Sunrise on September 29th Another on September 2nd It's been a while. I was sulking, Yes!! I know it is unattractive at my great age . .  Having the new website built was fantastic. It is so exciting to be able host private groups, my online teaching and in a couple of months, the new online workshop library. There was just one problem, because of changing technology, I was told I couldn't link this blog to the website - Blogger was too old! Until last week when I was having teething problems with the new online program and I mentioned it the guy from Wix who was helping me. And he worked out how to link it to the website, and it refreshes every time I post a new blog - AND the search engine on the blog still functions.  I can't tell you how EXCITED and happy I am. I have been writing this blog since July 2010 - 12 years. Most of my teaching of the last 12 years has been written up on here so if you wanted to know more about Tyvek, Design, Lutradur, Heat guns etc - just p

Layers of Tyvek and polyester organza stitched together and zapped with a heat gun. *** A glorious weekend   Well, what a fabulous weekend. It has been warm in the sun. It is so good to feel the heat, even if it won't be long lived. We have to enjoy the sun when we can in Ireland!!! We have unsettled weather coming up. Over the past couple of days I have been catching up with admin as well as working in the garden. I thought a catch up on my live Zoom workshops might be helpful. We had great fun on The Journey in January and Creating Unique Printing Blocks in February. The Show and Tell 2 weeks after the workshop has proved very successful, students are pleased to have an opportunity to develop their work. There are still spaces on all workshops, so if you would like to learn a new technique, or remind yourself of the fun you can have with any of these workshops, just click the link on the workshop you fancy. This month is Tinkering with Tyvek. I do so love working with Tyvek, you

  Layers of Lutradur cut with a soldering iron by Joane from Montreal, Canada When you have taught for several, verging on many, years, you build a great collections of friends, as well as students. Some you see as regularly as time allows, others pop up now and again and the joy of seeing them is very special. I have had a few reunions in the past month on the workshops, making them extra special. This is an extra blog post as I wanted to showcase some of the amazing work created on the Zap Pow! Slash and 3D workshop. We worked with various weights of Lutradur using heat guns and soldering irons to create fabulous edges and shapes. A wonderful sample combining textured Lutradur and Tyvek decorated with painted melted glue by Frances in Montreal, Canada Pieces of zapped and soldered Lutradur and textured Tyvek   Squares of zapped Lutradur on a background of painted Bondaweb with wisps of wool tops. The long silver line is melted glue by Joane from Montreal, Canada Curved shapes cut out

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