Rusty Bits

Just a few samples that I have been working on with the rusting powder. They are not stitched yet because of the temperature has incredibly high and has obviously affected my hand-eye coordination. We British like moaning about the warmth and the climatic discrepancies. I do believe my Australian friends are wearing wooly jumper and winter clothes. Our American friends are experiencing really weird weather in certain parts, Ohhh! We are never happy are we.

Today we have had a good time at work packing some glittery bits which will be on the website after the open weekend.

Also for those of you who are down in Cornwall I am traveling down and demonstrating at Porthleven at Arts and Graphics on Friday 10th July. Thursday 9th at SJL Card Craft in Taunton and then on the 8th July I am in Newton Abbot at the Craft Room (I remember having scrumpy at the Cider Bar, it is an evil and definitely has mind altering properties but boy did it taste good).

Craftynotions will also be at the embroiderers guide regional event which is at the Dame Alice Harpur School, Bedford. If anybody wants to order anything for collection please e-mail ahead at sales@craftynotions.com .

Newsletter

This is the newsletter we are sending out and I thought I would post it here too.

Just to keep you updated with what’s going on here at Craftynotions. We’ve been very busy finding new things, designing new things and making new things!

Firstly, to let you know that we have our annual Open Weekend on July 4th and 5th. As usual teas and coffees etc are being done for us by Newark MS Group. We will be having loads of demonstrations offered by Leonie Pujol of QVC and magazine fame, but she’s doing a textile degree so is keen and eager to use our textiley things. Our good friend Pat Grant will be with us on the Sunday as her grandchild is getting married on the Saturday. We’ve got Lincolnshire Spinners and Weavers coming with their spinning wheels and all their expertise so you may be able to learn how to drop a spindle or even have a go on a wheel. And of course I’ll be doing rolling demos on some of our new things.

We will also have exhibitions from The Group. This is a gang of pals who meet up regularly, discuss the world, discuss needlework, felting, quilting, projects and ongoing themes and produce work for exhibitions. There will also be exhibitions of my own work.

As you know we’ll have lots of bargains, lots of one-offs, and hopefully lots of fun and ideas to be shared.

You’ll also be pleased to know that we’ve found lots more chairs this year, but we are really hoping that it doesn’t rain as much as it did last year.

If you can’t make it to the Open Day then you might be interested to know that I am teaching at Rufford Craft Centre. The first on Sunday 6th September which is Friendly Plastics for Embroiders and on Sunday 6 December which is Floral Felting for Embroiderers.

What a week!

tags ..creative colour sprays and stencils

Thanks Pat for  your words of encouragement…..

have had a busy week starting the preparations for the Knitting and stitching show…have a look at the newsletter that we have sent out to tell those who wish to receive on what we are doing..

The moulding mesh vessels are (even though I say it myself) really good fun and like sooo many things have alot more potential ..I have just been tinkering around with hand stitching them.

Today I was the guest of .. A little bit more than….. who are at the Edwinstowe craft centre which is set just on the edge of Sherwood Forest. Edwinstowe Church is where Robin is supposed to have The Maid Marion… There is a delightful depiction of them in bronze  on the high street.

Anyway there were some lovely ladies we had a very creative time and a lot of fun nattering and chattering so thanks Jean for inviting me.

some of the tags we made using creative colour sprays.

Exciting news for me!!!!

My new big book on silk paper for textile-artists has arrived. So I have attached a picture to prove the reality after over a year of writing, re-writing, making etc etc… however I am really pleased with it, the colours, the pictures, the design, let alone the excellent content! tongue and cheek! are just lovely. From Monday we’ll be taking pre-orders which will receive a complementary gift from the craftynotions website.

My New Book

It was nice to see old friends and new at the Craft 4 Crafters show here in Newark although I think we could have all done without the rain. Also many thanks to my pal Judith who made a brilliant quilt out of the some of the blocks that I was printing at the Festival of Quilts show out of our stencils and the tee juice fabic. Althought we’ll have ti for a while it is destined for a charity in Newark

Grunge Board

This is a fairly new product…I had a piece to play with a while ago,but did not really have time to play . although I could see all sorts of possibilities. whilst in Aus i did some samples for Dale….and was hooked.one thing that I found was that you could split the board. this not only maximizes the volume of pieces but does make it possible to hand stitch and indeed machine stitch pieces together..and indeed layer them on top of each other. I used ink pads and a painted background that I about and had fun free-machining the board to the fabric. The board has a rather distinctive smell and is not chip board .I think that it is a polymer composite as it it flexible and just is waiting for 3d constructions to be created. Ohh what fun to be had if only I had the time!!

gilded squares.. online class in the very near future...