Little bit of play with blocks

 Last weekend we were in Adelaide for the craft show at the showgrounds. Friday was really busy and it was wonderful catching up with so many old friends and customers. I actually played with easy peasy silk paper making that day but on Saturday I decided to get out my Inktense Blocks and Evolon and play with these as I love them. You can see that they are broken in the tin above - this is deliberate - they are easy to use when I break them in half. You can use them dry or wet - drop your water brush on the surface to pick up colour - great for mark making - or use them wet - I didn't - I chose to use them dry over stencils because it is an easy way to show one use for them. I created layers of different shapes and colours - sometimes it works and other times it isn't so good. BUT - remember - when you don't like something, colour it with something else (always a Moonglow Spray at the ready) - or cut it up and weave it - or stitch lots of stitching over the surface. You get the idea. Thanks Valerie Campbell-Harding btw.

This was already in my stash - rubbing over the surface with the side of the block - spritzing with water - machine stitching (which I could not do at the show - and how many people asked me if I was demonstrating the flower stitcher I ask?) And finally a few marks made with the Creative Versa tool

This one was already in my stash too but I wanted to show how easy to draw on the surface - add some water and then some stitch.

Building up some layers - pop your stencil underneath your fabric - Evolon in my case - and use the side of the block to rub - there are mostly three stencils in the pieces I was playing with

More layers again and some some Hot Spots with foil -

I liked this one the best - the underneath layers were pretty blah but see what a great stencil can do? This is a Joggles one we have. Now it awaits some machine stitching but not just yet - I have a very large piece to finish as fast as along with getting ready for the WA Craft Show here next week  - http://www.trueblue-exhibitions.com.au/

Now a wee vent - I love to teach and if you follow my ramblings you will know that I don't teach projects - I toss out ideas and hope people will run with them in their own special way. Of course I teach techniques and demo the stuff I use - often it is stuff that you can't get anywhere else or has my own special spin to it. I felt rather insulted recently (shan't say by whom or where) when I was asked if I still teach (this person says she reads my stuff so should not have needed to ask) and would I do a project or do I just do little demos of stuff I sell. I resent that - my business evolved because I needed stuff - I teach as me not as an adjunct to what I sell. If you like my ideas you are free to buy from anyone - of course I use my own stuff - how silly would I be not to? I have spent (with the wonderful Jacinta) a long time developing our beautiful colours and textures and in the textile art side of things - I sell what I like to use - not just any old thing. I am passionate about my art. And I know I would be as bored as can be if I had to teach a specific project - I couldn't imagine anything worse than looking at a group of students holding up clones of my work. I love it when people run with my ideas and I learn so  much every time I run a class.

Just sayin...... Vent over.......