Blue and White China Inspiration

I love Blue and White China and have a Welsh Dresser in my kitchen

full of all different types. I especially like Spode and

The Willow Pattern China.

In the afternoon after the card class had finished

I played around with this blue and white combination.

Kim showed us how to mask sections of our stamps,

you can see, by this card, a vase behind a vase.

When I got home I researched a little more into The Willow Pattern

and here are two videos that I really liked.

The first tells the Legend of The Willow Pattern

and the second is a quick animation.

If you would like to see a really inspiring Chinese Puppet animation

interpreting the Legend almost true to the actual story.

Click my tech site

www.art2inspiretech

Card making with Chinese Inspiration

On Wednesday morning Kim brought in some Chinese stamps for

us to be inspired by. Using printing,card and the newly learnt

bleach techniques, we were experimenting!

The card directly above is one of Kim's for inspiration.

She embossed printed the fans and then

using concentrated bleach and a fine paint brush

painted the fan middles, as you can see

it removed certain areas of the red card.

Kim then used chalks and ink and printing

to finish the card.

I used the beach on the Peony petals to remove the

red card colour.

I would make the card slightly larger next time

to give the writing some room between the flowers.

I really enjoyed this colour combination.

See more paper techniques in my portfolio pages

on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Lavender Planting

Today Stewart and I tidied the front driveway and moved what seemed tons of gravel. The driveway needed a new protective membrane to stop the weeds!

I also planted on at least 70 of my Lavender plants into the next size pots. This was a lovely job to do in contrast to the gravel! The original plants came from Norfolk Lavender see their website at

www.norfolk-lavender.co.uk

I will plant out some, Mum will have some and the rest I will put on my stalls.

I just love this video of the harvesting of the lavender and look forward to more of that this year. They make it look so easy! I am not going to use shears anymore!

You can see all the process at Norfolk Lavender and they have their festival in July, a great day out!

Enjoy this video.

Studio Garden

This is Mum's garden and we were over there yesterday

helping with some re-modelling, laying paving stones, fixing fences,

putting up arches and wire netting for clematis, roses and

honeysuckle to grow up.

As you can see, she has a studio too! it is painted a very lovely yellow

and has patchwork curtains similar to the conservatory

ones I make. These ones are very french in their colouring though to

match the sunny studio.

This picture was taken through Mum's Kitchen window.

To see more of my garden visit

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Royal Wedding

Today is the Royal Wedding and something to celebrate, the romantic in us!

Good Luck, to Kate and William.

I liked this idea of a concertina photo album.

It was a wonderful wedding and steeped in tradition which was so lovely to see.

History in the making!

Judy another textile artist sent me this link about The Wedding and West Minster Abbey.

Click HERE

More Cottage Flower Quilts

In between gardening today, I finished cutting and piecing

this next quilt today. It is made from the fabric scraps from of the

first Cottage Flower Quilt.

I used the similar brick path strip pattern but smaller,

than the first quilt.

(3 and a quarter" by 5").

The borders are yet to go on. I will hopefully

get round that tomorrow in between

more gardening and quilting.

The garden takes first priority when I am holiday from

work, so it is easy care the rest of the Summer.

More tomatoes, pumpkins and courgettes were

planted out today.

The runner beans need transplanting tomorrow,

if the weather is good.

We are picking Asparagus most days now.

Delicious!

See more of my quilts and garden on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Cottage Quilt

With all the gardening over the weekend I needed

to get back to quilting and here is a

quillow sized quilt inspired by cottage flowers.

It is made with 'brick' shaped blocks, each

5" by 10" and placed in strips. It is now ready for quilting.

See more of my quilts on my

website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Tree House Transformation

Jennifer's treehouse was built 15 years ago and this week

she was 20!

Underneath it, we have always used it as a wood store

for the fire and log burner.

Stewart and I decided that it was finally time to transform

the area. It was difficult as the tree house has

been part of many happy memories and has been a key

shade spot in the garden.

We wanted to re-cycle the wooden frame to form

a wood store. as you can see we managed it

and now it has planting round it so it looks

like it has been there for a long time!

It took two days over the Easter weekend to do.

We are now happy that we no longer have to duck so

low to get at the wood!

Stewart has put a wicker fencing in front now

and it looks like we could put a Reindeer in it!!!

See more of our garden by clicking

HERE

My Fair Lady

On evening of the 20th of April,

The Coven Quilters were invited as guests,

to see the opening night of "My Fair Lady".

The production was put on by 'KLODS',

Kings Lynn Operatic and Dramatic Society and

Directed by Amanda Arterton.

It was a wonderful production everyone was amazing but

the lead roles, Eliza Dolittle performed by LaurenHoskins

and Professor Higgins by Kevin Shippey were

outstanding. The quilt we had made for fundraising

was in the foyer and the raffle tickets were selling well,

it is going to be drawn in May.

We had such a special evening together,

I felt very special!

Thank you to CLODs and the organisers.

Card Making with Bleach Technique

On Wednesday, I went to card making @ The Gallery with Kim.

There was lots of show and tell with the things we had made over the

last two weeks and a look at a box of stampers goodies,

someone had brought on the Internet.

Kim was continuing to teach us different ways of creating

backgrounds on papers.

This week she knew I would be excited because we used

bleach!

She gave us a demonstration and it was a fantastic, she had put

the bleach into a 'Misty Bottle', so we could spray it

directly onto the rubber stamps and onto our card stock.

Its like a reverse or negative image and then you stamp on top

with colour.

I made lots of different prints and also did some on

fabric as I had used bleach as a 'discharge' before,

(it removes the colour from the fabric).

I will show you what I do with this fabric later.

Thank you Kim, for a lovely morning it was really inspiring.

I carried on at home putting my card together and

adding the bead wiring and embossed element to it.

I have now researched the bleach technique a little more and

here is a video that shows the technique really well.

Gallery Day 20th of April 2011

On Tuesday, it was my daughter' 20th Birthday, I can't believe where

time has gone! She's down in Cornwall with her boyfriend and his family

having a wonderful time. Lots of sun, surf and fish!

Well, it was also Gallery day @ The Gallery Dereham

and as usual there was so much going on as projects

were being finished, like Stella's wall hanging above and new

ones being started like Barbara's English Patchwork

which she can take away in the caravan with her.

you can see more of projects by clicking on the labels below each post.

There are also how to videos in 'The to View', Vodpod box

on the right. You can enlarge the screen by clicking the triangles

in the corner.

Due to the Easter Holidays and The Royal Wedding

The Gallery is going to be shut for two weeks and re- opens

on the 3rd of May 2011.

Card Making with Concertina Folds

On Friday I went to Laina Crafts and Wool Shop in Downham Market

for a card making class with Elaine.

She had made several designs like the one above all

using different decoration techniques but all

using the concertina fold technique.

It was a lively class.

A really lovely group of ladies.

I didn't quite finish mine, so I did that last night.

I am really pleased with the finished card,

although it is not "really me!".

I really enjoyed learning all the different techniques

and I can see me using the separate techniques with

other medias.

Thank you, so much Elaine for a great

card making morning.

See more paper techniques on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Silk Painting Video

I have taken photographs of my silk painting yesterday and today

as I produced the piece of work. It is quite hard

to keep remembering to take photographs at each step.

I have then edited it and made it into a video for You tube,

my third now!!!

I used the Mandalas card as a starting point.

Enlarging the pattern and using silk painting techniques.

I will then make a quilted and embellished wall hanging with it.

Hope you like the results so far?

Printed Sketchbook Video

I have made a sketchbook cover with the printed and embossed papers

I made a week ago.

I combined them with textiles, lace,stitch and some embellishments.

This sketchbook is for sale and can be purchased

by clicking HERE

What do you think of my first Photograph video?

Jeanette's Notebook

Jeanette had been on a workshop recently to make backgrounds

and the flowers.

She wanted to incorporate them in the

embellishment of notebook covers.

She had brought several little notebooks and wants to cover them for gifts.

By adding some gold threads

( which she had to go and buy from The bead Shop in Dereham)

and some extra quilting it gave this cover a real lift.

The cover was then finished off by making a lining which

slips off if necessary.

I have used many different methods of finishing sketchbooks

but this one called for some jewel coloured lining

to give it the added luxury.

Click on the photograph to enlarge and appreciate the Embroidery.