Teachers
Nora
Bellows, creator of Noni, lives in Maryland with her
husband and her young son. An award-winning educator at the college/university
level with an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in English Renaissance
Literature, Nora J. Bellows began creating one-of-a-kind, felted
bags with original felted flowers under the brand name Noni®
in 2001, shortly after discovering knitted felt. She began publishing
her own pattern line under the Noni brand in 2005. The pattern
line now boasts 71 designs, including felted and unfelted bags,
knitted/felted flowers, accessories, and garments for children
and adults. The patterns are available in over 600 boutique yarn
stores domestically and internationally and have been translated
into German, Danish, and most recently Swedish.
Nora’s
felted designs have also appeared in several publication in the
US and Britain, including Interweave Felt, Knitting Today (UK),
and Simply Knitting (UK). She teaches intensive, hands-on knitting
and felting workshops across the country. I am currently working
on offering a Best of Nonibags in Crochet (includes bags and flowers)
in two book-length volumes to be released within the next two
years.
Julie
Stunden, artist, teacher, mother, knitter, has studied
color theories since the early 80’s and has been teaching
color theory to architects, art students, interior design students
since 1987 at Yale, Prairie U. in Chicago, Carnegie Mellon and
University of Pittsburgh. She is a studio artist who has always
integrated the poetics of color into the focus of her works.
Kate
Silberberg is a retired art teacher (22 years at West
Allegheny School District, Pa). She and her husband Brad run the
Mesa Creative Arts Center near Burgettstown, Pa., where they both
offer a variety of classes in art, crafts, spiritual and holistic
healing & celebrating who you are! www.mesacreativearts.com
Barbara
Grossman is the organizer of the Annual Pittsburgh Knit
& Crochet Festival as well as fiber retreats: “Knittreats”.
Self employed her whole adult life; she has been a yoga teacher
for almost 20 years and has been dabbling in the fiber arts field
for about 10 years. Her daughter Sarah taught her to knit when
she was in the 1st grade at the Waldorf School, which is where
the 1st Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival was held. “Although
my knitting skills are certainly not accomplished, needle felting
has been a favorite of mine for about 6 years. Fiber has a special
appeal to me, and I love the feel of it, the texture and the colors.”
She uses gems, fiber, fabrics, recyclables and old jewelry to
make one of a kind accessories; necklaces, bracelets, purses.
She is pleased to be a teacher at the “Knittreat”
and to be able to share her ideas and techniques. She is a member
of the Fiber Arts Guild of Pittsburgh, and hopes to be able to
fulfill her passion for fiber through the classes at retreats
she will be organizing in the future.
Kate
Silberberg, from The Mesa Center for Creative Arts will
also be offering various bodywork/massage sessions. Descriptions
of the type of bodywork Kate will offer are:
Cherokee
Bodywork: This Native American-based healing system uses gentle
rocking, shaking, massage, breathing techniques, and pressure
point therapy to restore life-force, increase flexibility, alleviate
pain, and release blockages on the mind/body and spirit levels.
(Wear loose clothing.)
Reiki healings: Reiki (pronounced "Ray-Key"-- Japanese
for "Universal Life Energy") is a gentle, hands-on energy
healing technique that works subtly on all levels to release stress,
create harmony, and promote healing physically, emotionally, mentally,
and Spiritually. A great way to get your energy system in tune.
(Reiki energy penetrates clothing, so it is not necessary to disrobe.)
Seashell
Readings: Seashells are beautiful and good for more than just
helping you “hear the ocean”. Every species of sea
creature has its own message for us that offers guidance for our
lives. By learning the meaning of the shells you are attracted
to you can learn more about yourself, the underlying themes of
your current life circumstances, and possible outcomes for the
future. Let Kate Silberberg interpret what the shells have to
tell you.
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