I found an old cream wool blanket the other day that my mother in law had given me. Also found in a drawer some acid dyes that I bought last year at Ally Pally and have never used, so set myself up for a morning of dyeing. It was so easy!!! All I had to do was weigh the blanket (which I cut into 18" squares for ease) and then wash it in some synthrapol (which fortunately I already had) and then rinse and add to the dye. This was warm water - enough to cover the blanket pieces - to which I added a paste made of a small amount of water and a teaspoon full of dye per 50g weight of blanket. Let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes, take it out and rinse it out and dry. Later I ironed it to 'set' the dye. Now all I have to do is decide what to do with it! But what lovely, heathery colours came out (well, not the turquoise obviously!).

Such a long time since I looked at a blog let alone wrote something on mine! Hopefully the worst is over, work wise, and I can concentrate on being more creative for (at least) the rest of the year.

The picture on the left is a close up of a piece I finished recently based on landscapes which are increasingly fascinating me. I walk a lot around the fields locally when I take my dog out each morning and love looking at the fields and trees and how everything changes over the course of the year.

I've been invited to take part in Oxfordshire Arts Week again (did I say?) - this time in a nearby village with a potter and a ceramic sculptor. It should be a good mix and we're only going to open for 3 days (instead of this year's 9!) which is more manageable, and hopefully a lot less tiring.

After that we have a Guild Branch exhibition next October at Wantage museum, which is a lovely little venue. We've decided to keep all exhibits to a uniform size which should work well within a small space.

The other week I took part in a fabulous workshop with Jacky Russell. Jacky did the Diploma at Windsor and Maidenhead with Jan and Jean, finishing a couple of years ago. She 'specialised' in lutradur which is a product I have heard of but never used. This workshop was all about lutradur and we had a great day. We painted it and printed on it, burnt it, sewed with it, put gesso on - the list was endless. The great thing is that if you put acrilyic paints on or gesso (either splashed on or carefully printed on with a stamp) this acts as a resist so that you can then get out your heat gun and burn away as much as you like around the resist. The picture above shows some of the samples I came home with. The small dots you can see were made with a fine soldering iron (on my Christmas list!). The picture further above is a close up of one of my favourite samples done with gesso and then machined and painted with silk paints after I used the heat gun.

Am having problems these days finding time for anything creative, so I've decided to make myself do 30 minutes a day - that shouldn't be too hard! Anything where I'm looking at colour, texture, shape etc, which means most things are happening in my sketchbook but it's good background for something - eventually!

I have been following Maggie Grey's online lessons at http://www.d4daisy.com/maggiete.htm as I bought her latest book at the Knitting and Stitching Show. Here you can see my part-finished 'book'. I loved making the squirly design using a foam stencil and water soluble paper which was layered and dampened and then left overnight on top of the boiler before I could peel it off and stick it on the pelmet vilene. The lovely purply mauve colour came from gesso being put on the vilene quite thickly with salt sprinkled over and then painted with watered down Quink ink. Fantastic - I'd never have thought of it. Maggie comes up with some great tips.

Here's a close up (bit fuzzy, sorry).

I don't seem to get any time to sew at the moment - very busy at work. However, I was thrilled to see on the Twisted Thread website that my offering for the Embroiderers' Guild auction has been receiving bids!! How cool is that? (as my children would say) I do hope the auction does well, the Guild needs every penny it can get at the moment.

Still I have been keeping up to date with my swaps on various forums, but forgot to take pictures!

Looking forward to next week's Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally. I'm going with three friends and already have a shopping list (must haves!) as long as my arm.

We have had some reasonable weather recently so, as well as doing some fabric dyeing, I've been out painting papers (and the grass!). I've also been doing some gardening and found loads of poppy seed heads which I've cut down and put in a vase.

The shapes fascinate me so I've been filling pages in my sketchbook with poppy heads in all different media. I'm a great fan of Cloth Paper Scissors and, although I find some of the articles, rather 'American' in their sameness I enjoy the different techniques. One of which I used for the double spread - drawing the poppy head outlines then filling some of the areas in with pasted pieces of newspaper before painting over. I'm quite pleased with how it worked out, for a first attempt, although I have to say it looks better in the sketchbook than in the photo! C'est la vie!

I just don't seem to get the time to sew at the moment. 'Real' work is taking over and of course it's the summer holidays although the children are being brilliant with the fact that I have to spend so much time at the computer rather than entertaining them. I think the 15 year old is quite content but my (nearly) 10 year old needs her mum around still.

Anyway, one thing I did with her yesterday was fabric dyeing. I've been meaning to do this for ages after the great weekend I did with Ruth Issett some months ago. It was a reasonable day so we did outside (and dyed some grass in the process). I had completely forgotten how some fabrics take dyes better than others so we had a range of tones of colour, mainly in my favourite reds, pinks, oranges. They looked like flags on the washing line drying later!

I'm also pleased to see that the Embroiderers' Guild Auction is now up on the Twisted Thread website ready for the Knitting and Stitching shows (still saving up!). This is a great opportunity, not just to refill the Guild's coffers, but also to buy some lovely embroidery!

Very very busy at the moment but had another 'high' yesterday. Remember the commission I got as a result of Oxfordshire Art Weeks? I really didn't know what Jane wanted, her tastes, etc, all I had was a colour scheme. So I produced five pieces for her to look at and - guess what - she wanted three of them!!

This was one (sorry about the flash), which I had been quite pleased with. My usual mixture of fabric and paper.

I was using Jane's curtains for the basis of the colour scheme - cream with turquoise, baby pink, orange and red. My tendency was to miss out the cream and go for the other colours but I was aware that perhaps she wanted something more 'airy' to reflect the curtains. However, not at all - she wanted 'wow' factor; something to catch the eye as you walk into the kitchen. This one on the right was the 'airy' one which I was pleased with - it was machine embroidered onto layers of clear plastic, doesn't show too well in the photo unfortunately.

I was also really thrilled to be invited to join a group exhibiting at the West Ox Arts group in spring 2010 (not 2009 as I originally thought). Seems quite a long way away at the moment, but I know it will come along quickly.

What miserable weather! My son announced this morning that 'summer was boring'. I know what he means.

However, at least I don't have feelings of guilt when I'm in my workroom rather than gardening. I watched the Quilting Arts DVD again the other day and had a play at Beryl Taylor's 'fabric paper'. It went well and machines beautifully, so I made a small piece which I'm quite pleased with. Even my sister, who is not a fan of my type of art, thought it was 'quite nice'. That was praise!

I see the Embroiderers' Guild is asking for members to donate pieces of work to display at the Knitting and Stitching shows. These will then be auctioned to go towards filling the coffers after the Manchester debacle. I might put this one in.

Still very behind with Dale's course. Lesson 6 arrived this morning and I still haven't finished Lesson 2. Anyway I've printed it off so I can go back to it at some point.

Wow! Two blogs in two days, almost setting a record here. Actually I'm sitting waiting for a customer to come and view the textile art I've made with a view to filling a hole in her kitchen. However, she doesn't seem to be getting here today so I'm checking everyone's blogs, trying to catch up with what's going on over the past five weeks or so.

Purple Missus is amazing - every one of her blogs is full of information of wonderful things to try. she's made me decide that, weather allowing, I'm going to have a go at dyeing some fabric tomorrow. After doing a weekend with Ruth Issett last autumn I'm hooked on procion dyes for painting papers and now think it's time to move into dyeing fabrics to go with the papers. After all, most of the work I do is layered paper and fabric. So think of me tomorrow, with plastic containers all over the garden and trying to persuade the dog NOT to sniff them all.

Where is the time going? I've been hectic with the 'day job' so haven't had time to blog, or even look to see what everyone else has been doing. I have managed to fit in some stitching though! I signed on some weeks ago to do Dale Rollerson's embellishing course which I'm very behind with but enjoying. Got piles of samples and ideas for things as you can see from the picture! That was only two weeks' lessons. I haven't had a chance to look at the others yet.

I've also been trying to get on with the commission I got at the end of Artweeks. I decided to go ahead and do as many pieces of art as I could in the colour scheme that went with my friend's kitchen curtains (Designer Guild) as hopefully the rest won't be wasted.

Finally, you might be interested to see my workroom mid-project! It's a little bit bigger than it looks in this picture, but everywhere things are piled up. Someone just lent me the Quilting Arts 'Studios' magazine. What I would give for some of those studios! Space, organisation, shelves, eye candy everywhere!! Mustn't complain though - I do have a room to work in and don't have to clear up all the time when I'm in the middle of something and the dinner needs cooking, I just close the door.

Time has flown past and it's a few weeks since I last posted. I've been busy catching up on the swaps that got missed during Artweeks and I'm really pleased that I've only got one more to do and I'm not late with it either. I've had several of the African Arts quilties in from the Embellisher Group. I won't post pictures in until they're all here. I plan to attach them together in some way and hang them from my workroom wall.






Which is just what I've done with the white on white quilties for Lenna Andrews' swap. Unfortunately because they're white they don't photograph too well, but I've done my best to show you the wonderful stitching and textures in them - only two of the four because the photos just don't come out.

As well as the African Arts swaps I've done the complementary colours, cupcakes, recycled fabrics and another I can't remember. I've also received this wonderful tag from Eileen (that's the last thing I've got to do).

I signed up yesterday to do Dale Rollerson's 6 week online embellisher course. I always enjoys Dale's blog and came across this course which starts next week by chance. The exchange rate is still so good that it was great value and I'm looking forward to learning lots. Thank goodness it starts after half term finishes; the weather has been so awful that the children have been tied to the house. We've seen the new Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford just gets hunkier), been ice skating, done mosaics, etc, etc, and we're only half way through.

Well, we've got to the last day and I'm on a real high! Couldn't sleep last night. We had a really slow week, Thursday we only had 5 visitors which was very depressing. Friday was much better and I made my first 'big' sale - ie an embroidery rather than just cards or sketchbooks. I was so thrilled! Then a neighbour came in and oohed and aahed over another picture and wants to come back today to discuss a commission!!!!

However, yesterday was my big day - sold FOUR more pictures. One is even going back with its new owner to Canada. It's such a wonderful thrill to know that complete strangers (and some friends) are prepared to pay money for something you've worked for. It's just a great confirmation that I am producing 'art' that means something to other people, not just me.

Lots of local people I know came and made the usual comments 'I didn't know you did this'! I'm sure there are so many people out there hiding their light under a bushel and Artweeks is such a good way to show what you do. It can be a very lonely business otherwise. Now I'm looking forward to having the chance to visit other people, once today's finished. I'm so grateful to Debbie for letting me use her studio in such a fabulous place.

First day of Oxfordshire Artweeks and I'm so tired! We set up yesterday. I'm sharing a studio with another woman in my village. She lives in an amazing old Victorian grange with a huge garden and beautiful studio. I'm not jealous - honestly! She also imports 'animals' made from wire and beads from South Africa. They're made by Zimbabwean refugees and they're fantastic. My daughter has so far fallen in love with the elephant, the zebra, the goat and the crocodile. I have a personal favourite in the sheep. I can't really see a zebra on the lawn of an Oxfordshire cottage somehow! (I'll post some photos tomorrow).

Anyway, we sat and chatted for the first hour then people started arriving. We're open from 12-6pm every day for the next week - rather a challenge. Anyway we had quite a few visitors up until 4.30pm then all went quiet. It's great fun talking to people who are really interested in what you're doing and I've had lots of admiring comments (though no hard sales unfortunately). I'm trying to 'sell' the Embroiderers' Guild as much as I can as well; we may well get some visitors at least through this.

Well I think I'm finally ready for Oxfordshire Artweeks which starts this Saturday. I'm sharing a studio with a mosaic artist in the village and we decided to open from 12-6pm every day. It seemed like a good idea 6 months ago but I've a funny feeling that the family are going to be deserted over the week and will have to fend for themselves.

I've got about 11 pieces framed and ready, together with any number of cards, so I hope someone buys something! I know it's mainly people who want to see what people consider 'art' and just what their neighbour gets up to!! Anything that will help people to understand that 'embroidery' is no longer cross stitch tablecloths (although they have their rightful place) has got to be good. If I can get a few visitors to the Oxford branch of the Embroiderers' Guild, even better.

Anyway this is a close up of a piece I finally finished yesterday. I tend to have two or three on the go at a time. They sit around my workroom while I tweak a bit here and there, or undo something I've already tweaked. But this one is definitely finished. So's the one at the top.

My next problem - I've started a blog for the Oxford Embroiderers' Guild and some of the info is getting swapped between the 2 blogs! I've just left a note on Purple Missus' blog and it comes from the 'Oxford Embroiderers Guild' instead of 'Amanda'. I'm beginning to think this technology is beyond me!

I haven't blogged for a while, what with a holiday last week and panicking about Oxfordshire Artweeks. But a friend and I are trying to set up a blog for our branch of the Embroiderers' Guild and I'm not sure it's going well. General opinion seems to be that it's easier to do a blog than a web page so that's what we're doing. But I'm not sure either of us is qualified - I still can't manage a respectable heading for my own blog; the picture is too big and the heading too small (not sure which)! Any ideas anyone? How do I reduce it?

We're also trying to think of other ways to open up the Guild to more people. I know from my own blogging that there are loads of people out there interested in all types of textiles, but I'm sure most of them don't belong to a branch. Is it the 'Embroiderers' Guild' name that puts people off? Have people not heard of it? Do they think they have to be of a certain standard to join? Any suggestions gratefully received.

Christmas arrived again this morning! This time a package from Jean of the UK Embellisher group and again the Arty Bits swap. I did work at my swap yesterday but I'm not sure I'll get them all finished before we go away on Saturday. But it will be done by the end of the month (promise!). Anyway Jean sent me some lovely handmade beads, inchies, cords, together with a packet of beads, sea glass (which I collect anyway), some lutradur (I think) painted and heated, fabric. I could go on... Also with it came a card with a beautiful photo on it which she took herself. Aren't we all talented?!

Just to prove I have been working on this swap, these are bottle top pincushions which I made last night specifically for this swap (I have to produce four packages). I think they're really sweet and I've stuck one on my sewing machine. You can find the instructions for making these here. I've put a velcro circle on the bottom and they could be put on a wrist band as well as stuck on to something as I've done.

Seem to have got the computer problems sorted, though I'm not sure how. Anyway I don't keep getting thrown off for no obvious reason.

Christmas arrived early for me on Friday - got this box from Sue through the UK Embellisher Swap group. It's an Arty Bits swap. We have to make 5 inchies, 5 cords, 5 beads and also include something bought and something made. Sue has put everything I've done to shame already (not that I've finished making the cords yet). She made a pelmet vilene envelope for the inchies and another one for the cords, both beautifully decorated with beaded fasteners. The beads are lovely and long and already I know what I want to do with them. She says they were straws, wrapped with chiffon, then acrilyic felt with wool tops needled onto it, then zapped and wrapped with wire and finally dry brush wiped with gold paint. Fabulous! She also sent me some bags of beautiful beads (bought ones). Guess what I've got to get on with this week?

I also had another envelope with these lovely button fairies (sorry about the slightly blurry photo) from Amanda, Jean and Fay of the Mixed Media ATC Group. I really enjoyed making mine and it was fun to see how different everyones were.

I'm having real problems with my computer which for some strange reason crashes when I try to use the internet but when I log on as my son (same computer!) is fine. However, despite all that, have managed to finish my bookwrap for Angie Hughes' bookwrap challenge at the Ledbury Artplace. I'm really pleased with it!

The book I chose was The Hobbit which is an old favourite of mine. Obviously it had to depict a dragon as well as the famous gold ring! So I painted some garden fleece black and gold and sewed it to some black velvet before using the heat gun on it. I wasn't too sure about it then so it sat around for a week or so before I embellished some black wool tops over it. Sort of like drifting fog I hoped. Atmospheric and black, that sort of thing.

I then cut out a dragon shape out of black velvet and bonded it over the background before machining over the whole shape. Then I cut strips of black velvet and hand sewed gold designs on it, hopefully looking like elvish writing. I copied these from the book.These strips were sewn on top and bottom, with some cords made on the machine alongside. I used the flower stitcher to make some gold felt circles to sew on the ends and then gold metal rings were attached as fastenings. The edges were sewn in rough shapes, intended as mountain ranges (or so I hoped). All in all I'm quite pleased and I'll get it in the post tomorrow. And now for some reason the computer won't let me put the picture on of the whole thing. I'm going to bed. Heh! Managed it - 5th attempt. Wasn't life simpler without computers?!

I've just got back from a short break in Madeira. It's amazing how much good a little bit of winter sun can do you. I feel completely rejuvenated.

I left the family behind to their own devices and went with my sister and met my parents out there. We had a real giggle and ate and drank far too much.

As a result (of the break not the food and drink!) I haven't done much art and embroidery but I did take a few photos. None of them can

understand why I got so excited about a bit of rust. They were completely bemused! Unfortunately it hasn't come out too well. The other picture is a close up of a tree trunk.

The last picture is, of course, a manhole cover. Another bit of rust!

Got home Thursday evening and Saturday and Sunday I was out again (it didn't go down too well) to a Ruth Issett workshop. This was fabulous - I can really recommend her as an inspiring tutor. We spent the weekend trying out different paints and techniques. I hadn't used texture gels before and they were a real eye opener. I had to leave before they got onto Markal sticks which was a shame as I've had some for a few years and have never been too sure what to do with them. Anyway I've bought a couple of Ruth's books and may even manage to overcome a lifetime's aversion to dyeing fabrics and have a go at that. She made it seem so easy!

Some time ago I spent a while drawing architectural features and loved some of the rococo shapes I found there. I went back through my sketchbook afterwards and painted over with some koh i noor paints, just choosing the colours I like.

Then I tried to reproduce the left hand page using sheers and water soluble paper. I burnt back the sheers with a hot air gun and dissolved some but not all of the water soluble paper using the same koh i noor paints. I have to admit it didn't really work and it sat on my desk for ages until I unearthed it again last weekend during my big clear up.

This time I put it on black felt and did some machine couching and hand stitching around and I'm quite pleased with the finished effect.

Here's a close up

Half term! Actually it's going quite well, no big fall outs (yet). I managed to spend the afternoon in my workroom on Sunday while husband and no 2 child went to play rehersal. I'm so pleased with the results of my tidying up - 3 hours of it! - that I might just post a picture.

Had a lovely parcel arrive yesterday from Fibrecrafts. I only ordered this on Sunday! Daughter rubbed her hands with glee and announced she would be using my embellisher this week! I really want her to love embroidery and textiles as I do so I will probably let her.

Also managed a few hours yesterday evening when everyone was out/busy. I painted some brown paper (I use those acrilyic tester pots from DIY shops) a few weeks ago and have spent some time tearing it and laying it here and there and finally sat down to sew on it yesterday. I'm quite pleased with the results although I lay awake for a few hours last night with ideas for

improving it niggling at me.

Heard from Lenna today that my white quilties have finally arrived, and she does say some nice things about them on her website! I'm sure I'll be swapping with her again.

A beautiful day, maybe spring is just around the corner although it was this time last year that we had all that snow! No 1 child at home today not at his best poor boy.

I've had a lovely day today getting up to date with a few things. The sun was shining (for once) and I really should have been out getting to grips with some gardening but I put the radio on and settled down to some art. First out was the wherewithal to make some more sketchbooks/journals with some papers I did the other day.

Then I thought about the artwork I need to do for Oxfordshire Artweeks. I'm exhibiting with a friend here in the village in her lovely garden studio. She does beautiful mosaics and I'm working hard not to let her down too much with my exhibits. One of the things Oxfordshire Artweeks sent us recently was an empty CD case with the request that all artists exhibiting this year decorate the CD case (not a CD) with some art which will be exhibited at the Said Business School here in Oxford. Debbie's done her side and I've been rattling my brains trying to complement her work. Think I've managed and I'll post a copy when I'm really sure it's as finished as it's going to be.

A week or so back I got a lovely box from Chris of the UK Embellisher Group. Obviously I hadn't done my box to swap back with her, but I finally got around to it today. Hope she won't be too disappointed. (NB Hers is the lovely pink/blue one at the top).

I haven't done much 'art' today except make some cards - a quick 20 minutes while the children were happy and before I made more pancakes. But I did get the chance to look at some blogs when I should have been working this morning. I do think the blogging world is great; there are women out there of all ages, nationalities, backgrounds, all creating art in some form or another. Just as women have been doing for generations. So even though we're told that textiles are not popular (ie not for school lessons anyway) it's all rubbish - it's as popular as ever! And our blogs prove it!

Since starting a blog and reading others I find myself often, as I sit sewing away in my room, wondering who else is sewing at the same time and what they're busy doing? When I quilt, which isn't often although I find the hand quilting very therapeutic, I think of the Amish quilts I saw when I was in the US a few years ago and those women sitting sewing by lamplight.

So I will persevere in teaching my daughter to sew. It's so important that future generations carry this on. Although I really can't believe this form of art will ever die out.

Two lovely surprises have dropped through my letterbox in the past few days. The lovely fuchsia ATC card was from Sue who swaps with two groups I belong to - the UK Mixed Media ATC group and the UK Embellisher group. Is this what is known as an RAK? Whatever - I was thrilled.

The other button girl is from Jean who is taking part in the cross stitch swap for the UK Mixed Media ATC group which I am hosting. I must have a go at making one of these. I know we're only just out of the Christmas season but I can see these as small angels on the tree. My daughter will love it. I really enjoy hosting swaps, it's such fun to see what everyone is doing.

Spent the morning painting papers ready for making some more journals. Although I haven't posted for a week (how time flies!) I have been busy. Got up to date with lots of swaps for the UK Embellisher and UK Mixed Media groups. Also finished (I think) a piece using hearts for the main centrepiece, lots of brown paper painted and cut out and machined sections. I won't post a picture until I'm sure it's really finished.

I've now finished the quilties swap 'Shades of White' that Lenna Andrews has been organising. This was harder than I thought - and doesn't photograph well! Still I'm quite pleased with what I've done and will get four 6" square quilties off to Lenna in the morning.

I've used old lace (of course) some white cotton with seeding on it to break up the whiteness a little and, on all four, a section from something I did years ago with Val Campbell-Harding and found in my box! We cut strips of different white fabrics - lace, velvet, cotton, cord, everything we had, then sewed them together with zigzag stitch. Then we cut the rough square we had made diagonally, moved everything around and re-stitched, again with zigzag. Cut a different diagonal, moved all the strips around again and re-stitched and kept on doing this until we were left with very small triangles. It made a really interesting fabric and I'm delighted that I've been able to use it. I knew there was a good reason not to 'de-clutter' my workroom!




Had number two child at home feeling ill all day so I've spent part of the day playing games, doing jigsaws, etc and also managed to get an hour to paint some more brown paper. I've just finished one piece based on Hinterwasser (?)'s circles and was rather pleased with it - all painted papers and silks. I do love machining on brown paper. So I decided to do more while I was in the mood. Hopefully I'll get them all dry and finished this evening ready to do some machining tomorrow.

I've been working hard getting up to date with all the swaps I've put myself down for. Hopefully now I can concentrate on work for Artweeks but I have just got an e-mail from Angie Hughes at Ledbury Artplace about a bookwrap challenge which sounds quite fun ...

Got very involved over the past few days doing Traci Bautista type printing and then making journals. I love making journals - the problem is that I now have so many I shall have to give them away or start doing a lot more sketching! I do keep a journal/sketchbook which I enjoy but I've got a stack now, enough to keep me going for a couple of years. Actually the photo doesn't do

them justice (modesty) 'cos I can't get rid of the

glare.

I'm being taken out to lunch today by my nearest and dearest - it's our 15th wedding anniversary! Amazing how time flies. I've dropped hints about it being a 'crystal' anniversary and how 'roses are the flowers for this anniversary' but I don't think the penny dropped. Never mind, lunch will be good.

Haven't blogged in a while - Christmas seems to take over an entire month. Having flu and an op didn't help, but hopefully over all that. My New Years resolution must be to do some art every day.

Found http://www.judywise.blogspot.com/ this today - I usually buy my sketchbooks and decorate the covers but inspired by Judy I will add another New Year resolution and start making my own. I've done it before (for my Dad) and it's very satisfying and somehow starts the thought processes.

Hope everyone has a great 2008!