A splendid sample. It is amazing to think that last weekend I was teaching this workshop in Christchurch, New Zealand. I am now snuggled in at home, in front of the fire, with my dogs. Isn't life amazing? A New Starting Point is my favourite workshop. By layering up old newspapers, maps and book pages with painted and unpainted Bondaweb, you can create some fabulous effects. If you add a little gilding flake and transfer foil, you can create something rather special. Christchurch Quilters are a great grouo to work with, such fun. They are very experienced which made things very easy for me. We had 2 days of play with all manner of papers and sparkle. First we painted the Bondaweb, or Vliesofix as it is known in NZ and Australia.   Nicky and Catherine painting Bondaweb. Then we began the 'backgrounds and prettys'. This technique involves layering paper with Bondaweb and building, tearing and building new layers. It's great fun and you never quite know

    Newspaper faux chenille.  Hurrah!! The Sonas Studio website is now live . . Do have a look -  www.sonas-studio.com Thanks to the power of Facebook and my newsletter the first workshop, Manipulating with Heat, filled up fast and is going well.  Manipulating with Heat. A Tyvek and polyester organza bowl.  Now the website is up it will be easier for everyone to see which workshops are available to enrol on and which ones are coming up. A New Starting Point is now enroing and there are a few places left. The workshop videos go live on July 7th.  A New Starting Point.  Jayne, my partner in Sonas Studio is here in Ireland at the moment filming our next two workshops.  We have just finished filming Transforming Transfer and we will begin filming On the Surface tomorrow. The workshop videos will be available to view for 6 months, because we all know how life can get in the way of our best laid plans . . .    Transforming Transfer.  On the Surface.

My teaching table . . . Scrummy! A New Stating Point is now by far the most popular workshop I have ever developed. It is very satisfying when a workshop 'works' so well. I taught a 4 day version of this at The Bridge Community Education Centre in Brighton. A scant 15 minutes door to door - it is such a treat to teach so close to home. The Bridge is a great place to work and the food is fabulous. More of that later . . . A New Starting Point includes my 'Backgrounds and Prettys' tearing and layering technique and making newspaper faux chenille. Torn and layered book pages with painted Bondaweb and lots of gilding flake.  Painted Bondaweb ironed onto newspaper and then printed with a printing block. Simple and very beautiful. A torn and layered sample printed with a spiral printing block. Another torn and layered sample that has been printed. The print has been highlighted in selected areas to give definition. All the commerci