The new Sonas Studio logo   Hoorah!!! We have finished the first Sonas Studio online workshop - Manipulating with Heat.  Enrolment starts at midnight tonight (May 21st) If you want to enrol on this then you need to be added to the database by 10pm (UK time) tonight. So email me info@kimthittichai.com. Only people on the database will be able to access the new workshop for four days then it will go public, and places are limited. Enrollment and payment are from May 22nd (for the database, then it is open to the public from May26th).  The workshop videos go live on June 5th - this gives you two weeks to prepare and collect your tools and materials. Once you have enrolled and paid you will be able to see the welcome video explaining all you will need for the workshop. Me on the first day of filming.  We have had great fun and learned a lot!!! And we are now VERY tired. My colleague Jayne and I have filmed and edited the first two workshops, and wi...

Mary's beautiful composition of painted Bondaweb, newspaper, foils, gilding flake and jewel dots - and seaweed! Every now and then in your teaching life you come across a 'super' group. 'Super' in the the way they work together, share their materials and experience and of course they produce some fabulous work. It is particularly unusual to find this on a three day course - it is something I would associate with much longer course. Nine students who have never met before with the widest divide of experience and age from 17 to much older, experience ranged from very little through City and guilds up to degrees and a PHD in textiles based subjects. "Where sheep may safely graze . . "  The view outside the workshop door - sigh . . . it is so beautiful. Of course, being at West Dean College  www.westdean.org.uk helped, what with stunning surroundings, space to work and wonderful food it would be difficult to find anywhere else more suited t...

As most of you will have noted - I have a dreadful life travelling miles to teach and torture unsuspecting students the joys of using heat to distress all manner of wonderful materials. Monday night saw me deliver a lecture, on time I am happy to say, for the Bourne Quilters. www.bournequilters.org.uk They are a large group with a dynamic mix of ladies and are very organised. It is always intersting when visiting groups to see how they are run. I was bit concerend that my samples and talk might be a bit 'out there' for quilters - not a bit of it!!!! They were all really interested, asking lots of questions, always a good sign.  I was put up by Lis and Steve Dawson while I teaching the workshops. I do so wish I could have stayed longer, I had such a good time with them, they are great fun - I was very well looked after. my students having to tuck into Magnums so we could melt the wrappers, the things we do for our art!!!!!!   The following two days were spent playing with Tyv...

We will all, no doubt, succumb to the call of chocolate and other delicious naughtiness over the next few days. My favourite treats at the moment are Magnums minis, I can hear them calling me from the back of the supermarket as soon as I walk through the doors . In all my years of researching packaging for heat distressing the wrapping on these ice creams is the best so far. I just love the golden and brown tones that all merge together. If you buy mini ice creams you don't feel SO bad. The boxes are wrapped in a large sheet of gorgeous brown wrapping and then each ice cream is individually wrapped in more beautiful wrapping. Fantastic! I am sure that most of you reading this will already be aware of these delights but just in case they have passed you by, I thought it my duty to share this with you. Most food packaging can be textured with an iron just as you would Tyvek (see page 70, Hot Textiles). Place your packaging in between two sheets of baking parchment and iron LIGHTLY...