Work in progress

I'll show you more tomorrow. 

In the stew pot

Sometimes concepts have to sit and ferment for a long time before beginning to work on them.  I have had an idea in my head for ages.  It will be hand-dyed and will include stitching.  However, the main ingredient was something that I kept forgetting to buy. 

Fortunately I met up with some this weekend!

 

This is Mud Cloth.  It is hand woven and in theory has a specific purpose which is detailed here.   I'm going to begin by dyeing it with rust, but I have a few other ideas too.  I'll say 'watch this space', but don't hold your breath.......

What a surprise!

This is a relatively new blog, so I was surprised, but delighted, to receive this award from Purplume.  I've been following her blog for a while, and always find something interesting there.  Following someone from another part of the world opens up so many new ideas and interpretations.  Thanks for keeping me interested, Purplume, and thanks for the award.

As always this award has to be passed on, and that's difficult, because it is to be passed to 5 people, and let's face it, we all know more than 5 bloggers!  There aren't many other rules, in fact, here they are:

The rules for accepting this:
Put the logo on your blog or within your post (right click and save),
Pass the award onto 5 bloggers,
Link the nominees within your post,
Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

So, I've done the first, the logo is above!

Now to nominate:

Firstly I'd like to nominate Jan.  Her blog is full of cheerful chatty bits and pieces, and she includes pictures of all the things she is working on, and those that she has received.  Jan is really prolific.  I warn you, be prepared as she accomplishes so much it makes me feel really lazy sometimes! 

Next I'd like to award it to Kim.  Her blog is always worth a read, and I have to admit to being tardy at leaving comments there.  Thursday's post was of a fun project.

If you follow my friend Pam's blog you will be assured of the sunshine, too.  She is the most considerate and thoughtful person, a truly lovely friend.  This post will inspire you.

Three down, and two to go.  This is really hard, how does one choose?

How about another textile blog!  Gina is an inspirational artist and tutor.  She is great fun to know, too, and I'm looking forward to catching up with her next week at Textiles in Focus.  We've promised to share a coffee break or two together!

This last one is really hard.  Some of you will know that I have a very accommodating 'hat' from which I take items when I can't make a choice, well, here's the fifth one to appear!

Amanda is a Twitter friend.  We discovered that we had more than a little in common, and if you look at her blog you will see why.  This post could be a picture of something in our garden!

When it comes to sunshine, in reality there are many more of you out there - but I hope you will be inspired by following the above links.

Talking of surprise - what a great subject for inspiration, so, if you are looking for some today (inspiration, that is) why not take a short walk along the road - say 5 or 6 steps beyond your boundary - stop - look down.  I'm sure you will find a shape somewhere very close that could be the starting point of a design.  You see, design is all around you......

Inspiration

I am often asked where I find my inspiration - and the answer is difficult.  It comes in a moment of time, and is always unexpected. 

Sometimes it will be a view as it flashes past during a car journey

Or from delving into the history of a landscape and combining elements in an abstract way

Sometimes it can be just a single shape that attracts

and sometimes finding the right materials to interpret can take a while

But sometimes - you just throw a piece of used paper down, and inspiration is instant

All I need now is time to interpret it in the way that I want.....

Look for inspiration - it is all around - and comes at the most unexpected moment.  It's at times like this that keeping a journal becomes very important.

Feeling Scrappy?

Sometimes, when inspiration doesn't strike

You just have to go to your scrap bag,

Grab some bits and pieces (and a glue stick)

Choose a blank page (who says it has to be the next one?)

Throw your pieces on and glue them down.

Slosh on some colour

Take a pencil and write the first thing that comes into your head.

It doesn't matter what you say

After all......

...... this is just a journal......

G O   F O R   I T ! ! !

(If you found this interesting you might like this too.)

And another......

The components for the next little book are all ready to put together.

Still a 'little pink' - I'm working on other colours.

What do you think of the fabric?  Goes well with the paper, doesn't it.  This one will be pink and blue, I'll show you the finished result tomorrow.

I will definitely be offering some on Etsy at some point.  After the giveaway I suspect.

Finished

Yes, I've managed to finish one of the new bookies.  I'm only showing it here, it will remain a secret from the other blog until I have drawn the prizes.....

Here's the work in part progress:

Covers and pages almost ready.

Starting to go together.  This one has partly foiled edges, can you see?

All wrapped up and nowhere to go ....... yet!

Still time to enter.

Lots to make

If you have been watching the progress of One World One Heart you will know that my second giveaway is not yet made!  Today I have been preparing some papers for the pages of one of the books.  I thought I'd show you what I've done so far.

Shall I use these?

or these?

Then again

I might use these (in fact, one of them might make the cover - and possibly not the one that you think, LOL)

These look interesting too.

 

I've put together some other bits and pieces too.  I may have one finished by tomorrow........

But then again I may take a little longer.

If you haven't taken part yet pop over to this and this to find out more.