Obama bag and other stuff

Where was I? Oh, you're still there. Good. We've had some work done on the computer (thanks, Dennis) and I've finally got round to uploading my pics of the "Obama" bag I made for a friend of a friend who lives in the US and worked on Obama's campaign. The central panel is a discharged themofax screen print of the president's inauguration speech. Many thanks to Ineke Berlyn for the loan of the screen.

I wasn't 100% pleased with the bag and it took me far longer to make than it need have done but it's over the pond with its new owner now and I'm told it has attracted a great deal of interest!

Workbox article

We're in Workbox magazine! Well - Distant Stitch gets a big mention and some pics (including your necklace, Daniela) courtesy of Maggie Grey. It's in an article on web-based learning.

Please visit crafts4allseasons.co.uk for THICK felt suitable for bags/3D items, plus the biggest colour range of both wool and acrylic felt I have ever seen! They're about to start stocking bamboo felt which is so SOFT and comes in lot of lovely subtle shades. Fab quality.

Ombersley Church Fete

My creative sister Tessa and I had a stall at the Fete yesterday. The Arts & Craft tent was a new innovation but seemed to appeal to quite a lot of people. It was a first for us but very enjoyable and we learned a lot. The "hearty hens" and the quilted bag are Tessa's. I made clay jewellery and displayed some drawings and watercolours I did ages ago. The jewellery attracted lots of little girls who were keen to have a little spend. It was lovely to see how solemn and serious they looked as they decided what to buy.

Ineke Berlyn workshop

Sorry - no photos to show you. The workshop was great - screenprinting using discharge paste to create a fabric ready for stitching. Oh boy, did I enjoy myself! Ineke is lovely - the only tutor I've come across who bakes cakes for the students. Other tutors please take note!

Clay!

Well - what fun I've been having experimenting with polymer clays. It's a no-pressure way to have fun after getting myself all worked up about C&G. Setting myself some (tiny) challenges has got me all fired up again and boosted my confidence. I was given some Fimo (oven bake) and had bought some Hearty (air dry without heat). Both give a similar result, although the oven-baked version feels smoother and more like "real" clay, whereas Hearty is sort of fibrous and has a little bit of "give", which is disconcerting. It feels warm to the touch too.

Sorry about the flowery background - it's a little glass chopping board I won in a raffle and it's very useful for clay work. Some of the clay pieces will be buttons or brooches - others will be fridge magnets. I've also started making a few fabric buttons using lettering. I feel this is something I'll return to again as it's just so enjoyable and easy to get interesting effects. Most of this stuff is meant for the Ombersley fete, howeverI wore one of the heart brooches last night and got a few compliments!!!

Malvern and Clay Play

Spent an enjoyable afternoon at Malvern Quilt show on Saturday. Lots of lovely stuff on sale (you can never have enough STUFF). Bought some fabric, vintage-style buttons, bag handles but resisted all the tempting books. I intend to make some vintage-ey, rather twee brooches to sell at the Ombersley Church Fete in June. Also, I've been making some clay brooches, buttons and fridge magnets. Mixed results, but I'm enjoying doing something different.

NEC Show March 2010

Enjoyed two days of this event. Very little of the new but some great work to see, and lots to spend money on. Nice to meet Lynda Monk of purple missus fame - she was demonstrating for Art Van Go. I felt really inspired and ready to get cracking again.

There was a memorabilia show in the next hall on the Saturday, and R2D2 kept buzzing us while we were trying to talk, plenty of people dressed as Star Wars characters and some weird goings-on in the carpark. Made stitchers look almost mainstream.

Phew! In a fit of mad activity I have published a plethora of posts on my Distant Stich blog. Feel free to have a look. Some of the photos are a bit iffy and some chapters are nowhere near complete.

Oh that's enough excuses for one blog!

Bury me in a blanket

But not yet! My other half works for a funeral director and I was intrigued to learn of the latest trend in funeral ware - gorgeous natural wool felt coffins complete with chunky blanket-stitched seams. I mean, how cosy is that? A nice thought to leave you with. Now back to work.......