Sunday 3 August 2008

Froth and Feathers

A long gap, but a quick week - mostly filled with house selling stuff. We have only got to check the printed details and then hope for visitors. It's such a funny market that we are trying to resign ourselves to a long time with not much happening, although houses are selling around here. We're not going to look at anything else in case we get too excited. All the people who came to measure and check our energy efficiency etc. have been assisted by a small energetic cat and they have been very good about it. Some of them wanted to take him home and, after this episode with a feathery kitten toy, we nearly let them.






It was in the cat section at the supermarket and Clive told me it would be a mistake. He was right. Here is the demonic feather boa destroyer. I deliberately left off the red eye reducer on the camera. He has such big pupils that the reflections are truly scary.





Smudge is getting much bigger and his stripey markings are beginning to show. Meanwhile his Auntie is very po-faced about his antics.





Isn't she looking well? All on kitten-food.



Back to your comments:


Lovely to see Ellie blogging. Welcome - I shall keep an eye on your blog. I'm still planning a trip to your holiday cottage one day - the details are still pinned up on my wall.

Wabbit - you can always buy it from us through the secure site. Due to the reprint copies are becoming harder to get. I'm glad I bankrupted myself buying my stock for the Festival of Quilts early on.

Hey, Maggik1. Welcome to you, too. Your blog is looking good. It's very addictive, isn't it? I'm sure the Chester course will be great and will look forward to keeping tabs on you to see what you do.

Guzzisue and W in R - glad the hardware arrived. Tell me how you get on with it. Hadn't seen the Barcardi bat. Perhaps I should try again having had a couple of glasses. I fear that asI get older my bad habits are giving me up. I can only manage two glasses of wine, on an occasional basis, these days.


Judy - so glad you are enjoying the book. I have had such lovely comments and emails and some brilliant press reviews. I've been trying to persuade Batsford for years to let me do a book on computer design and only got this one through by saying it was about digital cameras!


Jane C: good that you got the btinternet thing sorted. We have been having a conversation with them that is based on the old song - There's a hole in my bucket! We keep asking them how to tell our subscribers about the problem. They say - just email and tell them. We say - you've blocked all our emails from their inbox. They say - tell them ...... So it goes on. Can't tell you how much time we've wasted!


Penny: so glad you like it. It didn't photo well as there was so much dense stitching. Better that than the other way round.


I am getting on with the book and just have two big pieces to make. I made some books yesterday based on Translucent Liquid Sculpey used in all kind of weird ways. This one needs more stitching.





This is a design from one of my drawings from the Earth from the Air book. I put it through a displacement map filter using one of their built-in maps.

I've cut the basic shape out of craft Vilene and now need to build the surface up with gesso, scrim and stitch. I'll keep you posted.

9 comments:

Jackie said...

You just have to forgive Smudge ..he's so gorgeous. What kind is he with those stripes?

Jacqui said...

Smugde acts a lot ike our younger Cat, Skara Brae, did when she was a kitten. Now she is 3, she has calmed down a bit but still rules the house as she hates our dogs (despite being brought up with them since she was found at 4 wks old) and bosses our older cat, Mo, around. However, Mo (5), is finally getting fed up with that and is fighting back with Claws out!

I have only recently gotten interested in Textiles and get the bi-monthly Embroidery send all the way from the UK, as there is nothing that equals its modern and historical articles over here (TX). Make me wish when I was at Camberwell I had chosen Textiles over the way I went - painting. However I am getting there in my own sweet way.

Anyway I am looking forward to getting your book Stitch, Dissolve, Distort with Machine Embroidery.

textile-alchemist said...

What a mess but what fun they have creating it. An empty crunchie wrapper gives my dogs hours of fun and then l have tiny fragments to find! Who is entertaining who!!
This displacement map thing l find fasinating and very frustrating as l have yet to get to grips with what computers do. I will have be be content with your picturs of inspiration for now...so please don't stop showing the possibilities.

Elliemac said...

Thanks for your welcome Maggie, it always amazes me that you can remember people when you meet and see so many.
I could do with another of your computer design courses to remind me what to do - they were always such fun, at least I have your book and can drool over your effects on the blog.

artisbliss said...

Oh, that rascal Smudge! But your hilarious commentary makes it seem much funnier than it probably is. Very entertaining.

I can hardly bring myself to look at your gorgeous work since I have to be in a jewelry (as opposed to fibers/mixed media) mode right now. It's lovely though.

Maggi said...

I am sure that it didn't take him very long to destroy the boa. I have a cat who destroys carpets and houseplants. I was told he would settle down as he matured - no way, he's now seven and still as bad!

Judy said...

Hi! Maggie,

Poor Smudge I love his red demonic eys which is unkind of me, Stevens looks very well.

Pieces for the new book look great.

TB said...

Liking very much the TL Sculpy piece. Beautiful cat, and the feathery thing seems to be keeping him occupied for a while!

Marva Plummer-Bruno said...

The kitten antics are so funny! Well I'm sure you don't think so but trust me, you'll look back on this and laugh! :D I have 2 cats and volunteer at the Humane Society, have thought about getting a third but I think my DH would kill me. This is my first visit to your blog and I love your work!!!! Beautiful! :D Marva