Creative Surfaces

‘Simply Salt’

‘Simply Salt’ is the first in a series of ‘Creative Surfaces’ workshops from Fibre in-Form allowing you to pick and choose which techniques you would like to explore and take further.
We all know how life can sometimes get in the way of our creative endeavours so these workshops have been designed to enable you to start and finish them at your leisure.
‘Simply Salt’ will take you through the process of creating an amazing surface on a background of Lutradur using gesso, ink, silk paints and salt.
This surface can then be embellished further using machine or hand stitch, beading or other embellishments but is equally decorative enough to use on its own to create vessels, book covers, bags etc.
The workshop includes five chapters with 77 colour illustrations.

Please make your way to Fibre In-Form to subscribe.

New Group

There will be a new group to take in the free classes available with 'Stitches, Straps and Layers' and 'Stitching the Textured Surface' starting soon.

Make sure you visit d4Daisy on Friday to find out more.

See you there. :)

P.S. The links for the slinky fabric paints on my last post did not work - I have now amended them so please make sure you visit the website and Lauras blog, you won't be disappointed!

Ally Pally - What a nightmare!

The Friday afternoon drive home that is. It took just over the hour to get there in the morning and 4 hours to get home. Crawling most of the way, there were three ‘incidents’, it was dark and absolutely tipping it down with rain – not a very pleasant journey at all.

Met up with lots of fellow bloggers all of them lovely, lovely people. Its great to be able to put a face and a voice to the blog. Carol and I did a couple of demos on Maggies d4Daisy stand which went well. It all felt very surreal - having been a spectator for the past 15 years and then appearing on the other side of the stand. I also had a terrible head cold coming on which didn’t help – I just hope with all the hugging going on that I didn’t pass too many germs around. It was wonderful to find so many people who are really interested in what you do.

It really was a wonderful time. And then Saturday my cold, nay ‘flu, really came out. I was hoping to perk up a bit so I could go back to AP on Sunday to meet up with a few other blogging friends, but I just felt too ill. I was really disappointed especially as they all came from different parts of the world. Plus I didn't get to see much of the show and spent very little money - most unusual - so it looks like Harrogate is on the calender for the first time this year. :)

And then there was the question of my jacket. Quite an old one, several years old in fact, but a well loved one. One of those items of clothing that seem to grow with you, if you know what I mean. Well, I put it in the cloakroom on Thursday and promptly forgot about it. Decided to collect it on Friday but was back in the car park before I remembered so I just thought I would be able to collect it on Sunday.... Oh well, hopefully all lost property gets passed on to a charity shop and someone will make good use of it. – I’m sure its got a few more years wear in it.

Couple of things I am really excited about . Firstly, these paints. I have wanted to try some of these for ages and managed to acquire some. Jacqueline has used them a lot in her work and it always looks amazing. These colours are gorgeous. I’m going to try them with the Thermofax screens to start with.The website for these paints is here where you can download free techniques and Laura who runs the website also has a blog here – both of them well worth a look.

And secondly, this new exciting product available from Dale. Its called ‘Crash’. I looked it up here so I could tell you more about it. Have you ever seen this website? So much information.Dale has created some gorgeous samples with this Crash already. Look forward to using both these products in the next couple of weeks. Will show my results.

This is a flavour of the samples I was demonstrating on the stand at AP. (More pics on the last blog post)The full technique with lots more info and samples will be available for downloading from the website, Fibre in-Form, sometime later this week when our Webmaster returns to base. Will let you know when it appears.

And how about this (sort of) arty pose? It’s salt that has been used for this technique – just shows how I never throw anything away. :)

It's that time of the year!

Don't you just love this time of year?

• You can stay indoors without feeling guilty.
• You can wear lots of layers to cover up your big bits.
• Strictly Come Dancing is back on the TV - aren't the two Rickys wonderful in their own ways?
• And best of all - it's Ally Pally time.

Carol and I will be demonstrating (and book signing) on the d4Daisy stand along with Maggie Grey on Friday at 11.30 and 2.30. Stand TGE6. If you haven't been to Ally Pally before its through the entrance doors in the hall on the left.

These are some Lutradur based samples of the really simple technique I will be demonstrating.

All created using the basic techniques and materials from the book 'Stitching the Textured Surface' - and believe it or not, no rust dyeing included. :)

I've also got a stack of postcards showing this technique, with the details on the back, to give away.
Please come and say hello if you can, it would be great to meet as many of you as possible.

I'll also be at the show with Shirley Sherris (Embroidered Jewellery) on Thursday and will be visiting again on Sunday - not sure yet about Saturday. If anyone has got 10 minutes to spare to say hello just let me know.

I'm off down to Brighton now for a few days - now that the weather has turned really cold and windy. :)

Photofest!

You can tell it’s been a while – prepare yourselves for loads of photos in this post. :)

Visited friends in Aldeburgh at the weekend. Such a lovely day decided to go to Southwold and have a cream tea on the pier – wonderful.
Wonderful views too. In one direction these:
In another direction this:Unfortunately, in the distance this:Sizewell Nuclear Power Station.

Popped in to the shop which sells Cath Kidston merchandise and couldn’t resist buying this. Love the whole range but thought this was just that little bit different.Will be ideal for my Ally Pally purchases, which will need to be plentiful as I wasn’t able to make it to FOQ to stock up on supplies. Missed a good exhibition too by the sounds of it.

In the post recently I received my swap for the ALQS3. Made by Jovita from Lithuania
and is brilliant – it’s as if she made it especially for me.A close up of the great little buttons she has used.Still on the rust theme have been working on some more ‘rusty’ surfaces using the technique from the ‘Stitching the Textured Surface’ book and the ‘Encrusted Blades’ article in WOW.Also used the same technique for a metallic surface – doesn’t show up too well in the photo though.On the subject of metallics, am still trying to develop the fabric I used for the bodice shown in the last blog post. I’m getting there. :)More detail on this technique when I can get it exactly how I want it.

Also in the post I received the Calendar Girls postcard for August from Val.
The calendar page was actually chosen by Val this month and she has captured it perfectly.My August card is for Doreen and I’m afraid I’m a bit behind. No real excuse, just been suffering for a couple of weeks from a debilitating virus called ‘Lazyitis’. *LOL*
I know I haven’t done the card justice. If I recall, its called ‘Shower of hearts’ or something similar, so I have taken the hearts and worked on them.
I used a small heart stencil and also made a thermofax screen using the same stencil. They are not finished yet, some need stitching, zapping or maybe even a touch of Treasure Gold :)
Brief descriptions follow - if anyone would like more, please ask.
Gesso was used on duck cotton then again through the thermofax. Ink sprayed on and salt sprinkled on the surface. Same as above but gesso pulled through a stencil. Red and black ink sprayed on the surface before sprinkling with salt. Swore I wouldn't do rust but couldn't resist it. Gesso on Lutradur this time. Red and black ink.
Look at the other wonderful patterns made on the Lutradur with ink and salt. Gesso on Lutradur again, sprayed with ink, stitched then zapped. Light spray of diluted silk paints then applied. More of the same, before zapping. Xpandaprint through a thermofax screen on Lutradur sprayed with red and black ink. Even the back of this one looks pretty good. Xpandaprint, Lutradur, zapped and sprayed with diluted silk paints. Same again, different colourway. Gesso on Lutradur sprayed with diluted silk paints.
Molding paste on Lutradur, diluted silk paints and Crafty Notions Creative Sprays. As above. And the back. One of these will be finished and in the post to you very shortly Doreen - then I will start on the September card.

This is what I have been working on this morning. It’s not the shape that I wanted to show you but the actual fabric I created. It started life as bog-standard inexpensive gift wrap tissue which has then been painted, bonded, sprayed and waxed, several times and in different sequences to end up as a soft fabric with a metallic leather look to it.
These photos were taken outside but still don’t really capture the metallic sheen on the fabric. I have left this first photograph quite large so if you click on it you can get a better look at the fabric.
Front:Back:Side view:And a couple of close ups:
And speaking of tissue, I have also been trying a new product: polyester tissue. Its amazing. It reacts to heat in the same way as the Tyvek I use but is so much easier to stitch into after melting – no hard edges.
Ignore the colours in these samples. I am trying to be frugal and using up all the odds and ends of the colours I have which don’t normally get used – which makes me wonder why I bought them in the first place. I’m sure you all know what I mean. :)
This sample is just a plain piece that has been heated with the heat tool then painted with metallic inks.On this one I screen printed Molding Paste then sprayed with silk paints. The thick white lines are where the piece was laying on plastic sheet to dry. Don’t really know why I used Molding paste through the Thermofax as I know it doesn’t really work!
And you can see here how it didn’t. The lines of the original design are vaguely discernible.I also tried the molding paste through a stencil – which does work! And once heated I tipped on various ends of acrylic inks and just let them puddle into each otherI haven’t had chance as yet to play more with this polyester tissue but I know I will do as it really has got great potential. You can buy it from the Gallery Textiles website – yet another mail order site to get carried away on. *LOL*

I needed to order some more Iron Gall ink this week and while browsing saw this and couldn’t resist it:
A Chinese Ink Stick. Quite probably most of you will have come across these before but I must admit that I haven’t and I just couldn’t believe how detailed they are. The design on the stick is raised, and goes right around the back along with Chinese wording at the top, and all in its own box. And it wasn’t just me – I showed it to the chaps at work and they were all intrigued too. When I first saw it I had to check the invoice because I thought ‘for heavens sake, how much have I paid for this?’ and was amazed when I saw it was only £1.70. !!
Still haven’t any idea what to use it for but sure I will think of something. :)

And saving the best bit until last, also received this book in the post this week.Its a fabulous book. Only wish I could show you some of what is inside. I’m not one for making jewellery but there are a few pieces in here that I am determined to have a go at but for me it is the techniques used to make the jewellery that are really interesting, lots of ideas. Its already had some really good reviews.
And what makes it even better is that its written by a blogging friend, Shirley, whose blog you will find here. Well worth a look - both the book and the blog. :)

Went to a very wet, windy, cold and very muddy Oxford to see Art in Action. Such a shame for the exhibitors as the weather obviously affects the turnout.

I suppose that the only plus side is the fact that you do get a chance to see things up closer with not so many people around.

It was really good to see the work of some really well known textile artists up close. And it’s always inspiring to see pieces of work from all the different disciplines. Just wish I had the wherewithal to buy some of these pieces.

But I did manage to buy a few bits in what they call ‘the market’.
This product caught my eye:
Along with a couple of other things which I will show when I have had chance to play with them. Plus some more wooden blocks to go along with the other hundred. Well, not really that many, but you know what I mean. :)
There was also a Mexican Art tent and I couldn’t resist buying this bag – a combination of blue silk fabric and cerise plastic. Makes me feel really ‘arty’. *LOL*
As for my own work, haven’t had much time this weekend but did manage to make a start on this one surface.
I’m speaking singular here because although there are 7 samples these are all from the same basic technique just with different finishes.