It's a Jae Day

Last week just got away from me. Meant to blog again but it didn’t happen. Highlights were.

• An exhibition at Highcliffe Castle Dorset. I was invited by Yvonne Morton, who has work in the show. There are three other artists and I think it’s a great balance with painters and a super origami artist – loved her wall hangings.

Finally putting away all my teaching stuff and making the house look tidy.

• Meeting Purple Mister in a garage in Bournemouth. No, not a secret assignation – see below for more details.
  
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  Thanks for all the comments on the lovely metal pieces. I’ll pass them on to the Scottish girls.
  
  Sandra – loved the cat story. A cowboy cat, obviously.
  
  Mags, the IT rep - is that you Margaret R, wearing another hat. Love the blog.
  
  We’ll certainly be at Ally Pally, Penny. Stand number TGE6 (but that could change - they sometimes switch stands without telling you). I have some great stuff to display from the d4daisy books and will be demo-ing techniques, too. Come and find me and perhaps we can grab a coffee together. I must warn you though that we will have to join the long queue for the decent coffee. I am a coffee snob.
  
  Hi Gill – it worked.
  
  Sorry to hear about the op, Diana. You’ll be able to get a head start before you go in, and use the time for some planning.
  
  Glad you liked the metal and paper technique, Love2cre8. (Good name that). I do plan to include this technique as one of the free on-line lessons for those who have purchased the Stitches, Straps and Layers book.

There will also be free lessons from Lynda and Carol, based on their Stitching the Textured Surface book. Here is a pic from one of their lessons.

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All lessons start on 19th October (details on the d4daisy site – see below) and will have a Yahoo group for all folk doing the d4daisy classes. Should be fun. Sorry if this sounds like an advert but I do love the fact that a book can be a starting point for us all to get together on-line. It is one of the things that I have always wanted to do, ever since I started writing books. Plus, of course, the fact that it makes a really good value package – so much more than just a book. Here is a piece from my metal and paper workshop.

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Talking of books I have an announcement. Ta-da.....Jae Maries book, Contrasting Elements, is launched today on the d4daisy site. www.d4daisy.com Pics from the book below.

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It is such a super book and one that sent me scuttling into the workshop while I was editing it, to try her techniques. I can honestly say that it has changed many aspects of the way I handle contrast and I think my work is the better for it. There is so much more to contrast than just colour and Jae has lots of stitch and paper ideas for using this element to bring the piece alive. Do go to the site to see the new book and the details of the classes.

Now I will reveal how I met up with Lynda Monk’s husband in a garage. He helped us to bring down Jae’s books from the printer in Essex, together with a goodly stock of all the other books. Thousands of them. I tried my best to help but, although the spirit was willing the arms soon gave out. Thanks to the Monk clan the books are all safe in the lock-up. I can’t tell you how good it feels to look at them all, tucked up in bed and I really can’t say how grateful we are to Ray and Lynda et al.

Do look at the d4daisy site and get geared up for the classes.