Donals Boat, Carrigaholt, Clare. One of the photos I have selected for my exhibition in October. How are you all doing? On holiday somewhere warm? Still at work at this time of day? Wherever you are reading this in the world. Thinking about cooking lunch or dinner? Whatever you are doing - I hope all is well in your world. Here in Ireland you can feel the season is about to start to change. The nights are starting to get darker, earlier, and it is quite chilly in the evenings. As my Nana used to say "Winter draw(er)s on"!   A car load of colourful farm plastic       I am starting to think about the work I am going to make for my next local exhibition. It is going to be a combination of photographs, textile wall pieces and a few large-ish plastic vessels. The soft plastic I have been collecting from local farms has been piling up, it will be good to finally decide what I will be doing with it. 4ft vessels hopefully and a few bowls. I just need to work out how many layers I wil

 Torn music and newspaper . . OK, enough with the relaxing and the pure enjoyment of being back home.  I am a tad late posting this last workshop from my New Zealand trip.  I had a fabulous time with this group - some of them were VERY naughty - you all know who you are!! This was the second of 2 x 2 day workshops in Taranaki and most of the group did both workshops. This has become one of most popular workshops. I think it is so loved because what you are making doesn't have to look like anything. Also recycling old papers, maps and magazines is very enjoyable.      Painting the Bondaweb/Vliesofix  Scones and cookies are the thing in New Zealand -  and I am NOT complaining. Once we had painted the Bondaweb/Vliesofix we got to making the first small samples - you learn just as much from making a small sample as a larger one, and you use much less product. I have named the process 'Backgrounds and Prettys'. It is a repeated tearing process that gives

 A fabulous painted Bondaweb/Vliesofix sample. Ha ving arrived in New Plymouth , it was straight on with the next 2 workshops. The first 2 day workshop was Hot Texti les and the second was A New Starting Point. So on with Hot Textiles - I have included photos of the products we used so you know what to ask for . Thi s workshop was going to conce n trate on using unpainted and painted Bondaweb/Vliesofix and Lutradur/CS800. Bondaweb/Vliesofix, still my most f avourite product after all these years. CS800 also known as Lutradur, a heavy weight spunbond, and Decovil 1 light, a wonderful leather like, iron-on interfacing After introducing myself to the group and explaining roughly what we would be doing, we got onto painting the Bondaweb/Vliesofix and CS800/Lutradur. It is very important to know how little paint you need to get the correct effect. You don't want the paint to form a barrier.   The group painting the Bondaweb/Vliesofix. While were wait