Sarah's new book The first day of Craft, Hobby and Stitch International was very busy and there was a lot of interest in the new iron-on interfacings  'Decovil 1' and 'Decovil light' on the Freudenberg Vilene stand. They are fabulous products, particulary good for making bags and book covers, just the right support with out being too stiff. The highlight of the show for me is being given a copy of Stitch, Cloth, Shimmer & Shine written by Sarah Lawrence. I know many of you are still coming to terms with Sarah's untimely death, we are all missing her like mad! This book will be a great comfort - IT IS FABULOUS!!! Get it! I have spent 2 evenings devouring it and stroking the pages. The photograhs are excellent, particularly the ones of the more developed projects at the back of the book. Sarah takes you through all the processes you could possibley need for applying anything twinkly to your work. From gilding flake and heat transfer foils to wo

West Dean College grounds in January this year  * Happy Christmas to you all * It has been a very busy year. I have met some some fabulous people, had great fun on all my workshops and managed to catch up with most of my friends. I am very lucky to have created a working life I love so much, my own little textile world. My little textile world recently lost a good friend. Sarah Lawrence will be sadly missed. She was such an important part of mine and so many others lives. Whether you just use the paints and embellishments she developed, watched her on DVD's or the T.V or have been inspired by watching her at shows. Those of you who were lucky enough to be taught by her would know she was a great source of knowledge, good fun and very kind and patient. She also didn't suffer fool's gladly!!! Craftynotions is continuing to trade so we will still be able to play with all their wonderful products   www.craftynotions.com DO IT NOW! Seems to be a good motto

  While I was waiting for the Creative Bondaweb DVD's to arrive I made some brooches for my Open House this weekend. These are dyed and painted newspaper layered with painted Bondaweb and gilding flake - Craftynotions has a wonderful selection of colours gilding flake . You can watch me demonstrate this process on my new DVD. Have I mentioned I have a new DVD out?????? There are two video clips on the left of this blog. Having seen the clips and you are still interested - you can buy the Creative Bondaweb DVD here - www.nid-noi.com I have watched the DVD all the way through twice now and it is hysterical., I was obviously very relaxed and happy.. Jamie Malden of Colouricious who produced the film is  brilliant. Very well organinsed, calming and great fun. She made the entire experience very enjoyable and the film reflects this.  I'm off to buy some earring and brooch backs now and start putting the house back together for the Open House.  www.one2six.me.uk Hav

  Newspaper block printed with Colourful Thoughts multi surface paints (bubblegum & copper) I had a day off yesterday - Shock! Horror!! I had chance to work on a large piece of newspaper faux chenille - Oh no!!! not newspaper AGAIN you cry!!! Colourful Thoughts multi surface paints are thick enough to print with and can be watered down to paint Bondaweb and Tyvek and they are gorgeous. craftynotions I have a deep box canvas 1m x .30cm I wanted to cover so layered up 7 - 9 layers of old dyed newspapers and backed it with some dyed craft/pelmet Vilene. My finished layers were large enough to cover the canvas and stick down around the edges. I have new wooden printing block I wanted to try out that Sarah Lawrence had given me at Festival of Quilts. I printed the top layer of newspaper, waited for it to dry then pinned all the layers together ready to stitch. I wanted to try stitching wider channel than I have been to see if I liked the effect. The channels are 2"

 torn papers layered with painted Bondaweb and gilding flake It's Tuesday already - Yes!! I realise you have all also noticed this. I don't know where Monday went, I think I was a bit tired after FOQ. I need to be very organised today. I have to plan the next week, I am leaving to teach at Art Van Go for 3 days tomorrow and after that I go straight up to Redditch to teach 3 one day workshops at Inkberrow Design Centre   . . .  aarrgGHHH!!!!   inkberrowdesigncentre.co.uk/workshops I seem to be living out of a suitcase at the moment. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with Viv and Kevin at Art Van Go, I hardly saw them at the show we were all so busy. I will also get a chance to catch up with my very good friend Brenda Killigrew when I teach for her on Sunday, Monday & Tuesday. Watch out Redditch - we will be out on the town. The Craftynotions stand - no one would stand still for a photo, they were all being very silly . . . I think we were all delirious

Here I am loving having my photo taken - not! We had a very busy first day - I haven't really had a chance to get out and have a look at any of the exhibits yet - I will try to get in early tomorrow and have a good look around and report back. . . .  Sarah's lovely daughter Fran is helping on the stand - she is great fun and has promised to help me with the mysteries of  Facebook.  Sarah is demonstrating her wonderful techniques with all things sparkly in the middle of the stand This was a piece of Bondaweb I had pre painted with Sarah's wonderful Colourful Thoughts paints and was about to cut it up into small pieces for some smaller samples but thought it was so beautiful I couldn't cut it - So I ironed it off onto a piece of black cotton. I will probably use it as a background for hand stitch.   I was working with old newspapers and painted Bondaweb today - I still can't decide if I prefer torn or cut edges . . . . . tomorrow I will be working Vilene

The Craftynotions stand I am off to the NEC this morning with all my books to sell and all my demonstrating kit . . . .  I hope my poor old Volvo will move - the boxes of books are VERY heavy!! Sarah Lawrence of Craftynotions has very kindly extended her stand so I can sell my books and have a presence at the show. I couldn't afford my own stand this year. In return for this very generous gesture I will be demonstrating some of the techniques in my new book, including layering newspaper with painted Bondaweb, decorating boxes made from heavy iron-on interfacing and distressing Vilene Spunbond. (poor Vilene Spunbond).  painted Bondaweb decorated with heat transfer foil, skeleton leaves and glitter Signed copies book will be £18 (RRP 19.99) So - if you are coming to the show do come and say Hello!!!! It's always good to meet my readers and customers, email is a wonderful way of communication, but no substitute for the real thing!!!!! I am looking forward to seeing Viv and Ke

  happy students in Sarah's VERY well equipped studio I was delighted when Sarah Lawrence of  Craftynotions invited me to teach 2 one day workshops at Craftynotions base camp in Newark, Nottingham. The first workshop was based on Vilene Spunbond and the second on Tyvek. The students were - Mary Kerr, Sheila Buchan, Jackie Litchfield, Cheryl Herod, Carol Devany, Janice Rose, Judith Gill, Margaret Williams, Linda Sottle, Anne Marsen, Jean Baker, Elaine Winterton and Brenda Wilkinson. Two of the ladies did both workshops and one of them came all the way from Edinburgh.   layers of Spunbond and polyester organza stitched together then zapped back with a heat gun The first day was devoted to colouring and distressing Spunbond. Sarah has developed a new range of absolutely fabulous paints and sprays that work particulalrly well on all Spunbonds and Tyvek. I have waited a long time to find the perfect paints, but I think I have found them. As some of you will know - when painting produ