24 December 2014

Fun for me!!!

Well the day is almost upon us, and I've still presents to wrap, but well, you know there has to be priorities, so....

I've mentioned before, a personal Christmas ritual, from childhood was always to have something creative to make.  I associate the making with Boxing Day afternoon.  Stitch kits, crochet...   So I like to have a Christmas make. Over the years I've bought myself all sorts of fun things.... the flower weaving kit to replace one from childhood, a mini portable spirograph, fancy yarn to crochet a scarf.  This year I've not bought anything.....

However, I've pinched an idea... I've filled a sketchbook with paint backgrounds, and intend to doodle, play, zentangle, as and if I feel like it.  No shortage of sketchbooks in this house, but why did I buy a DL size? Time to put it to use.... so here it is prepped.  Between mince pies, chocolate and fizz, it might not get used, but as I spend Boxing Day alone...... I will be happily content to play.


These are wet on wet with clingfilm overlays
Spectrum Noir Aquatints

A few stencils made on my
Silhouette Portrait, bought designs, well free cos I have a voucher!
Love the look of them with the paint left on.

Acrylic paint

Using a stencil which I won from


Wishing everyone all the very best
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

07 December 2014

Tales and Textiles Exhibition

The Material Girls current Exhibition is now open.  Tales and Textiles at Craft Arena, Billericay, Essex, - poster in righthand margin.

Because I've been asked, I will give the background information to my work on display.

Tales and Textiles is the theme.  Each Member of the group chose a style of decorative textile pertinent to a country, alongside which they found a Tale to compliment.  This may have been a myth, legend, poem, song, something passed on via verbal history.  The ideas and inspiration make for a diverse approach.

For my work, I chose English Samplers, I saw many examples of Sampler through the ages, inc to the present day.  To me, Samplers record a moment in time, not just the sewing skills, but names, ages, dates, family history, and with many constructed by young girls, it didn't seem a big step to associate the rhyme 'Monday's Child' - known as a fortune telling verse.

I found in my research variations of the same stitch patterns over many years.  Blocks of stitches, patterns, motifs.  To fit in with my personal way of working, I used a paper base to set out blocks and filled each with a variety of stitches.  Monday's Child in its entirety was printed onto specialist inkjet watercolour paper, and the words from each day were also stitched into the blocks.  The colour of each day's Sampler was driven by further research finding that days are associated with particular colours and meanings.

Update of pieces as of 14th January 2015

Here are my pieces, with the title ExemplumLatin for example.


Exemplum 1
(Monday = White = Purity, Wholesomeness)
Exemplum 2 - SOLD
(Tuesday = Red pink = Sacrifice)
Exemplum 3 - SOLD
(Wednesday = Green = Renewal, Wealth)
Exemplum 4
(Thursday = Violet = Creativity)
Exemplum 5
(Friday = Blue = Nobility, Tranquility)
Exemplum 6 - SOLD
(Saturday = Dark Blue  = Power)
Exemplum 7
(Sunday = Orange = Adventure, Change)

Each of the group were also asked to make a 'book' - in the broadest of terms.  I chose to continue the moment in time record, making a book of the year I was born.  It has a page for every day, month divisions and a gold page for my birthday.  I'll give you a clue, it was a Leap Year, and the book is entitled "Thursday's Child".  So 379 pages individually added in coptic stitch, it measures approx 65cms wide, making it very flexible to display.


There are some mini stitched canvases for sale, as part of The Material Girls shop.  Monday's Child is printed on the background, with a coloured heart motif, a symbol to mean, love, friendship.  Each comes with its own display easel (not shown in this image) and option to add a day of the week to the canvas.

10cm sq  Mini Canvas
Pink and White - SOLD

As the Exhibition has now finished, contact me direct for information on pieces.

All of the items can currently be seen at the Exhibition, any sales transactions to be dealt with via Craft Arena, as such I will not personally know of availability of any pieces.
Do look at The Material Girls blog for photos from the Exhibition.  You will find huge talent and variation in interpretation of the theme, well worth a look, and may be, an ideal Christmas present?