Meet Julie Arkell

Well........ where do I begin!!!!! What a wonderful weekend Workshop I have just attended ~ organised by http://www.stroudinternationaltextiles.org.uk/ with the wonderful Julie Arkell.

There are quite a few photos here, as I wanted to share with you the complete creative process Julie took us on. I was a little shy to take a picture of her as soon as she started to talk, so this one is from a little later in the day ....... I just wanted to introduce her. She is dressed exquisitely, quirky and feminine. She dresses how I would love to dress but have'nt the nerve and I am also too fat....I would look a real fright but Julie, her style looks just right. She is a reflection of her beautiful art, all merging into a sweet, happy, patient, intelligent, romantic, quirky and interesting form.

So here we go ~ first for a human type creature, a ball for the head made from of scrunched newspaper, then another large ball for the body, held together with masking tape. Arms and limbs, lengths of scrunched paper held onto body with masking tape.

Coffee break.... some of Julie's beautiful work.

Brooches for sale £45 each.

The darlings....

Postcards for sale 50p each.

Back to creature ~ very crude shape.

Oh this is another I made, a bunny creature....

Oh yes and another...... a little disturbing maybe, with the arms and legs of foreign dolls.

More of Julie's precious work.....

I took this sneaky pic of her Jacket and scarf, the details of embroidery and little added handmade accessories are so lovely. I just wanted to stare!

Pile of newspapers and making tape.

Demonstration of how to layer the coat of newpaper strips and wall paper paste.

And here we go....

All of my pieces covered in one layer of strips of newspaper and paste (crumpy hands). There was 25 of us! Julie must have been exhausted.

That was basically it for the first day. Four creatures made and covered. I took some paste with me to the Hotel room and spent an hour or so, giving them a second layer but this time we were to use very old pages taken from paper backs, preferrably pre 1950's, which have that lovely foxing and

brown edges. I managed to do this and they dried over night on the radiator.
Sue...sitting next to me, went down the path of dolls heads on bird shapes!

Sunday was all about finishing off the second layer and thinking about how to decorate. When the pieces have dried (after the second layer) they are remarkably robust.

Julie takes a piece of paper and embroideres the eyes and mouth etc. and then applies this with paste. Tricky, very tricky!

Of course, you can't make clothes and decorate the pieces whilst they are wet, so alot of knitting went on and oooohhs and aaaaghs were to be heard, as ladies pulled out lovely vintage fabrics, wools, buttons etc. to dress their work.

Anyway the day came to an end and we had a 'show and tell'. Julie graciously picked every single piece up and made some lovely comment about it's creative path and how wonderful each and every one had turned out.

These pieces were made by Emily who is 16 years old.


A few other pieces, some nearly completed, some not.

I added this because the lady who made these left her knitting with her display, which was very apt.

Here is Julie commenting on each creature.

Here are three that I made, took the photo this evening, so please excuse picture quality. I used embroidery transfer as a layer on all three of these. I crocheted the ear hat and the other hat is a Innocent Smoothie Hat, just a perfect fit. The bunny has a very old doll's underskirt, stained and vintagy looking, so that matched perfectly too.

I will post more photos as I complete and rework these babies.

So happy with the weekend (as you can probably tell)!!!! It has given me lots of ideas of how I could incorporate this kind of medium into my own work. Julie's teaching methods are very genteel and encouraging and really you can't ask for more than that. Well I hope I have'nt gone on too much....thanks for stopping by.x

ps I made a mess of the link to the Light House Festive Flair Designer/Maker Fair on 6th December next, where one will have a stand! Here is the link (thanks Monda)x

http://www.light-house.co.uk/

Hello......

Hello ...... no Saturday Shopping List this week, as I have decided to take myself off the list. Hopefully charlotte will not be too upset with me. I have really enjoyed putting the list together each week, but I'm feeling a bit of pressure at the mo. Along with lots of moans and groans, my Dad had is angioplasty today, he is through it now, thank goodness, but oh dear what a worry these parentals are!!!!! (Just trying to think which is more of a worry parents or kids, hard to decide really).
I have a Fair coming up on 6th December here and have to get my finger out, as they say!
Have'nt really a great deal to 'show and tell' today, other than these cards I have been making.
Consisting of .....1882 ledger page, bit of worn crochet, feather and of course a button.

This week I have been mostly preparing for....ooooh....I can barely say it........ the Julie Arkell Workshop. Saturday and Sunday 15th/16th at Stroud, Gloucestershire.
This was the list I was sent.......
This is what I have collected together...do you think I have enough stuff?????

I shall walk in like a pack horse.

Anyway, I shall let you know how it goes. Right, I must go and pack and fine tune the 'stuff' to take.

I hope you all have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.x

Holly and Saturday Shopping List

I hope you have had a good week and have a good weekend to look forward to.

I wanted to show you these web cam photos my daughter took of herself after an evening of making herself up. She copied the top pic and applied this makeup late one evening. Holly had not got her camera handy, so she took a few web pics of herself. I thought she had been on Photoshop! She really ought to go in theatrical makeup, I think she is so clever, but there again I would, would'nt I???!!!
Not sure how busy I am going to be over the next couple of days....so I thought I had better post my Saturday Shopping List. Where I get to choose items from wonderful Etsy Shops. Please see fancypicnic for more Etsy items. No theme this week, other than 'abundant gorgeousness'.


1. irenesuchocki ~ This Bird Has Flown - 8x10 Fine Art Print
Had the greatest difficulty to choose one piece from Irene's work. So incredible....so I've posted two!


2. A Song for Spring - 6x6 Fine Art Print on Metallic Paper


3. pinkroselady ~ Pastel Pink Victorian Roses ROSE PRINT C. Klein 2 Frame, Scrapbook, Decoupage
4. just2sayhi ~ Recycle flower ring series 03 - Print 21x29.7cm (A4size)

5. grandmascats ~ Set of 6 Crochet Pastel ROSES FLOWERS and leaves Applique Embellishment Scrapbooking

6. juliafelt ~ Bag 'Elvish Grasses'

7. ribbonerie ~ Velvet Rose - Huge

8. WildWomanJewelry ~ Where Are You Christmas... Bracelet Inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Thank you to all the really wonderful Etsy sellers and thank you for stopping by.x

Lillie and Lulu Dryson

Well, my very precious week off from work has come to an end....what happended there then? Where did a week go? The days seem to speed by at an alarming rate!

I have so thoroughly enjoyed all the commotion over Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, apologies to USA readers, but the news has been full of the goings on of these two. I am an avid Radio 2 listener and to have all the skeletons come out of the cupboard has been very interesting and made a really great change from the usual 'recession' news we have to endure.

But anyway, I wanted to show you what I have been doing in the week, here is 'Miss Lillie Dryson'. No idea how this was going to turn out, when I initially purchased the two envelopes last Wednesday. I placed the two ...one on top of the other and realised that attaching the two together with lace would look lovely. Wanted to use some of my own art work, so out came the tracing paper and liberty. The tracing paper being stitched is very fragile but strong enough to hold and I am very fond of the technique. The snippet of embroidered table cloth picked out the colour of the stamps and I finished with free machine embroidery. I Keep looking at it and smiling, as I am really pleased with it (smug so and so)!

Full of ferver, I moved onto an envelope from Portugal, opened it up and played at pretty much the same thing, this being Lillie's twin sister 'Lulu'. Dog called 'Lottie'! Try saying that after a glass of sherry.

Etsy here they come.

I have also made a couple of Huglies for the Christmas Craft Exhibition, I was telling you about. The one is made from chamois leather/chammy leather/shammy leather...ugh??? It was an absolute so and so to stitch, really thick and ungiving.

I also managed to pick up these beauties....the box was 30p, and I was so pleased to pick up a few more pieces of paper ephemera.

German.....

Unused.... both above and below are embossed and both extremely beautiful cards.

Talking of cards, I have also made quite a few greetings cards with free machine embroidery. Using some of my old card designs, I drew these with the machine. I find free m/c embroidery really hard going on the neck and shoulders. I don't know how jackie gets on doing all her beautiful work, which must take her hours, without some sort of crippling neck and shoulder pain! AGONY!!!!! I always find my shoulders are up by my ears, when I have done!

Got to attach these now to a blank card.

And carrying on from my post where I had crocheted a necklace......... well I'm hooked! I'm crocheting all of my precious beads and buttons into necklaces!

Thought I would try these next. Being an avid button collector, I have hundreds of 'brown' buttons of every shape and size , which are difficult to incorporate into the kind of thing I do, so maybe I could use them in necklaces.

Well, I have lurched from one item to another for long enough and I thank you very much for taking the time to visit. x

Saturday Shopping List

Apologies for the late hour for Saturday Shopping List, where I get to choose beautful work made by Etsy Sellers. See fancypicnic for other wonderful work.
1. sarapaloma ~ 3 Stoneware Bottles-Matte White

2. jillsoriginals ~ Porcelain heart

3. GretchenKramp ~ Partridge in Pear Tree - Round Tile

4. buttonbee ~ Green Leaf Button

5. buttonsbyrobin ~ Handmade Ceramic Buttons-Primitive Crow/Black Bird-Four Buttons
6. hijackedceramics ~ Carved Coffee or Tea Mug

7. Misspottery ~ Waterfall Brown and Green Mug

8. Moonsie ~ Beach Buttons

Thank you to Etsy sellers.

I will be posting again tomorrow, ran out of daylight to photograph and show you what has been keeping me out of mischief over the last few days. So till tomorrow.....

Thank you for stopping by.x