The Earth Moves

Good to be back amongst you, having spent a tedious couple of days worrying away at shape-shifting quilting templates. I think it is sorted now and most of the proofing is done. Comments on comments next and then lots of pics further down.

Arti - glad you liked the fossils. I used Model Soft - a bit like Hearty but not so prone to cracking - and pressed it into an actual fossil. There is the problem of integrating the edges as you can’t have a great lump of clay (or anything else) just plonked down. A lot of hand stitching solved the problem here. I used to have this wonderful fossil with lots of ammonites in various sizes. It had been around for millions of years and then it met my youngest grandson. I now have lots of little ammonites - or old snails if you are Margaret R!

Françoise (note the accent) I liked your flowery displacement map. So cute, the way it trails over the solid colour. Have you tried using the tiles, especially increasing the tile size? I am now on Picture Tubes in PSP - Hazel Credland has written me an article for WoW and I can’t stop using them.

Jackie - go for it. I think buying that machine would be a really good start. I have the 640 and have been delighted with it. A really good machine makes the whole process of machine embroidery so much easier. If you are starting right at the beginning I would make sure that you frame up the fabric really tightly, use a thread made for machine embroidery and then have a good play - try writing your name, simple patterns etc and relax into it. I had an article in WoW a while ago on beginning machine embroidery. If you give me a couple of days I will put it up on the free taster for you. Paint programs - it’s no secret that Paint Shop Pro is my favourite. Buy an old version (7, 8, or 9) from Amazon and fork out a tenner for my CD of tutorials. Shameless advertising - sorry.

I have found five minutes to start the background for my earth stuff. Here’s felt, painted Bondaweb (acrylic paint) and the abaca tissue from the other day.



Bondaweb ironed on felt, Abaca ironed on top and then some zapping and over-painting. You are probably thinking that it looks a right mess. So am I.



However, bits of it are gorgeous. Peeling paint. This is the water based Colourcraft metallic paint. Cheap as chips and it zaps very well - wear a mask, though.


Finally - a finished bit with Thermogauze, puff paint and Embossing powder. Just to give me an idea of how it might go.



I want to add some machine embroidered fossils - here I am transferring the design to fabric, using the window as a light box.



Hellishly difficult taking a photo at the same time. Day off tomorrow - see you on Saturday.

New Beginnings

Hey, Margaret - sorry about giving away the secret of the cell. I think it would be really scary to be shut up in such a confined space so I shall be going straight from now on.

Betty: displacement maps are an effect in Paint programs like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop where one image is used to shuffle about all the pixels in another image. For instance, in the screen-shot below you can see that I’ve just filled a blank page with a gradient colour (left-hand window in the menu box) and used a pic of fossils (below)to displace the pixels. The result can be seen in the image below the box.

I made this a greyscale image but it will work with coloured ones as well. PSP is very friendly for this effect - anything open on the desktop can be used as a map. Good contrasts provide the best result, although, having said that, you can never really tell - that’s the fun of it. I’ve blogged quite a lot about it - so has Margaret Roberts (Digital Gran www.digitalgran.blogspot.com) - worth searching the pages if this aspect interests you.

I have started on the biggish piece that I want to make for the Highcliffe castle exhibition. It began with inspiration from the Above the World book and has been furthered by the visit to the Earth Gallery at the Natural History Museum. I had a long love affair with fossils a few years ago and quite liked this effect - a detail from one of the pieces I made then.





This used Model Soft, the papery moulding stuff, for the fossils and worked quite well, as long as the material was well integrated (by stitch) into the background.
This time I wanted something different. I’ve been working on Thermogauze (vanishing muslin) for a couple of WoW articles so decided to build on that, together with puff paint and stitch. The inside of the globe at the NH museum had lovely metal fossils, so that’s a possibility, too. All layered up on a tissue paper background coloured with walnut ink and Colour Wash Sprays. Then floaty strips over the top of this with couched threads used for the linear elements of the design.
First I painted the abaca tissue (I used the heavier version so that I could wet it) with Moonshadow mist in copper. Nothing wrong with a bit of glitz. While it was wet I added Colour Wash in Stream - my favourite blue. Then I left it on plastic to allow the colours to run. The colours look very much like the ones in the fossil piece above but I want to bring in rich reds in the top layer, so we shall see.







While it was drying I Ironed painted Bondaweb on to white felt and foiled it, very lightly. Later, when my proofing duties are done, I shall iron strips of the tissue on top of the Bondawebbed felt.
I dug out my drawings of fossils - this one looks hopeful. Tomorrow I am determined to do some stitching so I will trace the lines onto tissue paper in readiness .

Confession of a Wimp

Chrissy - love the dog (and the Monet translations).

Sorry about the book temptation, Marjorie. I do think the Visual Language book should be on everyone’s bookshelf. I love the work of all three of those ladies - Leslie, Claire and Jane. Had the honour of sharing an exhibition with Jane Dunnewold at the fibreEssence Gallery in Vancouver where we both sold really well. I think I’d do better to arrange exhibitions overseas as it is difficult to sell over here just now. Seems to be a general problem in the arts field as my painter friends, one of whom always has a sell out, are finding the same thing.

I don’t feel that exhibitions are all about selling, as it is great just to show your work to other people and the feedback can be illuminating. It would be good to cover costs, though.

Pricing is an issue - Constance Howard once made an oft-repeated remark about not wanting to have it all back under the bed. A good point.

I had to go to London yesterday for the final proof of the Image to Stitch book. They only had one set of proofs so couldn’t post it. Great to see all the pics properly - you only get low-res images in the early proofs. I was really pleased with it and it was good to see Batsford’s new home in the Anova HQ, West Kensington. I’ve not been there before so we had the ’ten bob tour’ from editor Nicola. As it is a listed building they had to keep the old cells intact and they use them for storage. All the graffiti on the doors is still there - including some very rude words. Here’s a pic.

It’s very strange. One minute you are in a modern, light, high tech office building and then, by going through a door, you are in a version of ‘The Bill’.

We were supposed to be going on to do the Collect exhib at the V&A but, with the Earth series in mind, we stopped off at the Natural History Museum. I so love the Earth Hall - I am like a kid when we get on the escalator that takes you through the centre of the earth. Here’s the interior of the globe.

I insisted that we went straight back down in the lift so we could go up again! Then took lots of fossil and rock photos (great for displacement maps) and lingered for a while to experience the earthquake. The GCs love that bit, where you are in a mock-up of a shop in Kobe and the floor shakes. Clive’s mother was in an earthquake in India and said it was the noise that was so frightening.

We eventually got to the V&A and saw the 'Out of the Ordinary: Spectacular Craft' exhibition which was fantastic in some parts, interesting in others and weird in a couple of places. I loved these paper cuts by Lu Shengzhong. The long lines of cut paper cascade from a great height.




By now it was late and I was so tired that one look at the long, long queue for Collect made me decide to go home. Today, of course, I really wish I’d made myself go and I feel such a wimp. I wish it was on for longer.

All my fault really for going to the NH museum first.

It has taken me ages to do my blog today as I’ve been following lots of threads and then found Becky Vigor’s wonderful collagraph tutorial. I must have a go at this - Jane Wild produces wonderful collagraph prints just using tissue and blotting paper. When the surface is sealed she uses them for paper casting.

She did this one for our PMS book. Can’t wait to see Becky’s prints.

Down to Earth

Arti - (back to the nickname again, I'm afraid) I've used the soy silk on the embellisher with no difficulty but haven't tried by hand. I have got Val from Silk Sacks on the case and she will let us know.

Elli - that is a brilliant title. I love it and will probably use it, if that's OK. I can see a globe with its middle bit highlighted, seen through a sighting device. certainly need a few lunches for this series.

The first piece will be called Earth Music and I have a rough drawing, shown here half completed, of how it might look.

I managed to do some sneaky work on it by incorporating some Distress Crackle I was trying out for WoW Products page. Here's a detail.

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This is my original page from the Earth book. Moving it while scanning gave me the idea of strips over a background. Doesn't look much like the drawing but there are elements in there. Hope to start on it next week when I've finished proofing mags.

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The cat has provided another entertainment. In addition to the tummy troubles (still ongoing) she has got sore eyebrows and keeps scratching them. The vet provided a collar and Clive and I duly fitted it.

Stevens went ballistic. It was just like blowing up a balloon and then letting it go without tying it up - the minute we let her go she shot off round the room backwards at 100 mph. Ornaments, furniture, books and magazines were flying through the air. She removed the collar in about two minutes by jamming her head under the bookcase while still in reverse. She then shook herself, gave us a hard stare and sat down for a wash as though nothing had happened.

I have given up on the collar.

After Swoopy Photos we have Swoopy Scans

Susan - thanks so much for the award. I'm honoured. So much so that I am trying to stop calling you Arty, even though that is how I think of you. Your husband sounds really romantic. Clive is good at getting cards with proper words, too.

Today we had the morning off and celebrated by taking my trusty Bernina in for a service. I have worked it so hard lately that I thought it deserved one. I'm gearing up to start a new body of work based on the Above the Earth book.
I have an idea for a series - the titles are there: earth stories, earth mother, earth elements and so on. Clive suggested 'The earth moved' but I have treated that with the contempt it deserves.



I have scanned and printed a few images, as the book is so heavy to have on one's lap. Tonight I shall work on some drawings. Have you ever played 'swoopy' games with the (flat bed) scanner? They are a bit like 'swoopy' photos in that you move the source as the scanner is in motion. I find the just moving the book up and down slowly gave me this result - original image below and swoopy one below that.

If you wiggle the book you get an image like this.

Making a negative image works well here.





Quite fun - have a try.

Memories are Made of This

As usual I'm inspired by your comments, many thanks.

Aussie Jo - liked the lost in space idea for the sketchbook. That's certainly an option. Bet you'll have fun with Dale. I do a course called Frescos and Fragments too. Will have to compare notes with Dale.

The more I look at the satellite book, the more I can see stitch. Next week I must finish WoW and proof Quiltwow and then I shall start on the sketchbook. It's time to do products - my favourite bit. You'll have to look out for a £4 version of the book, Margaret.

Elli - I thought your new surname was rather exotic, but it should be back to normal now. Good about the bodies.

I've continued to sort and classify my book collection (home-made rather than hardback). Don't know which category this little chap fits into. It is made from Softsculpt, warmed and then folded in half. Warmed again and each half pressed over a bottle. Then bits of stitching and organza scraps applied to the 'covers'.



I suppose it isn't really a book as you can't open and shut it, but it does have leaves. They are, of course, leaf shaped and stitched on water-soluble film with the edges wired.

Today I've been sorting out a box from the loft. We are trying to clear it so we can have some additional insulation put in there - a very green ambition. I found a lot of stuff that I couldn't bear to go through when my mother died, some years ago. Very sentimental letters from my father from his destroyer during the war. They were supposed to get married at Christmas 1944 but he was called back to his ship hours before the wedding. Apparently the reception went on without him and sounds like a very boozy affair as he is asking 'Did your mother get very drunk?'. This is my stiff and starchy granny he's talking about!!! Such revelations.

Clive and I were discussing the fact that past generations of men were much more sentimental, even though the stiff upper lip was much in evidence. I have a diary and postcards from my grandfather in the first world war and his letters are even more gooey.

Do you think that this is true, or have you all got love letters, tied with ribbon, tucked away?

Cats, Clothes and Books

Stevens wishes to thank everyone for their good wishes. She is quite big-headed about her fame and is going around the house singing ‘Je Suis une blog star’.

You will gather from this that she is much better, eating well and her poor face is clearing up. At the moment she is sitting on top of her medicines, with her arms folded, in the mistaken belief that we won’t be able to give her any more.

I have had fun with Google Earth, Linda - some great images. Thanks for reminding me but I now feel even more guilty about buying the book.

Edie - thanks to the furkids at Hootenanny Hollow. The ISBN for the ‘Above the World’ book is 1-84403-181-0. I shall work one of the designs from it for a WoW product test. The great gals at Ario have sent some intriguing goodies for me to play with. I’m thrilled with the bookswap site, thanks for that.

Annabelle, do hope there is better news about Dylan. Is he the lurcher? Our mini-lurcher lasted until she was eighteen - I thought she was here for ever.

Good news about Elli blogging - such a quick start, too. I think she should put some photos of her bodies on her blog - go on Elli, show us your corsets! She’s on www.embexstudio.blogspot.com I’ve put her on my links. Had a bit of an update but still haven’t got all my favourites there yet.

Yesterday I spent the whole day hunched over the laptop setting articles and my shoulders really ached. So I’ve had a bit of a day off today and taken my grandaughter to the dentist. It was too late to go back to school so, with her mum, we went shopping for her birthday present, clothes. Can’t believe she is fourteen next week. Needless to say the budget was exceeded (but granny, that’s what I’m for, she said).

I’ve spent the last hour looking through some of my sketchbooks, in preparation for making the satellite one. I liked doing this one - based on rain-forest studies. The dangly thing is a seed pod.

I wanted it to look like an old naturalist’s notebook (or are they the ones who take their clothes off?) so I drew brown lines in PSP and rubbed some of them out. Then, when printed, I wrote in pale walnut ink.

The end of the book got much more colourful, using gesso and setting leaves in it and then painting it.

I think I will work this way with the Above the Earth theme. Need a snappy title - any suggestions.