Photos, snow and sew

Well the snow has gone but when it fell it fell thick and fast. I am still creating an image per day so as the snow was falling I went outside to find a photograph. I didn't get far as the snow had built up on the leaves and stems of the climber outside my front door and made the perfect image. It was just as well as my boots and wellies were in the car in the garage so I had slipped my feet into my OH's motor bike boots - very big and heavy so it was difficult to walk far. The snow was still driving and I was getting covered in snow as I took the photographs using several different setting. This is my favourite.

In the back garden the bushes were laden with snow and I refrained from going outside to photograph it. I simply opened the conservatory door and zoomed in from there.

In spite of all this snow, the snowdrops are flowering and became the subject of another of my images per day.

To avoid going outside I looked for an image inside. The sun was falling on the leaves of one of my plants so I took a photograph of it. As I can never resist playing with images in the computer, I did just that with the photograph of the leaves and this was the result. I loved the colours. and sweeping shapes.

I have spent lots and lots of time getting to grips with my new mac computer but I have still managed to create some textile pieces. These are mini panels to add to the project I am expanding.

For this panel I used metal shim and embossed some fish which were then overlaid with dyed fibres and threads. The background was my first use of texture paste which I like very much and will use a lot more in the future.

I had to make some copper wire spirals for this piece and they were stitched onto a weave of painted scrim.

This one didn't turn out as I had hoped. The darker fish underneath didn't show up too well and I had to keep playing and adding to it but this is the best I could get. I may still do more to it as it will bug me until I get an effect I want.

This one used some of the serendipity Tyvek I had in store and fitted the project subject perfectly ( sorry can't say more than that). It was a 'go with the flow' piece and the base fabric a recycled skirt.

These are simply technique samples to go in a folder and they are fairly quick to make.

Now I am planning the next series of pieces but I have my grandson with me this week - half term- so it will be next week. One piece of good news. The publisher sent me a PDF of the sleeve for my book. It looks really good. Hope it catches peoples eye when on the book shelves.

It is getting late now so time for bed.

Cheers everyone.

MY new BIG MAC!

I don't have any creative work to show as I have been busy with my new computer. It arrived in a big black box.

I upgraded the hard drive and the RAM so it is a very powerful system. It is also a very heavy piece of equipment. However the new keyboard is just the opposite. It is very small and light.

Once we began to set it up we discovered that some of my other equipment is no longer compatible. Even though my scanner is only about 4 years old there is no update driver for the latest Mac so I have had to buy another one. Then I discovered that my graphics tablet which I have had for a long time but which works perfectly well is also not compatible so .... a new one of those too. The speakers used the old 9 pin serial connection so they are redundant too. Not bothered about them as I have some very dinky ear phones. Just look at this redundant hardware!!

The computer I have replaced has replaced an even older computer in the work room and I have cleared it out and am loading my grandson's software onto it. I can also still use it in the workroom. I am putting Windows on the Mac and running a dual system for the software that will not run on a Mac- namely my embroidery machine software. That will keep my mind focused.

I still have a long way to go but getting there. It has interfered with my other interests especially my image per day so today's image was created by playing with yesterday's image - the keyboard.

I am getting used to Photoshop CS4 on a Mac which is somewhat different to CS3 on a PC. It is simply practice and time - LOTS of it. The trouble is - I am missing my sewing and mixed media work so I think I will take a day off and go into the workroom tomorrow and give the Mac a rest except for my emails and image per day!! I hope.

So I have stopped pulling my hair out and have calmed down from thinking I had made a big mistake. On a lighter note - when my grandson heard us talking about the big Mac he piped up that he had been allowed to have a big Mac for doing so well with his silver swimming award!!!

Now I would like to express my deepest concerns to my Australian blogger friends and the terrible disaster they are enduring. It is hard to watch the news without tears in the eyes and a lump in the throat.

So that's all for now -

Bye everyone.

Hanging around!

Well the deed is done. I have ordered my new computer and monitor. I have to be patient now and wait for its arrival. I think it will be a couple of weeks as the computer is a custom build. Meanwhile I will continue adding and expanding my old project with new techniques.

I have just finished two hangings. They are a compilation of numerous techniques. Each part of this hanging is a different technique and uses different materials. They all represent the different aspects, features, colours and textures of a place I visited.

The materials used include tyvek, Angelina fibres, fusible film, printed photograph, stencilling , wrapped and shaped wire. When you enlarge the image you will be able to see the different techniques that have been used. They all have work on the backs too so that it is seen when the mobiles spin.

The second hanging used the text. The letters are digitised and stitched onto satin. The back of each mobile is painted and stamped craft Vilene. I made the stamps from Funky foam.

I used the text mobile to create my image of the day. It is a composite of this hanging from two sides.

I did have one parcel arrive this week - some soy wax flakes which I bought after reading and seeing Tracy's blog. This is another technique to play with.

The beginning of the week was quite pleasant so we went for a walk along the river at a nearby market town. We saw lots of these handsome chaps swimming around on the river.

The end of the week has been bitter cold and we were absolutely knithered standing on the school yard waiting for our grandson who is sleeping over tonight. Looks like we are in for a very cold spell - I shall retreat to my studio until it warms up. Hope to get lots done before the computer arrives because then I will have quite a learning curve ahead. I am changing from a PC to a Mac.

It is getting cold now that the heating has switched off so to bed.

Cheers everyone

Life just gets busier!!

Time for a new post. I am trying to write this while watching the ice skating - its the European championships which is slightly easier than trying to free machine and watch. Never could do one thing when I can do two at the same a time. Such a lot happening this week - my head is swimming.

Where to begin. Well - I have been toying with getting twin monitors and while researching this a computer friend of mine let me borrow a big wide screen monitor. Awesome. So much space to work in. Now I am thinking a single BIG monitor. I am also seriously considering going Mac. Whew!!!

I packed up my sewing machine and it was picked up by a courier to go for a service and to sort a couple of faults which have arisen. Horrible feeling seeing go off in a van. I took a photo of the boxed machine and made it my image of the day yesterday. I played with it a little in some filters to get something I liked.

I put a very big notice on the top 'Fragile Take great care'.

There were blue skies and no wind today so I went outside to take my image today. The sun is, at last, high enough to shine over the house roof and into the back garden. It lit up the jasmine. Some cheerful colour against a backdrop of last years dead remnants.

And here is some remnant of last years flowers in the hanging basket. I don't mind seeing last years dead tangles in the tubs and baskets.

I have just finished this piece to expand an old project. It represents the colours and textures of a place I visited but that is all I am prepare to say about the source.

The base fabric was sponged first, then covered with teased out dyed silk fibres.

These were covered with a black nylon sheer to hold it all in place.

I used the sweeps and curls of the fibres as a guide to free machining over the surface. I digitise a Celtic design and machined it over the patches of fibres. The surface was then zapped with a heat gun and embellished with beads and dyed baby pasta rings.

It is ready to be stretched over a frame to finish.

Another big decision made this week. I booked flights to go to our daughters villa for two weeks. It was only after it was all booked that I realised - TWO WEEKS away from my sewing and workroom. Planning ahead now. Trying to come up with ideas and prep for hand and finishing work to take with me. A friend suggested I take my machine as she does when she goes to see family in Australia but I will have a lot of heavy camera equipment with me so couldn't manage a machine as well even between two of us.

Hooray! my favourite skaters have just won!

My daughter has just arrived for her dad to to something on her car. Good old dad. How useful they are.

I can get on with the machining now that the skating has finished so bye all.

Cheers.

Busy beginnings

It has been a very busy start to the new year. I have been creating work to expand a project I did a few years back adding some new techniques and materials which were not around at that time.

Today I was multi tasking - machining the panels for a box while loading music albums onto my new iPod. I didn't realise how many CDs I had and had not listened to for a long time. Once they are all loaded onto the iPod I can listen to them in my studio while I am working. I just love all this new technology.

The other piece of technology is that of my embroidery machine which stitched out ten Celtic motifs for me today. I digitised the motifs as I needed so many of them. I usually free machine a 'one off'. However, after I had machined the first side I changed my mind about the colour and spent several hours unpicking it. I have a friend who manages to get her husband to do her unpicking or 'reverse stitching' as she calls it. This motif was a quadruple stitch so it was very difficult to unpick. Here's how it looked after unpicking and restitching.

There are four panels like this and a different one for the top and inside the lid.

At the beginning of the year I made the commitment to take at least one photograph/ image every day and began on New Year's day. I have kept to that commitment and have taken image number 11 today. They do not have a theme or anything - just whatever comes to mind each day. Today I did the washing and before I put the linen bin away decided to use the pattern on the front for an image.

I simply tipped the bin onto its back and took the photo. Pity I needed the light on as it has created a slight shadow of me taking the photo. There's a 3 dimensional textile piece in there -'maybe'.

I am quite surprised at the diversity of the images. Some are indoors and some outdoors. It depends a bit on the weather too. I did a still life study on a cup of coffee yesterday as it was so bitterly cold outside. Problem was that the coffee was cold by the time I had finished taking the photos. Turned out well though.

On Friday I had a special delivery in the post. The final layout for my book arrived. This one is how it will go to the printers. It will be sent for production today - Monday. I have to create the index for it now. The publisher has done a great job on the layouts. It looks very stylish. Can't wait to see the actual book.

My OH went to the NEC on Friday - he engineers for a rally team- and now I have a stack of photographs to process for him. They will have to wait. Too busy at the moment.

The conifer hedges will be getting their annual cut today. It is later than usual - they must be busy too. I wouldn't have been able to take this photo if they had come at the usual time of year.

This is another of my daily images. I got a bit wet taking this but... needs must.

That will have to do for this post. I need to do some more indexing.

Cheers everyone