Move over Olympics the Paralympics are in the house, and boy are they thrilling! As I said in the last edition of ‘Exploring Etsy’ I do love a bit of sport on the telly as I while away the hours with a needle and thread. With events like this only happening once every four years I relish the opportunity to see sportsmen and women at the top of their game. Talking of people at the top of their game….this week’s featured needle crafter, Chelsea Besse, is no exception, her shop ‘Thread The Wick’ is teaming with beautiful embroidery .
Chelsea is a graduate of Columbus College of Art & Design with a bachelor’s in photography and a minor in art therapy. Never one to keep her hands still she’s always making something. Her shop ‘Thread The Wick’ was born out of her passion for embroidery, mixed media and her desire to create. Based in Ohio, Chelsea is always stitching and finds it soothes her soul and helps her relax. I can certainly relate to that, I often enter a zen-like state when embroidering, nothing like the rhythm of a needle and thread to shake off life’s stresses.
What is your earliest stitching memory?
My earliest stitching memory is when I was a kid. My gramma would hand me a piece of plastic with squares in it, and blunt needle and yarn. I LOVED it. I soon took over her sewing machine and would spend hours “making” things.
What fires your imagination?
Nature is what fires my imagination. Bouquets of flowers I see on my morning walks or at the grocery store. The cotton candy-colored clouds at dusk or the Lightning bugs filling a summer sky.
Chelsea’s embroideries are full of striking visuals and mouth watering colours, a killer embroidery combination if you ask me! Mosey on over to her shop to see more gorgeous work. In other exciting news of my own I’m happy to report that the piece I shared with you last time, ‘Behind Closed Doors’, has made it through to The National Open Art Competition Exhibition. So if you should find yourself in old London town between 27th October – 7th November make your way over to Mercers’ Hall to see a huge range of stunning artwork on display, free entry too which is always a bonus!
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Jessica Taylor aka Loadofolbobbins is a Textile Artist and Illustrator based by the sea in Portsmouth. At her happiest with a needle and thread, with a passion for genealogy she often explores old photographs in her Textile art. With her fingers in many creative pies she loves to experiment with new techniques, creating illustrated and stitched goodies for her new Etsy shop.
