Wanna see my Operation?

Look away now if you're squeamish, but isn't it healing well? All the bumpy bits have been absorbed - aren't our bodies clever? Only problem now is remembering not to carry stuff. Still mustn't knit or type, but the one handed stitching works a treat.
.


.

We recently asked our Workshop on the Web folks what articles they wanted and they were keen on one on the making of precious books from samples. Another excellent idea was a project that progressed and we could all join in with. So I've combined these two and will have a precious book article with techniques and, hopefully, a video. I'm hoping lots of people will try the ideas and we're going to have a readers section to see them all. The pic below is a layered printing method I use a lot in various ways.

.

.
These books are so useful for those special stitched samples, like the letters below.
.



.
The photoshoot meeting for Lynda Monk's new book went really well and Michael and I were absolutely bowled over by the quality of her work. It's called Fabulous Surfaces and who would guess that the one below is not leather, but tissue paper. I want a jacket made from it.
.


.

There are lots of ideas for books, bodices and vessels. If you want us to let you know when it's ready just go to www.d4daisy.com and click to go on the 'let me know' list - no obligation.
.


.
Comments

Glad to have amused you with the jam making. We made loads but the kids have pinched lots of it. Modesty aside, it is delicious. I shall put some time aside next year and make more. There are still loads left on the vine.

Cranborne Manor only opens once a week, Celia, but it is well worth a visit.

I agree about using kitchen stuff for textiles,Virginia. I think my pasta machine collagraph printer is my most successful to date.

There are more uses for a heat tool Horatio....

We've had something of a harvest festival with loads of tomatos, marrows and grapes. The grapes are the very small winemaking variety and I prefer to leave wine to the French and the Ozzies. Brenda Weeks gave me a recipe for cordial and this led on to thoughts of jam.
.

.
Well, jelly to be precise. I'd never heard of grape jelly but it was amazingly successful. We purchased a device (like a milking stool with no seat) to strain it through. I know you can use a chair but ours weigh a ton. It said 'easy to assemble' but we ended up with Clive struggling to click it together while I frantically stirred the mixture shouting, "Hurry up, it's boiling".

Then it set too quickly, before dripping through, so I got the heat tool out. Worked a treat.
.

.
My hand is healing well and I've seen the nurse for a check up. Feeling a bit stir crazy we had a morning at the local stately home, Cranborne Manor.
.

.

All lovely long vistas and ancient apple trees.
.

.

With the odd visual pun - look at the man working in the field to get the scale.

.

.

Love this head by Elizabeth Fink and look at the wonderful stains on the marble.

.

.

.

Smudge has been poorly (fighting again) and we had to visit the vet. I don't know what was in that injection she gave him but I think I need one. He now needs feeding every five minutes to get back to fighting weight.

Tomorrow we go to London for the photoshoot for Lynda Monk's new book Fabulous Surfaces. I have seen the pics - amazing - and can't wait to see the real thing. I have the text all ready, edited and copy edited so when the pics are done it's off to the designer. Can never tell with the printer but we are hoping for November. Watch this space.

Thanks for all comments and lovely get well messages - I'm sure going to try Livewriter, Celia. Blogger drives me batty.

Will announce winners of the precious book next week.

The Single Handed Blogger

Having loaded these two pics into blogger I am unable to move them. It just won't let me. So I shall post around them. They are the result of some one handed drawing and painting I did in the sketchbook I am giving away.
.
By the way I forgot to say that comments on this blog will go into the hat for the book, as well as those on Workshop on the Web's Facebook page. Thanks for reminding me that we need to do both, Stitcher, but only one name per person, please.
.
The pics are the result of some metallic watercolours I bought, recommended by Jane Wild, and they are lovely. You can't see the full effect in these pics but they give a great gleam and many work together for a variety of effects. Daniel Smith's Extra Fine Watercolours (got mine from Jacksons) and I will write a full review in December's WoW.
.



.

So I'm back again, using one hand in 'hunt and peck' mode - not easy when upper case is needed. Thanks so much for all your good wishes - it's all going very well, not nearly as painful as expected. Something of a surreal experience, lying down with arm outstretched, chatting to a nurse who lived near me about our local traffic chaos while, on the other side of the screen, my hand was being tortured.
.

Anyway, the big bandage is off and a smaller one applied. Quite spectacular bruises - should have photographed them, the colours were great. Arnica is wonderful for bruising so they will soon fade.
.

I managed to give a talk in Salisbury on Thursday, which was fun and seemed to go well, in spite of struggling with a microphone and the laser pointer (known as Mr Pointy) in the same hand.
.
Clive is great at cooking, but rubbish at blow-drying so I treated myself to a hairdresser visit yesterday and am now feeling great.

.

Must go now and direct operations in the garden. I have the perfect excuse for my favourite gardening method - pointing and saying 'just plant it there'.

The Cutting Edge

I should be in hospital having my carpal tunnelly hand sorted out but they found they had got their am list muddled up with their pm list, so I have to go back later. Wish they'd found out before I got up at 5am!

Never mind - at least I have time for a two-handed blog before I go.

We've got a give-away on our Workshop on the Web Facebook page. It's one of my inspiration books - remember a few posts ago I had the idea of putting good samples into a 'special' book. Well, this is the first one and I am giving it away. Ain't that noble? Do go and put your name down if you fancy a chance of winning.

This is a detail of the cover. Paint effects and Pearly powders with embossing powder.
.

.
And one of the pages with a slight celtic twist. Hand-stitching - I do enjoy that, but won't be doing much with the hand all bandaged up.
.

.

The pond is nearly finished. Just a little row of bricks to build, new paving and some planting. Smudge took site inspections very seriously.
.

.
So much so that he nearly got drowned when Clive did the trial filling. At one point he was asleep in the bottom.
.



.
All filled now and holding water. Will show the finished version, with droopy plants when I can garden again as all planting is my responsibility.
.


.

Ah well, soon be time to have another go at getting the hand sorted. Think of me.