Rainy Stash Sunday

So what do you do on a rainy Sunday - you surf the internet of course, and you follow people around who are definitely bad influences and you finish up at places like Stash Sunday where we are all card carrying members of "SABLE"--- Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy!
and where we discuss who has the largest/most diverse stash, no, wait - discussing is not good enough, you have to prove it with pictures.

I am not a frilly lacey delicate or dainty type of person so how do I happen to have 5 boxes of lace in my stash?



and this is Maltese Lace made by my Maltese mother in law

perspex book

Back in March I went to a metal and plastic book making class with Marianne Little - this is the perspex concertina book I made, it has an ocean theme, with engraving, drilled holes and cut outs, stitched with waxed thread.

more needlefelting

Here's my little girl again with her bits coloured,

and a close up of the face, it was hard to believe that Birgitte's faces were not painted, but there is no paint used any where, all the features are added with coloured wool.


So then I had to start another figure straight away, and the only wool I had that would needle was some rubbishy stuff I'd bought years ago from Bendigo mills to use as stuffing, it didn't work out quite as well as the corriedale but I don't mind my little blue man

needlefelt doll

I've just arrived home from a very busy three day workshop, Birgitte is a lovely lady and excellent teacher, we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, our dolls all have a bit of fine tuning to be done - mine needs the toes on one foot and nipples and a few more kilos added to her weight, I wanted her to be very voluptuous, Birgitte showed us how to put clothes on the dolls, but no-one really reached that stage, I don't think I want to cover up all the curves on my doll.

I really love this medium - it could become my new "thing".....sigh......


Oh and of course I need more wool, you apparently needlefelt with a coarse wool like corriedale, merino is too fine and slippery......sigh.....

needlefelt doll workshop

I'll be quiet for the next three days:
I'm off on a 3 day needlefelting workshop with Birgitte Krag Hansen
You just have to go and see Birgitte's character dolls, I've been a fan of hers for years so I'm very excited that she's come to Australia and I have a chance at lessons from her.
Hope to have lots of pics next week.

covers for art journals

I've been making removeable covers to fit A5 size art journals using a technique that was featured in Cloth, Paper, Scissors - oddments of braids and laces are sewn onto a fabric backing and then painted - it's a very tactile finish.
I've been selling them at craft shows for AU$25 (with journal) if anyone is interested.

ATC's

here are some ATC's I send away for the AustBookArts RR