Gelsomina (Gelsey) Malferrari grew up in Boulder and Italy, daughter to artisan parents. She encountered willow basketry in the canyons of southern Utah over ten years ago, which started a passion for the craft that has grown ever since. She harvests most of her materials in the winter around Boulder County, sorting and curing them for summer time weaving. Crafting beautiful, strong baskets from willow requires skill, strength and patience, and willow baskets can last a lifetime, or longer.
Gelsomina lives on a 20 acre homestead with her husband and two children. She is also one of the founders of the Laughing Coyote Project, a non-profit dedicated to teaching primitive and ancestral living skills. She teaches workshops through Laughing Coyote and Dharma’s Garden.