Monday 24 September 2012

Meeting the Master of Grand Design

I've been a great fan of the TV show Grand Designs, (my favourite show), for quite a few years now, seeing each episode at least once. Over the weekend, I had the good fortune to meet the fabulous presenter Kevin Mcloud. He was presenting Grand Designs Live at our exhibition centre in Melbourne. There was an enormous reception for him, apparently per head of population his show is more popular here in Australia, than anywhere else in the world.


I have some more fabric journal pages from earlier journals, I'm working on one at present to go into my Etsy





I'll also have some hand made fabric cards in my etsy soon too


and jewellery - a button, a circle of metal from an old tin and some very tiny pieces of tin all set in resin


Thanks again for taking the time to visit and comment, I really do appreciate your kind words.



Monday 17 September 2012

Roller stamps

As I mentioned last post I've been busy making roller stamps. They are so easy and cost next to nothing to make, but first I thought I'd show you the cover I'm in the process of making, as part of the demo in my Fabric Journal workshop. I seem to be obsessed with old metal tins and have even added parts of them to the front cover as part of the decoration.


the cover in the making, I still have to add the spine and the binding.


these are the things required to make the roller stamps - toilet roll centres, thin adhesive backed foam, you can use other thin foam (no more than 3mm thick or it doesn't bend as easily) and glue it down with gel medium, pva glue or mod podge - small scissors and a foam paint roller (the toilet roll tube fits over this and acts as the roller).


these are just a few of my completed rollers - cut the foam into simple or intricate shapes with small scissors - the circle one on the end was made using the foam that was removed from the centre of the rings in the second roller from the left - DON'T wash them, the more you use them the more the acrylic paint helps to seal them - one sheet of foam will make quite a few stamps - you can use the pre-cut shapes found in craft stores but they are usually thicker and don't stick as well, I would recommend re glueing them before you stick them down - if you have any problems with the ones you cut staying down, just add a little more glue


these are the results of the stamps in the above photo - I use acrylic paint with mine.


as I worked in my studio, last week, I looked out of the window and saw this lovely rainbow, by the time I found my camera it had started to fade, but I love the effect the sun had shining on the top of the tree. Looks like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. On clear days I can see the bay just over the hill, it really is lovely.

Thanks again for visiting and your lovely comments. I hope you try the stamp making, it's very addictive and costs next to nothing.


Friday 14 September 2012

More Pages

I've been busy getting ready to teach my fabric and paper journal workshop this weekend at home, so the only art I've done has been in my daily journal. I've slowly been scanning some of them into my computer. Here are a few of my earlier pages. I work on a few at a time going back and forth between the pages.




Thanks for dropping by.

I hope to show you some roller stamps I've made in my next post, so easy to do.

Thursday 6 September 2012

New Jewellery

I finally added two new necklaces to my Etsy shop. I go through stages of making jewellery, journals and painting. It's jewellery and journals at present. I hope to have another journal available soon, they take soooooooo long to make. I'll be teaching a two day fabric and paper journal workshop from home this month, it's full already, but I will be running another one in November for people who missed out.






The necklace and detailed photos. This looks lovely on, very feminine and delicate.






This one is totally unique with hand made fabric bead, soldered china, silver teaspoon handle and a brass key plate as the main feature.

The details as to what the necklaces are made from are in my Etsy listings


Here's another page from my journal a day. I'm loving just putting paint and collage down then going back and adding to it as the inspiration strikes.

Thanks again for visiting and your most welcome comments.