'Carried Away'

Thanks again for the comments. I do agree that creativity is about that wonderful feeling of being ‘carried away’, either being entirely in the moment and forgetting everything else or carried away with a surge of enthusiasm and just wanting to get on with making/creating.. However, I also know that when I look at a piece of work that I truly admire it will tend to have a certain simplicity and rightness, with nothing unnecessary added or taken away. I think there tends to be too much angst around about the creative process, but at the same time perhaps that is what keeps us going, the striving for that moment when one knows a piece of work is just right and complete.

This week I have been completely taken up with the inspiring work of Alisa Burke. I went to a local DIY store for a hedge trimmer and bought a trial pot of chalky emulsion (such lovely colours). It worked well on fabric and this lead to a Google search which via Quilting Arts brought me to Alisa Burke’s work. I paid to downloaded one of her videos because I just felt she could be me using all the left over bits and pieces. Her video is excellent and really encourages you to layer techniques.
Recent enthusiasms include cyanotypes, must do more when the sun shines, and life drawing, I would like to go to an ongoing class, but there isn’t a convenient one at the moment. I will put it on the list.

I also found this site which can take up a few happy hours if you are an enthusiast for colour; it could also help in working out interesting colour themes. Nice to play with anyway.

Woolworths' Book.

Thank you for recent comments and especially the birthday wishes.
Here are some more pictures of the Woolworths' book; it surprising the memories that the shop provokes. There are still lots of news stories about its demise and also about the young woman who has started the new version, Wellworths in Dorchester. Of course, Woolworths is now on the internet so not quite dead.

I think I did get a bit carried away, especially when I found the ‘boil proof’ elastic in a local charity shop, which is probably why it was not chosen. Also I had to find a way of doing the lettering and printing by hand which made it a bit inconsistent in style. I took the photos of our local store for the cover and added some texture with scanned muslin.

I bribed someone in Dorchester to send me the bag, which is lined with cotton and printed with Closure etc inside. Completely carried away as you can see.

Woolworths

There will be a couple of posts now about the book I worked on over the last few months for an exhibition; unfortunately, it didn’t get selected but it did keep me out of trouble for awhile.

These were some of my first thoughts.

I chose to make a book about the closure of Woolworths because my school friend’s mother worked there and my first Saturday job was in Woolworths on the haberdashery counter.

There are many people’s memories on the internet and many are similar to my own. We used to go there after school when they had a sort of bar where you could get chicken and stuffing sandwiches. I must say I hated the job but still have some fond memories of the shop.

Cake and more.

20th June, my birthday. I’ve made a big chocolate cake to celebrate and I intend to have much more than my fair share.

I’m also getting the bits and pieces ready for the next short workshop which I am organizing on Wednesday 24th June at Doodles craft shop in Tadley near Basingstoke.
We will be, hopefully, having fun printing with Quick Print on paper using acrylic paints and brusho inks. I have found a good tip is to mix the brusho with acrylic gloss medium which then acts as a resist to a top coat of water based paint etc. The next session I plan to use the same printing method but using fabric paints on fabric.
I know you would really have liked a picture of the cake but I didn’t want to make your mouths water too much.

Summer is?

Summer is?
Originally uploaded by stitchworks-jackie

Seen at the Hackwood Art Festival.

Beware

I’m getting bits together now for the June button swap. The theme is beach, sand etc.It is fun to get the ideas and bits and pieces together and nice to receive a parcel; so far one from Oregon and one from Portugal. Anyone can join in and there is no on-going commitment; take a look here.
This is an old book illustration transferred to a piece of canvas with acrylic medium and then painted with acrylics.
This is not an advert for Boots The Chemists but rather a warning, if you know you are about to do something stupid, try to stop yourself. Listen to that sensible voice inside. I decided to make a print pad from a dried up embossing pad. What a good idea, and I would use a cheap blade not my good one. You can tell by the pic that this was not a good idea. After cutting myself I used a sponge instead.
The shell like stamp was made with Quick Print.

Some more handmade buttons. I bet you just know I’ll be moving on to a new fad shortly!

Art Showcase

Art Showcase
Originally uploaded by stitchworks-jackie

Can you spot my 'Fashioned Pages'.