Hundertwasser

One of my favourite artists is Hundertwasser. For my latest piece of work I had to do for my Art Course was to use the work of a famous artist and recreate it so I chose 'Hide Under The Meadow- It Begins To Rain'. This is my version, the picture I worked from is below. To recreate it, I used soft pastels, Brusho with rock salt, Indian ink, drawing inks, card making ink pads, felt tips, sketching pens, acrylic and water colour paints, Smooch, wax medium, nail varnish and Inktense pencils. I have painted, sponged, speckled, stamped, stencilled and coloured. Really enjoyed experimenting!

When I got home from work, my book by Sue Rangeley had arrived, lots of OOOHHHHHSSSSS!!! between the covers. Nickie popped round for coffee and some Rocky Road and had look at it too, it wont be long before one is on its way to her.

Maggie very kindly included a gift with the book of some sheers and sequins-thank you Maggie!

At our Sutton Hoo exhibition, Kezzy fell in love with these fairy shoes, they are larger than the ones that are normally stitched, approx 7 inches in length. Anyway, Alan being a soft touch where Kezzy is concerned, bought them for her, and they arrived yesterday

Springfield Quilters held their final meeting here, at Graham on the Green, Writtle. Opposite this lovely pond.Very pretty and tasty starter, a wonderful main course, followed by..........hot chocolate brownie with chocolate ice cream-delish!!!!!!!!There was a live band playing which made conversation quite hard, but we managed to have a good natter and caught up on all the latest news.A big thank you to Delia and Diane, for starting the club, without them I would not be where I am now, textile wise.
A photo of my bag as promised, still taking Sutton Hoo as my inspiration. The pan scourer represents the armour, and again Celtic spirals. This is the week when I should have got some stitching done at school, though what with being out on a first aid course yesterday, and a 2nd pre-inspection visit today, tracking down my reports that had gone missing, between the office and my pigeon hole, its not happening. Then when I got home from work, guess what was on my doorstep.......

my books that I ordered, how's that for service? I have enjoyed looking through them both while sitting out in the garden watching the sun setting. Wonderful photos of inspiring work and lovely clear text in both books. Congratulations Maggie, Lynda and Carol well worth waiting for. I can't wait to read them properly and experiment.

Reports finished!!!!!

At last I can go back to playing with paints, fabric and thread, though I must admit I have been slipping into my room for about half an hour each evening just to have some ' me' time.

I managed to make another medalion for the dangly thing for FEST, I am pleased with this one, at last!

This WAS the book covers I was making, (ala Maggie Grey) but after stitching Sutton Hoo in bands across the front in copper, I realised it didn't show up enough. I attacked it with copper spray paint and then, using the mask as my idea source I sliced the covers up and stitched onto net using F.M.S. Cut out voids with my soldering iron. I have now coloured some craft vilene with black paint. Even though a lot of salt fell off with the F.M.S. it still has the look of something rusting away, especially as the ink underneath stops the copper from being a flat colour. I shall be adding more stitching and maybe some beads. I am going to work on this idea to make a vessel over my Christmas holidays.

I popped to Craft Arena today to get the latest Cloth paper scissors, I also needed some silver beads, fabric and a reel of Hemingworth thread also in silver. This is to do some more experimenting for the 'dangly bits' I have GOT to make by 6th December the next FEST day. I must pull my finger out and produce something worthwhile, as I have not been happy with my efforts so far, hence- no photo's YET!!

We have to produce an A5 sketchbook as well, so I have also coloured some pages (managed to knock the jar of spent dye over in the process, and flooded my extension lead!) and I am using the Maggie Grey technique for the covers-I just love the texture and colours you get. I can't wait to see what they will look like when they are dry.

Buckingham

On Friday, I had to go to Basildon Magistrates Courts to start proceedings against a dodgy dealer. As I had not made enough copies of my claim I had to pop to the library to photo-copy my form. This was very lucky for me as they were having a book sale on and I managed to find a small book that I can use for the Maggie Grey lessons.
I have spent the last three days with my mother in Buckingham, I managed to finish my sample postcard for the Textiles in Focus workshop that I am doing. (Image sent to Pauline Verrinder, for her to OK it) Yesterday I had to go to IKEA to get some fabric to line some curtains I was going to make for my brother. I found a lovely 100% cotton, so had to but some extra for me to dye and stitch some time in the future.

On our way back to sunny Essex this afternoon, we did a slight detour to Missenden, to stop at Rainbow Silks. The shop is next door to the Rhoald Dhall museum, so get hubby to take the children there while you get some 'me' time in Rainbow Silks.

I tried to get Liquid Sculpy for the Catalogue Killer lessons that start on November 1st, but they didn't have any so have got a similar product, I hope it works. I also bought some Artgirlz bits to make a 'Wild Women' in my tea breaks at school next week. They also had some face moulds, so I bought 2 different types to see if they would be any good for doing my own 'wild thing'.

Ladies that lunch.

It was lovely to be able to go out for lunch AGAIN today, ( I went out for lunch yesterday with my friend who is going stir crazy due to having a fall and breaking her arm) I very rarely get the chance to meet friends for lunch due to working in a school, so when it is a holiday I rush around trying to catch up with friends. Today I met Doreen-A.K.A. 'The Granny With the Gun and Licenced To Kill' as she is referred to in my house. I bumped into Doreen on a workshop with Pauline Verrinder at Belstead, ( we had met some years earlier at Watt Tyler Park, but not kept in contact.) She has now become a regular at our Schoolhouse Arts workshops but we never have time for a good old natter. Today we remedied that. We had lunch in the Beehive at Barleylands before shopping in Craft Arena. Denise has been very busy this weekend reorganising her shop.
Denise runs a loyalty card scheme, and as my card was full I was able to get 2 more reels of thread for my collection. I also had run out of Bondaweb, muslin and I am going to try some Mistyfuse.






It was then in to Sugar and Spice(would be rude not too), where I got some papers with hearts on ready to start developing the project for Schoolhouse Arts workshop for January.








Prior to meeting Doreen, I had popped into the P.D.S.A charity shop in my quest for books to 'Maggie Grey'. I shall find it hard to alter the books, as I have a BIG thing about books that have been defaced when I get them from the library. The first book is Antiques Roadshow, which if I have to alter, this book could make it easier.






The second book I bought is a book of Confucius sayings. This book is so lovely with symbols and line drawings in it, I think that I will have to search for another one to use instead! Total spent on the books £1.50.
(The little brown box is the one I shall be using, when in Craft Arena, Denise was unpacking a delivery, so I was able to recycle it for her)

Finished A.T.C.'s

I have survived parents evening and got home just on 8.00. I have just put the finishing touches to my A.T.C.'s and photo's as promised, a day later than I had hoped.

This one is for the theme music. My inspiration was 'Rhapsody in Blue'.

The A.T.C. is much bluer, the photo does not show the true colour. Background fabric made from baby wipe, floor polish and inks. Machine

stitched text. Treble clef was made with felt and sheers, machine stitched and cut with soldering iron. The beaded edge is 'a'la Kemshalls'.

This A.T.C was made to represent intense colour with a 'fabric'

tissue, craft vilene and gesso, 'a'la Maggie Grey'. It was coloured with Golden acrylics. Machine stitched 'rays' on bonded circles of fabric. The 2 small red hearts are made with acetate, tissue inks and floor polish. Beaded edge as above.

Exhibitions.

My catalogues are 'fermenting' nicely in the garden, and tomorrow

I am going to Allie Pallie to get my Maggie Grey book to find out what to do next.

While out in the garden with my camera saw this lovely

seedhead of 'Bears Breeches'. I love the colours and textures that you can see in Autumn.

Today Nickie and I went to Braintree to see the exhibitions by OTT
and EAST. Here is just a taster of some of the work. (The exhibition

finished today)
As soon as I saw the stones that Zoe Cox had stitched, I knew where she had found her inspiration and they bought back happy memories of my holiday in Cornwall. The stones have such distinctive markings, in fact I have one or two of them I bought home with me, waiting for me to use as a source of inspiration. I hope to win the lottery tonight so that I can but the large vessel by Zoe, it is wonderful! ( You should have seen her wellies!!!!)

Dot's dolls were a joy to look at. EVERYTHING to scale, the Kitkat bar, the map and when Dot opened it out it wasn't just a cover it was a real map! If you want to learn how to make dolls, Dot

runs classes.

It was then over to Braintree Museum to look at EAST's work. This exhibition also finished today, and if you didn't get there you have missed a treat. Nickie and I came out of there and we thought 'WOW!!!!!!'It was great to see the work of so many people we know from the Embroiderer's Guild and all of it made to a very high standard. There were so many wonderful pieces of work to see it would be hard to choose a favourite or even favourites. Jeanette Bright had a wonderful book continuing her research into Foundlings. Our tutor from Southchurch college, Julie Toppesfield has just joined the group and had 2 months to make her piece. For one of her pieces, Melinda had used the reflections of water as her inspiration. This was made from dyed fabrics that had been inserted into acrylic tubes. (The photo does not do it justice. )

Margaret Talbot, whose work we had seen at the 4x4 exhibition in London, has done some lovely work using rust and decay as her theme, if you did not know better you would swear it was metal and not fabric.
If you have missed the exhibition and want to see the work of June, Carol, Diane, Delia and the rest of the talented ladies, you have 2 options:-

1. Come and look at them on my computer

OR

2. Go and view the exhibition at one of the two bookings they got, the Snape Malting's and I am afraid the I can't remember the other venue. (A senior moment!)

Well time for me to go and pack my bag ready for tomorrows outing. I can't wait!