Remember I said I needed a paper fix.  Well this is what I made.  Its called a Kusudama flower.  Do as I did, and Google for the instructions for it - I followed a video.  The paper is a new purchase, which I love love love.  Its by Tim Holtz, Tissue Wrap.  Comes on a roll just like cling film or tinfoil - this is Terminology, and has dictionary type meanings on it, so very me!!

I've still not worked out what I need arty wise for Xmas.... but I have bought choccies, for me!!  Him indoors tells me the shops have sold out - so he won't want any of mine then, will he?

But now a question…. Jan/Feb time my magazines come up for renewals on their subs. So, should I renew or not? I will renew Embroidery, no question of that. I’ve been taking it since 1992. It was the magazine which led me to the Guild itself, it used to publish lists of all the Branches and contacts. It came at a pivotal moment in my arty life. Bought the magazine, attended my first Guild meeting and started C&G studies all within weeks of each other. Its now the only magazine (since Fiberarts demise) that gives me a wider viewpoint on textile art. Some issues are better than others, or rather some of course hit what resonates with me, but I can’t imagine giving it up because what I don’t like or am not drawn to gives me cause to think. I am the sad person who reads everything in my magazines and I mean everything, all the ads, the lot.

I also take Quilting Arts and Cloth Paper Scissors – via digital copy as that way I can afford them both. I’ve taken CPS since issue one. Honestly, I’ve never made a project in it….  and I don’t like twee – things like pages and pages of Halloween novelties, Xmas decorations also leave me cold. QA I’ve taken for a while now – but I don’t quilt!!! In fact I don’t really know where to start with quilting. However, QA merges the edges between embroidery and quilting, and I’ve come across several artists I like, and now follow their blogs. So if I don’t take these two magazines any more, what do I put in their place? I don't tend to stitch in the evenings very often - I use that time for my reading.
Btw we have a calamity, I can't function.... the laptop has died.  Would have been nice if it hadn't failed 3 weeks after a new battery.  Looked it up, was bought on Boxing Day in the sales four years ago.  Guess where we are going this year?  It has had a huge amount of use.  We have a netbook, which I'm not keen on, keys in different places and I always type the wrong stuff, too small to see, and.... I can't play Mahjong Tiles on it - see calamity.  I mentioned the i-pad word.... and judging by the response, no mini flat do dah thingy is coming in this house!!

Shopping....

Despite what him indoors thinks, I actually don't buy a lot of art supplies - in fact I can't recall the last time I bought hand embroidery threads.... I've got mine from years back, my gran's and others donated to me, as well as what I was buying when doing C&G - so the biscuit tin of threads has increased to a huge box, and I mean huge. I keep a record of everything I buy - partly cos I'm registered Self Employed and partly so I can properly cost out anything.  I do a lot of searching around for the best prices - beware P&P is often prohibitive.  I get a bit fixated to track down best prices and what products are really called by manufacturers, not the fancy names given to them by individual shops.  Repair Tissue for instance I've been using since mid 90s, and I know it by at least 10 different names.   I do however wrestle with my conscience, best use of my money versus taking trade away from small businesses.  Unfortunately mail order is often the only way to get what I want - because its not available locally.
But above are two of my latest purchases which came this past week.  I always have a little play with everything - would make more sense if I kept all this info in one place, but it usually goes onto the next blank page of my sketchbook.
The paints - wheeee so pleased with those.  Golden Fluid Acrylic.  I won these on Ebay - a pack of 10 brand new sealed, for just under £25 inc p&p,  On their own they are around £5.50 a bottle - and I discovered the bright red is over £8.  I have some others of these, so I know how they work,only need a small amount, good job at that price!!  I love products which do more than one thing, so acrylics as they will go on paper and fabric suit me fine.
The threads, sigh.  I have been thinking about these for months and months.  They are King Tut - and what's been drawing me in is that the variegation changes about every inch - whereas other threads 4"-5" or more.  But I'm not a quilter, so I wasn't sure if they would meet what I'd want to do with them.  They are 100% cotton too, not normally a fibre I go for.  Again quite a considered outlay when you don't know what they are like, which is why my hesitiation - and what colour?  However Barnyarns offer a Try Me, at the cheapest price I could find for them - max of 5, but they choose the colours.  So this is what I got, and I love them.  Did my little test, stitched beautifully, on zig-zag the colour change is about every 4 stitches, yipeee!!!
Embroidery magazine came too this week, waving to Gina who has a piece in it.  So lots and lots to absorb and play with.... goodies are almost better than a supply of choc (I said almost!)