Dyeing , Printing and Stamping

Last week I spent mainly dyeing fabric and thread

A basket of brights

Now I am getting ready to go to Summer School this 

weekend. My tutor, Jette Clover.  Oh, I am getting excited.   

We will be printing and mark making.  The Requirements 

List is LONG.  Fortunately I have most of the things listed, 

it's just a case of finding  everything.   It's going to be so 

good just playing.

Dress for Mess - no problem.  Dug out a couple of 

old black t shirts, already worn and somewhat stained.   

Gave them a makeover with discharge paste.   A chance to 

try something that has been in my mind for a while.  I added

 colour pigment to the paste.   It did work, although I think 

I could have added more.  Anyway, the t shirts look 

slightly more stylish, and ready for an outing.

Orange and blue, just about visable

A mix of colours here, but more pigment needed

Packing almost done - no room for these fab Indian Blocks

Too Many Hats

This one escaped from last blog.

Red plate inked in white, printed on black paper.

Last week should have been a sloppy, but creative time.  

Keith away with his chums for a golfing holiday in Turkey;

time to splash and bang, stitch, dye, make a general mess.  

Eat when hungry, raiding fridge and cupboards, shopping

only when there is nothing left but a tasty, incredibly smelly

Camembert Nic brought back from France.  In reality it was 

amazingly chaotic.

The office was open for The Paper Cinema e mail catch up 

and paperwork.  Two evenings of rehearsal.   Veggie feasts 

all round.

Found time to stitch two Journal Quilts, in between sorting 

out stock for The Indian Bazaar.

A fabulous day with collographs, then setting up shop with 

Lis my fellow shopper. A glass or two of wine and nibbles 

helped the evening along.

My daughter Amanda came up from Cornwall to join in the

fun - The Bazaar had lots of visitors, really busy.   Collapsed

in heap after cooking a delicious curry.

Sunday another busy day in The Bazzar, with the unexpected 

arrival of my sister and her husband, coming down from 

Berkshire to escape teenage angst and not doing homework 

for exams syndrome.

Home alone at last.  Do I put my feet up and sort out mess

tomorrow?   Oh dear, phone call, father in law in hospital.

He had a fall - all ok, no broken bones, but is staying over

for observations.  

Keith will be home early tomorrow morning, so I really must

have a grand tidy up!

Collagraphs

My first collograph prints.

Blue Moon

Blue Straw

Orange and Lime Straw

Red print

Red print with white

printed on black paper

I will desist with technical details like intaglio, rollered

paint etc.  Suffice to say I love it.   No time to play again

until the Autumn, although I can make up some plates

in the meantime.   A important lesson learnt - oil paint

inks get every where, unlike dyes that just sink into

skin, clothing and anything laying around.   Also a

challenge working in different media.  Had to put

my brain to work a lot over the two workshops.

interesting to work in a totally different media.

A taster

A really exciting day inking up plates and printing.

Amazing results, and this is only the beginning.

A couple of inked plates for starters.   I seem to

have mislaid my leads, camera to computer, but 

found something that works in Keith's draw.  Shh,

he is in Turkey playing golf!

This plate has already been inked in red and 

printed, second print with white rolled over surface.

A selection of plates - inked and cleaned

It's late - been a very exciting day.  Now that I have the necessary

leads I will take photos of the resulting prints.  In the meanwhile,

The Indian Bazaar has been set up ready for opening tomorrow.

Time for bed I think!

Mosaic

Lots of bitty things to do, so brain can't settle until all filed.

Enter another Journal Quilt - this time for Just 10.  Mosaic

is the theme.   How to?  Well my take is flooring - printed

with thickened dyes, stitched with a grid.   Hmm... this

needs a little something else.  What about putting textile

paints on my DM's and walking on it.  That's better.

A Woman's Work is never Done

A little segment of brain empty.

Next on the agenda is preparing for The Indian Bazaar to be held 

over this weekend.  Scarves, embroidered bags, etc. gathered on

travels.   E-mail for details.

Magical Day

Fresh from touring Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris, The Paper Cinema

appeared in Bristol Old Vic and held it's first childrens' workshop.

I got to help out.  Brilliant.   See link for some idea of the concept!

Think silent movie being performed before your eyes. No words,

only live music - a story with illustrations both beautiful and scary.  

I have to admit an interest here - proud Mum.

We had a great time, the children created paper puppets - tables

piled high with materials to use - cardboard, tissue, pens,

lots of glue was involved - and performed their own Paper Cinema.  

A few photos - very difficult lighting conditions, so just a little taste.

Nic  and Imogen giving a show for the children.

Other colourful characters soon appeared

Wonderment

Aspiring puppeteers

collagraphy

Not a lot of textile action this week.  Something 

different today though, a workshop on collagraphy.  

Fascinating, and the process can be used on textiles.

Sample boards made to get some idea of the process.

A lot of "backward" brain work, negative/positive, 

texture and tone etc. Cutting into mount boards, 

lots of gluing,  paper, string, leaves, oatmeal. Sealing

with shellac.  All very satisfyingly messy!

Next week, learning how to ink up boards and printing.

Three small boards ready to go.