Iron-on interfacing colourwashed blue. This was then foiled all over with silver transfer foil and printed onto with one of my favourite wooden printing blocks. This can be done with the heavy pelmet Vilene (S133) if you want to make a box, or the softer Decovil 1 or Decovil light to make book covers or bags - gorgeous. I sell all three - www.nid-noi.com   Painted Bondaweb layered with torn newspaper, dot jewels and glitter.  I have a few weeks of calm looming - to write the book and start a new body of work. I am also making up some layered newspaper samples to have laser cut to my own designs to start making my new range of brooches and earrings. I love it when there is room in your brain for ideas to start slinking in. This tends to need time and space - all of which I have for while. I have plenty of things to catch up with, but there should also be time for play.  As most of you will know I think it is vital for any artist to play with their materials - it can lead

Newspaper layered with painted Bondaweb printed onto with a wooden printing block. It is very easy to forget simple parts of a process - such as the fact you need pressure - albeit gentle, to print. My great printing session collapsed quite quickly when I realised I didn't have the strength to press down on the blocks. It didn't help that I had already ironed the papers onto the Heavy Pelmet Vilene Plus which meant they were also very stiff. You do need a more cushioned surface for sucessful prints. It doen't really matter as I will be putting these samples through my die cutting machine to make the shapes for my jewellery but I did feel a fool . . . . . This is just a brief post to show that I am still alive and getting slowly better although obviously not firing on all cylinders just yet!!!    x x x

Can you identify the packaging? There are times when you just have to give in - and having shingles is one of them. I had no idea it was so debilitating and so vicious - or that it would last for so long. I have heard the horror stories, 2 friends of mine have had it recently, 1 on the bra line and 1 on the unmentionables but I guess until you have it yourself you can't understand what it is like. I am lucky I got the anti viral drugs early enough and I am starting to feel better, there is less pain everyday but the rash and blisters are still spreading, but more slowly now. I may have to design myself a stunning yashmak if they don't start to clear up soon - but I can't go anywhere or see anyone as I am still contagious - I feel as though I should have a bell to ring . . . . .  This will pass - I have to remember this is just one tiny part of my life and there are far worse worse things (though on Friday morning at 6am I would have disputed that) . The recovery i

  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"

Harriet and Jamie Malden - the real stars of my new DVD Well the filming of the new DVD took place in Amersham on the 13th. We had a great but very busy day. I had stayed overnight with Jamie on my way down from teaching in Redditch the day before so I was ready to rock and roll early. The filming took place at the Colouricious Studio. You may be familiar with my previous outings on the Talking Threads series of DVD's. Jamie has already produced several DVD's all of which can be found here -   http://www.colouricious.com/ I found it very difficult to sort out any kind of 'chapter' run. The film was to cover 10 uses of Bondaweb but so many of the proocesses cross over I couldn't get a clear idea of which order to show off this wonderful product. Luckily Jamie sorted out everything into a running order for me. Jamie makes a fabulous producer, she is very calming when you are feeling nervous and makes everything run smoothly. Her daughter, Harriet, w

Gold foiled Hot Spots! used as a background for print. I was doing some last minute prep for the filming of my new DVD which we are filming next week and thought you might like to see a couple of samples .   Gold foiled Bondaweb used as a background for print. These samples show the effect of printing onto foiled Bondaweb and Hot Spots! This is a washable process for a change and the fabric can be machine or hand stitched into as it doesn't lose it's 'handle'. The printing block is from Colouricious. * I'm off to Moor Hall, Bobby Britnell's studio in Shropshire today, then Redditch Friday night - any orders for products from  www.nid-noi.com will be dispatched on the 14th when I get back. Any of you in the Bishops Castle area , Shropshire  - do come along to my lecture on Thursday night. (see right). If nothing else you will have a good laugh. * Yeehaa!!! Jill and Tallulah - not long til next July!!!!!!! x