kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Aug 25, 2011, 8:41 pm
I've been working solidly this past week with polymer clay after I sold several pieces while we were on vacation. Katie's Traveling Trunk Show strikes again - I just love how my work seems to sell itself. To get back into the groove, I started pawing through the various canes I'v...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jul 24, 2011, 2:05 pm
When I was Shibori Girl (for real, that is), I had piles and piles of beautiful, streaky-patterned hand-dyed fabrics to transform into wearable art. Some were cotton, most were silk. The cottons were great fun because they could take some abuse in the dye process. I would dye them, color, over colo...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jul 19, 2011, 10:40 pm
I promised pictures of the polymer clay pieces made from my first attempt at mokume gane. As I gathered them all together for their glamour shots in the light tent, I realized... that's a whole lot of purple going on there. Each necklace is reversible, which I think is a great selling point - two ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jul 17, 2011, 4:08 pm
Since returning from Canada, I've been in the studio learning new surface design techniques with polymer clay. I've had this book for some time but needed a good stretch of designated quiet time to crack it open. My favorite technique so far: a brocade look using gold leaf and acrylic paint. I also ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jul 5, 2011, 9:43 am
Last week Marble Man and I proved the Blogosphere can be a very small place when we met fellow blogger, Gabriela Delworth, in Toronto. Here we are hanging out with Alexander in her part of Toronto, Greektown. We were in Toronto for a family wedding. When I heard where we would be going, I immediat...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jul 3, 2011, 8:26 pm
a little fantasy in red… fantasy in red and what is the 4th of July without fireworks and lots of pretty colors? (in the shop now- many of these are one off colors not on any of the color cards…) everything ordered up until the 5th will ship by the 5th. anything ordered between the 5 and the...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jul 1, 2011, 8:33 pm
sometimes that is all there is to say! currently on reserve while we check to see if the color matches a certain dress. if not, into the shop it will go! playing around with some new techniques and silks 3.5 ” diameter…$45 magnetic back if you would like something similar made to order-let...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 30, 2011, 10:34 pm
Marble Man and I took a vacation last week, and ended it with a very pleasant safari into The Wilds, a nature preserve in Southeastern Ohio. We minded the signs, and kept ourselves out of reach of the natives. I'd hoped we'd saddle up and ride some of these, but these guys don't work for their cho...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 30, 2011, 9:47 pm
this post title seems a little odd i know but i must get the word back out that i am adding new items to the bigcartel shop and i have re-opened the etsy shop. first some pretty pictures before i get to the messy business of words… sea flowers sea anemones tend to stay in the same spot until con...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 29, 2011, 2:45 pm
she came upon and frolicked in, fields of blue flowers while gathering sansai (mountain vegetables) while gathering sansai... when her basket was filled, aiko returned home and on the way came across a simple buddhist temple and a great buddha image. it reminded her of her home and the great daibu...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 28, 2011, 2:31 pm
she is a farmer’s daughter… checking on the melon patch. (the shops will be opening again soon~ finishing up a couple of wedding orders. ~doing pieces for sacred events requires my complete attention. they should be finished later today) mata-ne!
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 24, 2011, 3:07 pm
since my return i have had a need for more silence. i suppose in part due to all the energy expended in the job of delivering the tour and the need to re-gather energy and move forward. this is something i did not calculate, as all things cannot be calculated or expected. i gave it my all, i pla...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 12, 2011, 9:56 pm
along with stories, thoughts, and a renewed passion- i brought back a few souvenirs. mementos really, of the past. but looking forward to the future. somehow. note the price. this is the real stuff. and you pay for it. that translates to about $850 for the roll. i would guess these were done in ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 12, 2011, 5:48 am
yes, i’m back. Japan was wonderful, of course. the tour was amazing. i’ve written a couple of post-tour posts but after re-reading them nothing really feels right. too many words. so for now, i’ll just leave you with this: and this- i’ll be selecting some of these to put into the shop ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 10, 2011, 12:47 pm
I went back to working on "swirlies", those big, gorgeous polymer clay lentil beads that I fell in love with last year. Since my last post, I've been struggling with a couple of issues. The biggest is a nagging pain in my wrist. My first thought was to do what Marble Man calls "rub some dirt on it ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 6, 2011, 8:55 pm
I just finished a post over on the virtual silk study tour page which I have left open (public). Mostly this blog is password protected but thought I’d be a bit of a tease and give you a glimpse. Also a video I shot the other day had some dialog that my friend Richard was kind enough to translat...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jun 5, 2011, 12:31 pm
What can i say? I wonder how I can take in so much in such a short period of time. It is raining here now. every leaf and blossom is dripping but it only seems to enhance the beauty. Later, the sun came out and the peonies lifted their faces up a bit to say hello. These peonies were growing in th...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - May 20, 2011, 8:08 pm

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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - May 15, 2011, 7:50 pm
~the train leaves the station on Saturday May 21 PST (or Friday may 20th JST). This will be the last post before the Silk Study Tour leaves for Japan. There are 16 of us who are participating and a host of people (over 100!) in Japan awaiting our arrival. We have overcome a number of obstacles on...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - May 9, 2011, 6:27 pm
Typically in Japan, when one moves, one has a sayonara sale. That’s just the way they do it there. Also, a sayonara sale is a great place to pick up stuff you need when furnishing a new apartment. Check out the sayonara sale ads in the Tokyo craigslist. Garage sale- Japanese style. Well I’m not...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - May 7, 2011, 8:26 am
... Or how a long lost passion gains new life in my studio. When I was dyeing fabric and creating wearable art, I used silk ribbon embroidery to embellish a lot of my garments. I loved doing it: pulling the ribbon through the fabric, laying it flat, forming the stitch, pulling it back through the ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - May 3, 2011, 11:08 am
We've almost reached the 2nd anniversary of Pooch's passing. While we've enjoyed the freedom from caring for a terminally ill pet, we still miss him something awful. This upcoming anniversary coincides with a fun contest blog buddy and portrait painter, Enzie Shahmiri, was having on her Facebook pa...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Apr 27, 2011, 12:48 pm
Some folks have asked me to explain what inspires me at the beginning of a project. Is it a specific color? A particular bead? A "light bulb" moment in the shower? Well, my answer is "yes": all of the above, though the moment of inspiration varies from project to project. This past week, I chose ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Apr 19, 2011, 9:47 am
Today's the day I decided to make time to crack open Marcia DeCoster's "Beaded Opulence" book. I've been itching to try the layered right angle weave that Marcia demos in the instructions for her Quetzal ring project. But do I start with the beautiful one inch square shown in the final picture? NO!...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Apr 12, 2011, 12:48 pm
Now that my collar is done and gone, I've gone back to business as usual. In keeping with my New Year's resolution, I'm ripping through my bead hoard. My latest bracelet reflects my new Summertime mood and uses some beautiful African turquoise beads that have hung around for years. It's time to bu...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Mar 31, 2011, 9:37 am
I just got word yesterday that "Jewels For Sheherazade" was accepted to the NC Museum of Art's silent auction. I'll be delivering it on Sunday, so farewell my lovely... copyright 2010 Shibori Girl
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Mar 21, 2011, 10:39 am
"Spring is Around the Corner" is the theme of April's Etsy Beadweavers Street Team challenge. I'm currently enjoying an early Spring here in North Carolina, so I decided to participate in the challenge. This theme would also enable me to fulfill my New Year's resolution: use up beads I already own ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Mar 15, 2011, 11:15 am
When I wrote this post about my museum competition piece, I mentioned my plan to make a box for presentation. I've been mulling over different ways to do this. My super-crafty best friend had a number of great ideas and loaned me a book titled, "Crafting Personal Shrines" by Carol Owen. Surprise, su...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Mar 10, 2011, 9:23 am
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting on the couch, doing my blog-hopping thing, when I landed on MadDesigns, the blog of Marcia DeCoster: Right Angle Weaver Extraordinaire. I've been a big fan of her work for years, drooling over pictured projects published in bead magazines. Usually I just lurk when...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Feb 22, 2011, 10:26 am
It's taken me three intense weeks to complete my competition piece. During this time I've learned a tremendous amount about how to plan, and execute, a design. I've mentioned before that I don't like to start with a plan. I like the element of surprise at the end, where I look at the final results o...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Feb 9, 2011, 1:57 pm
As promised, here is the link for voting on this month's Etsy Beadweavers Challenge: Royalty Throughout Time. There are SO MANY beautiful entries, I don't know how I'm going to choose one as my favorite. I hope you'll go and vote for your favorite piece, too. Don't feel you have to vote for mine, j...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Feb 2, 2011, 10:38 am
Marble Man talked me into entering a piece in the North Carolina Museum of Art's silent auction competition. This is a juried event with a Best in Show award which includes a VERY nice prize. The deadline for entries is March 15th; time to get my rear in gear! The trick is designing a standout piece...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jan 26, 2011, 9:02 pm
"Seethe" In her Artist Statement, Jennifer Maestre explains the origins of her work: "My sculptures were originally inspired by the form and function of the sea urchin. The spines of the urchin, so dangerous yet beautiful, serve as an explicit warning against contact. The alluring texture of the ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jan 18, 2011, 11:27 am
I think Santa gave me an extra gift this past Christmas that wasn't wrapped in sparkly paper and a perky bow. "Animal Dreams Pendant" It wasn't anywhere under the tree where I could see it and open it. Instead, he gave it to me in dreams, where I could turn it and enjoy it from all angles, in any ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jan 14, 2011, 10:34 am
Last November, my friend and mentor-supreme, Lorin Fields, assisted in my booth during our local annual Alternative Gift Market. She wished I had a display print showing a comely lass wearing one of my pieces. During lulls she also worked on me to consider entering high-end craft shows, specificall...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Jan 3, 2011, 7:55 pm
Beading is such a zen activity: stitch, add a bead, stitch, add a bead... SNAP! Dammit, there goes another needle. I love bead embroidery, but I do not love stitching through Ultrasuede. Beading needles are notoriously thin and the repeated passage through that tough fabric causes great stress on ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Dec 16, 2010, 8:14 pm
OK, maybe I am a Leetle Beet fussy about details - So much so that I forget to look at the bigger picture. While I was working with my polymer clay this week, I decided to make a kaleidoscope cane. It started with inspiration from Carol Simmons magnificent cane. I really was just going to use a ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Dec 11, 2010, 7:57 pm
Too much of a good thing is always bad news for me. With my recent crazed approach to bead embroidery, I've hurt my dominant hand somehow (again?!?). My penalty: I have to lay off the beading while it settles down. The silver lining is that I've been in the studio having a GREAT time with my polyme...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Dec 9, 2010, 8:45 am
After last week's post, I knuckled down and made progress on a couple of the UFO's shown in the What's On My Worktable shot. I spent the weekend making serious headway on the clutch bag, and I'm delighted with it's progress. The blue and brown fringed foliage necklace is finished and listed for s...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Dec 1, 2010, 10:01 am
Hello, my name is Kate, and I'm an addict... a beading addict, that is. I have so many ideas running through my right-oriented brain, that I leap from project to project, leaving a wake of UFO's. Betty Stephan, a fellow beader, show's pictures on her Facebook fan page called "weekly worktable". This...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Nov 24, 2010, 9:09 am
The craft show I've been preparing for madly is over and done. Turnout was light, as were sales. I think the problem was two-pronged: 1) the economy is still pretty shaky, and 2) I focused on having a high-end product at a low-end show. My clay work received a lot of attention and admiration, but...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Nov 17, 2010, 6:58 pm
Well, nearly zero. My booth design is finally ready for this weekend's show. I've tweaked and fussed, lost sleep, and worried, and now it's looking pretty good. This was how it looked last year: For the 2010 show, I've eliminated the grid cubes in the corner, and all the little picture frame displ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Nov 9, 2010, 9:10 am
My time has been divided between beadweaving more sparkly goodness and tweaking my booth design for the show, which is less than TWO WEEKS AWAY! My work modus operandi is to start a piece without a plan, then to run out of a specific bead. The piece takes up residence in the Closet of Abandonment, ...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Oct 28, 2010, 9:34 pm
For a couple of years now I've been relisting expired items in my etsy shop. Every four months: another fee incurred and little very little interest generated in those early pieces. Frankly, I can understand this disinterest. Take this piece, for instance. It's a pretty necklace, but very simple and...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Oct 20, 2010, 4:52 pm
Last week I decided to try something new and joined a Street Team at Etsy. They are the Etsy Beadweavers Street Team and they are a wonderful, nurturing group of people with buckets of talent. (You can find a link to the team's blog in my right sidebar.) Each month the group has a beading challenge,...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Oct 17, 2010, 2:13 pm
I'm slated to do the Alternative Christmas Market show again at the United Church of Chapel Hill. The dates are November 20-21. If you are in the Raleigh-Durham area, I'd love for you to stop in and say, "Hey!". This will be my third consecutive year of participation in this event, and each year I t...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Oct 7, 2010, 12:00 pm
Thankfully, my days of perching against a heating pad while staring, glassy-eyed, at the tv are done. My number of good days FAR outweighs the bad and I've been crazy Productive Girl. I'm still on a beadweaving kick and have a number of new pieces listed in my shop. I love making earrings - especial...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Sep 27, 2010, 11:17 am
Once in a while when I get together with my best girlfriends, my Ya-ya's, we get silly and wear wild head gear. I've been meaning to make myself a tiara for these special times, but haven't had the time. This weekend I made time. For the flowers I cannibalized some wire-wrapped earrings that I've h...
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Sep 25, 2010, 10:40 am
The winner of the contest to name my newest collection of clay jewelry is (drumroll please): Tameka from Tea And Honey Bread Her contribution to the name pool is Morrocane Magic. I love this... a play on words and it's catchy. Thanks to everyone who participated. copyright 2010 Shibori Girl
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kate t. posted an article on Shibori Girl - Sep 21, 2010, 3:22 pm
I'm still stuck on the sofa. My back is improving, but flares up quickly if I'm not careful. Daytime tv selections are dreadful, so I've been watching streaming Netflix... a LOT. While trolling through the many, varied choices over there, I found Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School. ...
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