Very long post

I've just finished my latest journal and have added it to my etsy store, these are just some of the pages. There are one hundred in total, consisting of fabric, some hand dyed, my decorated papers and some blank watercolour paper, well as blank as I can get, I hate seeing plain white paper so they all have a little decoration, but still have room to work on. I've done lots of stitching in this journal and have added prints and original pieces of my art.

SOLD

I purchased a beautiful painting from Magaly Ohika's etsy store after reading her article in Cloth Paper Scissors. It arrived today and it's even more beautiful in reality. I love Magaly's style, her work is so unique. You can see her work on her blog The Itsy, Bitsy Spill.

Finally I'm busy working on a postcard size piece of art for Emma. It's her birthday soon and she hopes to get fifty people to swap a postcard size piece of art with her to celebrate a major birthday. If you want to join in visit her blog here, it's a great idea. I can't show the piece yet but will once she's received it.

Journal and workshop

I've now completed another large fabric, decorated paper journal which I will be adding to my Etsy store this week. I've used my latest stitched piece for the cover and added buttons down the spine. The cover is edged with sari silk ribbon. This is another large journal with 100 pages made from my decorated papers, fabric and watercolour papers.

The cover and spine

Stitched flower with hand painted leaves and stem

Fabric houses on my hand dyed and painted fabric background.

A small print of one of my original pieces of art.

Hand painted and dyed fabric background with a painted lace doily. Print of a section of one of my canvases and a cut out painted heart.

I love using clothing labels as in 'Peace Angel' above. The photo is of freesias taken on one of my walks down the beach. 

I'll add more photos this week of the rest of the journal.

Saturday I had a lovely group of students attend my hand carved stamp and stencil workshop. They made some fabulous stamps including the two elephants, Nicky and Sue are holding.

Busy carving, this was a small group which gave everyone plenty of room to spread out.

Finally I received this beautiful piece of stitched art from Dot a couple of weeks ago for my birthday. I admired this piece when Dot brought it for show and tell at one of our get togethers earlier this year. The colours are wonderful, my photo doesn't do the piece justice, there is so much work in it with tiny stitching and miniature buttons and beads.

The Winner is?

Thank you everyone for all of your comments and concerns re my father. He's still in hospital, but has made very good progress. We and the doctors are trying to sort out what's best for him when he's released from hospital, what he wants is very different from what he needs.

My dear husband had the task of drawing out the name for my give away last week and the winner is

SUE MAHER

The package will be on it's way to you shortly Sue.

I've been playing around with my new sewing machine and have just finished this piece which will be the cover of another large journal that I hope to have finished by the end of the week. I'm working on a small journal at present which I hope to have on my Etsy in a few days. I'll show photos here when it's finished.

Stamp and stencil workshop

I will be holding a hand carved stamp and stencil workshop at home on May the 8th, if you would like to attend please email me for details. We we be carving lots of stamps and making stencils and masks.

These are the types of stamps we will be carving.

These are typical stencils.

And these are the types of masks we will create.

I've been busy assembling more journals, here's another one I've just added to my Etsy store.

The cover.

These are all typical pages in the journal, you can write or draw in it, use it for photos or a diary, for poetry or affirmations, whatever takes your fancy.

I'd also like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your birthday wishes and for your concerns over my father, again I haven't had time to thank you all personally but your comments are so very much appreciated. My dad is still in hospital and will be there for quite a few weeks. They are hoping to rehabilitate him so that he can still live at home as long as he accepts outside help. He's doing quite well considering his age.

As a thank you for all of your kind comments and for taking the time to visit my blog I'm having a give away. The package consists of some of my decorated papers, fabrics, buttons and beads, prints of my art and other odds and ends. To enter the draw just leave me a comment and I will draw a name out of the hat next week.

The giveaway.

Best birthday

I had the most wonderful birthday last week. My darling husband had arranged, un be known to me, for me to have the day off work.  He took me out to breakfast and then what a surprise, he gave me this magnificent Bernina 440 sewing machine AND a flex shaft drill. I'd dropped a few hints about the drill after the Creative Soul retreat, but never ever expected the sewing machine. I've longed to own one but thought I'd be waiting awhile.

To top it off he had arranged for me to have a two hour private lesson with Olga Walters, an amazing textile artist. Her work is fabulous and she's a wonderful teacher, if ever you get the chance to take a class with her, I'd certainly recommend it, she's a lovely lady. Another amazing coincidence is her sister is named Ro Bruhn, she lives overseas I think.

This is the wonderful machine.

This is an example of Olga's fabulous work, she very kindly gave me this piece.

After such a fabulous birthday I was brought back to earth with a terrible shock. My father was rushed off to hospital with a suspected heart attack and renal failure. Since my mother passed away last month he's been slowly deteriorating, he refuses to have outside help, including family and it finally reached a peak. He hasn't been taking in anywhere near enough fluid and it led to his kidneys drying out. They also think he may have had a mild heart attack. They are doing tests and think he might be OK. He's eating well which is a good start. They've told him he can't stay on his own anymore so we are in for quite a battle when hopefully he returns home. Only time will tell.

At the other end of the scale, I think I've finished the Princess wall. The Princess actually moved into her new room over the weekend and is very happy.

The finished wall.

I'm intending to have a giveaway next week, I just have to put it together. Should have it posted soon.

Fabric pages

I'm still making journals, this time with some fabric pages added. This will be another large journal with my  decorated papers, blank papers and fabric.
I spent today with two of my grand children teaching them how to make their own decorated papers, it was lovely to see how they took what I showed them and then did it their way, no inhibitions, pure freedom, if only they don't get it knocked out of them at school.