Everyone went home with a new creation and plenty of materials to keep making. If you missed the workshop, you can teach yourself to needle felt by picking up a signed copy of Moxie's book I Felt Awesome in our shop. 

Check out more photos from the opening and the workshop on our Flickr page. 

A Needle Felting Extravaganza!

Opening March 3rd: A Needle Felting Extravaganza!

March 3 - April 1, 2011

Icons & Totems & Pieces of the Past by Moxie
The Unnatural History Museum by Hine Mizushima

Strangeland by Kit Lane

Fractured Fairy Tales by Yoko Nomura

Opening reception: Thursday, March 3, 7-9 pm

RSVP to info@galleryhanahou.com 

Beginning March 3rd, gallery hanahou will host a group show of needle-felting works by four artists who are shaping the medium in significant ways: Moxie, Hine Mizushima, Kit Lane, and Yoko Nomura. Using wool and basic tools, these artists have created worlds and creatures that defy conventional ideas about the craft. The exhibition will be comprised of four mini solo shows that express each artist's personal sense of humor, wonder, or adventure through soft sculpture.

WORKSHOP: Learn needle felting with 3D basics  

In conjunction with the show, Moxie, artist and author of the book "I Felt Awesome," will lead a beginners' workshop in needle felting.
Date/ Time : Saturday March 5, 1 - 4 pm
Price: $40
To Signup: email shop@galleryhanahou.com  or call (646) 486-6586 (Space is limited!)

I Felt Awesome- Interview and GIVEAWAY!

 As you should all know by now, my friend, Moxie came out with a book recently titled I Felt Awesome: Tips and Tricks for 35+ Needle-Poked Projects.  As I have already mentioned, this book is AWESOME!  Moxie is hilarious and I'm not just saying that because she's my friend.  If you don't like to needle felt you would still thoroughly enjoy reading this book.  I did an interview with  her to join her giveaway here!  All you got to do is leave a comment with what you would love to needle felt and we will randomly choose TWO winners!  #1 winner will receive a signed copy of her book AND a kit!  #2 winner will receive a signed copy of her book AND a little present made by moxie!  Enter to win today!  Winners will be chosen Feb. 16th. 

S- You did all the projects for your book, I Felt Awesome!  How long did this process take? 

M- It seemed like forever! From the day I submitted an inquiry to the publisher to the day the book was on the shelves it was 2 years and some change. (There are a couple extra months in there because of a family emergency, btw.)

S- Not only does your book have GREAT projects but your writing is hilarious!  It seemed like you had a lot of fun.  Do you plan on writing more? 

M- Thanks! It was a lot of fun and a lot of very hard work. I'm not in a hurry to focus my energy on one project like that again for a while. However, if I get a great idea for another book, I'm sure I won't be able to keep it to myself.

S- Do you have any favorites from the book?

M- So hard to choose! I'm really happy with the yo-yo project. The moldy cozy still makes me smile. I also have the Ennui neon sign hanging in my studio and it continues to be awesome.

S- You are doing quiet the book tour!  Where may people find you?

M- Next up is gallery hanahou in NYC. (March 3 for the show opening reception and March 4 I'll be teaching a workshop and signing books.) I'm working on something for Baltimore but the details aren't firm. I have a secret desire to felt in all 50 states so if someone wants me to come to their town, they should drop me a line and see if we can set things up.

S- What are your plans for 2011?

M- Make more art!

Luv-able and Hug-able

Opening party: Thursday, December 9, 6-9 pm (RSVP info@galleryhanahou.com)

gallery hanahou 

611 Broadway, Suite 730, NYC

galleryhanahou.com 

*SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS*
Mon-Fri 12-6 pm / Sat 1-6 pm

[Closed 12/24/10 - 1/2/11]

Get ready for some serious hugging! The 4th annual "Luv-able + Hug-able" plush show kicks off at gallery hanahou on December 9th with more plushes than ever!

More than 50 artists will be stuffing gallery hanahou with their original handmade plushes, and this year's show will have a special theme of "Luv-able + Hug-able + Wearable!"  M

any of the cute and kooky plush creatures will double as fashion accessories, making perfect gifts for your holiday list. 

Join us on December 9th 6-9 pm for the opening party, where plushes can be taken home on the spot for immediate hugging! 

Everyone is getting plush mania! Many favorite plush artists from previous years have returned with new creations, and oodles of new artists are getting involved, including selections from the crafty people at Etsy and Plush You, new plush artists from Japan, and even a toy design class from Parsons.

For more information or images: press@galleryhanahou.com

December 11 workshop: Make a plush brooch with Jenny Harada

Plush queen Jenny Harada returns to gallery hanahou on December 11 to lead a workshop in making cool and au courant plush brooches! The workshop size is limited, so email info@galleryhanahou.com to reserve your space!

Date : December 11th 2010

Time : 1pm - 4pm

Price: $30 (includes all materials)

Signup: info@galleryhanahou.com

Lost at Sea Opening Reception

It was finally the day to party down.  The opening of Lost at Sea was finally here and I couldn't have been happier with the turn out!  I met so many people I have talked with online for a long time now and saw some old friends.  It was excellent!

Such as the wonderful, Jennifer Strunge of Cotton Monster fame (left)!

And Jessica Marquez

And Becky Stern again!

And I got to meet the nicest ladies from Etsy including Danielle who will be making her way out to Seattle in August for the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs!

Here are a few pics of the people and the show as well.  You can now check out all the work online and even make a purchase if you like :)  Visit it all here. To those that made it out, Thank You!

Setting up and hanging out

Day two of set up was a lot better.  I felt a little bit more rested than I had the day before and was excited to see it all coming together.  Gabe from Gallery Hanahou is a genius and I learned a lot from him about hanging art work.  He is so detail oriented and thinks of things that would never occur to me.  I think I will stick to curating and hope that someone, like Gabe, is always there to help hang!  Here he is doing his thing. 

We had some visitors as well including Sayuri who came to hang her work. 

And Jenny Harada came to hang her cute and colorful Planktons.

Soon after, Anna came by to meet us for a hang out date.

Once we were done hanging Jenny, Anna and myself left to go get some dinner and beer.  I was excited to sit down and relax after a long day!  Anna showed us her advance copy of her new book that hits bookstores in June!  More to come about that closer to the date but until then, here is Anna and her book!

Becky Stern met us after her class was done and fun was had by all.  Now all I had to do was sit back and relax and wait for the opening!

Lost at Sea

Tonight is the opening of Lost at Sea at Gallery Hanahou in NYC.  If you live in the area, I hope to see/meet some of you there.  It is going to be an amazing show! Opening Reception is from 7:00 to 9:00pm.
Here are some samples of what will be there

Hine Mizushima

Lou Lou & Oscar

Feltmates

Diem Chau

Nicole Licht Workshop

If you will be attending the Lost at Sea show, a few days later you could also attend a workshop with Nicole Licht!  Here is the info:

Brooklyn fiber artist Nicole Licht will lead participants in making embroidery and fabric collages with a "Lost at Sea" theme in a workshop similar to one that she has led at the MAD museum.  

Date + Time: Saturday, May 8, 1-3 pm

Place: gallery hanahou, 611 Broadway, Suite 730, NYC

Cost: $45

Signup: Email info@galleryhanahou - space is limited!

Lost at Sea

I hope some of you might be able to make it out to Lost at Sea.  The opening reception is from 7-9pm on May 6th.  All info can be found here

If you live in NYC

Tomorrow night is the opening of Luv-able and Hug-able at Gallery Hanahou in NYC. It should be a goodie. I can't wait to see photos!

Luv-able and Hug-able

Many of you are participating in the Luv-able Hug-able show at Gallery Hanahou. It looks like it will be another great show!
December 3 - January 9 : gallery hanahou / 611 Broadway, Suite 730, NYC /

The popular NY holiday plush show is returning to gallery hanahou with oodles of handmade plushes for you and yours! Spread warm holiday cheer with adorable, strange, and funny unique plush toys made by more than 50 top plush artists from around the world.

The plushes will be even cuter and more affordable at this year's 3rd annual "Luv-able and Hug-able," with the special theme of "Medium and Mini!": toys that are either just the right size for hugging or small enough to fit in your pocket, swing from a keychain, or be worn on a pin.

Participating artists include returning favorites Christina Gordon of Jam Fancy, Anna Chambers, Robyn Fabsits, and Heidi Kenney, plus a bunch of hug-able new artists, among them APAK!, Elisabeth Doherty of Gourmet Amigurumi, and Sandra Monat of herzensart. As in previous years, gallery hanahou will also exhibit plushes by Japanese artists whose original works are rarely available in the US - this year, that also includes designer toy giants Devil Robots and noriya takeyama!

Plushes will be available for immediate take-home, so come early to the December 3rd opening to nab your favorites! Items in the show will also be available online via galleryhanahou.com starting the week following the opening.

Shelly visits Gallery Hanahou

Shelly, my lovely and fantastic intern was recently in NYC and visited Gallery Hanahou and I asked her to write a blog post about her visit. Here it is:



First you have to get the street name right… HOWston… not Houston and Broadway… Then you have to actually find the small entrance to this large building (the Cable Building in SOHO), which I walked by at least twice before going in!

Once I was there I was shocked, you are walking by all of these small businesses and then BAM! You make it into the tiny Gallery Hanahou. “Amazing” was the first word out of my mouth as I walked into a bustling Parson’s Workshop led by Shoichi Ishizawa (the President himself!). The walls, ceilings, radiator and floor are completely covered with creations in the show titled “Before and After” created by the Japanese group Ossu! Shugeibu that translates into: Yo! Crafting Club.



I of course had to introduce myself to some of the gallery people milling about as I had met Koko the previous weekend at Schmancy’s Plush You! Show in Seattle. Koko was completely surprised to see me since I totally forgot to mention I was headed to NYC… ha ha. Koko walked me around the show and I noticed that nothing was really for sale, NONE of the toys/crafts were for sale?! What!? But the passion of Ishizawa is for everyone to be able to craft these incredible toys on their own, hence all the instructions on the walls! Cool.



Walking around and checking out all of the interestingly usable objects I think my favorites must be the umbrella birds and the “don’t buy Fake!” tea kettle cover. Let me tell you if you are at all crafty this show was a definite push to go home and make something!

Call to Fiber Artists

Joetta Maue is curating a fiber show in NYC and looking for artists. Find out all about it here. She participated in the show I curated, Forget Me-Not in NYC this past Febuary at Gallery Hanahou

Before and After

Before and After
by Ossu! Shugeibu, the macho guerrilla crafting club from Japan
October 14 - November 13
Gallery Hanahou

Ossu! Shugeibu, translated into English as Yo! Crafting Club, is fueled by a mix of testosterone and pure creativity uninhibited by rules or conventions. Using repurposed materials and freestyle techniques, founder and president Shoichi Ishizawa inspires his myriad club members - men and women who have participated in his workshops - to create surprising craft art without any prior experience in the traditional crafts.

"Before and After" will feature unusual creations handmade by Ishizawa himself, but the guerrilla crafting guru is passionate about recruiting new members to his club and has plans to get everyone involved!

Visitors to the October 14th opening will be encouraged to join in on a participatory handmade "happening," then Ishizawa will lead a workshop on October 17th in which participants will each make a hand-sewn robotic dog. Come join the Yo! Crafting Club!

Opening Party + Surprise Event: October 14 (Wed) 7-9 p.m.

Robogurumi (robot dog) Workshop (Only $29.99!): October 17 (Sat) 1-4 p.m.

RSVP for either event: info@galleryhanahou.com

gallery hanahou
611 Broadway, Suite 730, NYC
M-F 12-6 pm
Sat by appt only

Luv-able and Hug-able

Here is how you can get involved in this year's Luv-able and Hug-able show at Gallery Hanahou

gallery hanahou in New York is looking for super fun and unique plush artists to participate in its 3rd annual holiday plush show Luv-able and Hug-able!

The popular NY holiday plush show is coming back to gallery hanahou this December with oodles of handmade plushes for you and yours! Spread warm holiday cheer with adorable, strange, and funny unique plushes made by top plush artists from around the world. This year's show will have a special theme of "Medium and Mini!": toys that are either just the right size for hugging or small enough to fit in your pocket, swing from a keychain, or be worn on a pin.

To apply for participation in the show, please send low-resolution photos of 3 or 4 representative examples of your plushes to info@galleryhanahou.com by July 20th. Please also include your name, contact info, and website URL. gallery hanahou will review the entries and ask selected plush artists to participate in the show. If you are selected for participation, you will be asked to send 4-5 plushes by November 13th. For more information, please contact info@galleryhanahou.com.

Shows to Check Out

If you live in Scotland by any chance, you should go check out Donna Wilson's show at The Lighthouse. It looks amazing.



Don't forget to check out the Forget Me-Not show. It's up for one more week.



If you live in Bangkok by any chance, check out Meal of Cartoon at Art Gorillas



If you live in Amsterdam by chance, go check out CutexDoom at Maxalot



If you live in SF check out For the love of... at Giant Robot

I'm Back

Hello Friends.



I am back in Seattle and have to say, very happy to be here. I got a bad cold at the mid point of my vacation and have to say that being sick on vacation really sucks and being sick in NYC REALLY sucks. At any rate, I had fun still and the opening for Forget Me-Not was truly amazing! The place was packed...so much so that I had to find a corner to stand in to lessen my claustrophobic anxiety. I did venture out and got to meet some amazing folks including, Joetta, Orly Cogan, Nicole, who has a great thread of photos, Jessica and tons of fans of embroidery. I also got to see some great old friends including Parisa from Pillows for the People, Laurel from Mad Imports and many others. It was a great time! Thank you so much for Gallery Hanahou. They are the sweetest people in the world and were so helpful.



I also had the pleasure of having tea with the lovely Anna of Mochimochi Land and Jenny Harada. It was so fun to just chat it up with some crafty ladies!



It was also mentioned in Time Out which was a great honor.

Forget Me-Not

I will obviously be at this. I hope to meet some new folks and see some old friends!

gallery hanahou presents
Forget Me-Not
embroidered love from the new craft movement
February 6 - 27
Opening reception: February 6th, 6-8 pm

gallery hanahou / 611 Broadway, Suite 730, NYC / galleryhanahou.com

For generations, women have expressed love of family through the painstaking art of embroidery. This February, gallery hanahou presents a new generation of embroidery artists using needle and thread to depict love in broader terms, whether idealized and simple or brutal and complicated. Curated by Kristen Rask, this group exhibit of affordable artwork will win your affection in more ways than one. A meaningful alternative to waxy chocolates.

Artists

Aimee Ray, Apol Lejano-Massebieau, Diem Chau, Emily Eibel, Emily Katz, Heidi Kenney, Jessica Marquez, Kate Durkin, Katherine Shaughnessy, Kayte Terry, Kris Garland, Kristen Rask, Mary Yaeger, Molly Dilworth, Nicole Licht, Orly Cogan, Pamela Davis, Sam Gobson, Sarah Horton, Shanna Fiorucci, Shannon Rankin, Vanessa Lauria, Vivienne Strauss

Participating artists include Diem Chau, whose minimalist works explore the periphery of narrative and moments forgotten, Orly Cogan, who works with vintage fabrics and found embroideries to create a new feminist discourse, and Shannon Rankin, who combines the visual elements of maps, anatomical illustrations, and natural forms to explore themes of travel, healing, and time.

Curator Kristen Rask has always been a crafter. From friendship bracelets, sewing, and jewelry, Kristen has tried it all. Embroidery struck her fancy a few years ago and she now has a hard time not incorporating it into all of her work. She opened up a store in downtown Seattle in 2004 called Schmancy. There she started an annual plush show titled Plush You, which just finished its fourth run. She has also curated art shows in various galleries in Seattle, San Francisco and now NYC.

All of the artwork in Forget Me-Not will also be available for viewing and purchase online via galleryhanahou.com beginning February 11.

Reminder

Tonight is the opening for target="_blank">Luv-able and Hug-able in NYC. I really wish I was going to it!

They also just added another event:

Lunchtime crafting!

CWC International is privileged to host the celebrated Ossu! Syugeibu design team from Tokyo, whose works are currently available at the Luv-able+Hug-able Exhibition at gallery hanahou. As a special gift to you, the Ossu! Syugeibu team will host a mini-workshop on Friday, December 5th. Please stop by around noon to satisfy your creative appetite for just $20. The project will be revealed only on the day of! Please let us know if you're interested by contacting info@galleryhanahou.com. We look forward to seeing you there!

What: A Lunchtime Crafting event with Ossu! Syugeibu
When: December 5, 2008 (Friday) at noon
Where: gallery hanahou, 611 Broadway, Suite 730
Cost: $20 for materials
RSVP: info@galleryhanahou.com or (646) 486-6586