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Showing posts from September, 2012

A new starting point - Genesis Textile Workshops 29th September

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  Just a little glitter . . . I hope you are sitting comfortably, this is going to be a long post - On Saturday I taught a one day version of 'A new starting point' my new(ish) workshop based on using newspaper creatively, to a fab group called Genesis Textiles Workshops. This is a very active and organised group based in Solihul.     You always know that a workshop is going to go well when the biscuits and coffee come out first thing. . . . You will be getting used to seeing (hopefully not bored with) images of my passion for newspaper, I hope that you will notice that no piece of work or sample is the same. The following images are created using my 'pretties and backgrounds' technique - which basically uses painted Bondaweb and torn newspaper with all kinds of gorgeous glittery bits and pieces. Gilding flake, glitter, sequins . . . .                      Then of course we have to have lunch- I know it is sometimes a

Laser cutting & Naughtiness - Yeeha!

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 Chunks of rocky road, tiny meringues and a cake on a stick!!! First to the naughtiness. There I was happily working away last night in Brenda's office at IDC inkberrowdesigncentre.co.uk , The Old Needle Works  when she comes back from a W.I. meeting with lots of swag. Beautiful candles and lots of little tasty bits. Cakes on sticks, rocky road and lots of tiny little meringues. For those of you who don't know - IDC is where I teach my Experimental Textiles course. experimentaltextiles.com I have come up to Redditch a day early because I have decided not to travel on a Friday if I can help it, it is just a nightmare. I am teaching for the Genesis Textile Group tomorrow. We are indulging in 'A new starting point'. More newspaper. It definitely seems to be the most popular workshop at the moment. The workshop is in Solihul, 30 minutes from Redditch so I thought I would stay with Brenda and help out in the office while she is te

Time to dream . . . and play!

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 Iron-on interfacing colourwashed blue. This was then foiled all over with silver transfer foil and printed onto with one of my favourite wooden printing blocks. This can be done with the heavy pelmet Vilene (S133) if you want to make a box, or the softer Decovil 1 or Decovil light to make book covers or bags - gorgeous. I sell all three - www.nid-noi.com   Painted Bondaweb layered with torn newspaper, dot jewels and glitter.  I have a few weeks of calm looming - to write the book and start a new body of work. I am also making up some layered newspaper samples to have laser cut to my own designs to start making my new range of brooches and earrings. I love it when there is room in your brain for ideas to start slinking in. This tends to need time and space - all of which I have for while. I have plenty of things to catch up with, but there should also be time for play.  As most of you will know I think it is vital for any artist to play with their materials - it can lead

ExTex 5th Weekend - Constructed Textiles - 15th/16th September part 2

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 A lovely little bowl that is a work in progress . . . .  I had forgotten how much I enjoy incorporating metal into textiles - so much so I will be teaching a new four day Metal Works? workshop at The Old Needle Works next Easter. Of course it helps to have students that have enquiring minds and enjoy experimenting. We worked with metal shims, knitted copper and metal mesh, mostly copper and brass. We tried embossing and punching out shapes as well as heat distressing to change the colour. We used a heat gun for this. My heat guns are 350 watt and are hot enough to colour copper. Anyone who has been on any of my workshops will know that I don't advocate using a naked flame.  I have had a selection of alcohol inks in a box for a about three years waiting for 'when I have a minute'!!! This was a great chance to use them to colour the metals. I also demonstrated transferring transfer painted papers on to the metal but that really needs to be saved til our next session w

ExTex 5th Weekend - Constructed Textiles - 15th/16th September part 1

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  Jo's beautiful weaving sample.  This will be the first of two posts.   It may have been a little optimistic to think I could teach feltmaking, weaving, metal shim manipulation and finger knitting on one weekend and have the students develop a considered sample.  When you write a course and then break it down into the teaching hours, it works in your head - but not necessarily in practise. To be fair I knew all but one or two of the group had felted and woven before and we were only going spend the morning going over the principles of the processes. I didn't however take into consideration how the group would grab each process and devour it!! They are such a FAB group - up for anything and ready to get involved in anything I suggest. The idea of the weekend was to look at constructed textile processes ie weaving, felting and knitting and also look at constructed as in 3D. We ended up making small felt vessels/bowls in the morning as most of the group had made