Day 15: Roz Walker, Seeker & Following the Fiber Trail

We're making Community Lemonade in Long Beach.  Come and make lemonade with us!

!  I'm on a 100-day odyssey for community and creativity in Long Beach.  We've got such an amazing city, and I'm a huge fan.  I'm seeking out the creatives and the facilitators of creativity, the art and the locations that inspire art.

I call it .

Today was Day 15 of Making Lemonade. 

I was touched by the offer of help from a new seeker.

Just a day after visiting the gathering of artists, a presentation by the , I am touched by an offer from one of the artists.

Roz Walker is a special type of photographer, and I will surely be visiting with her to talk a bit more about her creative process.  It involves slicing, photographing, digitizing, digital adjusting. 

Today, however, I would like to introduce her as the first non-penguin seeker to officially join the game!

Not only has Roz offered to seek the items needed in the gauntlet, but she has offered to open up the needs of to her community of friends and artists.  Hooray!

Roz' avatar is a photograph of a which she took in Long Beach, CA.  For now, we will call her Palm'eye'rah'rah.  Or simply Roz.

Penguin perspective:  Many years ago, when I was selecting baby names, I picked Palmyra as my choice for a girls' name.  At the time, the Nature Conservancy was trying to raise funds to acquire Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.  I was enthralled at the idea of the atoll, pristine, extremely bio-diverse, so beautiful.

Following the Fiber Trail

HGA's Convergence is at the Long Beach Convention Center this week.  If you'd like to attend, admission is $10.00, but there are several ways to attend for free!

I awoke excitedly, determined to get a head-start on the fiber fun.  I read the website, the tips on avoiding oversaturation when attending the conference.  Be choosy, follow your interest.  If you try to follow all the trails, you may be overwhelmed.  Seems like good advice.

I parked at a friend's condominium in a downtown Long Beach high-rise and walked over to the convention center.  Following the fiber trail.  My first display encountered was an ION Torrent bus.  I had a lovely interview about sequencing... Stitches? I wondered... No.  As it turned out, it was DNA sequencing.  I think I may have taken a right when I should have taken a left.  Still, I learned a little (got a bit confused, too) about a technique for mapping a DNA sample.  A bonus.

I did eventually find the HGA Convergence registration booth. 

I was early, even for the volunteers!  The volunteers are arriving... I met Kari and Shannon, two young fiber artists from Colorado, Betty Thompson, a staffer from Georgia.  We stuffed goody bags.  Tasks like stuffing goody bags are soothing tasks.  The simplicity of the activity, the repetition, can put you into a different place.  Gives you something to do while you chat.  I talked a lot, helped a little.

The young fiber artists are attending a Colorado university, and were awarded scholarships to attend the conference.  They help, they meet the artists, they assist the artists during the workshops, they learn, they travel.  Their airfare and room are part of their scholarship award.

We talked about what to eat, where to go.  I recommended one of my favorite activities downtown, the Ferris Wheel at night.  So much fun!

Penguin note: Yesterday's visit with artist Paul Yoshida has been deferred to another date.  Paul is trying to get his Kickstarter project funded.

And tomorrow...

Day 16: Who needs a Mud Run when you've got the Rancho Los Cerritos!

Tomorrow I will visit the Rancho Los Cerritos summer program.  The program this week is all about mud.  Stomping in mud, making adobe bricks, using mud to fix a wall.  Sounds like fun!  I wonder what I should wear?

Want more lemonade? 

Items Needed

This week I am adding a few things to the gauntlet.  If you have some of these around that you'd like to contribute, please do!

Needed: Felting needles, sponge or foam (4"x6" minimum, and 2" thickness best), unspun wool.  If you have remnant yarns, I can use for this or other projects.  Buttons.

Fabric markers, fabric colors, quick dry fabric paints.

In honor of Convergence, I will be doing a little felting with anyone who comes by.  I have just a few extra needles, sponges, wool.  You will be able to keep the needle and sponge, but please plan on spending 2 hours to complete.  If you have wool fiber that you would like to add to the pool, please feel free!  Accommodation for 8 will be provided.

I'll bring a few spindles as well.  Be warned that I am a beginner, but I can show the general concept of spinning on a spindle, and you can try it out. 

If there are any fiber artists listening that would like to help demonstrate using the spindle, I will be at the Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse on Thursday, from 4-6 PM (time may be extended).  This is a very different kind of store, and if you get a chance, please consider a visit!

Need to contact me?  info@handmadepenguin.com

Trish Tsoiasue writes as herself about creative and maker topics for the Belmont Shore Patch and as Handmade Penguin for the Handmade Penguin Blog.