Ginny's Blog
I am on the committee of the Coventry and Warwickshire Society of Artists and I am working with Jacqui Smithson on the next art exhibition at the Loft Theatre in Leamington. In order to exhibit you need to be a member of the society. This next exhibition running through October until the New Year is a mix of the work of members of CWSA. If you are interested in joining please go onto the CWSA website and if you are interested in exhibiting at the Loft Theatre please contact me.
Fun needle felting session yesterday - it's amazing what you can achieve in a couple of hours. You don't need to be an artist to achieve some lovely effects.
Great wet felting workshop on 29 July. Whoever attends is always surprised at the amazing results. It's lovely to meet new and old friends. Such a relaxing day and a wonderful venue in Cawston. Next wet felting workshop at Cawston on Friday 16 September 2016 and next Needle felting workshop on Saturday 3 September at Cawston. Please contact me for more information.
It's all a bit quiet now that Open Studios have come to an end. A very big thank you to those of you who visited and for the donations to DEBRA. The sum raised was £168. Thank you too to all of my lovely family and friends for their help and wonderful cake making.
I have really enjoyed my first Open Studios exhibition - I've met some lovely like minded people who looooove texture. Thank you to all of my friends who have been so supportive and for the very generous supply of cakes! I have met some very inspiring machine embroiderers. Not too sure about giving a talk on my journey to here but working up the courage. Open studios is a little like putting on a performance - a lot of hard work but when it comes to an end I will be really sad that it's over. Don't know if anyone saw Lexi, my cat, on Open Studios Facebook page? She has given my visitors a very warm welcome. Anyway I look forward to seeing my visitors this weekend.
Well everything is ready! Looking forward to welcoming everyone to my Open Studio.Refreshments available - proceeds to DEBRA - Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association. Thanks so much to family and friends who have made the most delicious scrummy looking cakes. Everything crossed for good weather so that the garden can be enjoyed too.
It seems ages since I had a minute! I am frantically trying to get organised for Warwickshire Open Studios. As it's my first time I have no idea what to expect - having said this I am really looking forward to the experience. SHOULD NOT have decided to offer refreshments as I now have to get the garden looking lovely - It would normally look lovely anyway but as everyone knows it just doesn't happen overnight. The pigeons have been up to their tricks as usual - just one of the charms of the great outdoors.
Anyway I thought it may be useful to jot down some of the suppliers that I use and have found to be really good:
- I get my wool tops from Wingham Wool Work - can be found online. Tel: 01226742926
- Vista print - online - for my business cards.
- Oliver Twists for my silk fibres - olivertwistsretail@fsmail.net Tel: 01388329184
- Margaret Fox, Malvern - premade felt (I have tried buying felt from various outlets but the ones that I have tried have been very thin and the colours have not appealed to me).
- Barnyarns - online - for threads Tel: 01765690069
- Cotton Patch - for materials - online - Tel: 01217022840
- Wessex Pictures - for mount board, notions for framing. eg cord, hooks - Tel 01926 421984
- I am also a member of SAA Teaching Art Ltd - excellent provider of art materials and good discount if you join - online - Tel: 08458770775
- Craft Courses - online www.craftcourses.com - to promote your courses or to find a course.
Great morning spent wet felting. First session at the Craft Studio at Hilltop Farm. Wet felting is a very exciting process - you never know how it's going to turn out and you're always thrilled! Some of the group were going to stitch on top of the felt but sometimes the felt just does not need any further enhancement. I was so pleased that one of the class had seen the advert on the Craft Course website. It was the first time I had used that site and it's encouraging that I had only just put the course on the site and that I had a new class member! Roll on the next wet felting workshop.
The learning curve keeps growing. I hope my brain is big enough!!! A needle threader on a sewing machine is a must have - until it goes wrong. Mine just stopped working. I tried all ways - going slowly then quickly, holding it tightly, holding it loosely - to no avail. So I ordered a new one - a tiny piece of plastic which was expensive. When it arrived I changed the needle threader - nifty little push clip sort of movement. Well - surprise, surprise - it wouldn't work!! So after lots of trials and tribulations I discovered it was because the needle had dropped a bit and was not in the correct position. Once re-installed all my problems dissolved! Brilliant. Patience, patience!!
The Needle Felting workshop yesterday was great fun. Following a brief chat and demonstration everyone was soon working away to create their own individual masterpiece. It was interesting to see how the different class members approached the design of their pieces. Once they had started there was no stopping them. I think they are well and truly hooked. Some of the class planned to stitch the felts at home but the end results were all good and some of the class tried machine embroidery on top of the felt to make more definition. We put mounts around the pictures just to show how effective they would all be when framed. And to top it all we ended the session with coffee and cake - perfect!!!!!
