Weekend at Brockenhurst

Saturday and Sunday was the annual Brockenhust Needlework Fiesta.  I was there with Maggie Grey and Fiona Edwards. 

There was a little bit of silliness and plenty of laughter. 

Quite a few new members signed up to Workshop on the Web and bought the books.

Fiona even managed a couple of photos on me on the embellisher. 

Hundreds of visitors over the two days.  I even heard one lady say as she was going down stairs that though she likes going to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace this one, small though it is, is so much better!  It really is nice to have such a well attended by traders, local show. 

Well that weekend was one of those markers in the years that, though I totally enjoyed myself, I can now move on to the Art Weeks at the end of May. I may be some time!! 

PS I've also managed to change over my website finally.  I was never, ever happy with the Clikpic site, it was far to professional and it had a set up that was too complicated to just go in and change something.  I could waste so much time trying to perform a simple task so I threw in the towel and moved to Weebly. They may not be UK based but it was seriously easy to use and, if you wait until after 2pm, the live chat it so useful. I've still a few things to add here and there but the new address is amanda-house.com link on the sidebar too. 

Long Time No Post

So I will now make up for it with a long one! 

The two mixed up panels are now stitched and finished off.  

Plenty of machine and hand stitch as well as beads.  This one is already sold but I'm hoping it can stay for the Art Weeks.

I liked doing this one very much, I think I have shown it to you before.

So I am now doing another slightly larger this time. 

After making the little Erosion pieces for the gallery, of which another has sold I thought I would combine the landscapes and the smaller size for some framed work for the art weeks.  A couple of the other artists had suggested I try larger frames and a stronger colour contrast which I think works well on these little pieces.  I think I will do some more in differing sizes. 

I have also been experimenting with the Pebeo paints which have been Maggie Grey's favorite medium of the moment for both her latest book, Long Diaries and Tall Tales, and for Workshop on the Web. 

This was an iPhone box covered in a mixed media fabric including Kozo paper which I used the Pebeo paint on and then lined with silk.

Copper sheet put through an embellisher folder and then the Pebeo added before cutting out.

The leaves were made into a bag once added to velvet.

I will be with Maggie demoing at the Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta on 23 and 24th April, it would be lovely to see you if you are in the area! 

Last week saw the hard copy publication of our Dorset Artists magazine.  I was the opening article in this edition. Though there is an electronic one there are always a lot of requests for a 'proper' paper version.  Sarah Broome, the editor, does a great job as it's all done in house and she is not, in anyway a magazine editor by profession!  She still holds down a full time job too. 

At the moment I am working on more items for the art weeks, some of which worked and some didn't!!! The ones on the right will not leave the moulds so I have a bit of a job scraping that lot out.  I think the pre oiling wasn't enough.  Never mind! 

And finally, like a lot of our textile community, I was extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Maggi Birchenough this week.  Maggi was one, if not the first non family follower of my blog in 2009.  She always took the time to comment and 'talk'.  When she found out I was doing my City & Guilds in 2010 she decided to do it too.  We both finished a couple of weeks apart.  I have several pieces of her beautifully dyed fabrics and loads of threads, even the dining table centre piece is made from hers, and I will always be grateful of her online friendship.  So sad we never finally met in the real world.