Fabulous shoes decorated by Helen McKenna Well I made it back from Glasgow on Monday, I am very glad I went. Everyone was very supportive and helpful without making a fuss, particularly Wendy and Rob Dolan. It was great to be surrounded by so many friends. If I had stayed at home and had had to cope with the new round of delights from the shingles I would have been very miserable indeed! The show was very busy and everyone I spoke to seemed to think it was the best show we have done at the SECC. Jennie Rayment was across the way from me and kept an eye on me all four days bless her, she was very busy as she was doing a 'Quick and Easy' workshop everyday and also featured in the fashion show - what a star she is. Jenni had only just returned from teaching in Spain for Castanea where I will be in October - Oh how I wish I was there now . .  http://castanea-craft-courses.com/ Val Hughes was also at the show show demonstrating felt making and her beautif

I forgot to take a photo of the stand before I left - so here is one I prepared earlier - at Bluewater in February. Well I'm here in Glasgow and not tooooo worse for wear! I drove up as far as Carlisle yesterday and then onto Glasgow this morning. I had the stand more or less set up by 3pm so came back to my Travelodge for a snooze. It was great to see so many friends at the show. Wendy and Rob Dolan are here, we are off to see 'The Artist' tomorrow night. We are staying in the same Travelodge so Wendy can look after me - bless her, she is such a good friend. Isobel Hall, Jenni Rayment, Val Hughes are also here, amongst others. Cardonald College has the stand next to mine and it is looking good. The college are hosting the fashion shows over the next 4 days and they promise to be brilliant. I love coming up here - we always have a great time, everyone is so friendly. It will also be good to catch up Kathy Troup on The Embroiderers Guild stand, we don't of

  One of the book covers made on Laura's workshop using melted plastic bags  I need your help - I need to contact Laura Manning whose students work I featured on the blog last year. I have very cleverly lost her email address. If you are reading this Laura could you email me or if anyone knows Laura could they pass the message on?   I have some very special friends - I could hear the postman trying to force something through the letterbox and low and behold it was a parcel from Chris Gray of Mabon Arts  https://shop.mabonarts.co.uk/ (Chris is teaching one of the free workshops at Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch) . I roared with laughter when I opened the parcel - I know Chris only sent me these packets as they would be good to melt, nothing to do with the contents . . . .  the card was FAB too - Than you so much Chris!    Decovil lite dyed and then decorated with some of my newspaper samples. The whole sample was then covered with Lamifix - an iron o

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

Fabulous bright colours - just what we need to lift the heart! Old plastic bottles, painted and turned into lights. This is just a short post to say I will be laying low for a few days. I have shingles!!! On my head and neck - ouch! So orders from nid-noi.com will be taking slightly longer to get out - they are getting out - just more slowly than usual . . . Hope to be back up to normal deliveries next week. At least it has happened now and not in three weeks time.  I will still have time to recover before I leave for Australia. Take care all of you,  x x x

 Sarah's new book The first day of Craft, Hobby and Stitch International was very busy and there was a lot of interest in the new iron-on interfacings  'Decovil 1' and 'Decovil light' on the Freudenberg Vilene stand. They are fabulous products, particulary good for making bags and book covers, just the right support with out being too stiff. The highlight of the show for me is being given a copy of Stitch, Cloth, Shimmer & Shine written by Sarah Lawrence. I know many of you are still coming to terms with Sarah's untimely death, we are all missing her like mad! This book will be a great comfort - IT IS FABULOUS!!! Get it! I have spent 2 evenings devouring it and stroking the pages. The photograhs are excellent, particularly the ones of the more developed projects at the back of the book. Sarah takes you through all the processes you could possibley need for applying anything twinkly to your work. From gilding flake and heat transfer foils to wo