By Chelsea Royer

Valerie Fox-Armes’ fascination with artistry began as a young girl. “We had art supplies everywhere growing up. My mother made many of our clothes and much of my passion for art came from my mom,” says Valerie. Now, many years later, Valerie is inspiring others with her own homemade creations. Her favorite of which involve dyeing yarns and silk in the upstairs studio of her home.

“I fell into the hobby by accident. I used to do pen and ink drawings and when I turned 40, came up with a design and looked up silk screening on a website. I accidently stumbled upon the art of silk painting and bought a starter kit. My husband built me the frames I needed because he’s an enabler,” Valerie chuckled. “It’s all his fault. Crafting supplies are now all over my house.”

Valerie now owns a dyeing business named, Fiber Play. She works with other fiber artists, like Lynn Lypski, who spin their own yarns, and dye these quality fibers in vibrant colors. She also enjoys the art of Shibori, which Valerie describes as the “classy, great, great grandma of tie-dyeing. It is an old Japanese technique.”

Valerie is a member of the Schafer Meadows Art Guild along with Lynn and dozens of other members. These two talented women are the co-coordinators of the upcoming Schafer Meadows Fiber Arts Festival. “It’s our 12th festival this year,” says Lynn. “It’s grown a lot in the last decade and we will be partnering with the Alpaca Ranchers of the Northwest. They will be in the building with a couple of alpacas and represent the husbandry of alpacas and where some of the fiber arts begin.”  Read more here:  http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2015/09/27/schafer-meadows-fiber-arts-festival/

By Douglas Scott

By Douglas Scott

Fall is a transition time for the Pacific Northwest. As each day passes, the sun rises a little later, and the sun sets a little earlier. In fact, we lose three minutes of daylight each day during the month of October. During the fall, gray skies become more frequent, helping show off the beauty of the leaves transitioning from green to orange seemingly overnight. Rain starts to fall, the wind starts to pick up, and the communities around Grays Harbor come alive with an energy that only fall can bring. As elk bugle and birds migrate south, salmon swim upstream and hikers enjoy the beauty of the region. For many, fall is the best time to be a local, and these five activities will help convince you of the same. Whether you are a mushroom hunter, enjoy beach combing or are just like to experience a leisurely drive to view the colors of autumn, these activities are sure to get you out exploring.are just like to experience a leisurely drive to view the colors of autumn, these activities are sure to get you out exploring.

As crispness returns to the air, mushroom hunters around the state gather their buckets and head to the Olympic Peninsula and Grays Harbor. For mushroom hunters in the region, fall means it’s the time to find Chanterelles, Hedgehogs, Morels, Oysters, Boletes, and Chicken of the Woods, all of which are extremely delicious and can sell for quite lucrative prices. While mushrooms can be found almost anywhere, a good field guide is needed to help locate the best spots, as well as identify edible mushrooms. The best book to pick up or check out is the Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest by Daniel Winkler. If you are looking for an event to learn more about mushrooms, head to the Quinault Lodge for the13th Annual Mushroom Festival – October 16 through 18. More information about this event and other events around the region can be found on the South Sound Mushroom Club website.  Read more here:  http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2015/10/04/grays-harbor-fall-activities/