So it appears I haven't posted in nearly 2 weeks! Do you want to know why? I completely forgot! Oh dear, I hope this isn't a slippery slide into old age....
In my last post I told you about the first half of the day at Speed Craft, you can read it here if you are so inclined. I went with the lovely Jane from Loopy's Place.
Our fourth activity of the day was with Katie Almond, an incredibly talented ceramics designer who I've taken several workshops with. I had a bit of a wobble when she asked if I'd left mum at home as mum usually accompanied me... But I powered on and got on with the job at hand, the hanging plaque above. This is the piece in wet clay and painted with the glazes. I'll show you the finished item when it comes back from its firing. I felt like doing a house in a heart to represent my renewed love for my lovely old Victorian house.
The last activity of the day for us was lino cutting and printing. I've done lino cutting a couple of times now, having taken a class or two a while ago. I decided to represent my current lifestyle and cut out a bottle (of vodka, I don't like wine!) and a cocktail glass. I drew both freehand so they're a little rough around the edges.
We used the finished stamps with ink brayered onto tiles rather than ink pads as I've done in the past. I printed on some book pages and we used the results to make a little collage. Sums me up rather well!
Once more, before I start the post, I have to tell you my latest bad news. Not regarding the buns this time. Driving home from Quilt Guild, I heard a knocking sound and a light came on my dashboard. I pulled over to investigate and found this.
Yep, a ruddy great bolt embedded in my tyre!
Anyway, back to the craft. In March me and wonderful mum went to a Letterpress workshop at Malt Cross in Nottingham. It's a pub which also hosts art and craft workshops. This workshop was with Cleeve Press. Unfortunately, my depression reared its ugly head and I was in a bit of a state that day. Lino cutting was on offer to make our own motifs and I did quite a lot of that, just sitting quietly so I didn't get the most of out this workshop.
Here are two of the stamps I cut from lino. I really do love lino cutting. I just wish I had some artistic talent!
I cut some more stamps which I didn't get a chance to use in this workshop, though I can use them with ordinary inks or fabric inks. These are things I love. Besides bunnies that's my sewing machine, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and coffee!
Oh, and Mr CA of course...
It's our wedding anniversary on Sunday (as I write this), which means last Sunday (as you read this). I meant to get this framed as a present! I completely forgot. There were a variety of fonts to use on traditional wooden blocks. I failed to get a photo of the blocks or the letter presses (there were three), but you can see some in the post where we did a taster session - go here.
The bunny rabbit and some quilt-block like motifs got a run out, but I couldn't get it right, I wasn't pleased with this at all.
I'm afraid that's all I have to show for this workshop. I failed.
At the end of February I came down with a horrible chest infection. I'm still withdrawing from my anti-depressants. The withdrawal is causing me to clench my teeth so hard that my jaw is agony. I thought at first it was toothache but the dentist told me it's not. Along with other ailments like headaches, earaches, feeling sick and dizzy, I think the withdrawal symptoms have lowered my natural immunity and so I caught an infection and it was pretty bad. I was off work for a week.
On the second Saturday we had booked a craft class at Locally Produced for You and I was determined to go. It was another great workshop, unfortunately we don't have any more booked there but I hope she runs some more soon as it's a great workshop space and a lovely shop.
This class was lino cutting and printing on fabric. The tutor was Anna from Fabritzia Design. I bought a lino cutting tool at one of the craft shows a few years ago but still hadn't tried it so I was eager to go to this class.
Because I was still a bit ill, I didn't have much creativity in me (I didn't do a single second of craft the whole time I was off work, I was so ill that all I could do was lie down and watch TV and even that hurt!), but sitting watching the others carve their lino, I finally got some inspiration. My mum had a shopping bag with a kind of splodge pattern on it, that became the stamp on the left. Then the one on the right just popped into my head.
The fabric I printed on was actually blue though it comes across as white/grey in this picture. I used silver ink, light blue ink and a lovely navy ink to stamp.
I left it to try for a week (or more!) and now I just have to iron it to set the ink and I can sew with it. I'm thinking of making a cushion cover and adding some embroidery and beading. For the time being it will just sit in my craft room with my other WIPs!
I really enjoyed carving the lino and if I could just get a little bit of free time, I could carve some more!
