The Power of the Left

It has been one of those weeks - the kind where you wonder what else can go wrong. Then you come across someone with real problems and a sense of proportion returns. It started when we got back from our trip up north, which was lovely. We had loads of washing and it all started when the washing machine broke down in mid cycle, then the phone line went down again - the same day they sent a big bill for fixing it. The final straw was poor Smudge walking into a nest of ticks - he was like a walking blood bank and as soon as we de ticked him they struck again. So he has gone to my daughter for a holiday while we consult with the vet.

The book has been well received and I must say thank you for all the lovely emails and messages. Lessons begin towards the end of the month and we will have a d4daisy blog for communications. I have had it with Yahoo groups as the last remaining one has been attacked by spammers, won’t let me in to close it and all communications with Yahoo have failed.

However, I am over the bad bit now, my hand is improving and I can have a bath again. I have also been attempting left handed painting.

Starting with this image of birch trees, photographed by my tablet and manipulated in Photoshop touch.

 

Some gesso was added to give texture.

Then some left handed drawing.

 

A quick, pale wash with inktense blocks.

Then a series of washes using my Daniel Smith watercolours. I love ‘em. Here is the story so far.

 The next step will be to build up the washes of colour and see what happens. Watch this space.

Comments

Thanks for getting the book. I hope you were all in time to get a piece of the Super film. It is really good. We had well over a hundred packs to give away but there were loads of orders on the first day. Fiona was scrupulously fair and worked from a timed list. I have to get some more Super so I will try to do another giveaway when we start the classes later this month.

The Big trip

I hate new things. a new look for blogspot will be great, I'm sure but it's a pain having to cope with it right now.

We had a most fabulous trip up to the Wirral and Blackpool - so great to meet so many enthusiastic people. The new book went down well. it was a lovely surprise that Christine Poole - the chair of the Embroidereres' Guild popped into the Blackpool talk. Here we are together.

It was a good idea to combine the trip and, as we were in the area, i didn't have to charge travel. I suggested to Christine that the guild site could have a space for tutors to post details of future trips so that any branches on the way, or nearby, could book them, too.

Hope they do that.

My washing machine has broken so Clive is about to take all our laundry to a daughter while I get on the internet to order a new one.

The book is here

In the nick of time, just before we set off to see some of our friends in the north the book arrived. Very pleased with the printing - looks good. There is a special offer with early orders of some great dissolvable film for 3d effects. All orders to www.d4daisy.com. Smudge is always pleased to see the cat sitter as she fulfills his every whim. He will be fatter than ever when we get home.

The Book is Here

The book has just arrived. We are off t

My New Look

What do you think of this then? My plaster has been replaced with this splint. I had a choice of colours but didn’t expect the black to be so shiny or the Velcro to be so pink! Never mind, it will be very handy if I decide to embark on a new career as a dominatrix.

.

.

The black stuff is a memory plastic, like softsculpt which can be heated and remoulded. Every week they will change the position of my thumb to bring it closer to a natural grasp. It is a bit sore but not too painful – a huge relief as I am off to the Wirral and Blackpool next week to do talks. If you live up that way do come and say hello – organised through the local guilds. I am so looking forward to it as cabin fever is beginning to set in. I will have the book too - it is coming early next week. This week has been difficult as City Link lost the proofs so the printer had to print another set – full colour proofs are very expensive so I hope they can get their money back from the carrier. Needless to say they arrived the day after we had proofed from the new ones.

.

.
They look great – very colourful and I’m really pleased. It should be on the website on Thursday and we have a great give-away for those who order early. It is a good sized piece of this special dissolvable film (see above) that can be used for three-dimensional effects. It dries really hard and is super for stiffening fine fabrics or net – like this box.

.

.
It is also great for jewellery – I’ve got lots of ideas in the book so the lucky ducks will be able to get on with some excitements straight away. If you haven’t got your name down on the ‘let me know list’ for Dissolvable Delights get on now at http://www.d4daisy.com/. Another goodie that comes with this book will be the on-line lessons and we are hoping to include a video as part of the course. Michael and I shot it before I had my hand done so I’m afraid you won’t get to see the bondage gear.

Thanks for messages – I shall work on a tutorial as it seems lots of people have the app. That is what it was Lexa – an app called Photoshop Touch for ipads or tablets. Nothing you cannot do in Photoshop Elements but it only costs six pounds for the app.

A Touch of the Photoshop Magic

Today is the day of the shed raising. Like barnraising but with a small shed. The extended family are in the garden -not actually building but moving a shed. It is a race against the weather.

I am indoors, playing with Photshop touch on my galaxy thingy (as it has become known). Amazing value at six pounds, it has layers, good effects and great selection tools.

.

.

This pic uses a photo of silver birch, much duplicated, some layers inverted, others warped. Huge fun.

More to come in future blogs, I am sure.Thanks for comments, all much appreciated. I do bruise very easily Linie, so not all due to pressure. It faded disappointing quickly so perhaps a good thing that it didn't get its own blog.

confessions of a left-handed blogger

many thanks for all your good wishes. Please excuse the lack of upper case letters – not easy using that shift key at the moment.

Now for the confession. I’ve been sleeping with a pole! Even worse – two poles.

What dirty minds you have, tut tut..

actually it is true, but the poles in question are two Nordic walking poles which, together with a tea towel, form an apparatus for elevating my hand. It swelled up rather alarmingly the day after the op and the hospital’s advice was to keep it elevated. Clive was equal to the task, although his first attempt, with the broom, was passed over as i objected to having the bristles in my ear.

.

.
Anyway it has gone down a lot and i am managing quite well and it isn’t too painful. i have a wonderful, colourful bruise which matches my sofa cushions exactly. perhaps we can track the colour changes - watch my bruise.com

.

.

Have even made a start on the left handed sketchbook as the forced occupation of my chair has led to close observation of our neighbour’s weeping willow tree. The difference that the light makes as the day goes on is incredible. Here is the early morning version.
.

.
And now the evening light, adding orange tones at sunset.

.


.
No wonder Monet was so hooked on recording the changes as the hours went by.

.
The bones of the shapes formed by the trunk and foreground trees have been recorded in the left handed sketch book. I’m a little disappointed that it is not more abstract as it looks quite like my normal drawing. The plan is to now paint the trunk colour and background before adding the swoopy branches.

,


.
Poor clive is the one who has to dash out and take the photos, of course. In between the cooking, the cat butlering and the attending to my every whim.