E.S.P - aka Earth Spirit Projects

I've had to leave a few other projects as UFOs for a little while...

...and get down to finishing off these pieces for an up-coming workshop.

It's been good to get back to my "Earth Spirit" theme....

...and I've had a lovely time playing with Colourcraft Brusho Sprays and  Markal Paintstiks on Egyptian cotton and calico dyed with Procion dyes. (From Empress Mills.)

Fabric was first dyed in plastic bags or beer glasses....

...then sprayed with Brusho Sprays - Dark Brown; Shimmering Charcoal & Shimmering Copper.

I drew my designs and scanned them into my Brother Scan'n'Cut to make the stencils...

...that were then done using Markal Paintstiks.

Finally I stitched around the designs on the sewing machine with some variegated threads...

...again,  from Empress Mills.

Now, because I am who I am...

...seed stitching is covering the background!

Why?...do I do this to myself?

Then I made a start on another Earth Spirit Figure...

...again on calico sprayed with Brusho.

This time the design was drawn on before stitching....

...then painted in with Inktense blocks.

Oh....the fun I do have!!

I'll be off up the M50 with this lot next week :-)


x C

Playing with stitch and acrylic inks - little "thingy"

I don't often make things just for myself...

...but I came across a little "thingy" that I liked the look of....

...so...

...set about having a go!!

Fabric was sorted and printed with a wooden print block...

...then areas were coloured in with some Colourcraft Acrylic Inks....

...using a tiny amount on a tiny brush.

I really like how they dry so quickly...

...and clearly.

(There will be more play with these very soon methinks!!)

Then, I did my usual trick with some metallic thread and seed stitching...


.....so that three wee panels are now complete.



These inks come in boxes of 12 colours - 2 sets - clear and metallic...

...and are an absolute joy to use!!

The brush I've used is from a set designed for "Nail Art" - only a couple of pounds for a set of about 10 on Ebay!!

Any idea what the "thingy" is yet?

:-)

x C

Paint play...

I've had a lovely morning playing around with some Colourcraft "Aztec" metallic paint.

This one is not acrylic-based...so is not ideal for use on fabric...

...but WOW!! is it great on paper/card!!

Yes...I've used metallic paints before, but the depth of "bling" in this one is amazing!

(Sorry about all the exclamation marks!)

It shines and glimmers like nothing else...

...and is especially brilliant on dark backgrounds.

I used black 230gsm card...

...and sprayed it with "Shimmering Charcoal" and a bit of "Shimmering Blue" Brusho.

Let it dry...

...then sponged the "Aztec" paint through some stencils that I cut yesterday.

(Aztec paint called for Aztec designs...)

Finally, just for fun...

...I used a couple of Greek helmet stencils that were lurking in my stencil folder! :-)

Lots and lots of goodies to play with...

I've been going through boxes and drawers...

...picking out all sorts of bits n bobs...

...to use in my "Lavender & Lace" pieces.

Gorgeous old French linens picked up on holiday...

...some dyed....some not...

A bird's nest of sari silks in glorious colours...

Empress Mills' Egyptian Cotton dyed with Colourcraft "Lavender" Procion Dye...

and my wonderful spray-booth paper covered in all sorts of Brusho colours!

(This is the paper that is underneath everything that I spray. Colours get built up one on top of another...and I end up with the most beautiful papers to play with!! :-)

Hi di Hi!!

x C

Ta Da! African Inspirations Notebook in STITCH magazine :-)

Even after all this time...

...I still feel very proud when I have an article published. :-)

My "African Inspirations" notebook project is on page 20 of the current issue (99) of STITCH.

I used some more of Empress Mills' wonderful Copper metallic thread...

...along with their Klona Cotton (Black) and some other bits too.

(They are SO useful!!)

The Khadi block came from Colourcraft...

...as did the Markal Paintstiks and stencil film.

I also feel privileged to be able to work with Empress and Colourcraft...

...they are both lovely family companies...

...and have warm, beating hearts.


They have both taken me into their folds...

...which is really nice for someone who has no immediate family left.

I'm quite happy to be adopted as a "second Mother" to Laura...

...and a "God-knows-what" to Charles!! :-o

(Something that's black and white and shuffles around in snow???....)


Feeling sentimental today....

x C

Apologizing.....Sorting....and looking forward to some serious PLAYTIME!

First of all ......APOLOGIES...

...to all my blog friends out there who may have noticed that they haven't had any comments from me for a while.

I have tried...honest!!

...but since my last lappy died...and the Man set up my new one....

...something has gone "missing" and I CANNOT leave any comments on anyone's blog except my own!

I've tried "Google Account" - Name/URL.....and even Anonymous...but to no avail.

IT WON'T LET ME COMMENT!!! Grrrrr!

My own blog doesn't even register that I've logged in ...and I have to keep going behind the scenes to get to change anything or do a new post?!

Anyone got any ideas? They would be most welcome I can tell you!!

Meanwhile...I'd like to let you know that I am visiting your lovely blogs....

...I'm just invisible at the moment. :-(


Now that my big project is in someone else's hands I have started to sort out the mess in my workroom.

Boxes with stuff that probably won't get used again have been weeded to make some room....

...and it's amazing what you re-discover when excavating!!

Loads and loads of handmade printblocks from years ago!!!

Still Yummy...

I had such fun creating these...

...and even more fun using them in workshops....

...and as I came back from Colourcraft with loads of paint and other arty-farty goodies...

....maybe I will get to using them again sometime this year...

...when I give myself some SERIOUS playtime!! :-)))))

x C

All done!

Well...

...thats it all done....

...except for a few final photo shots.

I'm off up to Sheffield to Colourcraft on Friday to tie up final ends before the book goes to the printers.

It should be available next month - at the CHSI STITCHES show at the NEC.

It's been a good journey...

...and I've met a few characters along the way :-)

Made out of some scraps of Dupion Silk  fabric...

 dyed with Dytek Liquid Dyes....

(These are a spin-off from one of the projects in the book.)


Now I have to clear the decks in my workroom...

...ready to begin the next projects.

x C

Doing what I love every day.....

It still feels a bit like the end of Summer outside...

...I'm having to turn off the central heating during the day...

...it's far too warm with it on...

...and my "personal summer moments" aren't helping matters!!

Things are progressing in leaps and bounds...

...the book for Colourcraft is in the very last stages and should be in print next month. :-)

This is the last stitched sample on the machine this morning...

...a piece of Empress Mills Egyptian Cotton dyed with "Dytek Liquid Dyes" ...

...then stencilled with Markal Paintstiks and finally stitched with Empress Mills lovely (non-snapping!!!) metallic threads. 

This is the sign on my workroom door...

...new for 2016...

I DO!!! :-)

...hope you do too...

x C

It's nearly time to go ......again!

It's been a very busy few weeks since we came back from the last cruise...

...and now it's almost time to leave for the next one!!

Final docs came this morning...

...coach ticket booking made yesterday...

...and sample Travel Journal for Atlantic Showcase is done! YEY!!

I've used loads of Brusho Sprays...

...some stencils...

...and printed pages with blocks from Colouricious.

All the packs that I've put together for the two cruise legs have been folded and block-printed too...

...so they have a head start as soon as they join the sessions! :-)

I've also put together my own sketchbook...

...and have decided to focus on colour and pattern this time.

I treated myself to a new set of Schmincke watercolours, and filled-up the extra spaces with some Sennelier half-pans.....so no excuses...painting SHALL be done!!

(Yes...I know I haven't shown you any pages from the last trip's sketchbook yet...but all will be revealed at some point...promise! :-)

The next couple of weeks will be taken up with writing the final chapters of the book on Colourcraft Liquid Batik Dyes...

...and stitching final samples to be photographed.

My work table is completely covered in pots and trays of beads for stitching onto a piece of dyed silk that will (hopefully) be pictured on the front cover.

Oh Boy!

...do I need a 72 hour day right now!!

x C

Trying not to go into panic mode.

Too many things to do...

...in such a short time.

I'm desperately trying not to panic because if I do...

...then everything grinds to a crunching halt...

...and the sh*t will hit the fan!

Deep breath....Deep breath...

Begin with getting packs and sample done for October workshop...

...using gorgeous Colouricious Hmong print blocks.

First pages...

Packs include prepared watercolour paper backgrounds - using Colourcraft Brusho sprays

and fabrics (from Empress Mills) and papers printed with Hmong blocks.

They're all packed into paper bags ready to go with me...

...now all I have to do is finish the sample!


ps...

Opened up my September issue of Workshop on the Web today and found that a piccie out of my project is being used as the advert for the next (dec) issue! :-)  Yey!!!

The Romanesque, Beakhead-Hunting and a Neolithic gathering place...

...and what a trip it was!!

My trusty little Canon is stuffed full of heads...

...BEAKHEADS that is of course!


We took the Gladdyvan over to Oxfordshire and pitched at Bladon for a week.

This part of the UK is one of two areas where Beakheads can be found in abundance...

...the other area being Yorkshire (that's for another time :-)


So, after driving over on the Sunday, we took the bus into Oxford early Monday morning for my appointment with the Librarian at St. Edmund Hall...

...whose library just happens to be the church of St.Peter-in-the-East.

Dating from the 12th Century, it has some wonderful Romanesque features...

...and a fantastic Beakhead-surrounded doorway!

The following day we drove over to Iffley to visit the church of St Mary. WOW!!!!!

After taking a couple of hundred photos here...

...we headed north to Great Rollright - St Andrews....

..and then St Peter at Hook Norton...

...where the Romanesque offering was in the form of a large font!

Finally...

...to round of a lovely day...

...we visited a spiritual centre that is (at least) 3000 years older than these gorgeous churches.

The Rollright Stones.

There were lots of dowsers around...

...and it was very interesting to get results with a set of borrowed dowsing rods instead of my usual pendule!

I'd love to be able to get some of my captured heads into my sketchbook...

...but with the cruise fast approaching I have to get samples finished for that...

...and take loads and loads of photos for the book I'm writing for Colourcraft.

Just 2 weeks before I get off to the sun and begin bobbing around the Mediterranean!!

Tick....tick....tick....

Have a great weekend

x C