So busy at the moment but I thought I must find a couple of minutes to blog. Spent the first part of this morning having a root canal re-done, not my favourite pastime and then had to get some things sorted out with some of the steering group for the ERTF which proved interesting with a frozen face. I have started my work for my latest OPUS module and at the moment I am concentrating on felt and what can be done with it. I spent all last week making felt and this week I am trying to alter it by painting onto it, adding clay, natural material, glue- you name it I'm going to try it. then we have to place it into another environment and see what new images and ideas we can create from these photos - pushing the boundaries.
I have sent my postcard to Cyber Fybre (Having already received Susan's) but forgot to take a photo of it before it went. However, it was a sample for my 'shades of monet' work so you'll get the drift when you look at the finished piece above.

So where did 2 weeks go? I can't believe how quickly time is flying at the moment. Of course the schools around here have been on half-term and each year I think 'as they're older now I won't see them as much' but now instead of trying to find things to do with children in half-term I spend my time tripping over teenagers and wondering on the state of my disapearing food stocks (where do 15 year old boys put all that food!). Still back to textile musings.
Over the last 2 weeks I have finished my first series 'Shades of Monet' and hopefully will get these framed up tomorrow (then I will put pics on the blog), stewarded at the Prism exhibition although I wasn't exhibiting myself, gone with the Material Girls to the Beecroft museum at Southend for a behind the scenes study on some of their 1920s accessories, traded cards with Cyber Fyber ( a brilliant idea by Susan Lenz) and continued to sign up members for the ERTF. So its been pretty busy.
Sewing World Magazine has also published a brilliant article about the forum, its really great to see how its growing even though it has been really hard work and I don't expect it to let up any time soon.
Next week its back to degree work as the next semester commences. This time I'm tackling 'personal specialism' with Mary Cozens- Walker as my tutor. I think this will be completely different to the last 5 semesters as I approach moving on to level 2- we shall see what awaits, watch this space.

I visited the Breakaway '92 exhibition today in Bishops Stortford today and there was some excellent work . I especially liked some of the very textural pieces on show but unfortunately there was no catalogue and no pictures/postcards on sale and as personal photography was forbidden as usual (of course) and I left my notebook in the car I can't remember the artist's name which is annoying. It was gratifying however when I introduced myself to the stewards that they immediately knew all about the Eastern Region Textile Forum and started discussing it enthusiastically. membership is slowly rising and we have a steering group meeting next week to finalise launch day arrangements so it is rapidly becoming a reality. There were also several beaded pieces included which reminded me of all the bead embroidery classes I have taught and how much I used to enjoy it, so I have agreed to make a beaded evening bag for my daughter's prom after all I haven't anything else to do (ha,ha!)
I have spent the last few days working on on my Monet series and now have 4 of the 6 almost compleat hopefully by the end of next week the whole series will be finished and I can move onto a 3D piece I want to do making a Waterlily out of Kozo, I've just got to work out the most sympathetic way to create a dragonfly for the centre.