Stallholder Profile for Beljays Felt
Your name: Belle Arnold
Your business name and facebook/website name and link: Beljays Felt, FB https://www.facebook.com/BeljaysFelt
The suburb/town you live in now: Noosa Shire Hinterland
What is it that you make and what skills do you use?: I work with wool to create all kinds of things. When I say wool, I mean unspun fibre, sometimes straight off the sheepies back, but often already washed and combed. I dye it and then either make felted items out of it, or spin it into yarn and then use it to weave unique fabrics. Occasionally I knit or crochet something but I am more focused on weaving.
I do make a lot of scarves and shawls but my main focus with my feltmaking at present is 3D vessels. I call them glow lamps as I usually put a string of LED fairy lights inside and they glow with a soft light. Some a quite simple shapes and othes are very complex things with many layers of texture worked into them. Of course I realise that some others out there love special yarns so I also sell skeins of my hand-dyed hand-spun yarn.
How long have you been creating?:I have been selling my handmade items since I was about 12 (mostly pottery then).
Where do you sell your creations?: I have had stalls at local markets for many years, although now I prefer to sell online and have stalls at specialist markets like the Handmade Expo.
I have an Etsy shop
I also participate in an online marketplace, The Handmade Exchange
Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?:I did do this full time for a few years but prefer to have a part-time job in something completely unrelated. I then spend the rest of my time creating things. A nice balance really.
What makes you so special or different?: I think my work is special because it reflects the passion and excitement I have in making it. They are exquisite things made from beautiful materials. I have been working with these materials for many years now so I am very experienced in making quality products.
What is the most rewarding part of what you do?: When I sell something and the person who receives it gets back to me to say how much they adore the item and how their friends complement them on it, that is always a good feeling. It makes me happy making these things and that others gain joy from them too is a special bonus.
What is your favourite product to make?: At the moment I love making my glow lamps. They are always changing, evolving so I never get bored of it. I have to admit though, a special excitement when I weave up the yarn that I have dyed and spun, into a beautiful shawl or scarf. There are always little surprises in how the textures and colours meld in this process.
Do you teach classes or workshops?: I run two or three feltmaking workshops each month in my studio. Some are half day workshops, some full days, some for beginners and others for experienced feltmakers. If you are interested in what is coming up, check out the events listed on my facebook page. They range from flower making to scarves, bags and hats.
