:)

I had nearly six hours at home ALONE!!!!!! Unheard of, though we all get on and do our own thing, there is nothing like having the house to myself. Wasted nearly an hour on the phone to the bank, but never mind. I picked our first crop of runner beans, nearly two and a half pounds. My favourite vegetable. Our runners are growing in a different part of the garden this year as where I have had them before there was a lot of shade. The move has paid off. All sliced and in the freezer now. I also finished my bag as well.

I am running a workshop at Schoolhouse Arts in February, making a vessel. I want to base the vessel on a piece of Carn pottery from Cornwall, I love it, I keep promising to but myself a piece. Anyway, I needed to see if the china will translate first into paper and then into craft vilene. The paper mock up seems to work, though the masking tape is low tack and keeps falling apart so I am now stitching vilene together. Fingers crossed it works out. Kezzy is going on a residential drama course tomorrow, so maybe I can carry on playing when I get home from dropping her off-M11 permitting.

Then Saturday, an early start as Nickie and I are going to FOQ- sooooo excited as we didn't go last year as we were at Belstead on the Embroiderers' Guild Summer School.

:(

A busy day at work, sorting out stock (only 350 exercise books to unpack today instead of the thousands that I had the other week), planning and loads of paper work. When I got home I took Kezzy for her art lesson at Barleylands, and was able to have an hour stitching while waiting for her. Saw and chatted to Denise from Craft Arena as well. I am in the process of making a pair of fairy shoes for a Schoolhouse Arts workshop that we are going to be running in October. I am spending this evening doing more school work :(

P.S. Check Serendipty 's blog as she has a lovely book for a give-away.

Ladies that lunched

My first job today was to ring Basildon Court to see how my Small Claims is going, as I haven't heard anything since June. The hearing will now be 1st October, providing they can track down the dodgy dealer!
It was then off to Bicknacre to have lunch with friends from work. Though I have been to Bicknacre many times, I have never been down this particular road, and when I got out of the car I found this wonderful ruin.

Yvonne's son cooked all the wonderful food as he has just finished training as a chef and will be starting work in a new restaurant opening in Marks Tey later this month. ( Another girlie night being planned to visit it!)

George the cat joined us as well. I didn't get home until gone 5.

This evening it was round to Nickie's, so that the four of us involved with Schoolhouse Arts, could plan the workshops for the forthcoming year.

Tomorrow I am spending the day at school getting ready for the new term. We know that we will be inspected anytime within the first month by I.S.A.

Boogie with Books

Pauline Verrinder came to Schoolhouse Arts to day to give a workshop 'Boogie with Books'.The ladies were taught how to make three different books, most of them completed two books and the third one was well on the way before it was 'show and tell'.(the time went so quickly!)
There was the usual bowl of sweets to keep everyones energy levels up, as much tea and coffee as they could drink and as you can see by the photo below, home made cake with our afternoon cup of tea!

A big 'thank you' to Pauline for giving us a day out of her busy schedule and for supporting our group.

Tomorrow we (Nickie and myself) are meeting up with the 'girls' from F.E.T. at Snape Maltings to see the Textile Art Group Suffolk: Bridging the Gap., exhibition followed by lunch.

Schoolhouse Arts update.

A meeting at Nickie's to dot the i's and cross the t's ready for our felt dabble day later on this month(27th). The ladies will be making a wet felt bead necklace, a needle felted rock and a broach made on the embellisher.
We have got Pauline Verinder doing a workshop for us in July called 'Boogie with Books' so there was nothing to organise for that.
We have now planned workshops for the rest of the year:-
September-Fantasy Shoes
October -Butterfly mobile with sheers.
November-Vessel
We hope that there will be something to please everyone.
I shall be taking a short blogging break as I have my school reports to write, the sooner I start, the sooner I will finish!

A great way to start a Sunday.

My day started at the charity breakfast at my friends house and as the weather was good we were able to eat outside in the garden. It was well supported, though I don't know how much was raised just yet. I tried to do some beading while I was chatting to my friends but the bead mat kept getting blown over with the sudden gusts of wind, so I had to give up-I will do some tonight. My friend below is doing the moon walk next weekend and needs to build up her carb intake -well that's her excuse anyway!

I am teaching at Schoolhouse Arts next Saturday, so I have spent this afternoon getting my bags packed. As they will be making a travel journal there is a lot for me to take.
Off to do some more packing.

Schoolhouse Arts

Last night I managed to stitch the picot edge on three sides of my pyramid, much happier with it now.
Tonight it was round to Nickie's house to plan for the next six months at Schoolhouse Arts. I shall be doing my travel log which was to have taken place tomorrow but unfortunately we had to cancel because of low numbers. We are now going to be doing it in May. In July, Pauline Verrinder is coming to do a workshop for us. For those of you interested in what is going on look at our Schoolhouse Arts blog.

Dyeing workshop

Today has been spent at North Fambridge being 'Gofer' for Margaret and Debbie who were running the workshop. Our ladies learnt how to do plastic bag dyeing on calico, linen etc.

Debbie demonstrating how to use the dye powders safely!

While that was maturing they then went onto transfer dyeing so that in the afternoon they could start to make a book. Craft vilene was used for the cover and the pages were coloured with Brusho.

Folded and tie dyeing either with buttons or thread with a different range of colours was the next lesson after lunch, then onto stitching the book cover.

Nickie who was also a 'Gofer', made rock cakes for our afternoon cup of tea.
There were a lot of oohs as the dyed fabrics were washed out and they were able to see their unique fabrics. The spent dyes were decanted into jam jars so that it can be used by them at a later date for colouring papers or sketchbooks.