grungeboard and NZ Quilt Symposium

For all those who asked (and I have had lots of emails as well as the comments here)
Grungeboard is a flexible sheet of compressed composite material that can be painted, inked, sanded or grunged. It's pliable, inkable, paintable, embossable hand and machine stitchable, and generally grungable. Just pop the shape/pattern/symbol out and away you go. Grungeboard patterns come in many styles, fonts, sizes and shapes to feed your creative desires. Available in smooth and a variety of debossed patterns, grungeboard will allow you to choose the perfect texture for your projects. Use it on your layouts, your cards, journals and other art projects. Great fun for all sorts of things.

There is also a video with Tim Holtz on utube. www.timholtz.com but I like the fact that you can stitch into it and it seems to like Moonshadow Mists and Distress inks and Colorwash all of which I like to play with.

Re the NZ QuIlt Symposium in 2009 - Lots of people at the Embroiderers' Conference in Hastings asked me if I would be there or suggested I should be there. As that weekend is my birthday (a wee bit big one) and Wellington is my favourite city anywhere, Ian and I thought it would be a great place for a long weekend. Alas, apparently the trading section is full - no room for 2 Rollies and 2 tables so we will have to go somewhere else for the occasion. Never mind - good try.

I have spent the day packaging all sorts of fibrous stuff for the show in Perth, playing with papers and stuff for my hands-on workshop and thinking about writing the newsletter which needs to go out before the end of the month as we will be busy at the show. I think Gogos restaurant is on the cards tonight.

grungeboard playing and still raining

Poor Sarah - it has rained non-stop since she arrived and apparently going to clear up next Monday when she flies off. At least it isn't cold. I hope it isn't too wet down south for her trip.



In between getting ready for the show this weekend in Perth, I have had a wee play with Grungeboard. It's interesting stuff - very flexible. I have sprayed with Moonshadow Mist and hand stitched it to an embellished surface - a fine silk fabric I found lying around worked on some muslin - I am quite pleased with this stuff and Ian has spent quite a while today putting it all on the website. I have the letters because I am still playing around with letters and words but what better way to start than with your own name. I want to try a few other colouring means as well. I have also been playing with a couple of ideas for my on-line embellisher workshop - sorry Penny - I just have to add some new things but wouldn't it be boring if it was exactly the same as the first round. It starts on 12th August.

We Won't Mention The Ruggerby

What a depressing finish last night - well as soon as they brought on the replacements - I won't name names. The All Blacks will start losing support soon - we will hang in though (for the moment) And to think Ian had on his brand new AB socks and we drank good NZ champagne before the game. Shame.....

I have been packaging for the show but Sarah has been playing with various goodies we got - the liquid pencil which I am hoping to play with soon as I think they will go so well with my new Graphitints and Grungeboard which arrived this week. Sarah selected a pack of element designs and has been colouring and hand stitching -I have just chosen a sheets of D's and I plan to colour and stitch as well.

WIld Women Challenge and lots more rain

Lots of Wild Women arrived today - deadline day apart from those who have pleaded to be late.... why is it that we all work to the very end of the deadline? I thought I would show a couple - hope they don't mind. The first one is Ileana's and the second one Delys'



If you are coming to the show next Fri - Sun you will be able to see them all and lots more. Sarah has been spending her free time stitching away - I have only been doing boring stuff like packaging with lots more to do. Today we went exploring and I found some very interesting stuff for experimenting with - I will have it at the show. We also found some interesting pastels yesterday which we have been having a wee play with and some liquid pencil which I Know will go with my Graphitints but I haven't had a chance to try them yet.

It has rained heaps today so not so much fun for Sarah having a holiday.

Just to remind everyone that there is a BIG rugby game tomorrow in Sydney.

Melbourne Quilt and Craft Show

We will not be at the show in Melbourne - in fact we haven't done this one for quite a number of years now - but do go and visit Jacinta and Rae - Spiral Dyed - on Stand C34 - they will have lots of their stuff and our stuff and Jacinta will be doing demos and Rae will be very efficiently working hard.

Sarah is sleeping in the studio - it must be strange in a building with lots of windows and no curtains and it might rain today

Tuesday

I got this book in the mail today - The Art of Felt - another treat from Francoise Tellier-Loumagne. What a tremendous source book for the embellisher and my work. No time to do other than flick through it whilst drinking my coffee. May have to rewrite the Embellish Stitch Enrich workshop which is filling up to start on August 12th. Only joking in case Ian is reading this - but certainly loads of inspiration for my work.

Grant and Jarrod ended up 2nd in the 14s as the final day of racing was cancelled - too windy. But they were pretty pleased anyway with 2nd.

I am also getting ready for my big give away - thanks to Maggie - but finishing a piece first which I shall give away as well. So you will have to wait until I have done the final bit of stitching.

Sarah Lawrence is arriving in the wee hours on the night so I have had to 'clean' and vacuum my studio so she can sleep there tonight - think I got rid of the spiders.......

Off to dinner first with Luigi and Martine

mixed bunch

Grant and Jarrod are sailing in the 14ft skiff worlds in Warnemunde - they won race 6 and are coming 2nd with one race to go. They will be pretty pleased with themselves. Here they are crossing the finish line first. It looks rather cold and bleak and I expect it is....



Last night the Wallabies beat the Springbox but next Saturday will be the exciting one - nail biting stuff I hope not. All Blacks vs Wallabies in Sydney.

The other exhibitions I saw in Wellington which I would highly recommend were at Pataka Museum. There were several exhibitions on - Amazing Lace, Sharing Stories,
Lightwaves, Muramura, All Fired Up, Tossed and Found. All very much worth a visit - and the coffee and toasted sandwich was okay too.
This piece of lace is by Jeff Thompson - titled Lace IV 2006 - screen printed steel. I was rather fascinated by his work. The lace exhibition was a mixed bag but we also enjoyed the lace coat hanger covers - our mother made plenty of these....

getting back into action

I nearly didn't get to NZ actually - I arrived at the airport in Perth after the gate for luggage had closed and the queues at check-in were mind-boggling. Pushed my way to the front of the Qantas Club queue and got verbally abused by people only to be told I had missed the flight. But by some quirk of fate (there must have been others as errant as me) I was told to go to a different counter where I could actually check in. I didn't see any others - maybe they felt kindly towards me. But then the flight was delayed an hour for something or another. One thing I did discover when I drove from Wellington to Palmerston North in the middle of the night was that the road was full of cars (and many trucks), there were loads of roadworks people working and all the way there were lights on in houses - now I know what people get up to when I am usually asleep (it was 2.45am when I arrived in PN).


For the return trip, Bev and I went to Te Papa to see the Rita Angus exhibition - fabulous and I would recommend it to anyone who has not already been to see it. We meandered through the first 2 rooms and then had to canter after that - no way I would dare chance my luck at checking in late. The catalogue will have to satisfy what I missed. She was quite a woman. The book was too big for the scanner so the S is missing. It was also very heavy in my backpack. I will tell you about the other exhibition we went to tomorrow.




While I was away, a delivery of Graphitints arrived and they are on our website but these are mine - wonderful pencils which I have been after for a while. They work dry on dry but when you apply a water brush - yummy. I am off to do some printing and colouring and playing sometime today before we go to Bruce's to watch the rugby - Wallabies vs Springbox.

back again

Here I am back home again - long day's flying and I could have got an earlier flight from Melbourne except that the girl on the counter sent my bags down the shute even though I asked.... Never mind.

I had a great time - it was only bitterly cold one day in Palmerston North. The conference 2 market days were great - apart from there being no lighting on my stand, people were fabulous and went away with more than half of my luggage (never mind I filled it up with wine and stuff for Ian). It was super to catch up with so many people and I enjoyed staying with Bev and we spent one evening going through a big box of photos - some pretty awful but quite a few good old ones from the past. Here is me in my Princess Diana pose! This was when I was director of music in my previous life so I guess it was at a musical event - I used to conduct the choir. I hate speaking into a microphone. Weren't those glasses something? I had forgotten how huge they were.


Came back to a copy of ver Filzt Und zuge Naht where my Surface tension book is reviewed. The magazine looks great but I am going to have to borrow Bruce's German dictionary to be able to work out what it says - pictures tell many words and maybe I can even get Bruce to do some translation for me.


Very busy today with orders and sorting stuff. And it is raining.

Cape Leveque and off I go again

Ian has finally had his photos from Cape Leveque developed - lots of sea, red dirt and a good relaxing time. Here is Ian in the bush.

Further up the beach roaming the rocks.

Our first trek in a 4WD on the red dirt.



Our safari tent


the rocks at the other end of the beachthe other beach where we went to see the sunset - the wonderful red rocks


our safari tent close up - long gone the days of our early camping - real beds and a bit of bush luxury - highly recommended.

Today I am off to NZ to trade at the embroidery conference over the weekend and to catch up with my sister - she tells me it will do me good to experience real cold weather so I am wearing all my clothes as no room in the suitcases for those. Back on Wednesday. I land in Wellington in the middle of tonight - hope my hire car has a good heater. Ian is in charge back here.

fabulous photo

found a great photo from the final day's sailing at Six-fours
Here's a description, written, I think, by the photographer - (French translation unaltered by me)

'Black hull, gray veils, spinnakers black or yellow, the splendid SLAM s’ is logically imposed. L’ Australian Grant Rollerson, well-known of the international circuit for its devastating humour and its high silhouette of hairy surfer, n’ ceased progressing in l’ optimization of the adjustments of sound 18 feet new bright burning coal. Put at l’ water the first day of competition of the JJ International Giltinan Championship run semi February out of bay of Sydney, its skiff with the colors of SLAM seems to express aujourd’ today all its potential in the small airs'.

disaster

there are plenty of disasters in the world today but the biggest disaster for me today was dropping my entire collection of beads on the polished concrete floor in the studio - tomorrow brings a huge amount of picking them up but I think the sorting will have to wait somehow.

flower power some more

This is a little page for a new book I am making - bit of colour for Perth when I think we have just had our coldest overnight temperature that I recall - minus degrees. Unheard of, My possie gloves are getting good use.

Congratulations to Grant

WOW - Grant has won the 18ft European Championships - mothers and fathers are allowed to be proud of their children no matter what age they are. I read that Slam was showing devastating speed in the building breeze. All that hard work has paid off. Grandma would be proud of you, Grant. A glass or two of champagne is in order.

After lots of rain and cool weather for Perth, we have had a lovely day so some plants have ben planted and some tidying up has occurred, and a magic carpet has been nearly finished along with the start of a stand up book.

Excellent rugby - the All Blacks won and so did the Wallabies (it's okay for them to win unless they are playing the All Blacks). We are off to Bruce and Kazuko's to watch Maori play Australia A and then to dinner.

sailing, rugby and magic carpets

Just waiting to see how today's sailing in Six-Fours goes - the mistral arrived yesterday I believe but it was too windy for racing. Grant is in the lead by 4 points but of course anything can happen in sailing.

Then we are waiting anxiously for the first of the tri-nation games - All Blacks vs Springbox in Wellington where it sounds like the weather is a bit nasty.

I have been working on my magic carpets for lesson 6 of my workshop. Nice and colourful as all magic carpets should me (for me anyway)

Lots of rain here - last night we ent to the WASO for a very nice concert - Ballet Russe - I think the WASO is sounding the best I have ever heard it - and I have been pretty critical over the years. The winds were very good (apart from the very first chord) and the strings emitted a cohesive and good sound. At last....

in the lead in Bandon

The intrepid sailor had a 1st and a 3rd yesterday and is now in the lead. It's hard tracking down these photos - just as well I am a bit intrepid myself - that's Grant on the left.

1st equal

Wow - the intredpid sailor is coming first equal now with Yandoo so that's 2 Aussie boats in the European Champs. Actually I think the reason he rang was to see how we were getting on with the windows......

European Championships at Six-Fours

Here's Grant sailing in his new 18ft skiff - SLAM - at Six-Fours in the south of France. Today's race they came first so I expect they were pleased with that.

a little light embellishing

Here is one of my today's efforts - you wouldn't think I had knitted up a ball of wool in a cable pattern whilst watching the rugby on Saturday, would you? Then when it hits the embellisher, all is changed forever. Don't throw out any old jerseys from now on.

Bruce and Kazuko are back from Japan and Grant is sailing in the 18ft skiffs champs in south of France. Some people have all the luck. He has given us a job - something about cleaning the windows in his house (thoroughly) and applying a surface.

some info

If you are coming to the WA Craft Quilt and Stitch Show August 1-3 at Claremont Showgrounds (free parking)
here are the details of the workshops/presentations.

Workshop/Presentation Details
WA Craft, Quilt & Quilt Show

"Silk, Science and Stitch"
A presentation by Helen Cowans - UK
Room 6 at 11.0 am each day
The colourful, contemporary textile art of Helen Cowans reflects a love of many hand and machine embroidery techniques, mainly inspired by science, landscape and eastern cultures and includes a range of items from 3D structures to large wall hangings. Come and meet Helen and learn how she came to have such a passion for textiles, her early work and inspirations, including studies and art relating to Biology.

"Wild Woman" Stitched Art Brooches
A presentation by Sarah Lawrence - UK
Room 6 at 12.00 noon each day
Sarah's fabulous concept of making lady shaped art brooches to keep or give away is beautifully explained in her very popular new book "Wild Woman - Stitch Art Brooches " You just create the Basic shape with a variety of media, then give each one a personality with a variety of gorgeous embellishments.

"Ratty Tatty Papers"
A hands on workshop with Dale Rollerson - The Thread Studio
Room 6 at 1.00 pm each day
Come and play with Lutradur, Gossamer Fuse, Moonshadow Mists and more on papers and fabrics. Layer, bond and burn – no time for stitch. You will come away with a very individual little house book and lots of ideas for playing at home.
Kit Fee $15.00 Bookings at The Thread Studio Exhibitor Stand

"From Pugin to Peacocks"
A presentation by Helen Cowans - UK
Room 6 at 2.00 pm each day
In this fascinating presentation Helen will look at work influenced by the Gothic Revival Art of Pugin along with India and the Islamic world.

Knitting With Natural Materials
A hands on workshop with Sarah Lawrence - UK
Room 6 at 3.00 pm each day
Knitting with natural materials is always a pleasurable activity, let alone the luxury of the knitted outcome. However, when knitted textiles are combined with the particular properties given by silk fibres, we enter a whole new realm of constructed surface. Workshop gives technique and sampling outcomes for the more adventurous textile artist. PS No knitting involved.
Kit Fee $15.00 Bookings at The Thread Studio Exhibitor Stand

You can, of course, book with us by email or phone for my and Sarah's hands-on any time before the show. We will both have limited numbers for hands-on.

Helen is also giving a 2 day workshop 5th and 6th August after the show and Sarah on 29th July before the show - the info for these will be on our website soon.