Cley Print Course

Pictures from the print course with Laurie Rudling. First we made print blocks with sandpaper blocks, adding PVA and texture medium to create the design. The sandpaper areas hold the ink and print dark.

I printed a couple of the tree designs onto canvas off-cuts from the local copyshop who print my quilt cards. I will be able to add stitch to them when they are fully dry.

The moon over water design was used to try out different ways of inking the block, for different effects. I like the dark one best.



We then made a carborundum block where you design the shape and surround it with glue and stick on the gritty powder, actually and aluminium silicate I think.

This was my Fungi, and it printed very dark, mysterious and deadly!

Then we made a collograph plate with assorted cards and papers, and then put carborundum powder all around the outside. You have to varnish them before you can print and it was taking a long time to dry.

I tried to make a design based on a church, and overlaid it with a mosque. Poor result, as the first print had too much ink and the second, a ghost print, made without re-inking the block still doesn't seem to be right. I guess it may have been better with another couple of printings but I ran out of time.
And you should have seen the work produced by everyone else... stunning stuff.

Post cards

These are a bit bright, but are my contribution to the postcard swap in July - Use it UP! Buttons and Beads.

The Ceramic buttons are definitely needing using up and the beads are too bright for most things but look good here!
The background is dyed pelmet vilene then printed and over-printed in a series of experiments some time ago!

Hampshire Trip

Post Card by Vanessa

Here is a pic of Vanessa's card,
one of my students in Hampshire.
Lovely colour choices.






My grandson has kept this beautiful Ginger kitten from the litter his little cat produced recently. Jasper-cat.

Jasper

 I did get some sewing done myself while I was away, more Winding Ways blocks for the second wedding quilt I am working on...

Journals update

May Meadow

 I'm back now from my travels and will try and post pictures of some of my students work.

I've managed to complete May and June's Journal Quilts; these are the two I developed from my dyeing and printing sessions.

June Daisies

The May quilt is straight line quilted like the earlier ones for this year but I attempted to outline quilt the printed flowers for June's quilt and rather like the effect, although it took much longer.
Just have to work on the next two now..

Making Handmade Books: Finishing a Project: Decide-Commit-Focus

Making Handmade Books: Finishing a Project: Decide-Commit-Focus

Interesting stuff this...
Sometimes it is hard to let things go, but space is always an issue for me!

Home again.

I've had a great time swimming every day, watching tennis and stitching my journal quilts. It was lovely to be warm, but soon got too hot so we were glad to get back, but the garden is a jungle!
Now to finish the wedding quilt:

It seems to take me longer to hand sew a binding than to make the blocks!

On our last day in Spain we drove round the coast to La Azohia where there is a a Restaurant with a balcony overlooking the bay. The decor is Aussie/New Zealand surfer, with amazing carved wooden statues. The coffee is good and you can watch people enjoying the seaside. The beautiful Med water is clear and there is a scuba diving school with boats of divers coming and going, and you can see for miles!

View across the bay

Huge carved statue twice as tall as me!

Dive school boat loading up