A Tale of Two Destinations - Part 3

As you've seen from the previous two posts...

...Indian Adventure was full of colour and pizzazz!

It was loud...colourful...messy...and very, VERY Bollywood.

The following workshop - "Japanese Inspirations" however...

...was very different indeed...

Indigo...calm...very Zen.

Considering that there were a number of ladies from the Indian Adventure that stayed on to go to Japan...

....the atmosphere in the room was quite different.

I think the nature of the subject made for a very calm classroom...

...although a LOT of work was done despite that!

Again....a lot of piccies to follow...

Such beautiful work done by everyone!!

Sashiko stitching...stenciling...Semamori stitching.....

Look out West Bridgford...

....you're next!! :-)

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone involved in organizing the Scottish Region Summer School.

I had the most wonderful time....and will be quite happy to come back at some point in the future!! :-D

That's all for now

x C

Working on a couple of "Book of Shadows" pages for my "Caria" story

Some of you may know that there is a lot of interesting stuff going on at the "Near & Far Creative Textile Group" on Facebook.

I started my story some time ago...

...and made a large book for it (although I didn't know at the time exactly WHAT it's purpose would be).

Well...

...it seems that Caria will be inheriting a "Book of Shadows" or "Grimoire"...

...all sorts of "magic" stuff for her life-journey.

I had abfew monutes between things yesterday...

...so I did some stencil work...

...and a few bits of Runic Writing....

...and put in some lovely "Stamperia" papers (with a bit of stenciling on top).

I'm hoping to get some more done over the next few weeks...

...before the NEC...

...but, for now, all is on hold as cases are packed...

...and we have an adventure to go on!! :-)

x C

700th Blog Post!!! Has it REALLY been that long!?

Well!! Who would have thought it...

...way back there in September 2008...

...that I'd STILL be blogging now...

...and am posting my 700th offering!! :-)

It's been quite a journey...

...and I've met so many lovely people along the way.

Thank you all for being around...

...it's been an absolute pleasure having you in my creative life!

X     (x 700)



Back to business.....



This is the second sample that I'm working on at the minute...

...a lovely big "flower"...

...stenciled and stitched...

...and some "grasses" penciled in ready to go to the machine later.

Plodding on...

...plodding on...

:-)

x C

Working on another Japanese workshop sample

I stenciled a couple of indigo pieces last weekend...

...and, now that they are ironed and ready...

...I've begun the stitching.

A very small triple-backstitch on the machine...

...around every outline.

It takes quite a while...

...but I love the results!

Hopefully I'll finish this crane this evening...

...then the Sashiko bit can commence tomorrow. :-)

x C

New Japanese-themed workshop samples for 2018

Yes. I know it's still 2017...

...and Christmas isn't here yet...

...but 2018 is just around the corner...

...and I need to get a move-on with some samples for my new Japanese-themed workshops!

These pieces will be composite...

...using stencils with Markal Paintstiks...

...some Sashiko stitching...

...and some Hexagon patchwork in delicious indigo fabrics!

I might even use some glittery bits....

....it's all getting "interesting" at the minute...

(and I needed a break from stitching on beads!!!!)

Sayonara...

x C

My new project book...

...is coming along nicely.

We're forming a new group on Facebook entitled "The Near and Far Creative Textile Group"...

...and our theme is "Maps and Journeys".

So...

...for every new project...

...there just HAS to be a new project book.

This one started it's life as a rather sad-looking photo album.

You know...

...the old sort with heavy pages and glassene in between.

Yuk!

So out came the crumpled tissue paper...

...and white gesso...

....and texture paste through some stencils.

Can you see the sun-wheel in this one...

...and the rock art boat in this one?

I've now begun the "rusting" process with a kit by Pinflair...

It's lookin' good! :-)

x C

Collage & Stitch panel #1

I've been beavering away on some more small medieval tile print panels...

...intending to do "something" with them.

They became more and more intricate...

...and grew a few more layers in the making too.

Here's #1 finished and mounted onto a collaged background...

...on an 20cm x 20cm canvas...

Canvas panel is covered with crumpled tissue that has then been sprayed...

...stenciled.....

....had more embellished tissue applied...

.....and finally given a polish!

I'm very pleased with the outcome and have another three to finish for Exeter...

...where they will be up on my stand...

...and for sale.

x C

Dresses for Meeces

...and these certainly will not be poor church meeces!!

I've done some block printing to start...

...then stitched around the designs.

Picking up on the patterns in the blocks, I cut some stencils...

...and used Markal Paintstiks to add to the fabric decoration.

Fleur de Lys on this one...

Little crosses on this one...

...and small five-petal flowers on this one.

I'm going to use the stencil patterns on the meeces' headwear too....

But for today ......

...whiskers.....

x C

Blind no more!!

My mice now have eyes...

...noses...

...and mouths.

Whiskers shall follow soon.

I've even managed to make a start on some "medieval" embroidery...

...stitched around a Colouricious block print.

Stencil cutting will take place later today...

...I'm going to pick up on that little pattern in the corner of the stamp.

x C

Messing about with Mixed-Media

The stitching on my Christmassy bits is still ongoing...

...but the piccies wouldn't be very interesting at the moment...

...so...

....this is what's on my workdesk today.

I've cut a load of house shapes out of some thick card (board) and covered them with pieces of French  handwriting paper.

Then used one of my own cut stencils to put some texture paste on top...

...followed by some paints and mica pigments.

Not quite finished....but it won't be long now...

x C

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

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! :-)