Hello my friends. I trust this finds you well and enjoying each new day. It has been a manic week here on the North Wales coast – 12 gold cloaks now done and delivered – and I apologise to you. I thought I had been told “gold” to celebrate 50 years of Fairtrade – No! It’s to showcase the new Fairtrade Gold – yes – the shiny stuff of wedding rings etc. Look up www.fairtrade.org.uk/gold to find out more about how small artisan miners can now receive a fair wage for their work. So I’m sorry I misled you last week.
Apart from the cloaks, I have cut out the 30 kits for bags to go to Uganda, and they are on their way to the ladies who have offered to sew them. So I am now able to concentrate on making for the three days of the Llandudno Christmas Fair, as we are opening up the church building next week Thursday through Saturday for light lunches and craft. Never a dull moment here!
My desk this week has consequently moved around the house depending on what I have been doing – my landing space, John’s art space, the dining table, a coffee table in the lounge as I have watched TV and worked at the same time… So, no photo of the desk – more a WBOMWTW – What’s Been On My Workdesk This Week! Just beware – it’s picture heavy!
Lots of knitted stockings filled with sweets and chocolates
Some lovely gift boxes
Lots of gift tags
I have also made lots of lantern boxes to take tea lights, and this evening have made some “handbags” – but haven’t photographed those yet. Next on the list are some cards – but that is after shopping and soup making for Step Inside – my turn this week!
So that’s my workdesks this week and what they have produced. I won’t be at all offended if you decide you have seen enough, but for those who wish to linger…
I promised to show you some of the work I did on the pergamano course….
This little box has an elastic band connecting the internal corners, so lays flat to fit inside the silver box in the background.Tie a ribbon round the larger box. Undo the ribbon and the decorated box springs out! Fun!!
A tri-fold card. The coloured areas are done using water colour pencils and the tiniest bit of water to activate them
This piece was made to work on whitework skills. The separate holly leaves will (when I have a few moments!) be attached to make the card 3D
Two rather cute little robins having a bad hair day! The colouring here was done on the reverse of the parchment – making it much gentler in effect.
This flower was printed onto black parchment, and then Christine Coleman demonstrated a method of colouring I had never come across before – how to layer colour down and gradually build up the desired effect – My first attempt at this! I loved doing it and achieving the effect I wanted. The outer design on the white parchment is done separately and will be used as the frame for the lily when I have a few minutes!
Then Christine handed out the rose design and said “Now, just get on and do it without thinking about it!” We could use any colourway we wanted – I just thought white would look good against the black… Again, the outer design is separate.
Yes, the course really did only last from Monday afternoon until Friday after lunch! Boy, did we work hard!
I had taken along with me a couple of pieces I had already done at home – partly because Shoshi wanted to see what pergamano was all about, and partly because they were both Alison Yeates’ designs. She was our tutor for the week. This is my Advent calendar. I use it each year. Pull up the top pyramid and it’s possible to put a chocolate inside the inner pyramid!! Each pyramid stands around 3 inches tall, has a number on one side, a picture on a second side, and a pergamano pricked design on the third and fourth. They are exquisite and I love them – took a long while to make, though! http://www.artycraftystuff.co.uk/page4.html Following the link will show you much better pictures.
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This star is around 5 inches across and opens out to reveal the inner card. It turned out to be the last Christmas card I made for John. It hangs on the Christmas tree.
My holiday ended with a trip to see…
… our very own Sarah – in her very own shed! I could have spent HOURS pottering around in there – so much to see! But a good visit and lunch together. Between you and me, I secretly think she does actually LIVE in the shed – all mod cons – a kettle, tea and coffee… What more could she want?
Well, that’s it folks. I reckon if you have got this far you are probably exhausted and need a long lie down… so… Thanks so much to so many who visited last week and left such lovely comments – and just to put some panicking souls at rest – it took me a fortnight to do the whole holiday and the 1000 miles!
Take care my friends. God bless.
Margaret
Good morning my friends. I trust this finds you well and happily occupied. This is my desk this week – very little on it as I am now ready for the craft stall which is this Friday and Saturday. Everything is bagged, priced, cut out, sewn together and sitting on the dining table…. and all that is left to do before taking it all down the church building on Thursday afternoon, is to cut out and frame those photos in the picture.