Teaching at UWSP - Needle Felting

My good friend, Janette, works in administration at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point at Marathon County.  She referred me to the director of continuing education, who asked me to teach a needle felting class.  "Sure, I can do that..." 

Yes, sometimes I have family and friends who say..."why do you do these things....make yourself do stuff like this?"  Well, it's good to challenge ourselves, try new things and grow from the experience.  I've taught felting to plenty of kids in 4H, just not in the university format.  So, I was a bit nervous.

I prepared a curriculum .... tee hee.... with terms and information from sheep/field to wool/roving/felting.  We talked about cultures that used felting, different types of felting and what one would do with wool.   

I had 11 students signed up.  One of them, also follows my face book pages and has been a customer of mine for years.  She said "you should have posted this on your Town Hall Trinkets page, you would have had more students."  You know it all goes back to my philosophy on there is a fine line between "braggin' and sayin'" and that is the truth!  So, I often hesitate to say all I'm doing or even plan to do.  I do get tired of the "I, I, I....that is required to promote one's self!"  So, I tend to try not to do it.  However, she thinks I should! 

At the start I had a lady say something like "we will see if I can do this."  I assured her everyone can do this!  She took to it like a duck to water - she was finished first, had original ideas and seemed interested in future classes.  Oh, I forgot to say, we made folk art snowmen/women.  Each was so different and adorable.  

I can NOT express how I felt driving home.  My girls each asked "how did the class go?"  They encouraged me during the day and prayed for me.  I could only respond by saying..."it was challenging, rewarding, fulfilling and I feel overwhelming accomplishment and joy.  Before the class, I met a client whom I've been selling stuff for.  She knows Julie the director and where my classroom was, so she helped me carry my stuff in.  Anyway, Julie met us at the door and this client, I am embarrassed to say...spent 10 minutes bragging me up to her....it was uncomfortable to hear such nice things - but, it was the boost I needed to help my nerves to start the class!  She was giving Julie all kinds of ideas for classes I should "teach."  Thanks Barb, you have no idea how nice that was! 

Here are the pictures of the completed snowmen/women from my students.

Thank you UWSP Marathon County for the opportunity to share my folk art interests with this group of ladies.  I had fun!

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.