Hey all

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!!!!

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????

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

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!

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

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

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!

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!