Transfer printed Evolon with Bondaweb on the back. Run through a laser cutter to cut the design. The backing paper was then peeled off the Bondaweb and the Evolon was ironed onto black cotton. I am off to the Design and Technology show at the NEC now - The show is open to educational professionals only - 17th - 19th November. The D & T show   If you are a teacher and wish to come and pick my brains - (you are most welcome to what is left) my Hot Textiles Surgery is on Stand E09. I have a big stand to play on and am taking my Big Shot Pro die cutting machine and my heat press. I also hope to get my hands on a laser cutter . . . . . . I always have great fun at this show - THREE whole days to play! As you can imagine my stand gets into a terrible mess - I can't imagine why!!!! I will report back with what I got up to next week - AARRGGHH!!! The Open Houses start the following weekend - am I ready??? Ha Ha Ha!!!! x

 Transfer printed Evolon decorated with strips of silver transfer foiled Hot Spots! ooohh!!!! It's been a busy week with lots of writing to do - and that means THINKING!!! oohhh! my brain hurts! I just have to finish writing a workshop on Hot Spots! for the German 'Professional Patchwork' magazine then I can start to get my kit ready for teaching at Denman College and Inkberrow Design Centre this week. There doesn't seem to have been enough hours or days in the past week. My house is still like a bomb site and the Open House is looming at the end of next month. I know it will get done - but when? I am only home for 5 days between now and the 20th November - can you feel the rising panic as I type? At least I will home enough to pack and post orders for   nid-noi.com which is getting busier . .  and busier. I shouldn't complain, I am very lucky to do what I do - it's just that there is so much of it at the moment! So - I will post from Denman

  this stunning Houseleek/Sempervivum graces the front terrace of the villa Because of worries about the threatened Spanish air traffic control strike and illness we were a small and exclusive group. This meant we could get through a lot more work, it was a great luxury. It is unlikely to ever happen again so we all made the most of it. The timetable was -  Monday am - Market Monday pm - Studio Tuesday - Studio Wednesday - Studio Thursday am - Studio Thursday pm - Tapas lunch in Murcia than a guided tour and shopping! Friday - Final day in studio and 'show and tell'. Working in the studio during the week - As with all of my workshops we had to paint all the products before we could use them. Of course being in Spain that was no hardship, everything dried in record time. We painted up the Bondaweb and Tyvek with Colourful Thoughts paints from Cratynotions www.craftynotions.com These are high metallic paints that stay really bright even when you need to water them down to pai

What a sexy little beast!!!  The heat guns have arrived and I am SO excited. This one is definitely worth the wait. 10 degrees hotter than my previous one so it is 360 watts - not only that, but it is 2 speed so you can use one speed for fine fabrics and for embossing and the higher speed for distressing the heavy Vilene Spunbond CS800, acetate satin and Kunin felt. Only distress synthetic fabrics - if you are not sure - do a test and if anything smells strongly - stop! Just to remind you all - when using a heat gun, always work on baking parchment/paper or a heat proof surface and make sure the room you are working in is well ventilated. Never paint products you are going to distress with oil based products as they will give off fumes when heated. I would avoid aerosol based sprays as well. Basically just be careful and use your common sense. If the product you are heating starts to turn brown - STOP - it means there is a natural fabric in the product and will not melt. In extreme c

I will have a stand at the show - TG18. The stand will on your left as you walk into the Textile Gallery opposite the Alice Kettle exhibit. Do come and say hello and tell me what you are up to. The preparation for the show is going well. I shall be launching 2 new Playpacks. A new transfer print pack which includes 1/2 metre Evolon, 1/2 metre white polyester organza, 4 A3 sheets of transfer print and instructions. The second pack will consist of 2 pre cut boxes, 1 heart shape, 1 square. These boxes have been cut from heavy pelmet vilene plus which has a heat fusible glue on one side so you can decorate the boxes by ironing on glitter, sequins, feathers, fabric, threads - whatever you fancy. I will be running a competition for customers who buy the box packs, details are in the packs and the 1st prize is a Hot Textiles Playpack.  the pack contains a square and a heart shaped box the two heart shapes decorated with a variety of threads ironed onto the glue side and machine runnin