Taylor's textile trials

Waaaa! It's my bloggyversary and I nearly didn't even notice!

2011-08-24T14:25:00.004+01:00

I nearly missed my bloggyversary! I haven't been a good place sewing wise lately, not in the mood ? Done some bread and butter selling of buntings and bags but nothing much.

I have been dieting and exercising again, and re llost my last stone, to be at my lowest weight - 5 stone off!!!! so I thought I'd show you : (hate a post with no pics and as I have nothing to show!!!!)

Got pink hair while I am off school, going in tomorrow so preparing for the looks/bollocking!

Stripes

2011-06-02T14:39:00.001+01:00

Been playing with laura's stripy challenges - keeping me sane since craig's op has been a tough one - about 5 days of nursing and I am glad he is partially on the mend cause I am tired!!! That coupled with wisdom tooth extraction leaves me very tired today :( anyway here they are

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New cut

2011-05-28T20:20:00.001+01:00

New hair cut today and found hipstamatic for my phone!

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Devil's in the detail

2011-05-27T20:47:00.001+01:00

Forgot to post details

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Developing work

2011-05-27T19:11:00.001+01:00

So the embroidery I showed you has come on a pace since hub went to hospital and here it is now :

I am doing this for me :) I am going to mount it on canvas to have a piece of my work in my house. I was embarrassed when a friend came to my house and all the art on my walls were gifts, one tiny painted canvas of mine! So this is gonna be for me! Karyn of contemporary embroidery blog challenged me to work in whites - I managed neutrals! I am loving working on this :)

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Laura's challenge

2011-05-27T19:01:00.001+01:00

Laura has given a set string this week and after a few weeks of being under pressure at work and home it was a joy to just play yesterday :)

Here are my 2 efforts but I can see more play on this this week as I have a week off ! Might try to catch up the ones I missed.

My hubby Craig has had a mega eye op this week in London - quite far from me in Swansea, my lovely mam looked after him as he wanted things normal for our baby! Who turned 8 last Saturday! He is doing really well sight seems good already and should prolong his sight we hope.

Ellie had a ball horse riding

And check out her Katie Perry California gurls inspired cake!!

Made by me of course!!! Don't look at the joins too close!!!!!

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I am alive honest!

2011-05-27T18:45:00.001+01:00

Well I still have no laptop so am trying out mobile blogging. I have been working on this:

I based it on this drawing :

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my eggs

2011-04-23T17:05:00.002+01:00

No laptop at the moment so done this quick from hubby's netbook

dumpr link

2011-04-21T19:20:00.001+01:00

sorry should have linked dumpr - is a lovely tool :) have a go
http://www.dumpr.net/

Eggggggsellent

2011-04-21T14:41:00.000+01:00

Playing around with dumpr :) for Laura's challenge

Ladies gorgeous design work

2011-04-10T19:17:00.004+01:00

Here's me drawing ! Check out my lush scar, and why after all this dieting and loosing 5 stone do I still have sausage fingers!!!!!

I am not even going to try to remember who is who's have a look these are the collages they produced.

Love these last 2 especially. More later on the work they did with the envelopes.

Beautiful bills

2011-04-08T18:15:00.005+01:00

As promised here are more of the pictures from my workshop last weekend. I stared out with using the windows of the envelopes to mono print, we used one to ink up and the other to take a print off leaving a good positive and negative.

Here are some of my finished as ATC's samples - the group asked me to do something on ATC's you see, they knew I had a stock of ones I had swapped.

These were the fist technique I taught, don't want to say too much as I am trying to protect my work a bit as I would like to do more workshops

This piece is so soft it is hard to believe it is paper, Craig my hubby is severely visually impaired and he couldn't tell what it was at all, thought it was weird cloth, not old envelopes!!!

This was the next technique and as it produces holes we backed onto denim (very cohesive with the envelopes) and we foiled it for a bit of bling!

After being so tight with colour and knowing that so many of my students LOVE colour I thought could I do this with magazine paper? Why it didn't occur to me before the day I am not sure, but it worked and we did some and they were delicious.
The 2 different techniques with magazine papers.
I love this last sample. I am hoping that something will come of this work, am going to try to work a little more on this and make some larger pieces. They will probably have to be pieced together. All I need is something to hang the work on now as I have not done too much drawing other than tangling since the Sketchbook project.

By the way my sketchbook finally arrived in Brooklyn, think it fancied the scenic route!!!!!!!

My workshop

2011-04-06T22:16:00.003+01:00

I taught a workshop last week to a local called Itchy fingers textiles. They are a really remarkable set of ladies who have all met through City and Guilds. I decided to do a workshop called beautiful bills as I have been playing with the insides of security envelopes. But before all this I like to incorporate a bit of design as I know many have fear of how to design and what to do. So I started with a bit of a freeing exercise and got them to tear things they like from magazines and glue them quickly together as a bit of a mood board - nothing new there but think it gives a chance for people to be free. They are having an exhibition in the summer (I think???) - entitled "HOME" and so we looked at interior magazines. This was my example.....

I then got carried away with fashion - well it lives in my home and I LURVE it!!!!!!!

Can you tel I have complete shoe lust!!!!!!!

Can't tell you how much I want those shoes!!!!!!! anyone got a spare £600

I did this on the day.

So to move it on we made some sketches, these were mine......

Love the one above with a passion.

and that was design.... I will post some of my samples later in the week

Mooka

2011-04-04T21:50:00.002+01:00

Here are my first goes at Mooka :) for Laura's challenge.

This is the back of the page, the marker left a lovely hallo I can not wait to play with in photoshop

and I guess all my curves were not out of my system either.

Loving my Curves

2011-04-03T22:07:00.002+01:00

After curve starvation last week I was back in the zone and my place of comfort. I love Laura's title as I am so trying to learn to love my curves. Have been very hard on myself of late, having lost the 5 stone I am a bit stuck and went through a bit of a crisis, but persevering and have lost 6lb in the last 4 weeks :) My body doesn't want to shift the last 3 stone as quick as the first 5, long to be normal looking, normal size, not be the fattest, slowest and most puffed out at the gym. But I have to accept that it is slow and slow is good :)

I walk the line

2011-03-26T18:11:00.001Z

I love this song so much and found myself humming along to it :) Here are my attempts for Laura's challenge

Red nose day

2011-03-19T13:45:00.002Z

I sat down to do some example tangles last night for tangles I have spotted on the internet and not had time to complete. I started with Track lighting by Suzanne Mcneil. I guess watching Comic relief affected me because all of a sudden it was this!

The Next was U-vee by Sandra Strait.

and finally Queen of Hearts

Lots of fun :)

Lefty!

2011-03-18T20:13:00.004Z

Well funny how so many of the blogs I have read are saying so many of the things I am thinking - firstly - HOW DOES LAURA KNOW!!!!! Laura has come up with a corker again! I teach right and left brain theory in school all the time, and I tell them all the tim

e about Einstein's brain and how it wasn't bigger or heavier but rather

had more connections between right and left. If we can foster more non dominant activiti

es we make more connections and we become more intelligent! But do I practice what I preach? Not often enough so here we have 2 left handed attempts!

It's tough to work with your non dominant hand, you have to actively ask your hand to relax and then try not to get annoyed when it doesn't listen!!!!

I did this way back a good few years ago on a visit with my kids in school to the Uni in Carmarthen who have a fashion course. This was done with my left hand and as you can see from the following one what the college were trying to teach us was that when we use our non dominant hand we look more - we appreciate proportion more and you can see in my examples this is true....

See short stumpy body in my dominant hand!

In the words of Miranda Hart - such fun!!!!

and another :)

2011-03-12T22:45:00.001Z

Found this lovely ink blot and went to town with pen and white pencil to highlight! Have to say i love this one.

Blue challenge

2011-03-12T16:58:00.002Z

Funny that Laura asked us to work with blue this week, as I had been in a meeting a few weeks ago and had to change biro's part way through :) and this is what I got.

You can see I took little information down in the meeting, you can see the word bilingualism at the top and I am fluent in welsh so was little for me to do before you think how rubbish I must be at work!

I then started playing with envelopes, the security ones you get with the windows from the bank and that, I am doing a workshop on the second of april for a local group and so envelopes are in my psyche at the moment. This was a bue roller ball pen over collaged strips.
This one has just a square of envelope paper
This one I took the idea from the zentangle bog and used a was of blue ink at the back and tried to be influenced by the shapes the ink made.
Lurved this challenge, as I do so love blue :)

More tangles

2011-03-05T15:06:00.002Z

Mouse ears by Sande Lefaut - did this in like a monotangle again

Love this one is called Hainah by Ildiko - this is a lovely rhythmic tangle pattern, and added feathers to
This one is called banana Leaf and is by Suzanne Mcneil. I enjoyed them all

Got a bit over excited monotangling

2011-03-03T11:39:00.004Z

Not sure if this is an official pattern so not sure who to credit
same here
In a pod - Carol Ohl, love this one and look at he subconscious E ( my daughter is Ellie)
Fishnet By Mariet Dronten
Double Florz by Margaret Bremner

Joyo doing these

Tangling and technology

2011-03-02T13:34:00.003Z

Last week the lovely Julie wrote to me knowing my love of pattern and my joy at finding new tangle patterns particularly - especially after recent rants! (Am calming down about it and not taking it personally athough I still really think this is a minefield). Anyway

Julie

told me about this gorgeous work she had done for her C&G. I can tell y

ou this is making it onto my school syllabus - look out year 10! So I decided to play - I found this Arabic logo the one on the top left, and I started playing around with it -cropping sections out and rotating and over lapping etc, I used publisher as I find it a great package for moving things around in - in fact I use it for all my worksheets at school - I have yet to know how to capture from publisher and upload here so had to print off and scan. Here is what I did.....

So I loved doing this - I warn you it is BLOODY ADDICTIVE!!!!! so then I set about making it into a tangle - there will be more using this series I promise you that as the shapes appeal to me so much. I worked out steps that are below, and called it Swalls - combo or swirls and balls :)

Then after working it out I was itching to play and Laura's challenge was just released her monotangle challenge11 - I think that I this was a great challenge and will be playing more with conventional patterns :) So here is my Swalls monotangle :)

When I was done drawing I suddenly realised how drawn I am to similar shapes, I realised that this bears a close resemblance to my tattoo that I have on my back - designed by me. Weird how we are drawn to the same sort of shapes, I'd love to hear the things that keep recurring in your work? Hope you have a play with Swalls of your own - please let me know if you do :) Can't wait to see

Here is the tat about an hour after :)

Some tangles I have been playing with

2011-02-27T22:13:00.003Z

First of all I am a bit annoyed tat tanging seems to have an edge. This whole thing about "who" they belong to. I am aware that people spend time making these patterns up - but everything is derivative and we are often influenced by similar things - even at a subconscious level - but surely by sharing them the aim is for others to use them in their work and develop and grow. I am new ish to tangling and I posted the steps I had copied to learn the patterns - not out of malice or to steal - but to show working through the design - the process. Like I say new to this and I corrected my actions - not thinking about how this might stop traffic to others sites I removed the images and apologised publicly.

Now, I want to credit the people who have created these patterns and when I am learning something new as these images below will show I credit the thing I am learning - there is no time to look back and link to every last pattern - life is too bloody short! I just want to share what I have done with people on here, I don't want anyone to think I created them ( athough it is my hand that drew them and put them together in this way)

So Weequash by Mollossus
Purk by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas
and Bullet holz by Cookie

It has left a sour taste, and I feel like I can no longer share maybe.I really thought tanging was about zen and enjoyment and sharing what you put together. Not feeling the vibe

Hearts and flowers

2011-02-26T22:07:00.003Z

Here is a better version my the pattern I made up - based on inspiration from a Pre-war Iraqi bank note, brought back by a friend in the army.

Here are my exampes:

Thanks to Sandra for featuring me here

Thanks

2011-02-24T19:44:00.002Z

Just wanted to pop in and say thanks to everyone who has commented of late. I always try to get back to people for taking the time to say such lovely things, but lots of people ately have the no reply thing set. So sorry for the non personal thank you but know that every comment is truely valued :)

Challenge number 10 - the space between

2011-02-24T09:47:00.002Z

this is my final piece for Laura's - The space between challenge, I really enjoyed making this work. I couldn't leave the spaces completely blank, made them feel like bubbles squeezing through I hope! It features shiney stripes by Jo in NZ

This is my practice piece for finny's florets by Liz Selkirk it also features shiney stripes and lampie by Jane Monk

I had a go at 2 new patterns

2011-02-23T17:50:00.002Z

I had a go at 2 new patterns this week, the first is spinning by Mariel Drotten and I really enjoyed the shading example I did on my step by step guide so did this in pencil and colour pencil. I was thinking about Laura's spaces, challenge 10, and so left a space but I don't think this is my challenge piece! Doesn't feel like a best example of spaces.

The second pattern is actually 2 Fern and it's little brother Nerfy by Jane Monk. Really love this one :) LURVE spirals and this combined with Jo in NZ's shaded stripes is really pleasing I enjoyed this one.

Trentwith

2011-02-21T16:43:00.002Z

When I saw the pattern Trentwith by Terri Greenberg posted about on Molossus blog I thought Rennie Macintosh straight away, so I had a glance atgoogle images, just one glance I promise, then shut it and came up with this. Thanks Terri and Sandra :)

Tangle steps

2011-02-21T15:50:00.001Z

I have just been editing my blog as I made a huge mistake in posting the steps to others patterns, was just showing my process but didn't realise that this was not the done thing, while I did credit the designer, sorry for any offence, was a genuine mistake. Thanks to the person who alerted me.

Doodles a plenty

2011-02-21T15:12:00.005Z

have been really enjoying zentangling lately, was just philosophizing about why on another blog.... I have often said that zentangling saves my sanity! but I decided on "focused freedom" I never feel constrained while drawing these designs, never think things are going wrong! they are marginally planned but mainly not to be honest. They focus the whole of my mind and allow me to escape the crap that pervades my life (a lot - work, hub's illness) and by focusing I get to be free! see :) I have been using my yoga breathing of late while I do them, and that is really making a difference too, funny how two seemingly different parts of my life have found kinship.

So this one adding colour.

Tangle using Laura's artoo, Suzanne Mcneil's pyramid.

Practicing Cookie's Florez, and Carole Ohl's lava juice.

This one is Molossus' Caviar :)

This one is for Laura's last challenge, she designed this while her littly was in hospital and named it for him, I LURVE it, has such lovely flow and really appeals to my naturalistic style.
So here is my tile :)

Funny Laura's new challenge is using space, and weird how I have been thinking about that already in this piece. Looking forward to this next challenge.

Drawing from inspiration - pardon the pun

2011-02-19T20:39:00.002Z

Starting to think about the workshop I am giving in April and design sources and decided to give Karen's idea of gathering inspiration sources around you. So I made this collage and started with a collage of shapes.

I then drew with pencil in my right (strongest) hand.

I then drew with my left hand and used colour pencils to fill in some shapes.

I am not happy with this work at all but the collage as good inspiration and so will try again tomorrow :)

My first original tangle pattern

2011-02-15T22:41:00.002Z

Here are the instructions to my first original tangle pattern :) Hope you like it, some one told me it looks like blackwork but was inspired by an iraqi bank note

Challenge number 8

2011-02-09T07:19:00.003Z

Challenge number 8 set by Laura is a very special one for her little baby boy. We had to create a heart using 2 of the challenges from before. Go read Laura's story she is having a devil of a time and I wish her lots of luck. I chose a 2 pencil string as I just can not seem to get to grips with using them and producing nice shape (still haven't fathomed it properly - any advice welcome) and stary eyed surprise as I din't do that challenge. I used Laura's cookie cutter idea for the 3 main stars and then improvised the rest. I wanted to use red as it is coming so close to valentines. I used, hollibough, striping, beaded, zedbra and tipple. I have to say I am well pleased with it

Tangly fun

2011-02-05T20:29:00.005Z

I have seriously got in to tangles of late, knowing how to draw the patterns has really intruiged me for a while so at christmas I started keeping a sketchbook - like a vocabulary of patterns, with steps and then a sampler, like this ....

Then I found this blog, and started fiddling with the challenges. This one is tangle my name...

Orbs....

Ixorus, turned into a heart :)....

This is just a sampler of patterns I have been researching...

and finally I started tinkering with patterns of my own creation, I looked around my stuff in the room and came up with these, no idea if they are "original" but they were made up by ooking at my room.

Tangled my name

2011-01-29T23:24:00.000Z

This week I was in the paper and on the radio

2011-01-21T17:42:00.001Z

weirdly embarrassing I was in the paper and the radio this week to promote the gym by telling the story of my 5stone weightloss :)

Sketchbook is winging it's way to Brooklyn, I finally got up the courage :)

2011-01-18T17:51:00.010Z

Well it is finally done :) I ummmed and arrrred and then Brooklyn art library went and moved the deadline from the Friday to the Monday and my decision was made. I got my finger out and did it. It resulted in some lovely free work. I photographed it and scanned it and then the night before I added to two pages so I colour photocopied it :) So here it is

Front cover - polyfiller and acrylic layers

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3 - drawn with feathers :)
Page 4 - Drawing with spaghetti and ink
Page 5 - scraped acrylic and ink drawings
Page 6 - polyfiller
Page 7 - Stencil stuck to kitchen paper background and biro

Page 8 - Kitchen paper and ink using stencil

Page 9 - Acrylic scraping with oil pastel

Page 10 - Stencil and ink on kitchen paper

Page 11 - Rubbing of stencil and water colour pencils and biro

Page 12 - Stencil and left over kitchen strips - this has been worked into but haven't scanned the photocopy yet

Page 13 - Stitched piece

Page 14 - Stitched piece

Page 15 - Stitched piece - kitchen paper on cotton with stencil in acrylic and biro and stitch

Page 16 - -mono print background with colour pencil and gel pen - see how the deadline encouraged freedom!!!! from here on in

Page 17 - Acrylic scraped paper and colour pencil and permanent pen

Page 18 - stamped page and colour pencil

Page 19 - Stamped page with biro under gesso and acrylic

Page 20 - Aluminium tape and magazine pages under scratched gesso with acrylic.

Page 21 - painted page with ink bob and closing the book technique, I worked more into this page too and will need to scan the photocopy.

I am really happy with it in the end, and to allow it into the world. I found working so quickly and freely a liberating thing and so will try to remember this. I did masses of research on stone inscriptions for this project and kept this in my notebook separately and so there will be more work I think :) Hope you liked it.

Sketchbook project

2011-01-12T17:34:00.002Z

Doesn't look like my sketchbook wil be finished in time for fridays mailing, i just have too much day job stuff on. I suppose it is no loss as I get to keep it? Or should I try??????? what to do

New watch strap

2010-10-06T22:24:00.002+01:00

Hia am trying to get back into blogging small things routinely. I made this tonight, my watch got pinched on holidays and the one I have been using has a really uncomfortable strap, so much so I have not had it on for abut 2 weeks. I cut the strap off and used old denim. I added strips to hold the face down and zig zaged with the reverse for a bit of a pattern. I added vecro and binding to the ends. I am so chuffed with how soft it is to wear and how proffessional it looks :)

hia long time no see

2010-10-03T23:15:00.002+01:00

Term has been taking over my life again, but I am enjoying teaching so much at the mo. Loads on but really positive.

Been making a rather large A3 collage mixed media thing as a gift for an angel in my life ( more on who later as she may read) so here are the starting points
Not entirely sure how it will pan out but hoping it is nice for her :)

Hope your all well, drop me a line as I am missing my internet mates.

Back from Hols

2010-08-27T21:00:00.003+01:00

Hia all I am back from the holibobs. Was fab and HOT!!! Here's a few pics. Elle and I on the boat trip, went swimming off the boat was superb.

All the family :)

My scuba babe!

and a bit of stitching got done. I will be finished soon, was a sample of the bigger piece in the last post. I decided not to stitch that piece (yet anyway) and had a go at this one. I have stitched more but will show you once I have calmed down the seeding. I am giving this piece away (I will likely mount it on a canvas) To get the finished piece all you have to do is give me some feedback on the work I have been doing lately - not back slapping - like you would do at college etc to critique? Is my work a bit boring, safe? What do you think?

To stitch or not to stitch????

2010-08-08T14:45:00.000+01:00

What do you think? Stitch it or not?

Translating it to fabric

2010-08-08T11:45:00.002+01:00

Wasn't a huge leap I guess :) I got the bondaweb out and ironed down 1ply of a kitchen towel mop up first to felt.... Then stencilled it

Doesn't look much now but plan to stitch it while I am away. The next one I used bondaweb again and added some foil, then Ironed down a nappy liner mop up I have been harbouring for ages. Mono printed this with the stencil and a roller. Looks like it is crying out for stitches :)
Finally I did the bondaweb and foil thing and then added a 1 ply paper and mono printed. I wanted to achieve the effect of the piece I did in my sketchbook. I lost the foil a bit under the paper, it's not as transparent as the nappy liner, so may not bother with that next time. I started adding tone with a biro as I had in my sketchbook, looks good no????? Top is after and bottom is before. Thin I wil stitch it also though as this is very flat.
So was in a bit of self doubt last night, still am and if you want to comment I will be doing a giveaway on my return from holibobs, dunno what yet but will do something nice. Think I might be being a bit safe, always go for these colours, this sort of patternation has been done before, you know what I mean? so I thought right go to what you know... I do this often when I am stuck I write a ist of "what I know" about the topic in the hope it will kick start a chain of though. so this is what I wrote in my notebook (I told you before about the companion notebook ye?, I wrote 5 sides but will condense :))

What do I now about markings in stone-

They recorded relationships, e.g. X son of Y (medieval graffiti) (grave markers)
they were used to mark boundaries - Brecheiniog was marked out along the river Usk
They were in old Irish or Brythonic language
Vast majority were names (ironically i wrote my name on a stitched piece the other day)
Ogham - Irish for "Point seam" - cause the markings were on a corner edge of wood or stone - at the point of a seam - surely scope here
Links to Latin and Germanic runes - maybe a development stage here
was a encrypted language - so that the Romans would not know the political, religious or military messages of the druids.
Has relationship with druidic hand signals - people think it is based on hand sygnals as the marks are in groups of no more than 5 - e.g. digits
Links to tally marks
Is called the "celtic tree alphabet" as each letter is linked with a tree or land based item e.g oak, gold, etc
Messages were sent on little rounds, denote ownership, or be magical, like the idea of little transportable things, 3D??????
As I was reading more I found another marking system off a childrens welsh alphabet poster, it had Ogham and "Coelbren y beirdd" - meaning The poets memory wood. This lead me to think about what I want to say in these marking, do I want to look at modern memorials, names, what???? and I got to thinking about welsh poetry. Welsh poetry is hard - I did welsh lit at GCSE and I found the whole thing a mystery - how I got a C I'll never know but I did remember the "englyn" a kind of welsh Haiku, short snappy meaningful words. I am going to research, maybe even try to write a few??? we'll see how it goes :)

So there we are going to what I know always helps ("going to the mattresses" - used on many a tv mob show - preparing for battle and this is what I think of going to what I know as ), has set me on my way again. I have much to think about - lucky I have 2 weeks of sun to do it in :)

Am I on the right track?

2010-08-07T21:36:00.002+01:00

I am in a weird place today, churned out more stuff than for a while - got on a roll :) and quite pleased with it, like the last few pieces in my last post. BUT am I on the right track? Is this stuff samey, repetative, not very inspiring, safe? Self doubt is creeping up. I don't want back slapping but open real critique would be most welcome? Any takers? I may have something to give away to a random commenter when I return from holibobs

New pages

2010-08-07T15:26:00.003+01:00

Some more new pages, are you getting bored yet????

This one is a mop up paper again and I have used oil pastel to draw the shapes, I am trying not to over think these pages, and just do what comes to me.

This one is using a stencil The background is a mop up kitchen towl I used to clean my brushes on and I worked into it with biro. Love the top right. That was a mono print off the stencil.

This one was gluing in the stencil and closing the book to get another mono print, I love this technique, must have a go on fabric. Think I will do to take to stitch on holibobs. I leave tomorrow so better get a wriggle on :)

another sketchbook page

2010-08-05T17:55:00.002+01:00

This was a red mop up sheet that i over painted with turquoise to clean my brush to be honest :) Was har to photograph as the acrylic had irridecence in it and so was bouncing the light around

Sketchbook backgrounds

2010-08-05T09:48:00.001+01:00

Here are some of the sketchbook backgrounds I have layed up this week, in between taking in loads of summer clothes ready for Hols on monday :)

Just have to do something on them now :)

How they ended up.....

2010-08-01T23:35:00.002+01:00

So pleased with how these have turned out :) I have adhered the cover tonight and have glued the top piece inside, I will likely work over the top of this. I am going to seal the cover too with gloss medium. Things I did to help the durability of this are, I kinda bevelled the edges of the polyfiller, I also made this quite a thin layer on top of gesso, to help it have a key.
Really pleased with how these turned out, so have the vibe I am looking for, can't wait to do this on fabric :)

Polyfiller pages cont.....

2010-07-31T17:26:00.002+01:00

So I am keeping a side book which is far less formal along side the sketchbook. This way I am not without anything after it goes. I have been trying to gather like a visual alphabet on stone inscription and rock art. There were some sketches I did last night.

The poly filler pages are now getting painted, for those who have worried I painted the card with gesso first so it had soething to lock onto. It is very durable so far - I am hardly delicate :)
Painted with yellow and gold mixed
Painted with copper mixed with a brick red emulsion tester pot, and rubbed back with a damp piece of kitchen paper.

More layers of colour to come

What I've been up to

2010-07-30T22:36:00.002+01:00

Not the most interesting pieces of work at this stage but here are the grounds of a spread and a cover from my sketchbook. I used polyfiller and a water bottle lid, credit card and a piece of card with "teeth" cut into it. I used this to score lines in the polyfiller (spackle for our american friends) I am going to paint these up now and se how they look, so far I am pleased.

Have been doing some observational drawings in my notebook too, which I will photocopy to use in my sketchbook. These will follow

Sketchbook pages 3 and 4 - ink and found tools ala Gina

2010-07-29T13:37:00.002+01:00

I was chatting away with Gina the other day as she has been working on a sketchbook. She was drawing with found tools, particularly spaghetti. So I thought I would give it a go. The first page I did was with a feather, gosh it was harder than I thought. Here's what I did.

I then tried spaghetti, not quite as bad as the feather but I like how they have turned out. I added some metallic green pen and copper metallic pen to the page too.

I am going to revisit these pages with some ink as Gina has done in her post today.

Now or my dilemma - this sketchbook paper is pants!!!!! to say the least. I have to decide what to do - do I take the book apart and change the paper? or continue to glue into the book and save the hassle of rebinding???????????????????

WHAT WOULD YOU DO???????

new layout

2010-07-26T11:30:00.001+01:00

had to add a new background as my old one was deleted. Never mind like this one too :)

Strip ease part 2

2010-07-26T11:08:00.002+01:00

Here is the stitched piece i did for strip ease crusade. A lady I really like and admire retired from school at the end of this year and another colleague made her a memory book and o i thought this would be the perfect thing to put in there for her. I did it in our national colours "white" (ish), green and red. I hand dyed with tea and coffee some fabrics and tore them into strips. I then hand stitched in tea dyed crochet cotton and bleached back the red cotton velvet for the heart so it didn't look so stark. Here's a detail.....

I then added some free machining, I wanted welsh words - she was the Head of Welsh you see. I wrote -"Curiad calon ein cymuned"which means Heart beat of our community.Here's the finished piece I think she liked it
notice the circular stitching, based on the cup and ring markings in my sketchbook

Sketchbook project and Big thanks to those who sponsored me

2010-07-25T22:54:00.002+01:00

Well I dirtied my sketchbook :) I did a big smudgy blob of black on the inside front cover and shut the book :) Had to get over the newness some how. I have chosen below the surface for my theme and have decided to look at stone inscriptions. So after a mega net trawl this is what I have started with. I intend to visit the Margam stones (local display of inscribed stones) but haven't done that yet. I used Michelle's "Strip ease" challenge as the basis of these 2 pages. So I set forth to make some stoney backgrounds, I used acrylics and a piece of clear film packaging from a toy to do some mono printing, fast and loose as I think I needed freeing up. I tore this and added it to my splodgy page. I used an old cotton reel to print in copper the border. I then set forth with the biro - LOVES A BIRO :)

Oh and I deliberately left the inside front cover quite sparse as they intend to stick a pocket on there so was futile to do more.

Next page, I layered my torn pages, taking care to follow Michelle's advice on tearing with and against the grain. I added some old dictionary page - with the word permanent on one bit - and then as a lucky find in the dictionary colour plates I found a picture of radar, well I thought it looked like my cup and ring markings so commandeered it for this page.

This was how the page stood, but knew the black square was too "stuck" on so I set out with the trusty biro and colour pencils to tie things together. I love how this turned out, has the subtlety and wearing of the rings just like in some pics I have found and the mono prints have been given their rightful centre stage.

Love the way this is going but craving colour now, so have to work away from the literal soon and start playing.

Now then a HUGE thanks to those who have sponsored me, a great cause Cancer research. I did my 5 K in 46 min which is a mega achievement for the 20 stone girl of a year ago, here's me my work colleagues, the stunning Bindy and Kay( Far right - mother and daughter magic) they have got me through the last few months, and the gorgeous girls from my gym. Nicky in the centre came 5th the little demon :) and of course my little Ellie who plans to run next year. I really enjoyed it, was not easy but feel so empowered :)

Prom and other things

2010-07-10T21:43:00.004+01:00

I had a fab time at the prom this year, ots fitter so danced till my sides ache like mad today. Anyway other things first, Here is this years crop of my daughters dahlia, "ELLIE TAYLOR"

So I did some tea and coffee dyeing for my sacred stones work, going to do some sampling for the sketchbook as I think this is important for me right now to have cloth in hand (keep me sane)

So here are the girlies, don't they look stunning. I have taught all of these and most were in my upper school classes. Just gorgeous

Here are our Prom King and Queen - However, there were 2 sets as one of our total delights won too. Mair - the stunner is my TOP star of this year and made this dress herself :) Clever cloggs. So bright and talented and will go very far. Cameron (they did not come together but are both wearing Welsh tartan as it happens) is the biggest gentleman you could come accross, He looked after the other young man who won the joint Prom king prize with a grace and maturity way beyond his years.
Here's me in my il- fitting dress, unfortunatley I have lost loads off the chest area and so this didn't fit well. I am very disappointed and will be ripping the top off soon and making a strapless top for it I will say.

a cracking prom and a lovely night.

Prom is upon us again

2010-07-03T21:37:00.002+01:00

and as per I have left it late and have nothing to wear. So I "found" some fabric that was at the back of a cupboard and it was bright burnt orange. Wasn't sure if I could carry it but in the end I thought sod it go for it. None of my previous outfits FIT so needs must. (Have a back up dress from the charity shop at £4 - which will appear soon as it is missing something and I might ask advice :)

So this was my inspiration...

It is caled the Slinky dress by Jansmin Di Milo. So I couldn't handle how deep the V was so took that up, didn't think the frill on the midrif was a good plan as much as I loved it as it would draw the eye to a "problem zone" :) so set to work on this......

I changed the "straps" as they looked very broad and old womany, so gathered them up and made a band from a scrap and now it looks very Grecian :)

It is very long at the mo, but will be shortened to heel length, managed to squeek out a little train/fish tail thingy :) Just the zip to go in and I have a dress. Photo's on Saturdayafter the prom :)

Here it is!!

2010-06-28T22:01:00.002+01:00

My sketchbook arrived today and what a dinky little thing it is :) Less frightening than I expected.

My feet are for size reference, plus elevating due to tendonitis :(

I wanted to write down as much as I can abut my process and thinking for this project. So here I go, if I bore you shout up!!!

Q.What do I want out of doing this project?

A. I want to try to sort out in my head what my work is a about? I want to find my voice/my subject/my style and know what I am about. I want to be like all those people who have found something they adore, so much so no matter your feeling on the subject you can't help but admire their passion for it,when I grow up (Ps running out of time at 34)

Q. what are my thoughts on the subject - Below the surface

A. Initially I wanted to do something on self esteem, self image - thinking of how we all hide behind a mask, wanted to look at insecurity and make up to camouflage what's beneath. However is this the way I want my work to go? Is this something that will be my body of work? Simple answer - NO. I hate drawing people and am not good at it. I am not a conceptual artist is something I have to realise.

So then I had to think about what i am about, well I think I am about Pattern and I think I am about colour. So now I have to re think. I want something I can study as a starting point, I want something to be below what ever that is and so I started to think about what was in my local museums and area. I thought about Welshness and thought of love spoons and their hidden messages. and thought that this is far too commercialised and sappy a theme but liked the idea of the messages - messages from the past, that some of us understand but mainly walk past and don't get - now I am on to something. So off I virtually toddled to the Welsh national museum site to check out this sort of archaeological thing, thinking abut cup and ring marks to start, but got side tracked by standing stones and medieval inscribed stones and stone sculptures (ps I will do the for real visit to the museum when holidays commence). So I am there I have patternation and a blank canvas for colour and find out that we have a collection of standing stones in Margam which is very near by, so a family outing will ensue as there is a great park next to it :) pray for the rain to clear up for the weekend :)

Now did I ramble too much? Do I make sense? Is it worth writing this nonsense down? Sorry for poor grammar and punctuation :)

New and improved phone case

2010-06-23T18:12:00.002+01:00

I worked on my design for the case for my phone. I used denim again, as I really liked the chenilling I did. I cleaned up the sewing keeping it to a zig zag. I used the seam again too. This time I took Jackie's advice and tried stiffening it, I used pelmet vilene.

I used the bleach out on the back.

Much more happy with the zig zagging this time and the whole thing is a major improvement. I am hoping to make a few more of these now as I have masses of small off cuts of denim from school :)

Iphone disaster

2010-06-19T21:19:00.002+01:00

I had a major Iphone disaster last week, having dropped my phone and smashed the screen. Costing me £50 in excess, but thank goodness I had insurance. So I saw Jackie's lovely Iphone covers and thought I'd have a go. Here is one I did AKA Jackie...

Recycling some denim from my FAT clothes :) But I don't love it - it is Jackie, not me. But I did enjoy playing with her technique, maybe when pennies are less tight I will invest as hers are sooooo neat and so lush.

So I went back to the drawing board and thought about what I wanted. I wanted more me, so I remembered a chenilling technique I had played with on city and guilds and set to cutting bias strips and stitching them. I played with the zig zag width to get the pattern nd then scuffed the edges with a suede brush. I wanted to highlight the double stitching and used Velcro for ease o opening. Lessons learnt - much more me BUT not happy with the finish, not loving the zig zagging, everyone else's seem so neat and mine never do, any suggestions?

As promised

2010-06-14T21:22:00.001+01:00

I stuck a little more to the brief that Michelle set this time. This was the stuff I found with fresh eyes in my magazine. I am rather pleased with it.

Grid Lock

2010-06-13T21:25:00.003+01:00

So I LOVE Michele Ward's blog, it is so colourful and inspiring, and while lurking in the mist as I have been for a while now I have started reading blogs again. I saw Michelle's post on a new challenge here, and thought it might be a spur as was so easy and inviting - just the confidence boost I needed. So Michelle suggested that you find things from your stash, and I have been working on some wedding invites for the SIL and this red was the basis along with the flower cut out from vintage dictionary. But then I was found wanting - little stash to hand being that I am in the mist, so grabbed a magazine and found a few bits.

So this is what I did. I thought I didn't have much in the magazine, but with fresh eyes I found more this evening.

Detail

I also found a whole new set of things in my fav turquoise and so am setting to a collage as per Michelle's instructions too. All this is to dip my toe in as I have signed up for this :

http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

Judy Scott - such a good friend, backed up Deb's fab advice to go to the sketchbook - sounds like that Mafia quote - "Go to the mattresses" and so I have with a big brave step :)

Hello neglected blog

2010-06-06T22:06:00.004+01:00

Hia all, and my sadly neglected blog. I have been very remiss in not posting of late. Hubby has a new job starting tomorrow and I hope he does really well, and am sure he will.

I am in the middle of a huge slump. I don't know how to get back into making, making anything. I can doodle, and am fiddling with wedding invites for my sister inlaw but am at a real solid impass for my own work. I don't know how to begin, so am going to ask, what do you do??? How do you get over things? Any help appreciated.

good and bad

2010-04-30T17:38:00.002+01:00

nothing much to show you at the mo. Good things and bad things in life. I have just 4 LB to go till I have lost 5 stone. So am smiley, and have committed to doing the race for life if you feel like giving there is a link in my side bar and every penny will help fight cancer.

The bad news, hubby is up for redundancy - again :( am calmer and more collected this time, seems like we need to envoke the disability discrimination act again, but the new boss is not as daft as the last one and will surely have it al sewn up.

Never mind we'll live and in the mean time a new doodle, above.

new piece

2010-02-14T19:15:00.003Z

I went on a workshop with Melissa Warren yesterday. She is a lovely lady and a very generous tutor and lives and works where I am from in the Rhondda. We were making textile jewellery. I was determined to make a bib style necklace to wear out last night as I went out with hubby for dinner and drinks (had far too many of the later :) I had a new red clutch bag and no red jewellery. So I worked like the clapper and made this :) so pleased with it. Is rolled roses, organza manipulation and beading. There is also a piece of pleated chiffon in there. I made a couple of other pieces I will show you when I get 5. Bye all

Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus pawb

2010-01-25T22:29:00.001Z

Happy St. Dwynwen's day all.

(Wales patron saint of lovers)

help needed - I'm a bit stuck

2010-01-24T13:18:00.002Z

I have been thinking about this piece for the longest time. I started it the summer before last when we went to Zante. I dyed the fabric and painted on the gantry shapes. I then block printed on a grid. I then bunched the whole up and painted it with copper too look like rust. I have running stitch quilted the grid and done a back stitch round the gantry pieces.

I have seeded in the gaps and will continue this as and when...

My question is this piece is totally without focal point in my opinion and I don't know where to go next. I was thinking of this for Dijanne Cheval's 2 colour quilt challenge. There has been a lot of talk about slow cloth for a while and I have to admit apart from the fact it evolves slowly I don't know if there are any other rules, this has been a truely slow cloth for me :) I thought about adding pieces of scrim or muslin - hand dyed or painted to the grid? Or maybe it needs something else? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - cause I am totally stuck? Thanks all

January workshop - book making

2010-01-23T17:14:00.003Z

Chris and I shared the teaching of a book workshop in January for our little group. I was showing one book technique and Chris showed about 3 :) she sure works fast :) This was my class sample - you know the one I prepared earlier.

This is the surface I created as a demo on the day - haven't got round to finishing it yet. Is mistyfuse and transfoil with a layer of nappy liner that I used to mop up with and clean brushes on the day. A layer of turquoise net was put over and the whole lot zapped carefully after I sewed using the fancy-dan machine. It was a great recycling workshop cause we used every scrap of paper, mop up paper and even the nappy liners or babywipes we used to clean up.

Chris taught how to make a gorgeous and clever star book - for which I used my acrylic scraped pages.

and this amazing coffee filter book, again I used acrylic scraped papers. I used the off cuts to make paper beads.

The coffee filters have papers glued to them and each makes a really nice pocket.

It was a lovely day and the group are so much fun they make teaching easy :)

2010-01-08T20:01:00.003Z

can anyone remind me of the blog that put out the challenge to make a quilt (I think) in 2 colours??? I am having a brain blockage and after searching everywhere still can't find it?

Thanks Susan I found it :) Dejanne's blog :)

2010-01-08T17:45:00.002Z

I made this style book a little while ago for 2 ladies in our group who had a "significant" birthday. They all liked them so much I am teaching it for tomorrow's workshop along with Chris who is going to teach 2 other books which should be fun :)

This is my class sample and I am well pleased with it :) Am going for a colour change tomorrow for my demo piece, I have found a delish peace of bright pink silk to line so that will be my inspiration :)

52 Q's - something just for me :)

2010-01-05T16:48:00.002Z

I saw this project that happened last year through on Emily's blog ( check out 52Q in the sidebar) through Dale. This was a project that happened last year, but I love it so much and need something manageable and sufficiently challenging to get me back on track with my art work, and hopefuly encourage me to finish an online workshop I have had on hold for a while, while I sorted my head out.

So how it works :- Emily set up 52 questions last year (which I have duely written up in my art note book :)) and you compete one small "journal" ish response per week. She had used Tags, Dale had decided to use some children's flash cards. I remembered a box o unused tags in school, been there the full 10 years I have and have never been used so bingo off I go :) So I have started the first question but it isn't finished yet, but did a "cover" first. I used a mop up paper from a spot of acrylic scraping I did this week and some card numbers and even the dried bit from the copper paint tube as it looked so industrial yet rusted - my kind of theme. My fave copper and turquoise - start somewhere safe I thought :)

The question mark is done with a real easy technique I plan to feature in the online workshop if I ever get it finished :) I decided on the back to record why I decided to do this.

Now, off to find my stash of mop up painted baby wipes, I have a real nasty feeling I threw them out in my big purge last week, but I was sure I had saved them as I am giving a workshop on sat and I totally need them, grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Book, thanks to Gina

2010-01-03T22:49:00.002Z

Gina was showing a clever little book on her blog the other day and as I had lots of wrapping paper left over I thought I would give it a go. The folding was a bit of a mare, due to my incompetence not Gina's instructions which are brill.

It holds postcards and so I will be using mine for holding some of the gorgeous postcards I have received over the years. The link on Gina's name will take you too her lovely tutorial. Thanks Gina.

Album

2009-12-31T15:41:00.002Z

Well I started reading blogs again and that can only be a good thing. I thought I would show you this album I made for someone recently for a wedding anniversary. Anyway just popped by to say Happy New Year all, and I hope for this year in which I wil have been married 10 years will be a wonderful one.

Bit scared

2009-12-26T09:15:00.007Z

Hia all, To be honest I am a bit scared to write , I haven't for ages and have been hiding from the world. I haven't had a lot to say and have not been very creative. I have been battling with some life struggles and there just hasn't been room for anything else.

Anyway an update, I have been carrying on with the gym and have now lost 3 stone 9lb, and feel the fittest and healthiest I have felt for a hundred years :) This is how I look now

Lot better ha! I went to a military ball recently and got all glammed up in the corset I made, felt fantastic, although I now have to make another as the boning in this one is now too long as I have shrunk by 5 inches all over :)

Anyway I have done a little something creative lately, made these

e buntings for Christmas, one in Welsh and one in English for the bi-lingual household.

We went on the Santa train with snow falling and everything :) Had to show you this cute pic of my pair :)

and the 3 of us :)

and lastly I went on an amazing Christmas workshop in December - called "white until the night" with my old tutor Enid Davies. We started off by doing a drawing of Christmas things and then scanned it and printed the image off to use as a template for cutting and applique in shades of white, in a variety of textures.

We then scanned in the applique and manipulated the image with photo shop, this was just one of mine.

Then we printed the best one off on to sticky back paper and used a section of it to make a Christmas card - do you love it ???? I do ! Was an amazing course, I really enjoyed it.

Hope you can all forgive my long absence and I hope to get back to something like more regular blogging, I am still taking a day at a time, so we shall see :)

For sale

2009-09-19T22:49:00.001+01:00

Made this bag for someone who didn't pay up, so is up for grabs... £25 has adjustable straps. eave a comment if you want it and I will arrange paypal etc.

I am ok by the way, stil in the depths of the mire

Blogiversary and new thing :)

2009-08-25T22:51:00.003+01:00

I totally missed my blogiversary so thanks to those who noticed. Been in the depth of some personal suff and not really out of it completely.

Anyway I been stuck at one weight for ages, thinking I was getting nowhere and then I weighed at the gym and found my scales were broken :) I have lost over a stone. I have been shopping for new clothes today and bought lots of small things :) (very smily about this ). I bought a gorgeous new coat in PINK, not my usual sensible black. and I did this...............

Got a new tattoo. For me tattoo's are all about reclaiming my body, I have 2 both are small. I got the first after I had Ellie ( a E inside a C) and now this one after such a drastic loss of weight. For me this seals that I am not going back to being a big girl.

So I am not competely disappeared but have to take some me time at the moment, some us time really, as most will have guessed it is my marraige that is an issue, however we are getting there, coming out the other side, I hope :). Thanks for being patient with me.

Up for grabs

2009-08-19T22:14:00.004+01:00

*****EDIT****** BAG SOLD

It is a lovely faux suede:) Leave a comment or email me on caroltinataylor@yahoo.co.uk with your email for Paypal.

I have doen something creative latey, just the one little zen tile. I remembered how much I ove drawing, and how I need to get down to some work. But functional things have made a tough time a little easier for me.

Tentative and quiet hello

2009-07-29T20:20:00.003+01:00

Well I know what your all thinking..... Carol who??? and my first word is to say sorry to al those who I owe swaps to. I have firmly had my head in the shed (good welsh saying) and have no excuses for being totally rubbish of late. I have ahd a few personal things to deal with and there you go. I am still in the midst of it all and not really knowing what the hell I am doing to be honest but I will come out the other side I always do.

What have I been doing.... well I haven't been idle. I taught a workshop for Fibrepaper arts which is our local group who meet in Neath on the 2nd Sat of every month. I did fabric paper and this was my on the day sample.

I went to the ball, in a dress 2 sizes smaller than last year. :) Don't they look stunning.

I have been making these bags and selling them. Facebook seems to be my major selling spot at the moment. You can check my page out here. These are some recent ones. I am charging £20 +postage. If you are interested then leave me a comment as I am making more all the time.

and finally. I made myself a corset. I haven't got a great pic as I was taking them myself and I have my eyes shut (why i don't know?) but here I am newly size 20. Wish you could see how good i felt in it.

Update on bags

2009-07-03T21:18:00.001+01:00

A quick update on the bags - The Sassy slouch made it's first sale. If you woud like one here are the fabrics I have at the mo, they will be £20 + postage. I accept paypal.

Couple of things at last

2009-07-03T17:04:00.003+01:00

I have finally worked on something, which is a good thing. I have been in a weird place lately and just lots of real world stuff have taken all my energy leaving little room for the brain to work. :)

So I have made a bag for a friend who saw mine and wanted one! I also made a fabric flower to go on it as per her request. I put it on a pin so she can move it around as she likes.

I am calling it the Sassy slouch bag, and am considering selling them??? What do you think?
Here's mine, It has burgundy lining. Both have internal pockets. I used pelmet vilene in the handle and doubed it to make it really rigid and stitcheed it heavily.
I also finished a postcard I owe Mags for our Google Alphabet swap... it will be out tomorrow Mags.
This card is my offering for Calendar girls for June, just slightly late :( It was pre stamped with text and then painted and foil for the trees. I heavily stitched to give it the linear feel of the original.
More to come very soon. Got Lynda and Carol's book today and am devouring it. Has the most wonderful illustrations. I will write more when I have had time to have a proper read.

Corset course

2009-06-26T20:16:00.002+01:00

I went on the most amazing course the last 2 days in Cardiff. Not least because it was in Crafts in the bay but was making corsets with Anna Henderson. She was an awesome tutor and showed us amazing fitting techniques that I can use with the kids. I had my frame fitteed :) so next job is one for me. But for the purposes of the course we worked on a standard 10. Using the pattern pieces and cutting them in firm card I made a model when I got home to stretch the corset for display. Worked a treat!

Don't look too close at the stitching, I was on a strange machine and there is an array of thread colour but I learnt masses.
It was a 2 day course and so for my homework I cabled some spirals and added a square sequin and bead to the centre of each.
Can't wait to make one to fit me now, just need to buy al the boning now! Yey

Kim's course

2009-06-13T21:48:00.003+01:00

Here's Kim and I today after the course today. Kim, she of Hot textiles fame, was an absolute scream. If you ever get a chance to go on a course with her, grab it with both hands. I had the most fab day, she was just my type of tutor, so fun a real good laugh.

Here is some of her work, including a mega huge vessel. So lush.

Look at the state of the floor in the hall, there was a sea of painted bondaweb, lutrador, tyvek and vilene. It was so funny picking through it all to the back corner where mine were!

from another angle

Here is everyone working away...

I am not going to bore you with a guzzillion tyvek sampes but here is the one I managed to stitch. It has 3 layers of tyvek on the bottom, 2 heavy and one lighter weight. I just stitched with a great big stab stitch and zapped with the iron. The spirals are tyvek with the iron too and some foil to pick up the edges.

I had a ball. I am working on samples for next months workshop as I am leading it.

Another gift for a special birthday

2009-06-12T07:26:00.004+01:00

Our textiles group meets tomorrow for a workshop with Kim Thittichai, something i am very much looking forward to. One of the adies has celebrated a big birthday and I was in charge of houseing the ATC's we a made for her. This is what I did......

and Just a quick pic to show you how much I have lost. These fit last summer!

Look who I found

2009-06-06T23:41:00.002+01:00

The Embroider's guild in Wales had a meeting today in Kilay in Swansea not 2 minutes from my house, and look who I found!

Mags, Digital Gran ! We had a lovely lunch and a chat and I stayed for the talk by Jae Maries. Her work was interesting and she has a book coming out with Maggie Grey's pubisig house d4daisy. Considering Mags and I have never met we were chatting like the old friends we are. Was so lovley.

Holiday

2009-06-02T21:28:00.002+01:00

In the holiday I did this.....

A birthday gift for a friend. The papers are the pages holding ATC's

Hey all

2009-05-29T18:09:00.002+01:00

Hia all I am so sorry to have been so illusive of late. I have been working my butt off. Literally. I have managed to drop a whole dress size and have neary got rid of 2! I have started excercising again and am feeling wonderful. Thank you to those who are giving me the motivation to kick myself into doing it. I am managing to do 22K on the bike everyday so I am feeling fab.

In addition to this I am working really hard on my journal / thematic sketchbook for textile inspiration course that Lynda and Carol's Fibre in form are going to be selling starting sometime in June. I am so excited about this but can't show too much. Here is something I have been working on for it as a sneak peek. I hope it will be a success and people will want to have a go, it is going to be reasonably priced so hopefully those who have difficulty with the design side of things will want to come and check it out. More information will follow.

So if I am quiet this is where Iam!

Where my mind's eye is at

2009-05-16T14:26:00.002+01:00

Was reading Sharon's blog this morning and she asked what your mind's eye was seeing. I couldn't control my pencil. Someone painted me a picture in words recently and here it is, hope it measures up. Where my mind's eye wants to be.

Thermofax

2009-05-09T20:12:00.002+01:00

Hia all remember the fabrics i dyed last month? Well in today's workshop we used thermofax screens to decorate them further. We tried feathers... Circles, this one is a bit of a compex cloth, I dyed, screened and then rollered and stamped with home made stamps.

Another complex cloth I am thinking about making into a bag, it is rollered, thermofaxed circles and then over stamped with a bock made from tile spacers.

Here are all my days work. I was competely shattered after todays course, I think the stress of all the uncertainty at school has had me so on edge that when I went to the course and relaxed as I worked I really felt the pressure of the last week. So far I am ok but you never know what they are going to do.

My lovely year 11's left this week and I made then the now traditional leaving gift. I made corsages in a lovely purpe shot silk and turquoise taffeta, and after making them all remembered I had a boy this year and so made him a quick denim cuff, which I forgot to photograph!

I hope that things start perking up soon, I don't know about the rest of you but I am so down lately, there seems to be nothing to be cheerful about, the world seems to have gone to hell in a hand cart!

New ATC's

2009-05-02T22:35:00.002+01:00

Hia all, hope everyone is enjoying the bank holiday. I have had a horriby long and tedious week. People are being layed off in work, and although I am safe (so far) it is just a horrible place to be at the mo. Year 11 have just left and there is nothing much to smie about. Moan over!

That aside I got 5 minutes to sew a little today I am behind in a few things and so made a mark on a couple of things. The first is an ATC for a friends birthday, she loves colour so I used a gorgeous shot silk and did some FME on a acryic fet backing, then shrunk the backing.
This one is for a swap on my group Textile challenges, this was for a mono printing challenge issued by Cathy. I used the pastic that I used to monoprint from and stitched through it, it has a lovely quality and is much nicer in real life!

Have a great bank holiday everyone in Britain. Let's hope it is sunny.

New Journal for textile artists course

2009-04-30T18:13:00.002+01:00

Hia all,
Well I have finally bitten the bullet and am going to be teaching an online journalling class. It is going to be a thematic journal to inspire textile artists. I am about 1/2 way through the preparation now. It is going to be through Lynda and Carol's FIBRE IN FORM web site. I am pretty excited about it all, I think I have lots of new things to show you. We wil be opening a yahoo group or ning group for the class so peope can discuss with others and me! Here is a snippet from and early lesson. Hope you want to come and play!

Colourful day!

2009-04-19T15:20:00.005+01:00

I went to my monthy group Fiber paper arts yesterday and we had a really colourful day. Sandra did dyeing with us and Chris block printing ready for next months use of thermofax screens. I am now a part of the admin for this group which is great as I now get to teach more of the workshops! We did some piecing a la Ruth Isset and here are mine.

Love this one, plan to work into it way more. My usual rusty colouring!

These pieces were natural and stitched before dyeing. This piece of the right of the picture was underneath the one above , how lush is it!

Did lots of sorta tie dyeish effects.

Other things done this holiday were a zentangle rock to show one of my pupils.

As part of a school fundraising idea Ellie had to fill this milk bottle with pennies and decorate it in someway. She decided as they had been learning about puppets this term to make a bottle cosy/puppet.This is what she made, she did all the hand stitching herself including the buttons and the nose. She then attatched all the ribbons and stitched it up on the machine - herself! I won't say mum's hands weren't near by but she was in charge! She is 6 in May!!! Cool ha!

Journal and ATC

2009-04-08T16:11:00.003+01:00

Hia all,
I have been quite quiet ately, it is a mega busy time in school but as of today I am free for the hols! I ony have 2 kids who haven't finished their projects too so fantastic! Another reason for my lack of posts is that I am currently teaching an onine class to the group of ladies I meet with each month locally on journaling. We have been working on themed journals. I am doing mine on armour, hoping that it will give me lots of ideas for my sewing projects later. I am not showing too much of it at the moment as I am considering being able to sel it as an online course after I have tested it out on my lovely guinnea pigs! Here is one o the spreads, on using stencils and textured backgrounds.
Do you think anyone would be interested in taking a class on this type of thing???

On another note here is the second in my series on a woodland theme, after i finished my one for Calendar girls I remembered that I had to make an ATC for a special friends 50th birthday. So I had some left over monoprint and used it to do a similar design. Excuse the photo it is really hard to photograph!

Hope you all having fun! I am off to enjoy the sunshine, while it lasts here!

A few things

2009-03-22T22:03:00.003Z

Hia all I am so sorry I have been away for so long. I am at that busy point in the year marking and shouting at kids to chivy them into some GCSE's. I say it every year but they are getting worse. All I do is chase like a headless thing and they act like they have all year. All teachers in agreement say aye!
Anyway, I have been working but slow and steady! The calendar girls pic for Febuary was chosen by Sandy and was a unicorn surrounded by bubbles. I decided to work with the texture of the bubbles and stitiched kunin felt to the background and zapped it to pull up the cotton calico. I then painted it with gesso and acrylics. I then beaded. I am pleased how it turned out.
This is an ATC I made for a purple and mustard swap on my group TC. I wanted to do a stuffed piece. I think this is not as successful as what was in my head but that is probably as I was so pushed for time.

Finally my finished piece from Lynda's workshop. I added punched out copper mesh that I annealed and beaded with tiny sed beads.

This is the inside - this is a reversable design.

and this is the outside with the amazing texture Lynda taught us!

I had such a great day and was so pleased to get my piece done, it is such eye candy! I have another started and when the easter holidays arrive I will be working on my next one.

Purple Missus - workshop wonderwoman!!!!

2009-03-14T18:36:00.004Z

These lovelies are what we did with Lynda today on our workshop. The workshop was called "Encrusted Blades". Lynda was awesome and taught us so well. She of course does not believe this but she was so brilliant, so giving of her time, resources and ideas. I can not tell you how much. She was so organised, it was mega! We worked backwards starting on pieces tat she had already worked for us all - way above and beyond the call of duty.

Here are my pieces that I painted but Lynda stitched. She was so thoughtful and brought all MY colours! (Thanks you Lynda for my goody bag too, she brought me a bag of turquoise treasures!)

Aren't they just scrumptious. I can't explain how wonderful it was to hold these pieces in your hands, the textures and tones are just so yummy, the camera does them justice but nowhere near as good as in real life. Inside there were hidden treasures. For this we painted tyvek paper, here are mine.
Inside were these amazing little books that Lynda showed us how to fold. They are great for holding little lucks!
Then we moved back to the beginning and we stitched the layers to form the textured scrummy base. I learnt so much bout finishing and making work that special quality Lynda has. I know she thinks she didn't teach me anything, but truely you did Lynda. Here are my stitched pieces. Ready to blast and burn, and start the next piece. I am so excited to work on these, I will be making time!

As soon as i have finished one I will post about it, we had a packed day and got a long way on finishing one, but not quite. Now DRUM ROLL I forgot my camera, but managed to get one from Sandra and despite Lynda being the shyest ever - Here we are!!!!

A fabulous day and a wonderful workshop - if this is a taste of the book then Rush out, no run out and get it, it will be SUPERB!

Guess what I am doing tomorrow????

2009-03-13T17:15:00.002Z

First of all sorry for a post with no pics but guess what I am doing tomorrow???? I am having a workshop with............

LYNDA MONK - PURPLE MISSUS

YES YOU HEARD ME RIGHT!!!!

I have been friends with Lynda for a hile and am so excited I might actualy meet her tonight for a drink and a chat and then tomorrow I am going to bask in her glow! I promise ( well will try hard to get a picture as we all know Lynda is camera shy!) to try and get a pic of us both and learn from my mistake with Susan! Can't wait.... see you tomorrow night for the full run down!

Amazing

2009-03-07T16:06:00.004Z

In my side bar you will find this link, to Bags of Love.co.uk. I got this huge print of Ellie, it is lovely quality. They sell lots of other products, so go take a look. Wonderful items you can personalise. I have no connection to this company but had to share the link as it is such good quality.

SORRY ALL PHOTODELETED TO PROTECT MY BABY!

Found one - see witches hat!

2009-03-04T19:59:00.002Z

My mother found one of me in my costume! Not the same costume as Ellie as I am abut 8/9 here! Look at that early eighties pre-straightners hair do!!!!!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus

2009-03-01T23:10:00.003Z

Hia all, and a happy St. David's day to you all. Had to show you my little lovely in her traditional

costume, it may be one of the last times I get her in it! Most o this costume was mine and has been worn by me and my 3 sisiters before Ellie. My Mum sure built it to last! It is getting uncool already which is sad, I may squeeze a few more years out who knows! Did you know that the betsgwn ( jacket that folds back and ties at the back) is credited with the invention of the pocket, how cool is that!!!!! Ellie has gone for the cocle hat traditional to our area, I had to wear the pointy witch like version - my mum was cruel, I so wanted a bonnet! Have a great week, great March all.

SORRY ALL PHOTO DELETED TO PROTECT MY BABY!

Not gone.... just busy

2009-02-27T22:43:00.002Z

I have a mega busy fortnight in school, and have committed to teach an online course to my local group of ladies on journaling, so I am very quiet at the mo here. Here's a sneak peek at what I am doing. Just a sliver as I don't want to spoil this for the students.
I may go on to offer this course as an online paid class if all goes well, we shall see. So don't think I have run off, I am here, still reading blogs and checking in on facebook but don't have as much to show as I can't show it yet!!!!

My weekend with Susan!

2009-02-23T18:46:00.004Z

I met up with Susan Lenz on saturday. What a day we had! and before you ask I don't have a picture of us both, we were far too busy talking, and afteri pulled away I thought, you silly girl you forgot! Dur!!!!!
We went here: Crafts in the bay, and we spent a good long time there looking at the Makers guild in Wales work in the gallery. There were some lovely pieces.
Ruth Harries pieces kept us looking and staring for a long while, they are even more beautiful in smaller scale.

I spent ages looking at Claire Cawte's lovely blend of felting and natural fabrics like linen and muslin. Her scarfs and wraps were a delight. I have always been told not to add synthetics to felt but she had with the most wrinkly textured loveliness ever. I loved her pieces, so simple, so strong, delightful!

We went here: The Museum of Welsh life - St. Fagan's. Which is awesome. We had a great time looking through all the historic buildings, and looking at the artifacts. We did get smoked out in a few of them, as the real fires were only just ebing lit as we got there.

Got some nice bits of domestic life... the sewing box...

So the day was really fun, we chatted and chatted and both talked the hind leg off a donkey. The poor waiter in the restaurant kept apologising for desturbing us to serve drink and food, that's how deep in conversation we were! We talked about both our curent pieces of work and I ound a true soul mate in Susan. She is a total inspiration and we found we had such similar views on lots of things.

Here are the gifts I gave Susan, a piece based on the work I have started now for her to hang in her studio, it is plastic and crayon fillings trapped and melted, and then free machined.

I also gave her this small canvas based on my last lot of work. It has painted wallaper, gesso and salt, embellished felt with foil and organza, FME and washers. The strip is painted silver foil fabric paper, couched.
I let her in Cardif to wait for her train and sketch in Cardiff St. Mary's ST. I hope she got on ok. It was a fab day and I am only sorry i didn't get a pic of us - fool!

Finally my foray into crochet has led to this scarf, one of the girls in my workshop group gave the pattern and it was easy to do. Thanks Pauline. I am making a very pink version for Ellie may!