Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Nasty Norton Nincompoops
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Of Ethics - Blogging and Shopping
I used this page, together with a design put together from catwalk photos and logos, for my piece called 'Shopping is the New Religion'. A detail, below.
Having delivered that lecture on religion and worship, guess where I'm going? That's right, I'm off to Bournemouth to do some shopping and lounge around with the papers in Border's cafe.
Friday, 26 October 2007
Dribbly Glue and Embellishing
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Books and Stuff
Keep looking at the work, too. Val always used to tell me off for putting too much onto a piece of work, but was also the first one to admit that she did it, too. We would often crit each others work and that is a useful aid.
Penny - glad I'm not keeping you up at night. I can't go to sleep without reading a novel but I'm so exhausted these days that I only read about a page. Then I can't remember who the characters are and keep going backwards. My life will settle down a bit in December, I hope. Meanwhile, I think I'll keep reading the same pages, over & over again.
Hi Ann. Good to meet you. Yes, that is just what an altered book is. I had great trouble finding a book to alter as I know how much angst goes into the writing. However, my book was called 'Railways of Kent', so I thought it deserved it.
I stick the pages together until I have a really robust surface and then paint it with gesso, to cover the print. Leaving some print showing is good, too. You can carve great holes out and set things in them.
I also use board books. This is a child's story book. Again use gesso. If the pages are very shiny rub them down with sandpaper.
Dorothy - we're all into rust dying - perhaps you've just invented mildew dying!
I am doing some Procion dying for the December Products page. I have to confess that I find dying messy and would much prefer a quick squirt of fabric paint.
We had an exciting morning as one of Grandaughter Lauren's friends was on Nickelodeon kids TV, doing a challenge. My son in law filmed him on a web-cam and he had to do all kinds of daft things - like making a hat from mashed potato and sausages. He was great and won a Wii and a camera but lost, very narrowly, in the final vote.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
The Handbook
And below is a detail of the cover - a little piece of Tyvek ironed over a stamp. Then set into the cover with Paper Perfect. I do like things to look as though they are set into a surface, rather than plonked on.
This hand is hidden in a little pocket - one needs surprises hidden in a book. It opens out to show the hand.
Saturday, 20 October 2007
Artefacts and Distressing
Had a great day playing with distressed surfaces. A WoW article from Linda Westerman came in and really got me going. Her work is all based on artefacts - especially long buried pieces, very textured, look like grave goods. I decided to write a companion article as the December WoW had got itself unbalanced and needed some machine stuff. Normally it's hard to find good hand-stitching. These magazines take on a like of their own - it happened with Embroidery when I edited it and it often happens now. You commission a good wide range but all kinds of things happen on the way. Talking to other editors, I think it is a universal truth - the mag is out to get you!
Anyway I'm not complaining as it gave me a chance to play with inks and other exciting stuff.
Glad you are enjoying the Val pics. These will be last for a little while. These are from her book on Celtic knots. .
Here's a drawing page
A page on computer design.
. . .came from the drawing at the top and was used for the stitched pieces further down.
Thursday, 18 October 2007
More of Val's Work
I agree, Virobirdie that retirement seems an unlikely option at the moment. Too many exciting things going on.
You must come over, Aussie-Jo. It's well worth it and I'm sure that somehow it could be tax deductable. Bring your espresso machine and I'll hire you as show coffee maker - on a contract basis, of course!
Arti - Cat's thumbs - if they had them, we'd be under them!
I'm so wanting to play some more with the abaca tissue, Kate. It looks so much like a broken metallic surface. I was using Oliver Twists tissue at the show - her colours are so good that I don't bother to dye much these days. Steff Francis, too. Between the two of them, they keep me going. If I do colour the paper I use the Ranger Adirondak sprays. Tomorrow I will try to spray with a dark colour and then use a Moonshadow Mist on top. I think this technique could be extended with embossing powders, too. Now I've finished the book I can get down to some serious playing.
The photoshoot went well yesterday and seems under control. Michael had to take a photo of me drawing something and I managed to do it without giggling or wobbling about. Good trips both ways and home by 4.30. No more long drives for a while, I hope.
Met my friend Carolyn today in Christchurch. She brought some of Val's work back from the NEC for us. We could have filled another stand twice as big.
Here is one of Val's book wraps - this one is on a blue theme. She used Cyanotype fabric and produced transparencies on the PC. You need to make them into negative images before exposing to the sun.
This one used jig-saw puzzle pieces.
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Some cyclamen prints from a Search Press CD (I think).
And good pieces made from the fabrics - torn into strips. Here are the cyclamen again, scanned into embroidery software. I'm fairly sure I stitched these out for her. They look familiar.
Plus a detail.
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Woven strips knotted to a frame. Lovely work - she was so inventive.
I can keep going for a few more days with Val's samples - are you getting fed up yet? Let me know.
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Running the Gauntlet
I am also trying to get the book photo log sorted out, but that cat is very clingy and keeps sitting on my papers.
Arti - that garden looks so lovely and the weather, too. It's getting quite autumnal here and the leaves are all falling today. Did your stall do well?
Pat - I'm a great fan of Linda and love her blog. She has made the most super vessel today. She has also got a good record of the show - more on that later. I fear her photo of Dale and me is a good one of Dale. I seem to be asleep (quite likely!). I do hate photos and never let Batsford put them on my books.
Aussie Jo - not sure that I've ever been to a show in Oz, although the Forums have some great traders. I think that the Knitting & Stitching show is very special, especially the London one. Andrew Salmon really invests in talent and stages some wonderful exhibitions. He does try to have something for everyone and I think you'd be hard put not to find something to enjoy. It's not just the big exhibits, though - I love people like Ruth Lee ( her knitting book is great), Alyson MM, Hilary Hollingsworth, Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn, plus so many others who chat about their work and pass on their knowledge. Ruth Issett is a good friend of mine and watching her demo is always fascinating. You do really need to go for more than one day. What are the Aussie shows like?
A really exciting thing about being part of the show is catching up with people that you don't see very often. Generally this is folk who live far away, but I've become such a hermit lately that it includes some of my best friends! I saw Jane Wild, very briefly, and managed to sneak out for a coffee with Elli Woodsford. We are both lovers of good coffee and queued for ages for a good one at Café Yum which was like a three wheeled Indian tuk-tuk, all kitted out with expresso equipment. We decided that when we retire from stitch we shall invest in just such a van and call ourselves Hell's Grannies. Actually one of Elli's other retirement schemes was a cloistered environment for elderly stitchers to be called The Little Sisters of the Soldering Iron!
Here is Val's daughter Sarah having a go on the embellisher. Although not a stitcher she was very taken with it.
It is possible to play noughts and crosses on the embellisher - working from the back, of course.
Here's a couple more photos from the show. This is a rare big piece of Val's work.
Plus a wonderful beaded book cover that is impossible to photograph. machine embroidery flowers and solid squares of peyote stitch.
A small excitement was embellishing dyed abaca tissue over the top of transfoiled velvet.
And finally a silk printout with silk fibres around it and a border made from some wonderful silk ribbon from Mulberry Silks.
Off to London tomorrow - see you later in the week.Monday, 15 October 2007
Just to say Hi
Didn't dare mention the R word to Dale. More about that later. Thought there was some good stuff at the show. The Pfaff exhibition was wonderful. Jan & Jean were very red - Jan was calling their stand the Bordello. Great books again.
Val's family were wonderful and came and gave us a break - so did lots of other kind souls - thanks to Hazel and Janet for all their help and Leslie, Claire and June for the coffees.
I had a great time on the embellisher and made enough pieces for the book, plus some extras which I'll show tomorrow. Found some super new embellishy products and played with them. Val's daughter Sarah was with us yesterday. She teaches art (amongst other things) and is not at all stitchy but she loved the embellisher and made some great pieces. Val would have been proud of her. Pat of www.alteringthoughts.blogspot.com gave me two delicious ATCs. Hope you don't mind me showing them, Pat. Just the colours I was using, too.
Arrived home about 9pm last night - just in time to watch a bit of rugby. I have never been at all interested before - seemed to me that a very chunky guy just caught a ball and then lay down with it. However, we were staying with some lovely friends and Peng is very keen. His wife, Peggy warned us that watching with him would be a noisy experience, and it was. The result of his enthusiasm is that I am now hooked on rugby and can't wait for the next match.
Anne - will send address - have been remiss with emails as have hardly had time to eat. Arti - glad there is someone like me. I never remember in time about the gloves. I always think that this will be the time that I don't make a mess. Always wrong.
I have to get my work ready for the photos on Wednesday so will tell more about the show tomorrow.