the making of a monster

This is my favourite time of year, especially around Halloween or the feast of Samhain and All Souls' Day. And to celebrate just a little this Saturday on October 29th we will be getting the needle and tread out to create miniature monsters and you never know we might even try apple dunking...and share a ghost story around a cup of brew...

Check out the details here if you want to come along. 

I'm so excited about this that I even created a one minute horror (ahem) animation...well more like attack of the killer pin cushions, or something along those lines. 

See how the wee orange guy got made by the hand of the creator.

My monster inspiration comes from many places but I can't help being inspired by these cardboard cut outs a friend gave to me all the way from California. They are aptly called Kamisabi - in Japanese it's the term for an item given a second life as a ghost. The paper comes from trimmings so they are recycled into a new life. They make me smile...

But the pincushions have the last word, in case you are interested to see the final scene of the animation, a bit like extreme acupuncture? eh...the poor thing

joyful fabric printing

I should be wary about posting too many pictures of the results of the fabric print workshop that happened on Saturday, because I'm sure that what was made might all turn into presents! It should be inspiration to make more though. 


It was very exciting to be printing on tea-towels and canvas bags, and how professional the designs looked too. There is nothing like a functional piece of fabric on which you can admire your creative splurge. 




We were using speedball speedy carve or the 'pink stuff' as it's known as with lino cutters. It cuts like a dream so it's really easy to work with. We then used a combination of acrylic paint with some fabric medium and stamp ink pads that adhere to fabric once you heat set with an iron. 


I think that I'll be running this workshop again soon, such was the enthusiasm for the whole thing. I for one am addicted to printing whether on paper or fabric.  


Check out the processes involved below, from inspiration to creating the block for printing and then the printing process itself. 

I also foraged my neighbours' garden for leaves and we used them to create prints with. Simple yet effective...

The craft taster day

After a nice long summer break, we returned to making last Saturday. There wasn't only one craft to try but three! 


Felt making, cross-stitching and beading with wire were all at our disposal. Once you get in the making zone, time seems to disappear rather quickly. 

That is until you stab yourself with a felting needle. I forgot the plasters, oh dear... 


Busy crafters in this picture are carding and needle - felting. The colourful results of their labour can be seen below. 

Fantastic intricate designs can be needle - felted, a great example below...

And then there was cross-stitch... 

...that I love to do on the train, or any other sort of transport, well maybe not my bicycle... We were putting some of the designs onto cover buttons too. The one in progress above ended up as a butterfly and it was taken home to complete. 

Making something on the commute to work prompted conversation about the kind of things that you can make while watching the telly, or in this case waiting for the plumber. One of the crafters got busy making so many beaded wire flowers...