I look as though I mean business . . brandishing my iron . . It's been a busy time since I last wrote the blog. I am now in full time filming and editing mode. Whilst I can't make up the time I lost when I had the TIA, I can make sure I don't dilly dally about recording the remaining 5 online workshops for The Experimental Textiles Video Library & Membership. Whilst it is hard work, it will be worth it to get them all up on the website by the end of the month. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to be able to talk to students online when they ask questions or post their work in the private group attached to each of the workshops. I do a little happy dance when a member posts their work. After years of trying different online teaching platforms, the best one is my own website. Technology has changed so much, it is amazing how much we can now host on our websites. And with the help of David Kelly , my website works well and looks fabulous. I am sitting here, grinn...

Nicola and the girls  Happy New Year!! How are you all? Have you survived the Festive Season? I hope that you have great things to look forward to, something simple like starting to knit a new jumper or maybe a larger project? New Year saw me and the girls (my dogs) staying at Clasheen with my dear friend Nicola Brown for a few days. We go there every year. It's a great chance for us to catch up properly, talk about things that have gone well, and some things that have not gone so well. When you work for yourself you are always learning . .  It rained almost continuously, so we didn't get any long walks in, but it was very good to sit in Nicola's cosy lounge or kitchen and just chat about anything and everything. Plus my dogs generally get on well with Pip, Nicola's dog. A very different view from Nicola's house Those of you that have been following me for a while, will know my house has views along the west Clare coast. Pretty amazing. Nicola has a wonderful view ...

 A detail of one of my vessels Earth Jewels, featuring Lutradur and painted Bondaweb. This is covered in Workshop 6. Well, who knew that a catch up and show and tell 2 weeks after a live Zoom workshop would work so well? Whenever I taught workshops in the olden days before Covid, I would rock up to a workshop with a car load of supplies and samples and teach, have a great time with the students and then leave . . Occasionally students would send me images of work they had developed from my workshops, which was very satisfying.  Technology had a lot to do with it of course. In the real olden days we didn't have the amazing possibilities of digital photography and all the apps we can now use. It is incredible how we can now communicate in seconds, anywhere in the world via the internet. In my lifetime as a traveling tutor I have seen so many changes. It is quite remarkable. So - back to the present . .  My live Zoom workshops are going well, which is great. But what is goin...

  Block print flooded with a colour wash by Janet who is on The Journey workshop. Happy New Year!!!  Yes - I know its the end of March!! It's been a while. Most of you will know the feeling, when you are undecided - you do nothing!! Sometimes inspiration or a direction presents itself - sometimes you just have to wait . . .  I have been getting used to living in a remote area. It has been over 3 years now. Mostly it is wonderful, just occasionally when we are in the middle of a big storm, I lie in bed wondering if the roof is going to come off and question did I do the right thing? The resounding reply is always - Yes!  Any of you who follow me on social media will know how much I love living on the edge of the world. The West Coast of County Clare, and particularly Loop Head, has an 'other worldliness' about it. It is hard to explain, but hopefully is comes through when I post on Instagram and Facebook. This is the website for our little piece of wonderful...