Monday mutterings

Today Val Holme's book Textile Art Textile 1 arrived. I love it really because it is in French and English so I am practising my French by trying not to read the English. Val is usually next to us at Ally Pally and we enjoy her company and lots of French folk always gravitate to her stand and we listen avidly in the hope of improving our French. This year I think we have all been moved a little way away so not sure where we will be. It's a good book - she says it is for beginners but it is quite innovative - Val always does great work. Last year she was working on a a very creative jacket.

The intrigues of the election continue to dominate the scene and fill the newspapers but we have also enjoyed reading about the All Black win and have to admit that we popped down to Grant's yesterday afternoon and watched it all over again and thoroughly enjoyed the 2 tries at the end second time around. It's easy when you know the result.

The day seems to have flown by with all the usual jobs to do - nothing like packaging Angelina and putting everything away and then someone phoning for more particularly when you haven't packaged extras of those ones. One day I will get on top of it all again. I seem to package 100s and 100s and have it everywhere and then voila - it has all gone. We are waiting on a new shipment - bit like waiting for grass to grow.

I am getting through all my writings and tomorrow hope to spend most of the day in the studio - then I will tell you about our little treat coming up. Exciting times and we also heard today that the Versa Createx Tools are on the high seas so will be here earlier than we thought. I am on the prowl for mylar to cut my stencils.

wonderful rugby to keep us up late

What a nail biting rugby game - we were both very quiet as the minutes ticked by and then - TWO tries in the last few minutes. Such excitement. I had thought that Ian opening the champagne seemed a little premature but I sure did enjoy the last glass. Beating the Springbox in South Africa before a crowd of 94,700 people is pretty awesome. What it means is that the All Blacks have won the tri-nations with 3 games to play. It's up to the Wallabies to do their thing for the next 2 games before the final game in Sydney.

Our Tagine last night was delicious   - I forgot to take a photo after I lifted the lid and only remembered when we were nearly finished. Just take my word for it.

The election ended up last night kind of as predicted - undecided and probably a hung parliament. Most exciting is the Greens win in Melbourne - maybe people really are fed up with the attitude and ineptitude of the 2 major parties. Our member is Stevie Smith - nice to see you on tv last night Stephen - we certainly never see you in our  electorate. Maybe you will think about us next time round. Not that we actually saw any of the candidates in our electorate. Heather - to follow up your comment about appreciating that the suffragettes fought for our right to vote - I couldn't agree more but I do believe that it should be my choice not some big brother telling me I  must vote. I  was born in a country where voting is not compulsory - I always voted from choice. I am afraid that there are too many people wanting to tell me what I should do and what is good for me - don't even get me started on fluoro jackets.

We have been slogging away on the computer nearly all day - Ian is working on the website and I have been writing various things. one of the things I am doing is preparing a submission to teach overseas (can't tell you where yet but it is somewhere we haven't been to) as I got an exciting email asking me to put in a submission. I find it hard to be precise about what I am going to do in 2 years time - I dont always know what I am going to do in 2 minutes time. However I am working away on a topic centred around the artful journey.

It is a beautiful day here in Perth. I am a bit late but I am off to cook pumpkin soup for lunch.

election day

Election day is best ignored so I have a Tagine cooking in the oven instead. Lamb shanks - I shall what the contents look like in a few hours time.

This is puddling - if you spray onto baking parchment and then lay your surface onto it, you get wonderful effects - this is a little Khadi fold up book all ready for more action - there still seems to be a lot of stuff on my table.

Jacinta on her blog has been making silk paper using silk rods so I thought I would too - I used natural ones and dipped them in a cup of water to wet and soften and pull the layers off - I laid my down onto a puddle of Silhouette Silver Moonshadow Mist in 2 layers and then covered with a second sheet of parchment and ironed with a dry iron on hot. Then I sprayed Black Orchid Starburst Spray onto a cut 'n dry foam pad and stamped onto the surface and finished with some stitch. All ready for my journal.

The front and the back depending how you feel. The silk 'fabric' is easy to stitch onto once it is ironed. Amazing little things, aren't they?

Most exciting - later on tonight after we have been bored silly by the election stuff we will rock up to Grant's and watch the rugby on fox. The All Blacks are playing the Springbox in South Africa.

It's Friday again

When you have plans they always get sidelined - I seem to have been very busy all day today but I am not quite sure what I achieved. When you think you have lost something it distracts you and puts you out of sync. I thought I had lost my Okarito journal - hadn't seen it since the show here in Perth and of course the brain goes into overdrive. However, all was well and if I had tidied up like i said I was going to - it IS on my long list of things to do - I wouldn't have lost it. We are having an enormous amount of spam which is very annoying since we pay corporate rates - apparently they are checking out the filters. Ian has been having exceptional fun and games at the post office - sort of like a Monty Python script. Just as well he can laugh at the end of the day - here he is between the trees with the chopped off heads - watering the kangaroo paws.

I have discovered that you can apply Xpandaprint to form-a-foam and then heat and then of course spray with colour and then stitch. more to experiment with this. Not on this one but I have also lain painted webbing on the surface before heating and impressing. Very effective and then add some foil. Can't find my playings for this - think I need to tidy my work table.

A long time ago, I left some fabric in the garden - had done rubbings with Shiva stiks and stitched a little. I have moved it around a few times - rescued it etc but completely forgotten about it until the landscape people where here and I spotted it in the garden they are going to do the plan for. I KNOW they thought I was nuts but then Ian was standing around with his beanie on so that made two of us. I washed it clean - it had snails and all sorts on it and resin from the mulberry tree - and I have hung it on the lemon tree to dry. It has rotted in places - possibly next door's cat has dragged it around, but otherwise it looks rather interesting. I shall think what I might do next.

The election is tomorrow and then thank goodness that will be over - but then the media will be on and on about whoever it is that wins. Time to disappear.

the first freesia

The first freesia is out - there are lots waiting and lots of nasturtium leaves but this flower won the competition. The scent I cannot share but this is a special time of the year along with autumn (we don't have that here and really once spring does start it usually skips straight into the stuff I don't like).

I have received a heap of samples of lovely Indian silk yarn and I am having to make the big decision of which ones to order. Always exciting. I also have to finalise the numbers for the new magazine Cloth Paper Scissors Gifts. If you fancy a copy then you need to email  us pretty fast. The sales person from Interweave tells me it is going to be fantastic and very popular but then she would. wouldn't she? She is a sales person after all....

I did spray my large sheet of Tissutex last night but that was as far as I got. I used 3 colours and it has a lovely sheen. I hope to get to make my flower book for holding the flowers, tomorrow.

Ian has loaded all the Textile Tantrums onto the web so do go visit them - they have their own gallery. He will be adding the artitst names and titles tomorrow.

a litle bit of Tuesday

Cas Holmes much awaited book 'The Found Object in Textile Art' arrived today - sometimes we get lucky with books - not usually though but if they are printed in Hong Kong they get here on their way to Europe and we get them first. It is refreshing to see new things from old instead of loads of stuff from other people's books regurgitated.

What have I been reading? The latest Ruth Rendell - it's a very interesting look at people with the usual intrigue of Ruth Rendell but I think when I want to relax I like Inspector Wexford and books which are easy on the brain after a busy day. I usually read crime stuff when we fly off into the never never so I should have kept it for the next trip!

Last night I cooked (yes I do quite often) a chicken curry so I made the same chutney type dish that I made for the lamb shank curry last week. It is quite yummy - yoghurt, cashew nuts, chillie, cumin, ginger, coriander whizzed up in the food processor. We have quite a bit leftover so I might need to make a different curry further on this week.

It's 6pm and I am only just about to go to the studio -  I am off to spray some Tissutex to make a little book to put all my flowers into. The election stuff is just so boring - what you need to realise is that they are all the same and nothing will actually change after Saturday and I would rather not waste my time voting. I had hoped it would happen when we were out of the country. We have waited 2 days for a courier company to deliver something which  arrived in Perth at 7am yesterday and it may come tomorrow (if we are lucky). And to top it all off I have had a huge resurgence of junk mail particularly from someone wanting to show me my wife's sexy photos..... I never ever heard back about the ladies coming from Dubai for embroidery lessons - shame... Obviously we will have to sneak off to Cantina tonight to give ourselves a wee break.

some more garden coming up

Dion and Annette from Evolve Landscape came today to see how they could work some magic with our last untouched garden area - in the back outside the studio. They did think it was a challenge. This is one of their award winning gardens - it isn't ours - my water stays in the pots with the sleeping waterlilies waiting for spring. We are looking forward to seeing what they come up with and then seeing our garden spring to life.

The Petit Carnets arrived today - that means little journals - I got a tiny order in to see what they were like and how they would go and we sold them all at the show here in Perth - not even one for me - so I got some more and they arrived today. Ian with his new fancy camera has even loaded them onto the website. There are 5 different sets with 2 journals in each bundle. They would make great presents as well if you could bear to part with them.

Today I received a lovely card from someone who had won a prize in one of the quilt shows. We give quite a pile of generous prizes for various happenings around the country and often you don't hear a word so it is really lovely when someone takes the time to write and says thanks. We really appreciate it. I am absolutely passionate about textile art and encouraging people to experiment, explore and play and our business is based on all the things which I love to play with. I started the Thread Studio because I couldn't buy stuff I wanted to play with and I introduced so many new things into this neck of the woods. Another word for a history degree is a nosey parker degree - I would like to think of it as research.......

Grant has updated his blog - swell time - with the last 2 regattas he has sailed well in - even a video to watch.

Ian's new camera and a bit of play

Ian has bought himself a lovely new camera and spent a fair bit of time playing with it. It's amazing really how things update so fast and what you thought was the latest, now looks like a heap of crock. I remember many years back when we both flew to Sydney and the boys stayed in Reefton with their grandparents and flew over to Melbourne where we met them (flying alone aged 7 and 8  - today we would probably be called negligent parents or something) - it was the time of the underarm bowl which no Kiwi could ever forget and we were amazed when so many Aussies kept apologising to us. I digress - what I mean to say was I bought Bruce a little digital (I think) game which seemd so modern. I wonder where it is today. But Ian has been in the garden photographing some of the kangaroo paw flowers and practising. At top is our original one which has been in flower for a while but the others are all the new ones - it will be a very vibrant garden of paws before too long. not to mention the bulbs which are bursting to appear - no no - not yet - it is only August I cry.

The rest of my pics are from my i-phone - the new toy battery is charging......

I have read a few comments about the Castaway stamp pad - can't remember where and I thought I would get it out and see if it still works - I think someone said it wasn't playing ball.  This one I sprayed kahdi rag paper with Colorwash and then used a daisy stamp and Castaway - it came out quite well - the pic doesn't do it justice. Then I tried it over Moonshadow Mist with parts of one of my new polymer stamps. I thought this was quite effective. I use Versamark for ghost images but the Castaway gives a slightly more definite image.

Next I thought I would do some digitizing - I told someone at the show in Perth that I was good at digitizing letters - not particularly good at other digitizing. You learn what you need to know for what you want to do. Just imagine how overloaded your brain would be if you learnt it all - that's a good excuse anyway. In fact I had forgotten and had to get the manual out and start all over again.... Practice does tend to help with anything. That's why when you learn the piano you need to practise.... Anyway I want to make a word wrap around for my stitchy stonehaven journal so that was my reason. Any genuine digitiser would choke seeing my efforts - my stitch leaves spaces etc but that is the effect I want - then I can burn into them with the soldering iron. I am using rayon - Stonehaven naturally - don't use cotton or polyester as your good work will be for nothing.

The picture is not that clear but I stitched a number of letters (I like letters and words) and burnt them out with my new toy - I have been busting to use it. This is the Creative Versa-Tool, available in north America for a number of years and soon to be available down under. We have been in negotiation with Walnut Hollow and are having our own made to Australian and New Zealand specifications. They should be here in early November. They sent me one to play with - I had to get a transformer for it of course as our ones are being made right now. It has 11 different interchangeable tips, is very sturdy, has its own stand and comes in its own carry box. So much better than the one we have been selling previously. It was a long hard decision as we had to buy a huge number but I think it will be worth it. SO many people have asked us about getting a good tool in. Ian is very impressed with it and that means more than my opinion because he looks at things thoroughly. I just get carried away. We are not sure of the price just yet. It also enables you to cut stencils which I hope to try this week. Too exciting for words.

Evelyn - thanks for the comment about hands-on workshop. If I get enough people I will run one in November.

It's Friday

We have had some lovely rain but not really a lot - the gardens need it. You don't expect to have to hand water in winter. I have been playing with Xpandaprint and stencils and sprays and mica. I am really pleased with this stone effect - just need to add some stitch next.

This is the back of it - worked on craft vilene - the Xpandaprint is the white and I rather like the effect - I am thinking when I have stitched it that it will be a page on its own because each side is so different.

Here I have stamped onto craft vilene with Xpandaprint, heated and rubbed with metallic wax and then brushed Magical Mica over the surface having first sprayed on a secret ingredient. I am quite thrilled with the effect of it

We received a very large shipment of sari ribbon and associated stuff today - and I had ordered a small amount of sari ribbon in stone colours - this is what they sent. It has the greys, a bit of dark purple/burgundy and that shade of green plus other colours. This picture has almost an oil slick look to it. Quite different from the usual brights - I am thinking I might try for other different colours next time. They cost more because they have to sort them to get the shades one might ask for. I am going to tackle some with my embellisher tomorrow.

forgotten August

I forgot to pop up my welcome to August but better late than never.

Because I am working as fast as I can on my colour book - trying to get it to the printers before 25th August and playing with my Okarito journal, I thought I would do some paper casting - one with a eucalyptus leaf (a My Stamp polymer stamp which will emboss on velvet beautifully but not this round), and I have found some surfaces lying around for great texture. They are all sprayed with Moonglow Sprays - you can see the mica - it is so fabulous.

I have done some others and have pocketed parts with Moonshadow Mists to get the walnut effect in places. The leaf here is a variety of embossing enamels with some metallic flakes. I thought it was hi time to clean out my melting pot - it is nice and clean now and all ready for the next adventure.

For the last 2 nights we have had a wonderful lamb shank curry - far too much for one night. But the exercise took me days for some unknown reason. I marinated the shanks in youghurt and spice mix on Friday and then it sat around for days.....

velvet embossing

a lot of people have been asking about the embossing on velvet so I thought I would play with another stamp - this is one of the My Stamps which we sell - they are currently 25% off. They are fabulous for embossing on velvet - I just want to clear this stock so I can order in a new range. What I have done here is to use the little frangipani stamp and first I have embossed on the velvet with no paint - this would wash out and will also iron out but if you are not planning to wash then it isn't a problem. But it does give a slight dimension to your piece of velvet. Over the top I have embossed quite a few frangipani prints using Lumiere Pearl White on a piece of Kimberley Dreaming hand dyed viscose velvet. Not quite decided how I will use it yet but of course machine or hand stitching will add an extra dimension. Incidentally, simply stamping or printing directly onto the velvet will not give you as good an image because invariably your image will sink into the velvet pile. Looking at my sample I think it could make the most glorious little bag - mmmm....

ABs win

Well - we didn't really think they wouldn't but the Wallabies did play so much better. However - an AB win means they keep the Bledisloe Cup again.

Penny - yes I know it is wacky that Ian has shorts on but he has his beanie for keeping his head warm...
Viv - I think that subscribing just means you will get an email telling you I have updated the blog.

could be exciting Saturday - who knows?

Ian is lighting up the bbq on a reasonably nice winter's day - there must be a reason.

I have been sweeping the back garden - time to get into action - it is so dry that we have been hand watering - my curry leaf tree was looking a little miserable.

 basked in dappled light - or something - but definitely a nice time of the year -

from the back garden - what is left of yesterday's tree destruction - they have yet to return to take a liuttle more of - then it will grow from the top once more but mangeable for Ian to trim it - still looks tree coated in the front and the birds are still happy.

the view of the 2 trees from outside my studio - so lovely -

when the light shines through you can enjoy all sorts of patterns but this is to show just how blue the sky is even in August.

I have been playing on my blog and added a subscribe button and a search button - lots of people have been looking for the flower stitcher samples. If you type in flower stitcher it finds all the piccies and entries. Amazing - it seems to work for seeking all manner of stuff.

After the bbq - of course - we will be off to Grant's (where there is fox tv paid for by us) to watch the All Blacks play the Wallabies in Christchurch. Who will win?????

Friday eye candy

Can't resist all these lovely colours especially on a lovely sunny should be spring day.

Sad to say Friday is also down she comes day - here is one of the Tree Wise Men lopping down one of our trees - I could hear it crying but we would be crying if it landed on someone's car. They are very tall and Ian assures me everything still looks lovely - we let them grow smaller by leaving the bottom behind - I think that is how he appeases me.

a little leaf made with UTEE - all ready to stitch into something in my journal.

Virginia - you asked how did I get such a lovely embossed image on the velvet. The only stamps which I know work(and Jacinta tells me this) are our polymer ones - the illumination ones and these 2 new ones and My Stamps - you paint them, lay them flat face up on a firm base - I use my granite bench top but a wooden board will work well - lay the velvet top side down and press with a hot dry iron. I have tried all sorts of other stamps - the ones with wooden bottoms - they often lift off the wood and the rubber ones don't give such a clear impression. That's why I went for these 2 new polymer stamps and have a few more on the ready.  It's easy when you have the right stamps.

embossed velvet

One of the things I love about the clear polymer stamps is that they emboss on velvet so well. Thanks to Jacinta's training I am quite good at it if I may say so. Here is my beautiful leaf embossed on some of our hand dyed velvet using silver metallic paint. Simple and oh so effective. I simply must now get onto the next few stamps - only planning a small number. For those who have asked - these two will be on the website very soon - Ian is just finishing the newsletter today - they are $17.50 each and come with an info sheet on what you can do and how you can care for them.

Last night we went to the Pavel Haas Quartet as part of the Musica Viva concerts. They are seriously good but I was amazed at how few people there were there. We only went because Musica Viva offered us 3 concerts in excellent spot at a ridiculous price. ACO concerts are packed so there must be something wrong as this group were superb musicians. Maybe chamber much should be in chamber music venues and not a concert hall. When we were students at Canterbury Uni we were rather privileged to have the Prague Quartet in residence and we went to the most wonderful concerts. When we were in Prague we also indulged in wonderful concerts every night if I remember. 

I have spent all morning sorting out trip for after Ally Pally - getting there..... the internet may be good but sometimes it is all rather frustrating. Tell you where we are going as soon as it is all sorted.

such excitement - my first yummy stamps

Something to give me a break from counting books and stencils and paints and stuff - the first of our wonderful new clear polymer stamps have arrived. If you read my blog you will know that i work with these two all the time and I have had so many requests for them so here they are. now I have to get to work on the next ones.

You can use them for stamping of course but also for rubbings and paper casting and embossing velvet and applying metallic flakes and all you need to do is to clean them with nice soapy water.

We are almost back to 'normal' here and should be up to date with the orders tomorrow and my part of the newsletter is done so that will go out tomorrow too. My studio is nearly back to normal as well and the washing has all been done. What more could we want?

monday monday

Thanks to everyone who came to the show, chatted, shopped, watched etc etc. We love you all. The WAzzie bags all went to wonderful new homes and I am sure Kaz will fogive you for lousy pronunciation.....  Ian and my special thanks to all our wonderful workers - Elizabeth, Martine, Eva, Debbie and of course Jaslyn and then Oliver as well who helped us pack up last night. The two vans was a great idea - everything got in okay with room to spare (must have sold a bit of stuff) and we were home and had one unpacked in no time at all. Thought we would go to Cantina but they are closed on Sunday nights - James told us about Blackbird in East Perth - what a great little restaurant - I had Oxtail Ravioli and it was superb.

Up this morning to empty out the vans - mysteriouso inside the still full one. Everything is now indoors or off to the warehouse and I am busy sorting it all out into its rightful spot. Re-ordering and all that stuff comes later.Many tasks first. 

At the top is my paltry effort for the weekend - I stitched a mountain of flowers on the flower stitcher and played on fabrics on the embellisher and then decided to start cutting everything out and weaving it back together again. It might become a book cover I think.

The newsletter should be out tomorrow - I know our wonderful newsletter readers wait for it so they can see what great specials we might have for the month. I am just dreaming them up but they will be good as usual. We had a few really good sell-outs at the show which makes room for some of the new stuff I have coming. I will also start sending out the Product of the Months this week. A lot of people signed up at the show so that will keep me more than busy.

Most best thing of course about the weekend was the rugby game on Saturday night - the All Blacks played superbly - can't wait until the next game in Christchurch next Saturday.
Back to work - we have to get those vans back.....