Waffling on

We always laugh at DH because it doesn’t matter what you ask him for - a certain size screw, a piece of wood at such a length, plastic tube this or that diameter – and off he goes into the depths of his shed, where no-one else is allowed,  and produces just what you want, amazing!

And I’ve just realised I am exactly the same. When asked for googly eyes – got  a packet of them, (why?) buttons of a certain size and colour – got them, particular piece of fabric – got that.

So it should have come as no surprise when I went to the Range to look for a box frame but couldn’t find the size I wanted that I went into my shed – workshop - and sorted through a box of frames I already have, some still wrapped I’m ashamed to say, that I found exactly what I wanted. Why didn’t I just look there first?

Bad photos. Not helped by a dreary day and the fact they are hanging temporarily in a bit of a recess.

I’m very taken with these fragments at the moment. Really can’t explain why. There’s just something about them that appeals to me – all related to the toad skins I should imagine. I think these two do need larger frames after all.

I’ve almost finished the Lutradur ‘vessel’ (for want of a better word). More embellishment and a book for the 'shelf' to come. Colour not quite how I wanted it. Think I need to colour first and then put it together, quite difficult to get into all those nooks and crannies without puddling.

This one also has an open top. I tried one of those night light thingies inside the other ones but you could hardly see it. Need to look for something bigger.

Have been racing around getting everything together for Textiles in Focus this week. The only reason it takes me so long is because I’m such an indecisive person. Can never make up my mind which pieces to display. And I know that once there I will be thinking ‘now why didn’t I bring that other bit instead’.

The show starts on Friday 17th at 10.00 am finishes Sunday at 4.30 pm Do come and say hello if you are there.

Please go take at look at SueB’s blog. She’s done a brilliant review on ‘Fabulous Surfaces’. Thanks Sue.

Birthday wishes

Would like to thank everyone who left a message for me on Facebook for today.

I really must try and get to grips with Facebook, it seems to be the way everyone is going.

I realise that my birth date  is on my profile but how do people know? And why don’t I know when other peoples birthdays are? Is there a box I should tick which would let me know?

And do they all know the year too?

In case you’re wondering I haven’t qualified for a bus pass yet and am a few years away from a state pension thanks to the powers that be that raised the age – just don’t get me started on that, someone who paid their dues for over 30 years and am entitled to zilch compared to these scroungers that get it handed to them on a plate. I surely am turning into a ‘grumpy old woman’. Off the soapbox now for a few minutes.

Went down to the Creative Stitches show in Bluewater on Saturday. Good idea as we were snowed in on Sunday, had it quite bad up this way and living on a hill doesn’t help.  Bit dubious about going out in the snow since we got caught out last year with a 15 minute drive back from daughter No.1 taking us 5 hours!

Some good exhibitions and demonstrators. I know a few people were a bit miffed at the lack of supplies for stitchers but this was a new show and we need to support these shows or they won’t return which will be a shame especially at a venue like this where you have it all. I’m speaking as a purchaser not as someone who has been lucky enough to demonstrate at shows such as this.

Ally Pally wasn’t always as big as it is now and in the very early days when it was all in the one main hall there were some really weird stands there making up the numbers. 

The Hobbycrafts part of the show on the ground floor was really busy. I picked up a couple of things.

I already had some of these book rings in the larger size, didn’t realise they did smaller ones.

I use them to keep my samples together and the smaller ones will be ideal.

I do hate it when I’m demonstrating and the sample I am talking about is buried under a pile of stuff.

Also managed to get hold of these.  

I bought a packet from goodness knows where some time ago and used them a lot – didn’t realise how much until I see there are 99 of them in a packet. Lots of people asked me where I got them from and I couldn’t remember and never did come across them again. Bought these ones from ‘Paperartsy’

In actual fact, I bought two packets and you know what will happen now? I won’t need them for anything. Still, you can never have enough paper fasteners.

Still working on ‘Scrim, Screens & Scrappy Bits’ for Textiles in Focus which starts next Friday – can’t believe how quickly that has come around.

Made a frame up then decided to hang one of the textured pieces inside. (need a smiley face here)

Reminds me of a museum exhibit.

The frames are for something like this:

Unfinished. Beads and cord just to give me an idea of what, or what not, to do.
It’s Lutradur. Painted with Interference Blue which looks a bit bold because of the flash.Its hollow down the middle.And as the Lutradur has been zapped I might drop one of those night lights inside – a battery operated one of course.

The shelf at the bottom will have a small, very small,  handmade heavily embellished book laying on it when I can get around to it.

Also did one in interference green.Again, looks a bit bold because of the flash but I was never too keen on this colour anyway. Maybe it will look better when I drape some danglies over it.

Have another one on the go, slightly different, which will be coloured in my usual rusty, autumnal, muddy colours.

If you hop over to Julies blog Mixed Media just don’t click on play for this video. It’s still in my head even now almost a week later. B****y onions!

But do take a look at her snow dyeing, she has produced some wonderful pieces.

Am off to the Spectrum exhibition ‘Close to Home’  at ArtVanGo on Saturday to have a look at the work on display and also to join in the tea party. Should be fun.

Fen Edge Textiles

Went to my first meeting with Fen Edge Textiles on Saturday mentored by Pauline Verrinder.

A really friendly group and they made me feel very welcome.

I managed to get away without doing any work at all this time, although I have a feeling that will have to change.

I spent the day just going around and chatting to everyone about what they were working on for the planned exhibition ‘Diversity’ in 2013.

Came away with my head buzzing with ideas and have now got to work my way through them all  before starting on my own pieces. Twelve months away seems like forever but I know it will creep up on me before I know it. Scary.

There was a jumble sale, if thats what they still call them,  going on at the college in the afternoon, run by the Scout Association by the looks of things. Great fun. Haven’t been to a jumble sale in years.

Having been given the nod by Sharne I managed to pick up a bag full of old sheet music and music books. Itching to do something with them. Will make a change from dressmaking pattern tissue.

I never was very good at spotting a bargain at places like this, always too busy ‘people watching’. I love seeing all these ladies rummaging through the clothes and bric-a-brac, it never fails to raise a smile and bring Beryl Cook to mind.

And don’t you just hate it when…..
…..you find out your glove had a hole in it!

Have started to put together another couple of bodices from some of these fabrics I have been creating.

DH groaned and said ‘not more bodices’.

But I wanted to make something to show that this fabric can be used for wearable art.

I just feel that if I were to make a top or a jacket I would want to make it in my size. Apart from the fact it would need twice as much fabric, the fabric itself would then start to lose its appeal.

Could be wrong but some of you will know what I mean when I say that you go into somewhere like M&S and see a fabulous little number on the front of the rail in a size 8 but by the time you flick through and find it in your size it just doesn’t look quite the same. 

So its either bodices or lose weight – and I sure as heck know which one is the easiest option. 

These two samples are also made from the same fabric.

Am off to the ICHF show ‘Creative Stitches’ in Bluewater shortly and meeting up with Pat. It’s on from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th. Ideal location. A chance to get my ‘fix’ with textiles/art/crafts and then into the shopping centre for retail therapy of a different kind – although most probably just to look at those size 8’s!

Have decided to leave off the :) and the *LOL* as you should know by now that most of this is written tongue in cheek with absolutely no offence meant to anyone.

Paper casts

This is Shirleys method of making the paper casts that I showed in a previous post.
As Shirley says, this technique isn’t new - she just experimented to get the results she wanted. Her way is simple, no mess and ready as and when you want them.
You need some of this:Along with some of these:
Some of this:
And finally, this:
Warm the plasticine up by putting it on a plastic lid near a gentle heat source. This warms it up brilliantly and doesn’t grease your hands.
Roll it out quickly and press the item you want to make a cast from into the surface. Make sure the plasticine is level around all the edges and smooth around the immediate edge.
Now put it in the fridge to harden. When hard carefully prise the object off.
To use the mould, make sure it is hard from the fridge. Dust with talcum powder then using slightly diluted PVA and the toilet paper create a papier mache cast.
Use a stiffish brush and small pieces and make sure they go right down in to the tiniest places. Making the tissue very mushy helps on the first layer. Build until required thickness.
This can vary as you can create flimsy pieces or part pieces which look like relics or broken finds.
Leave overnight. Do not try to lift off until thoroughly dry.
Its a good idea to put it back in the fridge again before prising the cast off so that it doesn’t distort the plasticine as you do it.
Keep the moulds in a tin and put them back in the fridge to harden next time you want to use them. Or just warm them up again, roll out and make a different mould.
As you can see, the ones I made are not as clean as Shirleys – in fact, they are not as good, period. Why? Because I was far too impatient and they were not quite as dry as perhaps they should have been plus I didn’t put them back into the fridge before pulling them away from the plasticine. Lesson learned.Once painted you would never know – maybe :)
You can create all sorts like this using old jewellery, brooches, buckles etc. Hours of fun. :)

Final mention of Lottie.
This is the birthday girl in her Tinkerbell costume getting ready to blow her candles out.
My daughter always makes the birthday cakes for the children and this is what Lottie asked for this year – a fairy house. She’s fairy mad at the moment.Charlie, her brother, had Dennis the Menace and Gnasher playing pirates last year - this is my favourite, I love Gnashers teeth.Chelsey also makes birthday cakes by request for friends children along with fancy cup cakes and the latest craze, cake pops.
Everyone tells her how good they are. This is obviously where her artistic talent lies. We keep on at her to take it further but she says she doesn’t think that what she makes is good enough!
Now I wonder where she gets that from. :)

And no, I didn’t win pass the parcel. Somehow all the children managed to get a prize on the way round, wasn’t that a coincidence, and Thomas ended up with the final prize – a set of Moshi Monsters. I could have done with those. *LOL*

‘Fabulous Surfaces’ lesson number 3 is up on the d4Daisy website if you want to take a look – let me know what you think. :)

Workshops

I’m shattered. Had a great day at Southend EG today. We were only a small group but it was brilliant. Everyone was so eager to learn and really pleased with what they had achieved. Couldn’t have asked for more.

After seeing some of my samples at Chelmsford EG on Monday evening Diane left a comment on here saying that “I could spend a whole week on a textile retreat with you and not get bored with all your fabulous techniques”.
Little did she know that I will be teaching a week long Summer School at Missenden Abbey from 5 – 10th August this year. The brochure is out now and can be downloaded from here if you are interested.

I thought I would also let you know about two of the two day workshops I will be teaching at ArtVanGo.
The first is on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th March. Its ‘Scrim, Screens & Scrappy Bits’ – a two day version of the two hour taster workshops I will be teaching at Textiles in Focus.

And the second one on Tuesday July 31st and Wednesday August 1st is ‘Fabulous Surfaces’ with some of the techniques and extended techniques from the book – of the same name, in case you were unaware. :))

And in case you miss me at any of these I will also be at the Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch show at the NEC from 22nd to 25th March demonstrating and showing some of my work and will once again be giving a free workshop, organised by Kim Thittichai, on each of the four days.

I’ll remind you of all of these nearer the time. :)

Tomorrow is the party, 6 adults, four young children, a two hour drive and Lottie has insisted that I play ‘pass the parcel’ with her, which is OK as long as I win – I’m a bad loser. :)

And here is something else I have been playing with. Looks very much like ‘scrumpling’ but is something totally different. No stitching and no steaming involved. You just need a scrap of fabric, an iron, Bondaweb and a scrap of something else. :)

Lace fabric

Polyester VelvetSilk dupion

The second of the free online lessons for 'Fabulous Surfaces' is now available on the d4Daisy website.

Enjoy!

And yet another posting

I feel like a London bus. :)
Had a great time at Chelmsford EG on Monday night.
They really are a very friendly bunch and all pulling in the same direction. Thanks mainly due to the lovely Nickie who is the Chairman and her excellent committee.
Sharne has put some photos up on the Chelmsford EG Facebook page. She is always snapping away with her camera wherever she goes. I try to avoid her but still she seems able to catch me unawares. Makes me realise that resolution number two is not yet taking effect. *LOL*

Also had another invite to another exhibition from the group that Diane is a member of:



Again, I know a few of the people in this group so I know it will be another one worth going to see.
Take a look at the Material Girls blog here and the website here.

I also wish…

…I had thought of doing this:

Another friend, Jean from New Zealand tried the metallic effects surface using kitchen towel from the article in Workshop on the Web. She then embossed the surface with a Cuttlebug machine and rubbed it over with silver Gleam, which I am assuming is similar to Treasure Gold (?) and this is the result.

Another great idea that I hadn’t thought of doing. I’m still in two minds as to whether or not to get a Big Shot machine to have a play with.

A couple of years ago I met up with Carol (McFee) at the NEC where she was looking at these and eventually bought one. So of course it went on to my ‘must have’ list but I wasn’t sure if I really did want one or just wanted one because Carol had one. *LOL*

So I never did get around to getting one but that could change now I see the possibility of adding another dimension to these surfaces.

Going back to the samples I have been working on for ‘Scrim, Screens & Scrappy Bits’ at Textiles in Focus next month I kept thinking that this particular sample vaguely reminded me of something:

Then when I was sorting through a box of bits I came across these and it clicked:
I bought seven of these from Dales stand at Ally Pally about three (or maybe more) years ago, dyed in these three colours:
Hadn’t got a clue what I was going to use them for, and still haven’t, but just had to have them. :) They are Cane Toad skins. Of course DH, a fountain of trivial knowledge, knew exactly what they were all about and I found them even more interesting.

If you are curious you can google ‘cane toad’ and find more. This excerpt came from Wikipedia:

Bufotenin, one of the chemicals excreted by the cane toad, is classified as a Class 1 drug under Australian law, alongside heroin and cannabis……………………………… toad licking could result in serious illness or death.

Well, I’ve heard about kissing a frog but  never licking a toad!

As for DH – a kissed frog now and again but mainly toad :) - well, I knew it was a mistake asking him in the first place but I still went ahead. Asked him to pick up a birthday card and this is what he came back with:

All about having a drink, party shoes, dancing the night away. OK you might be thinking, rubbish card but….?

The ‘but’ is even if I wanted to I wouldn’t  be sending this card for at least another 14 years. It’s for this little lady who will be 4 on Saturday.

He claims I forgot to mention who it was for, I just said something ‘pink and girly’. Will I never learn?

And what does Lottie want for her 4th birthday? Xia-Xia Hermit Crabs and make-up !!!!!

The lucky girl is having two birthdays this year. Her official one on Saturday with friends and a family party on Sunday as I am teaching a workshop for Southend Embroiderers Guild at Westcliff on Sea on Saturday.

I’m looking forward to the workshop….*LOL*