Not a Stitchy Week

I've just re-read last week's blog and note that I was going to have a stitchy week. Well, I've used the machine once - and I just don't know what happened to the week. It went. I have had a tidy up in the studio and in my work cupboard.


Will have to get stitching next week as I have to finish the last of the free lessons that go with the book. The lessons will be there for ever but the Yahoo group will only be here for another month or so, depending on how folk get on with the last lesson. Page for page, I think the lessons are bigger than the book. I got a bit carried away.



Cyber Fyber has been a huge hit and I'm so pleased for Susan. She deserves it. She told me that Binary Humanity had been used to advertise the exhibition in a newspaper. I'm thrilled.


Comments on comments:



Heather - lots can be done with black bin bags. Di Goodison wrote a great tutorial in Quiltwow on using them for bags. You'd never guess the origin.


Edie - I did wonder about the reference to soldiers as it's very much a Brit thing. When small children have soft boiled eggs, they have toast with them, cut into strips and these are called soldiers. They are dipped in the egg yolk. Gary's menu described them as soldiers but these were the posh version - sandwiched with melted cheese. Oh Lord, now I'm so hungry - I'd kill for a boiled egg and soldiers. Some people grow out of them but I never have. I am trying to eat healthy food in an effort to move the Christmas bulge.



cowpaddocksjulie - love that name. Hope you enjoy the book.



Cat warning - there's a Smudge story at the end. Optional reading.



Several people asked what paint I used on the cast paper in last week's blog and, as I am making a similar piece, I thought I'd do a Lynda and step-by step it.


This is mostly a Jane Wild technique and I'm painting the casts of the Buddha I made when she brought some paper pulp into class. I remember that someone asked about the mould and I intended to take some pics of the mould-making process. It is just Softsculpt, a thick 'memory foam' which can be heated (with care) and then has something firm pressed into it to make a mould. So it was wrapped around a statue to make this shape. I'll demo in the next blog.


I started by painting the cast paper with gesso to seal it. Otherwise it absorbs loads of paint.
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Then I painted it with Burnt Umber acrylic paint for a deep toned base. At one time, I used black but Jane converted me.
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The next step is to paint with gold acrylic paint. Metallic wax can be used but it's more expensive.
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This must be left overnight to dry out. Then it's on with some of those wonderful Golden fluid paints. plus a bit of interference oxide for greeny tones.

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These paints are very sheer - more like a varnish and I love the way they lay on metallic surfaces. I'm especially fond of the turquoise which leans toward green when the gold comes through.






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I use my fingers to spread and merge the colours.

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Here's the final result, although I'll probably add a little metallic wax, dark or light, when it is dry.


I have three of these and am making three small pieces for my dining room. Something for me, for once. Here are the three - I like it that they are all slightly different.

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This is a piece of Jane's where the cast paper is attached to scrim at the soggy stage. I plan to use scrim, but over some metal and, just possibly, some black bin liner.

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I promised a Smudge story, here it is.


Since Cat Stevens made her great recovery she has been out hunting. Very small mouseskis are sometimes left for us as presents in the morning. Smudge has been watching this process but, as he is not allowed out at night, he hasn't quite got the idea. There was a great deal of noise coming from the cat flap and, when I investigated, he was coming in backwards, dragging something enormous through the hole. My heart was in my mouth - what creature was this?


With great pride he offered me his booty - one of Mr Next Door's very old, very wet, rather smelly, car washing sponges! To add insult to injury, he brought it back in three times after I threw it over the fence. So now it's in our garage and we've stolen it. What an idiot that cat is.



Must go now - I'm off to have a boiled egg and soldiers.