A New Starting Point at Roseland Mews Studio 20 & 21 June

  

 A great piece of newspaper faux chenille.

 The next stop on the journey was Roseland Mews Studio in Liskeard. Set in lush green gardens, the studio is well equipped, light and has great ventilation. We had 13 in the group and boy did they work hard. A New Starting Point is my newspaper based workshop and I think you will agree, the group produced some fabulous samples.

We started off painting up Bondaweb and newspapers then while that was drying the group machine stitched layers of unpainted newspaper together to create their first faux chenille sample. We would colour wash these samples later in the day.
Then it was onto the 'pretties and bckground' tearing technique that I have developed with newspaper and painted Bondaweb. Having permission to play with all manner of sparkly delights tends to bring out the inner princess in most students as they fling glitter, gilding flake and dot jewels onto their work with abandon. The play element in any workshop is very important.

 

 

 

 

Some of these backgrounds were then printed onto with wooden printing blocks.

Everywhere you go at Roseland Mews Studio there are beautiful touches, even in the downstairs loo. Pretty little posies of flowers also decorate all the tables when we eat together at lunchtime.

 One of the tables in the beautiful kitchen and conservatory area where everyone eats lunch.

Jane takes the feeding of her students very seriously. She caters for all allergies and intolerance's and the food is exceptional. For six pounds you enjoy a delicious, homemade two course lunch. There are usually at least three choices per day - so there is always something for everyone

I had taken my Big Shot Pro die cutting machine along with me so the students could cut jewellery blanks and boxes if they wanted to.
The decorated newspaper samples can be ironed onto and iron-on interfacing.

If you use the S133 ( Heavy pelmet Vilene plus) then you can cut all the jewellery blanks and make a firm box. This interfacing is bit like stiff cardboard bit is strong enough for jewellery.

Decovil 1 and Decovil 1 light are softer interfacings and feel a bit like leather. They are fantastic for softer bags and book covers, and being iron-on they are very easy to use.

 

 

Soft, envelope style boxes made from Decovil 1 iron-on interfacing.

 

        Heart shaped boxes made from S133 heavy iron-on interfacing.

Here are some of the jewellery banks that also used S133.

 

 

 

The group tried colourwashing their first chenille sample by soaking the the faux chenille samples with procion wash - using a thinnish paintbrush to get the colour in to all the layers - they took two days to dry - but I think it was worth it - you get a different, more 'frilly' effect than you do from layering pre-coloured newspapers.

 

  

I love this effect.

Then it was was onto the more usual layering to create the faux chenille. Pre coloured newspaper was layered with bright polyester organza and machine stitched together. the channels were cut open the the sample was distressed to encourage the polyester to fray.

 

   

 

 

  

 

All kinds of papers can be used for these techniques, foreign language newspapers, old books and novels, old maps and atlases the recycling opportunities are endless.

I had a great time with this group - it was a bit like a having a party for two days - thank you ladies and thank you Jane for looking after us all soooo well.

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If you fancy this workshop and can get to the Brighton area, I am teaching a three day version at Foredown Tower. A New Starting Point - August 20th - 22nd  01273 415625

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I will post about the final workshop at Bideford before I dash off to Redditch on Friday to teach Experimental Textiles.

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