South Lea Meadow, Cliddesden

Here is a sad tale I wanted to share.
Now the proposed site for 40 new houses. This field in a conservation area and for a long time a perpetual theme.

 A lino cut.

Paste paper added to fabric.

Pulled thread free machining.

Mono print.

Free machine embroidery.

Collograph printed with a pasta machine.

Will it soon be just a memory? Definitely a case of please 'not in my backyard'.

October

The year is passing very quickly, I started tidying my craft room this time last year but due to my wrist fracture did not get very far. I have started again now and needless to say the more I tidy and look through things the worse the mess gets. I have, with some heart ache over hours spent, thrown out most of my City and Guilds notes, my Access sketchbooks and much else, but I am at the moment hanging on to most of the samples. Although two assessment pieces have gone. I heard the other day that someone was told after Art School to throw out all the work he had done; that is not altogether a bad idea, although when I look at some of my samples I marvel at the patience I had at the time.

These are a few of the samples:

I have continued dipping into Skill Share workshops and this is a small piece of weaving with sea glass added.

September

Coming up to autumn now, I am looking forward to going down to Dorset again soon, starting in September and then, hopefully, regularly through the Autumn/Winter months. Not least because I followed a class on Creative bug which is gives clear instructions for crochet over stones.

 This helped to revise my very rusty crochet knowledge, but unfortunately I have no stones of the right sort of size so I need to get back to beach combing. I dug through my limited collection of hooks, mostly inherited, and my not so limited store of thread to come up with the basics, but no stones!

I have followed some more lettering workshops, watercolour (Silly Faces) and recently one on cross hatching.

I made a couple of ‘jewellery’ pieces having bought and tried out some epoxy glue to fix small pieces of beach glass to shards.

Thank you for catching up with my 'doings'.

August

Firstly a short book review:

‘I Can Make’ My Own Accessories, this is a book aimed at encouraging young people to start crafting/sewing; it is aimed at ages from 7 plus. For some parents it may be a great holiday project and for grandparents may prove an interesting way to start sharing ones interest in stitch. No expensive fabric or equipment is necessary.  My stitching began when a friend’s mother used to put out a scrap bag of fabric and encourage us at seven to play tailors.

I particularly like the way it is presented with pretty colours but also a nice chunky cardboard cover. At the end of the book some useful basic sewing tips are included; I know from experience that one should not take for granted that even a teenager knows how to thread a needle.

Once the basic projects are completed there is encouragement to go on and use the techniques which have been learned to design unique accessories.

The book which is published by Thames and Hudson will be published on 11th August 2016.

I have a couple of new jewellery pieces to show you:

I have continued with a little painting mostly at a weekly club and also
some Skill Share classes. I am now an Instagram addict and don't know how I managed without my daily fix. I would like to be able to emulate  some  of
the modern calligraphy examples I follow, especially combined with watercolour
backgrounds, but I can't say I have cracked that skill yet!

Skill Share class add texture in watercolour'Pearly King and his Dog':

Paint a silly Face mainly with watercolour and then app'ed on the ipad:

I had a go at transferring photos onto sea glass, could be OK with more practice:

So that's what I have been up to. Lets see what August brings.

Here comes the summer, probably when it stops raining; here is a short up date of my crafting life over the last few weeks. No stitching as you see, although I post on Instagram under ‘Stitchworks-jackie’, I have mainly been following ‘Skill Share’ classes and working with my beach combing finds.

We will not be back in Dorset until the end of September, so plenty of time to look through my collection of sea glass, pottery, etc. I am still slightly in awe of the dremel and hate to think of someone using it on my teeth, it apparently being the dentists’ tool of choice. I keep working on getting used to drilling sea glass because I so like the result which will enable me to plan the piece of jewellery.

 I am very much a beginner, but I think I am improving, thanks to lots of You Tube videos. I also tried some looping over drift wood and stones, definitely easier than crochet.

On Skill Share I have followed a few lettering workshops and finally found one which teaches the basic shapes of the letters for modern calligraphy. I also followed a watercolour portrait class, which is about drawing fun caricature like faces.

 I will be visiting the last Art in Action this month, how sad that it has to come to an end, particularly as this year the emphasis is even more on artists demonstrating their skills.

June update

June already, some good progress with my wrist, I can do most things for a short time but still not able to drive which is frustrating. Did I tell you that my son bought me a Dremel to encourage me to look ahead to times when I could do more hand work. I have become rather obsessed with beach combing, which I have always enjoyed but now has a purpose as I collect sea glass and beach pottery. I am so jealous of some of the wonderful coloured finds which people collect all over the world but get a thrill from each little piece I find when down in Dorset.

 I joined Instagram and don’t know what took me so long as I now check it at least twice a day.

‘Skill Share’ which I am sure I mentioned previously has been a life saver, especially when I was more able to hold the camera and use the keyboard. I have followed a variety of courses, particularly pattern making on the computer, really difficult, even recently a block printing one. I made a roll for my watercolour brushes. I am have no real knowledge of how to paint and no real skill, but in some ways it is liberating to go to a class and now a club, and just mess about. It’s a new stage. I have no ambition; I'm just doing and enjoying the company.

Here are a few images of what I have been up to.