A Tale of Two Workshops....

It's been busy, busy....BUSY around here!

It feels like I haven't stopped for weeks....and I can't stop yet either!

But...I do have some finished pieces....

...and therefore some pictures to show :-)

First of all, the sample Tri-Fold Petroglyph Book for my workshops at Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show next week...

I have spent HOURS making all the parts, printing text and notes,  and making this sample....

...I hope the participants will enjoy themselves on Thursday (3.30) and Sunday (1.30)

Maybe I'll see some of you there. I'm on Stand TG137 in the Textile Gallery!

OK

Workshop number 2 is my Winter Solstice at Arts Alive Crickhowell.

I've prepared plenty of examples and samples for this workshop taking place in Crickhowell on the 6th & 7th December. It will be such fun...the same as the last one!!

Here's a Markal Stencil that has been stitched with metallic thread...

....a lovely bunch of Colouricious wooden print blocks to play with....

...a boxful of rune print blocks....

...hand-carved by MOI! :-)

...and this little rune book has been made using lino blocks run through my little Italian litho-press.

It'll be possible for folk to make bags, coasters, calendars, cards, blessing books, and all sorts of lovely things for an alternative Winter Celebration!

Sign up HERE.

"Silken Treasures" finished!

I've had a really good few days on this book...

...and am very, VERY pleased with the results :-)

It is a celebration of silk...

...in muted shades of purples/mauves/dusky pinks ....

...and some metal leaf for sheer decadence!

Enjoy the picture show......

Front cover with a nine-patch of yo-yos (or Suffolk Puffs for those English readers)

Back panel with Hmong print and painted triangles....

Inside back panel with silk strips and machine stitching...

Inside Page 1

Page 2

Small inserted book cover

Inside small book...

various silk fabric and textured abaca tissue pages...

Page 3

Inside back flap

Outside back flap...

Finished book sitting on my desk.

It is so lovely to turn over in your hand............

Thanks again to Roxanne and her "Thread That Weaves" online workshops....

...and to Colouricious and Colourcraft for selling such delicious products for folk to play with!!

x C

Philippine finale!

Here are the final couple of pages in the Philippines set...

....the first has a silhouette of one of the dragons sitting atop the Taoist temple in Cebu City (our first stop en route)...

I did this onto Brusho-sprayed watercolour paper with Indian ink then sprayed over it again when done.

Rubber stamps for Yin and Yang...and a yin-yang surrounded by the I Ching hexgrams.

...and the added bitties are some chinese coins and 3 polymer clay pieces I did some time ago (these are impressed with wooden chinese printers block - typeface)

The second is done with a Colouricious Hmong print block (onto hand-dyed and Brusho-sprayed abaca tissue)

Another couple of pages...

Finished and stuck into my sample/scrap book.

The first one done in much the same way as before...

....but no wrapped elements this time....

...and a small-work page done with a wooden print block and another strip of that pre-Hispanic script.

(Print blocks, as always, from Colouricious. Paints from Colourcraft)


There's one more page-spread on my desk....

...when that's finished, I'll sail on to the next destination.

Glad to have you along for company! :-)

x C

...spells and dangly bits...

The bits are now (thankfully) beginning to come together!

Just as well seeing as Harrogate is only 4 weeks away :-o

I made some more print blocks...

...round ones this time...

...for some very special "amulet spell parchments"...

...and then....

...loads and loads and loads and loads....

...of dangly bits

Loved every minute of it!

x C

(ps.....instructions will be in The Book!)

Printing and Paper-play...

I take full advantage when the sky is not dropping moisture....

.....and get myself outside to make some experimental print blocks...

...for a special purpose.

I find sheets of this thermoplastic foam at a recycle centre and, after marking out the designs that I want (with a Sharpie marker)...

...I use a small soldering iron to "carve" the surface of the block.

(The Man tells me to be VERY VERY careful as the gases given off can be really bad. So I'm always watchful of wind direction and wear a suitable facemask too.)

I printed onto double sheets of my "Landscape Tissue", then went over the designs with an "18kt Gold" marker pen.

The stuff underneath is what I refer to as my "Leather Paper"...

....dyed in the washing machine on Sunday and Monday.

The purpose, I'm afraid, must remain a secret at this point...

...but there again...

...a little mystery adds some interest doesn't it?!

(Needless to say though....there WILL be stitch!!)

x C

...playing with print blocks...

...again!!!

Just experimenting with an idea or three...

...don't quite know where it's going yet...

No choir tonight :-(

...over 30cms of snow today...

...and Bloke has had to dig the car out for the second time in as many days.

Looks pretty...

...but it's damned cold out there...

Cauliflower and chickpea curry with freshly-made flatbreads should do the trick this evening though..:-)

x C

..little bits of stitching...

...inspired by India....

Small textile collages...

...using print blocks, banjara dangles and hand-dyed fabrics 

.....very enjoyable to do....



I do so LOVE working small :-)))

Fa la la la la.......

Tribal Print & Stitch ...Part 2

Yes! I KNOW it's TUESDAY...

...but I'm having such a great time with this stuff and I WANT to share!

You saw the first batch of printed cotton that I did on Sunday...

..well stitching started on these two pieces ....

Then....

...after uploading the pictures to Flickr...

...and calling the top one a "shield" shape....

...I looked at it again and thought...

..."Nope! It looks more like a "spear" than a "shield".....so where do I go from here?"

More print blocks of course....

... leaf-shaped spear variety....

...like this one for a start...

...and another one....

...that I over-printed with a Colouricious block ...

...because who said that spears can't be pretty?

And then, of course....

...I had to give it the "Chrissy-treatment"...


Well....

...a gal's just gotta have fun... :-)))

..more bits...and a new loop...

Here are some more pendants made from that heavyweight painted Vilene...

...some have been printed with my Indian wooden print blocks.

(the findings were in place before I put the decoration on, so these will have to undergo the "new hanging loop" treatment at some time!)








..and a pair of earrings too...





I've had a fiddle with some copper wire...

...and come up with this hanging loop....



...but I think I need to work on the shape a bit more...

...more triangular maybe?