Teresa adding the final layer of fishing net to the float This past week has seen the preparations for the first local St Patrick's Day Parade since the first lock down. And some absolutely incredible fundraising for our Ukrainian guests. Firstly - the parade I was asked to decorate a float with plastic. It is well known locally that I have a stockpile of plastics from local farms and beaches. The float in the parade I asked my friend Teresa to give me a hand, we had a great afternoon decorating the trailer. It was good to be working in the warm sunshine. I had a selection of coloured plastic to use. We decided to use the colours of the Irish flag. The sun shone on the day of St Patricks Day. Kilkee was packed with visitors, it is a very popular place to holiday at any time of year. It was brilliant, such an amazing atmosphere Having fun in the sunshine     The winning float. Carrigaholt School  *** Then, on Saturday the town of Kilkee did something amazing.    ...

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 ...

Beautiful, bright plastic screw tops How do YOU feel about plastic? Is it a necessary evil? Useful but overused? Do you ever consider that plastic isn't the problem? Maybe it's our attitude to plastic, and how we use it that is the problem . . . I first started working with plastic in 1975 as part of my degree course - Wood, Metal, Ceramics & Plastic at the University of Brighton. (it seems like a lifetime ago now) I eventually specialised in ceramics and silver, but my interest in plastic was piqued. I have experimented with different ways of working with plastic on and off since 1975. Since moving to the coast of western Ireland and living on the edge of a peninsula, surrounded by the sea and beaches, I have become increasingly aware of the plastic washing up on local beaches. Whales shapes made into a necklace. Made from melted hard plastic that has been cut up in a granulator.   If you follow me on social media you will probably be aware of my delight in being given 10...

  A different view! Nicola Brown walking around her property. Happy New Year!!  Wherever you are in the world, I hope 2022 is looking good for you. Well here we are! Are you ready? I have lots of plans for my field/garden and the making of new videos for a subscription opportunity on my website in a few months time.   I have a few events in the diary already. 10 live Zoom workshops the last Friday in every month starting this month. I have been asked to do 4 more live streams on the Vlieseline Facebook page in January, February April and May and I am giving a live Zoom lecture to a textile group in Portland, Oregon, USA in February. That is enough to be thinking about for a while, along with running the website, social media and working in the studio.     Beautiful book covers by Sharon on a recent workshop I so enjoyed teaching the live Zoom workshops last year. They were such fun, it was wonderful to be able to work alongside the students in real time. So I am...

An amazing pinky blue sky as the light faded on the 13th December 2021             Well here we are - cantering towards THAT time of year. How are you all getting on? Do love Christmas, or do you dread it? I have had a busy few weeks with the exhibition and then a craft fair over 2 weekends at a local restaurant. I feel as though I have come into land now, and can take stock and start to look at next year.  You might have heard that Ireland suffered a pretty big storm last weekend. Luckily, only my big storage shed suffered, losing part of the roof. I am getting used to the regular storms that we enjoy on the west coast, but storm Bara was much more powerful than normal. I suspect the storms will be getting more powerful as the years go on. But onto happier and more colourful things. December can be strange weather wise here on the west coast of Ireland. We had temperatures of 13 degrees a couple of days ago. quite balmy. But today is pretty chilly. Th...

 A fabulous contrast between light and dark       The clocks have changed - it is getting darker earlier. It's the time of year when  you want to start snuggling in, getting cosy. There is a definitely nip in the air. Time to get out the thick jumpers. The light is changing, getting more dramatic as the days are getting shorter. Because we have so much rain in Ireland, and of course on Loop Head where I live, we have the most wonderful displays of light and colour. The day can be dark with glowering grey clouds, then the clouds part and a shaft of sunlight hits the green fields, Wow!! I love it. 'The Last One' - Mixed media and collage This is one of my latest canvases interpreting the local cows ambling up the low incline on the way to milking. It is one of my favourite sights. I find the rhythm of rural life here very comforting. Another great sky And my interpretation in painted fusible web and newspaper The huge skies and ever changing light will be inspirin...