Other Projects

Besides making children's books, I also enjoy fiddling around with other media. Here are a few of my recent projects.

Penny Rugs

At the beginning of the pandemic, I learned how to make penny rugs using felted wool, cotton thread, buttons and beads. Penny rugs are thought to have originated in the 1700s but became popular around the time of the Civil War. Using scraps of wool from old garments and coins as templates, homemakers sewed rugs and tablerunners. Sometimes they used pennies to weigh the pieces down so they could lie flat. For me, it is a fascinating fiber art where I can explore color and design. While I have made a few into pillows, I mostly plan to frame them and hang them on the wall.

Matryoshka Dolls

Matryoshka dolls are Russian nesting dolls. When I was a little girl, my mother took me to the World's Fair in Brussels, Belgium. In the Russian Pavillion, she bought me my own set of Matryoshka. I played with them a lot and now they are a bit chipped and worn. My daughter found a set of unpainted dolls in Brooklyn and asked me to paint them for her. It was a lot of fun. Here is how they turned out.

Collaborations

Recently, I've begun collaborating with a good friend who is also an acclaimed fiber artist - Liz Alpert Fay. I've designed two pieces (a third is on the way) that she has transformed into incredible works of fiber art; Memoir Synopsized and A Bird Tale. Memoir Synopsized is part of Liz's Ordinary/Extraordinary Women series that will debut in June 2025 at the Silvermine Arts Center in New Canaan, CT. The show will later travel to Montana and Wisconsin. A Bird Tale was presented an Award of Merit at CraftForms 2022, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA and is also included in a new book, Stitched Journeys with Birds: Inspiration to Let Your Creativity Take Flight by Martha Sielman